Abstract: A method for operating a thread stitching machine for processing printed sheets to form book blocks includes providing at least one sewing station with an active connection to at least one stitching saddle and providing the at least one stitching saddle with an active connection to at least one transporting system. The printed sheets are supplied to the at least one stitching saddle, using the at least one transporting system, in at least one of a substantially vertical and a substantially horizontal plane relative to the at least one stitching saddle. At least the printed sheets in the substantially vertical plane are supplied directly onto the at least one stitching saddle or to a region of the at least one stitching saddle. The printed sheets are supplied to the at least one sewing station resting astride the at least one stitching saddle.

Abstract: A method for operating a collection system for printed products includes drawing off the printed products from discharge device(s) disposed at corresponding discharge point(s) in the collection system. The printed products are deposited on a collection section during a cycle period of the discharge device(s) so as to form a bundle of printed products. The bundle is transferred to a subsequent conveying mechanism having receiving pockets. It is determined whether at least one missing printed product exists due to an incorrect drawing off from the discharge point(s). A repair process is initiated and controlled in which the at least one missing printed product is drawn off from the corresponding discharge point(s) at a time corresponding to a subsequent recurrent pocket-related cycle of the subsequent conveying mechanism in a subsequent cycle period of the discharge device(s). The at least one missing printed product is inserted in the relevant receiving pocket.

Abstract: Sheets center-folded by a center-folder are placed on a main saddle. A buffer saddle is provided separately from the main saddle, on an opposite side of the center-folder across the main saddle. The pile of sheets saddle-stitched on the main saddle is placed on the buffer saddle. When viewed from above, the buffer saddle is movable in a direction separating from the main saddle that is a reverse direction to the center-folder, and in a direction orthogonal to the direction separating from the main saddle. A sheet processing device is arranged in the orthogonal direction where the buffer saddle is movable.

Abstract: A signature transport device is provided. The signature transport device includes a first conveyor moving a stream of folded signatures in a first direction, a rotary arm having a gripper, the gripper gripping a folded signature from the stream by a fold, the rotary arm moving the folded signature in a second direction, a toothed drum engaging a portion of the folded signature, the rotary arm rotating past the toothed drum to open the folded signature and a second conveyor receiving the opened signature from the gripper as the rotary arm continues to rotate. A method is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for collating printed products. The apparatus includes a collating drum rotatably driven about a horizontal axis of rotation and at least functionally subdivided into axial sections, provided with separate compartments or saddle-shaped supports that are externally open in a radial direction. A first feeding device delivers printed products to the processing drum, and a conveyor conveys the printed products away from the processing drum. Conveying elements are associated with the compartments or the supports, and are used for conveying the printed products in the axial direction when the processing drum rotates. A secondary conveying section is arranged between the first feeding device and the conveyor, and a processing station or at least one additional feeding station is located between the first feeding device and the secondary conveying section in order to process the printed products or feed additional printed products.

Abstract: A new gathering and stitching machine (10) and a new method for operating a gathering and stitching machine (1) are proposed, which make it possible to drive in the staples (K) in a positionally correct manner and to close them satisfactorily even in the case of relatively short staple setting times. This is achieved by the novel control of the position of the staple heads (20) and the saddle-shaped supports (2, 30, 40, 50) in the region of the interaction during stapling. It is an essential feature of the present invention that the staple head (20) and the support (2, 30, 40, 50) are pivoted towards one another in such a way that they come to lie within a common stapling plane (H).

Abstract: An apparatus for thread-stitching of folded print products includes a sewing station in which individual print products are stitched along the fold and print products are then sewn together along the spine to form a book block. A pivoting saddle supplies individual print products straddling thereon to the sewing station. A feeder separates folded print products from a stack of folded print products. A feeding arrangement includes a feed path connecting the feeder to the pivoting saddle, and has a feeding end that cooperates with the feeder to supply the individual print products to the feed path and a discharge end that operates to supply the individual print products to the pivoting saddle. The sewing station, as seen from the top, is arranged on the machine frame of the apparatus, between the feeding end of the feeding arrangement and the pivoting saddle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a processing device for processing printed products, in particular for collecting individual printed sheets for manufacturing an assembled printed product. The device includes a drum rotatable about a rotation axis and at least two feed stations arranged distanced from one another in the direction of the rotation axis, for feeding printed products, and at least one lead-away station for leading away processed printed products. The drum includes several guides, in particular saddle-like rests or conveyor compartments which are arranged in succession in the peripheral direction of the drum and are movable along a closed revolving path, as well as advance elements controlled by a control unit, for displacing the printed products in the direction of the rotation axis. For increasing the flexibility, the device is composed of modules.

Abstract: A device for opening folded or bound printed products, comprises a feeder device (2, 13) for feeding-in individual folded or bound sub-products (4) and an opening device (6) for opening the sub-products (4), as well as furthermore an opening verifying installation (11, 14, 15, 16), in order to with optical means (14) identify deficiently opened sub-products (4) before the sub-products (4) are further processed. In case of sub-products (4) identified as being deficiently opened, the further processing is not carried out, but rather a deficiently opened sub-product (4) is conducted back to the opening device once more.

Abstract: Printed products produced by assembling on saddle-shaped supports are conveyed onwards lying on the supports and during this conveyance are processed in the area of their fold line between a tool acting from outside and a counter-tool acting from inside, i.e., from the supported side. For being processed, the printed products are lifted off from the saddle line of the supports by the counter-tools, such that a relative movement between the saddle-shaped support and the counter-tool does not deform or damage the printed products. Through this measure it becomes possible to design the circuit of the supports and the circuit of the counter-tools largely independent of one another. The supports or their saddle lines respectively, for example, are able to move through the processing zone in a straight line, while the distal ends of the counter tools circulate on a round circuit.

Abstract: A new gathering and stitching machine (10) and a new method for operating a gathering and stitching machine (1) are proposed, which make it possible to drive in the staples (K) in a positionally correct manner and to close them satisfactorily even in the case of relatively short staple setting times. This is achieved by the novel control of the position of the staple heads (20) and the saddle-shaped supports (2, 30, 40, 50) in the region of the interaction during stapling. It is an essential feature of the present invention that the staple head (20) and the support (2, 30, 40, 50) are pivoted towards one another in such a way that they come to lie within a common stapling plane (H).

Abstract: A bookbinding apparatus comprises, a stacking unit on which sheets are stacked; a folding portion which folds the sheets stacked on the stacking unit; a humidifying unit which humidifies portions of the sheets to be fold lines of a booklet before folding by the folding portion; and a controller which controls a humidifying condition at the time of the humidifying by the humidifying unit, wherein the humidifying condition is variable according to the sheets composing the booklet.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for inscribing folded printed products (12) having a first product part (14) and a second product part (16) joined together by a fold (18). The printed products (12) are conveyed by a conveyor device (22), with the fold (18) astride receiving saddles (26) disposed transversely to the direction of conveyance (F), through an inscribing section (30) to which a inscribing station (60) is assigned. For the inscribing of an outer side (56) of the first product part (14) disposed in leading arrangement in the direction of conveyance (F), a region (66) of the outer side (56) comes into contact with a fixed support surface (58) assigned to the inscribing section (30) and is inscribed by the inscribing station (60).

Abstract: A device (10) for collecting and processing folded printed products (12) may be constructed with a collection drum (14) which is rotatingly driven about its drum axis (22) and provides first rests (18) with first saddles (20). The first rests are uniformly distributed over the circumference and extend in their longitudinal extension (L1) parallel to the drum axis (22). Conveyor elements convey the printed products (12) on the first saddles (20) in the axial direction (S) along the firsts rests (18). It may further use a conveyor (30) which has a conveyor path (31) with a conveyor direction (F) which at least in a transfer region (50) deviates from the axial direction (S) and which has second rests (32) movable in the conveyor path (31), with second saddles (34) arranged distanced to one another and arranged transversely to the conveying direction (F).

Abstract: A book finishing station configured to process a media sheet includes a support apparatus, a clamping apparatus, and a heating element. The clamping apparatus is spaced from the support apparatus. During use, a media sheet is positioned between the support apparatus and the clamping apparatus, and the clamping apparatus is configured to move toward the support apparatus to clamp the media sheet between the support apparatus and the clamping apparatus. The heating element is coupled with one of the support apparatus and the clamping apparatus and is configured to apply heat to the media sheet near a fold line defined by the media sheet.

Abstract: A device for collecting printed sheets in a certain sequence astride and atop one another to form a printed product has a saddle-shaped support supplied by a sheet feeder with printed sheets. The saddle-shaped support is arranged above a conveying device transporting the printed products to a further processing step. The saddle-shaped support has a circulating traction mechanism and driving members connected to the circulating traction mechanism. The driving members act on the printed products to convey the printed products in a direction parallel to a conveying direction of the conveying device.

Abstract: A wire stitching machine and a method for wire-stitching print products with the wire-stitching machine. At least one stitching head is arranged to move along with a respective print product to be stitched during a stitching operation. A control device is arranged to control the stitching head so that the stitching head is displaced relative to the print product following placement of a first staple by the stitching head in a print product to drive in at least one second staple at a distance to the first staple.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting, stitching and/or cutting printed products includes an endless collector chain and feeders arranged one behind the other and above the collector chain for placing the printed products on the collector chain, and a stitching device for stitching or stapling the printed products, as well as a delivery unit for removing the printed products at the conveying end of the collector chain and for supplying the printed products to further processing. The apparatus also includes a drive unit which includes at least one servo drive which is controlled by a drive connected to the collector chain through a signal line in a timed synchronous manner and which drives additional units of the apparatus.

Abstract: A booklet maker, including a pivotable collecting device including two supporting sides formed as a saddle shape, and a rotatable transferring device including a displaceable clamping component, where the transferring device delivers a folded sheet material to the collecting device along a non-linear path, and where the collecting device pivots to receive the folded sheet material from the transferring device such that different portions of the folded sheet material are supported by different sides of the two supporting sides of the collecting device.

Abstract: A sheet folding and accumulation system and method inverts folded sheets onto a saddle where the sheets are accumulated and bound into a booklet. The inverting of the sheets onto the saddle for accumulation and binding eliminates the need for the saddle or other sheet collection member to translate or pivot for location of the sheets onto the saddle. A sheet folding and accumulation system includes a folding mechanism configured to form a fold in a sheet, a saddle for collecting folded sheets into a booklet for binding, and an inverting mechanism for inverting the folded sheet and placing the folded sheet onto the saddle with the peak of the fold in the sheet pointing upward.

Abstract: A pivotable collecting device for handling a folded sheet material, including a supporting edge for supporting a fold of the folded sheet material, two supporting sides opposing one another, and means for pivoting the supporting edge and supporting sides about a first axis to receive the folded sheet material such that each supporting side receives a different portion of the folded sheet material, where the supporting sides converge at the supporting edge, and where the first axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the supporting edge.

Abstract: A device for producing bound printed products has a continuous folding device to which are supplied sequentially individual printed sheets and in which the printed sheets are folded individually to folded printed sheets. A gathering device receives the folded printed sheets from the continuous folding device and gathers them in a predetermined number to a pre-product in a position in which the folded printed sheets are astraddle. A transport device is arranged downstream of the gathering device and receives the pre-product from the gathering device. The gathering device has at least one blade extending substantially parallel to the transport direction of the transport device. The folded printed sheets are gathered on the blade to form the pre-product. A device for moving the at least one blade in the transport direction is provided.

Abstract: The presented device (10) according to the invention, for collecting and processing folded printed products (12) comprises a collection drum (14) which is rotatingly driven about its drum axis (22) and comprises first rests (18) with first saddles (20), said first rests being uniformly distributed over the circumference and extending in their longitudinal extension (L1) parallel to the drum axis (22), as well as conveyor elements for conveying the printed products (12) on the first saddles (20) in the axial direction (S) along the firsts rests (18). It further comprises a conveyor means (30) which has a conveyor path (31) with a conveyor direction (F) which at least in a transfer region (50) deviates from the axial direction (S) and which has second rests (32) movable in the conveyor path (31), with second saddles (34) arranged distanced to one another and arranged transversely to the conveying direction (F).

Abstract: A method for handling a material sheet in a sheet-wise booklet making system, including the steps of advancing a sheet to a movable clamping drive at a first position, clamping the sheet in the clamping drive at the first position, moving the clamping drive in a non-linear path to a second position, establishing a fold in the sheet with a folding device, moving the clamping drive in a non-linear path to a third position, and delivering the folded sheet to a collecting device, such that a leading side and a trailing side of the folded sheet are respectively delivered to a frontside and a backside of the collecting device.