Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Goss International Americas, Inc.

David Elliott Whitten

Barry Mark Jackson

Kevin Lauren Cote

Joseph Adrian St Ours

Mark Anthony Wingate

Gerald Roger Douillard

Eugene John Bergeron

Gerald Joseph Drew

An apparatus for transporting signatures is provided which includes a moving transport surface for transporting signatures; a pair of eccentric guide rollers, rotatable about respective axes, the pair of guide rollers positioned opposite one another to receive signatures therebetween from the moving transport surface; and a diverter positioned downstream of the guide rollers. The diverter is movable between a first position to divert signatures received from the guide rollers to a first downstream moving transport surface and a second position to divert signatures received from the guide rollers to a second downstream moving transport surface.

Method and apparatus for diverting signatures in a folder

A variable length cutting device includes a cutting cylinder and a transfer cylinder. The transfer cylinder cooperates with the cutting cylinder for cutting a ribbon into signatures having a desired cutoff length. An adjustable diameter portion of the transfer cylinder can be moved in a direction toward and away from the central axis of the transfer cylinder for adjusting the desired cutoff length of the signatures.

Variable length cutting device

A roll for a web printing press includes a cylindrical member configured for supporting a web, the cylindrical member being rotatable about an axis of rotation. A motor device is disposed at the axis of rotation for rotating the cylindrical member so as to advance the web over the cylindrical member during a webbing-up operation.

Printing press roll having auxiliary rotation capability

An apparatus and method for advancing and/or slowing signatures in a printing press. The apparatus and method includes a series of two or more belt drives, where each belt drive includes at least a pair of opposed belts. The belts are preferably timing or toothed belts driven by sprockets. The sprockets are formed with a semi-elliptical outer surface. As a result, the belts have two directions of motion. The first direction&mdash;horizontal&mdash;advances the signatures and may be used to slow the signatures. The second direction&mdash;vertical&mdash;withdraws the belts away from contact with the signatures to prevent buckling or wrinkling during a speed transition or during a transfer between belts. In one embodiment of the present invention, both opposed belts are retracting belts; in another embodiment, one belt is a fixed conveyor belt, while the other opposed belt is a retracting belt. The apparatus can be formed of a series of sequential belts running at different speeds, or a slower set of belts could be located inside the faster set of belts. In another embodiment, the upper and lower belts can be offset relative to one another to create an S-wrap along the signature, thereby compensating for different thicknesses of the folded signature.

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Barrington, NH, United States of America

David Elliott Whitten