Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Am International Incorporated

Goss International Americas, Inc.

Heidelberg Finishing Systems, Inc.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen

James R Schlough

Alan Scott Farr

Charles Jeffrey Conner

Glenn Alan Guaraldi

Heiner Luxem

Kyle Albert Sandahl

A stitcher is provided including a carriage having a center of gravity, the carriage movable between an extended position and a retracted position; at least one bearing for supporting the carriage; and an operating link for driving the carriage, a driving force of the link being applied through the center of gravity or between the center of gravity and the bearing. Another stitcher also is provided including a movable carriage having a center of gravity, the carriage movable between an extended position and a retracted position; and an operating link for driving the carriage, a driving force of the link being applied through the center of gravity when the carriage is in the extended or retracted position. A saddle stitcher is also provided. Methods for stitching are also provided.

Stitcher drive

A signature transport device includes a first conveyor for moving a plurality of folded signatures in a first direction and a second conveyor including a first blade having a first edge for lifting a first signature of the plurality of signatures from the first conveyor. The first edge is parallel to the first direction, and the blade moves in a second direction sloping upward at an acute angle with respect to the first direction. In addition, a method for conveying signatures is disclosed.

Signature transport device

An optical sensor for detecting the presence or absence of sheet products in a moveable device has a fixed light source, a fixed light detector spaced from the fixed light source, and a light transfer device fixedly connected to the moveable device for directing light from the fixed light source to the light detector as the moveable device passes by the fixed light source. Also disclosed is a device for transferring and moving sheet products and a method for detecting sheet products by an optical sensor having the steps of inserting a first sheet product into a first moveable device, aligning the first moveable device with a fixed light source and a fixed light detector, and transmitting light from the fixed light source across an opening of the first moveable device.

Light sensor for sheet products

A device for preparing a book spine includes a plurality of movable pockets, each pocket having an angled back, a packer and a spine stop at a lower end of the pocket for receiving the spine. The spine stop has a first collect position, a second position wherein the spine stop is lower with respect to the packer than in the collect position but still holds the spine, and a third position wherein the spine stop is rotated away from the spine. A method for preparing a spine is also provided.

Device and method for binding printed products

A method for preparing a book spine comprises delivering a plurality of products against a spine stop so as to define a spine, the plurality of products contacting a wall having a first section and a second section. The spine stop is moved away from the spine and the printed products are bent by moving the second section pivotally with respect to the first section. Also disclosed is device for preparing a book spine comprising a plurality of pockets, each pocket having a wall having a first section and a second section, the second section being pivotal with respect to the first section. Each pocket further includes a packer and a spine stop removably located at a lower end of the second section for contacting a spine end of the products, the second section and the packer supporting the products for pivotal movement.

Device and method for preparing a book spine for binding

An apparatus for feeding flat products from a pile of flat products to a receiving location especially on a conveyor includes a plurality of delivering units for extracting a single flat product from the pile. Each of the delivering units has a first driven belt and is engageable with a pile. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a diverting element for diverting the flat products in a predetermined direction. A method of operating the apparatus is also provided.

Apparatus and method for feeding sheet material magazines

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of flat products such as sheets or signatures, the flat products being fed from a pile of signatures to a pocket by a pocket feeder. The pocket feeder includes a first and second roller. The first roller is arranged against the second roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving a flat product. The first roller is deflectable when a flat product enters the nip. The apparatus comprises a first proximity target which is arranged on the first roller and a second proximity target which is fixedly arranged on the receiving unit. A proximity switch monitors the targets and a control unit starts and stops counting the pulses generated by an encoder. To calculate the thickness of a flat product, the counted pulses are compared to a stored value.

Thickness measurement apparatus

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of flat products such as sheets or signatures, where the flat products are fed from a pile of signatures to a pocket by a pocket feeder. The apparatus has a light source and light sensor for sensing the light transmitted from the light source. The pocket feeder includes a first roller and second roller, the first roller being arranged against the second roller to form a nip therebetween for receiving flat product, wherein the first roller is deflectable when a flat product enters the nip. The apparatus includes a first reflecting element which is arranged on the first roller for reflecting incident light, a light source for directing light to said first reflecting element and a first sensor element for sensing light reflected from said reflecting element which produces a sensor signal. A calculating unit for calculating the thickness based on that sensor signal is also provided.

Sheet-like material articles are gathered in gathering pockets which move along a path in a horizontal direction. The sheet-like material articles are conveyed in a shingled stream adjacent the path. On each of the gathering pockets a deflector is actuatably arranged. The deflector intercepts the leading edge of a respective sheet-like material article while in the shingled stream. The sheet-like material article is deflected into a gathering pocket.

Lapped stream feeding adaption for sheet material articles

A polarized lens is mounted to a helmet having a transparent face shield to cover a top portion of the face shield and reduce glare in the user's field of vision. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the polarized lens does not cover the lower portion of the transparent face shield so that the user's primary field of vision can be adjusted to pass through the uncovered lower portion of the transparent face shield when the user tilts their head back slightly. The lens is preferably attached to the helmet using hook and loop fastener. On a sunny day, a helmet wearer, e.g. a snowmobiler or a motorcycle rider, can attach the polarized lens to reduce glare, and can tilt their head back slightly if the sunlight disappears temporarily (e.g. when the vehicle passes into the woods). In addition, the user can easily remove the polarized lens if the sunlight disappears for an extended time.

Method of forming sheet material assemblage

A plurality of sheet material feeders (9) are arranged along a continuous path (4), and supply sheet material articles (17) to sheet material assemblers (12). A plurality of sheet material assemblers (12) are moved sequentially along said continuous path (4) and receive sheet material articles (17) at the sheet material feeders (9). The sheet material assemblers (12) have an upper section (12.1) for gathering sheet material articles (17) constituting an assemblage (46) and a lower section (12.2) for receiving the gathered sheet material assemblage (46) from said upper section (12.1). Binding operations on said assemblages are performed when the assemblage is in the lower section (12.2).

Apparatus and method for combined gathering and binding of sheet like

A signature handling apparatus includes a rotatable gripper drum having at least one gripper for gripping the folded leading edges of signatures. A rotatable transfer drum assembly transfers signatures from the gripper drum to an opener drum. The transfer drum assembly includes a transfer gripper. First drive means rotates the gripper drum to move the folded signatures at a first surface speed in a first direction adjacent to the transfer drum. Second drive means moves the transfer gripper at a second surface speed in the first direction into engagement with the trailing edge of one respective signature on the gripper drum. The second surface speed is greater than the first surface speed. The second drive means rotates the transfer drum to move the transfer gripper and the one signature toward the opener drum. The opener drum has means for assisting in opening the one signature.

Transfer drum assembly for signature handling

A signature handling apparatus includes a plurality of saddles and a plurality of signature openers. Each signature opener is associated with a respective saddle. The signature openers move together with the saddles in a first direction along an endless path past a signature feeding mechanism with the saddles extending transversely to the first direction. Each signature opener opens one respective signature as the signature opener moves past the signature feeding mechanism to enable positioning of the one signature in an opened condition on the saddle associated with the signature opener.

Signature collating apparatus

An apparatus for forming sheet material assemblages includes a plurality of pockets which are movable past a plurality of sheet material feeders. Each of the pockets includes a sheet material support which is movable between any one of a plurality of closed positions and an open condition. When the sheet material support is in a closed position, it blocks the lower end portion of the pocket and supports sheet material in the pocket. When the sheet material support is in the open condition, it is ineffective to block the lower portion of the pocket so that the sheet material assemblage can move out of the pocket through the lower end portion of the pocket. An actuator is provided to move the sheet material support from the open condition to a closed position. The sheet material support is connected with side portions of the pocket by a four bar linkage. A clutch assembly in the four bar linkage is operable from an engaged condition to a disengaged condition to release the sheet material support for movement from a closed position.

Apparatus and method for forming sheet material assemblages

An apparatus for forming sheet material assemblages includes a plurality of sheet material assemblers which travel in a continuous path and sequentially pass beneath stacks of sheet material. The stacks of sheet material are disposed in bottomless hoppers. The sheet material assemblers include belts which support the stacks of sheet material in the bottomless hoppers. The belts move with the sheet material assemblers to sequentially engage the stacks of sheet material. Upper runs of the belts move in opposite directions to the sheet material assemblers and at the same speed as the sheet material assemblers so that the upper runs of the belts are stationary relative to the stacks of sheet material. The sheet material assemblers also include feed mechanisms and receiving locations. As a sheet material assembler passes under a stack of sheet material, sheet material is fed from the stack of sheet material by a feed mechanism to a receiving location.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, OH, United States of America

James R Schlough