Signature conveyor for use with inserter and stitcher

Abstract

A signature conveyor for use with an inserter or collator station and a stitcher station includes a saddle conveyor for moving signatures with a folded edge up along a path through a number of such stations. The saddle conveyor includes a chain to which steeples are connected to support the signatures and move them along the path. A rail guides the chain and the steeples to control their orientation along the conveyor path. Through a first portion of the conveyor path where the conveyor passes an inserter or collator station the steeples are centered directly beneath the folded edge or backbone of the signatures with the two leaves of the signature extending over the two sides of the steeples. During a second portion of the path the steeples are tilted and move out of the area directly beneath the backbone of the signatures. As the steeples move from directly beneath the backbone of a signature, a guide member simultaneously becomes located between the faces of the signature to support one of the faces of the signature. This causes the faces to be separated further. At some stations devices move up between the downwardly opening centerfold of the signature toward the backbone. These stations perform one of a number of operations on the backbone of the signatures including stitching and removing signatures from the saddle conveyor.