Separating element for the operation of a transport device

A separating element for operation of a transport device, which is configured to pile a plurality of partial book blocks for forming a book block along a book channel associated with the transport device, the book block being feedible to a processing machine, the separating element comprising a first separating element and a second separating element,

• wherein the book channel comprises at least one transfer portion,
• wherein the second separating element is arranged within the transport device as a link between an upstream transfer portion and a downstream transfer portion,
• wherein the second separating element is configured to be operated by at least one drive and is configured to:
• receive a book block product fed vertically from the upstream transfer portion,
• vertically transport the book block product onward via a conveying portion formed by the second separating element, and
• then vertically hand the book block product over to the downstream transfer portion in keeping with a cycle,
• wherein the first separating element comprises, along a conveying portion thereof for transporting the book block product, an integrally continuous or segmented finger chain, which itself comprises carrier fingers that are vertically or virtually vertically oriented for a horizontally guided book block product,
• wherein the second separating element comprises, along the conveying portion thereof for transporting the book block product, an integrally continuous or segmented finger chain, which itself comprises carrier fingers that are horizontally or virtually horizontally oriented for a vertically guided book block product, and
• wherein the second separating element is arranged downstream in a production direction from the first separating element.

A method for operating a transport device for piling a plurality of partial book blocks for forming a book block along a book channel associated with the transport device, wherein the transport device comprises:

• a first transfer portion, which is operated in a manner operatively connected to a first sheet pile feed unit and a first collating machine feeder unit;
• a first separating element, which is operated downstream of the first transfer portion;
• a second transfer portion, which follows the first separating element and is operated in a manner operatively connected to a second sheet pile feed unit;
• a second separating element, which is operated downstream of the second transfer portion;
• and
• a third transfer portion, the infrastructure of which is configured to load an adjoining processing machine,
• the method comprising:
• receiving a partial book block fed horizontally from the first transfer portion,
• horizontally transporting the partial book block onward via a conveying portion formed by the first separating element, and
• then horizontally handing the partial book block over to the second transfer portion in keeping with a cycle,
• wherein the first separating element is operated to decouple a respective transportation of the book block in the first transfer portion from the second transfer portion, and the second separating element is operated to decouple the respective transportation of the book block in the second transfer portion from the third transfer portion.