Endless conveyor with gripping elements

A transport apparatus for products, especially printed products arriving in an imbricated product formation, comprising a revolving traction element, grippers for engaging the leading edges of the printed products and for seizing the same for the further transport thereof, means for mounting said grippers in spaced relationship from one another at said revolving traction element for movement in a predetermined direction of travel, means defining a conveying path for the imbricated product formation for movement in a predetermined direction of travel, guide means for guiding said grippers, said means defining said conveying path for the imbricated product formation and said guide means for the grippers extending towards one another at a transfer zone for the imbricated product formation, each gripper comprising an upper clamping jaw and a lower clamping jaw, means for mounting the lower clamping jaw to be movable towards and away from the upper clamping jaw and for enabling rotational movement of said lower clamping jaw, said lower clamping jaw being movable between an open position and a closed position, the upper clamping jaw being rearwardly directed with respect to the direction of travel of the grippers, said lower clamping jaw forming with the upper clamping jaw an angle when the lower clamping jaw is in its open position and when said lower clamping jaw is in its closed position said lower clamping jaw being positionally oriented to substantially underlie the upper clamping jaw, means for holding the lower clamping jaw in said substantially underlying position with regard to the upper clamping jaw, means provided at the region of the transfer zone in order to displace the lower clamping jaw through rotation and displacement thereof into its closed position, and means arranged along the path of travel of the grippers in order to render inoperable the holding means and to return the lower clamping jaw back into its open position.