Apparatus for gathering folded sheets in bookbinding machines

Apparatus for gathering folded sheets of the type having a folded back, two front edge portions opposite the back and an outer side intermediate each edge portion and the back, comprising a conveyor having an elongated portion moving in a predetermined direction;

• a plurality of magazines adjacent to said conveyor portion and spaced apart from each other, as considered in said direction, each magazine being arranged to store a supply of sheets;
• and discrete means for delivering sheets from each of said magazines to said conveyor portion, each of said delivering means including means for withdrawing sheets seriatim from the respective magazine in such orientation that the back of each withdrawn sheet is located at a level above the respective front edge portions and above said conveyor portion, spreading means for opening each withdrawn sheet including means for temporarily engaging the front edge portions and for moving the thus engaged front edge portions away from each other, means to guide the opened sheet intermediate said spreading means and said conveyor portion, said guide means including first and second guide members disposed at the opposite sides of said conveyor portion and having guide faces for the respective front edge portions of the opened sheet, and means for promoting the downward movement of opened sheets toward said conveyor portion including means for discharging downwardly directed streams of a gaseous fluid against the other sides of successive opened sheets not later than while the edge portions of opened sheets travel along the respective guide faces.

Apparatus for gathering folded sheets of the type having a folded back, two front edge portions opposite the back and an outer side intermediate each edge portion and the back, comprising a conveyor having an elongated portion moving in a predetermined direction;

• a plurality of magazines adjacent to said conveyor portion and spaced apart from each other, as considered in said direction, each magazine being arranged to store a supply of sheets;
• and discrete means for delivering sheets from each of said magazines to said conveyor portion, each of said delivering means including means for withdrawing sheets seriatim from the respective magazine in such orientation that the back of each withdrawn sheet is located at a level above the respective front edge portions and above said conveyor portion, spreading means for opening each withdrawn sheet, said spreading means including two rotary spreading members disposed at the opposite sides of said conveyor portion and each having means for temporarily engaging the respective front edge portions of the withdrawn sheet and for moving the thus engaged front edge portions of the sheet away from each other, means to guide the opened sheet intermediate said spreading means and said conveyor portion, said guide means including first and second guide members disposed at the opposite sides of said conveyor portion and having guide faces for the respective front edge portions of the opened sheet, said guide faces having upper portions overlapping the respective speading members and lower portions disposed at the general level of said conveyor portion, and two nozzles having downwardly inclined orifices for discharging streams of a gaseous fluid against the outer sides of opened sheets, said orifices being provided in the upper portions of the guide faces of the respective guide members.

Apparatus for gathering folded sheets of the type having a folded back, two front edge portions opposite the back and an outer side intermediate each edge portion and the back, comprising a conveyor having an elongated portion moving in a predetermined direction;

• a plurality of magazines adjacent to said conveyor portion and spaced apart from each other, as considered in said direction, each magazine being arranged to store a supply of sheets;
• discrete means for delivering sheets from each of said magazines to said conveyor portion, each of said delivering means including means for withdrawing sheets seriatim from the respective magazine in such orientation that the back of each withdrawn sheet is located at a level above the respective front edge portions and above said conveyor portion, spreading means for opening each withdrawn sheet including means for temporarily engaging the front edge portions and for moving the thus engaged front edge portions away from each other, and means to guide the opened sheets intermediate said spreading means and said conveyor portion, said guide means including first and second guide members disposed at the opposite sides of said conveyor portion and having guide faces for the respective front edge portions of the opened sheet;
• and means for biasing the opened sheets against said conveyor portion intermediate said magazines, comprising pairs of nozzles disposed at the opposite sides of said conveyor portion and each having an orifice for directing a stream of gaseous fluid against the respective outer sides of successive topmost sheets on said conveyor portion.