Apparatus for the individual conveying of printed products arriving in an imbricated product stream

An apparatus for individually conveying printed products arriving in an imbricated product stream, comprising:

• a number of driven controlled grippers;
• means for revolvingly driving and guiding said number of given controlled grippers in a closed path of travel for engaging the leading edge of the printed products;
• said means for driving said grippers containing means for temporarily restraining the movement of the grippers;
• said gripper drive means having at least one continuously driven sluice for the cycled recall of the restrained grippers;
• an endless revolving conveyor element equipped with entrainment members engaging the trailing edges of the products operatively associated with said sluice;
• said entrainment members being provided at a substantially uniform spacing at the conveyor element;
• means for driving the conveyor element in cycle as concerns the entrainment members thereof with the sluice and opposite in sense to the sense of revolving movement of the grippers;
• an infeed device having a drive means;
• said sluice having a drive means;
• and
• a synchronous control for operatively coupling the drive means of the infeed device with the drive means of the sluice.