Paper web guiding mechanism

A paper web guiding mechanism for selectively guiding a paper web being printed in a web fed rotary printing machine which includes a printing couple having a width corresponding to the maximum width of the paper web being printed to at least one former, said paper web guiding mechanism comprising:

• at least three formers positioned adjacent each other in the same horizontal plane and intermediate the printing couple of the printing machine and a folder, said plurality of formers having a combined width in excess of one and a quarter times the maximum width of the paper web being printed;
• at least one longitudinal slitting means for slitting the paper web printed by the printing machine into a plurality of partial web segments, said slitting means being positioned intermediate said printing couple and said plurality of formers;
• a plurality of paper guide rollers and a prefeed former roller disposed intermediate the printing couple and said formers, said paper guide rollers and said prefeed former roller each having a width generally the same as said combined width of said at least three formers and in excess of one and a quarter times the maximum width of the paper web printed by the printing machine, said prefeed former roller being positioned intermediate said slitting means and said formers;
• and
• turning bars for each of the paper webs printed by the printing machine, each of said turning bars being positioned intermediate said printing couple and said prefeed former roller, each of said turning bars further being supported for displacement along the entire width of said at least three formers and said plurality of paper guide rollers and prefeed roller to allow selective shifting of at least one of said partial web segments laterally with respect to said printing couple and parallel to a remainder portion of said paper web whereby the printed paper web can be mixed in various arrays.