Process and apparatus for collecting and stapling folded printed sheets

An apparatus for collecting folded printed sheets, comprising:

• a plurality of spaced saddled-shaped supports including means for arranging the plurality of supports to rotate along a closed path of conveyance;
• the supports, in at least one section of the path of conveyance, having a mutually parallel longitudinal extent extending substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation;
• at least two feed stations arranged spatially from one another for depositing printed sheets astride one another on the supports;
• a stapling station disposed at at least one section of the path of conveyance and the downstream of the feed stations, the stapling station having a plurality of stapling heads arranged in a row one behind another essentially at the spacing of the supports for placing staples, in a staple region, into the printed sheets deposited on the supports;
• the stapling heads essentially moving in a plane extending transverse with the supports;
• means for forming staples from essentially straight wire sections held by the stapling heads;
• a wire section dispenser;
• a lead-away means for conveying the stapled printed sheets away from the stapling station;
• wherein the stapling station has one single staple placing region extending between at least two supports along said section of the path of conveyance and the stapling heads travel along a closed track of travel, the track of travel leading past the wire section dispenser and along said section of the path of conveyance, the stapling heads traveling at a rate or velocity essentially equal to the rate or velocity of the supports, and moving together synchronously with the supports along said section of the path of conveyance of the supports.