Apparatus for stacking signatures

An apparatus for use in stacking signatures, said apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements having longitudinal axes extending transversely to a vertical plane, first drive means for moving said first plurality of signature support elements along a first circuitous path, said first drive means being operable to move said first plurality of signature support elements along the first circuitous path with the longitudinal central axes of the signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements in a parallel relationship throughout movement of said first plurality of signature support elements along the first circuitous path, and second drive means for moving said second plurality of signature supports elements along a second circuitous path which is separate from the first circuitous path, said second drive means moves said second plurality of signature support elements along the second circuitous path with the longitudinal central axes of the signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements in a parallel relationship throughout movement of said second plurality of signature support elements along the second circuitous path, said first and second drive means being disposed on a first side of the vertical plane, each signature support element of said first and second pluralities of signature support elements extending through the vertical plane and having surface means for engaging a lower side of a stack of signatures to support the stack of signatures with the stack of signatures entirely disposed on the second side of the vertical plane.

An apparatus for use in stacking signatures, said apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements having longitudinal axes extending transversely to a vertical plane, first drive means for moving said first plurality of signature support elements along a first circuitous path, second drive means for moving said second plurality of signature supports elements along a second circuitous path which is separate from the first circuitous path, said first and second drive means being disposed on a first side of the vertical plane, each signature support element of said first and second pluralities of signature support elements extending through the vertical plane and having surface means for engaging a lower side of a stack of signatures to support the stack of signatures with the stack of signatures entirely disposed on the second side of the vertical plane, said first and second circuitous paths have vertical portions along which said signature support elements are downwardly movable by said first and second drive means, said vertical portions of said first and second circuitous paths being spaced apart by a distance which is less than the distance between opposite end portions of the stack of signatures, and jogger means for jogging a stack of signatures supported by one of the signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and one of the signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements as said one signature support element of said first plurality of signature support elements and said one signature support element of said second plurality of signature support elements move along said vertical portions of said first and second circuitous paths, said jogger means including a pair of parallel plate sections which are engageable with the opposite end portions of the stack of signatures and are spaced apart by a horizontal distance which is greater than the horizontal distance between said vertical portions of said first and second circuitous paths.

An apparatus for use in stacking signatures, said apparatus including first and second wheels rotatable about parallel axes disposed in a first plane, a first flexible drive element disposed in engagement with said first and second wheels, a first plurality of longitudinally extending signature support elements connected in a cantilevered relationship with said first flexible drive element, each of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements having a longitudinal axis which extends through a first end portion connected with said first flexible drive element and a free end portion disposed outwardly from said first flexible drive element in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of said first and second wheels, each of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements being moveable along a first circuitous path by said first flexible drive element with the longitudinal axis of each signature support element of said first plurality of signature support elements extending parallel to the first plane containing the axes of rotation of said first and second wheels, third and fourth wheels rotatable about parallel axes disposed in a second plane, a second flexible drive element disposed in engagement with said third and fourth wheels, a second plurality of longitudinally extending signature support elements connected in a cantilevered relationship with said second flexible drive element, each of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements having a longitudinal axis which extends through a first end portion connected with said second flexible drive element and a free end portion disposed outwardly from said second flexible drive element in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation of said third and fourth wheels, each of said second plurality of signature support elements being moveable along a second circuitous path by said second flexible drive element with a longitudinal axis of each signature support element of said second plurality of signature support elements extending parallel to the second plane containing the axes of rotation of said third and fourth wheels, said first and second circuitous paths having vertical portions along which said signature support elements are movable by said first and second flexible drive elements, said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements being spaced apart from said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements by a distance which is less than the distance between opposite end portions of the stack of signatures to enable the stack of signatures to be supported on one of the signature support elements of the first plurality of signature support elements and one of the signature support elements of the second plurality of signature support elements when the one signature support element of the first plurality of signature support elements is disposed along the vertical portion of the first circuitous path and the one signature support element of the second plurality of signature support elements is disposed along the vertical portion of the second circuitous path.

An apparatus for use in stacking signatures, said apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements cooperating with one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements to support a stack of signatures, and turntable means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements for sequentially receiving stacks of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements, said turntable means including a support platform and turntable drive means for rotating said support platform about a vertical axis which is disposed midway between a longitudinal axis of said one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and a longitudinal axis of said one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements, said turntable drive means including a helical cam connected with said platform and having a central axis which is coincident with the vertical axis about which said support platform is rotatable, a cam follower disposed in engagement with said helical cam, and motor means for moving said cam follower along a vertical path relative to said helical cam to rotate said support platform.

An apparatus for use in stacking signatures, said apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements having parallel longitudinal central axes, first drive means for moving said first plurality of signature support elements along a first circuitous path with the longitudinal central axes of the signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements in a parallel relationship throughout movement of said first plurality of signature support elements along the first circuitous path, and second drive means for moving said second plurality of signature supports elements along a second circuitous path with the longitudinal central axes of the signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements in a parallel relationship with the longitudinal central axes of the signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements throughout movement of said second plurality of signature support elements along the second circuitous path, each signature support element of said first and second pluralities of signature support elements having surface means for engaging a lower side of a stack of signatures to support the stack of signatures with the stack of signatures in engagement with a signature support element of the first plurality of signature support elements and a signature support element of the second plurality of signature support elements.

An apparatus for use in stacking signatures, said apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, first drive means for moving said first plurality of signature support elements along a first circuitous path, second drive means for moving said second plurality of signature supports elements along a second circuitous path which is separate from the first circuitous path, each signature support element of said first and second pluralities of signature support elements having surface means for engaging a lower side of a stack of signatures to support the stack of signatures with the stack of signatures in engagement with a signature support element of the first plurality of signature support elements and a signature support element of the second plurality of signature support elements, and a platform disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements for receiving stacks of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements, said platform having flat upper side surface means for supporting a stack of signatures received from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements, said first and second pluralities of signature support elements having longitudinal axes which are continuously maintained parallel to said flat upper side surface means of said platform during movement of said first plurality of signature support elements along said first circuitous path and during movement of said second plurality of signature support elements along said second circuitous path.