Apparatus for use in handling signatures

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signatures support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, platform means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to sequentially form stacks of signatures, receiving station means for sequentially receiving stacks of signatures, said receiving station means including registration surface means for engaging a first end portion of each stack of signatures in turn to locate each stack of signatures in turn relative to said receiving station means and conveyor means for moving each stack of signatures in turn from said platform means to said receiving station means, said conveyor means including at least one pusher element for engaging a second end portion of a stack of signatures disposed on said platform means, and drive means for moving said one pusher element to push the engaged stack of signatures from said platform means toward said receiving station means to move the first end portion of the stack of signatures into engagement with said registration surface means at said receiving station means, said drive means being operable to press said one pusher element against the second end portion of the stack of signatures to press the first end portion of the stack of signatures against said registration surface means, said drive means being operable to press said one pusher element against the second end portion of the stack of signatures to push the stack of signatures away from said receiving station means after the first end portion of the stack of signatures has engaged said registration surface means.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, jogger means for jogging first and second end portions of each of the groups of signatures in turn while the group of signatures is supported by one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements, platform means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements and said jogger means for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to form stacks of signatures, conveyor means for engaging the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of at least one group of signatures to push each of the stacks of signatures in turn with the second end portion of at least one group of signatures leading, strapper means for tying a band around each of the stacks of signatures in turn at a location between the first and second end portions of the stacks of signatures, said conveyor means including first and second pusher elements, and drive means for moving said first pusher element to push against the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in one stack of signatures to move the one stack of signatures from said platform means into said strapper means with the second end portion of the one group of signatures leading and for moving said first pusher element to push the one stack of signatures away from said strapper means after tying of the one stack of signatures by said strapper means, said drive means being operable to move said second pusher element to push against the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of signatures next succeeding the one stack of signatures to move the next succeeding stack of signatures from said platform means into said strapper means with the second end portion of the one group of signatures in the next succeeding stack of signatures leading and for moving said second pusher element to push the next succeeding stack of signatures away from said strapper means after tying of the next succeeding stack of signatures by said strapper means.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, jogger means for jogging first and second end portions of each of the groups of signatures in turn while the group of signatures is supported by one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements, platform means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements and said jogger means for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to form stacks of signatures, conveyor means for engaging the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of at least one group of signatures to push each of the stacks of signatures in turn with the second end portion of at least one group of signatures leading, strapper means for tying a band around each of the stacks of signatures in turn at a location between the first and second end portions of the one group of signatures, said strapper means including registration surface means for engaging the second end portion of at least the one group of signatures in each of the stacks of signatures in turn to locate each of the stacks of signatures in turn relative to said strapper means, said conveyor means being operable to push the second end portion of at least one group of signatures in each of the stacks of signatures in turn against said registration surface means in said strapper means.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signatures support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, jogger means for jogging first and second end portions of each of the groups of signatures in turn while the group of signatures is supported by one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements, platform means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements and said jogger means for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to form stacks of signatures, conveyor means for engaging the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of at least one group of signatures to push each of the stacks of signatures in turn with the second end portion of at least one group of signatures leading, and strapper means for tying a band around each of the stacks of signatures in turn when the stack of signatures is at a tying station in said strapper means, said strapper means including a registration surface extending parallel to said first and second side surfaces on said first and second jogger plates, said conveyor means including at least one pusher element engageable with the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of signatures, and drive means for moving said one pusher element to push a stack of signatures from said platform means toward the tying station in said strapper means, for pressing said one pusher element against the first end portion of at least the one group of signatures in the stack of signatures to press the second end portion of at least the one group of signatures in the stack of signatures against said registration surface in said strapper means, and for moving said one pusher element to move the stack of signatures away from the tying station after the stack of signatures has been tied by said strapper means.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signatures support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, jogger means for jogging first and second end portions of each of the groups of signatures in turn while the group of signatures is supported by one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements, platform means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements and said jogger means for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to form stacks of signatures, said platform means including a first wall section having a first upright inner side surface for engaging a side portion of each of the groups of signatures in turn, and a second wall section having a second upright inner side surface for engaging a side portion of each of the groups of signatures in turn, said side portions of each group of signatures extending between the first and second end portions of the groups of signatures, conveyor means for engaging the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of at least one group of signatures to push each of the stacks of signatures in turn from a location between said first and second wall sections with the second end portion of at least one group of signatures leading, said conveyor means includes a first rail disposed adjacent to said first wall section, a second rail disposed adjacent to said second wall section, a first carriage movable along said first rail, a second carriage movable along said second rail, a first pusher element connected with said first carriage and engageable with an end portion of every other stack of signatures received on said platform means from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements, a second pusher element engageable with an end portion of stacks of signatures on said platform means which are not engaged by said first pusher element, said first pusher element being movable relative to said first carriage between an extended position and a retracted position, said second pusher element being movable relative to said second carriage between an extended position and a retracted position, first drive means for moving said first carriage and said first pusher element in a first direction along said first rail with said first pusher element in the extended position to push a stack of signatures from between said inner side surfaces of said first and second wall sections and for moving said first carriage and said first pusher element in a second direction along said first rail with said first pusher element in the retracted position, and second drive means for moving said second carriage and said second pusher element in the first direction along said second rail with said second pusher element in the extended position to push a stack of signatures from between said inner side surfaces of said first and second wall sections and for moving said second carriage and said second pusher elements in the second direction along said second rail with said second pusher element in the retracted position, at least a portion of said first pusher element being disposed between said first wall section and said first rail during at least a portion of the movement of said first carriage in the second direction along said first rail with said first pusher element in the retracted position, at least a portion of said second pusher element being disposed between said second wall section and said second rail during at least a portion of the movement of said second carriage in the second direction along said second rail with said second pusher element in the retracted position.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signatures support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, jogger means for jogging first and second end portions of each of the groups of signatures in turn while the group of signatures is supported by one of said signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements and one of said signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements, platform means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements and said jogger means for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to form stacks of signatures, conveyor means for engaging the first end portion of at least one group of signatures in a stack of at least one group of signatures to push each of the stacks of signatures in turn with the second end portion of at least one group of signatures leading, and stack processing means for performing an operation on a stack of signatures at a work station in said stack processing means, said stack processing means including registration surface means for engaging an end portion of each stack of signatures in turn to locate each stack of signatures in turn relative to said stack processing means, said conveyor means including at least one pusher element for engaging an end portion of a stack of signatures disposed on said platform means, and drive means for moving said one pusher element to push the engaged stack of signatures from said platform means toward the work station in said stack processing means to move the stack of signatures into engagement with said registration surface means in said stack processing means, said drive means being operable to press said one pusher element against the stack of signatures to press the stack of signatures against said registration surface means prior to performing of an operation on the stack of signatures by said stack processing means. portions of each group of signatures extending between the first and second end portions of the groups of signatures, said conveyor means being operable to push each of the stacks of signatures in turn from a location between said first and second wall sections.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signature support elements to sequentially form groups of signatures, turntable means disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements, said turntable means including a platform and means for rotating said platform about an axis which extends between said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to change the orientation of a group of signatures on said platform relative to said first and second pluralities of signature support elements, strapper means for tying a band around a stack of signatures formed by a plurality of groups of signatures while the stack of signatures is disposed at a tying station in said strapper means, and conveyor means for sequentially moving stacks of signatures from said turntable means to said tying station in said strapper means, said conveyor means including a first pusher element for engaging at least one end portion of a first stack of signatures on said platform of said turntable means and for pushing the first stack of signatures in a first direction from said platform to the tying station in said strapper means, and a second pusher element for engaging at least one end portion of a second stack of signatures on said platform of said turntable means and for pushing the second stack of signatures in the first direction from said platform to the tying station in said strapper means, said second pusher element being spaced from the first stack of signatures during pushing of the first stack of signatures by said first pusher element, said first pusher element being spaced from said second stack of signatures during pushing of the second stack of signatures by said second pusher element.

An apparatus comprising first and second pluralities of longitudinally extending signature support elements, signature support elements of said first plurality of signature support elements sequentially cooperating with signature support elements of said second plurality of signatures support elements to sequentially support groups of signatures, a platform disposed beneath said first and second pluralities of signature support elements for sequentially receiving groups of signatures from said first and second pluralities of signature support elements to sequentially form stacks of signatures, a receiving station for sequentially receiving stacks of signatures, said receiving station including registration surface means for engaging a first end portion of each stack of signatures in turn to locate each stack of signatures in turn relative to said receiving station, and conveyor means for sequentially moving stacks of signatures from said platform to said receiving station, said conveyor means including a first pusher element for engaging at least one end portion of a first stack of signatures on said platform and for pushing the first stack of signatures from said platform into engagement with said registration surface means at the receiving station, and a second pusher element for engaging at least one end portion of a second stack of signatures on said platform and for pushing the second stack of signatures from said platform into engagement with said registration surface means at the receiving station.