Gathering stapler for printed products comprising folded printed sheets

A gathering stapler for stapling printed products comprising folded printed sheets along a product fold, the stapler comprising:

• a plurality of elongated saddle-shaped rests extending parallel to each other and circulating transversely to their longitudinal extent while the printed sheets are gathered and stapled on them;
• a rotary stapling apparatus having a plurality of stapling heads and being driven for rotation about an axis of rotation in such a way that each of said stapling heads successively meets up with a rest in a stapling region as the rests circulate and the stapling apparatus rotates;
• each of said stapling heads including a staple guide for holding a staple and adapted to seat on a printed product arranged on one of said rests when the latter meets with said stapling head in the stapling region and further including a push rod movably guided within said staple guide;
• said staple guides of said plurality of stapling heads being mounted on a carrier rotating about said axis of rotation for an orientation in a substantially radial direction and for a swiveling movement about an axis extending substantially parallel to said axis of rotation through an arc in such a way that the staple guides swivel out of a leading position into a trailing position, in relation to their substantially radial direction, when they meet the rests in the area of the stapling region, said staple guides being further mounted on said carrier for a displacement inwardly against a restoring force;
• and
• the trajectory of the ends of said staple guides and the path of circulation of said rests intersect and each staple guide being displaced inwardly by the associated rest when said staple guide meets up with said associated rest in the stapling region.