Apparatus for processing printed products

An apparatus for processing printed products including:

• a processing drum, said processing drum having an axis of rotation that is generally horizontal, said processing drum being rotatably driven about said axis of rotation;
• said processing drum having compartments for the printed products, said compartments opening toward the outside in the radial direction of the processing drum, said compartments being separated from one another by wall elements that extend generally in the direction of said axis of rotation and are distributed uniformly along the circumference of said processing drum;
• a feeding device for supplying printed products to said processing drum;
• a removal station that is offset, in the direction of the axis of rotation with respect to the feeding device by which the printed products are transported away from said processing drum;
• transporting devices associated with the compartments that function to transport the printed products along the processing drum, as the processing drum revolves, in the direction from said feeding device to said removal station;
• feeding stations arranged between said feeding device and said removal station at which the printed products can be processed and additional printed products or inserts added;
• a circulating conveyor including an endless conveyor, said endless conveyor having a movement path that extends around said axis of rotation and around a deflection drum spaced from and generally parallel to said processing drum, said circulating conveyor including receiving compartments that open towards the outside and are separated from one another by separating elements, said separating elements are arranged one behind the other on said endless conveyor;
• said circulating conveyor being associated with one of the feeding device, the removal station and between the feeding device and the removal station;
• said separating elements and receiving compartments, during a section of their movement path around the axis of rotation, become aligned with said wall elements and compartments, respectively, of said processing drum, such that they, as seen when looking in the direction of said axis of rotation, join said wall elements and said compartments;
• transporting elements associated with said wall elements and said separating elements and operative in said section of their movement path to transport said printed products, that are in said compartments or receiving compartment or, are straddling said wall or separating elements, said transporting elements moving in a direction, that is generally parallel to said axis of rotation, from said compartments and said wall elements to said receiving compartments and said separating elements and vice versa;
• and
• and processing or feeding stations arranged along the circulating conveyor.