Method and apparatus for conveying printed products

A method of conveying printed products which are fed continuously in an imbricated formation, with spacings between successive printed products, by a feed conveyor to a transfer location at which the printed products are received by a removal conveyor which has individually controllable grippers which are arranged at fixed spacings one behind the other in a conveying direction and are configured for gripping printed products, comprising the steps of introducing the printed products into the grippers of the removal conveyor without any change in the spacing between successive printed products, so that each gripper grips the number of printed products fed to it with the same mutual spacing as in the fed imbricated formation, and so that, once a number of printed products have been received by each gripper, the following printed products are directed into an open mouth of the next gripper, with the spacing being maintained between the last printed product still gripped by the preceding gripper and the following printed product, and wherein coordinated with the movement of the grippers past the transfer location, the printed products run up to the transfer location in a normal conveying path and are subjected to periodic and brief action such that, while maintaining their feeding speed, they are deflected out of the normal conveying path onto another conveying path, which is oriented counter to the conveying direction of the removal conveyor, and, without any change in their mutual spacing, are directed into the next gripper reaching the transfer location.