Signature-stacking apparatus

A signature-stacking apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor chain having a plurality of gripping mechanisms for holding corresponding signatures and adapted to convey the signatures held by the corresponding gripping mechanisms;
• a guide member for guiding travel of the conveyor chain, the guide member and the conveyor chain forming a conveyance path for conveying signatures;
• a first signature release section and a second signature release section disposed in this sequence in the conveyance path with a certain distance of conveyance present therebetween, the signatures being released from the corresponding gripping mechanisms in the first and second signature release sections;
• a stacking section having an opening portion for receiving signatures, and a stacking space for stacking the received signatures, the stacked signatures being delivered, as a stack, from the stacking section;
• a first signature delivery section corresponding to the first signature release section, and a second signature delivery section corresponding to the second signature release section, the first and second signature delivery sections being disposed on opposite sides of the opening portion of the stacking section, and alternately delivering the released signatures into the stacking space of the stacking section;
• and
• a first conveyor mechanism disposed between the first signature delivery section and a position located under the first signature release section, and a second conveyor mechanism disposed between the second signature delivery section and a position located under the second signature release section, the first conveyor mechanism conveying the signatures released from the first signature release section, and the second conveyor mechanism conveying the signatures released from the second signature release section;
• wherein, in a portion of the conveyance path between the first signature release section and the second signature release section, the guide member is twisted by 180 degrees about the direction of travel of the conveyor chain and is curved such that the direction of conveyance of the conveyor chain makes a 180-degree turn about an axis parallel to a connection pin of the conveyor chain;
• and
• the first conveyor mechanism and the second conveyor mechanism are configured such that time between arrival at the first signature release section of a signature to be released from the first signature release section and delivery of the signature from the first signature delivery section is substantially equal to time between arrival at the first signature release section of a signature to be released from the second signature release section and delivery of the signature from the second signature delivery section, and in such a manner that the first and second conveyor mechanisms can be adjusted so as to prevent interference in the course of delivery between a signature delivered last from one signature delivery section and a signature delivered first from the other signature delivery section.