Apparatuses and method for transferring flexible flat objects

A device for the transfer of flexible, two-dimensional objects, in particular printed products, between two conveyors, comprising

• a first gripper conveyor with first grippers that are movable in a conveying direction along a first gripper conveying path, wherein the first grippers are designed for the essentially hanging transport of the objects by way of gripping the objects in a region of a first object edge and at a first distance from the first object edge,
• a second gripper conveyor with second grippers that are movable along a second gripper conveying path, wherein the second grippers are designed for receiving objects by way of gripping the objects in a region of a second object edge which lies opposite the first object edge,
• at least one actuation device for opening and closing the first and second grippers such that, in a transfer region, a transfer of the objects from the first grippers to the second grippers may take place, and
• at least one auxiliary conveyor with auxiliary grippers that are co-movable with the first grippers along an auxiliary conveying path and that, in the transfer region, are capable of gripping the first object edges and holding the objects while the first gripper is open,
• wherein the gripper conveying path and the auxiliary conveying path run in such a way, and the movements of the first grippers and of the auxiliary grippers are controlled such that, the object held by the auxiliary gripper and transferred back to the first gripper at the end of the transfer region, is held at a second distance to the first object edge, said second distance being different than the first distance.