Apparatus and method for forming bundles composed of printed products

An apparatus for forming bundles composed of printed products, comprising:

• a turntable presenting a support element defining a lower limit of a holding area that accommodates successively supplied printed products;
• at least one pressing element movable between an active position and an inactive position and defining an upper limit of the holding area when the at least one pressing element is in the active position;
• at least two side walls arranged at a distance to each other to delimit sides of the holding area;
• a lift including at least one lift element to move essentially vertically up and down inside the holding area between a lower position and an upper position, the printed products being deposited on the at least one lift element when the at least one lift element is in the upper position, the lift operating to initially move the deposited printed products downward into the holding area so that the printed products are in a position to subsequently be compressed into a bundle by pressing the printed products with an upward movement against the at least one pressing element in the active position, the lift further operating to transport the compressed bundle in the holding area to the lower position where the at least one lift element is moveable essentially horizontally at the lower position out of the holding area to a position in which the bundle is released to drop onto the support element, wherein the at least one lift element thereafter is moveable from the lower position to the upper position for the depositing of additional printed products;
• and
• at least one ejection element to convey the compressed bundle out of the holding area.