Method and device for clocking in book blocks

An apparatus for supplying book blocks, comprising:

• a control unit;
• a feed conveyor coupled to the control unit to successively transport the book blocks with optional spacing:
• a buffer conveyor arranged downstream of the feed conveyor and connected to the control unit to receive a plurality of the book blocks from the feed conveyor and to transport the plurality of the book blocks at a first speed while fitting against each other without a gap;
• a clocking-in conveyor arranged downstream of the buffer conveyor and coupled to the control unit to respectively receive a single book block from the buffer conveyor and couple to first speed, accelerate the single book block from the first speed to a second speed and transport the single book block at the second speed;
• a path conveyor arranged downstream of the clocking-in conveyor and including a plurality of spaced apart pushers defining respective gaps between successive pushers, wherein each book is transported at the second speed toward the path conveyor and is inserted into one of the gaps between two successive pushers on the path conveyor;
• and
• at least one nozzle adapted to be connected to a gas reservoir, and arranged above and focused onto the clocking-in conveyor.

A method for supplying book blocks, comprising:

• a) supplying the book blocks successively and optionally spaced-apart on a feed conveyor that is coupled to a control unit;
• b) transferring the book blocks to a buffer conveyor arranged downstream from the feed conveyor and coupled to the control unit;
• c) transporting the book blocks on the buffer conveyor at a first speed to fit against each other without a gap;
• d) transferring a single book block at the first speed from the buffer conveyor to a clocking-in conveyor arranged downstream from the buffer conveyor and coupled to the control unit to cause the single book block to be accelerated by the clocking-in conveyor from the first speed to a second speed;
• e) transporting the single book block at the second speed toward a path conveyor having pushers arranged at a specified distance relative to each other and coupled to the control unit;
• and
• f) transferring the single book block into a gap between two successively following pushers of the path conveyor;
• g) detecting with a read-out unit, arranged in a region of the buffer conveyor and connected to the control unit, identification marks on the book block;
• h) transmitting the identification marks to the control unit;
• and
• i) varying the speed of the buffer conveyor based on at least one of the detected identification marks of the book block and additional data from a database, and external memory, or the identification marks themselves.