Apparatus and method for forming a stack of advertising material compilations

A method for forming a stack of advertising material compilations composed of, respectively, an envelope, inserts inside the envelope, and having a common, leading folded edge, employing an apparatus including a machine frame a thereto attached circulating transfer conveyor in the shape of a circle, a feed conveyor arranged upstream of the transfer conveyor, and a stacking device arranged downstream of the transfer conveyor, wherein the transfer conveyor includes a central wheel that rotates around a first rotational axis and is attached to the machine frame, a carrier wheel that rotates around a second rotational axis oriented in a direction parallel to the first rotational axis and is also attached to the support frame, and a number of pivoting arms respectively arranged with an inside end on the central wheel so as to rotate, and including respectively one gripper attached to an outside end of the pivot arm for rotation around an axis on the pivoting arm, the method comprising:

• taking over the advertising material compilations from the feed conveyor by the grippers of the transfer conveyor in a takeover region of the transfer conveyor;
• subsequently transporting, by the grippers of the transfer conveyor, the advertising material compilations to the stacking device in a transfer region of the transfer conveyor, while during the transporting reducing a spacing between adjacent grippers and transporting the advertising material compilations at a reduced speed to the stacking device, and depositing the advertising material compilations on the stacking device;
• subsequently, and until a renewed entry into the takeover region, increasing the spacing between the adjacent grippers;
• and
• swiveling the grippers relative to their pivoting arm in the takeover region and in the transfer region for alignment with the feed conveyor and the stacking device, respectively.