Processing units 4 to 6 aligned along the transport path for a sheet bundle S are accommodated in a housing together with transport units 2 and 3. Windows 10a to 10c are provided in the housing front face, and variable-color lighting units 17 are arranged inside the housing. Light emitting surfaces (projection plates 18) of the variable-color lighting units are arranged facing the windows. Sensor units 13, 15a, and 15b that detect an anomaly of an operation of the transport unit and sensor units 14 and 16 that detect an anomaly of the operation of respective processing units are provided. A binding processing unit stops when an anomaly is detected by the sensor unit, when a system error occurs, or when an emergency stop instruction is input. The color of emission light from a light emitting surface changes to indicate the operation status of the binding processing system.

A book block supplying machine includes a reader which reads job information from an information portion printed on a book block; and a timing adjusting portion which adjusts a supply timing at which the book block is fed toward the book binding machine. A controller includes: a job information acquisition portion which acquires the job information; an upper limit processing speed acquisition portion which acquires an upper limit processing speed; a making speed decision portion which adopts and decides the making speed; a making speed instruction portion which instructs the book binding machine to make the bound material at the making speed; a timing decision portion which decides the supply timing based on the making speed, upper limit processing speed and accumulating number; and a timing instruction portion which instructs the timing adjusting portion to supply the book block at the supply timing.

Processing units 4 to 6 aligned along the transport path for a sheet bundle S are accommodated in a housing together with transport units 2 and 3. Windows 10a to 10c are provided in the housing front face, and variable-color lighting units 17 are arranged inside the housing. Light emitting surfaces (projection plates 18) of the variable-color lighting units are arranged facing the windows. Sensor units 13, 15a, and 15b that detect an anomaly of an operation of the transport unit and sensor units 14 and 16 that detect an anomaly of the operation of respective processing units are provided. A binding processing unit stops when an anomaly is detected by the sensor unit, when a system error occurs, or when an emergency stop instruction is input. The color of emission light from a light emitting surface changes to indicate the operation status of the binding processing system.

A paper stack S supplied between clamping plates 1a, 1b of a carriage clamp 1 is pushed toward a positioning bar 2b by an alignment bar 5. A nip head 7 of a paper stack supplying unit 3 has first and second nip plates 9, 10, and a nip plate drive mechanism 11 moving each nip plate from a protruding position at which the nip plate protrudes from the nip head and a retracted position at which the nip plate retracts into the nip head, and translating the second nip plate taking the protruding position relative to the first nip plate taking the protruding position between a first position at which the first and second nip plates receive the paper stack therebetween and a second position at which the second nip plate cooperates with the first nip plate to grip the paper stack.

Provided is a book block feed device capable of feeding a book block always in an aligned state to a bookbinding machine. The book block feed device comprises an alignment unit and a press unit that are adjacently arranged in order along a conveying path of the book block from an inlet to an outlet of the conveying path. The alignment unit comprises a vibrator that vibrates the book block. The press unit includes a press surface that forms a part of a conveying surface of the conveying path, and a press plate that sandwiches and presses the book block between the press plate and the press surface.

Each of the sheets is conveyed by a horizontal conveyance unit in a state of being overlapped with a next sheet from above. Each of the sheets is conveyed out of the horizontal conveyance unit in a state of being folded along a fold line with the fold line oriented upward, the fold line extending in a conveyance direction of the horizontal conveyance unit. An oblique conveyance unit receives the sheet from the horizontal conveyance unit and successively conveys the sheets in an oblique downward direction. A sensor is arranged to detect passage of the sheets at a position where steps pass. Each of the steps is formed by two sheets adjacent to each other diverted to the oblique downward direction by the oblique conveyance unit.

The invention relates to a book production line and a method for producing individual books as well as very short and short runs of books. The book production line comprises a feed device and a following transport section for book covers, a feed device and a following transport and processing section with a rounding and pressing machine, an adhesive-backing apparatus for book blocks, and a casing-in machine. The rounding and pressing machine forms an upstream-arranged, first adjustment segment. The adhesive-backing apparatus is divided into at least two additional adjustment segments that successively follow each other in a transport direction of the book blocks. Each adjustment segment includes a separate drive and a number of book block positions which is the same for each adjustment segment or differs maximally by three book block positions.

The invention relates to a book production line and a method for producing individual books as well as very short and short runs of books. The book production line comprises a feed device and a following transport section for book covers, a feed device and a following transport and processing section with a rounding and pressing machine, an adhesive-backing apparatus for book blocks, and a casing-in machine. The rounding and pressing machine forms an upstream-arranged, first adjustment segment. The adhesive-backing apparatus is divided into at least two additional adjustment segments that successively follow each other in a transport direction of the book blocks. Each adjustment segment includes a separate drive and a number of book block positions which is the same for each adjustment segment or differs maximally by three book block positions.

The invention concerns a process and a system for the digital printing of printed publications, for the flexible production, on demand, of a single publication or small series of publications. The process of the invention is an automated process for the manufacture of at least one publication printed from at least one sheet, comprising the steps wherein: a plurality of pages (1, 4, 5, 8) of the publication is printed (A) on the sheet (10) that is moved through a series of stations wherein, subsequently, the sheet (10) is folded (C) in half perpendicular to the direction of travel; the folded sheet (10) is pivoted (D) by 90 with respect to the direction of travel, and the edges (18, 19) of the folded sheet are trimmed to obtain separate, superposed leaves (16, 17).

The invention concerns an automated method for manufacturing printed publications, for the flexible production, on demand, of a single publication or small series of publications. To this end, an automated method is proposed for the production of printed publications, each consisting of a content block (425) and a cover (426), according to which: the feasibilities of manufacturing the content blocks (425) of the publications are determined (414), an order of priority is established for the manufacture of the publications, the covers (426) to be assembled with the content blocks are manufactured, the manufacture of the content blocks (425) is ordered according to descending order of priority subject to feasibility, which takes precedence over manufacturing priority, and the content blocks (425) are assembled with the corresponding covers (426).