A printing system for printing on sheets of media having a non-uniform thickness profile. A user interface is controlled to instruct the operator to load a media tray with a stack of media having a specified pattern of media orientations. A media transport system picks sequential sheets of media from the media tray. A front end supplies sequential image data having orientations in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations. A printing module sequentially prints the supplied image data on the sheets of media in accordance with the specified pattern of media orientations.

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes retainers configured to secure a first tray and a second tray, a movable paddle assembly, a frame, and a plurality of actuators. The system is configured to transfer articles from the first tray to the second tray by an automated process including securing the articles within the first tray with the paddle assembly, rotating the frame by approximately 90° to 100°, moving the paddle assembly in a series of linear translations to remove the items from the first tray and place the items into the second tray, rotating the frame back to its initial orientation, and releasing the items into the second tray.

The present invention provides a conveyor mechanism for conveying sheets. The conveyor mechanism comprises a movable conveyor body, a drive mechanism, and an adjustment system configured to detect and correct skewing of the conveyor body, comprising one or more markers provided on or in the conveyor body, a sensor arrangement for detecting each marker at two or more discrete positions, and a processor to determine the skewing of the conveyor body. The conveyor body and the drive mechanism of the conveyor mechanism are mounted on a movable conveyor frame, and the adjustment system includes a frame shifting device comprising one or one or more actuator for shifting or moving the conveyor frame relative to a fixed framework. The invention also provides a related method of correcting skewing in a conveyor mechanism for conveying sheets along a transport path.

A transfer system for transferring a stack (101) of flat elements to a processing device includes a delivery ramp (103) with a receiving surface (104) for receiving the stack (101), a first comb structure (121) having at least one first supporting platform (123) on which at least an edge portion (115) of the stack (101) is supportable, wherein the first comb structure (121) is mounted to the delivery ramp (103), and a second comb structure (122) having at least two second supporting platforms (124) on which at least the edge portion (115) of the stack (101) is supportable, wherein the second comb structure (122) is configured for supplying the stack (101) to the processing device. The first supporting platform (123) and the second supporting platforms (124) are arranged along a first direction (109), one after another, in an interleaved manner such that the edge portion (115) is supportable on the first supporting platform (123) and the second supporting platforms (124). The first comb structure (121) and the second comb structure (122) are movable along a lifting direction (110) with respect to each other such that the edge portion (115) of the stack (101) is supportable selectively by the first supporting platform (123) or by the second supporting platforms (124), wherein the two second supporting platforms (124) are spaced along the first direction (109) such that the first supporting platform (123) is movable along the lifting direction (110) through a space between the two second supporting platforms (124).

A sorting device for sorting book blocks is described, the sorting device having a filling station for sorting one or more book blocks into receptacles, a first input conveyor configured to feed book blocks to the filling station, a second input conveyor configured to feed empty receptacles to the filling station, a first output conveyor configured to transfer full receptacles away from the filling station, the filling station comprising a plurality of inserting devices configured to insert the one or more book blocks into the receptacles, wherein the sorting device further includes a control device configured to receive sorting information of the one or more book blocks and to control the inserting devices to sort the one or more book blocks into the receptacles using the sorting information.

A sorting device for sorting book blocks is described, the sorting device having a filling station for sorting one or more book blocks into receptacles, a first input conveyor configured to feed book blocks to the filling station, a second input conveyor configured to feed empty receptacles to the filling station, a first output conveyor configured to transfer full receptacles away from the filling station, the filling station comprising a plurality of inserting devices configured to insert the one or more book blocks into the receptacles, wherein the sorting device further includes a control device configured to receive sorting information of the one or more book blocks and to control the inserting devices to sort the one or more book blocks into the receptacles using the sorting information.

A portioning system for portioning stackable flat carton elements in a stack (101) for further processing. A feeder device (105) includes a lifting platform (106) and a pushing platform (107), wherein the feeder device (105) is movable along a linear path (108) for pushing the stack (101) to a delivery position. The feeder device (105) is further movable along a lifting direction (110) having at least a component parallel to the gravity direction. The feeder device (105) is configured such that the lifting platform (106) is movable partially below the flat elements defining the stack (101) such that an edge portion (111) of the stack (101) is arranged on the lifting platform (106) for being liftable by the lifting platform (106). The feeder device (105) is further configured such that the stack (101) is pushable by the pushing platform (107) along the linear path (108) until the stack (101) is arranged at the delivery position.

A feeder system for feeding a stack (101) of stackable flat, carton elements to a processing device: A delivery ramp (103) includes a receiving surface (104) on which an edge portion (111) and a center portion (116) of the stack (101) is arrangeable. A transport device (125) includes a supporting platform on which at least a further edge portion (115) of the stack (101) is supportable, wherein the supporting platform is arranged adjacent to the receiving surface (104) such that the further edge portion (115) of the stack (101) may be received. A downholder element (117), adjusts a size of a gap (705) between the downholder element and a supporting platform, such that the further edge portion (115) of the stack (101) is clampable between them. The transport device (125) is movable between the receiving position, at which the stack (101) may be received by the delivery ramp (103), and a hand over position at the processing device such that the stack (101) is movable from the receiving position to the hand over position.

A device and method for the processing of printed products with one or more transport systems for transporting the printed products between processing stations comprises a transport path lighting system that is divided into segments, wherein the type of illumination of such a segment is with respect to its color, intensity and/or variation in time defined by certain properties of the product located in this section or its production history.

A feed appliance for feeding products to a further processing appliance includes a standby circulatory apparatus with a takeover station and with several transport units that are circulatorily movable independently of one another for each receiving a product at the takeover station, a provision conveyor for feeding the products to the takeover station, and a control device for controlling the feed of the products and of the transport units into a takeover section of the takeover station and for controlling the takeover of the fed products by the transport units. The standby circulatory apparatus for creating a gapless product stream includes a release device for the cyclically controlled release of individual transport units into the takeover section. For this, the control device is designed to release a transport unit only given a feed of a cyclically correct product into the takeover section.