A device for alignment of a book block consisting of single sheets and/or signatures is useable in a processing machine, in which manufacturing of books or printed products is carried out. The device is arranged upstream of a first processing station within the processing machine. The book block is feedable directly or indirectly into the device automatically or by hand. An alignment station has a base plate with a substantially vertically extending stop surface at an end thereof. The base plate has a movable part configured to carry out a movement with respect to the stop surface such that the movement of the movable part, in an operative connection to the stop surface, brings about an alignment of the single sheets and/or signatures at a book block edge, and such that, following alignment, the book block is grippable by at least one transport clamp for processing.

An automatic machine for covering the covers of a book of different dimensions starting from a film sheet; the machine comprises a work plane in which the film sheet is arranged, means for welding and cutting the film sheet, first and second means for folding the ends of the film sheet and a control unit adapted to control the welding and cutting means and the first and second folding means as a function of the book dimension for covering the book covers. The machine comprises reception and gripping means configured to receive the book with the open covers at the input position and adapted to grip the body of the book outside the work plane and transport the book to the working position over the film sheet for the operation of covering the book covers.

An automatic machine for covering the covers of a book of different dimensions starting from a film sheet; the machine comprises a work plane in which the film sheet is arranged, means for welding and cutting the film sheet, first and second means for folding the ends of the film sheet and a control unit adapted to control the welding and cutting means and the first and second folding means as a function of the book dimension for covering the book covers. The machine comprises reception and gripping means configured to receive the book with the open covers at the input position and adapted to grip the body of the book outside the work plane and transport the book to the working position over the film sheet for the operation of covering the book covers.

A bookbinding machine (100) is proposed. The bookbinding machine (100) comprises a driving system (225) for driving transport elements (210a-210c) of book blocks (215a-215c) in succession across at least one engagement processing station 5 (205d) and one or more disengagement processing stations (205a,205e) which process the book blocks while stationary therein. Control means (120) stop the driving system (225) when each of the transport elements (210b) is at the engagement processing station (205d) engaged with the driving system (225) and other transport elements (210a,210c) are at the disengagement processing stations (205a,205e) disengaged from the driving system (225). A bookbinding plant comprising one or more of these bookbinding machines (100) is also proposed. Moreover, a corresponding method for operating a bookbinding machine (100), a computer program and a computer program product for implementing the method are proposed.

A device for alignment of a book block consisting of single sheets and/or signatures is useable in a processing machine, in which manufacturing of books or printed products is carried out. The device is arranged upstream of a first processing station within the processing machine. The book block is feedable directly or indirectly into the device automatically or by hand. An alignment station has a base plate with a substantially vertically extending stop surface at an end thereof. The base plate has a movable part configured to carry out a movement with respect to the stop surface such that the movement of the movable part, in an operative connection to the stop surface, brings about an alignment of the single sheets and/or signatures at a book block edge, and such that, following alignment, the book block is grippable by at least one transport clamp for processing.