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.

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.

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.

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.

A folding machine folding a sheet P1 into a predetermined folding pattern to form a signature P3, a saddle stitching machine 3 arranged downstream of the folding machine to staple and fold the signature and a control unit 15 controlling the folding machine and saddle stitching machine are provided. The folding machine has parameters adjustable depending on a thickness of the sheet. The saddle stitching machine has parameters adjustable depending on a thickness of the signature P3, P4. The control unit sets the parameters of the folding machine based on the information about the thickness of the sheet and sets the parameters of the saddle stitching machine based on the information about the thickness of the signature calculated using the information about the thickness of the sheet and the information about the folding pattern of the folding machine.

A sheet bundle discharging apparatus K, including: a conveyance unit 66 configured to convey a sheet bundle; a guide unit 72 configured to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the conveyance unit; a discharging unit 90 configured to discharge the sheet bundle to an outside of the sheet bundle discharging apparatus; and a receiving unit 81 configured to receive the sheet bundle guided by the guide unit, wherein the receiving unit includes: a contact portion 81c with which a leading end portion of the sheet bundle, which is guided by the guide unit, in a moving direction of the sheet bundle is to be brought into contact; and a pushing portion 81b, which is formed integrally with the contact portion, and is configured to push a first surface of the sheet bundle, and wherein the receiving unit is rotatable between a first position and a second position, and is configured to receive the sheet bundle in the first position and rotate from the first position to the second position, thereby allowing the pushing portion to push the first surface of the sheet bundle to place a second surface of the sheet bundle, which is on a side opposite to the first surface, on the discharging unit.

A sheet bundle discharging apparatus K, including: a conveyance unit 66 configured to convey a sheet bundle; a guide unit 72 configured to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the conveyance unit; a discharging unit 90 configured to discharge the sheet bundle to an outside of the sheet bundle discharging apparatus; and a receiving unit 81 configured to receive the sheet bundle guided by the guide unit, wherein the receiving unit includes: a contact portion 81c with which a leading end portion of the sheet bundle, which is guided by the guide unit, in a moving direction of the sheet bundle is to be brought into contact; and a pushing portion 81b, which is formed integrally with the contact portion, and is configured to push a first surface of the sheet bundle, and wherein the receiving unit is rotatable between a first position and a second position, and is configured to receive the sheet bundle in the first position and rotate from the first position to the second position, thereby allowing the pushing portion to push the first surface of the sheet bundle to place a second surface of the sheet bundle, which is on a side opposite to the first surface, on the discharging unit.

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.

A paper sheet S is intermittently transported by a transport mechanism 6 and each processing unit 7, 8 operates while the transport mechanism pauses the transport operation. An information acquisition unit 9 obtains paper information from the paper sheet. A control unit 10 stores the paper information of the paper sheet to be processed for each processing unit, updates the data of the memory in a manner such that the paper information of the paper sheet associated with the previous processing unit is associated with the next processing unit every time the transport mechanism transports, and configures the settings of each processing unit for the next processing operation based on the paper information every time the processing operation of the processing unit is completed.

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.