Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

Disclosed is a supply device for supplying cutouts to a machine from an inventory configured in several adjacent stacks of cutouts; the device includes a manipulator to transfer, by batch, the cutouts from the inventory to the machine. This device further includes a pressing unit to compress at least one stack that is adjacent to the one from which the manipulator removes cutouts. Also disclosed is a corresponding method.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

A transport device stacks partial book blocks along a transport path formed of transfer paths, and includes: a first transfer path at a start of the transport device; a first separating element downstream of the first transfer path and upstream of a second transfer path; a second separating element downstream of the second transfer path and upstream of a processing machine that is operatively connected to the transport device; and a transition path which is arranged either upstream or downstream of the second separating element and within which a book block product that is to be introduced therein is transferable from a transport position where it is lying flat and into a transport position where it is guided standing up. At least one of the transfer paths is equipped with at least one sheet stack feed unit and/or at least one collator-feeder.

The present invention includes a stacker unit SU that includes a transport body 500 moving along a transport route 400 while retaining paper sheets in an upright state and stopped at a paper sheet extraction position PP, and clamping means 812 and 803 clamping the paper sheets on the transport body, and that switches the direction of the paper sheets in a process of reciprocatively rotationally moving between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, and an operating mechanism 730 that rotationally moves the stacker unit forward and reversely. The clamping means performs an opening/closing operation to clamp paper sheets when the stacker unit is at the upper limit position, and performs an opening operation to cancel clamping of paper sheets after a time when the stacker unit reaches the lower limit position.

Gripping device adapted for gripping a stack of flat-folded cartons, where the gripping device comprises a first gripping jaw and a second gripping jaw arranged adjacent each other and enclosing a holding space, where the gripping device is provided with a first open state in which the distance between the gripping jaws is greater than the height of a flat-folded carton, and where the gripping device is provided with a second closed state in which the distance between the gripping jaws is less than the height of a flat-folded carton, and that the gripping device is adapted to displace one side of the stack of flat-folded cartons in a longitudinal direction, such that each flat-folded carton of the stack of flat-folded cartons will be held in an angled state by the gripping device. The advantage of the invention is that a stack of flat-folded cartons can be held in a secure way, where the height of the stack is reduced when the stack is held.

A stack of media items are urged along a transport path that includes a bend in the track of the transport path. A first phase of separating the media items from the stack includes pre-separating the media items from the stack as the media items are urged along the bend. A second phase includes separating a leading media item from the stack by urging the leading media item exiting the first phase between opposing rollers to transport the leading media item along the transport path within a value media depository.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

A reloading supply system includes a loading cart (100) and a machine (200). The loading cart has a first material tray (120) that includes a first combed surface (122) configured to retain a supply material in the first material tray. The machine has a second material tray (220) that includes a second combed surface (222) configured to retain the supply material in the second material tray after the supply material is transferred from the first material tray of the loading cart to the second material tray of the machine. Teeth (124) of the first combed surface are configured to pass by teeth (224) of the second combed surface. The first combed surface and the second combed surface are configured such that the supply material in the first material tray is transferred to the second material tray as the teeth of the first combed surface pass by the teeth of the second combed surface.

A scanner includes a reading unit that reads an image of a paper, a medium feeding portion that is capable of selecting a first feeding mode in which a separation feeding for separately feeding a paper bundle in which a plurality of sheets of paper is overlapped with each other is performed and a second feeding mode in which a non-separation feeding for collectively feeding the paper bundle without separating is performed, and a pair of first transporting rollers and a pair of second transporting rollers that transport the paper fed by the medium feeding portion, in a case in which the medium feeding portion feeds the paper in the second feeding mode, a first driven roller and a second driven roller respectively constituting the pair of first transporting rollers and the pair of second transporting rollers are driven in a rotation direction where the paper is transported.