A printed unit block aligning device includes a supporting element and an alignment transfer rail. The supporting element is opened and closed between a supporting position and a releasing position. The alignment transfer rail receives the group of the printed unit blocks dropped in response to move of the supporting element to the releasing position, aligns the printed unit blocks in each line unit block in a vertical direction, and feeds the printed unit blocks vertically at a constant speed using alignment transferring element. An electrical controlling element is provided that electrically controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks from the supporting element onto the alignment transfer rail. While a speed of transfer of the horizontal feeding and transferring element are uniform for any imposition structure, the electrical controlling element controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks in a manner that depends on the numbers of layers in each vertical line in different imposition structures.

A cardboard box dividing device and a cardboard box production device include: lower conveyors on which a plurality of connected cardboard box bodies are stacked and transported; upper conveyors disposed so as to face the lower conveyors from above and supporting upper portions of the plurality of stacked connected cardboard box bodies; a pressing device pressing, from above, the plurality of connected cardboard box bodies stacked on the lower conveyors; a cutting knife disposed along a width direction of the connected cardboard box body and dividing the plurality of connected cardboard box bodies stacked on the lower conveyors into a front part and a rear part; and a lifting/lowering device relatively moving the cutting knife and the plurality of connected cardboard box bodies on the lower conveyors along an up-down direction.

A bundle breaker including first and second platen assemblies mounted above upstream and downstream breaking supports with first and second actuators for moving the platen assemblies toward and away from the breaking supports and a third actuator for moving the downstream breaking support to perform a breaking operation. The first platen assembly and/or the second platen assembly each includes an upper platen assembly and a lower platen assembly supported by the upper platen assembly, the upper platen assembly including an upper platen and a support for the upper platen and the lower platen assembly including a lower platen supported for movement relative to the upper platen in the vertical direction and relative to the upper platen in the longitudinal direction.

A bundle breaker has upstream and downstream breaking supports each having an input end and an output end. A first platen is located above the upstream breaking support, and a second platen is located above the downstream breaking support, and each platen has an actuator for moving the respective platen toward and away from the breaking supports to selectively clamp a log between the platens and the breaking supports. A third actuator is configured to apply a shifting force to the downstream breaking support to shift the input end of the downstream breaking support relative to the output end of the upstream breaking support from a first position toward a second position to break the second portion of the log from the first portion of the log. The first actuator and/or the second actuator and/or the third actuator includes at least one servo motor.

A bundle breaker includes upstream and downstream breaking supports, platens over the breaking supports and actuators for moving the platens toward and away from the breaking supports. Each of the platens includes a plurality of air bladders each having a bottom contact surface facing one of the breaking supports. The actuators move the platens to selectively clamp a log between the bottom contact surfaces of the air bladders and the breaking supports. A third actuator shifts an input end of the downstream breaking support relative to an output end of the upstream breaking support from a first position to a second position to break a first portion of the log from a second portion of the log.

In some examples, a pile cutting device includes a first pile positioning unit, a cutting unit for cutting at least one sheet pile, and a bearing device including a first pile bearing surface. The first pile positioning unit includes an upper rotary plunger that can be pivoted about a pivot axis and moved with respect to a vertical direction, and also includes a first horizontal drive for moving a sheet pile in and/or counter to a horizontal direction. The first pile positioning unit further includes two upper pressing elements that differ from the upper rotary plunger, and that are movable with respect to the vertical direction. A first one of the upper pressing elements is movable in and/or counter to the horizontal direction by the first horizontal drive. A second one of the upper pressing elements is movable in and/or counter to the horizontal direction by a second horizontal drive.

A cutting apparatus includes a blade configured to cut a sheet that is conveyed along a sheet conveyance path, a scrap path through which scrap generated when the sheet is cut by the blade passes, a guide member configured to guide the sheet conveyed, and a blowing unit configured to blow air such that the air crosses the sheet conveyance path from a side opposite the scrap path with the sheet conveyance path therebetween, wherein the blowing unit blows air such that the air flows along the guide member positioned at a second position at which the scrap is allowed to enter the scrap path.

A printed unit block aligning device includes a supporting element and an alignment transfer rail. The supporting element is opened and closed between a supporting position and a releasing position. The alignment transfer rail receives the group of the printed unit blocks dropped in response to move of the supporting element to the releasing position, aligns the printed unit blocks in each line unit block in a vertical direction, and feeds the printed unit blocks vertically at a constant speed using alignment transferring element. An electrical controlling element is provided that electrically controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks from the supporting element onto the alignment transfer rail. While a speed of transfer of the horizontal feeding and transferring element are uniform for any imposition structure, the electrical controlling element controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks in a manner that depends on the numbers of layers in each vertical line in different imposition structures.

An edge portion of a bound material is provided with first and second lines. The first and second lines are spaced at a small interval and arranged in parallel to each other. The first line is arranged outside of the second line of the bound material. A control unit controls first and second drive mechanisms in such a manner that the edge portion of the bound material is cut at the first line by a trim cutter, then the trim cutter or the table is moved at the small interval in a moving direction toward the second line, and then the edge portion of the bound material is cut at the second line by the trim cutter.

A cardboard box dividing device includes lower conveyors on which a plurality of connected cardboard box bodies are stacked and transported; an upstream side positioning member and a downstream side positioning member movable along a transport direction and a thickness direction of each connected cardboard box body in upstream and downstream portions of the lower conveyors; a positioning drive device capable of independently moving the upstream side positioning member and the downstream side positioning member; a pressing device pressing, from above, the plurality of connected cardboard box bodies stacked on the lower conveyors; a cutting knife disposed along a width direction of the connected cardboard box body and dividing the plurality of connected cardboard box bodies stacked on the lower conveyors into a front part and a rear part; and a lifting/lowering device relatively moving the plurality of connected cardboard box bodies and the cutting knife along an up-down direction.