An apparatus for treating a stack of sheets of sheet material includes a means for moving the stack of sheets of sheet material towards a first and second fold roller means. The first and second fold roller means are arranged to assist with folding of the stack of sheets of sheet material. The apparatus also includes a first and a second clamping jaw defining a gap. The first and second clamping jaws are arranged to be movable relative to each other to increase and decrease the gap for selective application of a clamping force to the stack of sheets of sheet material having passed between the first and second fold roller means. The first and second fold roller means are mounted in a manner allowing for an increase and decrease in separation and thus between a stack-guiding configuration and a stack compressing configuration.

An apparatus for folding and receiving book documents comprises a main conveying device arranged and adapted to convey unfolded book documents in a main conveying direction and a secondary conveying device arranged and adapted to receive the book documents conveyed by the main conveying device and to convey them in a secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, wherein the secondary conveying direction is transverse to the main conveying direction. Further, the apparatus comprises a receiving device arranged at a spatial distance from the first and/or the second conveying surface and configured to receive folded book documents. The device folds the conveyed book documents respectively with a movement in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction. Furthermore, a lifting device is arranged to convey the folded book documents from the main conveying device and/or from the secondary conveying device into the receiving device.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a roller pair configured to convey a sheet, a sheet bundle conveyer configured to convey a sheet bundle to the roller pair, and circuitry configured to cause the sheet bundle conveyer to contact leading edges of sheets of the sheet bundle to the roller pair and cause the roller pair to rotate in reverse to align the leading edges of the sheets of the sheet bundle.

A sheet folding apparatus folds two portions of a first folding position of a sheet and a second folding position existing between one end of the sheet and the first folding position to perform Z-fold on the sheet. Then, in a state in which a one-end side portion of the sheet and a folded portion folded in the first folding position are overlapped with each other, the apparatus adjusts a distance between one end of the sheet and the first folding position.

An apparatus for folding and receiving book documents comprises a main conveying device arranged and adapted to convey unfolded book documents in a main conveying direction and a secondary conveying device arranged and adapted to receive the book documents conveyed by the main conveying device and to convey them in a secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction, wherein the secondary conveying direction is transverse to the main conveying direction. Further, the apparatus comprises a receiving device arranged at a spatial distance from the first and/or the second conveying surface and configured to receive folded book documents. The device folds the conveyed book documents respectively with a movement in the secondary conveying direction and/or against the secondary conveying direction. Furthermore, a lifting device is arranged to convey the folded book documents from the main conveying device and/or from the secondary conveying device into the receiving device.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a roller pair configured to convey a sheet, a sheet bundle conveyer configured to convey a sheet bundle to the roller pair, and circuitry configured to cause the sheet bundle conveyer to contact leading edges of sheets of the sheet bundle to the roller pair and cause the roller pair to rotate in reverse to align the leading edges of the sheets of the sheet bundle.

Embodiments of the present invention provide new and improved folding apparatuses and methods for interfolding a continuous stream of sheets into a single-fold interfolded pattern of sheets while passing all of the sheets substantially along a single sheet path. More particularly, all sheets in the continuous stream of sheets pass through the nips between adjacent components.

A folding apparatus and method for forming a substrate including a discrete substrate including a rugosity. The folding apparatus may include a folding roll and a folding member. The folding roll includes an outer circumferential surface extending between the first roll surface and the second roll surface, and a receiving portion defined by the outer circumferential surface. The receiving portion may include an internal vacuum portion that may be operatively connected to an external vacuum portion. The folding member may be configured to associate with the receiving portion of the folding roll. The folding member may include a groove portion, a bonding portion, and a plurality of apertures. The folding apparatus may be used to bond a discrete substrate on a second substrate. The discrete substrate may include one or more rugosities.

A folding or interfolding unit of a plurality of sheets of paper comprising a first and a second folding or interfolding roll to fold, or interfold, the plurality of sheets of paper according to a predetermined folding or interfolding configuration, at a folding or interfolding zone. Each folding or interfolding roll comprises a tubular body which rotates about a longitudinal rotation axis oriented along a horizontal direction and a plurality of gripping groups integral in rotation with the tubular body. Each gripping group comprises a mechanical gripping member configured to move, at a gripping point, from a releasing configuration to a gripping configuration, where is arranged to mechanically hold the, or each, sheet up to a releasing point having a second angular position.

A folding or interfolding unit of a plurality of sheets of paper comprising a first and a second folding or interfolding roll to fold, or interfold, the plurality of sheets of paper according to a predetermined folding or interfolding configuration, at a folding or interfolding zone. Each folding or interfolding roll comprises a tubular body which rotates about a longitudinal rotation axis oriented along a horizontal direction and a plurality of gripping groups integral in rotation with the tubular body. Each gripping group comprises a mechanical gripping member configured to move, at a gripping point, from a releasing configuration to a gripping configuration, where is arranged to mechanically hold the, or each, sheet up to a releasing point having a second angular position.