Apparatus for gathering signatures along a conveying section of a circulating conveyor

1. An apparatus for gathering signatures, comprising:

a feeder that forms a stack of the signatures, the feeder including a discharge location for the signatures;

a conveyor comprising a gathering channel for the stack of signatures, a circulating traction mechanism that extends along the gathering channel, and spaced-apart pushers attached to the traction mechanism, wherein the circulating traction mechanism moves the pushers along the gathering channel;

a delivery station arranged along the conveying section, the delivery station including a downward slanted conveying surface wherein the signatures are supplied over the downward slanted conveying surface from the feeder to the conveyor approximately in synchronism with the movement of the pushers, wherein the downward slanted conveying surface includes a first end located adjacent the discharge location of the feeder, and a second end located adjacent the conveyor, the second end being located downward from the first end;

wherein the downwardly slanted conveying surface includes a convex conveying section located adjacent the first end followed by a concave conveying section located adjacent the second end in the conveying direction for the signatures, wherein the convex conveying section conveys the signatures in a convex direction, and the concave conveying section conveys the signatures in a concave direction.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second end of the downward slanted conveying surface is aligned at a flat angle (α) to the conveying section.

3. The apparatus as defined in the claim 1 , wherein the delivery station further includes a feed conveyor arranged at the second end of the conveying surface and which operates in synchronism with the conveyor.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the delivery station further includes a guide table located at an end of the conveying surface, the guide table being adjustable with respect to position.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the delivery station further includes a conveying element located at the first end of the conveying surface.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the delivery station includes a locally fixed guide element by which the convex and the concave conveying sections are formed.

7. The apparatus as defined in the claim 1 , wherein the delivery station includes a locally fixed belt guide arranged above the concave conveying section.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the delivery station further includes opposite-arranged, driven belts arranged to clamp in the signatures along the conveying surface.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the delivery station further includes a conveying element located at the first end of the conveying surface, and wherein the conveying element and the driven belts are driven with the same speed.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the speed of the conveying element and the belts are changeable relative to the speed of the conveyor.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the feed conveyor includes an upper conveying belt and a lower conveying belt.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the speed of the conveying belts approximately corresponds to the speed of the conveyor.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the delivery station further includes an adjustment device operatively associated with the conveying belts to aid in the adjustment of the conveying belts relative to each other.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 , wherein the delivery station further includes a brake element operatively arranged with the guide table to act upon the signatures.