Abstract:
A gathering device is provided including a hopper, a gathering conveyor for transporting printed products, and a curved comb mounted at a side of the gathering conveyor for contacting the printed products. A saddle stitcher is also provided.

Description:
[0001]     This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/838,659 filed Aug. 18, 2006 and hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Gathering devices such as perfect binders, saddle stitchers and mailroom inserters may use hoppers or feeders to collect sheet material. A saddle stitcher or perfect binder may for example collect folded printed materials fed from hoppers or feeders onto a saddle or perfect binder conveyor, respectively, to form a magazine or other printed product. In the context of the present application, the term hopper and feeder are used synonymously.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,489 discloses a guide mechanism provided between a tape drive, a divert cylinder and/or a deceleration drum. The guide mechanism constrains movement of the open edge of the folded signature away from the transfer mechanism across any gap between transfer mechanisms, thereby preventing dog-earring of the open edges of the folded signatures or books at they are transferred between transfer mechanisms.  
         [0004]     U.S. Publication No. 2004/0126163 purportedly discloses a binding apparatus having a pair of guide shafts fixed respectively to a front side plate and a rear side plate by a corresponding screw and a pair of stays fixed between the front and rear side plates, a stitcher and a clincher are movably supported in the longitudinal direction on the guide shafts, wherein a binding section for binding a paper sheet bundle is interposed between the stitcher and clincher.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a gathering device includes a hopper, a gathering conveyor for transporting printed products. A curved comb mounted at a side of the gathering conveyor is provided for contacting the printed products.  
         [0006]     In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a saddle stitcher includes a gathering conveyor for transporting printed products, and a hopper. A curved comb mounted at a side of the gathering conveyor is provided. The comb is adjustable to change an angle at which the comb contacts printed products on the gathering conveyor. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be elucidated with reference to the drawings, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  shows a top view of a section of a saddle stitcher according to the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 1B  shows a front view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a close up view of the  FIG. 1B  a comb. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]     Current book guides may consist of for example, a brass bar. The brass bar may be ½ inches square and have a bent leading edge for guiding printed products, such as sheets or books, on a gathering conveyor. In high speed gathering devices, for example, high speed saddle stitchers, corners of books or sheet material fold up on the gathering conveyor and get caught in the book guides. In the printing industry, this is known as “dog ears.” 
         [0012]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  shows a gathering device, for example, saddle stitcher  10 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. Saddle stitcher  10  transports printed products, for example, books  20 , in a direction X. Saddle stitcher  10  includes a hopper  40 , a comb  12  and a gathering conveyor, for example, gathering chain  30 . Comb  12  is located aside a gathering chain  30 . Comb  12  is mounted to an end of a book guide  14 . Comb  12  may be, for example, a formed piece of sheet metal. Comb  2  may be made of RIGIDTEX sheet metal, from Rigidized Metals Corp., or other textured or engraved sheet metal. Other suitable materials may also be used.  
         [0013]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , comb  12  is curved in shape and fixed to a pivot  16  which permits comb  12  to be rotated an angle A from 0 to 90 degrees. The comb can also be adjusted up or down and in or out with respect to gathering chain  30 , i.e. in or out of the page in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0014]     Dog ears in books  20  can be combed out to ensure the entire book  20  goes under book guides  14  and down gathering chain  30 .  
         [0015]     Combs  12  may be mounted at other areas upstream, such as before a book guide  14 ′ ( FIG. 1B ). Combs may also be located at transition areas along gathering chain  30 . Furthermore, combs  12  may also include holes that allow NYLON guide line to be attached.  
         [0016]     Thus, comb  12  reduces paper jams, improves book quality and provides better mounting and control for NYLON guide lines.  
         [0017]     In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.