Patent ID: 8028821

Claim:
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.