Patent ID: 7758483

Claim:
A method for producing folded printed products, the method comprising the steps of: a) sequentially printing a paper web by at least one digital printing machine, respectively; b) processing the paper web by a sequence of processing steps comprising: b1) forming full size sheets or web sections comprising at least four printed pages for a printed product with a multiple of four printed pages; b2) folding the full size sheets or web sections to a folded state, respectively; b3) collecting the full size sheets or web sections in the folded state; and b4) stitching the full size sheets or the web sections in the folded state; c) forming a buffer of the full size sheets or the web sections during the sequence of processing steps b1) to b4) and individualizing the full size sheets or the web sections coming from the buffer to decouple the digital printing machine from at least some of the steps b1) to b4) of the sequence of processing steps, wherein the web sections sequentially arranged in the stack and forming a complete printed product, respectively, are individualized and then opened, wherein the full size sheets sequentially arranged in the stack and forming a complete printed product, respectively, are individualized and then folded, and wherein, in the step of collecting, the full size sheets or the web sections are placed onto a drop-controlled knife arranged above a collecting chain of a gatherer-stitcher.