Patent ID: 8770382

Claim:
A device ( 30 ) for feeding book blocks ( 2 ) standing in an upright orientation on a spine or fore edge cut to subsequent processing equipment, comprising: an infeed channel ( 11 ) for the subsequent equipment, having a channel bottom ( 12 ), lateral channel guides ( 13 ) and at least one pusher ( 14 ) that pushes the book blocks ( 2 ) standing on their spine ( 2 a ) or fore edge cut forward into the equipment; a star feeder ( 31 ) in the form of a roller intermittently rotatable about a main axis ( 32 ), comprising a plurality of block receptacles ( 34 ) arranged in a star pattern, wherein each receptacle is formed by first and second locating surfaces on each of a plurality of axially spaced disks ( 33 ), said first locating surfaces ( 34 . 1 ) extending radially and said second locating surfaces ( 34 . 2 ) extending perpendicular to the first locating surfaces; an upstream book block conveyor ( 21 ) that feeds flat book blocks ( 2 ) to the star feeder ( 31 ) substantially tangentially to the roller and transversely to the main axis ( 32 ); wherein the star feeder includes a plurality of clamping jaws ( 36 ) that are respectively operatively associated with the plurality of block receptacles ( 34 ), each clamping jaw of a receptacle arranged substantially parallel to the second locating surfaces ( 34 . 2 ) and movable transversely relative to the second locating surfaces ( 34 . 2 ) in opening and clamping directions; and each receptacle receives a flat book block from the upstream book block conveyor ( 21 ) while the respective clamping jaw ( 36 ) is relatively open, during rotation of the star feeder ( 31 ) reorients the flat book block into said upright orientation while clamped between said respective jaw and said second locating surfaces ( 34 . 2 ), thereby positioning the upright book block for transport in a direction parallel to the rotation axis ( 32 ) and through the infeed channel.