Patent ID: 7073785

Claim:
An apparatus for processing printed products, comprising: a) a plurality of holding elements arranged one after another and moveable along a circulation path in a circulation direction; b) each of said holding elements having at least a supporting element and a base element, said supporting element and base element in each holding element being adapted to support printed products either laterally or from below; c) a plurality of feed stations positioned for feeding printed products to the holding elements while said holding elements are moved past the feed stations, each of said feed stations including a plurality of clamps movable in approximately the same direction and at approximately the same speed as the holding elements, each of said clamps being adapted to receive a printed product, rotate the printed product about an axis extending parallel to a radial direction with respect to the circulation path and transfer the printed product to a holding element; d) a first output station and a second output station arranged along said path and, as seen in the circulation direction, at least two of the feed stations arranged along said path and between said first and second output stations and at least two of the feed stations arranged along said path and between said second and first output stations, at least one of said first and second output stations being independently controlled whereby it can be selectively inactivated; e) each of said holding elements also including a straddle support element for holding a folded printed product astride; and f) at least one of said feed stations having a selectively operable opening device for optionally opening folded printed products, said at least one feed station being capable of feeding printed products into a holding element or depositing folded printed products which have been opened onto respective straddle support elements.