Patent ID: 7651080

Claim:
A gatherer stitcher having at least one stitching station ( 1 ) for stitching sheets, the stitching station ( 1 ) being arranged on a stitching carriage ( 2 ) that can move back and forth in the longitudinal direction with a gatherer chain ( 3 ) during the stitching operation and an ejector unit ( 5 ) disposed after the stitching station ( 1 ) in the transport direction (X) of the sheets to eject the sheets, wherein the improvement comprises at least one acceleration and braking unit ( 4 ) disposed between the stitching carriage ( 2 ) and the ejector unit for accelerating and/or braking the sheets to prevent a tilting or overrun of the sheets by first accelerating the sheets to generate a gain in time before braking the sheets to maintain an average speed of the sheets with respect to a transport speed of subsequent sheets on the gatherer chain before changing the direction of the sheets from the longitudinal transport direction (X) to the perpendicular direction (Y) toward the ejector unit ( 5 ) said ejector unit having a means for lifting said sheets substantially perpendicular to the transport direction (X) and a clamping unit ( 14 , 15 ) for clamping said sheets just before said sheets are lifted in a direction substantially, perpendicular to said transport direction (X).