Patent ID: 7946566

Claim:
An apparatus for wire-stitching print products compiled from gathered signatures and for trimming open edges of the print products, said apparatus comprising; a first gathering and wire-stitching machine including a first wire-stitching unit; a first cutter installed downstream from the first gathering and wire-stitching machine; a second gathering and wire-stitching machine selectively connected in-line with the first gathering and wire-stitching machine and including a second wire-stitching unit, for operation in tandem with the first gathering and wire-stitching machine; a second cutter installed downstream from the second gathering and wire-stitching machine; a transfer element positioned between the first and second gathering and wire-stitching machines for transferring print products or partial print products from the first gathering and wire-stitching machine to the second gathering and wire-stitching machine during the tandem operation; and a drive motor operatively coupled to the first gathering and wire-stitching machine and the first cutter in a solo operation of the first gathering and wire-stitching machine, the first cutter being uncoupled from the drive motor during the tandem operation, wherein the first wire-stitching unit is operated by the drive motor independently from the second gathering and wire-stitching machine during the tandem operation.