Signature handling apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SIGNATURES COMPRISING A SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS, MEANS FOR CARRYING THE SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS IN AN ORBITAL PATH, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS IN A PLANETARY ORBITAL PATH, A HOPPER FOR RECEIVING A SUPPLY OF SIGNATURES WITH THE DISCHARGE PORTION OF SAID HOPPER IN PROXIMITY TO THE ORBITAL PATH OF SAID SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS WHEREBY SAID TRANSFER MEANS WILL ENGAGE THE FOLDED EDGE OF A SIGNATURE AND ADVANCE THE SAME ALONG THE PLANETARY ARBITAL PATH OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS, CARRIER MEANS MOVALBE IN AN ORBITAL PATH AND LOCATED IN PROXIMITY TO THE PLANETARY ORBIT TO GRIP THE FOLDED EDGE OF THE SIGNATURE AND CARRY THE SAME AWAY FROM SAID TRANSFER MEANS, A STATIONARY STRAIGHTENING MEANS POSITIONED IN THE ORBITAL PATH OF SAID CARRIER MEANS WHEREBY SAID SIGNATURE WILL BE STRIPPED FROM SAID CARRIER MEANS AND THE FOLDED EDGE THEREOF PLACED IN OPERATIONAL CONTACT WITH SAID STRAIGHTENING MEANS, HOLDING MEANS TO GRIP THE FOLDED EDGE OF EACH SIGNATURE DEPOSITED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID STRAIGHTENING MEANS AND TO TEMPORARILY RETAIN EACH SIGNATURE STATIONARY, FIRST MEANS MOVABLE IN AN ORBITAL PATH FOR ENGAGING ONE LEAF OF THE SIGNATURE AND TO CARRY SAID SIGNATURE DOWNWARDLY THEREBY DISENGAGING THE FOLDED EDGE FROM ITS HOLDING MEANS, OTHER MEANS MOVABLE IN AN ORBITAL PATH AND IN PROXIMITY TO SAID FIRST LEAF ENGAGING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE OTHER LEAF AWAY FROM THE ONE LEAF, THE ENGAGING MEANS FOR SAID ONE LEAF AND THE GUIDING MEANS FOR SAID OTHER LEAF BEING OPERABLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASE SAID LEAVES WHEREBY THE SIGNATURE WILL FREELY FALL DOWNWARDLY IN A VERTICAL PLANE WITH THE LEAF PORTIONS IN A SPREAD APART POSITION.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SIGNATURES COMPRISING A SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS, MEANS FOR CARRYING THE SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS IN AN ORBITAL PATH, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS IN A PLANETARY ORBITAL PATH, A HOPPER FOR RECEIVING A SUPPLY OF SIGNATURES WITH THE DISCHARGE PORTION OF SAID HOPPER IN PROXIMITY TO THE ORBITAL PATH OF SAID SIGNATURE TRANSFER MEANS WHEREBY SAID TRANSFER MEANS WILL ENGAGE THE FOLDED EDGE OF A SIGNATURE AND ADVANCE THE SAME ALONG THE PLANETARY ARBITAL PATH OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS, CARRIER MEANS MOVALBE IN AN ORBITAL PATH AND LOCATED IN PROXIMITY TO THE PLANETARY ORBIT TO GRIP THE FOLDED EDGE OF THE SIGNATURE AND CARRY THE SAME AWAY FROM SAID TRANSFER MEANS, A STATIONARY STRAIGHTENING MEANS POSITIONED IN THE ORBITAL PATH OF SAID CARRIER MEANS WHEREBY SAID SIGNATURE WILL BE STRIPPED FROM SAID CARRIER MEANS AND THE FOLDED EDGE THEREOF PLACED IN OPERATIONAL CONTACT WITH SAID STRAIGHTENING MEANS, HOLDING MEANS TO GRIP THE FOLDED EDGE OF EACH SIGNATURE DEPOSITED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID STRAIGHTENING MEANS AND TO TEMPORARILY RETAIN EACH SIGNATURE STATIONARY, FIRST MEANS MOVABLE IN AN ORBITAL PATH FOR ENGAGING ONE LEAF OF THE SIGNATURE AND TO CARRY SAID SIGNATURE DOWNWARDLY THEREBY DISENGAGING THE FOLDED EDGE FROM ITS HOLDING MEANS, OTHER MEANS MOVABLE IN AN ORBITAL PATH AND IN PROXIMITY TO SAID FIRST LEAF ENGAGING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE OTHER LEAF AWAY FROM THE ONE LEAF, THE ENGAGING MEANS FOR SAID ONE LEAF AND THE GUIDING MEANS FOR SAID OTHER LEAF BEING OPERABLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASE SAID LEAVES WHEREBY THE SIGNATURE WILL FREELY FALL DOWNWARDLY IN A VERTICAL PLANE WITH THE LEAF PORTIONS IN A SPREAD APART POSITION.