BigPatents India

A gathering machine consists of a plurality of stations, each station consisting of a pile board for receiving a stack of forms of a predetermined number. A drum assembly provided with grippers is positioned below the pile board and a stationary tray is positioned below the drum assembly. Pneumatic suction cups are provided for picking up the lowermost form of the stack. The gripper closes over the form and pulls it along with the rotating drum, until the form is fully drawn out of the pile board, to drop it on to the stationary tray. Means are provided for carrying the form to the second stationary tray of the second station, the sequence of operations repeating until the forms are carried from the first station to the last, in serial order, to constitute book blocks. Means are provided for conveying the book blocks to a stacker. Means are also. Means are also provided stopping the said machine if two or more forms are pLIlled out t0gether from any station. Further means are provided for stopping the said machine if the stack of forms in any station gets depleted.