of the awls 3 are then inserted by the folding blades 2 between two folding rollers 5 6 which fold the sheets by passing the sheets between the rollers 5 6 the cutting cylinder 4 fig2 has two cutting knives 7 each of which executes a cutting motion against a cutting shoulder 8 which is arranged at the jacket surface of the collecting and folding blade cylinder 1 so that a web of printing stock is cut into sheets which are skewered by the awls 3 so that the collecting and folding blade cylinder 1 can collect and fold sheets of different thickness the circumference of the collecting and folding blade cylinder 1 can be changed in that strips 90 92 are stretched or curved out six strips 90 92 lie adjacent to one another in each of the three circumferential portions see fig6 of the cylinder 1 the strips 90 92 span open regions in which the folding blades 2 move upon spindles the folding blades 2 being moved out of the collecting and folding blade cylinder 1 to produce the fold between the strips 90 92 the strips 90 92 are securely connected at one end edge with the cylinder body of the collecting and folding blade cylinder 1 e g by screws 10 at their other end edge the strips 90 92 are connected e g also by screws 12 with connecting links 13 which are displaceable in the direction indicated by the double.