U.S. patent number 3,717,366 [Application Number 05/155,771] was granted by the patent office on 1973-02-20 for method and apparatus used for book binding.
Invention is credited to William R. Decker.
United States Patent |
3,717,366 |
Decker |
February 20, 1973 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS USED FOR BOOK BINDING
Abstract
Fundamentally, the invention pertains to a method and apparatus
to be used in binding books. The apparatus may be constructed
relatively small and portable, and may be used in offices and print
shops where binding machines of the prior art are not practical due
to size, expense, and complexity of operation and their
inadaptability to small lot binding activity. The relatively small
size and portability of the apparatus is made possible by a method
of inserting into the book cover, a hot melt adhesive in cool hard
form and melting the adhesive material by applying heat externally
to the book cover to be bound. The apparatus therefore, comprises a
number of devices in combination including a heating rack to heat
the binding edge of the book, a cooling rack to cool the edge of
the book cover, a mechanism that folds the book cover, and a device
that adjusts the folding mechanism so as to fold the book cover in
such a way as to accommodate the thickness of the collated pages to
be bound.
Inventors: |
Decker; William R. (Covina,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
22556728 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/155,771 |
Filed: |
June 23, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
412/8; 281/21.1;
412/20; 493/457; D18/34.1; 412/4; 412/900 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B42C
9/0056 (20130101); Y10S 412/90 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B42C
9/00 (20060101); B42d 001/00 (); B42c 019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;11/1R,1AD
;281/21R,15R,23 ;270/86,93,94 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Charles; Lawrence
Claims
What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the
United States is:
1. A book binding apparatus for folding book covers and melting
adhesive comprising in combination a means of measuring the
thickness of assembled inside pages of a book to be bound by
placing the assembled pages within a measuring device having parts
capable of being moved so as to make contact with the collated
pages to be bound, means of securing the parts in stationary
configuration separated from each other by the distance equal to
the thickness of the collated pages to be bound, means of
mechanically linking the parts of the measuring device to an
obstruction limiting the distance through which an unfolded book
cover may be inserted into the folding device so as to adjust the
unfolded cover into proper position for single or double folding to
fit the cover to the assembled pages, means of clamping the cover
to hold firmly in position while folding, means of folding the book
cover, means of applying heat to the outside of the binding edge of
a cover of an assembled book to be bound, and means of supporting
the book so as to locate the binding edge exposed to the heat
source while supporting the book cover and pages in proximity to
each other.
2. A book binding apparatus, comprising in combination, means of
measuring the thickness of assembled inside pages of a book to be
bound by placing the assembled pages within a measuring device
having parts capable of being moved so as to make contact with the
assembled pages to be bound, means of securing the parts in
stationary configuration separated from each other by the distance
equal to the thickness of the assembled pages to be bound, means of
mechanically linking the parts of the measuring device to an
obstruction limiting the distance through which an unfolded book
cover may be inserted into a folding device so as to adjust the
unfolded cover into proper position for single or double folding to
fit the cover to the assembled pages, means of clamping the
unfolded cover to hold firmly in position while being folded, means
of folding the book cover material, means of applying heat to the
outside of the binding edge of an assembled book to be bound, and
means of supporting the book so as to locate the binding edge
exposed to the heat source while supporting the book cover and
pages in proximity to each other, a cooling rack with means of
extracting heat from a heated book and binding adhesive, means of
supporting the book so as to properly locate the binding edge
exposed to the means of extracting heat, and means of compressing
the cover and the pages of the book into proximity to each other
while cooling the book and adhesive, thereby hardening the
adhesive.
3. A method of binding book pages to each other and to a book cover
to form a book, by placing in the inside of the binding edge of a
book cover, an adhesive substance in a cool, semi solid state, the
adhesive substance having the characteristics of melting to liquid
state when heated and returning to semi solid state when cooled,
inserting the assembled pages of the book to be bound into the book
cover so as to contact the semi solid adhesive substance, and
heating the adhesive substance to molten state by the application
of heat to the outside of the binding edge of the book cover,
melting the adhesive substance by heat transference through the
book cover thereby binding the pages to each other and to the book
cover, utilizing a book binding apparatus, comprising in
combination, means of measuring the thickness of assembled inside
pages of a book to be bound by placing the assembled pages within a
measuring device having parts capable of being moved so as to make
contact with each side of the assembled pages to be bound, means of
securing the parts in stationary configuration separated from each
other by the distance equal to the thickness of the assembled pages
to be bound, means of mechanically linking the parts of the
measuring device to an obstruction limiting the distance through
which an unfolded book cover may be inserted into the folding
device so as to adjust the unfolded cover into proper position for
single or double folding to fit the cover to the assembled pages,
means of clamping the cover to hold firmly in position while
folding, means of folding the book cover material, means of
applying heat to the outside of the binding edge of an assembled
book to be bound, and means of supporting the book so as to locate
the binding edge exposed to the heat source while supporting the
book cover and pages in proximity to each other, a cooling rack
with means of extracting heat from a heated book and binding
adhesive, means of supporting the book so as to properly locate the
binding edge exposed to the means of extracting heat, and means of
compressing the cover and the pages of the book into proximity to
each other while cooling the book and hardening the adhesive.
4. A book cover folder adjustment apparatus to automatically limit
the distance past a folding mechanism a book cover to be folded,
pre-cut to dimensions for use in the apparatus, may be moved until
contacting an obstruction thereby adjusting the book cover in
position for folding by the folding mechanism with one fold in the
event the pages of the book to be bound number one or a few, or
folded with two folds to accommodate a thickness of the book pages
requiring more than one fold, comprising in combination an
obstruction mounted on a pivotable device and centered thereon
midway between the pivot of the device and a measuring feeler also
mounted on the pivotable device, the measuring feeler being located
between the folding mechanism and a stationary feeler immovably
mounted a fixed distance from the folding mechanism, the measuring
feeler being capable of movement through an arc having as its
center the pivot of the pivotable device from a position contiguous
to the stationary feeler to a position on the arc closer to the
folding mechanism so that movement of the measuring feeler toward
or away from the stationary feeler in measuring the thickness of
the pages to be bound results in movement of the obstruction toward
or away from the folding mechanism by a factor of approximately
one-half the distance moved by the measuring feeler, thereby
adjusting the obstruction and the pivotable device to a position
where it may be locked a stationary distance from the folding
mechanism so as to permit a book cover when inserted and touching
the obstruction to be positioned at the folding mechanism so as to
fold once in the center of the cover, if single folded, or to fold
twice by inserting the cover in reverse position, and folding a
second time, the two folds separated from each other by
approximately the thickness of the pages to be bound.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention involves a method of placing inside a folded book
cover, an adhesive material, in cool hard form, which material,
when heated, possesses the characteristic of melting to a semi
liquid state and when subsequently cooled hardens to a flexible
semi solid state.
Although the use of a hot melt adhesive binding material is common
to the book binding art, in all prior art methods utilizing such
adhesive, the adhesive is applied in hot semi liquid form to the
inside surface of the book cover, followed by implanting into the
still molten adhesive, the collated book pages to be bound. The
invention claimed involves a method of applying the hot melt
adhesive in cold hard form to the inside of a folded book cover,
inserting the book pages to be bound, then heating the adhesive
material to a semi liquid state by application of heat to the
outside of the book cover, permitting the heat to be transmitted
through the book cover to the adhesive material, the adhesive
thereby melting and flowing into the edges of the book pages by
capillary action, and onto the book cover by gravitation, thereby
binding the pages to each other and to the book cover when the
adhesive material is cooled. The applicant also claims, in
combination, an apparatus to apply heat to the outside of the book
cover, an apparatus to hold the book in shape while cooling the
adhesive, an apparatus to fold the book cover, and a device to
measure the thickness of the collated pages to be bound, which
device automatically adjusts the folding apparatus for a single or
double folding of the book cover to accommodate the thickness of
the collated pages to be bound.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the binding machine.
FIG. 2 is a section taken along the plane 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a view taken along the center of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a section taken along the plane 4--4 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is view like FIG. 4 through rocker arm.
FIG. 6 same as FIG. 4 but different folding position.
FIG. 7 along plane 7--7 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a severable strip of hot melt binding
adhesive in cool state.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1, the binding machine 10 comprises a base plate 11, four
supporting side panels 12, a heating rack 13 to heat the adhesive
through the cover, a cooling rack 14 to cool and harden the
adhesive, a folding mechanism 15 to fold the book cover, a device
for measuring the thickness of collated pages to be bound 16, a
back stop 17 automatically adjusted by the measuring device 16 to
position the book cover to the proper position for folding by the
folding mechanism 15.
The heating rack 13 comprises an electric heating element 18 having
a flat upper side capable of maintaining a temperature sufficient
to permit heat to permeate a book cover 19 and melt the severable
strip of hot melt bending adhesive 20 but within a heat range lower
than the scorching temperature of typical book cover paper, cloth
or other book cover material. The heating rack 13 is equipped with
vertical supporting panels 21 to generally position a folded book
cover 19 in proper position for the melting of the adhesive 20.
The cooling rack 14 comprises a ventilated base 22 permitting air
pressurized by blower 35 to flow upward over the outside of the
book cover 19 cooling the binding edge of the book cover 19 and the
hot melt adhesive 20; a spring loaded pressure plate 23 capable of
pivoting forward and aft serving the dual purpose of supporting the
book cover 19 tightly together at the base, during the cooling
period, and generally aligning the outer edges of the book cover 19
in proper configuration during the cooling period; and a back plate
24 to support the tension of the spring loaded pressure plate 23
through the book cover 19 being bound.
The folding mechanism 15 comprises an alignment bar 36, a clamp bar
25 to clamp the unfolded book cover to the base plate 11 during the
process of folding, and a means of raising and lowering said clamp
bar 25 acting against the clamp bar springs 26 by rocker arms 27
mounted on the folder bar 28, said rocker arms producing a lifting
effect upon the clamp bar when the folder bar handle 29 is
depressed downward, raising the clamp bar 25 sufficiently to permit
an unfolded book cover to be inserted between the base plate 11 and
the clamp bar 25, the clamp bar 25 gripping the unfolded book cover
to the base plate 11 when the folder bar handle 29 is released or
when the folder bar handle 29 is raised to accomplish folding of
the book cover.
The book cover may be single folded providing only one or a few
sheets of book pages are to be bound. In the event of binding a
book having more than a few pages, the book cover must be folded
twice by inserting the cover into the folding mechanism 15, folding
by raising the folder bar handle 29, then removing the cover from
the folding mechanism 15 and inserting the end of the book cover
opposite the end previously inserted and raising the folding bar
handle 29 a second time. The folding is accomplished by the folder
bar 28 pivoting on the folder bar hinges 30, bending the book cover
around the clamp bar 25.
The unfolded book covers to be used are of a standard size to
function properly in the binding machine as to the automatic
placement of the unfolded book covers in the folding mechanism 15.
The automatic placement of the covers in the folding mechanism 15
for either a single or double fold is accomplished by the thickness
measuring device 16 which consists of a stationary pin 31 mounted
to the base plate 11 and a movable pin 32 mounted to a plate
pivoting on a pivot 33. The collated pages to be bound are placed
between the stationary pin 31 and the movable pin 32; the set screw
34 is loosened permitting the movable pin 32 to be moved to and
press on the collated pages to be bound backed against the
stationary pin 31. While in this position, the set screw 34 is
tightened and the back stop 17 will automatically have moved to the
correct position to properly place the unfolded book cover in the
folding mechanism 15 when the unfolded book cover is pushed back
against the back stop 17. This automatic alignment of the back stop
17 will result in a single fold being properly placed in the center
of the unfolded book cover, when only a few pages are to be bound.
When the movable pin 32 and the stationary pin 31 are contiguous,
the standard cut unfolded book cover is positioned in the folding
mechanism 15 so as to fold in the center of the book cover. As the
movable pin 32 is moved away from the stationary pin 31, as in the
case of measuring collated pages having considerable thickness, the
back stop 17 moves toward the folding mechanism 15 by a factor of
one half the distance the movable pin 32 moves. When the paper is
double folded, the distance between the two folds equals the
distance between the movable pin 32 and the stationary pin 31,
thereby adjusting the back stop 17 in such a way as to allign the
unfolded book cover to accommodate the thickness of the collated
material to be bound.
FIG. 8 is a detail of the configuration of the cool hard state of
the adhesive prior to its use in binding. Although the
configuration of the adhesive to be inserted into a folded cover
may be that of round rods, many sided rods, beads, droplets,
sphears, pyramids, crystaline shape or dust granule, granules, or
sand, the configuration shown in FIG. 8 comprises a sheet or
ribbon, perforated, or slit not quite through the sheet or ribbon
at intervals approximating those that if the ribbon or sheet were
manually torn through each slit, a multiplicity of square shaped
rods would be produced. By tearing through along any selected slit,
or row of perforations, a portion of the sheet or ribbon may be
removed from the remainder in one piece, the width of said piece
approximating the thickness of the collated pages to be bound. Such
a piece may be inserted into the folded book cover and the collated
pages to be bound may be placed thereon.
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