BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the binding machine of this invention shown just prior to book insertion with book forming carriage in place;
FIG. 2 is a side perspective detail with a book of pages inserted during a book forming step;
FIG. 3 is a perspective detail of an angled side guide showing aeration holes;
FIGS. 4A-4D are four detail drawings showing various book support methods during book, respectively, as follows:
FIG. 4A. is a perspective view of use of binding spiral,
FIG. 4B. is a perspective view of use of rigid tubing,
FIG. 4C. is a perspective view of use of a profile extrusion, and
FIG. 4D. is an end crossectional view of profile extrusion;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the binding machine with cutter/crimpers engaged and book forming carriage spaced apart;
FIG. 6 is a front elevational view close-up detail of cutter/crimper engaging plastic spiral prior to actuation;
FIGS. 7A and 7B are top plan schematic views of both cutter/crimpers in their resting positions with slots shown at spiral pitch angle;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment cutter/crimper using a pneumatically operated pivoting arm and a fixed anvil;
FIG. 9 is a side view detail showing a loop of the binding coil placed between the pivoting arm and the fixed anvil prior to the single-stroke cutting and crimping operation; and,
FIG. 10 is a top view detail of a loop of binder coil between the pivoting arm and the fixed anvil prior to the operation of cutting and crimping; also shown is the final configuration of the end of the binding coil after the operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows binding machine 1 of this invention prior to the introduction of the book pages. Housing 2 encloses the pneumatic and electrical components of this table-top binding machine. Operating panel 4 houses the operator controls. Circular arc brackets 16 connect book forming carriage bar 67 to vibrator bar 15 (with vibrator 18) to cutter bar 20 (with cutter/crimpers 22 and 21) permitting the book forming carriage bar 67 to be raised into position as shown or alternatively the cutter bar 20 to be placed into position at that phase of the operation, as shown in FIG. 5.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, back book support 3 is angled backwards while page guide 6 is angled forward. Angled stop 10 sets the pitch angle to match the binding spiral. Comb guide 12 guides a binding spiral during insertion. A page holder, such as book clamp 5, with gap adjusters 7 holds the book pages together after forming. Spiral conveyor or trough 8 receives the binding spiral which is conveyed into the machine via powered conveyor roller 9. Spinner wheel 11 rotates the plastic spiral into the book binding holes.
FIG. 1 also shows that control panel 4 has three position adjusting knobs at the top, knife (cutter) bar up/down 25, book former up/down 26 and book former in/out 27. On the next row of control panel 4 is main power switch 30, power-on indicator 31, and pause cycle button 32 which stops action momentarily. Next, are three toggle switches for spinner power 33, conveyor power 34, and knife stop 35. On the bottom of panel 4 are two speed controls, spinner speed 38 and conveyor speed 39. A foot pedal or other user activator (not shown) is used to start the automated process once book has been formed.
FIG. 2 is a side perspective view depicted during the book forming process with book 50 inserted. Note air manifold 45 for aeration connected to vibrator 18 of FIG. 1 with exhaust transferred via pneumatic line 46. One of two pneumatic cylinders 47 is shown; they are used to clamp the pages of book 50 after it is formed.
FIG. 3 shows the array of aeration holes 52 in angled side guide 10. Note that stop 10 is positioned at an angle, such as obtuse angle “A” shown or an acute angle, to set book pages at the proper pitch angle.
FIG. 4 shows three different types of round page rests used in forming the concave binding edge of book 50. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 4A, book 50 rests atop a length of a second binding plastic spiral coil 57 which is clamped in position by rod 17. Second plastic spiral coil 57 is not narrow enough in its respective total length to fit between respective loops of said first plastic spiral coil supporting the concave edge of the pages being bound into book 50. Edge 56, adjacent to binding holes 55, is formed into a concave shape of the proper diameter. In FIG. 4B, a length of a convex page support member, such as a rigid tubing 60 having at least a portion of its outer surface being convex, is used instead. Convex support member 60 is not narrow enough in its respective total length to fit between respective loops of the first plastic spiral coil supporting the concave edge of the pages being bound into book 50. In FIG. 4C, an extruded profile 62 as shown in crossection FIG. 4D shows convex surface 62 which is used to form concave shape 56 along the binding edge. Convex surface 62 is not narrow enough in its respective total length to fit between respective loops of the first plastic spiral coil supporting the concave edge of the pages being bound into book 50. Note that centering ridges 63 should be present to center clamping rod 17.
FIG. 5 shows binding machine 1 with cutter/crimpers 22 and 21 in place and book forming carriage bar 67 spaced out of the way for coil insertion. Note clamp leaf springs 48 with knobs 49 used to retain clamping rod 17. Rod 17 is clamping spiral 57 which had been used during the prior book forming phase.
FIG. 6 is a side view detail of cutter/crimper 22 engaging binding spiral 68 which has emerged from binding holes 55 in book 50 at the left side. Cutter/crimper 22 has a rotatable round shaft 71 with conical top 70 having a transverse slot engaging spiral 68. Housing 73 also holds stationary knife blade 74. Rotary actuator 75 rotates shaft 71.
FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of cutter/crimpers 22 at FIGS. 7A and 21 at FIG. 7B. They both turn in the same direction (counterclockwise) to cut and bend in the proper direction. In this view, slots 78 are positioned at the starting pitch angle. Note the opposite placement of stationary knife blades 74 and coil holders 79 in FIGS. 7A and 7B. This insures that the free end of the spiral at each end is bent inward toward the center of the book.
An alternate embodiment of cutter/crimper is shown in FIGS. 8-10. In FIG. 8, cutter/crimper 90 is shown with chassis block 91, pivoting arm 93, cutter 97, crimping bar 99, and anvil 92 which is fixed and attached to block 91. In operation, short-stroke pneumatic actuator 110 operated by flexible compressed air hoses 111, moves arm 93 from the open position shown in direction 94 toward anvil 92 so that in the closed position the inside surface of cutter 97 will be along side distal edge 96 of anvil 92 while the leading edge of crimper bar 99 will be within the concave recess 98.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show side and top detail views respectively of the placement of binding coil 68 within the space between arm 93 and anvil 92 prior to cutting and crimping. Note that the features which engage coil 68 are small, but they can accommodate a wide range of crossectional diameters of plastic coil material. The proper positioning shows that pivoting arm 93 must be placed toward the book portion of coil 68 to provide the proper inward bend of the cut end. Note that the cutting blade 97 is longer in the stroke direction than crimping bar 99. As shown in FIG. 10, cutter 97 will shear coil 68 at point 115 between cutter 97 and anvil edge 96; this is basically scissor type action. A little later in the same stroke period, the edge of crimper 99 will force the coil loop near the just cut end at point 116 into cavity 98 thereby crimping it into the configuration shown below in the same figure.
In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.
Patent Application
20080095596
