Claims
- 1. A system of binding sheets into a bound text body, comprising:a multi-function sheet binder configured to heat a preformed solid hot melt adhesive to a melting temperature, form the melted adhesive by pressing the melted adhesive into a spine of a text body and folding down edges of the melted adhesive into contact with the text body, and actively cool the formed adhesive, wherein the multi-function sheet binder comprises a tool carrier having separate sides respectively supporting an adhesive heater tool, an adhesive former tool and an adhesive cooler tool, the tool carrier being rotatable about an axis so that the separate tools of the tool carrier respectively may be positioned to act upon a preformed solid hot melt adhesive disposed over the text body spine.
- 2. A system of binding sheets into a bound text body, comprising:a spot heater configured to heat one or more localized areas of a solid hot melt adhesive to a temperature sufficient to tack the hot melt adhesive to a text body spine without melting other areas of the hot melt adhesive; and a solid hot melt adhesive dispensing system incorporating the spot heater and configured to dispense a solid hot melt adhesive over the text body spine and to cut dispensed adhesive to width.
- 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the spot heater comprises an elongated clamp supporting one or more spaced apart heating elements.
- 4. A system of binding sheets into a bound text body, comprising:an adhesive former configured to sequentially press localized regions of a preformed heated solid hot melt adhesive into a spine of a text body at different respective times, wherein each localized region is pressed without simultaneously pressing other regions of the hot melt adhesive into the spine, the adhesive former comprises a pair of pinch rollers configured to sequentially fold down localized edge regions of the preformed solid hot melt adhesive into contact with the text body.
- 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the adhesive former comprises a compliant roller configured to press the localized region of the preformed heated solid hot melt adhesive into the text body spine.
- 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the adhesive former is configured to traverse the text body spine.
- 7. A method of binding sheets into a bound text body, comprising:advancing over a preformed solid hot melt adhesive disposed over a spine of a text body a multi-function sheet binder comprising a tool carrier having separate sides each respectively supporting one of an adhesive heater, an adhesive former and an adhesive cooler; heating the preformed solid hot melt adhesive to a melting temperature with the adhesive heater; forming the melted adhesive with the adhesive former by pressing the melted adhesive into the text body spine and folding down edges of the melted adhesive into contact with the text body; and cooling the formed adhesive with the adhesive cooler.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the preformed solid hot melt adhesive is heated, formed and cooled by rotating into position a respective side of the tool carrier.
- 9. The method of claim 7, wherein a localized region of the melted adhesive is formed and, subsequently, remaining regions of the melted adhesive are formed.
- 10. The method of claim 7, wherein, before the multi-function sheet binder is advanced over the solid hot melt adhesive:a solid hot melt adhesive is dispensed over a spine of a text body; one or more localized areas of the dispensed adhesive are heated to a temperature sufficient to tack the hot melt adhesive to the text body spine without melting other areas of the hot melt adhesive; and the tacked adhesive is cut to width.
- 11. A method of binding sheets into a bound text body, comprising:sequentially pressing localized regions of a preformed heated solid hot melt adhesive into a spine of a text body at different respective times, wherein each localized region is pressed without simultaneously pressing other regions of the hot melt adhesive into the spine; and sequentially folding down into contact with the text body localized edge regions of the preformed solid hot melt adhesive.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the localized region of the heated adhesive is formed to a centrally located region of the text body spine.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application relates to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/721,549 filed Nov. 24, 2000, by Robert L. Cobene et al., and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ATTACHING A COVER TO A TEXT BODY,” and to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/728,003 filed Dec. 1, 2000, by Robert L. Cobene et al., and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF INCREASING BINDING STRENGTH OF A BOUND TEXT BODY,” both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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