US3756627A

US3756627A - Book-like product and method for opening and stuffing same with an insert

Info

Publication number: US3756627A
Application number: US00213626A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Reist
Original assignee: Ferag AG
Current assignee: Ferag AG; Ferag Fehr and Reist AG
Priority date: 1971-01-12
Filing date: 1971-12-29
Publication date: 1973-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-04
Also published as: GB1327155A; DE2162731A1; CH534588A; IT946508B; FR2127552A5

Abstract

A book-like product composed of flexible sheets, with given ones of the sheets having indexing means at predetermined index locations of the product for reducing the friction between each two sheets bounding a respective index locations. The indexing means reduces the friction at a zone of the surface of the relevant sheet, and each such reduced friction zone is arranged to be at least partially free of overlapping with regard to the remaining reduced friction zones. There is also disclosed a method of opening such book-like products wherein the product is engaged at the region of one of the reduced friction zones, the sheets of the product are displaced relative to one another at the relevant index location, thereby opening the product at such index location, thereafter an insert is introduced into such index location, and then such operations are repeated at a different reduced friction zone of the product.

Description

United States Patent [191 Reist Sept. 4, 1973 BOOK-LIKE PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR OPENING AND STUFFING SAME WITH AN INSERT [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Ferag, Fehr & Reist AG, Hinwil,

Switzerland 221 Filed: Dec.29, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 213,626

Walter Reist, Hinwil, Switzerland [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 12, 1971 Switzerland 420/71 52 us. Cl. 283/38, 283/42 51 Int. Cl I. B42f 21/00 [58] Field of Search 283/36-43, 35; 270/55, 57 i [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,903,277 9/1959 McCoy 283/39 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Italy 283/42 Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Attorney-Paul M. Craig, Jr. et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A book-like product composed of flexible sheets, with given ones of the sheets having indexing means at predetermined index locations of the product for reducing the friction between each two sheets bounding a respective index locations. The indexing means reduces,

the friction at a zone of the surface of the relevant sheet, and each such reduced friction zone is arranged to be at least partially free of overlapping with regard to the remaining reduced friction zones.

There is also disclosed a method of opening such book-like products wherein the product is engaged at the region of one of the reduced friction zones, the sheets of the product are displaced relative to one another at the relevant index location, thereby opening the product at such index location, thereafter an insert is introduced into such index location, and then such operations are repeated at a different reduced friction zone of the product.

16 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 4 ms SHEET 1 BF 2 6 a w r a a w BOOK-LIKE PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR OPENING AND STUFFING SAME WITH AN INSERT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of book-like product having flexible sheets and equipped with so-called index locations for facilitating opening of the product to such index locations and at which the friction between both sheets bounding each such respective index location is reduced. Additionally, the present invention relates to an improved method of opening such novel constructed book-like products and if desired stuffing same with an insert.

The terms index location as used in the context of this disclosure is intended to convey a location or point at the book-like product to which same can be conveniently opened. The term book-like product is employed herein in its broadest sense and encompasses by way of example books, magazines, periodicals, pamphlets, newspapers, sample books as used by salesmen, and is not strictly limited to products having paper sheets.

One such book-like product has at least been inferentially disclosed in Swiss Pat. No. 458,408. This patent relates to an apparatus for opening a multiple-sheet paper product at a predetermined location of reduced friction and for introducing an insert into the opened paper product.

It is here further to be mentioned that belonging to such book-like products, although not exclusive thereof, are in particular paper products. The invention can be realized also for instance at sample books having sheets of fabric, plastic or'other flexible materials different than paper; in brief then, at all book-like products where there should be provided preferred index locations i.e. points to which the book-like products may be quickly and conveniently opened.

The prior art is also familiar with printed products, for instance paper-bound, stitched or bonded printed materials wherein the preferred index locations are visibly marked by means of a so-called manually grippable index. Such manually grippable index, for instance, can be formed by tabs or flaps which protrude past the cut or fore edges of the sheets of the printed material and are adhesively bonded to the sheet bordering the desired index location within the printed work. By means of such tabs it is possible with one manual operation to quickly open the printed work to each desired index location. However, such indexing tabs are either readily susceptible to damage, or oftentimes are unintentionally torn away if they are relatively stiff in comparison with the paper of the printed material or work. Another type of manually grippable index device consists of cutouts or notches which are cut-out at the cut edges of all of the sheets of the products up to the location of the sheet bordering the index location within the work. Such manually grippable index is, however, expensive to produce, in particular disfigures the rectangular shape of the first sheet of the product, the cut or cutting edge of which, particularly if there are to be provided a number of such index locations, so to speak assumes a serrated or cut-up appearance.

Notwithstanding these drawbacks the so--called manually grippable index has fulfilled a widespread need,

especially when used with voluminus text books, reference books, directories, catalogues and the like, where in order to open the printed work to a certain location or point the cumbersome task of leafing through the sheets of the work should be reduced to a minimum.

Another known technique for visibly marking the index locations of a printed work resorts to coloring a section of the cut edge of the sheet neighboring the relevant index location, so that when the printed product is closed this sheet appears in the form of a thin line at the fore or cut edge of the product. This technique of rendering visible the desired index locations of a work is, however, only suitable for such printed products where the cut edges of the sheet are practically located in a single plane, that is to say, for such works where the sheets are cut following binding or stitching. Additionally, it is not very convenient to use such manually grippable index since in only a few cases is it possible to readily open the work with a single manual manipulation to the desired index location.

The foregoing observations just about cover that which is intended to be expressed with regard to the 'prior art grippable indexes that is, those preferred index locations of the work which are visibly marked.

The printed product incidentally disclosed to the art by virtue of the previously mentioned Swiss patent possesses a preferred index location and is not of itself readily suitable for opening to different index locations or positions in order to be able to introduce an insert or the like at each such location, something which is oftentimes extremely desirable, especially in the case of newspapers and catalogues.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, from what has been stated above it should be apparent that the prior art is still in need of printed products equipped with indexing means for quickly and easily opening such products to desired index locations. Hence it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a printed product having novel indexing means avoiding the previously discussed drawbacks and limitations of the prior art constructions. 1

Another and more specific object of the present invention relates to a printed product equipped with new and improved indexing means for easily and reliably opening the product to any one of a number of desired index locations.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a book-like product which, on the one hand, according to a preferred constructional manifestation is equipped with visibly marked index locations" in order to pre' vent the drawbacks of the previously known grippable indexes and which, on the other hand, according to a modified inventive embodiment wherein the index locations are not of necessity visibly marked renders possible automatic insertion of inserts at a number of different preferred index locations, and indeed for instance when using one .or a number of apparatuses, for instance of the type taught in Swiss Pat. Nos. 458,408 and 461,547, whereby inboth cases there are disclosed techniques constituting improvements upon the procedures disclosed in Swiss Pat. No. 440,339 of US. Pat. No. 3,392,856.

Still a further significant object of the present invention relates to a novel method of opening book-like products and, if desired, inserting inserts or the like therein, such book-like-products having unique indexing means for conveniently opening such products to any one of a number of desired index locations.

Now, in order to implement these and still further objects of the present invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the proposed book-like product is manifested by the features that in each instance the friction is reduced at a zone of the surface of the appropriate sheets, and that each such reduced friction zone is arranged so that at least part thereof does not overlap any of the remaining reduced friction zones.

The inventive method of opening such book-like products comprises the steps of engaging the product at the region of one of the reduced friction zones, displacing the sheets of the product relative to one another at the relevant index location, thereby opening the product at the index location associated with such reduced friction zone, thereafter introducing an insert into such index location, and then repeating such operations at a different reduced friction zone of the product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forther above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a brochure with index locations for the brochure visibly marked at the cover sheet;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sheet bordering or bounding the index location which is marked at the cover sheet of FIG. 1 at the second location from the top, whereby there is shown in phantom lines the position of the friction-poor zones of the remaining index locations;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the use of the grippable index of the brochure illustratedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an embodiment of printed product having index locations which are not visibly marked and constituting a component of a socalled insert line for opening and possibly stuffing such products with an insert or the like;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of inventive book-like product similar to the showing of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 illustrates the use of the inventive embodiment book-like product wherein the individual sheets are indeed flexible yet however possess increased rigidity or stiffness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawings, it is to be assumed that the book-like product, i.e., for instance the brochure illustrated in FIG. 1 possesses more that 100 sheets or pages and is equipped with a flexible cover sheet 2. At the cover sheet 2 there are visibly marked five index locations, as shown. This marking is provided with an explanatory text 3, for instance the title of the brochure portion beginning at the relevant index location or, as illustrated, the notation second part, page 27. Furthermore, for each of the text portions 3 the marking is provided with a grippable zone 4. All of these grippable or manually operable zones 4 are distributively urranged along the fore or cut edge 6 of the brochure l situated opposite the spine 5 of such brochure.

In FIG. 2 the sheet of the brochure l at which page 27 is printed has been designated by reference character 7. This sheet 7 thusborders that index location of the brochure l which is marked at the cover sheet 2 at the second location from the top. In FIG. 2 there is also shown in phantom lines the position of all of the other grippable zones 4 which appear at the cover sheet 2 in a manner as if such were projected through the entire brochure 1.

At the region of the second grippable zone 4 from the top there is now provided at sheet 7 a zone 8 equipped with a preferably transparent slide or gliding sheet adhering to such sheet 7 or with a coated non-visible dry lubricant. This reduced friction zone 8 is indicated by the cross-hatched area. Suitable for use as the socalled slide or gliding sheet 8 are for instance a glossy lining or laminated coating or plastic foil piece, for instance formed of polyethylene. In the case of less permanent grippable indexes there are preferably suitable dry lubricants such as talcum, stearic acid anhydrides, soap, which can be applied, for instance sprayed upon the appropriate zones 8 during the printing operation.

Now as best illustrated in FIG. 3 for the purpose of actuating, i.e., manipulating this grippable index the brochure l is engaged at its fore or cut edge 6, for instance between the thumb and the index and middle fingers. In this connection, it should be observed that the thumb should be placed upon the grippable zone 4 associated with the desired index location of the work.

Now if the thumb carries out a movement in a manner as if itiwere intended to rub. the brochure 1 between the fingers, then, the brochure will open exactly at that location where the friction is reduced at the point of application of the force.

Of course, the grippable index can also be actuated or manipulated in a different fashion. What is important is that there is exerted upon the closed brochure l, at the region of the grippable zones 4 defining index marker means, a force which is directed approximately parallel to the brochure itself and approximately towards the spine 5 thereof, the point of force application being approximately at the region of the desired grippable zone 4.

In the event that the brochure 1 is provided with a flexurally stiff cover sheet, then, marking of the index locations is undertaken at one of the first flexible sheets.

The reduction of the friction is not locally limited to the cutting edges or fore edges 6 situated opposite the spine 5 of the printed material, rather can also be undertaken at the cutting edges merging with the spine 5, i.e., the cutting edges extending laterally towards the spine, for instance at the top and bottom of the sheets, as indicated for instance at

locations

6a and 6b.

The height of the reduced friction zones which are advantageously free of overlapping portions can, for instance, assume a dimension in a range of approximately 30 35 mm. With such dimension it is readily possible to mark approximately 8 10 index locations along the longer cutting edge 6 of a brochure having a size format known in Europe as DIN A4, approximately corresponding to letter size stationery in the US. If this is not sufficient then the remaining cut or cutting edges can be provided with a grippable index or a further similar grippable index for the remaining portion of the brochure can be provided at the last index location. In the latter situation the remaining portion of the brochure would be separated from the first portion of the brochure by a reinforcement sheet.

Turning now to the illustration of FIG. 5 such schematically depicts the use of an embodiment of inventive book-like product possessing index locations which are not visibly marked, the products being arranged at a so-called insert line of equipment of the type known in the art and suitable, for instance, for the stuffing of such paper products with one or more inserts. As a matter of convenience in illustration there have only been depicted for the insert line 21 four product opening stations 22. Insert stations, which here have not been particularly shown because in the context of this disclosure such are not really important for the understanding of the inventive concepts, are arranged between such product opening stations 22.

Now a conveyor band or belt 23 travels through all these stations, the conveyor band 23 being arranged in an approximately upright conveying plane. The conveyor band 23 can be driven stepwise or continuously, as desired. A chain 24 is also provided which runs synchronously with the conveyor band or belt 23, chain 24 carrying at regular spaced intervals suitable press or contact arms 25 serving the purpose of pressing one of the therewith associated products 9 against the surface of the conveyor band 23. As illustrated, the products 9 travel in an upright position through the insert line 21, the spine of each such book-like product being situated lowermost in the depicted arrangement.

In this instance the illustrated products 9 can be compared with those depicted in FIG. 2, with the difference that here the five zones 10, ll, 12, 13 and 14 which are poor in friction, i.e., the reduced friction zones, are not visibly marked, whereas in the embodiment of FIG. 2 the position of the friction-poor or reduced friction zones 8 at the cover sheet are visibly marked by means of the grippable or manually actuatable fields 4. In this regard attention is again invited to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Since with the embodiment of FIG. 5 the preferred index locations at the products only serve for the mechanical insertion of inserts into such index locations, it is not at all necessary that these index locations be visibly marked. However, if such index locations are to be used both for the mechanical insertion of the insert and later on also as an index location for opening the product conveniently to a desired location or point thereof, then nothing would prelude providing visible markings at least for those index locations which later are to be visibly discernible.

Continuing, it should be appreciated that at the illustrated product opening stations 22 there are provided further stationarily arranged contact or press arms 15 which can be moved back and forth in the direction of the arrows 18. These press arms 15 are controlled in such a manner that they press upon the flat side'of the associated product 9. Actuation of these press arms 15 can be undertaken in any suitable fashion, for instance by means of a cylinder-piston drive or other appropriate drive means accommodated to the drive of the conveyor band 23 and the press arms 25 in such a'manner that at the first opening station 22 appearing at the left of the showing of FIG. 5 the press arm 15 always acts upon a predetermined one of the friction-poor zones to 14, for instance at the zone 10, the press arm of the second opening station 22, viewed from the left of FIG. 5, for instance acting upon a further friction-poor zone, for example the zone 11, the third press arm 15 upon the friction-poor zone 12, and so forth. In other words, the product opening stations 22 are designed such and the drive mechanisms of the conveyor band 23 and the press arms 25 and 15 are accommodated to one another such that at each one of the opening stations only one index location is acted upon, that is to say, the product is always opened at any one given station at only one predetermined index location or position.

Now in FIG. 6 there is schematically illustrated a further embodiment of inventive book-like product. It will be seen that at the cutting or cut edge 30 opposite the spine 5 of the product there are provided elongate friction-poor or reduced friction zones 19 which neighbor such cut edge, these friction-poor zones 19 extending obliquely with regard to the associated cut edge. It should be understood that the force which is to be applied to the product in this case is also preferably directed in the same direction as extend the friction-poor zones 19. This has been schematically indicated by the arrow 18 in FIG. 6.

The invention can also be applied to products which are indeed flexible, however possess sheets which are stiff to a certain degree. Such sheets can be designated as self-supporting" which in effect means that they, when horizontally held or clamped at one edge, and without any further force being applied only bend through to a slight extend owing to their inherent weight. In the case of paper of the standard A4 size previously mentioned, that is, corresponding approximately to letter size stationery in the United States, these sheets have a weight of approximately 100 200 g/m. On the other hand, whereas paper with a lesser weight than approximately g/m is usually referred to as completely flexible, sheets with the heavier weight are indeed completely still bendable, but approach the characteristics of self-supporting. In the event there is present a product formed of such sheets then it is advantageous to bend through the entire product before the force is brought into play at the region of the friction-poor zones. In this way the inherent stiffness or rigidity of the sheets, which opposes the bending out or bulging thereof, is broken.

This has been schematically depicted in FIG. 7 where with reference character 5 there is designated the spine of the product, reference character 4 designating the grippable zones, reference character 19 the frictionpoor or reduced friction zones and reference character 18 the direction of the force which is to be applied to the product in order to open same to a desired index position. As shown in FIG. 7 it is sufficient to bend the product about a bending axis which extends transverse to the spine 5, as indicated by the right-hand portion of FIG. 7, or to bend such about a bending axis extending parallel to the spine 5, as indicated by the left-hand portion of FIG. 7, in order to achieve faultless functioning of the grippable index with minimum application of force.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that theinvention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A book-like product composed of flexible sheets and containing predetermined index locations, indexing means provided for given ones of said sheets at said predetermined index locations for reducing the friction between each two sheets bounding a respective index location, said indexing means reducing the friction at a zone of the surface of the relevant sheet, said reduced friction zone being arranged to be at least partially free of portions which overlap the remaining reduced friction zones.

2. The product as defined in claim 1, further including marker means for visibly portraying at least apart of these reduced friction zones at another sheet.

3. The product as defined in claim 2, wherein said marker means for visibly portraying at least part of the reduced friction zones are provided at a cover sheet of the product.

4. The product as defined in claim 1, wherein said indexing means forming said reduced friction zones bounds at least one cut edge of the product.

5. The product as defined in claim 2, wherein said visibly portrayed zones bound at least one cut edge of the product.

6. The product as defined in claim 1, wherein said indexing means forming said reduced friction zones incorporates a dry lubricant.

7. The product as defined in claim 1, wherein said indexing means forming said reduced friction zones comprises a glossy material.

8. The product as defined in claim 1, wherein said indexing means forming said reduced friction zones comprises a plastic material.

9. The product as defined in claim 2, wherein said indexing means forming said visibly portrayed zones bound at least a cut edge of the product, and wherein said visibly portrayed zones are coated with a material.

10. The product as defined in claim 9, wherein said coating material is a glossy material.

11. The product as defined in claim 9, wherein said coating material is a plastic.

12. The product as defined in claim 1, wherein said indexing means forming said reduced friction zones comprises both a dry lubricant and a coating material.

13. The product as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating material comprises a glossy material.

14. The product as defined in claim 12, wherein said coating material comprises a plastic.

15. The product as defined in claim 1, wherein said indexing means forming said reduced friction zones bounds at least one cut edge of the product, and wherein said reduced friction zones possess an elongate configuration and extend obliquely with respect to said cut edge of said product.

16. A method of opening book-like products of the type provided with means for reducing the friction between each two neighboring sheets defining a respective index location to which the product is to be opened, said means reducing the friction being provided at a zone of the surface of the relevant sheet of an index location, there being provided as many such zones as there are index locations of the product, the improvement comprising the steps of: engaging the product at the region of one of the reduced friction zones, displacing the sheets of the product relative to one another at the region of the relevant index location, thereby opening the product at such index location associated with said one reduced friction zone, thereafter introducing an insert into such index location, and then repeating such operations at a different reduced friction zone of the product.

Claims

1. A book-like product composed of flexible sheets and containing predetermined index locations, indexing means provided for given ones of said sheets at said predetermined index locations for reducing the friction between each two sheets bounding a respective index location, said indexing means reducing the friction at a zone of the surface of the relevant sheet, said reduced friction zone being arranged to be at least partially free of portions which overlap the remaining reduced friction zones.

2. The product as defined in claim 1, further including marker means for visibly portraying at least a part of these reduced friction zones at another sheet.