GB1431286A - Sheet binding - Google Patents

Abstract

1431286 Bookbinding XEROX CORP 10 Aug 1973 [25 Aug 1972 19 Oct 1972] 37965/73 Heading B6A [Also in Division G2] Sheets 12 are bound together using fusible xerographic toner material 16, i.e. toner material of the kind which becomes tacky when heat, solvent vapour and/or pressure is applied thereto. Preferably the toner is applied along an edge stripe, a corner or several areas of each copy sheet 12 at the same time as toner is applied elsewhere on the sheet to produce a required image in a xerographic copying process. This may be effected by forming additional electrostatic image, corresponding to the desired binding area, on the charged drum, e.g. by placing the original 24 in a transparent jacket 38 having an opaque stripe 36 made up of closely spaced lines, dots or cross hatching before imaging, or by placing a mask 40 in the optical path between the original and the charged drum, or by applying a voltage to an additional corotron 44 which charges an edge of the drum, or by printing an opaque area on each original to be imaged. Alternatively, the copy sheets 12 may be pre-printed with toner in the desired binding areas. The copy sheets may be collected into a stack to which heat, solvent vapour and/or pressure is applied to refuse the fusible toner and effect binding, e.g. by heated platens 46, 48. Alternatively, the toner in the binding areas may be kept warm, e.g. by a shield 50 after passing through the usual image fusing station 30, so that sheets may be bound together sequentially as they are placed one on top of the next. In the case where the original is a microfilm or the like a light source rather than a mask is used to produce an additional electrostatic image. Staples may supplement the binding effect of the toner.