GB1559684A

GB1559684A - Blocks of sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB1559684A
Application number: GB2342/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: IRVIN BROS Ltd
Current assignee: IRVIN BROS Ltd
Priority date: 1976-01-21
Filing date: 1976-01-21
Publication date: 1980-01-23
Also published as: FR2338806A1; ATA26177A; DE2702476A1; IE45376B1; JPS52113825A; DE2702476C2; NL182548C; NL7700450A; IE45376L; NL182548B; AT356540B; ZA77314B; FR2338806B1

Description

(54) BLOCKS OF SHEET MATERIAL (7it) We, IRVIN BROS. (FLEET WORKS) LIMITED, a Company registered under the laws of England, of Denmark Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to blocks or pads or stacks of sheets of a material such as paper in which the sheets are stuck together to provide a coherent unit, and from which successive sheets can be detached one at a time. For convenience, such a unit will be referred to as a block of sheets of sheet material, or simply as a block.It is usual for the sheets to be stuck together on a flat side surface of the block defined by a straight edge of each sheet, this surface constituting a hinge or spine of the block. The term 'side surface' as used herein means any external surface of the block that is constituted by an edge of all of the sheets in the block. The sheets may be stuck together simply by a layer of an adhesive applied over all or most of the said side surface, or by a film or strip of a suitable sheet material which is stuck onto that surface.

It is sometimes desirable to provide visible matter on at least one side surface of the block Such visible matter may be decorative or may have a functional or utilitarian purpose. For example, it may be desirable to provide a block having on one or more of its side surfaces visible matter in the form of advertising material or the like. The visible matter can be applied to the side surfaces in various ways, for instance by a screen printing process as described in British patent specification No. 1320115 or by a transfer process as described in our British patent No. 1495440.

Whatever method of applying the visible matter is used, it is difficult to obtain the same visual effect on the side surface which constitutes the hinge or spine, where there is a coating of adhesive or an adherent strip, as on the other side surfaces which are constituted solely by the edges of the sheets. For instance, it may be necessary to modify the printing technique or the colours used on the hinge or spine surface if it is desired that this should look the same as the other printed side surfaces. Another problem can be that the ink acceptance and/or drying characteristics on the adhesive covered side surface may adversely affect the rate of production of the printed blocks.

According to the present invention a block of sheets of sheet material has a hole through the thickness of the block and a line or band of adhesive disposed on a portion of the wall of the hole to adhere the sheets together.

More than one hole may be present.

The hole may be punched or drilled through the thickness of the block at a position spaced from but adjacent a side surface of the block, and the line or band of adhesive applied to the wall of such hole throughout its depth. Preferably the line or band of adhesive is disposed on the portion of the wall furthest from the nearest side surface of the block. If the line or band of adhesive is disposed on the portion of the wall closest to the side surface of the block there may be tendency, when detaching a sheet, for the sheet to tear, leaving a small fragment of it still on the block between the hole and the adjacent side surface. By disposing the line or band of adhesive on the portion of the wall furthest from that side surface, it is usually found that the sheet can be detached cleanly, without tearing.

The adhesive, which may be a polyvinyl acetate (PVA) emulsion, a hot melt adhesive or a heat sensitive resin, may be applied to the wall of the hole in various ways. The following are two examples.

1. An applicator brush bearing e.g. PVA adhesive is plunged into the hole and withdrawn again, leaving at least one line or band of adhesive down the wall of the hole.

2. A tubular applicator having at least one lateral nozzle which squirts a fine jet of adhesive from the nozzle while the applicator is being plunged into and/or being withdrawn from the hole. By rotating the applicator through an appropriate angle at the end of its inward stroke, two lines or bands of adhesive can be applied to the wall by a single nozzle. The applicator may be heated for use with hot melt adhesives or heat sensitive resins. High frequency curing of the adhesive may be used.

The block may further be provided with a close fitting plug inserted in the hole. The adhesive may then be applied by insertion of the plug, e.g. a plastics cylindrical plug bearing a coating of adhesive, the plug remaining in the hole. In a block so formed, as the sheets of sheet material are used up the plug protrudes above the level of the top sheet. The plug may therefore be such as to permit easy removal of the protruding portion.

Thus the invention provides a block of which the side surfaces are all free of adhesive material. This greatly facilitates application of visible matter to any or all the side surfaces using the same technique, resulting in the same visual effects on all such surfaces and also helps to avoid manufacturing bottlenecks due e.g. to the above mentioned ink characteristics.

However, the invention is not only useful in the case of blocks which are to have visible matter applied to their side surfaces. It is also useful, for example, for blocks made of sheets such as circular discs which do not have a straight edge, which blocks do not have a flat side surface which could conveniently constitute a hinge or spine. Such blocks may or may not have visible matter applied to their side surfaces.

The hole or holes may also serve another purpose e.g. to facilitate filling of the sheets after they have been detached from the block, or to hold a pencil or other writing implement in an upright position in the block.

A block embodying the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawings, the Figure shows a cubic block 10 of stacked square sheets of paper 12. The block 10 is drilled or punched to provide a hole 14 extending through the thickness of the block 10. A hot melt adhesive has been applied to the inside walfof thë~}ioRe 14 in the form of a line or band thus adhering each sheet to its neighbours and holding the block together.

The block has visible matter exemplified by the word "Message" shown at 17 and the flashes 18 on its side surfaces 20 and 21, and also on the opposite side surfaces not visible in the drawing. The visible matter may be applied by any suitable method, e.g. by silk screen or transfer printing, and may be multicoloured.

The paper used for the block 10 may of course, be printed on its faces.

Application Nos. 33301/78 and 33302/78 (Serial Nos. 1559685 and 1559686) have been divided herefrom and relate respectively to a block of sheets of sheet material bearing applied visible matter on at least one side surface and having a hole through the thickness of the block, wherein an area of adhesive is disposed on the wall of the hole to adhere the sheets together, and to a method of making blocks of sheets of sheet material comprising drilling or punching a line of holes through a base block of such material between opposite edges thereof, applying an area of adhesive to the walls of a plurality of the said holes, and cutting through the thickness of the base block along the line of holes.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A block of sheets of sheet material having a hole through the thickness of the block and wherein a line or band of adhesive is disposed on a portion of the wall of the hole to adhere the sheets together.

2. A block as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the hole is spaced from but adjacent a side surface of the block.

3. A block as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the line or band of adhesive is disposed on the portion of the said wall furthest from the side surface of the block nearest the hole.

4. A block as claimed in any of the preceding Claims wherein the adhesive is a polyvinylacetate emulsion, a hot melt adhesive or a heat sensitive resin.

5. A block as claimed in any of the preceding Claims having a plug inserted in the hole.

6. A block as claimed in any of the preceding Claims which has visible matter applied to at least one side surface.

7. A block as claimed in Claim 6 which has visible matter applied to each side surface of the block

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. for use with hot melt adhesives or heat sensitive resins. High frequency curing of the adhesive may be used. The block may further be provided with a close fitting plug inserted in the hole. The adhesive may then be applied by insertion of the plug, e.g. a plastics cylindrical plug bearing a coating of adhesive, the plug remaining in the hole. In a block so formed, as the sheets of sheet material are used up the plug protrudes above the level of the top sheet. The plug may therefore be such as to permit easy removal of the protruding portion. Thus the invention provides a block of which the side surfaces are all free of adhesive material. This greatly facilitates application of visible matter to any or all the side surfaces using the same technique, resulting in the same visual effects on all such surfaces and also helps to avoid manufacturing bottlenecks due e.g. to the above mentioned ink characteristics. However, the invention is not only useful in the case of blocks which are to have visible matter applied to their side surfaces. It is also useful, for example, for blocks made of sheets such as circular discs which do not have a straight edge, which blocks do not have a flat side surface which could conveniently constitute a hinge or spine. Such blocks may or may not have visible matter applied to their side surfaces. The hole or holes may also serve another purpose e.g. to facilitate filling of the sheets after they have been detached from the block, or to hold a pencil or other writing implement in an upright position in the block. A block embodying the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing. Referring to the drawings, the Figure shows a cubic block 10 of stacked square sheets of paper 12. The block 10 is drilled or punched to provide a hole 14 extending through the thickness of the block 10. A hot melt adhesive has been applied to the inside walfof thë~}ioRe 14 in the form of a line or band thus adhering each sheet to its neighbours and holding the block together. The block has visible matter exemplified by the word "Message" shown at 17 and the flashes 18 on its side surfaces 20 and 21, and also on the opposite side surfaces not visible in the drawing. The visible matter may be applied by any suitable method, e.g. by silk screen or transfer printing, and may be multicoloured. The paper used for the block 10 may of course, be printed on its faces. Application Nos. 33301/78 and 33302/78 (Serial Nos. 1559685 and 1559686) have been divided herefrom and relate respectively to a block of sheets of sheet material bearing applied visible matter on at least one side surface and having a hole through the thickness of the block, wherein an area of adhesive is disposed on the wall of the hole to adhere the sheets together, and to a method of making blocks of sheets of sheet material comprising drilling or punching a line of holes through a base block of such material between opposite edges thereof, applying an area of adhesive to the walls of a plurality of the said holes, and cutting through the thickness of the base block along the line of holes. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A block of sheets of sheet material having a hole through the thickness of the block and wherein a line or band of adhesive is disposed on a portion of the wall of the hole to adhere the sheets together.