GB2050249A

GB2050249A - Security binding

Info

Publication number: GB2050249A
Application number: GB8011067A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BEMROSE UK Ltd
Current assignee: BEMROSE UK Ltd
Priority date: 1979-05-29
Filing date: 1980-04-02
Publication date: 1981-01-07
Also published as: GB2050249B

Abstract

A method of binding a book in such a way that pages cannot be subsequently removed without destroying the page or the book comprises providing corresponding perforations in a bundle of leaves forming the contents of the book at the fold in the leaves, arranging a cover with at least a thermoplastics material spine on the bundle with the spine in registry with the perforations, arranging a thermoplastics material strip in registry with the perforations on the side of the bundle remote from the cover, heating the thermoplastics material such that it melts and flows into the perforations, and allowing the thermoplastics material to cool whereby the material of the cover and strip fuse together to bind the leaves, cover and strip permanently together. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for book binding The present invention concerns an improved method of binding books, booklets, pamphlets and the like, hereinafter referred to as books, and books when bound by such methods.

In this specification the term binding is used to refer to any method of fixing together the leaves and cover of a book.

Numerous methods of binding are presently employed but few provide a finished product where it is virtually impossible to remove or replace a leaf without this removal or replacement being apparent. Such a facility is extremely important for example in bank pass books and passport books.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of binding a book comprising providing one or more perforations through each leaf of the book, forming a bundle of leaves with the or each perforation thereof in registry, arranging a cover at least partially formed from a thermoplastics material on one side of the bundle with the thermoplastics part in registry with the perforations, arranging a thermoplastics material strip on the other side of the bundle in the vicinity of the perforations causing the thermoplastics material of the cover and/or the strip to melt such that they or it penetrates the perforations and fuse together, and thereafter allowing the thermoplastics material to harden whereby the leaves and cover are permanently bound together.

Preferably the thermoplastics material is melted by a high frequency or ultrasonic welding technique.

Preferably the leaves are double leaves and the perforation comprises a series of circular holes arranged along the transverse centre line thereof. At least one of the leaves may comprise a base card and a transparent layer on top of and inseparably adhering to the base card. A photographic layer may be interposed between the base card and the transparent layer. The base card is preferably continuous and contains specific marking extending over the photographic layer. Both sides of the base card may comprise a photographic layer and a transparent layer inseparably adhering to the photographic layer. The base card may comprise a sheet of plastics material and the transparent coating may be a plastics material. The cover may be formed entirely from thermoplastics material and during the said welding of its spine may also have further parts thereof welded.During welding an embossed or recessed pattern may be formed on the outer face of the spine.

Further, during the welding operation the leaves are preferably supported on a first electrically conducting bar member provided with a longitudinally extending groove for locating and supporting said strip and the cover is supported by a plate member having an aperture into which said bar member projects such that the outer leaf of the bundle at least in the area of its perforations is held in contact with the spine of the cover and a second electrically conducting bar member adapted, in use, for contact with the spine of the cover, the arrangement being such that high frequency current can be supplied to said bar members to effect said welding.

Preferably the first bar member is formed from at least three plates with the outer plates being arranged with their top edges above the inner plate to define said groove, at least one of the outer plates being provided with a serrated upper edge with the peaks of the serrations corresponding to the perforations through the leaves.

The present invention provides also a book when manufactured by the method as set out in any one of the preceding five paragraphs.

Further according to the present invention there is provided apparatus for binding books comprising a first bar member adapted to support a thermoplastics strip and a bundle of perforated leaves to be bound, a table for supporting the book cover and including an aperture into which said bar member penetrates with the edge of the bar lying substantially in the plane of the table and a second bar member arranged above said table and corresponding positionally with the first bar member, said bar members being electrically conducting whereby when an electrical current is supplied thereto the thermoplastics material of the cover and strip are caused to melt to fuse the two together.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a crosssection through a book; Figure 2 shows a schematic drawing of an apparatus for binding a book, again in crosssection; and Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a lower welding bar of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

A book is prepared for binding by forming a bundle of double leaves such that the similar line of perforation 1 2 along the transverse centre line of each double leaf are in complete registry and straddle the lower bar 1 4 of a high frequency welding apparatus shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2. As can be seen more clearly from Fig. 3 the lower bar 14 comprises three brass plates 16, 1 8 and 20 clamped together with the upper edge of the central plate 1 8 arranged slightly below the upper edges of the outer plates 1 6 and 20.

The upper edge of plate 20 is serrated with the crests of the serrations spaced apart by distances equal to the distances between the perforations in the leaves so that the serrations assist in the location of the bundle of leaves 10 on the bar 1 4. The groove defined by the upper edge of central plate 1 8 and the facing inside faces of outer plates 1 6 and 20 is intended to accommodate a strip of thermo plastics material indicated in the drawings by reference numeral 22. Holding means (not shown) may be provided to ensure the correct location of the strip 22 in the groove.

A table member 24 having a central elongate aperture 26 is hinged to side members 28 which are supported on a base 30 on which the lower bar 14 is also supported. It will be appreciated that when the table 24 is moved to its lowered position, as shown in Fig. 2, the bundle of leaves 10 on the lower bar 14 will be bent back over the bar and firmly held in position.

Cover 32 of the book is manufactured from a thermoplastics material and is placed on the table 24 with its spine in registry with the lower bar 14 and a top bar 36 of a length similar to the lower bar 14 is lowered into position above the table. Conveniently the upper bar 36 has rear and side extensions 38, 40 which, in the lowered position, contact areas in the region of the periphery of the cover 32. By applying high frequency current to the upper and lower bars and table the thermoplastics material of the cover in the region of its spine and periphery is melted as is the thermoplastics material of the strip 22 and the molten thermoplastics material flows through the perforations to weld together the strip and cover.Fig. 1 shows that when the thermoplastics material is allowed to cool and harden the permanent binding of the bundle of leaves to the cover is achieved and that it is impossible to insert or replace leaves without damaging the strip or cover.

If the book is to be used as a passport it is desirable that it includes an identification section comprising a double leaf which would normally be inserted between the bundle of double leaves described above and the cover.

The leaf forming the identification section comprises a base card of paper or opaque plastics material which may have security markings formed integrally therewith, for example in the forms of water-marks or radioactive or fluorescent strips. Additional security markings may be printed on the outer surfaces of the card in a barytes intermediate layer and a photographic emulsion layer is inseparably attached to the intermediate layer, the photographic layer normally including a photographic reproduction of the passport holder and a text section including the normal written details of the passport holder. The photographic emulsion layer is coated by a transparent coating of a hardenable plastics material which is such that it cannot be removed by heating or solvent without destroying the underlying photographic layer.

It is possible to process the reverse side of the card in a manner similar to the side described above such that it also can contain information on the photographic layer. In this instance the outer layer would be of the same hardenable-transparent plastic material as that described above but if no information is to be carried on the rear of the card the layer can be opaque or patterned.

The leaf forming the identification section is perforated in the same manner as the leaves described above so that no modification to the binding operation described above is required to securely bind the identification section into the passport. The transparent coating may conveniently consist of a hardenable resin such as a epoxy resin in the hardened state. It is important that the base card, at least in those areas of the photographic emulsion layer containing information is continuous, that is it is not jointed.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example it is not necessary to provide a line of circular perforations, one or more elongate perforations along the spine would be sufficient although probably not as efficient. The entire cover need not be of a thermoplastics material, rather it is sufficient that the spine only is of thermoplastics material, alternatively an upper thermoplastics material strip could be arranged above a line of perforations in a card cover such that a strip binding was provided outside and inside the book. It is possible to provide recessed or embossed patterns on the top bar 36 to provide, for example an embossed message on the spine of the cover of the finished book. The high frequency welding technique described above could be replaced by any other suitable welding technique for example, an ultrasonic welding technique. In a further modification the plastics material of the base card and outer layer of the identification leaves may be chosen such that the molten plastics material of the strip 22 and/or the spine of the cover, during the welding operation is welded with the thermoplastics material of the card and outer layer. If no photographed details are required on the base card, the photographic layer may be ommitted. In an additional modification where the identification leaves are intended to form the centre of the book the strip 22 could be formed integrally therewith.

Claims

1; A method of binding a book comprising providing one or more perforations through each leaf of the book, forming a bundle of leaves with the or each perforation thereof in registry, arranging a cover at least partially formed from a thermoplastics material on one side of the bundle with the thermoplastics part in registry with the perforations, arranging a thermoplastics material strip on the other side of the bundle in the vicinity of the perforations causing the thermoplastics material of the cover and/or the strip to melt such that they or it penetrates the perforations and fuse together, and thereafter allowing the thermoplastics material to harden whereby the leaves and cover are permanently bound together.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the thermoplastics material is melted by a high frequency welding technique.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the thermoplastics material is melted by an ultrasonic welding technique.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the leaves are double leaves and the perforation comprises a series of circular holes arranged along the transverse centre line thereof.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which at least one of the leaves comprise a base card and a transparent layer on top of and inseparably adhering to the base card.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which a photographic layer is interposed between the base card and transparent layer, the photographic layer being secured to the base card and the transparent layer adhering inseparably to the photographic layer.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, in which the base card is continuous and contains specific marking extending over the photographic layer.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, in which both sides of the base card comprises a photographic layer and a transparent layer inseparably adhering to the photographic layer.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the base card comprises a sheet of plastics material and the transparent coating is a plastics material.

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, in which the cover is formed entirely from thermoplastics material

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which during the welding of the spine of the cover it has further parts thereof welded.

1 2. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which an embossed or recessed pattern is formed on the outer face of the spine during welding.

1 3. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which during the welding operation the leaves are supported on a first electrically conducting bar member provided with a longitudinally extending groove for locating and supporting said strip and the cover is supported by a plate member having an aperture into which said bar member projects such that the outer leaf of the bundle at least in the area of its perforations is held in contact with the spine of the cover and a second electrically conducting bar member adapted, in use, for contact with the spine of the cover, the arrangement being such that current can be supplied to said bar members to effect said welding.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, in which the first bar member is formed from at least three plates with the outer plates being arranged with their top edges above the inner plate to define said groove, at least one of the outer plates being provided with a serrated upper edge with the peaks of the serrations corresponding to the perforations through the leaves.

1 5. A book when manufactured by the method of any one of the preceding claims.

1 6. Apparatus for binding books comprising a first bar member adapted to support a thermoplastic strip and a bundle of perforated leaves to be bound, a table for supporting the book cover and including an aperture into which said bar member penetrates with the edge of the bar lying substantially in the plane of the table and a second bar member arranged above said table and corresponding positionally with the first bar member, said bar members being electrically conducting whereby when a electricai current is supplied thereto the thermoplastics material of the cover and strip are caused to melt to fuse the two together.

1 7. A method substantially as hereinbefore described.

1 8. A book substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Apparatus for binding books, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

20. Any novel subject matter or combination including novei subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.