GB2084928A - Apparatus for applying a backing strip to the edge of a book - Google Patents

Abstract

A book binding machine for use in securing a backing strip (7) to the bound edge of e.g. a cheque book (6) comprises a first member (3) having rigid base (4) and an elastomeric facing pad (5) against which the book (6) having the backing strip (7) lightly adhered to it is pushed. The first member (3) moves against the bias of a spring (6) until a microswitch (8) is triggered thereby energising a motor to rotate a cam (18). The cam drives a rear carriage (12) to the left against the bias of a spring (13) to rotate upper and lower jaw members (9, 10) towards each other to bring rubber facing pads (15) of the jaw members into firm engagement with the front and back faces of the book. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for applying a backing strip to the edge of a book This invention relates to apparatus for securing a backing strip to the edge of a book.

When documents are secured together into a book by means of staples or adhesive it is frequently desirable to apply a backing strip to the secured edge of the book. Such backing strip not only improves the appearance of the finished book, but can strengthen the book.

Also, the backing strip acts as a security device to deter interference with the documents making up the book. For example, if the book in question is a cheque book, comprising a plurality of cheques and a front and rear cover all stapled together and the backing strip is applied to cover the staples on both the front and rear covers of the book, the staples cannot be removed without disturbing the backing strip. Any such disturbance of the backing strip will in general be visible. Accordingly, the presence of the backing strip renders the make-up of the cheque book substantially tamper-proof.

Backing strips also improve the appearance of the book in question by covering the exposed rear edges of the pages of the book, and covering the staples or stitching securing the pages together.

It will be appreciated that the term "book" as used in the specification is to be construed broadly as covering any assembly of pages secured together along an edge.

The production of a cheque book having a neat appearance is complicated by the fact that apart from the initial printing of the basic cheque forms, over-printing with the details of a particular account holder is necessary before the cheque book is given to the account holder. Such over-printing is in general carried out before the individual cheques of the book are bound together. Over-printing is often carried out at the customer's own branch of his bank, or at a local centre, and accordingly the over-printing and subsequent binding of the cheques is carried out on a relatively small scale, and this does not admit to the use of large and expensive automatic printing and binding machinery. The small scale upon which printing and binding is carried out makes it particularly difficult to achieve a neat appearance to the finished bound book of cheques.This is particularly so with the application of the backing strip to the cheque book since this process is often carried out by hand which can result in the backing strip being applied out of alignment with the bound edge of the cheque book, and/or out of register with the top and bottom edges of the cheque book. Further, the application of sufficient pressure to secure the binding strip in place sufficiently firmly to provide a neat appearance and an effective tamper-proof seal is extremely difficult.

According to one feature of the present invention there is provided apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book, the apparatus comprising: carrier; a first member mounted on the carrier for movement between a first, advanced position and a second, retracted position, the first member being biased into the first position and including a substantially flat edge which is engageable by the edge of a book so that by pushing the edge of the book against the flat edge the first member is moved against the bias from the first to the second position; a second member and a third member rotatably mounted on the carrier; and means responsive to the first member being pushed into the second position by the edge of a book to rotate the second and third members towards each other to bring substantially flat book engaging surfaces of the second and third members into firm engagement with the front and back surfaces respectively of a book adjacent the said edge thereof.

Using an embodiment of the present invention, a book, for example a cheque book, is bound by suitable means, e.g. adhesive or staples, and then a backing strip is applied to the bound edge of the book. The bound edge of the book is pushed against the first member with the backing strip intervening between the edges of the pages and the flat edge of the first member. By pushing the book in the direction of the plane of the book the first member is moved to its second position and the second and third members are rotated to bend the backing strip over on to the front and rear covers of the book and to apply firm pressure to the backing strip in this region in order to secure a firm and neat result.

Preferably, means are provided for enhancing the force applied to the edge of the book by the biasing means associated with the first member at approximately the moment when the second and third members close around the front and rear covers of the book. The provision of such means ensures that in addition to the backing strip being firmly adhered to the front and back covers of the book the backing strip is firmly adhered to the edge of the book.

Preferably, an automatic backing strip dispensing apparatus is associated with the apparatus of the present invention to produce a composite book binding machine. With such a machine, the bound edge of a book is presented through a guide slot and a backing strip is automatically applied to the edge of the book. The backing strip is preferably selfadhesive. As the book advances further the edge of the book contacts the first member of the apparatus according to the invention and binding proceeds as described above.

The above and further features and advan tages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective schematic view of the jaw unit of an embodiment of apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along line Il-Il of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 illustrates the closing of the jaw unit about the edge of a book.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2 the jaw unit 1 illustrated is designed to secure a backing strip to a cheque book. By modifying the various parameters associated with the jaw unit it can, of course, be used to apply backing strips to documents of different widths and different thicknesses from a standard cheque book.

The jaw unit 1 includes a carrier 2 which, in use, is fixed to a machine frame. A first member 3 is slidably mounted in a groove in the carrier 2 and comprises a metal plate 4 and a rubber facing pad 5 the function of which is described in more detail hereinafter.

A leaf spring 6 biases the first member 3 into its first, advanced position as illustrated in the drawings. By locating the edge of a book 6 to which a self-adhesive strip has been lightly applied in contact with the rubber facing pad 5 and pushing, the first member 3 may be moved from the first position illustrated against the bias of leaf spring 6 into a second, retracted position. When the first member reaches its retracted position it triggers a micro-switch 8 to initiate the next stage in the binding operation.

It will be appreciated that because of the bias forced applied to the first member 3 by the leaf spring 6, pressing the edge of a book against the rubber facing pad 5 will cause a smooth and even pressure to be applied by the backing pad to the strip 7. This assists in adhering the strip or label 7 to the edge of the book.

Second and third members in the form of an upper jaw assembly 9 and a lower jaw assembly 10 are rotatingly mounted on the carrier 2 and are connected by links 11 to a rear carriage 1 2. One or more springs 1 3 bias the rear carriage 1 2 towards the right as viewed in Fig. 2 so that the upper and lower jaw assemblies 8, 9 are biased into the respective positions illustrated. Each jaw assembly 9, 10 includes a metal body 14 to which is secured a rubber facing pad 1 5. The operative faces 1 6 of the facing pads 1 5 are symmetrically disposed above and below the first member 3 and are generally planar.As can best be seen from Fig. 2, as the book 6 is pushed against the facing pad 5 to move the first member 3, the faces 1 6 engage the label 7 to bend the label around the leading edge of the book 6.

When the micro-switch 8 is triggered as described above, a motor is operated to rotate a drive shaft 1 7 and with it a fixed cam 18.

The cam 1 8 engages a follower roller 1 9 mounted on the rear carriage 1 2 to drive the rear carriage to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 against the bias of spring 1 3. This causes rotation of the upper and lower jaw assemblies 9, 10 so that the faces 1 6 of the pads 1 5 move towards each other. At the full throw of the cam 18 the faces 1 6 are firmly in engagement with the backing strip 7 in the region of the book adjacent the leading edge thereof. This configuration is illustrated in Fig.

3, and in this position the pads 1 5 are compressed. The hardness of the rubber from which the pads are made is chosen such that a firm force is applied to the backing strip 7 to ensure secure and even adhesion of the backing strip to the front and rear covers of the book 6.

As the carriage 1 2 approaches its fully advanced position, i.e. its extreme left-most position as viewed in Fig. 2, it engages the first member 3 to drive the first member to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. Since in this extreme position of the carriage 1 2 the jaws 9, 10 are firmly gripping the book the movement of the first member 3 to the left compresses the rubber facing pad 5 to apply a substantial pressure to the edge of the book being bound to secure the backing strip firmly in position to the rear edge of the book.

Continued rotation of the cam 18 allows the carriage 1 2 to be returned to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 under the influence of spring 1 3. The approach of a complete revolution of the cam 1 8 is detected by a microswitch 20 which de-energises the drive motor to complete the binding cycle.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the rubber facing pads 5 and 1 5 ensures that a smooth firm pressure can be applied to the backing strip in order to achieve the desired firm adhesion on the backing strip to the front and rear covers of the cheque book and to the cut edges of the cheques. This leads to a neat appearance and by ensuring secure adhesion of the backing strip to the front and rear covers provides a tamper-proof seal to the staples 21 securing the leaves of the book 6 together.

It will be appreciated that by varying the parameters of the structure described books having wide range of length and thickness can be bound.

Preferably, the apparatus described above is associated with an automatic label dispenser unit so that, after stapling of the pages of the cheque book together the cheque book is advanced along a guide towards the pad 5, and whilst being advanced the backing strip or label 7 is automatically applied to the leading edge of the book.

Claims (7)

1. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book, the apparatus comprising: a carrier; a first member mounted on the carrier for movement between a first, advanced position and a second, retracted position, the first member being biased into the first position and including a substantially flat edge which is engageable by the edge of a book so that by pushing the edge of the book against the flat edge the first member is moved against the bias from the first to the second position a second member and a third member rotatably mounted on the carrier; and means responsive to the first member being pushed into the second position by the edge of a book to rotate the second and third members towards each other to bring substantially flat book engaging surfaces of the second and third members into firm engagement with the front and back surfaces respectively of a book adjacent the said edge thereof.

2. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book according to claim 1 wherein the first member comprises a rigid base to which is secured an elastomeric pad, the substantially flat edge of the first member being formed by the surface of the elastomeric pad.

3. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the second and third members each comprise a rigid base and an elastomeric pad, the substantially flat book engaging surfaces of the second and third members being formed by the surfaces of respective elastomeric pads.

4. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book according to any preceding claim including means for increasing the pressure with which the first member engages the edge of the book after the second and third members engage the front and back surfaces of the book.

5. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book according to claim 4 wherein the second and third members are connected by rigid links to a rear carriage which is biased in the direction tending to maintain the second and third members spaced apart, and wherein the means responsive to the first member being pushed into the second position comprises a motor driven cam which engages the rear carriage to move it against the bias in the direction tending to rotate the second and third members towards each other.

6. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book according to claim 5 wherein as the cam approaches full throw a portion of the rear carriage engages the first member to move the first member towards the edge of the book and thereby increase the pressure with which the first member engages the edge of the book.

7. Apparatus for securing a backing strip to the bound edge of a book, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.