JPH0753550B2 - Saddle stitch binding method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a saddle stitch bookbinding method.

[Prior Art] A signature conveying means is composed of a thin endless belt like an endless roller chain, and a number of signature feeders are provided along the signature conveying means so that a signature is formed on a running endless belt. To open the stacks and place them one after another to perform collation, and to install a spine binding machine (hereinafter referred to as a stitcher) at the downstream end of this signature conveying means to perform saddle stitching, and then to perform cutting with a cutting machine. The saddle-stitching bookbinding device is widely used. In this bookbinding device, one bookbinding device is equipped with a predetermined number of signature feeders.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the number of signatures forming a book to be manufactured varies depending on the number of pages of the book, the number of pages of the signature, and the like. Therefore, when bookbinding is performed in a certain bookbinding apparatus, there may occur a case where the number of signatures and the number of signature feeders that are naturally required do not match. If the number of signatures is larger than the number of installed signature feeders, a certain number of signatures are collated in advance, temporary binding is performed, a large number of stapled signatures are stacked to form a stack, and the stack of the signatures is re-created. A complicated and time-consuming process of transporting and setting to the signature feeder of the bookbinding device to complete bookbinding is required, and quality defects such as incorrect collation are likely to occur. To avoid this, a large number of signature feeders should be provided in advance. However, if a large number of signature feeders are provided, the number of signatures will often be smaller than the number of signature feeders, in which case it will be expensive. The problem is that the signature feeder becomes idle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide a saddle stitch bookbinding method that enables bookbinding with a small number of signatures and a large number of signatures by effectively using a plurality of bookbinding devices.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a signature conveying means composed of a thin endless belt and a signature conveying means provided along the signature conveying means and opening the signature to form a belt-like body of the signature conveying means. At least two bookbinding devices having a plurality of signature feeders to be placed and a stitcher arranged downstream of the signature conveying means.
A table is provided, and signature delivery means is provided from the downstream of the stitcher of one bookbinding apparatus to one signature of the other bookbinding apparatus, and the binding is delivered by the stitcher of one bookbinding apparatus by this signature delivery means. The signatures are immediately fed to one signature feeder of the other bookbinding apparatus.

[Action]

As described above, according to the present invention, a signature that is bound and bound by one of the bookbinding devices is supplied to the signature feeder of the other binding device, and the binding is used to perform bookbinding. This enables bookbinding with a large number of signatures without increasing the number of signature feeders equipped in the bookbinding device. Further, in the case of bookbinding with a small number of signatures, by using each bookbinding device for different bookbinding, the signature feeder does not idle and is always used effectively.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a bookbinding apparatus for carrying out a bookbinding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1A and 1
B is a separate bookbinding device. Bookbinding equipment 1A and 1B
Are respectively provided along the signature conveying means 2A, 2B composed of a thin endless strip 9 called a gathering chain, and the signature conveying means 2A, 2B, and the signature 3 is opened by opening the signature conveying means. Multiple signature feeders 4A, 4B to be placed on a strip
And the stitchers 5A, 5B provided at the rear of the signature conveying means 2A, 2B, the cutting machines 6A, 6B for cutting the peripheral edges of the signatures saddle stitched by the stitchers 5A, 5B, and the cutting machines. It has stackers 7A and 7B for stacking signatures. Since the structure of each of these parts is the same as that of the conventional bookbinding apparatus, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

One end of the signature passing means 10 is connected to the signature conveying path 8 between the stitcher 5A and the cutting machine 6A of the one bookbinding apparatus 1A, and the other end of the signature passing means 10 is the other bookbinding apparatus. One of the 1B signature feeders 4B is connected to 4B ₁ .
The signature delivery means 10 receives the signature 3A bound by the stitcher 5A and sent through the signature transport path 8 from the signature transport path 8 and supplies it to the signature feeder 4B ₁ .
An example of this signature delivery means 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2, the signature conveying path 8 leading to the stitcher 5A in FIG. 1 has a pair of upper and lower belt conveyors 11 and 12 for conveying the bound signature 3A. The signature delivery means 10 is composed of a plurality of pairs of belt conveyors 13,14,15,16,17,18, etc. for transporting across the signatures, and the belt conveyors 13 and 14 at the tip thereof convey the signatures. It is connected to the left ends of the belt conveyors 11 and 12 on the path 8 and receives the signature 3A sent from the signature transport path 8. Belt conveyors 13 to 18 are arranged on many of the signature delivery means 10 so as to form appropriately curved passages for transporting the signatures to predetermined positions. When the signature delivery means 10 is not used, the belt conveyors 13 and 14 at the tip of the signature delivery means 10
Belt conveyors 11 and 12 after removal or transfer
By connecting a similar belt conveyor (not shown) on the extension of, the signature conveying path 8 reaching the cutting machine 6A of FIG. 1 is formed.

The end portions of the belt conveyors 17 and 18 of the signature delivery means 10 are third
As shown in the figure, it is located at the signature tray 20 of the signature feeder 4B ₁ , and therefore the transported signatures 3A can be stacked on the signature tray 20. The third
In the figure, 21 is a first drum, 22 is a lap cylinder, and 23 is an opening cylinder. These are signature feeders
4B ₁ is constituted, and the signature 3A of the signature tray 20 is pulled out part by part by rotating in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3, and the strip 9 of the signature conveying means 2B running below is opened. Has a function of supplying on.

4 and 5 show a modification of the signature delivery means 10. This signature delivery means 10 includes a large number of grippers 30.
The endless chain 31 includes a belt conveyor 11, 1 of the signature conveying path 8.
It runs along a predetermined track passing through the signature gripping position near the end of 2 (see Fig. 4) and the signature discharge position near the tray 20 of the signature feeder 4B ₁ (see Fig. 5). Is provided. The gripper 30 is normally closed by a spring or the like, but when passing through the signature gripping position and signature release position, the gripper 30 is opened and closed by a cam (not shown) provided in the passage path to bite the signature. It is configured so that it can be discharged or discharged.
It is possible to bite the signature 3A sent from the device and discharge it to the signature tray 20 of the signature feeder.

Next, a bookbinding method using the above device will be described. When binding with a small number of signatures, for example 6 signatures,
The signature delivery means 10 is deactivated and one of the bookbinding devices 1A
Disconnect the signature delivery means 10 from the signature transport path 8
The signature transport path 8 is connected so as to supply the signatures from the stitcher 5A to the cutting machine 6A. In this state, bookbinding device 1
Set the signatures required for bookbinding in the A and 1B signature feeders 4A and 4B, and perform bookbinding independently by the bookbinding devices 1A and 1B. That is, in one of the bookbinding devices 1A, the signatures 3 are sequentially supplied from the six signature feeders 4A onto the strip-shaped body 9 of the signature transporting means 2A during traveling and collated. The collated signatures are bound by the stitcher 5A, the peripheral edges thereof are trimmed by the trimming machine 6A, and then stacked by the stacker 7A. Similarly, in the other bookbinding apparatus 1B, while the belt 9 of the signature conveying means 2B is running, the signatures 3 are fed one after another from the 6 signature feeders 4B, and the signatures 3 are collated and bound by the stitcher 5B. After cutting the peripheral edge with the cutting machine 6B, they are stacked with the stacker 7B. In this way, the two bookbinding devices perform bookbinding independently.

Next, in the case of binding with a large number of signatures, for example, with 11 signatures, in the case of binding with the signature transport path 8 of the bookbinding apparatus 1A, folding with the signature transport path 8 of the bookbinding apparatus 1A connect Ding transfer means 10, also, both binding apparatus 1A, the signature feeders 4A of 1B, 4B (provided that the signature feeder 4B ₁ is excluded)
Set 11 types of signatures that make up one book. In this state, the signature passing means 10 of the bookbinding apparatuses 1A and 1B are operated synchronously. In one of the bookbinding devices 1A, while the strip-shaped body 9 of the signature conveying means 2A is running, the 6 signature feeders 4A successively supply the signatures 3 onto the strip-shaped body 9 and then collate them, and then the stitcher 5A. Is bound with. Then stapled signatures 3A passes the signature conveyance path 8, it is supplied along the signature transfer means 10 in the signature feeder 4B ₁ signatures saucer of the other of the bookbinding apparatus 1B. On the other hand, in the bookbinding device 2B, while the belt-shaped body 9 of the signature conveying means 2B is running, the signature feeders 4B successively supply the signatures 3 to the signatures, and finally, the signature feeder 4B ₁ Causes the signature 3A to be supplied. Thus, the five signature feeders 4B of the bookbinding device 2B (the signature feeder 4B ₁
(Excluding) and the signatures from the six signature feeders 4A of the bookbinding apparatus 1A are collated. After that, the gathered signatures 3B are bound by the stitcher 5B, passed through the cutting machine 6B, and stacked by the stacker 7B. In this way, bookbinding is performed by the signatures supplied from the signature feeder 4A of the one bookbinding apparatus 1A and the signature feeder 4B of the other bookbinding apparatus 1B.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example in which six signature feeders of each bookbinding device are arranged is shown, but the number of signature feeders is not limited to six, and the signatures to be bound can be changed. It goes without saying that the number of is not limited to the above eleven. When the number of signatures that make up one book is smaller than the number of signature feeders provided in the two bookbinding devices, unnecessary signature feeders can be stopped, and when there are many signature feeders. If a third bookbinding device is further provided, some of the signatures are collated by this bookbinding device, and the collated signatures are fed to one of the signature feeders of the bookbinding device 1B. Good.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides at least two bookbinding devices including a plurality of signature feeders along the signature conveying means and a stitcher at the rear of the signature conveying means.
A table is provided and a signature delivery means is provided from the downstream of the stitcher of one bookbinding apparatus to one signature feeder of the other bookbinding apparatus, and the binding is delivered by the stitcher of one bookbinding apparatus by this signature delivery means. The number of signatures can be increased without increasing the number of signature feeders provided in one binding device because the signatures are immediately supplied to one signature feeder of the other binding device. It becomes possible to perform bookbinding, and in the case of bookbinding with a small number of signatures, each bookbinding device can be used for different bookbinding. As a result, the expensive signature feeder can be effectively used without leaving it idle, and even when binding with a large number of signatures, the temporary binding work is performed as in the conventional method.
Compared to the case where the stack of signatures after temporary binding is made and then the stack is set in the signature feeder of the bookbinding apparatus and bookbinding is performed again, the working time can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an apparatus for performing a bookbinding method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show a schematic configuration of a signature delivery means used in the bookbinding apparatus. Is a side view showing the connection portion with the signature transport path, FIG. 3 is a side view showing the connection portion with the signature feeder, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are modifications of the signature delivery means. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a connection portion with a signature conveying path, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing a connection portion with a signature feeder. 1A, 1B …… Bookbinding device, 2A, 2B …… Folder transport means 3,3A ,, 3B …… Folder 4A, 4B, 4B ₁ …… Folder feeder 5A, 5B …… Stitcher, 6A, 6B …… Cutting machine 8 ...... Signature transport path, 9 ...... Band 10 ...... Signature delivery means 11 to 18 …… Belt conveyor, 20 …… Signature tray

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A signature conveying means comprising a thin endless belt,
A plurality of signature feeders which are provided along the signature conveying means, open the signatures, and place the signatures on the belt-shaped body of the signature conveying means;
At least two bookbinding devices each having a stitcher arranged downstream of the signature conveying means are provided, and a signature delivery device that extends from the downstream of the stitcher of one bookbinding device to one signature feeder of the other bookbinding device The saddle stitch bookbinding method is characterized in that the signature delivery means supplies the bound signatures discharged from the stitcher of one of the bookbinding apparatuses to one signature feeder of the other bookbinding apparatus immediately.