US2263435A - Manifolding - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1941. c. w. BRENN 2,263,435

MANIFOLDING Filed June 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATOR , tice.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 2,263,435 MANIFOLDING Carl W. Brenn,

Manama, N. graphic Register Company, Hoboken,

3., assignor to Auto- N. J., a

corporation of New Jersey Application June 4, 1938, Serial N0. 211,725

13 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding, and, more particularly, to improved collated sets of record and carbon sheets secured together for manifolding operations, the method of making said collated sets, and the means for securing the sheets together.

Heretofore it has been proposed to collate continuous printed record strips with interleaved carbon strips, secure the strips together, and cut the strips into sheet lengths for use. The record strips usually have along one margin a weakening line constituting a stub or binding margin within which the strips may be secured together, and along which weakening line the record sheets may be torn when it is desired to remove the rec rd sheets from the carbon sheets after the writing operation has been performed.

Various means for securing the collated carbon strips and record strips havebeen proposed, including wire staples going through the pile of strips in the binding margins, and adhesives applied to the binding margin as the strips are being collated. and before they are cut into sheet lengths. It has been difficult, when applying adhesive to paper strips to secure them together, tohave the adhesive applied in just the right quantity and at just the right degree of wetness, with the result that some of the sheets would adhere together satisfactorily while others would not. Yet, it is decidedly preferable, in many situations, to fasten the strips with an adhesive rather than with staples.

The present invention, in certain aspects, contemplates the securing of the strips together by a dry adhesive, which is caused to adhere to the strips as a result of being heated rather than as a result of being wetted, as is the common prac- This avoids the use of water or wet adhesives on or in the vicinity of the collating machine, and enables the collating, the registering, and finally the cutting of the strips into form lengths to be performed without the messiness attendant upon the use of water and wetadhesive on or about a machine of this kind.

In the particular form of the invention herein disclosed, the adhesive for securing the strips together is in the form of a separate narrow strip provided with adhesive surfaces on opposite sides. Preferably, the adhesivestrip is of a kind in which the whole strip constitutes the adhesive, being made of a rubber composition.

In practicing the invention, the carbon and record strips are so formed as to have. in the pile stepped marginal edge portions in the binding margin thereof, and the adhesive strip is guided into position'to overlap the stepped marginal edge portions so that it may be made to adhere to these exposed marginal edge portions when heat is applied to the pile of strips.

When the adhesive strip has adhesive surfaces on opposite sides thereof, the record and transfer strips of the pile are so arranged that there are exposed spaced marginal portions on the up- I per half of the pile of record and transfer strips and on the lower part of the pile, thus permitting all of the record and transfer strips to have direct contact with the adhesive strip or band and to be secured together by the latter when the heat is applied to the pile. According to the present invention, the record and transfer strips areprovided in the binding margin with registering and feeding holes which cooperate with registering and feeding pins in the collating machine, so that the record and carbon strips may be brought into registration and advanced intermittently to a position where each form length on the record strip may be cut off by a severing knife to provide a pile of collated and secured-together record strips. To insure the proper location of the adhesive band, the latter may also be provided with a series of feeding holes tobe received by and feeding pins on the collating machine, and to be advanced thereby as the record and transfer strips are fed.

To simplify the starting istering and securing operations, the adhesive band. may have the feeding holes at predetermined intervals either equal to the spacing between the feeding pins or an even fraction thereof. Accordingly, the present invention provides a roll, or other suitable supply, of adhesive material in the form of a narrow band having registering and feeding holes predeterminately spaced along its length.

In the broader aspects of adhesive strip need not be made of rubber composition but may be of any suitable or desirable material. For instance, the strip may be a piece of paper, rubber, or other fabric, to one or both surfaces of which adhesive is applied, and the adhesive, while it is preferably of a heat-set water impervious kind, may be water soluble, or may be an adhesive simply made effective by being pressed against a paper. The important consideration, in the broader aspects of the invention, is the location of an adhesive strip over the staggered marginal edges of the record and transfer strips, so that all the strips can be bound together by the adhesive strip.

the registering.

of the collating, reg-- this invention, the 1 While the binding marginal portions of the record and transfer strips are offset to provide the overlying margins for contact with the adhesive strip, the other edges of the record and transfer strips may be aligned, or, as is preferable, the opposite edges of the transfer strips may be somewhat ofiset inwardly to provide finger-grips on the records whereby the records may be stripped from the carbon sheets after the writing operations have been performed on the collated record sheets.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing a pile of collated manifolding sets made according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single manifolding set made according to the present invention, with succeeding sheets in the pile torn away to show the underlying sheets and with the adhesive strip turned back to show its relation to the other strips.

Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a fragment of the pile shown in Fig. 2, showing the relationship of the several sheets to one another and to the binding strip.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the roll of binding material employed forming part of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the mannet in which the records and carbons are assembled, registered, and fed, with pressed into adhering relation sheet lengths.

Fig. 7 is a side view, partly broken away, of the means for pressing the pile of strips together under the influence of heat.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view, showing the way in which the carbons and records may be assembled with the binding strip.

The present invention, in its more specific aspects, concerns the making of collated sets of record and transfer sheets held together as a unitary article during the writing on the record sheets. Such a pile is shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and in. these there are a plurality of record sheets I!) and interleaved carbon sheets ll secured together at a binding from the main portion of the sheet by a line of weakness I 3. After the pile has been written upon, it is grasped at the binding margin l2 with the fingers of one hand while the opposite edge of the pile is grasped with the fingers of the other hand, so that, by drawing the hands apart, the records are severed along the lines of weakness I 3, which are only in the record sheets, leaving the carbon sheets attached to the binding margin and leaving the record sheets grasped together by the fingers of one hand.

To permit this to be done with ease, the carbon sheets terminate short of the margin of the record sheets opposite the binding margin I2, leaving projecting portions M on the records which may be grasped independently of the interleaved carbons- As stated above, it is one of the objects of the the binding strip and cut off into present invention to assemble and secure thesesheets together in registration without the necessity of applying glue or other adhesive to the sheets themselves. Accordingly, the record and carbon sheets of the manifolding set of the presmargin l2 which is separated 1 narrow strip l5 of adhesive material which is so placed in or on the binding margins of the record and carbon sheets that it engages each one of the sheets independently of its engagement with the other sheets.

This adhesive strip l5 may, if desired, contain on either or both sides, according to the manner in which it is app1ied, a water soluble adhesive, in which case it will be necessary to moisten the surface or surfaces of the strip before placing it between therecord and carbon sheets. However, the adhesive strip l5 may contain a thermoplastic adhesive material, or the entire strip may be made up of such material, for instance, when the strip is made of India rubber. It is preferable to have the strip made of or contain a coating of thermoplastic material, because, when this is done, it is merely necessary to apply heat to the binding margin l2 to make the adhesive effective to bind the strips together, and the messiness attendant upon wetting a water soluble adhesive is avoided.

In the form of the present invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the binding strip I5 is interposed in the middle of the pile, and, so that it may enage all of the sheets, the edges of the sheets within the binding margin l2 being oifset inwardly. For instance, the top record sheet II! and the bottom record sheet Illa have their binding margin l2 of the same width. The carbon sheet II and the carbon sheet Ila have a binding margin slightly narrower so as to be inwardly offset from the edge of the binding margin of the record sheets I 0 and Illa. The edge of the record sheet |0b is offset inwardly with relation to the carbon sheet I la, and the record sheet I00 and carbon sheet llb are offset inwardly with relation to the carbon sheet H and the record sheet lb. The binding strip I5 is interposed between the record sheet I00 and the carbon sheet Nb, and thus contacts each of the sheets so that, when the adhesive material of the strip 15 is made effective either by wetting and pressure or by heat and pressure, depending upon whether the adhesive is water soluble or thermoplastic, all of the sheets will be united through the medium of the binding strip I5.

It should be understood, of course, that all the sheets may be of the same width, and they may be offset laterally to produce the eifect described Preferably, however, the sheets are of different ,widths or different lengths, depending upon the way in which the pile is observed to produce the offset binding edges. Also, the lines of weakness l3 in the record sheets I 0, Illa, lb and lOc are in registration depthwise of the pile, so that, when the written records are torn from the binding margin I 2, all of'the record sheets will be of the same dimensions.

In another form of this invention, diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4, the binding strip l5a has adhesive on only one side, and the recent invention are secured together by a separate ords and transfer sheets are of decreasing width successively from one outside sheet to the other, thereby affording an opportunity for each sheet to engage the binding strip l5a.

According to the present invention in its broader aspects, the sheets, after being printed, may be collated and secured together with the bindingstrip I5. However, it is preferable to, print the forms on long continuous strips and to provide the carbon sheets in long continuous strips and to.collate them on a table, at which point they may be assembled with the binding strip I5 -which may also be a long continuous strip. In

this way, the records and carbon strips may be registered with one another with great con venience, and, after being secured together, may be advanced to a cut-off position where the long continuous strips are cut into sheet lengths.

, One form of apparatus suitable for this purpose is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8; and a long continuous binding strip l which may be wound to form a roll I6, is shown in Fig. 5.

In its broader aspects, this invention may be tinuous strips, for the method of assembling, feeding and securing together the strips herein disclosed, as well as the long continuous binding strip, may be advantageously used for secur-. ing together other strips than those employed to make manifolding sets. Hence, while the method and apparatus employed is herein described with particular-application to the making of manifolding sets, this description should be understood as explanatory and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

, When making manifolding forms, it is, of course, particularly important to maintain the forms clean and free of gum or other adhesive, except in the binding margin, and hence, when making manifolding sets, there is a special advantage in using a thermoplastic binding strip l5.

As shown in Fig. 6, the record sheets ID are printed, one after another on long continuous strips l1, and these are interspersed with long continuous strips l8 of carbon or other transfer paper. The previously printed strips i! may be supplied to the collating machine in zigzag folded piles l9, and the continuous carbon strips It! may likewise be supplied to the collating machine in continuous zigzag folded piles 20, although it should be understood that the record and transfer strips H and I8 may be supplied to the collating machine in roll form if desired. These zigzag folded piles (or the rolls if such are used) are placed in proper order on a suitable support, and the leading edges thereofare led up over guide rollers 2i from whence'they are led on to a collating table 22 where they are caused to assume superimposed positions by means of a transemployed to secure together any kind of long mm slidably mounted on the collating table 22 and reciprocated by a link 21.

The feeding and registering holes 24 are so provided in the several record and carbon strips and in the binding strip 15 that, when these apertures are brought into registration, the record and carbon strips and the binding strip will be in desired superposed relation. It is sufficient for all practical purposes that there be but two feeding and registering holes 24 in each form making up the cotinuous record strips, for in this way longitudinal alignment of the strips is maintained. However, it is preferable that the binding strip I5 is provided with a series of equally spaced feeding and registering holes 24, a multiple of which equals the distance between the holes 24 in the record and carbon strips. With this arrangement, it is not necessary to start the binding strip out in any certain way so long as two of the with the holes in the record and carbon strips. This arrangement permits the binding strip to be made up in advance for general use, regardless of the distance between forms on the continuous strips.

It should be understood, of course, that neither the binding strip nor the record strips need be provided with the feed-arresting, form-registering apertures, pro 'ded other suitable means is employed to maintain them in proper registraand to feed them formby-form. After the strips l5, l1 and I8 are collated and registered on the pins 25, the carriage 26 is advanced, and when it reaches its advanced position, a pressing device 28 is brought down upon the binding margins ll of the strips. This pressing device is electrically heated, being connected to a source of current by wires 29, and, when it is brought down upon the binding margin of the form beneath it, the heat and pressure cause the adhesive on 'or constituting the strip IE to secure the strips of the pile together. The

' heating and pressing device 28 may have aperverse roller 23. Between the second record strip and the second carbon strip of the pile, there is interposed the roll I6 containing the adhesive strip l5, and thisis guided over a guide roller 2| and brought into superposed positions of the binding margins R2 of the strips.

The record and carbon strips i1 and I8 are so processed as to have the desired width so that when they are brought into overlapping relation on the collating table, a part of the binding margin I2 of each strip will engage the binding strip l5. Yet, all of the record strips are so made that the lines of weakness l3.therein will be in registry depthwise-of the pile.

With the record and carbon strips and the binding strip so assembled on the collating table 22, they are brought into registration with each other so that the printed matter on the several record strips will register with each other depthwise of the pile, and the carbon strips and binding strip will be' in their respective intended positions. This may be done by hand, but preferably, it is accomplished by providing in each of the record and transfer strips and in the binding strip I5, feeding and registering apertures 24 which are adapted to cooperate with feeding-and registering pins 25, mounted on a carriage 26,

- requires but tures 30 to receive the pins 25, and in this way it is possible to secure the strips together while they are yet held in registration by the pins 25. If desired, the portion of the carriage 26 which engages the pile of strips may also be electrically heated and is connected to a source of current by wires 3|.

After the strips are secured together (and this a moment) the heating and pressing device 28 is raised, the pins 25 retracted in th carriage by suitable means, and the carriage returns to the next adjacent set of forms, whereupon thepins protrude through the apertures 24 and the carriage again advances feeding the next set of forms to heating and pressing position. When the next set of forms reaches this position, the heating and pressing device 28 again descends on the forms, and at the same time the set of forms previously secured together is cut off as by a cut-off knife 32. The collated and secured-together set of forms then falls upon the pile of previously collated and secured-together forms where they are permitted to stack until a sufficient quantity is accumulated for removal. To facilitate the adhesion of the binding strip 5 to the edges of the carbon strips IS, the binding margins of the carbon strips may be left uncoated with transfer material, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

The collated set of manifolding material of the present invention may be written on by hand, or the set may be introduced into a typewriter.

holes are initially registered bindingmargin first, to receive typing operations. The particular arrangement of the edges of the record and carbon sheets in the binding margin, where there is a gradual overlapping of the edge portions, results in facilitating the insertion of the set in the typewriter, for the extreme edge of the pile is thinner than the portion behind it and so that the binding margin is wedge-shape and easily enters between the platen and the feed rollers of the typewriter.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of record sheets, a. plurality of transfer sheets superposed to form a pile, said sheets having at one lateral edge a binding margin and the sheets from the outer toward the inner sheets of the pile having a binding margin edge oii'set inwardly depthwise of the pile of the adjacent outer sheet, and a binding strip located in the binding margin and intermediate the outer sheets and adhesively engaging the projecting binding margin edges of said sheets to hold them together.

2. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of interleaved record and transfer sheets superposed to form a pile, said sheets having at one lateral edge a binding margin and the sheets from the outer toward the inner sheets of the pile having a binding margin edge oiTset inwardly depthwise of the pile of the adjacent outer sheet, and a binding strip extending for the full width of the binding margin and adhesively engaging the projecting binding margin edges of said sheets to hold them together, each record sheet having a line of weakness defining the inner edge of the binding margin thereon and the sheets being held in the pile by said binding strip so that said lines of weakness are in registry depthwise of the pile.

3. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of record sheets, a plurality of carbon sheets, each of said sheets having registering apertures in the binding zone and having marginal portions thereof exposed when the sheets are in-registering relation, and a narrow binding strip having a sheet-engaging surface provided with registering apertures therein and associated with said record and transfer sheets in registry therewith and adhesively engaging the marginal portion of each sheet in the pile to secure the sheets of the pile together.

4. A binder of the type to be located in the binding margin of a superposed pile of paper strips having registering apertures therein for securing the stripsjogether, comprising a band of material provided with an adhesive on both sides thereof to form a strip-engaging surface and having extending throughoutits length an within the lateral margins of the strip-engaging surface spaced feeding and registering apertures adapted to be registered with the apertures of the paper strips whereby the binder can be fed into proper collated position with respect to said strips.

5. The invention defined in claim 3, wherein the band of material comprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

6. The invention defined in claim 3, wherein the band of material comprises a band of India rubber.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the binding strip comprises a band of thermoplastic adhesive.

8. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of interleaved record and carbon sheets, each sheet having an edge portion thereof oifset with respect to the corresponding edge portion of the adjacent sheets; and a narrow binding strip having adhesive on both sides thereof, said binding strip being disposed within the set and extending for the full width of said zone, said strip engaging the oifset edge portion of each sheet in the pile to secure the sheets of the pile together.

9. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of interleaved record and carbon sheets, each sheet having an edge portion thereof onset with respect to the corresponding edge portion of the adjacent sheets, said sheets having registering apertures in the zone in which the sheets are to be secured together; and a narrow binding strip having a plurality of apertures, at least a part of which are adapted to register with the apertures in the sheets, said strip having adhesive on both sides thereof and engaging the offset edge portion of each sheet in the pile to secure the sheets of the pile together.

10. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of record sheets, a plurality of carbon sheets, each 'of said, sheets having registering apertures in a binding zone formed along one lateral edge thereof, each sheet being of a width narrower than its superposed sheet so that each superposed sheet overlaps its underlying sheet to present at an edge of said pile a series of overlapping sheet edges; and a narrow band of material provided with an adhesive surface coextensive with the overlapping sheet edges and engaging said overlapping sheet edgesfor securing thesheets of the pile together, said band having extending throughout its length a plurality of spaced aper-' tures located in the sheet edge engaging surface. at least a part of which apertures register with the apertures in said. sheets so that said band may be collated in proper relation with said sheet edges CARL W. BRENN.

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