Abstract: Apparatus and method for separating book covers or other items joined by a continuously moving web. A double-walled tubular attachment strip is adhesively attached to the spine portion of successive spaced covers in a continuous process. Covers are fed onto a conveyor at a constant speed with a spacing between covers and adhesive is applied to the spine areas. Simultaneously a continuous double-walled attachment strip is formed and pressed onto the cover spines to form a continuous string of covers. The attachment strip is cut by laser cutting beam between each cover while the covers are moving by moving a focussed cutting beam in a plane normal to the plane of the strip transversely to the direction of movement of the strip.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for preparing a preprinted book cover for application to a book block in a perfect binding system A double-walled tubular attachment strip is adhesively attached to the cover spine portion of successive covers in a continuous process. Covers are fed onto a conveyor at a constant speed with a spacing between covers and adhesive is applied to the spine areas. Simultaneously a continuous double-walled attachment strip with a longitudinal lap joint in one wall is formed without adhesive from a source of paper web stock and pressed, lap joint down, onto the cover spines to form a continuous string of covers. The attachment strip is cut by laser cutting beam between each cover while the covers are moving. The double-walled attachment strip is formed by pulling the web under constant tension through side scoring wheels, hold-down shoes, and forming devices which have surfaces to fold the edges of the moving web through 180.degree. toward each other to form a lap joint.

Abstract: A conversion kit to adapt a single-feed continuous form paper press to dual-feed continuous form paper operation and thereby double production capacity. The kit includes infeed and outfeed bars which are attachable by their ends to corresponding pairs of drive pins of the infeed and outfeed tractors. Each of the bars is provided with a centrally located drive pin to project through overlapping perforated edge portions of both of the continuous form papers being printed. Infeed and outfeed support arms are provided which support infeed and outfeed guides. The guides are movable into and out of position over the centrally located drive pins of the infeed and outfeed bars to maintain the overlapping perforated edge portions of the papers entrained on the centrally located drive pins.