Abstract: An indexible turret delivers successive stacks of a series of stacks of overlapping paper sheets to an adhesive applying or coating station where the elongated spine of a freshly delivered stack assumes a predetermined position. An elongated carriage is movable longitudinally of the spine at the coating station and carries two mirror symmetrical nozzles one of which is activated to supply a coat of adhesive to the spine at the coating station while the carriage moves in one direction and the other of which is activated to apply a coat of adhesive to the spine of the next stack of the series while the carriage moves in the opposite direction. The nozzles have elongated slots extending transversely of the spine at the coating station, and each nozzle is mounted in a discrete frame and is adjustable in and/or with such frame transversely of as well as toward and away from the spine at the coating station.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting a length of metallic or other wire into a series of successive helical wire binders and for threading successive binders into rows of holes in the spines of successive stacks of sheets at a binding station includes an elongated guide defining an at least substantially continuous path for the wire from a wire inserting station to the binding station. The guide includes a rotary convoluting tool at the inserting station and a stationary cylindrical worm coaxial with the tool and extending from the latter to the binding station. Successive foremost binders are threaded into the rows of holes in successive stacks at the binding station and are severed from the respective following binders by a set of knives when the threading steps are completed.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring successive wire comb binders from a first station, at which the binders arrive by moving lengthwise, to a second station, to which successive binders are advanced by moving sideways, has a pusher which advances successive binders along a path wherein the binders slide relative to one or more guide rails. The pusher cooperates with a braking device to change the orientation of successive binders during advancement toward the second station. The braking device can employ one or more magnets if the binders contain a magnetizable material, and/or one or more friction generating units which slow down or arrest the adjacent portions of successive binders. A mobile abutment at the second station determines the extent to which the orientation of successive binders can be changed and positions successive reoriented binders for removal of successive binders from the second station by a reciprocable plunger or another suitable conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus which is used to impart a specific configuration to substantially flat elongated strips of deformable wire binding elements for stacks of overlapping perforated sheets or the like has a transporting unit serving to advance binding elements lengthwise in a predetermined direction along an elongated path, a unit which converts strips in a first portion of the path into transversely curved intermediate products having a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional outline and a shape which at least approximates the predetermined configuration, and an altering unit which serves to deform--in a second portion of the path downstream of the first portion--at least those intermediate products the shape of which departs from the predetermined configuration.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring successive sheets of successive stacks of overlapping sheets at a transfer station into the range of one or more conveyors for delivery to a book assembling, pad assembling, loose leaf binder assembling or other location employs a transporting unit with a stationary bottom defining an elongated path sloping downwardly toward the transfer station. The stacks are advanced stepwise or continuously in compartments between successive partitions pivotably secured to two endless chains which advance the partitions and the stacks between them toward the transfer station. The partitions are automatically pivoted to retracted positions beneath the bottom so that an intact stack immediately upstream of the transfer station can merge into the stack which is being singularized at the transfer station.

Abstract: Successive stacks of overlapping paper sheets are delivered by tongs to an assembling station where the sheets of successive stacks are connected to each other by circular binders including rims having a T-shaped or an L-shaped cross-sectional outline and being receivable in T-shaped or L-shaped marginal recesses of the sheets. The binders are delivered into and are held in the form of a row in equidistant sockets provided in part in stationary and in part in movable supports at the assembling station. Portions of sheets of a stack at the assembling station are deformed against the adjacent binders to thus introduce the binders into discrete recesses of each sheet, and the thus obtained stationery products are removed from the assembling station longitudinally of the row of sockets.

Abstract: A paper cutting apparatus with several closely adjacent severing units wherein each unit includes a stationary counterknife and a mobile knife which cooperates with the respective counterknife to sever a stack of paper sheets between them. The mobile knives have holders which are connected to a common reciprocating member, and elongated blades which are bolted to the respective holders. The positions of cutting edges of the blades relative to the corresponding counterknives are adjustable by threaded bolts which are accessible at the end faces of the holders and can transmit motion to discrete blade-displacing elements by way of discrete wedges. The displacing elements are recessed into those side faces of the holders which are adjacent the respective blades.

Abstract: Apparatus for lifting successive topmost stacks of large paper sheets and the panels beneath such stacks off a pile of superimposed stacks and panels has one or more separating units each employing a roller which is caused to bear upon the topmost sheet of the topmost stack of the pile and a sword which is aligned with or is disposed at a level slightly below the topmost panel of the pile and is caused to penetrate into the pile so as to lift the topmost stack with the topmost panel preparatory to automatic shifting of the lifted stack and panel sideways into a processing machine. The distance between the lowermost portion of the roller and the plane of the sword is adjustable to permit for subdivision of piles having thicker or thinner stacks. Any sheets which are lifted with a panel and belong to the stack below the lifted panel are stripped off the lifted panel by a continuously driven friction wheel which enters the gap that is formed by the sword.

Abstract: Successive block-shaped objects of a continuously moving row of objects are draped into two continuously moving webs by causing one of the webs to advance in a horizontal plane below the moving row of objects so that the marginal portions of the one web extend laterally beyond the objects. The other web is converted into an inverted U-shaped body which overlies three sides of each object and has two laterally outwardly extending marginal portions which overlie and are thereupon welded to the respective marginal portions of the one web. Conversion of the other web into the inverted U-shaped body can take place in several successive stages.

Abstract: Apparatus for simultaneously severing and heat sealing of overlapping portions of thermoplastic sheets between a fixedly mounted anvil and a reciprocable heated blade has an uncooled hold down device with two metallic plate-like members which flank the blade and are confined in layers of silicone so that they are thermally insulated from the blade and need not come in direct contact with the thermoplastic material. Those portions of the silicone layers which contact the exposed side of the adjacent sheet opposite the anvil at the respective sides of the blade tend to stretch the sheets in a direction at right angles to the cutting plane to thus ensure immediate separation of the welded seams which are formed by the blade during severing of the sheets.

Abstract: The rear cover sheets of successively bound exercise pads and similar stationary products, wherein the sheets are pivotably held together by a spiral or comb-like binder, are located in front of the front cover sheets immediately following completion of the binding operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting a continuous paper web with transversely extending weakened zones into successive stacks of overlapping panels in zig-zag formation has two endless foraminous belt conveyors with divergent active reaches which attract alternate panels of the running web and advance alternate weakened zones into the range of the flights of two spiral conveyors. The spiral conveyors terminate the change of orientation of oncoming panels and deposit the panels on a vertically movable support whereon the panels accumulate into a stack. When the number of panels in a stack reaches a predetermined value, a nozzle admits compressed air between the topmost panel of the stack and the next-following panel so as to open the zig-zag formation and permit insertion of a table having a slot for a reciprocable knife which severs the web along the fold line between the topmost panel of the stack and the next-following panel.

Abstract: Stacks which are about to be subdivided by a sword-like tool at a dividing station are monitored by a spring-biased mechanical sensor which causes the generation of signals serving to change the position of the stack at the dividing station with reference to the tool and/or vice versa if the monitored height deviates from an anticipated height so that the tool divides the stack into piles of desired height. The sensor monitors the stacks ahead of the dividing station.

Abstract: A flexible web which is caused to run through a cross cutter to be severed at regular intervals in order to yield a series of discrete sections is engaged by a pair of holders which attract the web by suction immediately behind the severing plane when the cutter severs the web. The holders advance with the web and thereafter with the freshly formed section to prevent changes in orientation of the sections on their way to a removing station where they are expelled from the path of the web by block-shaped commodities which are draped into the respective sections. The surfaces of the holders are small and the length of each holder is a minute fraction of the length of a section, as considered in the longitudinal direction of the web. The holders are mounted on endless toothed belt or chain conveyors which advance the holders along an endless path having an elongated reach extending adjacent to the path of movement of the web and its sections toward, past and beyond the severing station.

Abstract: A machine wherein wire is being withdrawn from a reel or barrel by a wire comb forming unit which draws the wire at a given frequency has a lever which is pivoted at such frequency by a rotary cam and carries a first roller. The lever is pivotable about the axis of a second roller and the wire is trained first over the second roller and thereupon around the first roller on its way toward the wire comb forming unit. The pivoting lever ensures that the wire is drawn from the reel or barrel at a constant speed in spite of intermittent consumption of wire in the wire comb forming unit. The diameters of the two rollers are the same.

Abstract: Stacks of marginally perforated paper sheets are assembled with prefabricated C-shaped binding strips at timely spaced intervals by moving two or more stacks simultaneously to a binding station so that the perforations of their sheets form a row, moving at the same intervals a strand of coherent strips lengthwise and cutting groups of discrete strips from the leader of the strand at a severing station which is remote from the binding station, transferring successive groups from the severing station to the binding station including moving the strips of each group sideways at least once and spreading the strips of each group by moving at least some strips of the group axially and away from the neighboring strips, and inserting the strips of a group into and closing the strips of such group in the perforations of stacks of sheets at the binding station. The apparatus can make stationery articles with one-piece binders or with so-called skip binders consisting of two or more spaced-apart coaxial binders.

Abstract: A machine for converting straightened wire into an elongated undulate comb-like product wherein hairpin-shaped prongs alternate with webs which extend in the longitudinal direction of the product has two carriers which are rotatable about parallel axes and have neighboring end faces defining a forming channel. Each carrier supports a group of equidistant tools which are reciprocable in parallelism with and are equidistant from the axis of the respective carrier. The carriers are alternately indexed in opposite directions, and the wire is fed into the channel by a pivotable portion of a wire feeding unit so that it is alternately engaged by successive tools of the one and the other carrier.

Abstract: A tool which loops the end portion of the outermost convolution of a spiral wire binder around the neighboring next-to-the-outermost convolution while the convolutions of the binder extend through the perforations of a stack of paper sheets and the binder is located in a preselected position has a knife which trims the outermost convolution and thereupon bends the end portion of the outermost convolution to a position of parallelism with and proximity to a stationary surface. A looping device which is mounted at the forward end of a rotary reciprocable shaft is thereupon caused to engage the bent end portion in response to forward movement of the shaft and to loop the bent end portion by moving it along the surface and around the neighboring convolution in response to rotation of the shaft.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a helical wire coil which can be subdivided into discrete spiral binders for use in steno pads or other types of stationery products has a driven mandrel with a cylindrical intermediate section flanked by two frustoconical sections whose larger-diameter ends are adjacent to the respective axial ends of the cylindrical section. The wire to be coiled is fed into the inlet of a helical path which is defined by guide pins distributed around the sections of the mandrel. The inlet is adjacent to one of the frustoconical sections and the wire which is fed into the inlet advances along the helical path to be coiled during travel around the one frustoconical section, thereupon around the cylindrical section and finally around the other frustoconical section. The exposed surface of the cylindrical section may be grooved.

Abstract: Apparatus for winding helical wire coils which can be subdivided into discrete spiral binders for insertion into the perforations of steno pads, exercise books or like stationery products has a rotary mandrel whose periphery is adjacent to several rows of rotary wire guiding pins defining a helical path extending around the periphery of the mandrel. The axes of the pins are slightly offset with reference to radial positions relative to the mandrel so that the pins can readily rotate in response to lengthwise movement of the wire therealong and their inner end faces can be placed sufficiently close to the periphery of the mandrel so as to prevent a thin wire from penetrating into the space between the end face of a pin and the periphery of the mandrel.