Abstract: An apparatus and method feeding, destacking and orienting books for subsequent operation such as a jacket wrapping operation. This is achieved by feeding stacks of books forwardly on a conveyor into a destacking station. The books are stripped one at a time from a stack at a stacking station and fed forwardly. A sensor senses the orientation of the book and controls a selectively turning, usually of alternating books, to have all the book backbones facing in the same direction while they are traveling forwardly.

Abstract: A machine for attaching a book cover to endsheets within an adhesive is set forth. The adhesive is applied while it is within a predetermined temperature range. The machine includes a housing, an application roller journalled within the housing, and a metering roller journalled within the housing. The metering roll is axially parallel to the application roller and nearly contacts the application roller at a nip. The region above the nip defined by the application and metering rollers, and two internal seals with the housing is an adhesive reservoir. The adhesive remains in this reservoir before it is applied by the application roller. The machine also includes a level detector which detects the level of the adhesive in the adhesive reservoir. The level detector is coupled to a controller and produces a low level signal when the level of the adhesive is below a predetermined level threshold.

Abstract: A machine for attaching a book cover to endsheets within an adhesive is set forth. The adhesive is applied while it is within a predetermined temperature range. The machine includes a housing, an application roller journalled within the housing, and a metering roller journalled within the housing. The metering roll is axially parallel to the application roller and nearly contacts the application roller at a nip. The region above the nip defined by the application and metering rollers, and two internal seals with the housing is an adhesive reservoir. The adhesive remains in this reservoir before it is applied by the application roller. The machine also includes a level detector which detects the level of the adhesive in the adhesive reservoir. The level detector is coupled to a controller and produces a low level signal when the level of the adhesive is below a predetermined level threshold.

Abstract: In order to improve binding line output by reducing equipment downtime effects, a book accumulator for a binding line is provided. The binding line book accumulator includes a book accumulating table for accumulating books from and returning books to a binding line in first-in first-out fashion, and it also includes a first diverter for diverting books from the binding line to the book accumulating table and a second diverter for diverting books from the book accumulating table to the binding line. In addition, a control is provided for selectively and independently operating the first and second diverters upon demand in response to a variety of factors.