Abstract: A booklet stacker to stack multiple booklets each bound with a ring member includes a stack tray on which multiple booklets are stacked, a shifter disposed upstream from the stack tray in a booklet conveyance direction in which a booklet is conveyed, the shifter to adjust a position of the booklet in a width direction perpendicular to the booklet conveyance direction by shifting the booklet a distance shorter than a ring pitch of the ring member in the width direction, and a booklet conveyer disposed upstream from the stack tray in the booklet conveyance direction, to convey the booklet positioned by the shifter to the stack tray.

Abstract: A folded spine of a booklet held by a pair of opposing holding members is deformed by entering a pressing member into a gap between the pair of holding members and bringing the pressing member into pressure contact with the folded spine. In consequence, the folded spine is prevented from receiving an excessive pressing force, and a smooth surface with a width substantially equal to the thickness of the booklet is thus formed on the folded spine, whereby a booklet with a good appearance can be made.

Abstract: A system for automatically producing a bound album consisting of individual sheets, for example, a photo album is disclosed. The system includes a unit which immediately draws in sheets output by a printer or a stacker; a unit for creasing said sheets so as to facilitate folding them and keeping said sheets in their folded form; an adhesive application unit designed to paste at least some of the sheets two by two; and a unit to flip part of the cover sheet. The sheets are received and compiled on a delivery board equipped with registration features for this purpose. The board is capable of translational movement in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the sheets are transported inside the system and movement between several positions in synchronism with the adhesive application unit.

Abstract: A milling unit of a book binding device removes a coating material adhered to cutting surfaces of coating sheets. A book binding device binding a bunch of sheets fed from a sheet aligning unit includes a sheet aligning plate aligning a section of the bunch of sheets fed from the sheet aligning unit; a gripper fixing the bunch of sheets aligned by the sheet aligning plate; an adhesive unit feeding an adhesive member to the section of the bunch of sheets to bind the bunch of sheets; and a milling unit milling the section of the bunch of sheets before the bunch of sheets is subjected to binding by the adhesive unit.

Abstract: A book binding machine includes a book block transport system and a plurality of clamps for clamping stacks of leaves. The clamps are disposed at a distance from each other and are guided in guide tracks of a machine frame. The book block transport system includes a clamp, which is also referred to as a lubrication clamp, having a device for lubricating the guide track. An applicator is assigned to each track roller of the clamp, and the lubricant is transferred to the track rollers through the use of a respective applicator such as a brush. The track rollers transfer the lubricant to contact surfaces of the guide track. A lubrication clamp for a book block transport system in a book binding machine, is also provided.

Abstract: While a book block (P) is nipped between a pair of clamping plates (1a, 1b) and passes through processing units (B to D) in succession, perfect book bind processing is carried out. Two or more of the processing units (B to D) have pairs of members (2b, 2c; 3c, 3d; 4a, 4b) which engage or come into contact with both sides of a back surface of the book block A thickness of the book block is measured by a measuring unit (6) before the book binding processing is started. When a thickness of next book block is measured by a measuring unit during the book bind processing of a previous book block, a control section (7) stores a measured value of the thickness of the next book block in a memory (8). When the previous book block reaches a predetermined position on a conveying path, a gap between the pair of members of the processing unit located upstream of a position of the previous book block is adjusted based on the measured value stored in the memory.

Abstract: An adhesive application assembly is configured for use in a book binding station that includes a saddle for supporting a plurality of sheets. The adhesive application assembly includes an adhesive applicator, a movable support arm supporting the adhesive applicator, and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is coupled with the support arm and is configured to move the support arm and the adhesive applicator toward the saddle to apply adhesive to an outermost sheet on the saddle.

Abstract: There is a need to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of neatly squaring a booklet spine without any damage such as a wrinkle on the spine and an image forming apparatus having the sheet post-processing apparatus. According to the sheet post-processing apparatus, a drive motor drives first and second pressing members. A circumferential velocity of the pressing member on a pressing surface pressed against the booklet spine is configured to be reverse to and greater than a moving velocity of a moving portion.

Abstract: A device for shaping a book cover back on the inside of a horizontally positioned, spread-out book cover and aligned approximately evenly distributed with a spine of book block. The device includes two opposite-arranged fold-forming rails that have longitudinal extension and a shaping tool that is movable towards the inside of the book cover back that faces the spine to lift the book cover back between the fold-forming rails to form a web on the book cover back. The shaping tool includes a tool bar having a top presenting a guide plane and two adjacent support bars that extend parallel to the fold-forming rails along the longitudinal extension. The support bars adjust a web width of the book cover back in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension through a joint adjustment of the spacing between the support bars. The support bars are form-fittingly and frictionally positioned on the guide plane of the tool bar.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a holding portion that nips and holds a booklet, which includes folded sheets, by a pair of holding members opposite to each other; and a pressing portion that enters a gap between the pair of holding members, wherein the pressing portion presses the spine of the held booklet so as to deform the spine of the booklet; wherein the pressing portion has plurality of pressing members, each having a different thickness in the thickness direction of the booklet, and the pressing member capable of entering the gap between the pair of holding members, and having the thickness closest to the thickness of the booklet which is nipped and held by the pair of holding members is selected among the plurality of pressing members so as to perform the deforming process.

Abstract: A device is provided to shape a spine of a book casing positioned horizontally spread out flat and oriented to be distributed evenly over a spine of a book block. Two fold-shaping rails are arranged extending in a direction parallel to one another. A movable, shaping tool is arranged to face the inside of the book casing spine to shape a web on the book casing spine with the aid of the two fold-shaping rails. The shaping tool includes two spaced-apart support bars that extend parallel to the fold-shaping rails and are arranged to be adjustable so that together they adjust the web width of the book casing spine in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the fold-shaping rails.

Abstract: A current invention provides a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of obtaining a sheet bundle which can be double-leaved and released without use of any binding device. A slit S to which a projection Pa provided at an end portion opposite to a side to be bound by a binding portion of a front cover P1 is formed in a back cover P3 of a sheet bundle PA by an insertion portion forming portion. Further, creases L1, L2 for inserting the projection Pa into the slit S while surrounding sheets P2 existing between the front cover P1 and the back cover P2 are formed in the back cover P3 of the sheet bundle PA by a crease forming portion.

Abstract: A booklet stacker to stack multiple booklets each bound with a ring member includes a stack tray on which multiple booklets are stacked, a shifter disposed upstream from the stack tray in a booklet conveyance direction in which a booklet is conveyed, the shifter to adjust a position of the booklet in a width direction perpendicular to the booklet conveyance direction by shifting the booklet a distance shorter than a ring pitch of the ring member in the width direction, and a booklet conveyer disposed upstream from the stack tray in the booklet conveyance direction, to convey the booklet positioned by the shifter to the stack tray.

Abstract: A machine is provided for trimming the fore-edge of books including at least one conveyor device having two superposed belts mounted about relative pulleys, the distance between the adjacent branches of the two belts being equal to the thickness of the books, which are fed to one end of the conveyor device with their spine parallel to its direction of movement and their fore-edge to be trimmed projecting from the belts, a trimming blade movable in a vertical plane parallel to the direction of movement of the books, and a presser and counter-presser to make contact with opposing parts of a book block which are adjacent to the cutting plane of the trimming blade. The machine further comprises two furrowers, one for each of the two faces of the books to open openable book parts before the trimming operation.

Abstract: A device for backing rounded book blocks (2) clamped near the spine, by a pressing beam (9) and a slide (7) that accommodates the pressing beam (9) and can be alternately displaced along arc-shaped races (6) in a swinging fashion by driving means (17) in a height-adjustable supporting bearing (5) that is laterally supported against the effect of a spring element (29). Members are provided for controlling (21, 22, 32, 33) the lateral position of the supporting bearing (5) and for lowering and raising (10, 11, 12) the pressing beam into the starting position for its return stroke. An eccentric starting position is realized during the lowering of the pressing beam (9) on the spine (2a), in the form of a swinging position of the slide (7) that is offset toward the opposite side of the spine center (2b) referred to the respective side to be backed thereafter.

Abstract: A method of trimming a plurality of sheets bound together, in which each of the plurality of sheets defines a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge that collectively define a fore edge of the closed bound document, comprising selecting a first portion of the plurality of sheets, folding the first portion of the plurality of sheets at a first fold angle and in a first fold direction, and trimming the folded first portion of the plurality of sheets near the first portion edges included in the first portion to partially achieve the desired edge effect for the bound document. The first portion of the plurality of sheets is greater than one sheet of the plurality of sheets. The first fold angle and the first fold direction are configured to achieve a desired fore edge effect.

Abstract: A glue container receiving hot-melt adhesive, an applicator roll, an apparatus casing, and disposed therein, a cooling unit and its control unit, for cooling a post-cover-sheet-processed sheaf, are provided. The control unit is configured to halt the cooling unit when adhesive is being applied to a sheaf with the applicator roll, and to actuate it after adhesive application. The control unit: (1) cools the apparatus casing interior by actuating the cooling unit when a sheaf is conveyed toward a glue application position; (2) halts the cooling unit when adhesive is being applied to a sheaf conveyed into the glue application position; and (3) reactivates the cooling unit after adhesive application. Thus controlling the apparatus-internal temperature appropriately in applying a hot-melt adhesive to a sheaf, and binding the sheaf together with a cover, etc. enables secure binding adhesion in a short time frame, without bookbinding defects such as missing leaves.

Abstract: A gatherer stitcher having a gatherer chain configuration includes roof segments forming a ridge region and drivers having respective stop surfaces and being mounted so as to be adjustable between an operating position and a position pivotable away therefrom. An auxiliary driver is restricted to the ridge region and carried by a respective roof segment directly adjacent the stop surfaces. The auxiliary driver, in the operating position of the adjustable driver, forms a combined stop surface together with the adjustable driver.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a device of compact design for preparing adhesive bindings of blocks and brochures as well as to a process that can be carried out by means of a device according to the present invention, wherein it has a linear conveying system with clamping rails moving to and fro, whereby the blocks are conveyed in at least two steps. Processing operations are performed on the block during the resulting phases of movement and stop phases. The clamping rails have different shapes at the contact surface toward the block depending on the requirement of the stations fed by them. The complete unit makes possible the universal production of commemorative volumes, brochures and folded brochures and comprises for this purpose the application of end papers, the folding and the application of covers. The end papers are fed flush to the finished spine after the processing of the spine.

Abstract: A pivotable collecting device for handling a folded sheet material, including a supporting edge for supporting a fold of the folded sheet material, two supporting sides opposing one another, and means for pivoting the supporting edge and supporting sides about a first axis to receive the folded sheet material such that each supporting side receives a different portion of the folded sheet material, where the supporting sides converge at the supporting edge, and where the first axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the supporting edge.

Abstract: Apparatus for scoring a cover to be applied to a bound stack of sheets to form a book. A base unit is provided having a surface for receiving the cover, an lower die holder disposed below the surface and an upper die holder disposed above the surface. A lower die is supported on an upper surface of the lower die holder and an upper die is supported on the lower surface of the upper die holder. An actuating structure such as a handle, is used to move the upper and lower die between an open position and a closed where the upper and lower die score the cover. The upper die holder is fabrication using a transparent material so that a user can view the upper die and underlying cover to facilitate proper alignment.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for increasing the binding strength of a bound text body by increasing the spinal surface area exposed for adhesive penetration greater than an area corresponding to the product of the sheet height dimension, the sheet thickness dimension and the number of sheets. In one aspect, sheet-wise conditioning of the binding area is performed prior to the application of adhesive to increase the bond area between sheets of the text body. In another aspect, the spinal surface area exposed for adhesive penetration is increased as adhesive is applied.

Abstract: A pivotable collecting device for handling a folded sheet material, including a supporting edge for supporting a fold of the folded sheet material, two supporting sides opposing one another, and means for pivoting the supporting edge and supporting sides about a first axis to receive the folded sheet material such that each supporting side receives a different portion of the folded sheet material, where the supporting sides converge at the supporting edge, and where the first axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the supporting edge.

Abstract: A booklet maker, including a pivotable collecting device including two supporting sides formed as a saddle shape, and a rotatable transferring device including a displaceable clamping component, where the transferring device delivers a folded sheet material to the collecting device along a non-linear path, and where the collecting device pivots to receive the folded sheet material from the transferring device such that different portions of the folded sheet material are supported by different sides of the two supporting sides of the collecting device.

Abstract: The invention combines the binding techniques described in application Ser. No. 09/320,060 titled Binding Sheet Media Using Imaging Material with a buckle chute type folding device to form self mailers and other folded and bound or sealed document. The device for folding and binding sheet media using imaging material as the binder includes a buckle chute, a binder downstream in the paper path from the buckle chute, an input driver proximate to and upstream in the paper path from the buckle chute, and an exit driver proximate to and between the buckle chute and the binder in the paper path. The input driver directs the media sheet into the buckle chute and, in cooperation with the buckle chute, buckles the media sheet along a fold line. The exit driver receives the media sheet from the buckle chute, folds the media sheet along the fold line and directs the media sheet towards the binder.

Abstract: A side wire stitching binder includes at least one side wire stitcher for stitching a book through a side of the book, a cover station for applying a cover over a spine of the book, and a clamping device including a clamp for transferring the book from the at least one side wire stitcher to the cover station. Also disclosed is a method for binding a book comprising the steps of clamping an unstitched book with a first clamp, side stitching the book while clamped in the first clamp, and transporting the book to a cover station using the first clamp.

Abstract: An arrangement for applying an adhesive to outer surfaces of an inner book to be inset into a book cover by an insetting machine, moving inner books on saddle plates of a circulating conveyor vertically upwardly. The arrangement has an adhesive applying device with two application rollers positioned opposite one another in an area of adhesive application. The two application rollers each roll along one of the outer surfaces of the inner book to apply an adhesive onto the outer surfaces of the inner book as the inner book is moved upwardly on a saddle plate. The two application rollers each have a recess forming a shoulder parallel to an axis of rotation of the application rollers, wherein the recesses apply the adhesive to grooves of the inner book and wherein a rotary position of the recesses is adjustable according to a position of a given groove shape of the inner book passing through the area of adhesive application.

Abstract: A method for transferring book blocks or the like into a transport device of a bookbinding machine. The book block is first clamped in a force-locking manner. At least one corner of the back edge or of the front edge of the book block is aligned with a position, which can be set in a predefined manner, by relative displacement of the two sides of the book block in the plane of the book block. The book block is then clamped in a force-locking manner by the transport device.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for automatically trimming three open side edges of printed products bound along a fourth edge to a desired format for each printed product. The printed products are transported in a transport direction along a surface of a trimming table. First, second and third trimming stations are located one after the other in the transport direction along the trimming table. Each trimming station includes a trimming device having at least one stationary blade that can be driven in a plane extending perpendicular to the surface of the trimming table, a positioning device for positioning one of the open side edges of a respective printed product on the trimming table to be cut, and a pressing device, with which a respective positioned printed product can be pressed over essentially the entire format during a cut of the positioned open side edge.

Abstract: Embodiments are shown and described of an automatic feeder for handling and inserting media, such as paper, into a hole punch machine or other media processing apparatus. The preferred feeder may accomplish a sequence of steps and preferably includes the apparatus, programming, and methods to accomplish the steps, which preferably handle the paper or other media substantially vertically. A generally vertical pile of paper is advanced forward perpendicularly to the plane of the paper sheets, and then a front portion of the pile is picked by a stabber pushing up in-between the sheets. The picked stack of papers is moved vertically downward into a punching die assembly, and then is ejected laterally to a tray. The picking assembly is designed for a high degree of accuracy. The invented feeder system preferably includes features that allow loading and unloading of the feeder without shutting down the feeder or shutting down the hole punch.

Abstract: A device for transferring sheets in a sheet-processing machine includes a cylinder having at least one gripper device for the sheets, and a control device for opening and closing the gripper device, the control device having a first control cam for recto printing and a second control cam for recto/verso printing, at least one follower element for following the first and second control cams, each of the first and second control cams being formed with a through opening for accommodating a bearing element and, respectively, a cutout formed in the periphery of the first and second control cams and extending as far as the through opening for fitting the first and second control cams to and removing them from the bearing element radially. The first and second control cams, respectively, are of unipartite construction and, in peripheral direction, are aligned with one another so as to provide an at least approximately closed contour path for the at least one follower element.

Abstract: A book production line which has a plurality of processing stations and a transportation device for receiving the book blocks from an intake and conveying the book blocks to the processing stations is presented. The book production line includes individual modules with processing stations including functions such as straightening and pre-shaping, rounding and pressing, gluing and fumigating, gluing, backing and heading and suspending of book blocks. Optionally, a processing station may be provided for pressing and shaping the books and the individual modules can be separately operated via independent operating panels.

Abstract: A device for rounding and pressing book blocks with a conveying device for the book blocks. The device includes rounding rollers, pressing jaws or similar clamping elements, which are displaceable relative to one another, which act to receive the book block and act with a predefined force upon the book block. The device automatically adjusts the clamping elements to different formats of the book block and, in the event of deviations in the book block thickness, the clamping elements are displaceable relative to one another via articulately connected levers. The levers function to clamp the book block via an operating cylinder acting upon the free ends of the levers and automatically aligning the book block. The point of rotation of the levers being displaceably mounted in a guide aligned with the center of the conveying device of the book block.

Abstract: A device for the back rounding of book blocks in a book binding machine cooperating with a conveyor device. The device includes a driving arrangement and rounding elements driven in rotation by the driving arrangement. The rounding elements taking up the book block following release of the book block by the conveyor device. The rounding elements acting on both sides of the book block through pressurized rotational movement thereof. When the book blocks are gripped by the rounding elements, the rounding elements may selectively travel in a lifting movement which is separate from the rotational movement into preselectable, defined vertical positions.

Abstract: A paper supplying apparatus has a rotatable member around a horizontal axis, a pair of clamp plates supported by this rotatable member mutually parallel and in face-to-face relationship for clamping a book block in between, and guide plates each attached to an associated one of these clamp plates, extending downward from the clamp plates to a lower edge part of the book block when the book block is held vertically. Such a paper supplying apparatus can be removably connected to a book binding machine by attaching a guide rail to an outer wall of the book binding machine and a runner to the paper supplying apparatus. The runner is slidably engageable with the guide rail, allowing the paper supplying apparatus to move along the guide rail selectably towards or away from the book binding machine.

Abstract: A paper supplying apparatus has a rotatable member around a horizontal axis, a pair of clamp plates supported by this rotatable member mutually parallel and in face-to-face relationship for clamping a book block in between, and guide plates each attached to an associated one of these clamp plates, extending downward from the clamp plates to a lower edge part of the book block when the book block is held vertically. Such a paper supplying apparatus can be removably connected to a book binding machine by attaching a guide rail to an outer wall of the book binding machine and a runner to the paper supplying apparatus. The runner is slidably engageable with the guide rail, allowing the paper supplying apparatus to move along the guide rail selectably towards or away from the book binding machine.

Abstract: A method of make-ready of a bindery apparatus includes the steps of providing indicia relating to the size of the signature on the apparatus to locate inner and outer ends of pocket guides for pocket machines to obtain a proper bow of the signatures and a proper location of the signatures for feeding to a rotary gripper mechanism. Indicia are provided on the rotary gripper mechanism relating to the drop of the signature onto a saddle. Information from a previous run of the same signature is used to set the rotary gripper mechanism to time the signature drop. Indicia are also provided for locating a first gathering conveyor to allow setting of signature pushing lugs to a position related to the length of the signature, while the gathering conveyor is at a predetermined reference position. Similarly, indicia related to the length of the signature are used to position pushing lugs on a second conveyor.

Abstract: A delivery device for a book binding machine is provided with a first conveyor belt (19) arranged for movement in a vertical direction between a book delivery station and a book transfer station and a second conveyor belt (40) located in a fixed position so as to be on the same level as the first conveyor belt (19) and in alignment with the first conveyor belt (19) at the book transfer station. The first conveyor belt (19) receives a book block (12) from an clamp (11) at the book delivery station and lowers to the book transfer station so as to transfer the book block to the second conveyor belt (40), then returns to the book delivery station in order to receive the book block from the following clamp.

Abstract: Rounded, hard covered books are bound using a specific class of low viscosity reactive urethane hot melt adhesive compositions which provide a coating which will remain sufficiently flexible and thermoplastic so as to be capable of accepting and maintaining the rounded configuration even after extended periods of storage.

Abstract: An apparatus for opening a book having a plurality of pages held in assembled relation with adjacent foredges substantially in contact with one another. The apparatus includes a rotatable pin for initiating separation of pages of the book by contacting and entering the book at one end of the adjacent foredges to thereby cause one of the pages to be separated from a next adjacent of the pages at a selected location in the book. Additionally, at a ribbon inserting station, a ribbon inserter can be provided to insert a ribbon into the selected location in the book between the one of the pages and the next adjacent of the pages. The apparatus may also include a knife assembly downstream of the rotatable pin which is adapted to maintain separation of the pages upon entering the book at the selected location for any purpose such as accommodating insertion of a ribbon by the ribbon inserter. With this arrangement, the book opening apparatus is well suited for opening a book without damage to the pages thereof.

Abstract: Successive stacks of signatures which are accumulated on a turntable are transferred onto a first or onto a second removing conveyor by a pusher which is reciprocable by a carriage along a straight guide rail and is pivotable relative to the carriage so that its ejector bypasses the turntable during movement in a first direction in which it normally transfers stacks from the turntable onto the first removing conveyor or in a seond direction in which it normally transfers stacks from the turntable onto the second removing conveyor. The pusher is pivotable relative to its carriage by a follower which is mounted thereon and extends into a composite groove defined in part by a stationary cam and in part by a pivotable cam.

Abstract: A book sewing machine has an inserter for plates for indicating the planes of separation between the books. Each plate is disposed in the separation plane in correspondence with the top of the adjacent face of the contiguous books on that side of the books facing the loader. The machine also has a gluer for applying a layer of glue to the backs of the books which advance towards the discharge zone. Close to the latter is a separator constituted by a cutting blade which traverses the pile of books so that it cuts the layer of glue on the backs and simultaneously cuts the thread connecting the last book to the next book, thus effecting the separation. An operating cycle of the separator device is started each time a control circuit is given an enabling signal by a detecting device for detecting the passage of a plate. The position of the detection device preferably coincides with that of the cutting blade which may be a separate element or which may be part of the plate.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing finished booklets from a plurality of sheets includes an assembly station where a set of sheets are assembled together to form a booklet and a collection station for receiving booklets produced in the assembly station. A door on the apparatus is ordinarily closed to limit access by an operator to the assembly station and the collection station during operation of the apparatus. The door is opened for removal of assembled booklets from the collection station. A passage is provided for delivering a booklet from inside the apparatus to a position where the booklet is accessible from the outside of the apparatus. A booklet can be engaged after it is assembled in the assembly station and delivered through the passage to the outside of the apparatus where it can be examined by the operator during production of additional booklets. By obtaining a booklet in this manner, and without opening the door, the operator is not exposed to the mechanical and electrical mechanisms of the apparatus.