Velobind, Inc.

Elmer G Szanto

George C Wu

Charles J Ulrich

William H Abildgaard

Lloyd V Wallace

Salvatore Barone

Franklin J Davio

Heretofore, there have been two common systems of strip binding. One uses paper punched with rectangular holes and curled plastic combs having fingers passing through the holes. The other uses round holes in the paper and male and female strips, the studs of the male strips fitting through the holes in the paper and in the female strips. Excess stud length is cut off and rivet heads formed to make a permanent bind. The present invention uses rectangular punched paper similar to the first systems and strips generally similar to the second system. At least two studs and female strip holes are offset to prevent lateral displacement of the paper.

Binding strips for rectangular hole punched paper

Cases (covers) for binding books are made in a series of sizes which differ from each other in the width of the spine and each size accommodates a range of book cores. The gauge of the present invention indicates which size case is proper and further measures the precise thickness of the core. Simultaneously, the gauge moves an edge guide of a positioning guide so that the core is located accurately centered relative to the spine area of the case and the case is also located relative to the guide.

Book core gauge and positioning guide for casing book cores

An improvement on commercial machines which bind documents using plastic strips. The punch mechanism may be automatically actuated when the paper sheets are properly aligned on a punch platen or actuated manually at the user's discretion. Distance of the holes from the edges of the sheets may be indexed. The binding mechanism improvements include interchangeability of height of the pressure bar and speed of binding mechanism, depending on thickness of book to be bound or as selected by user, means for automatically starting the motor drive of the binding mechanism and pressure bar when it has been manually placed or moved onto the document to be bound, automatic lifting of the pressure bar when the binding cycle has been completed, a resistance-heated knife construction which reaches operating temperature more rapidly, controls and minimizes the heated knife temperature fluctuations, maintains a more uniform temperature profile of the knife, improvements in the mounting of the timing cams of the machine and improved means for securing and positioning the cooling and forming fingers in place. In a modification, means is provided for binding a 'wrap-around' cover which extends rearward of the spine of the book and then is folded forward around the binding strips for the book. The means comprises a removable backstop for the spine edges of the sheets to be bound, a platen and roller to support the lowermost of the wrap-around covers and a rack to support the uppermost of the wrap-around covers during the binding procedure. The knife structure is modified to avoid interference with the modified means.

Punching machine

For accurate correlation of the punch pins and edge guide for a paper punch or the like, a gage sheet of predetermined length is formed with accurately located holes corresponding to the desired location of the holes or slots to be punched in paper of similar length (e.g., end holes equidistant from top and bottom of the sheets). Such gage sheet may be pre-punched and of a permanent character, or may be prepared by trial and error by adjusting the edge guide until the end holes are equidistant from the edges of the sheet. The punch pins are lined up with the gage holes and then the edge guide is moved snugly against the edge of the gage. The gage is then removed. The edge guide is mounted on a transversely movable slide visible through a window in the platen on which the paper is to rest. Markings for different paper lengths may be permanently displayed on the platen at an edge of the window. Markings on the platen may be affixed by applying thereto a decal having paper length markings thereon. Accurate positioning of the edge guide after factory assembly is thus possible. In the preferred embodiment, a mark is placed on the slide in line with the marking on the platen corresponding to the particular length of the gage. Preferrably, such mark on the slide is affixed to a decal which is placed on the slide in the proper location.

Punch edge guide indicator and method

An improvement on commerical machines which bind documents using plastic strips. The punch mechanism may be automatically actuated when the paper sheets are properly aligned on a punch platen or actuated manually at the user's discretion. Distance of the holes from the edges of the sheets may be indexed. The binding mechanism improvements include interchangeability of height of the pressure bar and speed of binding mechanism, depending on thickness of book to be bound or as selected by user, means for automatically starting the motor drive of the binding mechanism and pressure bar when it has been manually placed or moved onto the document to be bound, automatic lifting of the pressure bar when the binding cycle has been completed, a resistance-heated knife construction which reaches operating temperature more rapidly, controls and minimizes the heated knife temperature fluctuations, maintains a more uniform temperature profile of the knife, improvements in the mounting of the timing cams of the machine and improved means for securing and positioning the cooling and forming fingers in place. In a modification, means is provided for binding a 'wrap-around' cover which extends rearward of the spine of the book and then is folded forward around the binding strips for the book. The means comprises a removable backstop for the spine edges of the sheets to be bound, a platen and roller to support the lowermost of the wrap-around covers and a rack to support the uppermost of the wrap-around covers during the binding procedure. The knife structure is modified to avoid interference with the modified means.

Punching and binding machine

An improvement on commercial machines which bind documents using plastic strips. The punch mechanism may be automatically actuated when the paper sheets are properly aligned on a punch platen or actuated manually at the user's discretion. Distance of the holes from the edges of the sheets may be indexed. The binding mechanism improvements include interchangeability of height of the pressure bar and speed of binding mechanism, depending on thickness of book to be bound or as selected by user, means for automatically starting the motor drive of the binding mechanism and pressure bar when it has been manually placed or moved onto the document to be bound, automatic lifting of the pressure bar when the binding cycle has been completed, a resistance-heated knife construction which reaches operating temperature more rapidly, controls and minimizes the heated knife temperature fluctuations, maintains a more uniform temperature profile of the knife, improvements in the mounting of the timing of the machine and improved means for securing and positioning the cooling and forming fingers in place. In a modification, means is provided for binding a 'wrap-around' cover which extends rearward of the spine of the book and then is folded forward around the binding strips for the book. The means comprises a removable backstop for the spine edges of the sheets to be bound, a platen and roller to support the lowermost of the wrap-around covers and a rack to support the uppermost of the wrap-around covers during the binding procedure. The knife structure is modified to avoid interference with the modified means.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Elmer G Szanto