General Binding Corporation

Thomas T Battisti

Wayne Howard Rothschild

Peter Hotkowski

Frank A Todaro

Alfredo J Vercillo

Samuel P Amdahl

James Thomas Russo

Adam Horwitz

Phillip Michael Crudo

Robert E Slater

John Geisert

Roger R Scharer

The present invention includes an automated binding machine configured for binding a stack of perforated sheets with a binding element. The automated binding machine includes a support member supporting the stack of perforated sheets, a binding element feeder, a plurality of binding elements supported by the binding element feeder, a receiving member configured to receive a first binding element from the plurality of binding elements and to insert at least a portion of the first binding element through the stack of perforated sheets, and a binding mechanism configured to engage the inserted portion and couple the inserted portion to a non-inserted portion of the first binding element.

Apparatus and methods for automatically binding a stack of sheets with a nonspiral binding element

A binding apparatus facilitates a convenient, one-stage load-and-close binding system. The apparatus has a base and a pivotable former door movable between open and closed positions. A series of hooks are provided to hold an open binder relative to the base for loading sheets onto the open binder ringlets. The apparatus has three former surfaces or bars, including parallel, opposed first and second former bars, as well as an adjacently-positioned third former bar oriented generally perpendicularly to the first and second former bars. Generally, the binding apparatus operates to squeeze a wire binder between the opposed first and second forming bars to close the wire ringlets. The free ends of the wire ringlets are maintained in proper alignment against the third former bar.

Binding apparatus

A binding machine is operable to hyper-deflect the rings of a binding element against non-planar surfaces to achieve an advantageously forward presentation of free ends of the rings for ergonomic and convenient insertion of a perforated stack of sheets. An embodiment of the binding machine has a base, a plurality of stationary hooks fixed to the base, and a comb member which is pivotally mounted to the base. The comb member may be fixed to a shroud which is mounted to effect the pivotal movement of the comb member. Additionally, this shroud may be axially shifted. When the binding element is supported against the comb member, the axial and pivotal motions of shroud respectively cause (1) engaging of rings of the binding element with the stationary hooks and (2) uncurling deflection of the rings.

Binding machine with pivotal comb member

A machine is disclosed for withdrawing a spiral coil from a prepacked cartridge set of coils and spirally feeding that coil to a coil guide. A stack of sheets having prepunched holes along a side edge thereof is located so that its prepunched holes are aligned with the coil guide. A rotatable drive roller, proximate the coil guide, engages the withdrawn coil and spirally feeds the coil through the coil guide, such that the spirals of the coil sequentially pass through the prepunched holes. After the lead end of the coil has passed through the prepunched holes of the stack of sheets, it is crimped. The drive roller then reverses direction to spirally feed the coil backwards through the coil guide, whereupon the tail end of the coil is crimped. The movements in the machine are designed to vary dependent upon size of the coil.

Automated spiral binding machine

An apparatus and cartridge for use in binding prepunched sheets into a booklet using curled-finger ring-type edge binders. The binders include an opening tool which is drawn through the binder for spreading curled binder finger from the binder spine to form a document receiving gap. Binder/tool combinations are carried in the cartridge which includes a binding position or slot. The cartridge is to be positioned in an apparatus having a recessed base for receiving the cartridge and a cover which includes a paper receiving slot. The base defines a slot for alignment with the cartridge binding position slot. In the opened position, the terminus of the cover slot is aligned with the base slot. When the cartridge is in position and the cover opened, a booklet can be formed at the binding position by a binder being opened, apertured paper deposited in the cover slot and binder, and removal of the opening tool to permit the binder to close on the apertured paper. In an alternative embodiment, various binder guiding elements, such as a well, upstanding ribs, and a ledge are defined by the base itself so as to eliminate the use of the cartridge.

Method and apparatus for binding materials with a curled-finger

A binding mechanism for use in binding punched and apertured material is disclosed herein. The mechanism includes a comb having teeth or tines for holding a binding element having a plastic-type backbone and curled binding fingers. A slidable hook mechanism is used to engage and uncurl the binding fingers so that the punched and apertured material can be bound thereon. The comb is mounted so as to be transversely slidable from an original position to a second position. A biasing spring is provided for returning the comb from the second position to the original position. This slidable comb cooperates in minimizing damage in the event these binding fingers are inoperatively jammed or wedged between the hook and the comb.

Binder slide failure prevention system

There is disclosed herein an apparatus for use in thermally binding documents. The apparatus includes a housing which defines a document receiving aperture. Biased supports are associated with the housing and in alignment with the aperture for compressing documents along an edge to be bound and for defining a predetermined binding position. A heater is associated with the housing and is positioned adjacent the predetermined position and support for heating the edge of the documents to be bound.

Growing community of inventors

Buffalo Grove, IL, United States of America

Thomas T Battisti