Abstract:
A method and apparatus for sequentially delivering book or magazine covers of the same or differing width dimension to a perfect binding system such that books or magazines of differing size can be produced without requiring system downtime for resetting of cover guiderail settings. Associated with each cover size is a cover feeder arranged to deliver covers therefrom, one a time, between members of a given pair of guiderails that are assembled in stacked parallel relationship on the bed of the cover conveyor. Under control of a microprocessor-based controller, covers of a predetermined size arrive at the gluing station of the perfect binder in synchronism with signatures of a selected size corresponding to the cover to be applied.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    I. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to systems for producing perfect bound books or magazines, and more particularly to an improved cover conveyor capable of accommodating variations in cover width whereby such booklets and magazines of differing width dimension can be simultaneously accommodated without the need for system shut-down for set-up purposes. 
         [0003]    II. Discussion of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    So-called perfect binding systems are known in the art. Generally speaking, such systems include a plurality of sheet feeders positioned adjacent to a collating conveyor where the sheet feeders deliver signatures, one at a time, onto a moving conveyor belt that carries the collated signatures to a binding station. When all signatures for a book have been assembled, the text is clamped just above the spine and the collated text passes over a saw which cuts off about ⅛ th  inch from the spine of each signature. At the same time, a further sheet feeder, sometimes referred in the industry as a “pocket”, delivers book covers serially onto a conveyor bed between lugs on a moving endless chain, where the lugs project up through longitudinally extending slots in the bed. Hot melt glue is applied to the cut spine of the signatures at a binding station, and the bound signatures are timed to arrive at the binding station in synchronism with a book/magazine cover where the cover is bonded to the bounded signatures in forming a book or magazine. Additional trimming steps may also be applied to the bound signatures and/or cover. 
         [0005]    Under applicable postal rules, a lower postal rate is charged for mail presorted to an improved postal presort level. Improved presort levels are achieved by improving mailing density, which is affected by total pieces in a mailing. Thus, it behooves magazine producers to group several different magazines headed to a given postal area together for shipment. A need, therefore, exists for a perfect binding system capable of producing perfectly bound books and magazines of different size and content in an order such that the different publications destined for a particular postal area will be assembled, bound and covered as an interleaved group without having to shut down the line to perform set-up operations for the individual members of the group of publications or without having to perform a secondary process to achieve this same result. This process also allows for paper savings as all covers would not have to be created at the group&#39;s maximum width. The present invention fulfills this need. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a perfect binding system for assembling plural signatures into bound books and for applying covers to said books where the perfect binding system is of the type including a conveyor bed comprising an elongated, planar, horizontal surface of a predetermined width dimension with at least one longitudinal slot formed through the horizontal surface through which a traveling lug may project vertically a predetermined distance above the surface and where a first pair of parallel guiderails is adjustably positioned along opposed side edges of the planar surface. A first cover feeder or pocket is positioned relative to the conveyor bed for delivering book covers of a first predetermined width dimension, one at a time, onto the horizontal surface in a way such that the book covers of this first predetermined width dimension guided by the pair of parallel guiderails are being carried along the conveyor bed to a gluing station and where a signature conveyor is provided for collating plural signatures onto books and moving the books to the gluing station. In accordance with the present invention, the improvement to the afore-described binding system involves a second pair of parallel guiderails that is adjustably disposed atop the first pair of parallel guiderails. A second conveyor feeder or pocket is positioned relative to the conveyor bed for feeding book covers of a second predetermined width dimension, one at a time, onto the horizontal surface of the conveyor bed such that the book covers of the second predetermined width dimension are guided by the second pair of parallel guiderails as the traveling lugs on the endless chain engage the book covers of the second predetermined width dimension to move those book covers to the gluing station. The first and second cover feeders arc arranged to deliver the book covers of the first and second width dimension onto the conveyor bed surface in vertically, non-overlapping orientation relative to one another whereby signatures of differing width dimension can be matched with a single, appropriately-sized book cover at the gluing station. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The foregoing features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of the several views refer to corresponding parts. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a typical prior art perfect binding line over which the present invention constitutes an improvement; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a cover conveyor constructed in accordance with the present invention and usable in the perfect binding line of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the cover conveyor of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of the cover conveyor of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the cover conveyor of  FIG. 2  showing the stacked configuration of plural cover guide rails. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “,join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless expressively described otherwise 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a drawing that depicts a typical, prior art perfect binding system in which the present invention finds use. The perfect binding system  8  is employed to produce magazines, catalogs, brochures, periodicals containing different collections of signatures for different subscribers. Pocket feeders  10  feed folded signatures onto a collating conveyor or gatherer  12  and when all pages comprising a magazine have been assembled on the collating conveyor, they are transferred to clamps  34  on the perfect binder  14  which travel in a counterclockwise direction in an oval path. The signatures  32  are clamped along one longitudinal edge so that their respective folds, or backbones, are directed downwardly. In this orientation, each group of signatures comprising a book or magazine is initially trimmed along its held longitudinal edge and is roughened before being presented to a gluing station  18  and then moved to a cover applicator  20 . From there, a further conveyor carries the covered book or magazine to a trimmer  22  where edges are further trimmed as desired. 
         [0015]    Also seen in  FIG. 1  is a cover conveyor  16  having a plurality of cover feeders  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  for depositing one or more different covers  42  onto a conveyor bed with the side edges of the covers being constrained by cover guides  44  as lugs  40   a  on a driven chain that define “pockets” transport the covers to the station  20  where the covers become adhesively bonded to a book to which an adhesive has been applied at the gluing station  18 . 
         [0016]    Covered books/magazines leaving the trimmer  22  may then be conveyed to a labeling station  24  and subsequently to wrapping stations  28 / 30 . 
         [0017]    The movement of the perfect binder  14 , the cover conveyor  16 , the operation of the gluing station  20  as well as the trimmer  22  and the other components  24 ,  26 ,  28  and  30  remain appropriately synchronized by a microprocessor-based controller  36 . 
         [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,425 particularly claims an arrangement for delivering first and second covers in superimposed relation to one another, allowing multiple covers to be affixed to a given book or magazine. As is explained in the &#39;425 patent, this allows, for example, an outer protective craft paper cover and an inner decorative cover to be applied to a given magazine. 
         [0019]    The present invention teaches a way of interspersing book/magazine covers of differing sizes for attachment to books/magazines of different content and size without the need for shutting down production for adjustment to the guiderails of the cover conveyor to accommodate a change in cover size. Thus, books and magazines of varying titles, content, etc. and of varying sizes but destined for the same postal zone can be produced on a continuous basis, thereby improving system throughput while reducing postal expenses. 
         [0020]    Referred first to  FIG. 2 , there is indicated generally by numeral  100  a top plan view of a cover conveyor constructed in accordance with the present invention. The cover conveyor  100  comprises a conveyor bed  102  having parallel slots  104  formed there through and beneath the bed  102  are endless chains (not shown). Affixed to the chains disposed beneath the bed  102  are pusher lugs as at  106  that project up through the slots  104  and which are adapted to engage the trailing edge of a single cover to move it along the cover conveyor to the gluing station  20  of the perfect binder  8 . 
         [0021]    As seen in the side elevation view of  FIG. 3 , the cover conveyor bed  102  is mounted on a frame  108  suitably elevated from the floor by legs  110 . Mounted atop the conveyor bed  102  are a plurality of cover feeders  112 ,  114 ,  116  and  118 . The cover feeders are of known design and comprise a means for delivering covers, one at a time, into a spacing of the cover conveyor at timed intervals defined by adjacent traveling lugs  106 . Delivery of a cover from the cover feeders  112 ,  114 ,  116  and  118  is under the control of the microprocessor-based controller  36 . 
         [0022]    Referring next to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , adjustably mounted at predetermined spacings along the opposed side edges of the conveyor bed  102  is a plurality of pairs of cover guiderails including pairs  120   a ,  120   b ,  122   a ,  122   b ,  124   a ,  124   b  and  126   a ,  126   b . A lateral spacing between cover guide members  120   a  and  120   b  are set and maintained by guide rail clamps  120   c  and  120   d . Similarly, the spacing between guiderails  122   a  and  122   b  are set and maintained by guiderail clamps  122   c  and  122   d . The cover guiderail pairs  124   a ,  124   b  and  126   a ,  126   b  are likewise provided with clamps  124   c ,  124   d  and  126   c ,  126   d  as best seen in  FIG. 4 . The lateral spacing between members of the plural guiderail pairs are made by loosening the threaded bolts that are shown passing through the slots in the clamping members and then nudging the guiderails until appropriate spacing for a given cover size is achieved. The clamping bolts are then retightened to maintain the clamp members in their set position relative to the conveyor bed  102 . 
         [0023]    Referring next to  FIG. 5 , the lateral spacing between the stack of guiderails  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126   a  and  b  may be set to accommodate covers of differing width dimension and possibly differing length dimension as represented by “Cover A” and “Cover B” shown in  FIG. 4  where Cover A has its edges contained within the longitudinal slots of guiderails  122   a  and  122   b  while cover B rides within the longitudinal slots in guiderails  120   a  and  120   b.    
         [0024]    From what has been described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the plural cover feeders  112 ,  114 ,  116  and  118  are arranged to deliver covers  42   a - 42   d  into the longitudinal slots in the guiderail pairs  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126   a  and  b , respectively, and that, hence, covers of differing width (WA, WB, WC) and length (LA, LB, LC) dimension can be delivered, via the conveyor assembly  100 , to match up with appropriately sized books/magazines at the glue station  20 , all under control of the microprocessor-based controller  36  and that the series of covers are delivered in non-overlapping fashion such that only one such cover is appended to a given book/magazine. More particularly, and as seen in  FIG. 3 , cover feeder  112  is positioned to insert covers into the longitudinal slots in cover guide pair  120   a,b , cover feeder  114  into the longitudinal slots in cover guide pair  122   a, b , cover feeder  116  into the longitudinal slots of cover guide pair  124   a, b  and cover feeder  118  into the longitudinal slots of cover guide pair  126   a, b.    
         [0025]    With the arrangement illustrated involving four stacked rail pairs, the cover conveyor  100  is able to deliver four different cover sizes, one at a time, in an order determined by the microprocessor-based controller  36 . 
         [0026]    This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself. For example, it should be understood that the interleaving of different magazine covers of differing widths are not applicable solely to mail, but could also be used for manufacturing bulk shipped products, by carriers other than the U.S. Postal Service to newsstands, etc. Likewise, it should be appreciated that these covers can be supplemented by customization, such as inkjet, stickering, labeling, etc. Further, other equipment not specifically outlined can be added to monitor the process to ensure quality, such as photo eyes, cameras, proximity sensors, etc.