IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO COMB BINDERS

Abstract: A supporting device for a wire comb comprises a support surface (18) and a plurality of support members (22) extending from said support surface (18) in spaced array, over each of which support members a looped portion of the comb, between adjacent fingers thereof, may be engaged to enable the comb to be supported from the supporting device in a cantilever manner.

Description: Title: "Improvements relating to comb binders" Description of Invention This invention is concerned with improvements relating to comb binders as are used for binding together a stack of sheets of (e.g.) paper provided adjacent to one side edge with a series of uniformly-spaced binding apertures. The conventional comb for a binder comprises a plurality of fingers connected together and arranged in spaced longitudinal array, the fingers each extending generally in a plane extending at right angles to a longitudinal axis, and adopting or being capable of adopting a somewhat arcuate disposition whereby, when the fingers are located through the binding apertures of a stack of sheets, the fingers enclose or may enclose the side edge of the stack allowing the sheets of paper of the stack to be opened as a book. One conventional comb binder is of plastics material, and comprises a spine from which the fingers extend, the fingers at rest adopting a coiled configuration and being straightened to allow insertion of the fingers into the binding apertures of the stack of sheets in a binding operation, and upon release coiling around the edge of the stack. Another conventional comb binder is manufactured from a material such as wire, and comprises a basal line from which the fingers extend generally in the form of hooks, being initially in a configuration in which there is an opening between each finger and the basal line whereby the fingers may be inserted through the binding apertures, the fingers being capable of being non- resiliently deformed to close the opening and to encircle the edge of the stack of sheets through the apertures to allow the sheets of paper to be opened as a book. One such comb binder is described in GB-B- 1460444. While plastic combs of the kind described in the last preceding paragraph but one are more generally used, the non-resiliently deformable combs described in the last preceding paragraph have the advantage that they are capable of providing the bound stack with a great degree of opening capability for the sheets which are bound, particularly allowing an opening which approaches 360°, as compared with the plastics comb, in which the opening is restricted to about 310°, and the present invention is concerned particularly with such combs, particularly where the hook portions are provided by parallel portions of wire joined together by a bridge at the front end of the book. For convenience of reference such non-resiliently deformable combs will hereinafter be referred to as wire combs, wire being the most commonly used material, but it is to be appreciated that the term wire is used generically, and includes other materials which may be utilised in the manufacture of combs of this kind. One of the problems encountered in wire combs is inserting the fingers through the apertures of a stack of sheets to be bound, and it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a supporting device to assist in this operation. According to this invention there is provided a supporting device for a wire comb, comprising a support surface and a plurality of support members extending from said support surface in spaced array, over each of which support members a looped portion of the comb, between adjacent fingers, may be engaged to enable the comb to be supported from the supporting device in a cantilevered manner. In this way the comb may be supported with the fingers projecting predominantly to one side of the device, and upwardly, enabling a stack of sheets to be mounted thereon by insertion of the binding apertures onto the fingers, preparatory to the fingers being deformed to secure the sheets together. Preferably the support surface is inclined to the vertical, preferably at an angle of between 50° and 70°, preferably about 60°, whereby the array of openings is generally upwardly directed. Preferably each supporting member comprises an upper portion which is spaced a short distance from the supporting surface, and conveniently a seating surface is provided on which the base portion of the comb may be seated. Preferably the upper portions are uniformly spaced, or may be arranged in groups having similar spacing, whereby combs of different sizes, but based on a multiple of a basic size, may be mounted on the supporting device. Thus the fingers may be provided on centres of 16.9mm enabling also smaller combs having fingers on 8.45mm centres to be mounted, with alternate fingers being unsupported. Alternatively a comb having fingers based on 33.8mm may be mounted on the device, with each adjacent pair of fingers of the comb being supported by two supporting devices. Preferably the supporting device forms part of a machine by which the comb may be deformed to clamp the stack of sheets in a bound configuration. There will be now be give a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a supporting device which is a preferred embodiment of this invention, having been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example. In the accompanying drawings: - FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional wire comb; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the preferred embodiment with a wire comb mounted thereon; and FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of Figure 2, showing the use of the comb in binding a stack of sheets of paper. The supporting device which is the preferred embodiment of the invention is for use in supporting a wire comb 6 whilst a stack 8 of sheets of paper, provided with an array of spaced binding apertures 10, is mounted on the comb preparatory to closing of the comb in a binding operation, and comprises a housing 12 which conveniently forms part of a binding machine, to an inclined face 14 of which a supporting plate 16 is mounted, said supporting plate, with the device in the normal position located on a horizontal surface, extending at about 60° to the vertical. Extending from an outer face 18 of the support plate are a plurality of spaced support members 22, said support members comprising a surface portion 24 generally level with the top face 20 of the plate 16, and an upper portion 26 which projects slightly beyond the surface portion 24, said upper portion 26 providing an inwardly-facing seating surface 28 spaced laterally from the outer face 18, said seating surface 28 and an oppositely facing surface 21 of the housing being mutually outwardly flared to provide an upwardly -open cavity or slot 29. In the preferred embodiment the support members 22 are 2.5mm wide, and are uniformly spaced on 8.45mm centres. In conventional manner the wire comb 6 comprises a plurality of generally hook-shaped fingers 32, spaced apart longitudinally and connected together by intervening base portions 31, said base portions 31 extending generally in line, with curved intermediate portions 33 extending between the base portions 31 and the fingers 32, said base portion 31 together with adjacent intermediate portion 33 providing a looped portion extending between each pair of adjacent fingers 32. The wire comb may be mounted on the supporting device by downward entry of each looped portion into an appropriate slot 29, as is shown in Figure 2, with the base portions 31 of the comb resting in the corner between the surfaces 24 and 28, whilst the intermediate portions 33 of the fingers engage with the side face 18 of the plate 16, between adjacent support members 22. In this manner the comb is stably supported in a cantilevered manner, with the binding opening 34 thereof projecting generally upwardly, allowing the side edge margin 36 of the stack 8 to be inserted into the opening, whilst the fingers 32 are inserted through the binding apertures 10 of the stack 8, as is shown in Figure 3. The fingers 32 may then be deformed, in the direction of the arrow S (Figure 3) on conclusion of a binding operation by ancillary machinery (not shown). The comb and bound sheets may then be lifted from the supporting device, for use. It will be appreciated that whilst in the preferred embodiment the comb is shown having fingers based on 8.45mm centres, the supporting device may be used with a comb having based on any integral multiple of these centres, with the base portion between adjacent fingers being supported on two or more adjacent supporting members 22, or may be used with a comb having fingers based on half this centre, with alternate fingers being unsupported. The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A supporting device for a wire comb comprising a support surface (18) and a plurality of support members (22) extending from said support surface (18) in spaced array, over each of which support members a looped portion of the comb, between adjacent fingers thereof, may be engaged to enable the comb to be supported from the supporting device in a cantilever manner. 2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the support surface 18 is inclined at an angle between 15° and 70° to the vertical. 3. A device according to one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein each supporting member (22) comprises an upper portion (26) which is spaced a short distance from the supporting surface (18). 4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein a seating surface (24,28) is provided on which the base portion of the comb may be seated. 5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper portions (26) are uniformly spaced. 6. A device according to Claim 5 wherein the spacing of the upper portion is on centres of 6.9mm. 7. A device according to Claim 5 wherein the spacing of the upper portions (26) is based on 33.8mm centres. 8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims forming part of a machine by which the comb may be deformed to clamp a stack of sheets in bound configuration. 9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of spaced, upwardly-open slots (29) into each of which a looped portion of the comb may be engaged, engagement of the looped portion (a) with a wall of the slot and (b) with the support surface providing said cantilever support for the comb. 10. Any novel feature or combination of features hereinbefore described land/or shown in the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: COX SCOTT, COX, SCOTT
Applicants: ACCO REXEL GROUP SERVICES PLC, ACCO-REXEL GROUP SERVICES PLC
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B42B5
IPC codes: B42B5