Abstract:
A jig is used in the assembly of a laminated end product. The jig includes a generally flat sheet of rigid material that has a first step configured in the surface of that flat sheet. A laminated product such as an invitation is mounted on the jig. A second leaf is then mounted on the jig at the larger line of the step to perfectly align the first and second leafs on the jig.

Description:
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/081,580, filed Jul. 17, 2008, entitled “Paper Mounting System.” 
    
    
     The present invention is directed to a jig tool that is used in the assembly of paper invitations, photography or art, or any similar formation of a multi-layer laminated product. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There is a significant industry that relates to the design and preparation of high end stationery and custom invitations. One of the most difficult and tedious problems that is faced by businesses in this custom business is the manual mounting of paper on top of other paper as hand-made invitations are designed and assembled. The same difficulties are faced by businesses lining up photographs or other artistic pieces on a backing piece of paper or other thin material. 
     Custom invitations may typically have at least three mounts, and order quantities may range from a few dozen to several hundred invitations depending on an event and client. This manual mounting process is very time-consuming and, if the assembler is not skilled, can result in a large expense as the paper can be wasted during assembly. To perform a mount, a top piece of paper is pre-glued on its back side. It is then held over a bottom piece until the assembler believes that they have the placement correct. If an assembler is very steady and a bit lucky, the assembler can place the top piece of paper dead-center the first time. Regardless of the placement, the two expensive pieces of paper are glued together essentially as soon as they touch. 
     Creative people work very diligently to create unique and beautiful products. The invitation business complicates this by necessitating the duplication of an agreed upon model. Ideally, this model must be replicated perfectly multiple times. Unfortunately, to manage quality, the necessity of replication means that the creative person must move from creativity to redundancy, effectively becoming a factory worker for the time it takes to assemble an item multiple times. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the foregoing problems that are inherent in the assembly of multiple layer, laminated invitations or photography/art mount products. In short, the present invention includes a jig having predetermined steps integrated therein that can allow for rapid and accurate assembly of a laminated product such as an invitation or stationery. 
     In one example, a jig is used in the assembly of a laminated end product. The jig comprises a generally flat sheet of rigid material. A first step is configured in the surface of the flat sheet wherein there is a top plane, first step plane and base plane and two generally vertical risers connecting the respective top plane and first step plane, and the first step plane and base plane. The first step and base planes are generally parallel to each other. The first step plane may comprise two legs forming substantially an L-shape, wherein the two legs are substantially perpendicular with respect to each other. The width of each leg of the step plane, defined as the shortest distance across the step plane in between the risers, is uniform across each leg of the step plane, and each leg may have a different width. The jig may also comprise a second step configured in the surface of the flat sheet. In this example, there is a second step plane and a third generally vertical riser, the third vertical riser connecting the respective top plane and first step plane, the second vertical riser connecting the first step plane and the second step plane, and the first vertical riser connecting the second step plane and the base plane. The first and second step and base planes are generally parallel to each other. 
     In another example, a method is described of forming a laminated end product. The method includes providing a jig for use in the assembly of a laminated end product, the jig comprising a generally flat sheet of rigid material. A first step is configured in the surface of the flat sheet wherein there is a top plane, first step plane and base plane and two generally vertical risers connecting the respective top plane and first step plane and the first step plane and base plane. The first step and base planes are generally parallel to each other. A first flat leaf is provided and positioned on the base plane of the jig so that the edges of the first leaf are in contact with the riser between the base plane and the first step plane. An adhesive material is applied to a portion of the exposed side of the first flat leaf. A second flat leaf is then laid onto the first flat leaf so that the edges of the second leaf are in contact with the riser between the first step plane and the top plane. The result is first and second flat leafs that are adhered together and form a laminated end product. One or more of the flat leafs may be comprised of paper. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a jig in accordance with an embodiment of the present jig. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a jig. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the jig shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 4A-D  are side elevation views of the jig shown in  FIG. 2  taken along each of the four sides of that jig. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the jig shown in  FIG. 2  having representative invitations shown being assembled on the jig. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A jig can be used to rapidly and accurately laminate flat sheets together to form a multi-layered end product. Examples of jigs are described herein in the context of one common use which is the assembly of multi-leaf invitations or announcements. Of course, other uses can be seen and used including, but not limited to, the matting of photographs or the other assembly of flat leaf materials such as paper and plastic film. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , the jig  10  is comprised of a rigid material such as aluminum or stainless steel. The jig  10  is made up of a top plane  11 , first step plane  12 , second step plane  13  and base plane  14 . The first, second and base planes  12 ,  13  and  14  are generally parallel to each other. Three risers  15 ,  16  and  17  separate the top plane  11  and first step plane  12 , the first step plane  12  and second step plane  13 , and second step plane and base plane  14  respectively. The width of the step planes  12  and  13  is measured by the shortest distance across the plane from riser  15  to riser  16  and riser  16  to riser  17  respectively that define the planes. As shown, the first and second step planes  12  and  13  are uniform in their width, but each step plane is different in width from the other step plane. Each of the step planes  12  and  13  is formed in an L-shape with two legs. The respective legs of the first step plane  12  and the respective legs of the second step plane  13  are each uniform in width. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 A-D, another example of a jig  20  is shown. In fact, the jig  20  is four jigs on one plate. The four different jig sections are referred to separately by their respective base planes  30 ,  40 ,  50  and  60  that appear generally as four quadrants of the overall jig  20 . Functionally, each of the four jig sections on the quadrants of jig  20  is equivalent to the jig  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . The jig  20  is essentially square in shape. The jig  20  is divided into four corners by a top plane  21  that forms an “x” on the top of the jig. Each of the corners or quadrants of the jig  20  defines a separate jig. In the first corner of jig  20 , there is a base plane  30  and a step plane  31 . A first riser  32  separates the top plane  21  and the step plane  31 . A second riser  33  separates the step plane  31  and the base plane  30 . In another corner of the jig  20 , there is a base plane  40  and first and second step planes  41  and  42 . Risers  43 ,  44  and  45  separate the top plane  21 , first plane  41 , second plane  42 , and base plane  40 . In a still further corner of the jig  20  there is a base plane  50  and step plane  51 . Risers  52  and  53  separate the top plane  21 , step plane  51  and base plane  50 . In the fourth corner of the jig  20 , there is a base plane  60  and step plane  61 . Risers  62  and  63  separate the top plane  21 , step plane  61  and base plane  60 . 
     The width of the step planes  31 ,  41 ,  42 ,  51  and  61  shown on jig  20  are each different from each other. This allows for a user to select different step plane widths on the jig to accommodate different mounting width geometries. In one example, the step planes  31 ,  41 ,  42 ,  51  and  61  may have mounting geometries of 1/8  inch, 1/4  inch, 3/8  inch, 1/2  inch and 3/4  inches (not necessarily in respective order). And in the quadrant of base plane  40 , a user could combine and use both step planes  41  and  42  to obtain a further width geometry. Other widths could be chosen depending on common needs for different users. Also, the widths W 31 , W 41 , W 42 , W 51 , and W 61  of each of the step planes  31 ,  41 ,  42 ,  51  and  61  are each uniform across both legs of their length. It is believed that this would be the most common use for a jig of this type. However, it is possible that the two legs on an L-shaped step plane could be different. The ultimate width of each step plane and, possibly each leg on a step plane is subject to the intended purpose in the assembly of a multi-layer product. Also, the steps are shown having legs that are perpendicular to each other to form an L-shape. This perpendicular format is also useful with any even-sided polygons (e.g., hexagons and octagons) as well as true circular designs. It is conceivable that the thin leaf products that are being laminated together would have other geometries other than a rectangular shape. Therefore, a highly-specific geometry that could conceivably include curved lines can be machined into a jig for a very specific laminate end product. 
     Jig  20  is a multi-section jig having four corners or quadrants. It is alternatively envisioned that a jig could have two or three or more than four sections with each section able to itself function as jigs described herein. 
     The jigs  10  and  20  that are shown are typically made of a metal or plastic material. The metal can be aluminum or stainless steel or any other metal. Likewise, the plastic can be any relatively rigid plastic material. The material of a jig can be coated, for instance, with Teflon or other material for durability and workability. The step planes on the jig can be colored to improve the repetitive use. The different widths of the jig can be color-coded by width. Different quadrants or single sections of a multi-section jig can have different colors. The jig needs to be large enough to reasonably handle and support the expected paper and plastic products that will be mounted on it. In one example of a jig like jig  20 , the jig is square and is ten inches by ten inches. 
     In general, the risers disclosed herein on the jig should be substantially vertical to the planes that they respectively connect. In one prototype example, the height of the risers is about 0.06 inches. In other examples, the height of the risers could be about 0.01 inch to one inch. The risers could be any height large enough to brace paper or a thin leaf or a small pad, but not so high as to make it difficult to layer or distort the layering of one leaf onto another. 
     The method of use is simple and intuitive. A user can easily layer thin leaf materials onto each other. It is expected that the common leaf material for use with, for instance, invitations and announcements, is a paper product. However, the leaf material could easily include plastic films, photographs, cardboard matting, and other similar thin products. The jig described herein is primarily effective when the respective leaf pieces to be laminated together are length to length and width to width proportional (when using rectangular leaf pieces). Of course, the jig could be used to assemble polygonal or curved or asymmetric layers or in some other artistic or intended fashion. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 5 , three different leaf laminate products are shown being assembled together on the jig  20 . In a first quadrant or corner, a small rectangular leaf with paper  70  is mounted in the corner on the base plane  30  and against the riser  33 . A second leaf  71 , larger in length and width than the first leaf  70 , is then laid on top of the first leaf  70 . An adhesive may be applied to the back of the first leaf  70  or to the front of the leaf  71  so that the two leaf pieces are adhered together. In the other quadrants, a three leaf laminated end product is shown made of a first leaf  80 , second leaf  81 , and third leaf  82 . They are mounted on top of each other respectively and adhered together with some adhesive. Similarly, a two-layer laminated product made up of first leaf  90  and second leaf  91  is assembled similar to the first laminated product comprised of leaf  70  and second leaf  71 . The difference would be the margin of overlap in that the overlap of the composite product of leaf  90  and leaf  91  is larger than the margin of the overlap of leaf  70  and leaf  71 . It is possible to use the jig  20  to layer as many different products as desirable to create a laminated end product. A user can simply select which margin of overlap they desire and layer the leaf portions accordingly. 
     Having thus described and detailed the present invention, it is to be understood that many obvious and apparent variations in construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the overall scope and spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, it is intended that the foregoing specifications and accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.