Patent GB-501775-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to bookbinding machinery
IPC: B42C13/00
Filed: 1937-11-04
Abstract: 501,775. Endless-belt conveyers. LEIGHTON, R., and LEIGHTON-STRAKER BOOKBINDING CO., Ltd. Nov. 4, 1937, No. 30285. [Class 78 (i)] [Also in Group XV] A machine for reducing the thickness of books at the stitched edges thereof comprises two endless bands 1, 2 between adjacent reaches of which books are conveyed between two series of rollers forming a number of sets or pairs of pressure rollers, whereby the books are subjected continuously to pressure for a sufficient period of time to ensure that the stitched edges thereof are permanently reduced in thickness. The bands 1, 2, which may be wide enough to accommodate more than one book, are mounted on adjustable rollers 3, 4 and 5, 6 respectively, the lower band 2 extending beyond the upper band 1 at each end to serve as a feeding and discharging means. Five pressure rollers 9 are arranged in contact with and above the lower reach of the band 1, and immediately below these are five other pressure rollers 7 in contact with and below the upper reach of the band 2. The bearings 10 of the top rollers 9 are slidable in guides 11 and the bearings of each roller are adjustable by the provision of vertical screw-threaded rods 19 engaging screw-threaded holes in the bearings, and bevel gearing on the rods engaging bevel gears of a transverse shaft 12 which can be rotated. The bearing blocks 13 carrying the shafts 12 are retained by springs 14. The first or left-hand roller 9 determines the positions of the rest of the top rollers since a lug provided on each bearing 10 engages the adjacent bearing on the left, and the arrangement is such that the second roller is lower than the first, and so on, so that the pressure on the books passing between the series of rollers is gradually increased. Each of the pressure rollers 7 and 9 is positively driven by gearwheels from a single gear-wheel driven shaftwhich forms the continuation of the central lower roller 7. The first, third, and fifth top rollers are driven from the corresponding lower rollers by means of intermediate gear-wheels 30 arranged in a frame comprising arm 31, 32 pivotally mounted on the spindles of the corresponding lower and upper rollers. The conveyer bands 1, 2 are positively driven by chain gearing from shafts 38, 39 respectively, the shafts being driven from the fifth upper and lower rollers respectively, through toothed and chain gearing. Guide plates 33 (not shown) comprising a number of separate elements are arranged between adjacent pressure rollers 7 and 9, these plates engaging the bands 1, 2 to prevent relaxation of pressure on the books as they pass from one set of rollers to the next set. The separate elements of the plates are preferably fixed to the bearing blocks of the upper and lower rollers. Means is provided to ensure that the elements of the top guide plate remain in alignment with each other when the upper rollers 9 are adjusted. A pair of gripping- rollers may be mounted in plates at the feeding- in end of the pressure rollers to assist the bands 1, 2 to feed the books between the pressure rollers.