Patent Publication Number: US-7713016-B2

Title: Journal notebook binding machine

Description:
This is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 11/490,571 filed on Jul. 21, 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to a binding machine for journal notebooks. 
   2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information 
   In the scrapbook and arts-and-crafts industries, a great demand exists for do-it-yourself projects and the tools that enable such hobbyists to accomplish those projects. The growing trend is to enable do-it-yourselfers to make customized products at home that would otherwise be mass produced and available for sale only at commercial retail stores such as greeting cards and the like. 
   Certain projects, such as creating and customizing greeting cards, lend themselves more easily to the arts-and-crafts arena because few special tools are required. Other products, however, are very difficult to transition to the do-it-yourself industry because of certain machinery that may be required to manufacture the products or components thereof. Accordingly, many potential do-it-yourself projects are currently non-existent due to the absence of the appropriate tools to enable individuals to work in the comfort of their own homes. 
   This is true for making bound journal notebooks. While journal notebooks may come in a variety of different sizes and designs, they typically include a front cover, a back cover, and a plurality of pages in between, all of which are bound together by double wire binding ring combs or some other type of binder. And, though industrially manufactured journal notebooks are widely offered for sale through bookstores, gift shops and other commercial outlets, there is a need to make the craft of journal notebook assembling available to individuals. The popularity of journal notebooks as great gift ideas and the potential to individualize such notebooks to express one&#39;s own tastes and preferences make journal notebooks a terrific candidate for a do-it-yourself project which, until now, has not been made available. 
   Accordingly, a great demand exists for the appropriate tools to enable individuals to make his or her own homemade journal notebooks. However, many manufacturing challenges have prevented the transition of journal notebook making from the factory to the home. For example, journal notebooks require a plurality of holes that must be punched at precise locations on each page of a particular notebook. Without such consistency of the hole positions on every page, the pages will not be neatly aligned once bound. While single hole punches are known, such conventional tools are impractical both in the tediousness of the task, and the inability of such tools to provide consistent positioning of the individually punched holes on every page. 
   Furthermore, the covers of the journal notebooks tend to be composed of thick, heavy duty materials, such as chipboard, card stock and other such materials which would make the physical act of punching the holes through the covers a very challenging task with conventional tools. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides structures and methods which overcome the deficiencies in the prior art. 
   In one aspect, a journal notebook binding apparatus is provided and adapted for non-industrial use. The apparatus comprises a hole punching mechanism having a plurality of punch teeth, and an actuator to move the punch teeth. A dual function apparatus also comprises a binding mechanism that includes a horizontally movable vise wall. A handle may be coupled to the horizontally movable vise wall. 
   Each tooth preferably comprises a rectangular profile. The actuator moves the punch teeth in a substantially horizontal direction. The actuator may comprise a lever biased to an open top position. The plurality of punch teeth are included in a punch die in a graduated configuration. 
   The apparatus further comprises a guide that provides a first position for punching inner pages and a second position for punching outer covers. The guide preferably comprises a third position for continuous punching of both outer covers and inner pages. For extra stability and leverage, the apparatus may also include a stabilizer extension arm that can be slid out from the rear of the machine. 
   In another aspect, a journal book binding apparatus adapted for non-industrial use is provided with a small compact overall size. The apparatus has a width of less than 12 inches and a length of less than 10 inches. The apparatus comprises a hole punching mechanism, a guide for positioning journal book materials to be punched, and a binding mechanism. The hole punching mechanism includes a main casing having a height less than 8 inches, a plurality of punch teeth, and an actuator to move the punch teeth. The binding mechanism including a horizontally movable vise wall. 
   The guide is configured to provide a first position, a second position and a third position for the objects to be punched. The actuator moves the punch teeth in a substantially horizontal direction. Each tooth preferably comprises a rectangular profile. The plurality of punch teeth are included in a punch die in a graduated configuration. 
   The hole punching mechanism comprises a manual lever for moving the plurality of punch teeth. The hole punching mechanism is adapted to penetrate the journal book materials with manual force applied to the lever in the range of 0.5 pounds to 25 pounds. A stabilizer extension arm may be included. 
   In a further aspect, a method is provided for making a journal notebook at home with a single machine. The method comprises providing at least one cover and at least one page, punching a first plurality holes in the at least one cover with the machine, punching a second plurality of holes in the at least one page that align with the first plurality of holes in the at least one page with the machine, inserting a binding material through the first plurality of holes and the second plurality of holes, and compressing the binding material with the machine. 
   The step of punching the first plurality holes in the at least one cover comprises horizontally punching the first plurality holes in the at least one cover. The step of punching the second plurality of holes in the at least one page that align with the first plurality of holes in the at least one page comprises horizontally punching the second plurality of holes in the at least one page. 
   The step of compressing the binding material comprises moving a vise wall horizontally. The step of punching the first plurality holes in the at least one cover comprises manually pushing a lever with a force between 5 pounds and 25 pounds. The step of punching the second plurality of holes in the at least one page that align with the first plurality of holes in the at least one page comprises manually pushing a lever with a force between 1 pound and 5 pounds. 
   Where the first plurality of holes comprise a first pattern, the method further comprises punching a third plurality of holes in the at least one cover that is consistent with the first pattern. Where the second plurality of holes comprise a first pattern, the method further comprises punching a third plurality of holes in the at least one page that is consistent with the first pattern. 
   In summary, a dual function binding machine for making journal notebooks at home includes a hole punching mechanism and a binding mechanism. A punch die includes a plurality of rectangular punch teeth in a graduated configuration to minimize the amount of force required to penetrate through the journal book materials. A guide provides different positions for punching through covers, inner pages and continuous punching of both. This allows the perfect alignment and fit of the outside covers with the inside pages. A spring biased lever operates the punch die in a horizontal direction. The binding mechanism included in the same machine has a vertical outer vise wall that is horizontally movable to compress the binding material, such as double wire binding ring combs, to the pages and covers of the journal notebook. 
   The invention, now having been briefly summarized, may be better appreciated by the following detailed description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a journal notebook binding apparatus; 
       FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the binding apparatus; 
       FIG. 3  is an axial cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the binding apparatus; 
       FIG. 4  is front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the binding apparatus; 
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a graduated punch die; 
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the preferred apparatus showing a cover page aligned with a preferred guide; 
       FIG. 6B  is a front elevation view of the cover page aligned with the preferred guide; 
       FIG. 6C  is a top plan view of the cover page aligned with the preferred guide; 
       FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the preferred apparatus showing an inner page aligned with a preferred guide; 
       FIG. 7B  is a front elevation view of the inner page aligned with the preferred guide; 
       FIG. 7C  is a top plan view of the inner page aligned with the preferred guide; 
       FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of the preferred apparatus showing a cover page or inner page aligned with the continuous punch feature of the guide allowing exact continuation of punch holes; 
       FIG. 8B  is a front elevation view of the cover page or inner page aligned with the continuous punch feature of the preferred guide; 
       FIG. 8C  is a top plan view of the cover page aligned with the continuous punch feature of the preferred guide; 
       FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus; 
       FIG. 10  is a side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus illustrating a preferred hole punching mechanism in operation; 
       FIG. 11  is a side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus illustrating a preferred binding mechanism in operation; and 
       FIG. 12  is a diagram of a preferred method for making a journal notebook with a single machine. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims. 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a journal book binding machine, or apparatus,  10 . The apparatus  10  is preferably adapted for non-industrial use, particularly, for individuals to use at home or wherever convenient, as opposed to an industrial, heavy duty machinery typically deployed at a manufacturing or assembly plant. As discussed further below, the relatively small size of the apparatus  10  makes it easily portable and convenient for storing or transporting to a desired location. 
   While the dual function apparatus  10  is useful for making all types of bound books, the preferred embodiment of the apparatus  10  is particularly useful for making bound journal notebooks. 
   In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the preferred embodiment of the apparatus  10  comprises a hole punching mechanism  20  and a binding mechanism  22 , both of which are included in one easily portable machine  10 . The hole punching mechanism  20  is configured to punch a consistent pattern of holes through a variety of different paper materials, including thinner sheets of paper that serve as the inner pages or sheets of a book, as well as thicker cardboard materials, such as chipboard, that serve as the cover or cover pages of a book. Throughout this specification, “cover” and “cover page” shall be used interchangeably to refer to the same thing. The apparatus  10  comprises a front end  12 , a rear end  14 , a first side  16  and a second side  18 . The apparatus  10  also defines an axis  19 . 
   The hole punching mechanism  20  includes a main casing  24  which defines a vertical slot  26  for receiving the paper materials to be hole punched. In particular, the slot  26  is defined by opposing vertical walls  23 ,  25 . In the preferred embodiment, the slot  26  extends substantially vertically to receive paper materials which are then punched through horizontally as described below. A center punch marking  28  is positioned on top of the casing  24  at a precise location adjacent to the slot  26  to indicate a centering position to the user. 
   In  FIGS. 3-5 , a manually operable actuator  31  exits a rear slot  33  of the casing  24 . The actuator  31  preferably comprises a lever  31  that is biased to a position that corresponds to a default open configuration of the slot  26  for receiving the materials to be punched. In the illustrated embodiment, the lever  31  is preferably spring biased to an upper position that corresponds to the open default position of the hole punching mechanism  20 . A shaft  29  couples the lever  31  to a frame  32  within the main casing  24 . 
   The actuator  31  is coupled to a graduated punch die  35 , illustrated in top plan view in  FIG. 5 , which comprises a plurality of punch teeth  37 . In the preferred embodiment, each punch tooth  37  comprises a rectangular profile so as to punch rectangular holes, though it is to be expressly understood that the punch teeth may be configured with any desired geometric profile such as circles, ovals, etc. In the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the actuator  31  is coupled to the punch die  35  with a pair of driving gears  39  that engage sockets  42  in the die  35 . Accordingly, downward force on the actuator  31  (shown as counterclockwise rotation in the illustrated embodiment in  FIG. 3 ) rotates the gears  39  which causes the punch die  35  to move axially forward toward and through the materials in the vertical slot  26 . It is to be expressly understood that the preferred lever  31  is simply one of many ways to actuate the punch die  35  to punch through the paper materials, and that many other mechanisms may be employed to accomplish the same. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the punch die  35  travels horizontally through a first channel  43  defined by the frame  32  before reaching the vertical slot  26 . The punch die  35  continues to travel through openings in both vertical slot walls  23 ,  25  aligned with the channel  43  into a second channel  45  defined in a forward casing portion  46 . Thus, the first channel  43 , openings in both vertical slot walls  23 ,  25  and the second channel  45  collectively form a horizontal passageway for the punch die  35  to move in a reciprocating manner upon engagement and release of the actuator  31 . 
   In  FIG. 5 , the punch die  35  preferably comprises a graduated, or staggered, configuration wherein the teeth  37  have varying lengths  44  such that the teeth  37  do not all penetrate the paper materials at the same time. By alternating or staggering the lengths of the teeth  37 , the teeth  37  penetrate the materials at different times. For example, in the illustrated embodiment in  FIG. 5  which comprises six individual teeth  37 , the teeth  37  are graduated such that no more than two teeth  37  penetrate the materials at one time. It will be appreciated that this reduces the amount of force necessary to operate the actuator  31  (shown in  FIGS. 1-4 ) to penetrate the materials to be punched. As an example and not by way of limitation, the range of force necessary to penetrate the following materials comprise the following ranges: 
   0.5 pounds to 5 pounds for thinner sheets of regular paper; and 
   2.0 pounds to 25 pounds for thicker materials, such as cardboard, chipboard and other thick materials commonly used as book or notebook covers. 
   This is particularly helpful when the materials to be punched are thick, such as cardboard, or when several inner pages of the book are to be punched at one time. It will further be appreciated that the easy-to-punch feature makes the machine  10  particularly adapted to children and the elderly and others who are involved in arts and crafts. 
   In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the forward casing portion  46  that defines a waste compartment  48  for receiving punch “holes,” or the punched through pieces. A door  51  is provided on the forward casing portion  44  preferably at a first side  16  of the hole punching mechanism  20  for accessing and disposing the waste contents of the compartment  48 . 
   A guide, or stop,  55  of particular interest to the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-C ,  7 A-C and  8 A-C. In  FIG. 6A , the guide  55  placed at a second side  18  of the hole punching mechanism  20 , opposite to the first side  16  and adjacent to a second side exit  59  of the slot  26 . The guide  55  preferably provides three different positions depending upon the materials and the type of punching desired. 
   For outer covers or cover pages of a journal notebook, the guide  55  comprises a first vertical guide surface, or cover page surface,  62  that provides a first position, or cover page position, for abutting the edges of such cover materials as shown in FIGS.  6 A-C. The cover page surface  62  is positioned such that a relatively longer distance “A” of unpunched space extends from an abutting edge  64  of the cover page  66  to the nearest punched hole  68 . 
   In  FIGS. 7A-C , the guide  55  also includes a second vertical surface, or inner page surface,  71  that provides a second position, or inner page position, for abutting the edges of inner pages. In the preferred embodiment, the inner page surface  71  is included on a medial tab  73  that is located medially, or inwardly, with respect to the cover page surface  62 . Accordingly, this inner page surface  71  is positioned such that a relatively shorter distance “B” of unpunched space extends from an abutting edge  75  of the inner page  77  to the nearest punched hole  79 . Alternatively stated, the cover page surface  62  of the guide  55  is located lateral to the inner page surface  71  such that the cover page surface  62  provides a longer distance of unpunched space A on cover pages than the unpunched space B on inner pages provided by the inner page surface  71 . When the cover pages and inner pages are bound as discussed further below, it will be appreciated that the different spacing provided by the guide  55  results in cover pages that extend over the top and bottom of inner pages to form a book. 
   In  FIGS. 8A-C , the guide  55  also includes a rearwardly extending projection, or continuous punching projection,  82  that provides a third position, or continuous punching position. The continuous punching projection  82  has a profile that conforms to the profile of the punch teeth  37  (shown in  FIG. 5 ), shown here as rectangular in the preferred embodiment, so as to be able to fit, or inserted, into a punched hole  84  of the material, whether it be cover pages or inner pages, where additional holes are desired. In particular, the continuous punching projection  82  is positioned precisely such that when it is inserted into a previously punched hole  84 , a consistent pattern of holes is punched with equal amount of space “C” between adjacent punched holes  86 . The position of the continuous punching projection  82  is also such that the punch teeth  37  will precisely transverse through any previously punched holes without enlarging, or otherwise modifying, said holes. 
   In the illustrated embodiment where the punch die  35  comprises six punch teeth  37  as shown in  FIG. 5 , the consistent pitch is accomplished by inserting the projection  82  into the fourth (previously punched) hole  84  from the edge  87 , or from the fourth hole from a previously punched set of holes. This results in a new set of six additional holes being punched where the pitch between all of the resulting holes are equal, thereby creating a unitary, consistent pattern of holes throughout the entire cover page and/or inner pages. 
   In  FIGS. 3 ,  6 A,  7 A and  8 A, a slidable stabilizer arm  88  may be horizontally extended from the rear of the apparatus  10  to provide additional leverage and stability when engaging the hole punching mechanism  20 . The stabilizer arm  88  includes a vertical ledge  89  to facilitate pulling and pushing. When not in use, the stabilizer arm  88  may be slid back into a bottom casing  95  shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   The apparatus  10  may also comprise non-slip pads, or feet,  95  on a bottom surface  99  as shown in  FIG. 9  to provide extra traction and stability. 
   With the preferred structures of the hole punching mechanism  20  described, turn now to its preferred operation as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  7 A,  8 A and  10 . A user will initially select either a cover page  66  as shown in  FIG. 6A , generally composed of thicker cardboard material, or one or more inner pages  77  as shown in  FIG. 7A , generally composed of thinner sheets of paper. The material  66 ,  77  is then inserted downwardly into the vertical slot  26  with the portion  91  to be punched positioned at the bottom of the slot  26 . The punch guide  55  is axially adjusted, as shown by the bi-directional arrow  93  such that the appropriate surface  62 ,  71  of the guide  55  is aligned with the slot  26 , or more specifically, with the paper/book material  66 ,  77  inserted into the slot  26 . 
   For cover pages as shown in  FIG. 6A , the guide  55  is axially adjusted such that the cover page guide surface  62  is aligned with the cover page  66  inserted into the slot  26 . The cover page  66  is moved horizontally until its top or bottom edge  64 , as the case may be, abuts the cover page guide surface  66 . For inner pages as shown in  FIG. 6B , the guide  55  is axially adjusted such that the inner page surface  71  of the medial tab  73  is aligned with the inner page  77  inserted into the slot  26 . Since inner pages  77  tend to be thinner, a stack of inner pages  77  may be inserted into the slot  26  as punched at one time. The inner page, or a stack of pages,  77  is moved horizontally until its top or bottom edge  75 , as the case may be, abuts the inner page surface  71 . 
   With the paper material  66 ,  77  inserted and properly aligned, a user may then simply push the lever  31  downward to cause the punch die  35  to traverse horizontally, thereby causing the punch teeth  37  to punch holes through the material  66 ,  77 . In the preferred embodiment, the punch teeth  37  do not all puncture the material  66 ,  77  at the same time, but rather through a graduated, alternating configuration so as to lessen the amount of force necessary to exert down on the lever  31 . This is particularly helpful when very thick materials, which typically serve as covers to journal notebooks, are being hole punched. To the extent that a greater amount of force needs to be exerted on the lever  31 , the stabilizer arm  88  may be slid out from the rear  14  of the apparatus to provide extra leverage and prevent the apparatus  10  from tilting. 
   In  FIG. 11 , the apparatus  10  also comprises the binding mechanism  22  so as to form a dual function machine  10  that combines hole punching with binding so as to provide all the necessary tools for the individual user to make a journal notebook. The binding mechanism  22  comprises a vertical inner vise wall  102  and a vertical outer vise wall  104 . In the preferred embodiment, the outer vise wall  104  is horizontally movable with respect to the inner vise wall  102 . Alternatively, the inner vise wall  102  may be made movable with respect to the outer vise wall  104 , or both walls  102 ,  104  may be made horizontally movable. 
   In  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  11 , the outer vise wall  104  is coupled to a floor  106 . In the preferred embodiment, the outer vise wall  104  includes side runners  108  that can slide axially within side tracks  111  of the floor  106  such that the outer vise wall  104  is axially slidable with respect to the floor. It is to be expressly understood that a variety of mechanisms may be utilized to cause the outer vise wall  104  to be axially movable with respect to the floor  106  and the inner vise wall  102 . A handle  113  preferably in the form of a knob is coupled to the outer vise wall  104  facilitates manual operation. The handle  113  is coupled to a shaft  114  threaded at the bottom end. By tightening the knob  113 , the shaft  114  is secured to the floor  106 , thereby securing the outer vise wall  104  once the outer vise wall  114  is slid to the desired position along the floor  106 . A vise stopper  114  is also provided at the front end  12  of the apparatus  10 . 
   The outer vise wall  104  preferably includes a bottom portion  115  that is curved, or flared, towards the inner vise wall  102  to facilitate compression of the circular binding wire as discussed below. The outer vise wall  104 , inner vise wall  102  and floor  106  collectively form an opening, or binding channel,  117  for receiving books partially assembled with binding rings or binding wire. 
   In operation as shown in  FIG. 11 , a user first threads a binding material  119 , such as double wire binding ring combs, through the holes punched in the covers and inner pages to form a partially assembled journal book  122 . The book  122  is then placed into the opening  117  with the binding wire  119  downward and resting on the floor  106 . The user then moves the outer vise wall  104  inward towards the inner vise wall  102  so as to compress the binding wire  119 , thereby completing assembly of the book  122 . In the preferred embodiment, the necessary force to move the outer vise wall  104  so as to compress the binding wire comprises a range of 0.5 pounds to 10 pounds. 
   The mobility of the outer vise wall  104  with respect to the inner vise wall  102  not only accomplishes the compression of binding materials, but also provides for adjustability to receive differently sized binding wires. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment, the outer vise wall  104  may be adjusted to and from the inner vise wall  102  to receive binding wires having diameters ranging, for example, from 0.5 inches to 2 inches. 
   Accordingly, it will be appreciated that what was once accomplished with at least two heavy duty machines in an industrial manufacturing setting is now accomplished with a single, dual function machine for non-industrial use (e.g., at home). Furthermore, the dual functions of hole punching and wire binding is combined into a small, compact machine  10  that is easily portable so that hobbyists can carry the machine  10  to any particular destination and, for example, gather together with other arts and crafts enthusiasts with their own machines  10 . 
   As examples and not by way of limitations, the ranges of the miniature size of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus  10  include the following. The apparatus  10  has a height in the range of 2 inches to 8 inches, with a preferred height of 3 to 4 inches, when the lever  31  is in a fully depressed position as shown in  FIG. 10 , which is the preferred configuration for storage. With the lever  31  in the fully upright position, the machine  10  preferably has a height up to 18 inches. The apparatus  10  also has a width in the range of 2.5 inches to 12 inches, with a preferred width of 4 to 5 inches. With the stabilizing bar in the stowed position and not considering the lever  31 , the apparatus  10  has a length in the range of 4 inches to 10 inches, with a preferred length of 6 to 7 inches. Full extension of the stabilizing arm  88  and/or full depression of the lever may add another 2 to 7 inches to the rear of the main casing  24 . Thus, it will be appreciated that the above preferred ranges of dimensions of the apparatus  10  further facilitate ease of use and portability thereof. 
     FIG. 12  illustrates a preferred method  200  for making a journal notebook with a single machine. The method  200  comprises step  210  of providing at least one cover and at least one inner page, or sheet. 
   Step  220  comprises inserting the covers or inner pages into a vertical slot in the machine. Covers tend to be composed of thicker materials such as chipboard, whereas inner pages tend to be composed of thinner materials. Accordingly, step  220  preferably comprises inserting one cover at a time into the vertical slot. Since inner pages are generally thinner, step  220  may comprise inserting one inner page or a stack of multiple inner pages at one time into the vertical slot. 
   Step  230  comprises aligning the covers or inner pages with a guide providing different positions, namely, a cover position, an inner page position, and a continuous punch position. In step  240 , a first plurality of holes is punched into the inner page(s) with the machine using a force in the preferred range of 0.5 to 5 pounds on an actuator, such as a lever. Step  250  comprises punching a second plurality of holes into the cover(s) with the machine using the preferred range of 2.0 to 25 pounds on the actuator. 
   In the preferred embodiment, the number of holes punched into the material in a single actuation of the hole punching mechanism depends upon the number of punch teeth formed on the punch die (e.g., 6 punch teeth on a punch die will equate to 6 holes punched in one instance). It is anticipated that users will want to make journal notebooks with covers and pages that require more holes than the maximum capacity provided by the machine with a single exertion. This may be required particularly when making a journal with large pages and covers that require more holes than be punched at one time with the punching mechanism of the apparatus. 
   Accordingly, the method  200  also enables a user to continuously punch holes through a previously punched cover or inner page to form a continuous pattern of holes with equal spacing between all the holes punched. Step  260  comprises aligning a previously punched cover or inner page in the slot with the guide. In step  160 , the previously punched cover or inner page is positioned such that a previously punched hole receives a projection on the guide. This properly aligns the previously punched cover or inner page for the additional punching in step  270 . 
   In step  270 , a third or additional plurality of holes is punched into the previously punched cover or inner page. With the proper alignment in step  260 , the resulting additional holes punched in step  270  will form a continuous pattern with the previously punched holes so that equal and consistent spacing is provided between all the holes punched. 
   Step  280  comprises inserting a binding material, such as binding wire or binding rings, through the first plurality of holes and second plurality of holes so as to partially assembly the covers to the inner pages. In the preferred method, double wire binding ring combs are inserted through the punched holes. Step  290  comprises compressing the binding material with a binding mechanism of the machine. In step  290 , an outer vise wall is moved horizontally toward an inner vise wall to compress the binding material, and thus complete assembly of the journal notebook. 
   The preferred method  200  enables an individual to accomplish what formerly could only be done at a factory using multiple machines. Not only does the method  200  enable the individual user to make a journal notebook with a single machine, it does so by only requiring certain ranges of force well within human capacity. 
   Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations. 
   The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species. 
   The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
   Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
   The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.