Patent ID: 8641348

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a hardback book cover, comprising: a frame ( 30 ); a rotary table ( 31 ) for supporting a generally rectangular cover sheet ( 27 ) having a rear face attached to a plurality of stiffening boards ( 26 a , 26 b , 26 c ) lying in a plane underneath the cover sheet ( 27 ); a fixing unit ( 32 ) for pressing the cover sheet ( 27 ) against the stiffening boards ( 26 a , 26 b , 26 c ), with the cover sheet ( 27 ) having a first pair of opposite, top and bottom, outer margins ( 27 a ) having an adhesive layer on the rear face of the cover sheet ( 27 ) and extending beyond the stiffening boards ( 26 a , 26 b , 26 c ), and a second pair of opposite, front and rear, outer margins ( 27 a ) having an adhesive layer on the rear face of the cover sheet ( 27 ) and extending beyond the stiffening boards ( 26 a , 26 b , 26 c ); a drive ( 33 ) for jointly turning the table ( 31 ) and the fixing unit ( 32 ), together with the cover sheet ( 27 ) and the attached stiffening boards ( 26 a , 26 b , 26 c ), relative to the frame ( 30 ) about an upright axis between first and second cover positions that are angularly offset by 90°; a pair of horizontal linear guide rails ( 34 ) mounted on the frame ( 30 ) at opposite sides of the upright axis; a pair of folding units ( 35 ) mounted at opposite sides, and extending widthwise, of the rotary, table ( 31 ) for reciprocal linear movement on and along the guide rails ( 34 ) simultaneously toward each other in a folding position, and simultaneously away from each other in a standby position; and a control unit ( 7 ) for controlling the drive ( 33 ) to successively turn the cover sheet ( 27 ) to the first and second cover positions, and to move the folding units ( 35 ) in synchronism with the drive ( 33 ) to the folding position in which the folding units ( 35 ) simultaneously engage, fold and adhere the top and bottom outer margins ( 27 a ) to the stiffening boards in one of the cover positions, and simultaneously engage, fold and adhere the front and rear outer margins ( 27 a ) to the stiffening boards in the other of the cover positions.