Patent ID: 7828503

Claim:
A machine for cutting and crimping at least one end of a helical coil formed from a filament coiled around a longitudinal axis of the coil so that an outer surface of the filament lies in a generally cylindrical surface, which coil is inserted into aligned holes at an edge of a collated book for binding the book, the machine being adjustable to receive a book carried by an operator and to accommodate different thickness of book and respective different diameter of coil as presented by the operator, the machine comprising: a frame; a cutting device mounted on the frame for operating on the coil at the end of the coil; the cutting device being arranged to provide a shearing action at one position on the filament and a bending action at another spaced position on the filament such that said one turn of the filament is cut at said one position to form an end portion of the filament in the shearing action and such that the end portion of the filament is crimped to one side of said one turn at said spaced position in said bending action; a guide assembly mounted on the frame adjacent an end of the coil for engaging and locating the coil so as to locate the axis of the coil centered in a centering direction relative to the cutting device; wherein the guide assembly is arranged to be adjustable to receive and locate different diameter of coils; wherein the guide assembly comprises two spaced side guide members each arranged to engage and locate an outer peripheral surface of the coil on a respective side of the longitudinal axis; the guide members both being movable relative to the longitudinal axis of the coil to locate said axis in the centering direction.