Patent ID: 8282330

Claim:
A machine for attachment of a cover to a book block, comprising: a frame ( 7 ); a press plate ( 8 ) attached to the frame ( 7 ) for reciprocal vertical movement between a lower end standby position and an upper end press position; a press plate elevating means mounted in the frame ( 7 ); a pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) arranged on an upper surface of the press plate ( 8 ) in parallel to each other for sliding in directions toward and away from each other; a nip plate drive means attached to the press plate ( 8 ) for causing the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) to slide; a clamp unit ( 5 ) mounted in the frame ( 7 ) for clamping a book block ( 4 ) at both sides thereof in a way that a back surface of the book block ( 4 ) is directed downward, glue being previously applied to the back surface of the book block ( 4 ), the clamp unit ( 5 ) arranging the book block ( 4 ) above a gap between the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) in a manner such that the back surface of the book block ( 4 ) faces the gap, a cover ( 12 ) being arranged on the press plate ( 8 ), the cover ( 12 ) covering the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) and crossing the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ); and a control section ( 30 ) sending a control signal to the press plate elevating means and the nip plate drive means so as to upwardly move the press plate ( 8 ) from the standby position to the press position together with the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) and press the cover ( 12 ) against the back surface of the book block ( 4 ) by the press plate ( 8 ) and thereafter, in the press position, nip a lower end of the book block ( 4 ) at both sides thereof together with the cover ( 12 ) by the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) and press the cover ( 12 ) against side surfaces of the lower end of the book block ( 4 ), thereby attaching the cover ( 12 ) to the book block ( 4 ), wherein the press plate ( 8 ) is supported by a shaft ( 11 ) rotatably around an axis of the shaft ( 11 ) at a portion thereof which is separated from the gap between the pair of nip plates ( 9 , 10 ) by a distance in a direction intersecting at a right angle with the nip plates ( 9 , 10 ), the shaft ( 11 ) being attached to the frame ( 7 ) and extending in parallel to the nip plates ( 9 , 10 ), whereby the first and second ends (X,Y) of the press plate ( 8 ) are vertically reciprocated by the first and second elevation units, respectively; wherein the press plate elevating means comprises: a first elevation unit for vertically moving a first end (X) of the press plate ( 8 ), the first end (X) being located at a top edge side of the book block ( 4 ); and a second elevation unit for vertically moving a second end (Y) of the press plate ( 8 ), the second end (Y) being located at a bottom edge side of the book block ( 4 ), and wherein the first and second elevation units are separately controlled by the control section ( 30 ) so that the height of each of the first and second ends (X, Y) of the press plate ( 8 ) at the press position can be set separately.