Patent ID: 7246982

Claim:
A machine for inserting plastic pre-formed helical coils into aligned holes at an edge of respective collated books for binding the books, the machine being adjustable to accommodate different dimensions of books and respective different dimensions of coils comprising: a platen for receiving each of the collated books in turn, the platen having an edge at which the edge of the book is presented; a coil drive and support assembly for supporting and rotating each of the helical coils in turn at the edge of the platen about an axis of the coil parallel to the edge of the platen; the coil drive and support assembly including a coil drive roller for contacting the coil; a comb guide at the edge of the platen such that rotation of the helical coil causes movement of helical turns of the helical coil along the platen into engagement with the edge of the book and into the aligned holes; the coil drive and support assembly and the platen having an adjustment mechanism for adjustment movement to accommodate different diameters of coils so as to locate each of the coils of different diameters at a required position relative to the comb guide for the respective coil to pass through the aligned holes in the respective collated book; a linkage operable for locating said adjustment movement of the adjustment mechanism; and a gauge member; the gauge member having a seat for receiving a portion of a representative one of a selected series of coils such that one part of a periphery of the representative one of the coils engages the seat of the gauge member; the gauge member including a contact member on the linkage at a position thereon separate from and spaced from the driven roller of the coil drive and support assembly; the contact member and the seat of the gauge member being arranged such that the contact member and the seat engage said representative one of the coils on the seat for locating said adjustment movement of the adjustment mechanism.