Patent ID: 8475105

Claim:
A binding system for binding a stack of sheets with a binding element, the binding system comprising: a binding machine having a binding element selection portion for measuring a stack of sheets to be bound, the binding element selection portion including a plurality of different thickness selection indicia for associating with different thicknesses of the stack of sheets, a selected one of the plurality of thickness selection indicia corresponding with the thickness of the stack of sheets to be bound; and a binding element loading portion for supporting a binding element in position for loading the stack of sheets thereon, the binding element loading portion including an alignment indicia and a plurality of different binding element opening indicia; and binding elements of different sizes for binding stacks of sheets of varying thicknesses, each size of binding element having thereon a thickness selection indicia corresponding to one of the plurality of thickness selection indicia on the binding machine such that a binding element having the thickness selection indicia corresponding to the selected thickness selection indicia can be used for binding the stack of sheets; each binding element further including an alignment indicia corresponding with the alignment indicia on the binding machine such that alignment of the alignment indicia on the binding element with the alignment indicia on the binding machine indicates a correct orientation of the binding element in the binding element loading portion; and each binding element further including a finger having a binding element opening indicia thereon corresponding to one of the plurality of different binding element opening indicia on the binding machine such that alignment of the binding element opening indicia on the finger of the binding element with the corresponding binding element opening indicia on the binding machine indicates an optimal opened position of the binding element for loading the stack of sheets thereon.