Machine for attachment of cover to book block and book binding apparatus having the same

A machine for attachment of a cover to a book block, comprising:

• a frame;
• a press plate attached to the frame to be vertically reciprocated between a lower standby position and an upper press position;
• a press plate elevating mechanism attached to the flame for elevating the press plate;
• a pair of nip plates disposed in parallel to each other on an upper surface of the press plate to be slid toward and away from each other;
• a nip plate drive mechanism attached to the press plate for sliding the nip plates;
• a clamp unit mounted on the frame for clamping a book block at both side thereof in such a way that a back surface of the book block to which glue is previously applied is directed downward, the clamp unit positioning the book block above a gap between the plates in such a way that the back surface of the book block is opposed to the gap, a cover being arranged over the press plate;
• and
• a controller controlling the press plate elevating mechanism and the nip plate drive mechanism, whereby
• the press plate together with the nip plates elevates from the lower standby position to an intermediate position adjacent to the upper press position,
• the press plate stays at the intermediate position during a waiting time for adjustment,
• the press plate together with the nip plates elevates from the intermediate position to the upper press position, and then
• the nip plates move toward each other so as to attach the cover to the book block.