Binding system

A cover structure adapted for use to bind a multiplicity of similarly sized sheets each having a spine edge, and an outer edge opposite said spine edge, which sheets are disposed in a stack having opposite side surfaces, said cover structure comprising:

• a first cover assembly including a first cover plate having a spine edge, an inner surface adapted to be placed adjacent one side surface of the stack, and an outer surface, first and second liners projecting from the spine edge of said first cover plate, a first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive between and releasably adhered to both of said liners, a strong flexible backing adhered to a portion of the outer surface of said first cover plate adjacent its spine edge and projecting past the spine edge of said first cover along the side of said second liner opposite said first liner, and a second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive firmly adhered to the projecting portion of said backing and releasably adhered to said second release liner;
• and
• a second cover assembly including a second cover plate having a spine edge, an inner surface adapted to be placed adjacent the side surface of the stack opposite said first cover plate with the spine edge of said second cover plate aligned with the spine edges of sheets in the stack, and a disposable plate, said disposable plate being separably attached edge to edge to said second cover plate along the spine edge of the second cover plate so that with said cover plates positioned on opposite sides of the stack and the sheets in the stack disposed with narrow side surface portions of the sheets along the spine edges of the sheets exposed, said first liner may be removed, said first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the spine edges and narrow side surface portions of the sheets and to said disposable plate of said second cover assembly, said second liner can be removed, said disposable plate can be removed to remove any portion of said first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive extending beyond the stack, the sheets in the stack can be moved relative to each other to a position with the spine edges of the sheets in the stack positioned in a plane at a right angle with respect to the side surfaces of the stack to form said first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive so that it has a major portion extending in a generally uniform layer along the spine edges of the sheets and has minor portions extending between the narrow side surface portions of the sheets to retain adhesion of said first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive to the spine edges and the narrow side surface portions of the sheets, and said second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on said backing can be adhered to said major portion of the first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive over the spine edges of the sheets and to a portion of said second cover plate adjacent its spine edge to retain the spine edges of the sheets in the stack in a plane generally at a right angle to the side surfaces of the stack.

A method for binding a stack of sheets each having a spine edge, and an outer edge opposite the spine edge, said method comprising the steps of:

• disposing the sheets in a stack having side surfaces with narrow side surface portions of the sheets adjacent the spine edges exposed beyond the spine edges of overlying sheets;
• providing a generally uniformly thick first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive releasably adhered to a liner;
• pressing the first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive against the spine edges and the exposed narrow side surface portions of the sheets in the stack through the liner;
• removing the liner from the first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive after said pressing step;
• moving the sheets to a position with the spine edges of the sheets generally aligned in a plane generally at a right angle to the side surfaces of the stack after said removing step to re-form the first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive so that a major portion of the re-formed first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive extends in a generally uniform continuous layer along the spine edges of the sheets and minor portions of the re-formed first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive extend between the narrow side surface portions of the sheets to retain adhesion of the re-formed first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive to the spine edges and the narrow side surface portions;
• and
• adhering a generally planar central portion of a backing over and to the major portion of the re-formed first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on its side opposite the spine edges and attaching end portions of the backing at the sides of the stack to retain the spine edges of the sheets in a plane at generally a right angle to the side surfaces of the stack.

A device for use in binding a multiplicity of sheets each having a spine edge, an outer edge opposite said spine edge, and major side surfaces, said device comprising:

• a frame;
• positioning means on said frame for positioning the sheets in an aligned stack in a first position with the spine edges and the outer edges of the sheets aligned in generally horizontal planes at right angles to the side surfaces of the sheets and the side surfaces of the sheets extending generally vertically upward from the spine edges of the sheets;
• revolving means on said frame for revolving the aligned stack of sheets from said first position to a second position at which second position the spine edges and the outer edges of the sheets are aligned in generally vertical planes at right angles to the side surfaces of the sheets and the side surfaces of the sheets extend generally horizontally;
• and
• arching means on said frame and activatable with the stack of sheets initially in said second position for arching a portion of the stack of sheets between the spine and outer edges of the sheets about an axis parallel to the spine and outer edges of the sheets while retaining the outer edges of the sheets in a plane at a right angle to adjacent portions of the side surfaces of the sheets to cause relative slippage of potions of the sheets adjacent the spine edges of the sheets and expose narrow side surface portions of corresponding sides of the sheets adjacent the spine edges of the sheets so that a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive may be applied thereto, and for subsequently returning the arched stack of sheets to said second position to again cause relative slippage of portions of the sheets adjacent the spine edges of the sheets to again align the spine edges of the sheets in a plane generally at a right angle to the side surfaces of the sheets;
• said positioning, revolving and arching means comprising:
• firm clamping means including first and second opposed jaws for firmly clamping the aligned stack of sheets together adjacent the outer edges of the sheets;
• limited clamping means for applying a predetermined clamping force to clamp the stack of sheets together adjacent the spine edges of the sheets when said stack is in said second position;
• means for automatically engaging said limited clamping means with the stack during revolving of the stack from said first position to said second position by said revolving means;
• and
• means for moving said firm clamping means engaged with the aligned stack to help position the stack in said first or said second positions and to arch a portion of the stack, the portions of the sheets in the stack engaged by said limited clamping means slipping relative to each other under said limited clamping means to expose narrow side surface portions of corresponding sides of the sheets adjacent the spine edges of the sheets and to thereafter return the arched clamped stack of sheets to said second position to again align the spine edges in a plane generally at a right angle to the side surfaces of the sheets.