Book shaping and pressing machine

A book shaping and pressing apparatus comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced pressing means, each of said pressing means comprising an inner pressing plate and an outer pressing plate, said plates facing each other across a gap, the outer pressing plate of each said pressing means being supported from and movable with the inner pressing plate in a first direction and relative to the inner pressing plate in a second direction to reduce the gap between the two plates, first spring means mounted on said pressing means for causing said pressing plates to exert clamping pressure on a book, said first spring means resiliently biasing said outer pressing plate toward said inner pressing plate, said apparatus further comprising heated joint-forming means, said joint-forming means being installed on each of said pressing means, each of said joint-forming means comprising a pair of joint-forming rails, the rails of each said pair of joint-forming rails facing each other across a gap that can be varied, drive means coupled to each of said pressing means for continuously propelling said pressing means, said drive means including stationary guide means for defining an endless path of movement for the inner pressing plate of each pressing means, means in part mounted on said pressing means and acting on the outer pressing plate of each pressing means for generating a compressive force for application to a clamped book whereby the gap between the pressing plates will be reduced, said compressive force being superimposed on the clamping pressure along at least a first preselected portion of said path, means positioned along said path downstream of said first preselected portion of said path and cooperating with said compressive force generating means for relieving the said compressive force and enlarging the gap between the pressing plates, and first means for actuating the joint-forming rails to vary the gap therebetween, said first actuating means being in part mounted on said pressing means and reducing the gap between said joint-forming rails along a portion of said path.