Hot melt adhesive applicator

An apparatus for binding a plurality of sheets of carbonless paper together with a solid hot melt adhesive material sheet such that the sheets of paper are bound as a plurality of multi-sheet form sets having at least two sheets comprising:

• a frame;
• means mounted on the frame for presenting one edge of the sheets of paper in a substantially horizontal plane for binding, the presenting means comprising a pair of clamping plates for clamping the sheets of paper therebetween adjacent the edge, and a slip clutch which controls the amount of pressure applied to the sheets of paper between the clamping plates;
• means movably mounted on the frame for heating and melting a solid hot melt adhesive material sheet placed on the top edge of the sheets of paper to cause the liquid adhesive to penetrate the seams between the sheets of paper to bind the sheets of paper together without pressing the liquid adhesive downwardly into the seams between the sheets of paper, wherein the heating means comprises a heating platen which heats and melts the adhesive and bind the sheets by applying heat at temperatures below 150.degree. C. for a time period of less than two minutes, and wherein additional application of heat neither improves nor impairs binding;
• means mounted on the presenting means for insulating the edge of the sheets of paper from the remainder of the apparatus to maintain a temperature profile across the top of the edge of the sheets of paper at a sufficiently high temperature to prevent the adhesive material from drying before the paper sheets are properly bound and to facilitate adherence of the adhesive material onto the sheets of paper;
• and
• means for aligning the sheets of paper comprising a vibrating plate which vibrates the sheets of paper between the clamping plates to align the edge of the sheets of paper prior to binding;
• wherein the clamping plates are rotatable in a vertical plane through an angle of at least 180.degree. from a position adjacent the vibrating plate in which the sheets of paper are aligned to a position adjacent the heating means in which the hot melt adhesive material sheet is heated and melted.

An apparatus for binding a plurality of sheets of paper together comprising:

• a frame;
• means mounted on the frame for presenting one edge of the sheets of paper in a substantially horizontal plane for binding, wherein the presenting means comprises a pair of clamping plates for clamping the sheets of paper therebetween;
• means mounted on the frame for heating and melting a solid hot melt adhesive material sheet placed on top of the edge of the sheets of paper to cause the liquid adhesive to penetrate the seams between the sheets of paper to bind the sheets of paper together;
• and
• means mounted on the presenting means for restricting heat transfer from the sheets to the presenting means to maintain a temperature profile across the top of the edge of the sheets of paper at a sufficiently high temperature to prevent the adhesive material from drying before the paper sheets are properly bound and to facilitate adherence of the adhesive material onto the sheets of paper.

An apparatus for binding a plurality of sheets of paper together comprising:

• a frame;
• means mounted on the frame for presenting one edge of the sheets of paper in a substantially horizontal plane for binding, wherein the presenting means comprises a pair of clamping plates for clamping the sheets of paper therebetween;
• means mounted on the frame for heating and melting a backless solid hot melt adhesive material sheet placed on top of the edge of the sheets of paper to cause the liquid adhesive to penetrate the seams between the sheets of paper to bind the sheets of paper together;
• and
• means mounted on the presenting means for maintaining a temperature profile across the top of the edge of the sheets of paper at a sufficiently high temperature to prevent the adhesive material from drying before the paper sheets are properly bound and to facilitate adherence of the adhesive material onto the sheets of paper.

An apparatus for binding a plurality of sheets of paper together comprising:

• a frame;
• means mounted on the frame for presenting one edge of the sheets of paper in a substantially horizontal plane for binding, wherein the presenting means comprises a pair of clamping plates for clamping the sheets of paper therebetween;
• means mounted on the frame for heating and melting a solid hot melt adhesive material sheet placed on top of the edge of the sheets of paper to cause the liquid adhesive to penetrate the seams between the sheets of paper to bind the sheets of paper together without wrapping the liquid adhesive around and adhering the liquid adhesive to the outsides of the outermost sheets of paper;
• and
• means mounted on the presenting means for maintaining a temperature profile across the top of the edge of the sheets of paper at a sufficiently high temperature to prevent the adhesive material from drying before the paper sheets are properly bound and to facilitate adherence of the adhesive material onto the sheets of paper.