# US 5,346,573 A · Method of manufacturing a paper binder

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- Number: US 5,346,573 A
- Document ID: US5346573A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/100,986
- Filed: 1993-08-03
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-01-12
- Assignees: Technokantoor Limited
- Inventors: Murray B. Blumberg; William M. Hoffman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346573A

## CPC

- B42F 3/00: Sheets temporarily attached together involving perforations; Means therefor; Sheet details therefor (staples, fasteners in general F16B)
- Y10T 156/1062: Prior to assembly
- Y10T 156/1093: with covering of discrete laminae with additional lamina
- B42F: SHEETS TEMPORARILY ATTACHED TOGETHER; FILING APPLIANCES; FILE CARDS; INDEXING (reading desks A47B19/00; book rests A47B23/00)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A paper binder comprises a pair of prongs, an anchor formation at one end of each prong, and a head, the anchor formations being embedded in the head. The invention extends to a method of manufacturing a paper binder, which includes the steps of providing two thin head forming elements that are capable of being bonded together, forming an aperture in one of the elements, inserting a binding member into the aperture, the binding member having a pair of prongs with anchor formations and bonding the elements together, the anchor formations sandwiched therebetween and the prongs extending therefrom. The invention extends further to an apparatus for manufacturing a paper binder which includes an inserting means for inserting the binding member into an aperture in a base element and a bonding means for bonding a cover element to the base element with an anchor formation sandwiched therebetween.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a binder for binding sheet material, which method includes the steps of
providing two thin head forming elements that are capable of being bonded together;
forming an aperture in one of the elements;
forming an access slot in said apertured element which extends from the aperture to the periphery of said apertured element;
inserting a binding member into the aperture, the member having a pair of prongs and an anchor formation for each prong; and
bonding the elements together with the anchor formations sandwiched therebetween and with the prongs extending therefrom.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method claimed in claim 1, in which the binding member is displaced towards said apertured element in a sideways manner to insert the binding member in the aperture via the slot.

### Claim 3

A method of manufacturing a binder for binding sheet material, which method includes the steps of
providing two thin head forming elements that are capable of being bonded together;
forming an aperture in one of the elements;
cutting an access slit in said apertured element which extends from the aperture to the periphery of said apertured element;
inserting a binding member into the aperture, the member having a pair of prongs and an anchor formation for each prong; and
bonding the elements together with the anchor formations sandwiched therebetween and with the prongs extending therefrom.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method claimed in claim 3, in which the binding member is displaced towards said apertured element in a sideways manner, said apertured element is deformed to open the slit, and the binding member is inserted into the aperture via the opened slit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 3)

The method claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 in which said head forming elements are made from non-metallic materials.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 3)

The method claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 in which the binding member comprises two metal strips each having a bent over anchor formation at one end and a prong extending therefrom.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 3)

The method claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 which further includes the step of bending the binding member to form the anchor formations.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 3)

The method claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 in which the binding member comprises a single metal strip that is "T"-shaped, with the prongs defining the leg thereof and a central folded over portion defining the crossbar thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1, 3)

The method claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 in which the elements are of a thermoplastic synthetic plastics material that are bonded together by welding.