System for and method of binding and trimming a perfect bound book

Apparatus for binding a book block and a soft cover to manufacture a perfect bound book and for trimming said perfect bound book to a predetermined size, said book comprising a book block having a plurality of pages and a cover, said book block ranging between a minimum and a maximum number of pages, each said page being generally rectangular, one edge of said book block constituting a spine, said apparatus comprising a carriage movable along a work path, said carriage receiving said pages constituting said book block with said pages oriented such that a lowermost edge of said book block constitutes said spine, said carriage having a vertical wall against which a vertical edge of said book block bears thereby establishing a reference position for said book block with respect to said carriage, said work path having an adhesive application station, a clamping station, and a trimming station located therealong, said carriage transporting said book block to said adhesive application station where a suitable adhesive is applied to said spine, said carriage then transporting said book block to said clamping station where a cover for said book to be bound is positioned such that upon stopping of said carriage at said clamping station results in said book block and said cover being in a desired position with respect to one another, said clamping station having a clamp which engages said cover proximate said spine and forcefully compresses said cover onto said front and back faces of said book block proximate said spine thereby to adhere said cover to said book block, said carriage further transporting said bound book to said trimming station and placing said bound book in a predetermined position at said trimming station, said trimming station having a selectively actuable trimming blade for trimming predetermined amounts from said cover and said book block along one or more edges thereof, said trimming station and said blade being positionable with respect to one another such that actuation of said trimming blade a predetermined amount of the margin along a first edge is trimmed therefrom, said trimming station effecting turning of said book approximately 90° so that a second edge of said book is disposed toward said trimming blade said book and said trimming blade being positionable with respect to one another such that upon actuation of said trimming blade a predetermined amount of said book block and of said cover is trimmed from said second edge of the book, said trimming station effecting turning of said book approximately 90° so that a third edge of said book is disposed toward said trimming blade such that upon actuation of said trimming blade a predetermined amount of said book block and of said cover is trimmed from said third edge of the book, whereby a perfect bound book is produced trimmed along three edges of the book and with the book being of a predetermined size.

Apparatus for binding a perfect bound book and for trimming at least two sides of said book, the latter comprising a generally rectangular book block having a multiplicity of pages with the book block ranging between a minimum predetermined thickness and a maximum predetermined thickness, said book block having a front face, a back face and a spine along one of the edges of the book block, a cover having a front and back and a center section therebetween, said cover being sized relative to said book block such that the front and back of the cover overlies the front and back faces of said book block and such that said center section extends around said spine, said book block and said cover being dimensioned such that portions of said cover and of said book block are to be trimmed along one or more edges of said book thereby to result in a finished book having a predetermined rectangular size, said apparatus comprising:

• a carriage for holding a book block to be bound in a cover, said carriage being movable along a work path between a plurality of work stations;
• a programmable control system for controlling operation of said carriage and of said work stations along said work path, said carriage establishing a reference position for said book block carried thereby with said reference position being known to said control system;
• an adhesive application station along said work path at which an adhesive suitable for bonding said cover to said spine of said book block is applied;
• a clamping station along said work path at which said book block carried by said carriage and one of said covers are positioned in predetermined relation to one another, said control system effecting operation of a clamp so as to firmly clamp said cover to said book block proximate said spine such that the front and back of said cover overlies the front and back faces of said book block and such that the center section of the cover is substantially in register with said spine of said book block with said adhesive disposed between said spine and said center section of said cover thereby to bind said cover to said book block and thereby to form a bound book;
• said bound book having margins along at least two edges thereof to be trimmed thereby to form said finished book with the amount of said margins to be trimmed being known to said control system;
• and
• a trimming station which receives said bound book, said trimming station having a nest for receiving said book from said carriage with the position of the book in the nest being known to said control system, said trimming station having a trimming blade movable under the control of said control system relative to said book between a retracted position in which an edge of said book to be trimmed can be positioned relative to said blade and a trimming position in which said blade may be actuated to trim a predetermined amount of said margin known to said control system from said one edge of said book, said control system effecting the positioning of said book relative to said blade so that upon actuation of said blade a predetermined amount of said margin along a second edge of said book known to said control system is trimmed from along said second edge.

Apparatus for binding a book block and a cover to manufacture a perfect bound book and for trimming said perfect bound book to a predetermined size, said book block having a plurality of pages and ranging between a minimum and a maximum number of pages, one edge of book block constituting a spine, said apparatus comprising:

• a programmable control system for controlling said apparatus, said programmable control system receiving information relating to the size of the book to be bound and controlling operation of said apparatus so as to bind said book block and cover to form a bound book and to trim predetermined amounts from the margins from said bound book to produce said book of said predetermined size;
• a carriage under the control of said control system movable along a work path, said carriage receiving said book block with said with said book block being in a reference position relative to said carriage known to said control system;
• said work path having an adhesive application station, a clamping station and a trimming station located therealong;
• said control system initiating movement of said carriage along said work path past said adhesive application station where a suitable adhesive is applied so as to be between said spine and said cover upon binding of the cover to said book block;
• at said clamping station, said control system positioning said cover and said book block in predetermined relation, said clamping station having clamping members disposed on opposite sides of said book block and engageable with said cover proximate said spine so as to forcefully compress said cover onto said book block proximate said spine thereby to adhere said cover to said spine so as to form a bound book;
• said control system then effecting movement of said carriage along said work path so as to transport said bound book to said trimming station, said bound book have excess margins known to said control system, the latter effecting operation of a selectively actuable trimming blade at said trimming station for trimming said excess margins so as to produce said bound book of said predetermined size.

Apparatus for binding a book block and a soft cover to manufacture a perfect bound book and for trimming said perfect bound book to a predetermined size, said book comprising a book block having a plurality of pages and a cover, said book block ranging between a predetermined minimum and a predetermined maximum thickness, one edge of book block constituting a spine, said apparatus comprising:

• a carriage movable along a work path, said carriage receiving said book block with said pages oriented in a vertical plane;
• said work path having an adhesive application station, a binding station, and a trimming station located therealong;
• said carriage being movable along said work path to said adhesive application station where a suitable adhesive is applied to said spine of said book block;
• said carriage then transporting said book block to said binding station where said cover for said book is positioned such that upon stopping of said carriage at said binding station said spine of said book block is positioned substantially in register with said cover;
• said binding station having a clamp that engages said cover proximate said spine and that forcefully compresses said cover onto said front and back faces of said book block proximate said spine thereby to adhere said cover to said spine of said book block;
• said carriage further transporting said bound book to said trimming station, said carriage placing said book in said trimming station at a predetermined position, said trimming station having a selective operable trimming blade for trimming predetermined amounts of said cover and of said book block along first, second, and third edges thereof, said trimming station having a book indexer for rotating said book so as to present said second edge and then said third edge of said book toward said trimming blade after said first edge has been trimmed, said book and said trimming blade being adjustably movable relative to one another in response to said predetermined size of said book so as to position the trimming blade with respect to the first, second, and third edges of the book so that said predetermined amounts of said cover and of said book block may be trimmed therefrom such that said book of said predetermined size will be produced.

A method of manufacturing a perfect bound book wherein a book block is bound to a cover and predetermined amounts of said cover and of said book block are trimmed from along first, second and/or third edges of said book to as to produce a book of a predetermined size, said book block having a plurality of pages, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) moving said book block along a work path from an adhesive application station, to a binding station, and thence to a trimming station;
• (b) knowing the position of said book block as the latter is moved along said work path;
• (c) with said book block at said adhesive application station, depositing adhesive so as to be disposed between one edge of said book block and said cover, said one edge constituting the spine of said book block;
• (d) with said book block at said binding station, clamping said cover onto said book block proximate said spine and effecting an adhesive bond between said cover and said spine of said book block;
• (e) positioning said book in a predetermined position within said trimming station;
• and
• (f) trimming a predetermined amount from the margin of said book along a first edge thereof,
• (1) then turning said book and trimming a predetermined amount from the margin of said book along a second edge thereof, and
• (2) then turning said book and trimming a predetermined amount from the margin of said book along a third edge thereof so as to produce a bound book trimmed along three edges to said predetermined size.

A method of manufacturing a bound book wherein a book block is bound to a cover and wherein predetermined amounts of said cover and of said book block are trimmed from along first, second and third edges of said book to as to produce a finished book of a predetermined size, said book block having a plurality of pages, said method comprising the steps of:

• a. establishing a reference position of said book block known to a computer control system;
• b. under the control of said computer control system, effecting movement of said book block along a work path having an adhesive application station, a binding station, and a trimming station therealong;
• c. wherein with said book block at said adhesive application station, applying adhesive so as to be disposed between one edge of said book block and said cover, said one edge constituting the spine of said book block;
• d. under the control of said computer control system, at said binding station, positioning said book block with respect to said cover such that said book block and said cover are positioned with respect to one another in a predetermined position known to said computer control system;
• e. wherein at said binding station, clamping said cover onto said book block proximate said spine and effecting an adhesive bond between said cover and said spine of said book block such that said spine is adhesively bound to said cover and such that the pages of said book block are adhesively bound to one another proximate said spine;
• f. wherein upon the binding of the book, said book having excess margins along three edges thereof to be trimmed from said book, said computer control system knowing the amount of said margins to be trimmed from each edge of said book;
• and
• g. wherein with said book at said trimming station, under the control of said computer control system, effecting trimming of said excess margin along a first edge of said book,
• i. then turning said book and trimming said excess margin along a second edge of said book, and
• ii. then turning said book and trimming said excess margin along a third edge thereof so as to produce said finished book of said predetermined size.