Individual bookbinding device, system, and associated methods
AssigneeYeaple Corporation
InventorRonald N. Yeaple
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stack of pages is bound along a first edge to form a book using an elongated resistive strip having an adhesive in contact with at least a portion of a first side. The strip has two opposed ends and is dimensioned to substantially cover the first edge of the stack, with the first side against the first edge of the stack. Preferably the strip has a series of alternating finely scribed, spaced-apart cuts extending through the foil. An electrical current is introduced to pass along the strip between the ends. The current should be sufficient to create enough heat in the strip to achieve a temperature at least as great as the adhesive's melting temperature, enabling the melted adhesive to bind the stack of pages together along the first edge.
Claims40
A system for binding a stack of pages along an edge thereof to form a book, the system comprising:
- an elongated strip having opposed ends, opposed side edges extending between the ends, and an electrical resistivity between the ends, the strip having a plurality of spaced-apart cuts extending therethrough inwardly from and perpendicular to the side edges in alternating fashion, so as to form a substantially serpentine electrically conductive path between the ends, the strip further having an adhesive with a predetermined melting temperature in contact with at least a portion of a first side thereof, the strip first side positionable in contact with a binding edge of a stack of pages to be bound;
- and
- means for introducing an electrical current along the strip between the ends, the current sufficient to heat the strip to a temperature at least as great as the melting temperature in order to melt the adhesive and thereby bind the stack of pages together along the binding edge.
A method for binding a stack of pages along an edge thereof to form a book, the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a first side of an elongated strip in contact with a binding edge of a stack of pages desired to be bound, the strip having:
- opposed ends;
- opposed side edges extending between the ends;
- an electrical resistivity between the ends;
- a plurality of spaced-apart cuts extending therethrough inwardly from and perpendicular to the side edges in alternating fashion, so as to form a substantially serpentine electrically conductive path between the ends;
- and
- an adhesive with a predetermined melting temperature in contact with at least a portion of a first side thereof;
- and
- melting the adhesive to bind the stack of pages together along the binding edge.
A book-binding element comprising:
- an electrically resistive strip having a plurality of spaced-apart cuts extending therethrough inwardly from and perpendicular to opposed side edges thereof in alternating fashion, so as to form a substantially serpentine electrically conductive path between opposed ends thereof;
- an adhesive with a predetermined melting temperature in contact with at least a portion of a first side of the strip, the strip first side positionable in contact with a binding edge of a stack of pages to be bound;
- and
- means for introducing an electrical current along the strip between opposed ends thereof, the current sufficient to heat the strip to a temperature at least as great as the melting temperature in order to melt the adhesive and thereby bind the stack of pages together along the binding edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.