US2711703A - Book sewing machine - Google Patents

Description

L ZUUBY EEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1952 INVENTOR. BENMM/N Dz/B Y Cu z/ ATTORNEY Jum 23, m5 5. mm fi fi BOOK SEWING MACHINE Filed. Aug. 26, 1.952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. BEMMM/N Due Y ATTORNEY- June 28, 1955 Filed Aug. 26, 1952 B. DUBY BOOK SEWING MACHINE 3 sheets -sheet 3 INVENTOR. ,BEMMM/N D05 Y ATTORNEY United States Patent BOOK SEWING MACHINE Benjamin Duby, New York, N. Y., assignors to H. Wolff Book Manufacturing Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 26, 1952, Serial No. 306,390

12 Claims. c1. 112-21 This invention relates to a machine for use in stitching along the edges of a folded signature or group of signatures to form a book and includes means whereby the stitched books are successively conveyed through the machine and means whereby the stitching threads connecting successive books are automatically cut to separate the books from each other.

In such machines as heretofore employed, it has been usual to stitch the signatures through their spines or folds, to bind a single signature or to connect a group of stitched signatures to each other, and it has also been heretofore proposed to employ side stitching close to the folded edges of thesignatures, but in such machines conventional sewing mechanisms each having threads supplied from a spool and from a shuttle have been employed, and the means for cutting the threads to separate one book from. another have been mechanically actuated by and in timed relation with the sewing mechanism, with the result that high-speed production has not been found possible.

One object of the present invention is to provide a machine in which the books are conveyed in spaced relation to each other and connected by the stitching threads in combination with feeler mechanism actuated by the moving books for severing the connecting threads.

Another object is to provide the machine with sidestitching mechanism of the type in which two bobbins are provided to furnish the stitching threads without the use of shuttles, so that high-speed production may be obtained without the necessity for frequent stoppages for shuttle renewals.

Still another object is to provide means whereby the stitching, thread-cutting and edge-pressing mechanisms in one continuous operation.

With the above and other objects .in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts of the machine as hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of illustration or example, the necessary parts of a machine for the manufacture of books, each comprising three signatures.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a view looking on the upper surface of the signatures in the machine.

Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the folded edges of the signatures.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a completed book, a delivered by the machine.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 1, "and showing a signature disposed at 45 to a horizontal plane for conveyance through the machine.

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on the line 66, Fig.

l, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view taken on the line 77, Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the signatures 10, 11 and 12 are held in three similar containers or stacks an ranged in line with each other above and parallel to the left-hand end of the table 13, and while the sigma angle of about 45 to a horizontal plane as shown at Fig. 4, and as each group of three signatures is received between the feed rolls 18, 19, it is conveyed to the sewing mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 4, each signature is delivered to the inclined table 13 by means of a rocking arm 20 having a suction cup 21, by means of which the folded edge of each lowermost signature is bent downwardly into position to' be gripped between mechanical jaws 22, 23 carried by a rocking arm 24 pivoted at 25. The jaw 23 is integral with the arm 24 and. carries a pivot 25 upon which the jaw 22 is mounted and a tail piece 26 on the jaw 22 is connected by means of a light spring-27 with a stationary part and is also connected by means of a cable 28 and heavier spring 29 with a fixed point 30 in such manner that when the arm 24 is in the lower position, as shown in fulllines at Fig. 4, the jaws 22, 23 are lightlyheld in their closed posi-.

tion by the spring 27, and as the arm 24 is raised to its upper position, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines at Fig. 4, the tail piece 26 is engaged by a cam device 31 against the action of said spring 27 and also against the action of the stronger spring 29, which is put under tension by the bending of the cable 23 around the hub.

of the arm 24. As the arm 24 is moved downwardly,

the cam 31 releases the tail piece 26 and permits the jaws 22, 23 to tightly grip the folded edge of the signature 10 by the action of said springs 27, 29, and the said jaws pass though slots 32 in a supporting strip 33 for receiving the folded edge of the signatures as the latter are deposited upon the inclined ,table.13, and

since, in its lowermost position, the signature is gripped by the jaws only by reason of the tension of the light spring 27, the engagement of the folded edges of the signatures with the strip 33 disengages the signatures.

from said jaws.

As indicated at Fig. l, the signatures 10 are deposited *on the table 13 at the left-hand end thereof, the signatures 11 are deposited upon the signatures 10, while the signatures 12 are deposited upon the signatures '11, and

each group of three signatures is, in turn, received by the said rolls 18, 19 and are conveyed thereby in a substan I tially horizontal path along the inclined table 13 with their folded edges lowermost and supported by the strip 33 and are thus conveyed to the sewing mechanism Fig. 5, comprising a needle 34, a feed device 35, and suitable drive mechanism 37. This sewing mechanism is of a known type such as, for example, the Union Special, in which the stitches are produced by two threads supplied from two bobbins 36 so that it is unnecessary to use a shuttle, as in certain other types of sewing machines, and the necessary stoppage for shuttle replacement is thus unnecessary.

While each book is still being conveyed by the stitching mechanism, its leading edge is received and conveyed by pressure rolls 38, 39, which exert the desired degree of pressure upon the lower folded and stitched marginal edges of the book, which is then delivered, as shown'at 40, Fig. 2, to a suitable stack or receptacle, from which the books may be'conveyed in any suitable or well-known manner to an edge-trimming device to complete the manufacture of the book.

An important feature of the present invention is the location and operation of the thread-cutting device between the stitching mechanism and the pressure rolls. This device (see Figs. 6 and 7) is actuated electrically by means of a spring feeler 41, which normally projects through a gap 42 in the table 13 and engages the under side of the books, which are spaced from each other so that each time the trailing edge of a book releases the feeler 41 the said feeler moves into the space between adjacent books, as shown at Fig. 7, and thus releases a spring-button 43 and so closes an electric circuit 44 and supplies current to a solenoid 45, which is thus actuated against the action of a spring 48 and, through the medium of a link 46, moves a lever 47 integral with a shear member 50, which co-operates with a stationary shear member 49 to cut the threads, and as the leading edge of the next book engages and depresses the feeler 41, the button 43 is again depressed and the circuit 44 is opened so that the shear member 50 is moved out of the path of the moving book by the action of the spring 48.

Although the drawings and the above specification disclose the best mode in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, I desire to be in no way limited to the details of such disclosure, for, in the further practical application of my invention, many changes in form and in structure may be made, as circumstances require or experience suggests, without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for the manufacture of books by sidestitching the edges of folded signatures, comprising a table for supporting closed signatures in spaced relation to each other, means for stitching the signatures on said table along a line spaced from but close to their folded edges with the stitching threads extending between adja- I cent signatures, mechanical means for conveying the signatures in spaced relation to each other along said table to said stitching means, electrically actuated means for cutting the stitching threads extending between the spaced signatures on said table, a gap in said table, feeler means extending through said gap and actuated by the movement of said spaced signatures upon the table, and an electric switch device operated by said feeler means for controlling the actuation of said cutting means.

2. A machine for the continuous formation of books by side-stitching the edges of signatures, comprising a table for supporting the signatures, means for transferring signatures to said table to form groups of closed signatures in spaced relation to each other along said table, stitching means at one edge of said table for stitching the spaced groups of signatures along a line spaced from but close to the folded edges thereof and for conveying said spaced groups longitudinally of the table, means for cutting stitching threads extending between the spaced groups, feeler means engaging the groups of signatures moving along said table, an electric switch operated by said feeler means, and an electric device controlled by said switch for actuating said thread cutting means.

3. A'machine for the manufacture of books by sidestitching the edges of folded signatures, comprising a table for supporting closed signatures, a sewing machine at one edge of the table for stitching the closed signatures along a line close to the folded edges, means for conveying the closed signatures in spaced relation to each other along said table to said sewing machine, a cutting device for severing stitching threads extending between the spaced signatures on said table, electrical means for actuating said cutting device, feeler means extending through said table to engage the spaced signatures, and a switch device operated by said feeler means to control said electrical means by the movement of said signatures.

4. A machine for the continuous formation of books by side-stitching the edges of signatures, comprising a table for supporting the signatures, means for transferring a plurality of signatures simultaneously to said table to form groups of closed signatures arranged in spaced relation to each other along said table, stitching means having threads fed from two bobbins for stitching the groups of signatures close to the folded edges thereof and for conveying the spaced groups along said table, means at one longitudinal edge of said table for cutting stitching threads extending between spaced groups, feeler means extending through said table and engaging the moving groups of signatures, a switch device operated by said feeler means, an electric device controlled by said switch device for actuating said cutting means, and rolls mounted at one edge of the table for applying pressure to the stitched and folded edges of the books and for conveying such books from the machine.

5. A machine for the manufacture of books by sidestitching the edges of folded signatures, comprising an inclined table and longitudinal ledge for supporting the signatures in spaced relation to each other, means for stitching the signatures along a line close to their folded edges and for conveying the spaced signatures along said table, said stitching means having threads fed from two bobbins, endless band means for conveying the spaced signatures along said table and ledge to said stitching means, a gap in said table, a device for cutting stitching threads spanning said gap and extending between the spaced signatures on said table, an electric device for actuating said cutting device, feeler means extending into said gap and actuated by the movement of said signatures by controlling the actuation of said electric device, and roller means mounted on said table for applying pressure to the stitched marginal edges of the folded signatures.

6. A machine for the continuous formation of books by side-stitching the edges of closed signatures, comprising a table inclined from side to side for supporting the closed signatures, a ledge at the lower side edge of the table for engaging the folded edges of the closed signatures, means for transferring a plurality of signatures simultaneously to said table and ledge to form groups of closed signatures in spaced relation to each other at one end of the table, stitching means located at one side edge of said table and having threads for stitching the groups of signatures close to the folded edges thereof and for conveying said groups in spaced relation to each other, a gap in said table, electrically operated means for cutting threads extending over said gap and between spaced groups of signatures, feeler means engaged by the moving signatures, and a switch operated by said feeler means to control the operation of said cutting means,

7. A machine for the manufacture of books by sidestitching the edges of folded and closed signatures, comprising means for stitching the closed signatures along a line close to their folded edges, said stitching means having threads fed from two bobbins, a table inclined from one side edge to the other for supporting the signatures while being stitched, a ledge on the lower edge of the table for supporting the folded edges of the signatures, endless band means for conveying the signatures in spaced relation to each other along said table and ledge to said stitching means, a gap in said table, an electrical solenoid and shears for cutting threads extending over said gap and between the spaced signatures, feeler means extending into said gap and actuated by the movement of said signatures for controlling the actuation of said solenoid and shears, and means for applying rolling pressure to the folded marginal edges of the stitched signatures on said table. a

8. A machine for the continuous formation of books by side-stitching the edges of closed signatures, comprising a table for supporting the closed signatures, a plurality of suction and gripper means for transferring a plurality of closed signatures simultaneously to said table to form on one end of the table groups of signatures in spaced relation to each other, a sewing machine near one end of one of the side edges of the table for stitching the groups of closed signatures close to the folded edges thereof and for simultaneously conveying said groups in spaced relation to each other along the table, a gap in said table, means movable into said gap for cutting stitching threads extending between spaced groups of signatures, an electric device for actuating said cutting means, a feeler extending through said gap and actuated by the movement of the spaced signatures, a switch operated by said feeler for controlling said electric device, and rolls for applying pressure to the stitched and folded edges of the closed signatures and for receiving and conveying such signatures from the said stitching means.

9. A machine of the type described for the manufacture of side-stitched books from folded and closed signatures, comprising a table disposed at an angle of approximately 45 to a horizontal plane for carrying the closed signatures in a substantially horizontal path in spaced relation to each other, a ledge extending along the lower part of said table for supporting the folded edges of the signatures, means located in proximity to one end of the table for delivering folded signatures to said table at different points in the length thereof to assemble the signatures upon each other to form groups in a predetermined spaced arrangement, endless band mechanism with means projecting through the table for conveying the groups of signatures in spaced relation to each other along said table, feed rolls above and below the surface of the table for receiv- 9' ing and conveying said groups of signatures, stitching means receiving said groups from said feed rolls and stitching the closed signatures along a line in close proximity to the folded edges while the closed signatures are being conveyed along the table, and means engaging said groups of signatures and actuated by the movement thereof along the table for cutting stitching threads extending between adjacent groups.

10. A machine of the type described for the manufacture of side-stitched books from folded and closed signatures, comprising a table disposed at an angle of approximately 45 to a horizontal plane for carrying the closed signatures in spaced relation to each other, a ledge strip extending along the lower edge of said table for supporting the folded edges of the signatures, means for simultaneously delivering a plurality of folded signatures to said table at dilferent points in the length thereof to assemble closed signatures upon each other to form groups in a predetermined arrangement, an endless band device associated with said table for conveying the groups of signatures in spaced relation to each other in a substantially horizontal path along said table, feed rolls in said table for receiving and conveying the groups of signatures, stitching means cooperating with said table for receiving said groups from said feed rolls and for stitching the signatures along lines in close proximity to their lower folded edges, rolls in said table for receiving the groups of signatures from said stitching means and for exerting pressure upon the stitched and folded edges and for delivering the books from the table, a feeler device located in a gap in said table and actuated by the movement of the groups of signatures, an electrical switch operated by said feeler device, and an electrical device controlled by said switch for cutting the stitching threads extending be tween adjacent books.

11. A machine for the continuous manufacture of books from closed signatures with side-stitching, comprising means for conveying the closed signatures in a substantially straight path in spaced relation to each other, including an endless band with fingers for engaging and conveying the spaced and closed signatures, cooperating rolls receiving the books from said fingers and conveying the books in the same spaced relationship, a continuously operating sewing machine serving to stitch the signatures along a line close to one edge and serving to receive the signatures from said feed rollers and to convey said signatures, a pair of pressure rolls in alignment with the book stitching for receiving the signatures from the sewing machine and for exerting pressure on the stitched edges of the signatures and for maintaining the spaced relationship between the signatures, and electrically actuated automatic means located between the stitching means and said pressure rolls for severing stitching threads extending between adjacent signatures, and

a feeler device located in the path of the signatures for controlling the actuation of said severing means in timed relation to the movement of the signatures.

12. A machine according to claim 11, comprising bob bins for simultaneously supplying two stitching threads to the said sewing machine for the operation thereof without the use of a shuttle,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,863 Ackley June 17, 1930 2,262,294 Merrifield Nov. 11, 1941 2,334,265 Hildmann Nov. 16, 1943 2,366,064 Sieb Dec. 26, 1944

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