US2267045A - Bookbinding - Google Patents

Description

RUSS

G N BINDI Elled Nov 2 4 i dll.

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 FFICE BooKBmDING Clarence J. Russell, Washington, D. C. Application Nwemberiz, 1940, serial No. 365,378

' 4 claims'. (c1. 281-25) The invention relates to magazines and the like and more particularly to a binding for magazines in which staples are utilized, the staples being so positioned and disposed in reference to the signatures forming the magazine rthat the bound magazine, when opened at any point will lie iiat to thereby obtain an effect in binding similar to that obtained by sewing the signatures to each other.

Before describing the invention in detail it might be well to point out that in the binding of magazines, `such for instance as the publica tion of the National Geographic Society which involves the distribution monthly of more than a million copies, it is impossible, without prohibitive expense, to utilize the old method of sewing the collected signatures together.

Various devices have been tried to obtain the benet of a sewed magazine without necessitating the tremendous increase -in cost caused by such sewing operation. One example is set forth in my co-pending application, Ser.' No. 313,794, iiled January 13, 1940, in which, by providing a plurality of diversely inclined slots in the closed edges of the signatures and by filling such slots with a latex glue, I obtain a web of glue extending across and into the several signatures, said web being connected by a latex backing and also connected at the side edges of the magazine by additional bands of latex. I have found, however, that the cost of such a construction, while materially less than the cost of sewing, is much higher than the cost of stapling the signatures together as has been customary in the past.

If one will examine the back of a magazine, after the cover has been removed, it will be observed that a plurality of staples, 2, 3 or 4 in number, are utilized to fasten the collected signatures together. These staples extend through the assembled signatures and have their separate ends peened or bent over so as to prevent the withdrawal of the staples after the binding operation.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a magazine or the like with portions broken away to more clearly illustrate the details of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I indicates a magazine or the like formed of collected signatures 2 and having a cover 3. The

signatures are secured together by a pluralityof spaced pairs of staples 4, the legs of which penetrate the signatures in close proximity to the fold or closed edges thereof.

In carrying out my invention I collect the var` ious signatures in the usual `or customary manner and cause the collected signatures to be carried into and between the clamping jaws of a suitable stapling machine, as isl also customary in the binding art. In the past, however, as has been pointed out above, staples were entered from one side of the magazine formed by the collected signatures and engaged on the opposite side of the magazine an anvil member by which the extension of the legs of the staple beyond the thickness of the collected signatures were directed at right angles to the leg portions so as to form clamps to prevent the withdrawal of the staples and to prevent the signatures, after being released from the clamping jaws of the stapling machine, from returning to their previous size.

After the signatures have been placed within the stapling machine and securely clamped therein I provide in the stapling machine two opposing pairs of staples, each pair being so positioned that the legs of one staple are closely adjacent the legs of the opposite staple of the pair after the same have perforated the signatures. The legs of eachpair of staples are, however, of less length than the combined thickness of the clamped magazine. By utilizing staples of this construction I am enabled to eliminate from the stapling machine the anvils heretofore used and by causing the legs of each pair of staples to lie adjacent each other and to overlap, I provide a frictional grip which is sufiicient to resist the expansive force of the signatures and to securely lockl the signatures in their pressed condition.

Were the staples to be placed at a point spaced a quarter of an inch or at even a greater distance from the back of the signatures they would act in a very similar manner to the staples now employed and the magazine, after completion, would not remain open at any given page. Where riveting or peening over of the ends of the staple legs is necessary, as in previously stapled magazines, itis essential that the staples be positioned not less than one quarter of an inch from the back of the magazine since the tearing eifect of the riveting operation would otherwise cause the staple to tear through the signatures and prevent a perfect binding operation. Since there is no riveting or peening over of the projecting staple legs in the method which I employ, there is no tendency, upon the stapling operation, for the portion of the staple which connects the two legs to cut into the pages of the adjacent signatures and it is therefore possible to cause the staples to enter the signatures at points much closer to the edges of the signatures than` has heretofore been deemed possible. I have, in fact, found that it is possible to place the staple Within one sixty-fourth of an inch of the edge of each signature Without damage; to the same and without in any Way affecting the holding effort of the staple. By so doing it will be evident from an examination of magazines stapled in this manner that the magazine will lie open at any given:

page and that I have, by this means, obtained the full benefit, in so far as opening of the maga-- zine is concerned, of the sewing; process heretof fore used and at the same time reduced the cost of such binding to a point which is directly competitive with the previous method of stapling magazines.

Having now described my invention and the means by which the same isl accomplished, what I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent. is:

1. A binding for amagazine or thev like formedof collected signatures comprising a. plurality.- of spaced pairs of staplesY penetrating and frictionally engaging said signatures. in close proximity tov the4 fold edges thereof, eachpair being oppositely directed and the legs of each pair overlapping in closely adjacent relation and being of less length than the thickness of said magazine.

2. A binding for a magazine or the like formed of collected signatures comprising a plurality of spaced pairs of staples penetrating and frictionally engaging the signatures approximately one sixty-fourth of an inch from the fold edges thereof, the staples of each pair being oppositely disposed and the legs of the staples of each pair vbeing of less length than` the, thickness of the engaging the signatures adjacent the` foldA edges,

thereof, the legs of the staples of each, pair beingy disposed in overlapping relation and of less length. than the thickness of said body, and a Ycover secured to the fold edges of said signatures.,

CLARENCE J'. RUSSELL..

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