Patent · US Expired

Automatic feeding system for helically formed binding elements

US6042320A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
4References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 1997
Grant dateMar 28, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB42B5/123
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An automatic feeding station (10) for receiving a plurality of binding elements (70), packaged in a continuous bandolier strip (74), and feeding same into an inserter station (12), for the automatic edge binding of a stack of sheets. The feeding station (12) comprises a housing consisting of a pair of vertically oriented end walls (14,16), and a pair of downwardly extending, angularly disposed walls (18, 20) converging at the bottom of the housing. A first such angular wall (18) defines the feed path for the bandolier strip (74) consisting of a pair of continuous plastic films (76, 78) joined at spaced apart intervals to define plural, laterally oriented pockets or cavities (80) to receive the binding elements (70) in a spaced apart, parallel relationship. Disposed in close proximity to the bottom is a laterally reciprocating pusher member (40), having associated therewith a cutting blade (126) to cut the overriding plastic film (78) to allow the pusher member (40) to feed the binding element (70) through an aperture in one side wall into the inserter station (12). Disposed along the second angular wall (20), near the bottom, is a lateral slot through which the binding element free…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.