Apparatus and method for trimming books

Claim 2

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book comprising: a. a cutting table; b. means for advancing a book cyclically onto and off of said cutting table along a predetermined path of travel extending with respect thereto; said means comprising a lower conveyor extending adjacent to said cutting table and substantially parallel to said predetermined path of travel; and an upper conveyor mounted with respect to said support member and spaced from and substantially overlying said lower conveyor in a facing relationship therewith, said lower conveyor and said upper conveyor being adapted to engage a book therebetween to advance the book with respect to said cutting table along the predetermined path of travel; c. support member overlying and spaced apart from said cutting table, said support member being mounted in a normally stationary position with respect to said machine; d. means mounted on said support member in an overlying and facing relationship with respect to said cutting table for cutting a book disposed thereon; e. means for reciprocating said cutting table between a position adjacent to said cutting means and an additional position displaced therefrom, said cutting table upon approaching said adjacent position being adapted to urge a book disposed thereon against said cutting means to perform a cutting operation; and f. means mounted upon said cutting table for supporting said lower conveyor with respect thereto.

Claim 3

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book comprising: a. a cutting table; b. means for advancing a book cyclically onto and off of said cutting table along a predetermined path of travel extending with respect thereto; said means comprising a lower conveyor extending adjacent to said cutting table and substantially parallel to said predetermined path of travel; and an upper conveyor mounted with respect to said support member and spaced from and substantially overlying said lower conveyor in facing relationship therewith, said lower conveyor and said upper conveyor being adapted to engage a book therebetween and to advance the book with respect to said cutting table along the predetermined path of travel, said lower conveyor and said upper conveyor each comprising an endless element extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the book to be advanced; c. a support member overlying and spaced apart from said cutting table, said support member being mounted in a normally stationary position with respect to said machine; d. means mounted on said support member in an overlying and facing relationship with respect to said cutting table for cutting a book disposed thereon; e. means for reciprocating said cutting table between a position adjacent to said cutting means and an additional position displaced therefrom, said cutting table upon approaching said adjacent position being adapted to urge a book disposed thereon against said cutting means to perform a cutting operation; f. a pair of pulleys disposed spaced apart from one another adjacent to the opposite ends of said endless element; g. means for applying a driving force to one of said pulleys; h. means for reciprocating said upper conveyor between a position adjacent to said lower conveyor when said cutting table is placed from said cutting means and a position displaced from said lower conveyor when said cutting table is in a position adjacent to said cutting means; and i. means for cyclically connecting a power source to said driving means for cyclically operating said upper conveyor when a book is to be advanced with respect to said cutting table, said means comprising an index unit and means for cyclically engaging said index unit to said upper conveyor.

Claim 4

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book comprising: a. a cutting table; b. means for advancing a book cyclically onto and off of said cutting table along a predetermined path of travel extending with respect thereto; said means comprising a lower conveyor extending adjacent to said cutting table and substantially parallel to said predetermined path of travel; and an upper conveyor mounted with respect to said support member and spaced from and substantially overlying said lower conveyor in facing relationship therewith, said lower conveyor and said upper conveyor being adapted to engage a book therebetween and to advance the book with respect to said cutting table along the predetermined path of travel, said lower conveyor and said upper conveyor each comprising an endless element extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the book to be advanced; c. a support member overlying and spaced apart from said cutting table, said support member being mounted in a normally stationary position with respect to said machine; d. means mounted on said support member in an overlying and facing relationship with respect to said cutting table for cutting a book disposed thereon; e. means for reciprocating said cutting table between a position adjacent to said cutting means and an additional position displaced therefrom, said cutting table upon approaching said adjacent position being adapted to urge a book disposed thereon against said cutting means to perform a cutting operation; f. a pair of pulleys disposed spaced apart from one another adjacent to the opposite ends of said endless element; g. means for applying a driving force to one of said pulleys; h. means for reciprocating said upper conveyor between a position adjacent to said lower conveyor when said cutting table is placed from said cutting means and a position displaced from said lower conveyor when said cutting table is in a position adjacent to said cutting means; and i. means for cyclically connecting a power source to said driving means for cyclically operating said upper conveyor when a book is to be advanced with respect to said cutting table, said means comprising an index unit and means for cyclically engaging said index unit to said upper conveyor.

Claim 5

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 in which said lower conveyor and said upper conveyor each comprise an endless element extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another at a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the book to be advanced.

Claim 6

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means mounted on said support member for reciprocating said upper conveyor between a position adjacent to said lower conveyor when said cutting table is displaced from said cutting means and a position displaced from said lower conveyor when said cutting table is in a position adjacent to said cutting means.

Claim 7

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 3 and further comprising: a. a pair of pulleys disposed spaced apart from one another adjacent to the opposite ends of said endless element; b. means for applying a driving force to one of said pulleys; and c. means for reciprocating said upper conveyor between a position adjacent to said lower conveyor when said cutting table is displaced from said cutting means and position displaced from said lower conveyor when said cutting table is in a position adjacent to said cutting means.

Claim 8

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 5 and further comprising means for cyclically connecting a power source to said driving means for cyclically operating said upper conveyor when a book is to be advanced with respect to said cutting table.

Claim 9

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for cutting a book disposed upon said cutting table comprises at least one cutting knife having the cutting edge thereof extending substantially parallel to said cutting table and in a facing relationship therewith.

Claim 10

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 7 in which said means for cutting a book disposed upon said cutting table comprises: a. a pair of side-trimming knives having the cutting edges thereof spaced apart from one another and substantially parallel and in a facing relationship with said cutting table; and b. a front-trimming knife having the cutting edge thereof extending substantially at an to the end portion of each of each of said side-trimming knives disposed adjacent to the entrance to said cutting table and extending substantially parallel and in a facing relationship with said cutting table.

Claim 11

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 7 and further comprising: a. a clamp member and b. means for resiliently supporting said clamp member with respect to said support member adjacent to the cutting edge of said cutting knife for applying clamping pressure to a book disposed upon said cutting table when said cutting table is reciprocated toward said cutting knife.

Claim 12

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for cutting a book disposed upon said cutting table comprises: a. a pair of side-trimming knives having the cutting edges thereof spaced apart from one another and substantially parallel and in a facing relationship with said cutting table; b. a front-trimming knife having the cutting edge thereof extending substantially at an angle to the end portion of each of said side-trimming knives adjacent to the entrance to said cutting table and substantially parallel and in a facing relationship with said cutting table; c. clamp member; d. means for resiliently supporting said clamp member adjacent to the cutting edge of each of said trimming knives for applying clamping pressure to a book disposed upon said cutting table when said table is reciprocated toward said cutting knife; and e. means for adjustably mounting each of said pair of side-trimming knives and said clamp member related thereto with respect to said support member to enable said trimming knives to be spaced in correspondence to the head-to-tail size of the book to be trimmed.

Claim 13

A machine in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising: a. at least one backstop member; and b. means mounted on said support member for cyclically moving said backstop member between a portion extending into the path of travel of a book with respect to said cutting table when said advancing means advances a book on to said cutting table and a position clear of the path of travel of the book when said advancing means advance the book off said cutting table.

Claim 14

A machine in accordance with claim 11 in which said means for cyclically moving said backstop member moves said backstop member toward and away from said cutting table.

Claim 15

A machine in acCordance with claim 1 and further comprising means mounted on said support member for jogging a book disposed on said cutting table in a direction transverse to the predetermined path of travel of the book with respect to said cutting table.

Claim 16

A machine in accordance with claim 13 in which said means for jogging a book comprises: a. a pair of jogger members disposed spaced apart from one another and adjacent to the side portions of said cutting table disposed at opposite sides of the path of travel of a book; and b. means for cyclically reciprocating said jogger members in a direction extending at an angle to the path of travel of the book when the book is being advanced on to said cutting table by said advancing means.

Claim 17

A machine in accordance with claim 14 and further comprising means for adjustably positioning said means for reciprocating said jogger members on said support members, said positioning means positioning said jogger member along a path extending at an angle to the path of travel of the book with respect to said cutting table.

Claim 18

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 in which said means for reciprocating said cutting table comprises: a toggle linkage for supporting said cutting table; and means for oscillating said toggle linkage to reciprocate said cutting table.

Claim 19

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 16 in which said means for oscillating said toggle linkage comprises: a. a cam; and b. a cam follower connected to one portion of said toggle linkage, whereby the engagement of said cam follower with said cam oscillates said toggle linkage.

Claim 20

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising: a. means for pivotally mounting said support member with respect to said machine; and b. means for swinging said support member between an operative position adjacent to said cutting table and a displaced position at a distance from said cutting table, whereby access is provided to said support member and said cutting table when said support member is in the displaced position.

Claim 21

A machine for performing a cutting operation on a book in accordance with claim 18 and further comprising means responsive to said swinging means for interlocking said support member in said operative position and said displaced position.

Claim 22

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means disposed adjacent to the portion of said cutting table to which said advancing means advances a book onto said cutting table for urging the binding edge of a book when disposed on said cutting table to a predetermined position thereon.

Claim 23

A machine for performing a cutting operation upon a book in accordance with claim 20 in which said means for urging a book to a predetermined position on said cutting table comprises: a. at least one pusher member; b. means for cyclically rotating said pusher member from a retracted position clear of the path of travel of a book to an operative position in which said pusher member can contact the front edge of the book in order to urge the book in the direction of the predetermined path of travel to a predetermined position upon said cutting table.