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US3926713A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for producing and assembling tabbed cards

Assignee: E-Z Machine Corp
•
Filing: 1973-08-30
•
Granted: 1975-12-16
•
Expires: 1993-08-30
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Abstract

Abstract A tab applicator for applying tabs to a substrate sheet for indexing or tabulating sheets is provided with forming means for folding, shaping and subdividing a thermally bondable syntheticresin foil to form a succession of tabs applicable to sheet stock, e.g. file, index, tabulator or programming card or sheet stocks. The apparatus includes a swingable arm receiving the shaped tab and advancing same to meet the card stock in a direction generally transverse to the edge of the stock to which the tab is to be applied at a controlled distance so that a formed portion or bight of the tab lies against or in spaced relation to this edge. The meeting location is preferably provided between a pair of heated platens at which the thermoplastic, thermally bondable foil may be heat sealed at the portions of the tab overlapping the opposite faces of the stock or substrate which thereupon may be advanced parallel to the edge for die-cutting and/or assembly (collation). A guide rail engageable with the projecting portion of the tab may be retractable to enable another guide rail to be effective when the tab in alternative mode of operation has its formed portion engaging the edge of the substrate. Preferably, the stock is diecut downstream of the tab-applying station to form a tab-carrying formation along the aforementioned edge of the sheet. Means is provided for selectively stopping the substrate at the diecutting station and/or the tab-applying station to iteratively form the projecting index formations at different locations along the edge of the sheet so that when the sheets are gathered into a stack, the index formation of each sheet is offset from that of the preceding and the following sheet.

Inventors

  • 👤 William F Lowe
  • 👤 Harry L Bondy

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 09:13
CPC Classifications
B; B42; B42F; B42F21/00; B42F21/04; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/12; Y10T156/1317; Y10T156/1322; Y10T156/1339; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1702; Y10T156/1744; Y10T156/1768

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 271 words
AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TABBED SHEET ELEMENTS COMPRISING: MEANS FOR FORMING A SUCCESSION OF TABS, SAID TABS BEING GENERALLY CHANNEL-SHAPED WITH SHANKS ADAPTED TO STRADDLE AN EDGE OF A RESPECTIVE SHEET ELEMENT MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID TABS TO A TAB-APPLYING STATION; MEANS AT SAID STATION FOR AFFIXING EACH OF SAID TABS TO A RESPECTIVE SHEET ELEMENT DISPOSED AT SAID STATION; MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF THE BIGHT OF EACH TAB RELATIVE TO SAID EDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE SHEET ELEMENT, MEANS FOR FEEDING A SUCCESSION OF SHEET ELEMENTS TO SAID STATION, TO ENABLE SAID SHEET ELEMENTS TO RECEIVE RESPECTIVE TABS; AND SELECTIVELY OPERABLE STOP MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SHEET ELEMENTS FOR LOCATING THE SUCCESSIVE SHEET ELEMENTS AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID STATION WHEREBY THE TABS ARE APPLIED TO THE SECCESSIVE SHEET ELEMENTS AT LOCATIONS ALONG SAID EDGE THEREOF VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STOPPED POSITIONS OF SAID SHEET ELEMENTS, SAID MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID TABS TO SAID STATION INCLUDING AN ARM SWINGABLE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID SHEET ELEMENTS AND HAVNG A FREE END SUCCESSIVELY RECEIVING SAID TABS, EACH TAB CARRIED BY SAID ARM DESCRIBING AN ORBIT, SAID EDGE OF EACH SHEET ELEMENT EXTENDING ALONG A SECANT OF SAID ORBIT, AND S SLIDE CARRYING SAID ARM AND SHIFTABLE PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID EDGE AT SAID STATION, SAID MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RELATIVE POSITION OF THE BIGHT OF EACH TAB WITH RESPECT TO SAID EDGE OF EACH SHEET ELEMENT INCLUDING MEANS FOR LIMITING THE ADVANCE OF SAID SLIDE, SAID ARM BEING PROVIDED WITH A SLOT OPEN IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SHEET ELEMENTS AND RECEIVING THE BIGHT OF SAID TABS.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 271 words
AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TABBED SHEET ELEMENTS COMPRISING: MEANS FOR FORMING A SUCCESSION OF TABS, SAID TABS BEING GENERALLY CHANNEL-SHAPED WITH SHANKS ADAPTED TO STRADDLE AN EDGE OF A RESPECTIVE SHEET ELEMENT MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID TABS TO A TAB-APPLYING STATION; MEANS AT SAID STATION FOR AFFIXING EACH OF SAID TABS TO A RESPECTIVE SHEET ELEMENT DISPOSED AT SAID STATION; MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF THE BIGHT OF EACH TAB RELATIVE TO SAID EDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE SHEET ELEMENT, MEANS FOR FEEDING A SUCCESSION OF SHEET ELEMENTS TO SAID STATION, TO ENABLE SAID SHEET ELEMENTS TO RECEIVE RESPECTIVE TABS; AND SELECTIVELY OPERABLE STOP MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SHEET ELEMENTS FOR LOCATING THE SUCCESSIVE SHEET ELEMENTS AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID STATION WHEREBY THE TABS ARE APPLIED TO THE SECCESSIVE SHEET ELEMENTS AT LOCATIONS ALONG SAID EDGE THEREOF VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STOPPED POSITIONS OF SAID SHEET ELEMENTS, SAID MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID TABS TO SAID STATION INCLUDING AN ARM SWINGABLE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID SHEET ELEMENTS AND HAVNG A FREE END SUCCESSIVELY RECEIVING SAID TABS, EACH TAB CARRIED BY SAID ARM DESCRIBING AN ORBIT, SAID EDGE OF EACH SHEET ELEMENT EXTENDING ALONG A SECANT OF SAID ORBIT, AND S SLIDE CARRYING SAID ARM AND SHIFTABLE PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID EDGE AT SAID STATION, SAID MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RELATIVE POSITION OF THE BIGHT OF EACH TAB WITH RESPECT TO SAID EDGE OF EACH SHEET ELEMENT INCLUDING MEANS FOR LIMITING THE ADVANCE OF SAID SLIDE, SAID ARM BEING PROVIDED WITH A SLOT OPEN IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SHEET ELEMENTS AND RECEIVING THE BIGHT OF SAID TABS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 66 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for feeding said sheet elements includes conveyor means continuously operable to advance a succession of sheet elements through said station and said stop means including respective stop members actuatable for selective interposition in the path of said sheet elements for temporarily retaining a leading edge of a sheet element in a position determined by said stop member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 44 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said tabs are composed of a thermoplastic, said means for fixing said tabs to said sheet elements including a heat-sealing platen engageable with each tab along a portion thereof overlying the face of the respective sheet element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 27 words
The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising die cutting means downstream of said station for imparting a predetermined configuration to said edge of each sheet element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 39 words
The apparatus defined in claim 4, further comprising selectively operable stop means engageable with said sheet elements downstream of said station and positioning respective portions of said edge of said sheet element in engagement with said die cutting means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US176005A Cited
US2055508A Cited
US2210433A Cited
US3245859A Cited
US3475253A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-12-15 1979-06-16 1979-12-16 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-12-15 1983-06-16 1983-12-16 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-12-15 1987-06-16 1987-12-16 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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