Electrically actuated punching and binding apparatus

Claim 1

Punching and binding apparatus, comprising: means forming a base; punching means for punching apertures along an edge of a stack of sheet material; binding means for inserting the flexible fingers of a comb binder through the punch apertures for binding the sheet material together and including, an elongated rigid comb plate member having a plurality of comb teeth, an elongated rigid hook plate having a plurality of hooks corresponding in number to the number of said comb teeth, and guide means to which said comb plate and said hook plate are mounted, said guide means permitting said comb plate to move in its longitudinal direction between a first position and a second position, said hook plate being mounted adjacent said comb means with its hooks being positioned proximate said comb plate and being movable away from said comb plate, and actuating means for actuating said punching means and said binding means including, an actuating shaft, an electric motor affixed to said base and first means mechanically coupling the armature of said motor to said shaft to impart rotary energy thereto, second means mechanically coupling said shaft to said punching means; a first camming means affixed to said hook plate and including a second camming surface, a first arm carried by and extending radially from said shaft to cammingly engage said first camming surface and move said comb plate, a second arm carried by and extending radially from said shaft to cammingly engage said second camming surface and move said hook plate, function selector means having a punch setting and bind setting, coupling means responsive to said selector means and operative to selectively couple said first and second arms to said shaft when said coupling means is in said bind setting, and an electronic control module responsive to said selector means and operative to energize said motor, whereby when said selector means is in said punch setting, said motor is caused to actuate said punching means and when said selector means is in said bind setting, said coupling means and motor cause said first arm to move said first camming means which in turn moves said comb plate between said first position and said second position, and further cause said second arm to move said second camming means which in turn moves said hook plate away from and back toward said comb plate.