Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – Automatic and/or material-triggered control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-12
2001-04-17
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
Automatic and/or material-triggered control
C156S575000, C156S578000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216760
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of systems for applying glue, and more particularly to an in-plate hot glue application system for folding machines, which in-plate hot glue application system can be quickly fitted onto any number of folding racks for folding machines and easily adjusted to accommodate a desired hot glue application, even for relatively short folding and glue runs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A tremendous volume of printed material is generated and distributed around the world. Much of this printed material comprises sheet material such as printed paper which is folded and which can also be detachably retained in a closed position so that it may be mailed and otherwise handled without inadvertently opening up. For small folding jobs, or for very complicated folding projects, hand folding is often employed. For large volume runs of folded materials, folding machines are used when practical.
These folding machines include folding plates or buckle plates, wherein each buckle plate is used to create a single fold in a sheet of material. For example, tri-fold materials are folded using folding machines with two racks. There are several means to retain folded material in a closed position. These means include use of staples, paper and plastic stickers, tear strips, and adhesives, just to name a few. Quick release adhesives have gained popularity for use in detachably holding together folded printed material in a closed position.
These quick release adhesives typically comprise hot melt glues which are applied in a heated form and which cool quickly, yet retain elasticity. In their best form, once applied, these hot melt adhesives hold the folded material together well, yet allow the folded pages to be easily peeled apart without damaging the printed material. These hot melt adhesives typically are clear or transparent.
The hot glue applicators typically use either an electric or pneumatic applicator, which dispenses the desired quantity of hot glue to the material to be adhered together. Manufacturers of such hot glue dispensers include Robatech, of Switzerland, and the Slautterback Corporation of Monterey, California, among others.
Generally, after the printed material is folded, the folded printed material is sent to a different machine to apply the hot melt adhesive. However, it is desirable to simplify the manufacturing process (by eliminating steps) and minimize the need for expensive equipment to the greatest extent possible. The inventor herein is familiar with in-plate gluing systems in which electric adhesive applicators are fixed to a moveable sheet stop of a buckle plate. In such in-plate gluing system, however, since the adhesive applicators are fixed in position to the movable sheet stop of the buckle plate, the position of the adhesive applicators relative to the front of the movable sheet stop and the side to side position of the adhesive applicators within the rack is also not readily adjustable once positioned.
Since there is no simple means to provide for adjustability of the adhesive applicators on buckle plates of such in-plate gluing system, it is relatively time consuming to set up buckle plates with adhesive applicators. As a result, buckle plates tend to become set up and dedicated for particular runs. Another issue is cost. Adhesive applicators, the photoelectric eyes used therewith, and the various heated glue hoses and other parts are relatively costly. It would therefore be desirable to have an in-plate gluing system that can be set up easily and quickly, and which can be swapped out to other buckle plates to obviate the need to purchase separate in-plate gluing systems for the sets of buckle plates for each fold and glue job.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide an easy to fit and fully adjustable in-plate hot glue application system for use with folding machines.
Another object of the invention is to provide an in-plate hot glue application system which uses a series of slideable brackets and rods to allow the system to be quickly yet securely attached to conventional folding plates for desired folding runs on a folding machine, then reused for printing runs with different requirements, including use on different buckle plates.
These and other aspects of the invention are met by providing an adjustable in-plate gluing system for adjustable and detachable use with a buckle plate for a folding machine, the buckle plate having a front, a rear, two sides, and a plurality of spanners spanning the buckle plate, the in-plate gluing system comprising:
a rod support bracket means for adjustable attachment to the rear of the buckle plate;
a rod for attachment to rod support bracket means;
a hot glue applicator bracket means for adjustable attachment to the rod;
a hot glue applicator attached to the hot glue applicator bracket means;
a photoelectric eye bracket for adjustable attachment to the buckle plate; and
a photoelectric eye attached to photoelectric eye bracket.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5098508 (1992-03-01), Mattil
patent: 5228946 (1993-07-01), Draudt
patent: 5264069 (1993-11-01), Dietrich et al.
patent: 5477901 (1995-12-01), Schikarski et al.
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