Paper sheets binding system with dual orientation binding posts to resist multiple failure modes
First Claim
1. In a binder comprising first and second longitudinal binding strips, a first one of said binding strips having a series of spaced hinged pawls each juxtaposed to at least one strip aperture, the second one of said strips having a corresponding series of orthogonal posts spaced along a longitudinal extend of said second strip, said strips being clampable on facing marginal edges of a stack of apertured material in a range of thicknesses to clamp the stack together by interaction of said posts through and with said pawls, each of said posts including at least one leg of elongated cross-section having a ratcheted surface, the improvements comprising the legs of said posts at opposed ends of said second strip have their major cross-sectional axis and ratcheted surfaces extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said strips such that resistance to post leg fracture is maximized when said strips are bowed and wherein an intermediate post is arranged between the legs of said posts located at the opposed strip ends, said intermediate post including at least one leg having its major axis and a ratcheted surface extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said strips such that the ratchets of the ratcheted surface of said intermediate post extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strips and the ratchets of the ratcheted surfaces of legs at the opposed ends of said second strip extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the strips, said major axis of said intermediate post being perpendicular to said major axes of said opposed end posts.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A paper sheets binder has a pair of elongated strips, one strip mounting a number of spaced integral hinged pawls and the second strip mounting a corresponding number of spaced integral bifurcated ratcheted posts. The strips are mounted on front and back margin edges of a paper sheets stack. The ratchets on the post legs of one strip connect with pawls on the other strip. To prevent disassembly of the bound document, the preferably D-shaped in cross-section post legs are oriented so that the end posts have a major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the strip. Breakage at the root of the post legs is essentially prevented upon bowing of the document and strips, and from shear forces resultant from slippage of the paper sheets and the force generated by the shifting edges of the paper punch holes. The central post is oriented so that the legs major axis is transverse to the strip longitudinal axis. To minimize document gutter width and aid in opening the bound document fully to allow flattening against an image copier platen, the respective integral pawls and posts are offset from the central longitudinal axis of the strips. A counterbore is included around each pawl so that upon snapping-off excess lengths of post legs, the roughened remaining ends thereof are recessed below an outer surface of the pawl-carrying strip.
14 Citations
13 Claims
- 1. In a binder comprising first and second longitudinal binding strips, a first one of said binding strips having a series of spaced hinged pawls each juxtaposed to at least one strip aperture, the second one of said strips having a corresponding series of orthogonal posts spaced along a longitudinal extend of said second strip, said strips being clampable on facing marginal edges of a stack of apertured material in a range of thicknesses to clamp the stack together by interaction of said posts through and with said pawls, each of said posts including at least one leg of elongated cross-section having a ratcheted surface, the improvements comprising the legs of said posts at opposed ends of said second strip have their major cross-sectional axis and ratcheted surfaces extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said strips such that resistance to post leg fracture is maximized when said strips are bowed and wherein an intermediate post is arranged between the legs of said posts located at the opposed strip ends, said intermediate post including at least one leg having its major axis and a ratcheted surface extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of said strips such that the ratchets of the ratcheted surface of said intermediate post extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the strips and the ratchets of the ratcheted surfaces of legs at the opposed ends of said second strip extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the strips, said major axis of said intermediate post being perpendicular to said major axes of said opposed end posts.
- 8. A paper sheets binder comprising a first clamping member having a hinged pawl positioned in a through-aperture at each end of the first clamping member, and a second clamping member having an upstanding ratcheted post leg extending orthogonally therefrom at each end of the second clamping member, each of said ratcheted post legs having a major cross-sectional axis and being insertable through spaced punch holes in a stack of paper sheets, through said through-aperture of said first clamping member and into ratcheted engagement with a respective one of said pawls, and at least one additional pawl and ratcheted post leg positioned intermediate of the ends of said first and second clamping members, respectively at said major cross-sectional axis of said legs and into ratcheted engagement oriented substantially orthogonal to said major cross-sectional axis of said legs, said major axis of said at least one intermediate post leg being perpendicular to said major axes of said post legs at said each end said second clamping member.
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13. A binder for binding a spacedly apertured stack of paper sheets into a book, said binder comprising:
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a first strip engaging an apertured marginal end surface of the stack of paper sheets, said first strip having a series of hinged pawls in a series of first strip spaced apertures corresponding to the spacing of the apertures in the stack of paper sheets; a second strip having a longitudinal axis extending along said stack marginal end surface and having a series of spaced elongated posts projecting orthogonally therefrom, each of said posts having a series of ratchets on a surface thereof engageable with respective ones of said pawls of said first strip when said posts are passed through said first strip spaced apertures; and wherein the ratchets on end posts adjacent to the ends of said second strip are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second strip and the ratchets on a post intermediate of said end posts are oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis of the second strip and the respective engageable pawls of said first strip are engaged corresponding surface of said ratchets of said second strip and the ratcheted surface of said intermediate post is perpendicular to the ratcheted surfaces of said end posts.
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Specification