A loose-leaf binder includes a front cover; a back cover; a coupler including a first connecting element, a second connecting element, and a covering member interconnecting the first connecting element and the second connecting element; and an enhancement member disposed in the covering member. The front cover is coupled to the first connecting element; and the back cover is coupled to the second connecting element. There are further provided two folding members each disposed between the first connecting element and the covering member or between the second connecting element and the covering member.

A brochure is made by folding a single sheet of paper along a plurality of parallel longitudinal fold lines to make an interim piece. The interim piece is conveyed in the direction of the longitudinal fold lines, and folded in a right-angle direction transverse to the first direction, along transverse fold lines perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines. A pouch is placed inside of the interim piece without adhesive, as the interim piece is folded, and the interim piece is sealed to complete the brochure. The pouch is preferably placed over one of the transverse fold lines. A label can be applied to the brochure if desired.

An apparatus to facilitate the binding of sheets using heat activated adhesives, with the sheets having coatings that resist binding. A stack of sheets is abraded prior to binding, with the apparatus gripping the stack so that a stack end to be bound is exposed. An abrading head containing a plurality of reciprocating pins is positioned so that pins can be controlled to repeatedly strike the stack end along the length of the end. This action results in abrading the stack end thereby producing relatively long fibers from the coated sheets that absorb the binder strip adhesive thereby achieving a strong bind notwithstanding the adhesive-resistant coating.

A layer-structure includes at least a base layer with a top surface and a top layer, wherein the top layer is arranged above the base layer in a height direction, wherein a first color section is partially provided in and/or on the top surface of the base layer, the first color section and the top surface of the base layer having a luminance contrast, wherein the luminance contrast, defined as Weber contrast, has a value that is at least 0.20, and wherein the first color section and the top surface of the base layer are covered by the top layer, so that a watermark visual appearance is provided.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for providing a rotatable perfect binding separated step solution configured to maximize efficiency for one-off book printing. The multi-clamp binding apparatus includes a rotatable body, a plurality of fixed operation stations associated with the rotatable body, and a plurality of clamps coupled to the rotatable body. Each of the clamps may retain at least one workpiece. The rotatable body may rotate each of the plurality of clamps to one or more of the plurality of fixed operation stations. In operation, a book block is received at an in-feed location of the perfect binding apparatus. The book block is stored within a holding apparatus of the perfect binding apparatus. The book block is then rotated between a plurality of fixed operation stations. At least one operation is performed upon the book block at each of the plurality of fixed operation stations.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray to place the sheet, a load tray provided on a downstream side of the processing tray in a transport direction, neat alignment plates provided outside a main body housing to shift in a width direction orthogonal to the transport direction and to align opposite sides of the sheet, a sheet support surface provided in a different position adjacent to the processing tray to support a sheet inserted from a manual feed opening, a binding processing apparatus to perform binding processing on sheets placed on the sheet support surface, a regulation surface to regulate a side edge of the sheet located at a side of the load tray, and a width-direction drive mechanism to shift the neat alignment plates between an alignment position aligning a sheet on the load tray in the width direction and a retract position different from the alignment position.

A book block supplying machine includes a reader which reads job information from an information portion printed on a book block; and a timing adjusting portion which adjusts a supply timing at which the book block is fed toward the book binding machine. A controller includes: a job information acquisition portion which acquires the job information; an upper limit processing speed acquisition portion which acquires an upper limit processing speed; a making speed decision portion which adopts and decides the making speed; a making speed instruction portion which instructs the book binding machine to make the bound material at the making speed; a timing decision portion which decides the supply timing based on the making speed, upper limit processing speed and accumulating number; and a timing instruction portion which instructs the timing adjusting portion to supply the book block at the supply timing.

A brochure is made by folding a single sheet of paper along a plurality of parallel longitudinal fold lines to make an interim piece. The interim piece is conveyed in the direction of the longitudinal fold lines, and folded in a right-angle direction transverse to the first direction, along transverse fold lines perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines. A pouch is placed inside of the interim piece without adhesive, as the interim piece is folded, and the interim piece is sealed to complete the brochure. The pouch is preferably placed over one of the transverse fold lines. A label can be applied to the brochure if desired.

A system and method for assembling booklets in document finishers such as saddle staplers includes first and second opposed rollers configured to receive an edge of a stapled crease of a stack of printed documents. The rollers apply both heat and pressure to the crease to form a tight fold. A second set of rollers provides further heat and pressure to the fold to increase tightness even further. Pressure and temperature of one or both roller sets is controllable to accommodate paper stacks having different numbers of pages or different paper characteristics.

A device for intermittently applying a flowable substance to a substrate includes an applicator nozzle for applying the flowable substance to the substrate, a tank for holding the flowable substance, a pump for delivering the substance, wherein the pump is actively connected to the tank, and further including an actuator actively connected to the pump and transferred into two positions, in a first position the actuator conducts the substance to the applicator nozzle, and in a second position the actuator blocks the feed to the applicator nozzle, and further including a control device for activating the actuator and for regulating the speed of the pump. A method for applying the substance using the device is also provided.