A production plant (22) for books (23) printed with digital technologies. comprising one or more forming stations (26) of book blocks (32), one or more cover binding machines (27) for assembling the book blocks with respective covers (33), an electronic center (29) and a plurality of spiral towers (39) for accommodating the book blocks of the forming stations and transfer them to the binding machines. The book blocks and the covers have respective book codes (34) and cover codes (36) uniquely associated with the respective books of a given working order. Each tower (39) includes a conveyor belt (42) that can be moved along a spiral path. a belt motorization group and an electronic control unit (44). The towers serve as a temporary storage for the blocks and capacity of movement between loading areas (49) adjacent to the forming station and unloading areas (50) adjacent to the binding machines. The electronic control units (44) pre-set the towers to store in an optimized way along the conveyor belt the book blocks from the forming stations. to supply the binding machines with the stored book blocks and to form and memorize databases identifying the stored book blocks. The electronic center (29) of the plant is interfaced with the electronic control units (44) of the towers and with the binding machines for a survey of the loading data and for a functional coupling of the loaded towers with the binding machines.

A production plant (22) for books (23) printed with digital technologies. comprising one or more forming stations (26) of book blocks (32), one or more cover binding machines (27) for assembling the book blocks with respective covers (33), an electronic center (29) and a plurality of spiral towers (39) for accommodating the book blocks of the forming stations and transfer them to the binding machines. The book blocks and the covers have respective book codes (34) and cover codes (36) uniquely associated with the respective books of a given working order. Each tower (39) includes a conveyor belt (42) that can be moved along a spiral path. a belt motorization group and an electronic control unit (44). The towers serve as a temporary storage for the blocks and capacity of movement between loading areas (49) adjacent to the forming station and unloading areas (50) adjacent to the binding machines. The electronic control units (44) pre-set the towers to store in an optimized way along the conveyor belt the book blocks from the forming stations. to supply the binding machines with the stored book blocks and to form and memorize databases identifying the stored book blocks. The electronic center (29) of the plant is interfaced with the electronic control units (44) of the towers and with the binding machines for a survey of the loading data and for a functional coupling of the loaded towers with the binding machines.

Systems and methods are disclosed to produce a books in which interior staples are hidden. One disclosed example apparatus includes a sensor to detect a position of a book being produced on a binding line. The example book includes signatures coupled by a fastener. The fastener separates a first signature portion from a second signature portion of a first signature. The example apparatus also includes an adhesive dispenser to dispense adhesive to at least one of on or adjacent the fastener to couple the first signature portion and the second signature portion along a first fold adjacent the fastener. The example apparatus also includes a controller to cause the adhesive dispenser to dispense adhesive based on the position of the book detected by the sensor.

A cover feeder for providing book covers to a production unit of a book completion line includes a first receiving device for book covers of the same format, which can be positioned individually, in an overlapping flow and/or in a stack thereon, and a second receiving device that is arranged upstream of the first receiving device for a stack of book covers having different formats. The cover feeder includes a control unit to which information can be transmitted relating to the format and sequence of book covers in the stack of book covers having different formats, and a laterally adjustable centering device connected to the control unit for a defined lateral displacement and/or aligning of respectively one book cover that is separated out from the second receiving device and is positioned on the first receiving device.

A cover feeder for providing book covers to a production unit of a book completion line includes a first receiving device for book covers of the same format, which can be positioned individually, in an overlapping flow and/or in a stack thereon, and a second receiving device that is arranged upstream of the first receiving device for a stack of book covers having different formats. The cover feeder includes a control unit to which information can be transmitted relating to the format and sequence of book covers in the stack of book covers having different formats, and a laterally adjustable centering device connected to the control unit for a defined lateral displacement and/or aligning of respectively one book cover that is separated out from the second receiving device and is positioned on the first receiving device.

Disclosed is a binding device for binding a bundle of leaves in a binding element of a magnetic material, whereby this binding device is provided with a support for the binding element that is formed by a U-shaped profile with a base and two legs, whereby this binding device is provided with a heating element that is between the legs of the profile and makes contact with the base. The binding device is provided with a switch for switching the heating element with a magnet that is between the legs of the profile and can move towards the base of the profile, whereby the profile is provided with wings oriented towards the center of the profile that keep the magnet at a distance from the base and/or the heating element when the magnet moves towards the base of the profile.

Disclosed is a binding device for binding a bundle of leaves in a binding element of a magnetic material, whereby this binding device is provided with a support for the binding element that is formed by a U-shaped profile with a base and two legs, whereby this binding device is provided with a heating element that is between the legs of the profile and makes contact with the base. The binding device is provided with a switch for switching the heating element with a magnet that is between the legs of the profile and can move towards the base of the profile, whereby the profile is provided with wings oriented towards the center of the profile that keep the magnet at a distance from the base and/or the heating element when the magnet moves towards the base of the profile.

When data about plural book sheets, each belonging to one of plural chapters, are edited to bind the plural book sheets by a casing-in operation in such a manner that chapter range images, which indicate the respective ranges of the plural chapters, are displayed on an edge so that the chapter range images that are adjacent to each other are arranged at different positions from each other in the top-bottom direction, a marker image emphasizing the chapter range image is adjacent to the chapter range image indicating the range of a chapter having book sheets the number of which is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

When data about plural book sheets, each belonging to one of plural chapters, are edited to bind the plural book sheets by a casing-in operation in such a manner that chapter range images, which indicate the respective ranges of the plural chapters, are displayed on an edge so that the chapter range images that are adjacent to each other are arranged at different positions from each other in the top-bottom direction, a marker image emphasizing the chapter range image is adjacent to the chapter range image indicating the range of a chapter having book sheets the number of which is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

A device for shaping a folding region of a lying outstretched book cover includes first and second shaping tools for book blocks having straight and round spines, respectively. A countertool has two counter shaping rails. In a working position, one of the shaping tools is aligned with an inner face of the spine region of the book cover and is configured to raise the spine region of the book cover between the two counter shaping rails to form a spine strip. A single actuator for the shaping tools is in each case arranged in the working position. A tool beam is in each case arranged in the working position and configured to be coupled to the single actuator. Each shaping tool has two shaping rails which are spaced apart, laterally adjustable and are designed so as to be adjustable collectively to change a distance therebetween.