A book binding apparatus is provided with a conveyor belt 5 having a book block conveyance surface 13 extending obliquely downward toward a pair of clamp plates 3 and 4 of a clamper 2 at a book block supply position A. A guide plate 21 is attached to the clamp plate 4 on the conveyor belt side and can swing between a standing position and a tilted position. When the pair of clamp plates is placed in a closed position, the guide plate is held in the standing position. When the pair of clamp plates is placed in an open position at the book block supply position, the guide plate swings from the standing position to the tilted position and connects to the book block conveyance surface.

A book binding apparatus is provided with a conveyor belt 5 having a book block conveyance surface 13 extending obliquely downward toward a pair of clamp plates 3 and 4 of a clamper 2 at a book block supply position A. A guide plate 21 is attached to the clamp plate 4 on the conveyor belt side and can swing between a standing position and a tilted position. When the pair of clamp plates is placed in a closed position, the guide plate is held in the standing position. When the pair of clamp plates is placed in an open position at the book block supply position, the guide plate swings from the standing position to the tilted position and connects to the book block conveyance surface.

A glue cartridge (130) comprises a glue tank (101), a rotatable glue spreading roller (104) connected to the glue tank, which is arranged directly below the glue tank (101) and at least one rotation means (106, 107) usable from outside the glue cartridge (130) for rotating the glue spreading roller (104). The glue spreading roller (104) of the glue cartridge is designed so that the form of the glue spreading roller (104) prevents glue from escaping from the glue tank (101) when the glue spreading roller (104) is in place and takes glue from the glue tank (101) when the glue spreading roller (104) is rotated. A block (1360) of sheets to be bound to form a book is set in a bookbinding device (1300), and glue is spread on the spine (1362) of the block (1360) in such a way that glue is obtainable from an exchangeable glue cartridge (130) by using a receiving unit (150) for the glue cartridge (130).

Bookbinding apparatus adhesive applicator accurately, briefly controls adhesive temperature to a set value by selecting, in accordance with adhesive initial temperature, one of a plurality of temperature-controller heating modes defining different supply powers and supply durations for supplying power to an adhesive-container heater to control its heating temperature. A sensor detects the temperature of the adhesive in the container at applicator start-up, or on restarting a post-standby applicator. In accordance with the detected temperature, one of the heating modes is selected to heat the adhesive. The applicator warm-up time is thus set in response to the state of the adhesive: If solidified, the adhesive is heated and melted in a maximum supply-power, supply-duration mode; if low-temperature liquefied, it is heated and melted in a second-magnitude supply-power, supply-duration mode; and if the adhesive temperature is high, it is heated and melted in a minimal supply-power, supply-duration mode.