Book mark method and apparatus

Sept. 25, 1962

3,055,680

H. F. STOFFEL

BOOK MARK METHOD AND APPARATUS

Filed July 11, 1958

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FIG.8

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

3,055,680

Patented Sept. 25, 1962

3,055,680

BOOK MARK METHOD AND APPARATUS Hans F. Stoffel, Scarsdale, N.Y.

(68 Main St., Tuckahoe, N.Y.)

Filed July 11,1958, Ser. No. 747,994

Claim. (Cl. 281—42)

The present invention relates to a book mark for permanent attachment to a flyleaf or other page or the cover of a book to maintain a group of pages in assembled relation and to provide for facilitating reading and finding the place upon resuming reading. The invention also includes the method and apparatus for making the book mark.

Heretofore book marks of various types have been used. However, such book marks have been easily lost or difficult to use and consequently not entirely satisfactory.

। An object of the present invention is to provide a book । mark which overcomes the above mentioned difficulties * and to provide a structure which may be permanently secured to a book and in which the parts are arranged in ' assembled relation and can be used without additional material or equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure for adhesive securement to objects and in which the adhesive may be readily exposed for use by relatively inexperienced persons.

A further object is to provide a method of economically making book marks from sheet material having a permanent adhesive with a backing material protecting the adhesive until the backing material is removed.

Another object is to provide apparatus for making a book mark and other articles economically and efficiently.

A further object is to provide a book mark which is sold in assembled relation and can be applied without change and without requiring disassembly.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one manner of attaching the book mark, namely on the back flyleaf of a book, and showing the band around a portion of the pages of the book;

FIG. 2, a plan view of the front of the book mark;

FIG. 3, a side elevation of the book mark of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a rear elevation of the book mark blank prior to removal of a strip portion of the backing material, folding, and assembly;

. FIG. 5, a view similar to FIG. 4 but with the strip portion of the backing material removed;

FIG. 6, an illustration of one method of removing the strip portion of the backing from the book mark blank;

FIG. 7, a view illustrating the folding of the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8, a diagrammatic elevation of apparatus for making the blank shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9, a rear view of an intermediate product in the manufacture of the book mark blank; and

FIG. 10, a front view of a further intermediate product showing four book mark blanks made from a square of material and showing the score lines and cut edges thereof.

Briefly the present invention comprises paper, cardboard, sheet plastic or other thin sheet material member having a triangular section, a first trapezoidal section hingedly connected by its longer base to one base of the triangular section, and a second trapezoidal section hingedly connected by its shorter base to the shorter base of the first trapezoidal section with the height of the second trapezoidal section being greater than the height of the first trapezoidal section. On the rear surface of the sheet material member is a coating of immediately usable adhesive of the type which adheres on contact, over which is a backing material. A portion of the backing material is cut to permit its removal from the first trapezoidal section and from a substantially identical trapezoidal portion of the triangular section at the base of the latter. The first trapezoidal section and the trapezoidal portion of the tri5 angular section are secured together by the exposed adhesive to provide a member having a substantially triangular shape with a tongue extending from its front around which a rubber band is encircled. A tab may be provided on the exposed run of the rubber band to provide for 10 manipulation thereof and upon which indicia may be placed.

In applying the bookmark to a book the backing material is removed exposing the remaining adhesive and the book mark is applied with the apex of the triangular 15 member positioned against the apex of the back surface of the back flyleaf of a book. Alternative locations such as inside the back cover may be used. The exposed run of the rubber band with the tab is passed over the pages of a book and as the pages are read they are pulled out from 20 under the exposed run of the rubber band and tab, the rubber band retaining the remaining pages of the book in position so the reader may close the book at any time and the tab and the exposed run of the rubber band will indicate the place.

The method of making the book mark includes die cutting the adhesive covering backing material in intersecting paths to provide for ease of removal of such backing material and thereafter substantially completely severing the blank and simultaneously providing score lines to simplify 30 the bending thereof and to assure accurate formation of the finished article. The method includes removing a portion of the backing material and causing the exposed adhesive to secure the base sheet material to itself in adjacent areas to provide a tongue and thereafter to apply a 35 rubber or elastic band with a tab over the tongue.

Apparatus is provided for supporting and feeding a supply of material, a die cutting device for severing the backing material only and a die cutting and scoring device for the sheet material for a group of book marks.

The book mark of the present invention is made from sheet material 11 having an adhesive coating 13 over all or substantially all of its rear surface and with backing material 12 covering the adhesive coating. The adhesive 13 is the type which immediately adheres to an object it 45 contacts upon the removal of the backing material 12 from the adhesive 13 without requiring moisture or heat or any further treatment.

The book mark has a triangular section 14 which extends from a rounded apex to a fold score line 15. The 50 marker also includes a first trapezoidal section 16 between the fold line 15 and a second fold line 17. A second trapezoidal section of greater height than the first trapezoidal section 16 is hingedly connected along line 17 by its shorter base to the shorter base of the first trapezoidal 55 section.

A strip portion of backing material is removed from the first trapezoidal section 16 and from a substantially identical trapezoidal section 19 of the triangular section 14. The exposed surfaces of the trapezoidal sections 16 ₆₀ and 19 are secured together by contact of their adhesive coatings to provide an outwardly extending tongue 20 defined by the fold line 17, fold line 15 and the flaring ends 21 of the trapezoidal section 16 and the substantially identical trapezoidal portion 19 of triangular section 14. ₆₅ The tongue 20 and flaring ends 21 provide retaining notch structure so that an elastic or rubber band 22 may encircle the tongue 20 and be retained by the flaring ends 21 of the tongue 20.

A metallic tab 22A may be mounted by bending or _7n otherwise on the exposed run of the endless rubber band 22.

Referring to FIG. 8 a reel supply 23 of sheet material

3,055,680 ώ

feeds past guide rollers 24 and printing means 25 after which the material is engaged by a die cutter 26 designed to cut only the backing material 12 as shown in FIG. 9. The material continues from die cutter 26 by feeding means 27 to another die cutter 28 designed to substantially completely sever the sheet material and backing to provide blanks as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 which may be easily separated. The die cutter also has scoring edges to provide fold lines 15 and 17.

The dies 26 and 28 shown are of the intermittently operating type which would require intermittent feeding of the material. However, it is within the scope of the invention to employ a continuous feed and die cutting process. The material may be fed from a roll or reel 23 as described above or the material may be in sheets.

The die cutting of the backing material 12 only is shown in FIG. 9, cuts 29 being sepentine while cuts 30 and 31 are straight lines which define the edges of the strip portions 32 of the backing material. Thereafter die cutter 28 severs the material as described.

Prior to or after separation of the blanks from the waste material and from each other, the strips of backing material 32 defined by lines 30 and 31 are removed, one method being indicated in FIG. 6, and the blank is folded on lines 15 and 17 as indicated in FIG. 7 to bring the adhesive of the first trapezoidal section 16 into contact with the adhesive 13 of the corresponding substantially identical trapezoidal portion 19 of the triangular section 14 thereby forming a two ply tongue 20. Thereafter the elastic band 22, with tab 22A if desired, is applied to each tongue 20 and the completed marker is ready for use in the forms shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The book mark is applied to the book by the removal of the remaining backing material 12 on the remaining portion of the triangular section 14 and by removal of the backing 12 from the second trapezoidal section 18 exposing the adhesive which secures the marker to the flyleaf or other page or cover of a book as indicated in FIG. 1.

It will be noted that the scored lines 17 and 15 are made by die 28 simultaneously with the cutting thereby simplifying the manufacture thereof and providing for completing the manufacture in two die cutting and shaping operations.

The serpentine cuts 29 facilitate the removal of the backing material as bending adjacent the serpentine cuts makes it easy to grip one of the end portions at the edges of the cuts 29.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claim.