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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for making and
assembling magazines containing billing elements and envelopes. More
particularly the invention relates to novel systems and apparatus for
printing and assembling magazines or cataloges or booklets or other books,
printing billing elements and addressing, forming and placing remittance
envelopes in the magazine, catalog, booklet or other book as an integral
part thereof, during the assembly thereof.
The mail order business and mail transactions have expanded at a very rapid
rate. Mail order catalogs are no longer limited to the large stores having
local stores throughout the country. As a method of expanding their
business, single stores, such as a sporting goods store in Maine or a
western tack store in Colorado or a sporting goods store in Wisconsin for
example, are printing catalogs, mailing the catalogs nation wide, and are
carrying on a nation wide mail order business, with a reasonable amount of
success. Television has been used as a sales medium where products may be
purchased via telephone and/or mail throughout most of the nation. Much of
these transactions are carried out through the mail.
It is usual that the same article or product sold direct, that is, sold to
a walk-in customer in the store, and sold by mail from the same store, are
sold at the same price. Since the same product is sold at the same price
whether the sale be a direct sale or a mail order sale, the margin of
profit to the store from these different type sales differs because of the
different over head costs involved.
One of the factors reducing the margin of profit for the seller in the mail
order business is the cost of mail and billing the customer. The cost of
mail, that is stamps is a fixed cost, fixed by the Postal Service but the
billing costs, that is, providing billing elements including printed
statements or invoices and return or remittance envelopes is a variable
cost.
Although the billing elements are usually sent out in some form of invoice
and forwarded to the purchaser as a separate sheet or sent with the
purchased article, the remittance envelope is usually a separate envelope,
separate from the invoice. The remittance envelope is a secure envelope
provided to the purchaser for forwarding payment of the purchase made.
Paramount in the mail order business is the magazine or book subscriber
business, that is where a person subscribes to a magazine or book and
receives the magazine or book periodically, through the mail. In the case
of a magazine or book, invoices and remittance envelopes are sent to the
subscriber in several ways. Often the book is enclosed in a hard cover or
box type package and the billing elements are in a separate envelope
secured to the exterior of the box type package containing the book. In
other cases, where the purchase is a magazine the invoice and remittance
or return envelopes are often stapled or attached to the inside of the
magazine.
The above defined methods of sending invoices and/or remittance envelopes
are expensive and time consuming and often require additional and/or
out-of-step operations from the packaging and/or assembly of the product
sold.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a novel approach in making remittance envelopes.
The invention is also a novel concept which embraces the combining of
billing elements, such as invoices and remittance envelops into a magazine
or book with a novel in-line system for making, printing and inserting
invoices and remittance envelopes into the cover of the magazine, catalog
or other published and/or assembled book or booklet, hereinafter referred
to generically as magazine, as an integral part of the magazine. The
in-line assembly system includes printing apparatus such as off-set
printing systems, for example and other magazine publishing apparatus
employed in a new and novel way to make elements such as envelopes, for
example, and print invoices, in a different, inexpensive and rapid manner,
integrated into a magazine for example, with tear-out characteristics. The
assembling and positioning of the apparatus, in in-line production fashion
permits printing of both the magazine and the billing elements and the
assembly of such element and their insertion into a magazine, as an
integral part of the magazine but with tear-out characteristics. Some of
the in-line apparatus is normally used in other positions or stages of a
publishing line but the function of such apparatus is for an entirely
different purpose, when compared with the novel use made of such apparatus
in the novel system embraced by the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the system embracing the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of a preferred embodiment of a system
embracing the invention;
FIG. 3 is a diagramatic representation of a magazine having a tear-out
invoice and a remittance envelope integrated into the back cover of the
magazine;
FIG. 4 is a diagramatic representation of a magazine having a calender rack
integrated into the front cover of the magazine;
FIGS. 5a and 5b combine to form a block diagram of an alternate system
embracing the present invention; and
FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate in more detail the unfolded and folded
invoice/address section and the tear-out remittance envelope formed in the
cover of a magazine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring in general to FIG. 1, a block diagram of the system of the
invention is represented where in two (2) rolls or webs of paper 10 and 12
are represented, each feeding into a printing or printer apparatus 14 and
16 respectively. The printing apparatus is preferably as an off-set
printing press. The paper from roll 10 is then fed into a pattern gluing
apparatus 15 which lays a pattern of glue strips on the surface of the
paper. The glue patterning step may include one or more glue pattern
applying apparatus and may include glue strips on both sides of the paper.
One of the strips of glue may be remoistenable glue that may require
drying. Other glue strip may be a pattern of wet glue to be used in the
subsequent combining step. As to the remoistenable glue pattern, this glue
strip, along with the ink type or printing may require a dryer 17 which
dries the ink to prevent smearing and the remoistenable glue so that the
adhesive characteristics of the glue are rendered inactive until
remoistened.
The paper from 12 is fed into a printer 16, which may correspond to the
printer 14. Printer 14 may include a drier. The paper 12 is then fed into
a perforator 18 which cuts a perforated line pattern in the paper 12 and
from the perforator, paper 12 is fed into a slitting apparatus or variable
rotary cutter 19, which makes slits or cuts in the surface of the paper
12, in a predetermined pattern.
The papers 10 and 12 are fed into a combiner 20, which may include a
register, acting upon each paper so that the sheets, when physically
combined are in proper relation to each other. The combiner may include a
plow folder or other paper folders so that the papers are folded over
themselves and each other, for forming a magazine. The combiner 20 may
also include a coupling device such as a stapler or gluer so that the
spine of the folded papers may be coupled or secured together in
preparation for separation. The combiner may also include a separator or
cutter for separating the constructed units into individual pieces or
magazines.
FIG. 2 is a diagramatic representation, in a preferred embodiment, of the
in-line production system, embracing the invention. The paper supply (not
shown) which is preferably in a roll or web, is fed into printing units,
which print predetermined indica or data on to both surfaces of the paper.
Although only one printing unit 31, is shown, there may be more than one
printing units which print data on the paper and may print several pages
of a magazine in one run. The paper 10 continues in its travel and is fed
into a remoistenable pattern gluer 32. This gluer applies a film of
remoistenable glue in a predetermined pattern on to the paper 10 for
forming, for example, a remoistenable glue strip for a remittance
envelope. The strip of glue applied to the paper 10 is represented in
window 32a, at 33. The paper continues through a dryer 35 which heat dries
the ink printing and the glue strips. Drying the ink prevents smearing and
drying the glue inactivates the glue. The chill rolls 36 cool the paper
after heat drying. The paper is then fed pattern perforator 38 which cuts
or punches in-line or cross perforations in the surface of the paper in a
predetermined pattern. The pattern of perforations may form the tear-out
portions of an invoice, for example and/or a tear-out envelope The window
38a shows representations of perforations, represented at 39, cut in the
paper by the pattern perforator, 38.
The paper is fed through a non-stop imprinter 40 which imprints names,
addresses and invoice data on the paper. This data is represented in
window 40a and 41. The non-stop imprinter may be computer controlled and
print different data for each magazine printed by the in-line run. The
data could include the name and address of the subscriber to whom the
particular m;agazine is to be sent and that particular subscriber's
billing data.
The paper is fed to the angle bars unit 44, which slit the paper lengthwise
into two running sheets 10 and 10a and turns and realigns the now two
lengths of paper for maximum flexibility and minimum waste in product
design. The sheet 10a is fed into a combination pattern cutter/wet pattern
gluer/envelope plow, 46 which cuts slits into the paper 10a, lays down wet
glue strips and plow folding for in-line forming of envelope pockets, for
example and closure of the invoice data for privacy. The paper 10a is
further fed through plow folder 48 which folds the paper 10a as seen at 49
in window 48a. Both running sheets 10 and 10a are fed into the plow folder
50, which folds the sheets 10 and 10a and combines the paper, as seen at
51 in window 48a, essentially forming the unseparated magazines.
Referring to the combination pattern cutter/wet pattern gluer/envelope plow
it will be appreciated that the pattern cutter can be programmed to cut
lines or slits into the surface of the paper sheet both lengthwise and
crosswise. Such a cutter may be used to cut a window in the paper surface
for exposing the name and address of the subscriber when the sheet is
folded over itself, as will be described. In the alternative, a die cutter
may be used to punch or die cut a window in the surface of the paper, if
desired.
It will be further appriciated that the marks and contours on the paper
sheet 10 and 10a as shown in the various windows represent something done
to or on the paper sheet.
The combined folded paper 10/10a is fed into a variable roary cutter 53
which cuts the unseparated magazines into individual pieces 60, thus
forming the individual magazines.
The data printed by the imprinter 40 may include the name and address of
the subscriber of the magazine. This data may be located in a particular
position on the surface of the paper. The pattern cutter 46 may cut a
window in the surface of the paper, the location of which is such that
when the running sheet 10a is folded over itself, the address data shows
through the window for automatic addressing of the envelope.
The concept of the invention provides that magazine page data are printed
on the running sheet 10 and the sheet is folded into pages which are
inserted into the cover of the magazine formed by the double sheet 10a,
after having been folded. The invoice is addressed to the subscriber, the
address of the subscriber imprinted on the invoice shows through the
window cut in one of the sheets of the double sheet cover. Thus the
address on the invoice also serves as the address for mailing purposes
when sending the magazine (and the invoice) to the subscriber through the
mail.
The folding of the running sheet 10a is such that the invoice is a tear-out
sheet on the inside of the cover. The remittance envelope is a tear-out
envelope comprising part of the cover.
Depending upon the size of the magazine, (for example, there are small
magazines and large magazines) the front cover of the magazine may include
a window and the inside of the front cover may be a tear-out invoice. The
address on the invoice shows through the window in the front cover for
mailing purposes. The back cover of a small magazine may be a tear-out
remittance envelope. If the magazine is a large magazine, the invoice and
remittance envelope may be designed into the back cover of the magazine.
It will be appreciated that if the magazine published and/or assembled were
a catalog, for example, or some other magazine that was forwarded without
subscription or unsolicited, there would be no need for an invoice. In
lieu of an invoice the imprinter could be programmed to print an order
blank, survey or some other form and the envelope could be used to send in
an order or reply, for example.
It will be appreciated that the block diagram of FIG. 1 represents two
rolls of paper 10 and 12 each being applied and fed into different,
parallel processing lines while the preferred embodiment provides for one
supply 10 and splits the running paper into two webs 10 and 10a in the
processing unit 44. In the preferred system a wide paper 10 is used and is
printed on both sides, printing all the pages of a magazine in a single
run. Absolute control is maintained so long as the paper 10 is fed
perpendicularly into the processing unit. The paper splitter and air angle
bars unit 44 separates the running paper into two running sheets which are
subsequently, at the paper or plow folder 50, combined and finally folded
into unseparated, magazine units. The remaining processing includes the
separating of the magazine units into individual magazines.
A positive advantage of the preferred system is that the same weight or
type of paper is used for forming the entire magazine and all its
integrated parts. Thus, the entire magazine is made from the same weight
paper. Apparatus or units usable for practicing the invention as disclosed
herein are available as follows:
(a) Printing Unit (3), an off set printer such as a Harris model #1000, is
available from Harris Press Company;
(b) Remoistenable Pattern Gluer (32) is available from Baldwin Machine
Company;
(c) Dryer (35) is available from Baldwin Machine Company;
(d) Chill Rolls (36) is available from Baldwin Machine Company;
(e) Pattern Perforator (38) is available from Baldwin Machine Company;
(f) Imprinter (40) a computer controlled printer, is available from Baldwin
Machine Company and any computer compatable with the imprinter may be
used;
(g) Air Angle Bars and Splitter (44) is available from Baldwin Machine
Company;
(h) Pattern Cutter/Wet Gluer/Envelope Plow (46) is available from Baldwin
Machine Company;
(i) Plow Folders (48 and/or 50) are available from Baldwin Machine Company;
and,
(j) Variable Rotary Cutter (53) is available from Baldwin Machine Company.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, representations of a magazine generated by
the system is presented, FIG. 3 showing the inside of the back cover and
FIG. 4 showing the inside of the front cover. It will be appreciated that
the cover of the magazine 60 is of double thickness, folded such as seen
at window 46a at 10a. Thus, the back cover is perforated along the lines
65 so as to make the envelope 66 separable from the cover. The perforated
lines 67 and the slits 68 and 69 combine to form a tear-out invoice sheet,
printed by the non-stop imprinter 40. A slit 70 forms the mouth of the
envelope 66 while a remoistenable glue strip 71 is used to close and
secure the envelope, when used. The window, shown in broken line form 73
is cut in the outside sheet of the double sheet cover.
Although FIG. 3 shows the inside of the back cover of a magazine made up to
include the remittance envelope and the invoice it will be appreciated
that the remittance envelope may be located on one cover, either the back
or the front while the invoice may be located on the other cover, either
the front or the back, of the same magazine.
FIG. 4 represents the inside of the front cover, which is formed into a
programmable rack for a calander month, for example May 1987. The slits
80, 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 are on the inside sheet of the double sheet
cover while glue strips laid on the inside of the outside sheet of the
double sheet cover, just above the slits 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 and at the
bottom edge of the cover sheets, secure the two sheets 10 and 10a and form
a plurality of horizontal pockets across the inside cover. The pockets are
segmented into seven segments representing the days of the week.
Obviously, if the remittance envelope and the invoice were separated so as
to be located in the inside of the back cover and the front cover
respectively the program rack, as represented in FIG. 4 would be
eleminated from the inside cover of the magazine.
Sheet 90 is made into a plurality of stamps, which may be cut-out stamps or
may be separable along perforated and/or slit lines so as to be tear-out
stamps. The stamps may be cut out or torn out and placed in the horizonal
pockets on the inside of the front cover, in or at an appropriate date
indication. Since the inside cover serves as a month calander, a person
may program a month of television shows he wishes to see.
The stamps may identify television presentations or movies to be presented
over television. The front of the stamp may identify the name of the
presentation, the back of the stamp may give the channels, dates and times
when the identified program will be presented or broadcast over
television. By inserting a stamp in the appropriate pocket or slot, at the
appropriate date, this combination forms a personal programmable
television programmer, integrated into the magazine.
This rack and stamp are disclosed in more detail in copending application
Ser. No. 079,597 by the same inventor.
There has been described, with reference to the drawings, an in-line
publishing or processing system for making a magazine, catalog, booklet or
other publication wherein billing elements, such as an invoice, for
example and a remittance envelope are integrated into the magazine, with
automatic address feature. The preferred embodiment utilizes a single
line, in-line system using a single or common supply or web of paper while
an alternate embodiment describes parallel in-line systems which use a
dual roll paper supply. In each of the above described systems the paper
supply is in the form of a roll, or web of predetermined, uniform width
and having length measured in the thousands of feet.
The present invention may also be used where the paper supply is in sheet
form, such as a stack of sheets of paper of predetermined size. Sheets may
be removed from a supply stack, one at a time by a sheet differentiator
and individually fed through the in-line magazine publishing system.
Depending upon the size of the magazine published and the size of sheet of
paper used, the entire magazine may be made from the same sheet of paper,
the paper being of any weight processable by the apparatus used in the
system. Obviously where a roll of same weight paper is the supply, the
entire magazine is made from the same weight paper. The paper weight or
thickness is determined by the processing capability of the apparatus used
in the system, that is, the weight of paper used can be no lighter or
thinner than the highest or heaviest low limit of paper weight usable or
handlable by any unit or piece of apparatus in the system. The present
system achieves the publishing or making of a magazine, catalog, booklet,
or other publication using a paper of 25 lb directory stock.
Referring now to FIGS. 5a and 5b an alternate system is represented in
block diagram, illustrative form showing an in-line magazine publishing or
printing assembly system in which single sheets of paper are processed by
an in-line system, making a magazine, catalog, booklet or other
publication in which billing elements and remittance envelopes are formed
and assembled as an integral part of the covers of the magazine.
In FIG. 5a, a stack of paper sheets 100, all substantially the same size
serves as the paper supply. The individual sheets of paper are separated
or differentiated from the stack, either the top or the bottom and each
sheet 101 is fed into the sheet processing system preferrably starting
with a printer 102. The printer 102 may be any printer set up to print on
the paper on either a single side or on both sides of the sheet. The sheet
may be printed with a plurality of pages, and, according to the size of
the magazine printed, may print all of the pages of a magazine, catalog or
booklet in a single run.
The sheet, also represented at 101a, has printed thereon the printing 105,
when the sheet comes out of the printer at 107. The sheet is fed into a
pattern gluing device 108 which lays down a pattern of glue strips 110,
the pattern being predetermined and identical for each sheet. The sheet
101b represents the sheet exiting from the pattern gluer 108 at 112. The
sheet is fed into a pattern perforator 115 which punches or cuts a
predetermined pattern of perforations 116 into the sheet such as
represented for example, on 101c. The sheet 101c represents the processed
sheet at 117. A personalized printer 120 imprints billing data on the
sheet such as represented at 121 on sheet 101d. Sheet 101d appears at
position 123 with imprints 121. The personalized printed may be in the
form of a computer controlled printer which prints names, addresses and
billing data, individual to the subscriber to whom the particular
published unit will be sent. As will be described below the name and
address printed here will be the name and address to which the particular
magazine will be mailed.
The sheet is fed into a pattern cutter which is programmed to cut
predetermined slits in the sheet such as represented at 125 on 101e. The
sheet 101e represents the sheet at position 127. The pattern cutter may be
a slit cutter or slitter and/or a die cutter which cuts slits in the
surface of the sheet, as programmed and cuts a window in the sheet as
programmed and represented at 125.
For convenience the block diagram continues on FIG. 5b. The sheet is fed
into a sheet cutter 129, which cuts sheet 101f into 101'a and 101'b, for
individual processing.
At position 130, the sheet 101'a is fed in to folding/trimming device 131,
such as a series of folding devices, which fold and trim the sheet 101'a
into folded pages, such as 133. The folded pages unit 133 appears at
position 135. The sheet 101'b is fed into folding device and trimmer 136
which folds the sheet 101'b into a double sheet structure held together by
the glue pattern 110. The sheet 101'b is folded at the arrow FOLD
represented on sheet 101f so that the sheet 101'b is folded over itself
and is glued together in double sheet structure. As represented at 137 and
seen clearly in FIG. 6b, an envelope 140 is formed being torn off along
one of the perforated lines 116. The slit 125 serving as the mouth of the
envelope and a remoistenable glue strip 110 may be use to secure or close
the envelope 140. A tear-out portion 144 is also formed with the
personalized printed data on the inside of the tear-out sheet. The slits
125 and perforated lines 116 provide the tear-out feature. Both the pages
133 and the cover 137 are combined by inserting the pages into the cover
and securing the pages therein as represented at 145, the unit magazine
150 emerging at position 148.
The front of the magazine is represented at 150 while the back of the
magazine is represented at 151.
FIG. 6a represents and discloses in more detail the unfolded sheet 101'b.
It will be seen that the sheet when folded at the FOLD line will convert
into a double sheet such as represented at FIG. 6b. The invoice is printed
on one part of the sheet while the glue pattern and window are processed
in the other part of the sheet such that when the two parts are folded
over each other, the name and address on the invoice appear through the
window. This is represented in FIG. 6b.
The cover sheet 101'b is represented as being folded at the center line CL
so as to form the cover for the magazine.
The surface 160 may be printed into a front cover, designed so that the
mailing address, showing through the window is compatable with the
remainder of the cover. The surface 161 may be printed and designed as the
back cover where the address for the remittance envelope is prominent when
the envelope is used as a return envelope.
Thus there has been described and represented a preferred embodiment of a
system employing the principals of the invention and providing a magazine,
catalog, booklet or other publication having billing elements and a
remittance envelope integrated into the cover of the magazine. In addition
an alternate system has been represented using a roll paper or web paper
supply. A further alternate system has been described and represented in
which the paper supply is in cut, stacked paper form where the individual
sheets of paper are processed in an in-line system practicing the
invention.
Although particular processing units in the preferred embodiment of the
in-line publishing or processing system have been located with respect to
each other, and have been identified, other units performing similar
functions may be substituted therefore and changes and modifications over
those systems disclosed may be made, as will be apparent to those skilled
in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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