A fiber coupled semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing of such a device are disclosed. The method provides an improved stability of optical coupling during assembly of the device, whereby a higher optical power levels and higher overall efficiency of the fiber coupled device can be achieved. The improvement is achieved by attaching the optical fiber to a vertical mounting surface of a fiber mount. The platform holding the semiconductor chip and the optical fiber can be mounted onto a spacer mounted on a base. The spacer has an area smaller than the area of the platform, for mechanical decoupling of thermally induced deformation of the base from a deformation of the platform of the semiconductor device. Optionally, attaching the fiber mount to a submount of the semiconductor chip further improves thermal stability of the packaged device.

Frequency standards based on mode-locked fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and fiber-based ultra-broad bandwidth light sources, and applications of the same.

A vertical geometry light emitting diode is disclosed that is capable of emitting light in the red, green, blue, violet and ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The light emitting diode includes a conductive silicon carbide substrate, an InGaN quantum well, a conductive buffer layer between the substrate and the quantum well, a respective undoped gallium nitride layer on each surface of the quantum well, and ohmic contacts in a vertical geometry orientation.

A method for providing a feedback circuit for a three dimensional projector. First and second input devices and a sensor for determining the rotational speed of the second input device are provided. A control device for controlling the rotational speed of the second input device and a phase locked loop (PLL) are provided. A phase reference signal is created based on the signal rate of the first input device. A phase signal is created based on the rotational speed of the second input device. The PLL compares the phase reference signal and the phase feedback signal to determine whether the first input device and the second input device are synchronized. A signal is sent to the control device for the second input device to change the rotational speed of the second input device in response to determining that the first input device and the second input device are not synchronized.

An exemplary illumination source for an inspection system includes a pulsed seed laser having a wavelength of approximately 1104 nm and a continuous wave, Raman seed laser having a wavelength of approximately 1160 nm. An optical coupler can combine outputs of the pulsed seed laser and the continuous wave, Raman seed laser. Pre-amplification stages can receive an output of the optical coupler. A power amplifier can receive an output of the pre-amplification stages. A sixth harmonic can be generated using the amplified, combined wavelength. Systems for inspecting a specimen such as a reticle, photomask or wafer can include one of the illumination sources described herein.

A pulsed smaser includes at least one optical resonator and an optical pump. The at least one optical resonator includes opposing mirrors, a solid state gain medium having a masing frequency in a range of from about 50 GHz to about 1 THz, and a Q-switch, wherein the solid state gain medium and the Q-switch are optically arranged between the opposing mirrors. The optical pump is arranged to provide optical pump power to the solid state gain medium. The optical pump and the Q-switch are configured to generate pulsed masing in the solid state gain medium at the masing frequency at room temperature to provide output electromagnetic radiation at the masing frequency.

A method to tune an emission wavelength of a laser diode (LD) finely is disclosed. The method first controls a temperature of the etalon filter in T1 or T2, where the transmittance of the etalon filter becomes 40 to 50%, assuming a height between the peak and the bottom of the periodic transmittance to be 100%, at the grid wavelength λ1 or λ2, respectively. Then, the temperature of the LD is adjusted such that the intensity of light emitted from the LD and transmitted through the etalon filter becomes 40 to 50%.

A GRINSCH laser having an asymmetric configuration wherein the optical confinement is weighted more to the n-doped multilayer section than to the p-doped multilayer section. The GRINSCH laser can emit laser light at a wavelength λ=976 nm over a broad area with a beam power of 11.4 W at a 12 A bias current at a temperature of 20° C. Fabry-Perot and distributed Bragg reflector GRINSCH laser configurations are disclosed.

Various embodiments of a photonic device and fabrication method thereof are provided. In one aspect, a device includes a substrate, a current confinement layer disposed on the substrate, an absorption layer disposed in the current confinement layer, and an electrical contact layer disposed on the absorption layer. The current confinement layer is doped in a pattern and configured to reduce dark current in the device. The photonic device may be a photodiode or a laser.

Novel methods and systems for miniaturized lasers are described. A photonic crystal is bonded to a silicon-on-insulator wafer. The photonic crystal includes air-holes and can include a waveguide which couples the laser output to a silicon waveguide.

The invention provides a laser converter for converting a laser radiation of shorter wavelength to a laser radiation of longer wavelength using a single stage conversion. The laser converter comprises a laser diode for emitting a laser radiation in a first wavelength range, a cylindrical microlens for transferring and focusing the laser radiation to a laser chip and the laser chip for absorbing the laser radiation and emitting the laser radiation in a second wavelength range.

A device including one or more layers with lateral regions configured to facilitate the transmission of radiation through the layer and lateral regions configured to facilitate current flow through the layer is provided. The layer can comprise a short period superlattice, which includes barriers alternating with wells. In this case, the barriers can include both transparent regions, which are configured to reduce an amount of radiation that is absorbed in the layer, and higher conductive regions, which are configured to keep the voltage drop across the layer within a desired range.

There is provided a surface emitting laser allowing a direction of a far-field pattern (FFP) centroid to be inclined from a normal direction of a substrate providing the surface emitting laser, comprising: a substrate; a lower reflecting mirror, an active layer, an upper reflecting mirror stacked on the substrate; and a surface relief structure located in an upper portion of a light emitting surface of the upper reflecting mirror, the surface relief structure being made of a material allowing at least some beams emitted from the surface emitting laser to be transmitted therethrough, a plurality of regions having a predetermined optical thickness in a normal direction of the substrate being formed in contact with other region in an in-plane direction of the substrate, and a distribution of the optical thickness in the in-plane direction of the substrate is asymmetric to a central axis of the light emitting regions.

Disclosed is an ASE-free continuously tunable external resonator laser in which reduction in tuning range and decrease in output are suppressed. The external resonator laser comprises: a fixed support body which has a half mirror that partially reflects incident light and partially transmits incident light fixed therein; and a rotatory support body which is rotatably supported by the fixed support body by way of a shaft, and which has a laser chip that emits light, a collimator lens that collimates light emitted from the laser chip, and a diffraction grating that diffracts light emitted from the laser chip, fixed therein.

Improved brightness and feedback multi-emitter laser diode modules and methods are provided. A plurality of laser diode emitters emit broad-area light beams in a beam direction. In cross-section, each beam is broad in its slow axis and narrow in its fast axis. Groups of downstream optical components collimate, shape, stack and direct the beams along a light path towards a beam spot (which may be fiber-coupled). After collimating, stacking and directing, the beams are Fourier transformed in the fast-axis through a lens feature having a fast-axis focal length less than about 3 millimeters. In some embodiments, the fast-axis focal length is between about 0.1 and 2.0 millimeters. Astigmatism may be introduced between the fast axis and the slow axis in the beams upstream of the lens feature and in accordance with the fast axis focal length of the lens feature. The emitters may receive feedback including wavelength locking feedback.

A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a reflection coupling layer formed on a substrate in which an optical waveguide is provided, at least one side of the reflection coupling layer being optically connected to the optical waveguide; an optical mode alignment layer provided on the reflection coupling layer; and/or an upper structure provided on the optical mode alignment layer and including an active layer for generating light and a reflection layer provided on the active layer. A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a lower reflection layer; an optical waveguide optically connected to the lower reflection layer; an optical mode alignment layer on the lower reflection layer; an active layer on the optical mode alignment layer; and/or an upper reflection layer on the active layer.

A semiconductor laser produces infrared radiation suitable for jamming a heat seeking missile, wherein a wavelength of the radiation is in a range of 2-5 microns, and the laser has a semiconductor lasing medium of Pb1-xSexPb1-xSnxSe or Ga0.84In0.16As0.14Sb0.86. These materials can be doped to provide a p/n junction, wherein the laser is excitable by electric current passing through the p/n junction. The third one of these materials can be constructed also as a uniform undoped slab which is excitable optically. Cooling of the lasing medium is accomplished by use of a lithium heat sink thermally coupled to the lasing medium by a diamond thermal diffuser which conducts heat from the relatively small region of the laser to spread out the thermal energy along a relatively large surface of the heat sink. Modulation circuitry is connected to the excitation apparatus to provide a pulse train of the radiation.

A bookbinding apparatus for producing a booklet by coating an adhesive onto a back side of a bundle of sheets and by pasting a book cover onto the back side of the bundle of sheets, comprises: an oblique cutout portion forming section to form a cutout on an edge of each sheet of the bundle of sheets in such a way that an oblique cutout portion is formed along the width of the back side of the bundle of sheets; a sheet bundle accommodating section to accommodate the bundle of sheets on which the oblique cutout portion is formed; a coating section to coat an adhesive on the back side of the bundle of sheets accommodated in the sheet bundle accommodating section; and a bookbinding section to paste a book cover on the adhesive-coated back side of the bundle of sheets so as to produce the booklet.

A paper-sheet handling device relating to the present invention has a configuration such that a binder paper alignment unit for temporarily reserving a plurality of paper-sheets perforated at predetermined positions, a movement mechanism for binding the bundle of paper-sheets thus aligned owing to the above by means of a binding component, and a binder cassette for storing the binding components for being transferred thereto, wherein the movement mechanism is arranged on the downstream side of the binder paper alignment unit and the binder cassette and also, the binder paper alignment unit and the binder cassette are arranges radially on the upstream side to form an approximately V-shape by making the aforesaid movement mechanism to be a reference. It is possible depending on this configuration to concentrate the necessary constructional elements at the periphery of the movement mechanism, so that the arrangement of the component members in the horizontal direction of the device can be restricted and the aforesaid device can be miniaturized.

A method of using a folding apparatus to form an outsert having product information printed thereon comprises making a plurality of folds in a first direction in a sheet of paper; aking a plurality of folds in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction to form folded articles; making another fold in said second direction to form an outsert including causing a movable member of a folding apparatus to make contact with and move an intermediate portion of a folded article towards a pair of adjustably-spaced folding members, at least one of said adjustably-spaced folding members having a position that is adjustable to allow said adjustably-spaced folding members to be adjustably spaced apart from each other by a distance that is within a range defined by a lower boundary of 0.25 inches and an upper boundary of 0.45 inches.

The present invention relates to a system and method for creating customized products using a product identification device. In some embodiments, the process involves receiving an aggregate order for yearbooks, creating a master list associated with the aggregate order and including single orders, associating at least one number with each single order, manufacturing a first portion of a yearbook for each single order with a first identifier associated with that portion and also being associated with the at least one number, manufacturing a second portion of the yearbook for the single order with a second identifier associated with that portion and also being associated with the at least one number, and combining the first portion with the second portion.

Proposed is an image processing apparatus in which the data processing method is changed over in suitable fashion in accordance with job settings when binding is performed. To accomplish this, the image processing apparatus is such that when stored image data is processed, the output format is determined from a job ticket and processing for dividing image data is controlled in accordance with the output format determined. In accordance with the output format determined, the apparatus changes over the output timing of divided page image data.

Disclosed are a scanner and an image reading apparatus including the same. The scanner can include a transparent plate, a scanning unit configured to scan a document on the transparent plate, a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is positioned in a first document zone that is associated with an area in which a first document type is to be positioned based on a first alignment reference point provided on the transparent plate. The second sensor is positioned in a second document zone that is associated with an area in which a second document type of a different size is positioned based on a second alignment reference point provided on the transparent plate. The first document zone and the second document zone are non-overlapping zones. The document type and/or orientation can be determined based on the detection signals from the first and second sensors.

A notch forming device, comprises a notch forming section to form a notch on an edge of a sheet constituting a sheet bundle to be outputted in accordance with an execution of a job; a shifting section to shift a position of a notch to be formed on a sheet by the notch forming section; and a control section to control the shifting section. When plural sheet bundles are outputted in accordance with the execution of the job, the control section controls the shifting section to make a position of a notch on a leading sheet of each sheet bundle at the same position.

A cover applier is provided. The cover applier includes a transport system transporting a book, a cover delivery delivering a cover to a book, the cover delivery driven by a servomotor, a book sensor detecting an image printed on the book prior to the cover being delivered to the book and a cover sensor detecting an image printed on the cover prior to the cover being delivered to the book. The servomotor adjusting the position of the cover with respect to the book as a function of the book sensor and cover sensor. A method is also provided.

An information page (1) of a security document, includes: an information part (3), on the upper or lower surface of which part of the information recorded on the information page (1) can be seen; and a flexible connecting part (2) with good bending strength for attaching the information page (1) to a security document. To ensure that detaching the information part and the connecting part from each other leaves visible marks, the connecting part (2) has a netlike structure, and the connecting part (2) is arranged to penetrate into the information part (3) in the immediate vicinity of the upper or lower surface of the information part.

A wire-bound product using a double type laminated paper board and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The wire-bound product employs a structure in which inner paper sheets are turned over in the rightward and leftward directions on front plates of a frame, instead a structure in which a plurality of inner paper sheets is turned over toward the rear surface of a frame, thereby allowing a user to see both surfaces of the inner paper sheets. Further, rear plates of the frame are inserted into various positions of a spring to support the front plates, thereby allowing a standing angle of the front plates of the frame to be adjustable.

A device is provided to shape a spine of a book casing positioned horizontally spread out flat and oriented to be distributed evenly over a spine of a book block. Two fold-shaping rails are arranged extending in a direction parallel to one another. A movable, shaping tool is arranged to face the inside of the book casing spine to shape a web on the book casing spine with the aid of the two fold-shaping rails. The shaping tool includes two spaced-apart support bars that extend parallel to the fold-shaping rails and are arranged to be adjustable so that together they adjust the web width of the book casing spine in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the fold-shaping rails.

A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

An adhesive applicator is disclosed for the application of a hot melt adhesive to the spine of a book block so as to adhesively bind the book block to its respective cover so as to form a perfect bound book. The applicator has a heated head in which a small quantity of a hot melt adhesive sufficient to bind at least one book block to its cover is quickly heated to a temperature such that it may be applied to the spine. The head is brought into operative engagement with the spine and is moved with respect to the spine so that the melted adhesive forced (dispensed) out of the head onto the spine. This applicator is particularly well suited for use with print on demand book printing and binding apparatus. A method of applying the adhesive to the spine of a book block is also disclosed.

In an embodiment, a booklet conveying device includes: a pair of conveying units; a positioning unit; a pressing unit; and a conveying-force changing unit. The pair of conveying units convey a booklet made of a stack of folded sheets, and change a distance therebetween. The positioning unit positions the booklet by making a leading-end portion of the booklet abut thereto. The pressing unit presses the booklet positioned by the positioning unit onto one of the conveying units in order to fix. The conveying-force changing unit changes the conveying force exerted by the conveying units.

In a cover feeding device (1) for feeding covers (13, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3) separated from a magazine (3, 3') to book blocks (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) that are transported while being clamped in book block grippers (2), it is proposed that the magazine (3, 3') features at least a first lateral stop (6.1) that is arranged such that it can be fixed transverse to the withdrawal direction (12) and against which different covers (13, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3) intended, in particular, for book blocks (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) of different thickness can be jointly placed, and that at least the magazine (3, 3') can be adjusted transverse to the withdrawal direction (12) such that an edge (17) of the spine region of the respective cover to be separated is withdrawn essentially in alignment with the rigid gripping jaw (2 a).

In a machine (1) for manufacturing perfect-bound brochures (2) that includes a book block conveying device (10) with an endless conveying means (11), a plurality of clamps (14) that are arranged on the conveying means at a fixed pitch spacing (T) and serve for clamping book blocks (3, 3.1 . . . 3.8), and of at least one processing station (25, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 30) that can be adjusted in a motor-driven fashion, the cycle time (t0) referred to the conveyance of the clamps (14) by the pitch spacing (T) defined in the at least one processing station is divided into an adjusting segment (tV1, tV2) for resetting and/or adjusting the at least one processing station (25, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 30) in accordance with changing printed product characteristics and a processing segment (tB1, tB2) for processing the book blocks (3, 3.1 . . . 3.8) and/or covers (4, 4.1 . . . 4.4). The resetting of the at least one processing station to another printed product can take place within one work cycle (t0) of the respective processing station while the conveyance of the book blocks (3, 3.1 . . . 3.8) continues.

An image forming system including a control section provides control in such a way that, the ring binder of the size determined for the first set of copies is adopted so that ring binding is performed for a second set of copies or copies thereafter in a case of executing a job for ring binding of a plurality of copies. When at least one of a status change in the sheet feed section, a main power source being turned off, or a change in a job ticket is occurred from a suspension to a resumption of the job, since the thickness of a bundle of sheets may change, the thickness measuring section is caused to measure the thickness of the bundle in a first set of copies subsequent to resumption. And the control section judges continuation or suspension of a job.

Method and device for manufacturing adhesively bound printed products composed of a book block and a cover, in which the book block is conducted past processing stations of the adhesive binding device for processing and applying glue to its back. A cover is supplied to the back to which glue has been applied in a synchronously timed controlled manner. After merging of the cover with the book block, a measuring procedure for measuring a mutual actual position of cover relative to book block. Subsequently, this actual position is compared to a predetermined desired position, and, in the case of deviations, a correction value is determined and stored. Prior to the renewed occurrence of the pairing of drive member and clamp, an appropriate change of the mutual positions of clamp and drive member is carried out.

Disclosed is an image forming system including an image forming device which includes a paper feeding tray, a print section which performs printing to papers fed from the paper feeding tray and a control section which controls so as to feed the printed papers to a post-processing device as a booklet main body to be book-bound, and the post-processing device which carries out ring-binding processing to the fed papers and book-binds a booklet, and the control section controls so as to feed a front cover paper, a back cover paper, papers for binding of the booklet to a ring-binding process section of the post-processing device along with the booklet main body, and a paper feeding order is in an order of the back cover paper, the papers for binding, the front cover paper and the booklet main body.

A method and system for on-demand book production is provided in which covers and book content are synchronized at book binding equipment. In one exemplary system and method, a single printer prints a book cover followed by its corresponding book block. The cover and book block are each sequentially staged and synchronized together for binding in the binding equipment. In another method and system for on-demand book production, covers are printed and encoded at a first printer and a book block printing instruction is initiated in response to decoding of the cover in the binding equipment. Printing of the book block is in a separate but integrated printer and the book block is fed to the binding equipment for binding with the book cover. In each instance, synchronized book covers and book blocks are bound in and output from the binding equipment.

Theres is disclosed a device (10) for manufacturing a notepad (15) comprising a stack of sheets, a first side of each sheet having an adhesive to attach the first side to a reverse face of a sheet immediately facing said first side in said stack. The device (10) including a sheet feeder (20) for loading one or more loose sheets (24) of similar dimensions with the reverse face of each sheet (24) in said stack facing in the same direction and feeding each said sheet downstream of said device (10). A cutting means (40) is provided to cut each sheet (24) or a number of said sheets (24) to predetermined dimensions. An adhesive applicator (60) applies adhesive to a portion or portions of the first side of each sheet (24). A stacking means (100) stacks the cut sheets one on top of the other whereby a forming means (120) forms the cut sheets together to form the notepad (15).

In order to form stacks, of which each forms a book block, folded sheets are provided with an adhesive application or layer of adhesive before they are placed on one another. Said adhesive application is applied to the sheets adjacent to the folded edge of said sheets and extends in the direction of said folded edge which comes to lie in the spine of the book block. The adhesive can be applied as a continuous track or as a track which is interrupted multiple times, or else in a punctiform manner. The sheets are joined to one another in the stack by means of said adhesive application, with the result that they maintain their position within the stack during further transport of the stack.

It, as shown in FIG. 11, is provided with a feed roller 31 that is movable, rotates the spiral coil 11 passing through punched holes 3a of the bundle of paper-sheets 3, and guides the spiral coil 11 to feed it toward a coil advance direction, a screw guide 49 at a movable and adjustable side that guides and conducts a forward end of the spiral coil 11 fed by the feed roller 31 toward the coil advance direction into the punched holes 3a thereof, and a control part that receives diameter-of-coil-setting information for setting a diameter of a coil of the spiral coil 11 and controls positions of the feed roller 31 and the screw guide 49 based on the diameter-of-coil-setting information. Such a configuration enables the feed roller 31 and the screw guide 49 to move to the guided positions of the spiral coil 11 indicated by the diameter-of-coil-setting information. Accordingly, it is possible to pass the spiral coils having the different diameters thereof through the holes of the bundle of paper-sheets stably.

Apparatus is disclosed for controlling the depth of a layer of a layer of adhesive on a peripheral surface of a rotary member (e.g., a wheel) for the application of the adhesive to an object. The apparatus comprises a heated reservoir containing a supply of hot melt adhesive maintained within a desired temperature range, where the rotary member is partially immersed in the adhesive and is rotated by a motor such that the as the rotary member is rotated up out of the peripheral surface of the rotary member has the layer of adhesive thereon. A computer controls system controls the motor such that the speed of the rotary member may be increased or decreased so as to vary the depth of the adhesive on the peripheral surface of the rotary member.

Disclosed is a compressive album manufacturing apparatus in that independent areas for performing an aligning process, a heat providing process, a compressing process, and a cooling process respectively are formed in the multistage compressive album manufacturing apparatus, so that each process, which is done by hand, is merged into one, thereby rapidly manufacturing the bulk of compressive albums.

Device for joining book block and book cover includes conveyor device, embodied to lift a book block from a lower position into an upper position, and an adhesive application station applying adhesive to the outsides of the book block. Conveyor device and the adhesive application station are arranged so adhesive is applied to the outsides of the book block as it is conveyed by the conveyor device. A removal station is arranged below the adhesive application station and the conveyor device is structured to reverse a direction of movement and to lift and lower the book block and cover in a same vertical plane between the lower position and the upper position. Adhesive application station deactivates adhesive dispensing during the downward movement of the book block with cover.

In a device for cutting to length and feeding spine strips (3) for a case maker (1), a center strip conveying device (30) is provided that advances the spine strip material (5, 6) by the spine width (BS) transverse to the board feed direction (23) in a cyclic fashion. The spine width (BS) can be changed from work cycle to work cycle without accumulating additional waste. This can be realized because the previously required width sizing on the material web is eliminated.

There is provided a decoloring device including a decoloring unit, a first sheet conveying unit, a first sheet feed unit, a thickness detecting unit, a decolorability determining unit, and a second sheet feed unit. The first sheet conveying unit conveys the sheet to the decoloring unit. The first sheet feed unit feeds the sheet to the first sheet conveying unit. The decolorability determining unit determines whether or not the sheet which is subject to thickness detecting is decolorable by the decoloring unit based on a detection result in the thickness detecting unit. A second sheet feed unit is disposed at a downstream side in relation to the thickness detecting unit and at an upstream side in relation to the decoloring unit in a sheet conveying path by the first sheet conveying unit and feeds the sheet to the first sheet conveying unit.

Disclosed are various embodiments relating to verifying a printed work comprises a correct number of pages. Associated with a stack comprising one or more pages is an identifier that may be used to obtain an expected thickness of the pages in the stack. A sensor may then measure an actual thickness of the pages in the stack. Before binding the pages in the stack, the expected thickness of the stack may be compared to the actual thickness of the stack in order to verify the stack comprises the correct number of pages.

A binding apparatus performs a binding process by bonding the end side of the sheet bundle, and is provided with a notch cutter that forms a notch in the end side used in the sheet binding process in the middle of the sheet conveyance path of the binding apparatus. The notch-forming unit includes a pair of sheet conveyance guides for forming a part of the sheet conveyance path, a cutter provided in a rotatably supported bracket, and a biasing means for applying a force to the cutter to face the sheet conveyance path formed by a pair of the sheet conveyance guides at all times.

A book binding machine includes a collating machine, a perfect binder and a transfer device disposed between the collating machine and the perfect binder. The collating machine and the perfect binder are actuated by a common control device. In each case, one transport segment is assigned to a respective book block clamp by the control device. The control device also has a program which, if a defective or missing book block clamp is detected, actuates the collating machine in such a way that no book block is collated for that book block clamp. A method for operating a book binding machine is also provided.

A paper sheet binding die set comprises first and second dies, each having an opposed surface comprising a plurality of tooth portions. The first and second dies face each other such that the first die and the second die are capable of meshing with each other. Each tooth portion of the first die comprises a valley-bottom portion, and a peak-top portion. Each tooth portion of the second die comprises a valley-bottom portion, a peak-top portion, and an inclined-surface portion extending at an incline from the valley-bottom portion to the peak-top portion. The peak-top portion of each of the plurality of tooth portions of the first die has a length so as to cover the inclined-surface portion of the corresponding tooth portion of the second die upon meshing of the first and second dies. The first and second dies pressurize the plurality of stacked paper sheets to bind them together.

An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a feeding unit, a carriage holding the reading unit, a motor, a motor-side transmission gear, a feeding unit-side transmission gear, a carriage-side transmission gear, a switching gear which switches between a meshing state of meshing with the feeding unit-side transmission gear at a feeding unit-side position and a meshing state of meshing with the carriage-side transmission gear at a carriage-side position, a restraint member which applies a restraint force for restraining the switching of the switching gear, and a motor control unit which when switching the switching gear between the carriage-side position and the feeding unit-side position, executes a large torque control of controlling the motor to generate a switching torque which is larger than a moving reading torque to be generated by the motor at a time of document reading when executing a moving reading.