5  EP 3 800 017 A1 6  [Trimmer] [0020] Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a structure of the trimmer will be explained. [0021] The trimmer comprises: a bound material feed- ing unit 2 for feeding a bound material 1 one by one; a table unit3 receiving the boundmaterial1 fromthe bound material feeding unit 2 thereon at a predetermined posi- tionand rotatable withthe bound material1 atevery pre- determined angle in such a manner that the bound ma- terial1 ispositioned ateach oftop,frontand bottomedge trimming positions; and a trim unit 4 arranged for move- ment in directions toward and away from the table unit 3. The trim unit 4 is configured to be moved between a trimming position and a stand-by position. The trimming position is adjacent to the table unit 3 for trimming a top edge area 1a, a bottom edge area 1b and a fore-edge area 1c of the bound material1, respectively. The stand- by position is away from the table unit 3. 5 10 15 20 it is fed in the direction perpendicular to the transporting direction of the bound material 1 to the path 25 in which its back 1d faces forward. The absorption by the line of the suction heads 43 isreleased,thenthe boundmaterial 1 is gripped by the chuck 47 at this position. At this time, the face 33 of the chuck 47 comes in contact with the bottomedge 1bofthe boundmaterial1.Then,the bound material 1 is transferred to the chuck 47. Thereafter, the chuck 47 moves toward the table unit 3 on the path 25, and when the top edge 1a ofthebound material1 comes in contactwith the second uprightplate 32,itstops.Thus, the bound material 1 is positioned on the table 10 in the top-to-bottom direction. [0026] The table unit 3 has a base 9 and a rectangular table 10 which is provided with the top surface for sup- porting a bottom surface of a section of the bound mate- rial1 exceptforthe top edge portion1a,thebottom edge portion 1b and the fore-edgeportion 1c thereon.Thetable unit 3 also has positioning means for positioning bound material 1 on the top surface of the table 10. [0027] In this embodiment, the positioning means has a first upright plate 30 arranged on one side edge of the table 10,whereinaback 1d ofthe bound material1comes in contactwith the uprightplate 30.Thefirstupright plate 30 is coupled to a slide driving mechanism (not shown) attached to the bottom surface of the table 10. Further, the positioning means has a second upright plate 32 to which the top edge1a ofthe boundmaterial1 can contact. The second upright plate 32 is mounted on a feed screw 35 that is rotatably driven by a motor 34 supported by the base 9.In thisway,the firstandsecond uprightplates 30 and 32 move in directions toward and away from the table 10 and they stop at a predetermined position cor- responding to both a size and a receive position of the bound material 1 fed from the bound material feeding unit 2 (see Fig. 2). [0022] The bound material feeding unit 2 has a bound material loading table 24 on which a stack of the bound materials 1 isplaced.A path 25 fortransporting the bound material1 extendsbetweenthe table unit3 and the bound materialloading table 24.A discharge endof the path 25 is adjacent to the table unit 3, while a side section of a supplyend thereofisadjacentto thebound materialload- ing table 24. 25 30 35 [0023] The bound material feeding unit 2 also has a bound materialfeedingmechanism thatfeeds the bound material 1 from the bound material loading table 24 to- ward the path 25,one byone.The bound materialfeeding mechanism has a pair of endless belts 39 extendi acrossand perpendicularly tothe path 25 fromboth sides of the bound material loading table 24, and rollers 40a and 40b between whichtheendless belts 39are extend- ed. A support bar 44 having substantially a reverse U- shape isfixed tothe pairofthe endless belts39.A plurality of suction heads 43 is mounted on the support bar 44 and faces downward. Suction heads 43 are spaced in a length direction ofthe supportbar44.Inthisway,the line of the suction heads 43 reciprocates between the bound material loading table 24 and the path 25 in a direction perpendicular to the path 25 by a drive of a motor 41. 40 45 [0028] The positioning means is further provided with a third upright plate 31 arranged opposite to the first up- right plate 30 with the table 10 therebetween, so that the fore-edge 1c of the bound material 1 comes in contact with the third upright plate 31. The third upright plate 31 is mounted on a feed screw 37 which is rotatably driven by a motor 36 supported by the base 9, like the second uprightplate32,so thatitmoves in directions toward and away from the table 10. When the bound material 1 is placed on the table 10, the third upright plate 31 moves in a direction toward the bound material 1 until the back 1d of the bound material 1 comes in contact with the first upright plate 30 and the third upright plate 31 comes in contactwith thefore-edge1c.Thisachieves the position- ing of the bound material 1 placed on the table 10 in the back-to-front direction (see FIG. 3). [0024] The bound material feeding unit 2 also has a bound materialtransporting mechanismwhich transports the bound material 1 received from the bound material feeding mechanism on the path 25 toward the table unit 3 along the path 25. The bound material transporting mechanism has an endless belt 45 extending along and above the path 25 and rotatably supported by a frame 38. The endless belt 45 is rotatably driven by a motor 46 mounted to the frame 38. A chuck 47 is hung with the endless belt45 andreciprocatesbetween the bound ma- terial loading table 24 and the table 10 on the path 25 by the drive of the motor 46. 50 55 [0029] The face 33 of the chuck 47 of the bound ma- terialfeeding unit2 thatcomes in contactwith the bottom edge 1b of the bound material 1 also functions as a part of the positioning means. It performs the positioning of the bound material1 in the top-to-bottom direction along with the second upright plate 32 (see FIG. 3). [0025] As described above, the bound material placedon the bound materialloadingtable 24 isabsorbed one by one by the line of the suction heads 43,and then, 4