Self-Adjusting Spine Support

[daniel_reetz]

Google does it with clips and angled slots (allowing for grasping any size book cover). But clips won't work for us because they will hit the glass. Google's approach is platenless, and they just "photoshop" out the fingers automatically.

I like the idea of a tacky under-surface plus, for example, a rubber band. That seems like a very good and very non-intrusive solution.

[M@rtijn]

Will the cradle with self-adjusting spine support be added to the upcoming kit update? If so, what are your thoughts on the current drawings / outcome and what changes need to be made to make it the standard?

[M@rtijn]

How about using the current cradle setup and screw two bearings on each angle and route shallow slots in the cradle wings for guiding them over the bearings?

Perhaps the idea for the bungee cords can be applied by attaching them to the threaded rods (if the rods run through on both sides) and redirecting the cords through small screw eyes centered beneath the cradle wings.

Or alternatively placing a extra screw eye on the cradle platform and attach the cords from there and a extra non-stretchable cord to the other side to help the cradle wings slide simultaneously as already demonstrated in previous ideas.

cradle.jpg (92.53 KiB) Viewed 1412 times

[M@rtijn]

Based on a BGA kit. A single-handed option to adjust two clips for locking and deskewing small book covers.

The clips move simultaneously over a threaded rod with one side right hand thread and the other left hand tread.

The thread is placed through drilled holes on the sides and a routed slot on top of each cradle wing.

book cover locking concept

[daniel_reetz]

Nice design and illustrations - what is a BGA kit?

Right now I'm still producing the original cradle design, but at some point in the future, I am going to upgrade to this one. I just haven't had adequate time to test it myself and won't for a while as I get the documentation and everything up to speed for the current version.

[M@rtijn]

Thanks. A ball grid array (BGA) kit is a rework tool for preparing to (re)mount a CPU or GPU.

[M@rtijn]

Left and right hand threaded rods can be found here. A sleeve nut can be used to connect the rods together. Alternatively a small kitchen door knob can be placed at the rods end.

sleeve_nut.jpg (34.84 KiB) Viewed 1314 times

Or when having access to a lathe, the threaded rods can be custom made.

[dpc]

I don't think that clamp will work very well for books that have thin cardboard/paper covers.

[M@rtijn]

Indeed, but perhaps the cardboard and paper covers can be better scanned in paperback mode. It's just an idea from which another / different idea can emanate.

[dpc]

Yep, it's always good to discuss new designs and modifications.

I only mention the books with lightweight paper covers because I have a number of them on my bookshelf that I'm planning to scan (these are mostly technical books) and they all have pages that are larger than a paperback, with some having more than 400 pages. That would be a pain to have to flip the book over by hand to scan these in paperback mode. In my case I might be better off using a static 'v' cradle and rolling a dowel rod under the book's spine to keep the gutter-to-platen interface aligned properly, allowing me to scan the book in the normal scanner orientation.