The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-28
BOOK MANUFACTURE.
A Wonderful Machine Which Turns
Out 5000 Novels an flour.

New \ ork Commercial Advertiser.
There are various rumors and tales floating
about town among those in the business con
corning some wonderful machinery over On the
west side of the City in a certain monst Gus
book making establishment. But even the
besi.informed seem to have shadowy notions
for one gentleman in conversation with the
writer said they made three books at a time on
this machine, and when they were all sewed
and covered great knives came down and cut
them apart as they were end 10 end. But a
visit 10 the establishment revealed nothing OF
this sort, though there was other machinery
perhaps equally as wonderful.
The "novel machine" 1t is large web
press, similar TO the kind newspapers are
printed on, but arranged to take curved cleo
trOiypes of each page of book, Instead Of a
single large metal cylinder casting. There
are TWO cylinders, on each Of which LA pages
may be screwed. and as the long strip of paper
goes through first one side is printed and
then the other, making it possible to print
28S pages at every revolution. The strip OF
paper, after being carried over rollers which
dry The ink, is cut. folded and brought together
into the shape of a small volume, with the
edges all trimmed. Every time the great
cylinder goes around nov is printed, folded
and trimmed, and 5000 of these are turned out
every hour. while, if 1t we've necessary, 1000
or 5000 might be the quota.
From the printing press these books are
carried to little machine that looks like a
sewing machine, ana TWO wire stitches are
taken In the back OF each. The stitched
NOluiltS are llcn CdIIl6u 10 tue covering ma
chine, where they are put sid to side in long
feeding trough. AT the end of this is little
compartment large enough 10 take book, car
ried endless cham running over
wheels at each end-iDdeed, there are
series OF little compartments on this chain,
and as the chain moves along each on re-
ceives book. AS the book proceeds a wheel
running In glue-pot presses against its back,
sneaiing II with glue. A little further along
there IS a pile III covers that comes up at just
the right moment, leaving a cover sticking to
the eiuey bacN OF tie book. Of course the
cover stands out straight on each side, but as
it is carried all the way around on the chain
tie glue lhus has chance TO dry When the
circuit has been MADE the book drops of on lis
back, and by falling In between other books
the covers ale folded up against the sides.
In this way fifty books can he covered every
minute. Two hundred and fifty thousand of
these paper-covered novels are thus turned out
every Two weeks. and extra editions OF $4,000
or so are often worked in besides.
1t Is the paper which costs the most, nearly
five times the price OF printing. But that Is only
about TWO cents for a novel. The rest of tn
eXleudltere-for prin ing, covers, etc.-is about
one cent. The whole is not over three CENTS
and doubtless is something less than this when
such great quantities are printed. This
machinery is not duplicated in any other estab-
liShment. II Is doubtless by such processes as
these that the 10-cent novels Will be made
which the syndicate with 5000. 900 is promis-
Ing TO turn out next fall in editions of 80. 900 at
a time.