Book-top Protector.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Book-top Protector.
I, THOMAS WILKIE, Journalist, 12 St. Agnes Place, Kennington Park,
London, S.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The invention is to protect, by its application to each book singly, the top, or
head, of bound and cased books (other than "flush-edged books), when books are
in places accessible to dust—to atmospheric influences generally, such as the open
shelves of libraries, book-shops, offices, dwelling-houses.
The invention is a combination, moulded, blocked, wrought, or cut out of paste-
board, papier-mache, metal or other suitable material. It consists of three distinct
parts united to each other to form an unbroken whole, namely:-
"
First A board or plate to lie upon and cover the top edges of the leaves of a
closed book, without, however, taking account of those unpressed "bill-shaped
points or portions of the leaves which project sideways at the extremities of the
boards, and which on their further edges form the ends of the curve of the back;
Second An upright strip (springing from the aforesaid board or plate), equal
in height to that portion of the binding projecting above the top of the leaves, as a
support to
Third-A board or plate (springing, horizontally outwards, from the aforesaid
upright strip) to cover the top, or head, of the binding.
The invention, and the manner of its application, are clearly illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a representation of the entire invention. The board or plate to lie upon
the top edges of the leaves is shown by the letter A, the upright supporting strip
by the letter B, and the board or plate to cover the top, or head, of the binding by
the letter C.
Fig. 2 represents the invention applied to a book. The broken corner of the
side-board, marked D, shows the relation of the distinct parts of the combination
to the top of the closed book. This Fig. 2 further shows that the board or plate
which lies upon the top of the leaves, does not follow the curved shape of the fore
edges, but is, instead, continued till it is flush with the fore edges of the binding,
where it ends in a straight line-an arrangement adopted to permit of the invention
being easily placed upon and removed from the book.
"
In covering, as it is meant to do, the whole of the book-top, the invention herein
described differs from a detachable book-top dust-board. The latter follows the
true lines of only the top of the leaves; and in doing that, it takes particular
account of the unpressed " bill-shaped points or projections of the leaves at the
extremities of the side-boards. These points, so far as this invention is concerned,
are adequately protected by the horizontal board or plate C. The board or
plate A, standing by itself, is a common form, but so far as I am aware it has not
been applied specifically in the protection of book-tops against dust and atmospheric
influences generally, and at any rate, it has not been used, to my knowledge or
belief, in such a combination as is herein described. Therefore,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A book-top protector as herein substantially set forth and described.

page_text: and atmospheric influences generally, the combination of a board or plate to
lie upon the top edges of the leaves, within the binding, with an upright strip
springing therefrom, and supporting a board or plate to cover the top, or head, of
the binding.
Dated hind AL
1.
1000