AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING BOOK COVERS TECHNICALLY CALLED " CASES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Birdsall of Northampton in the County of
Northampton Wholesale Bookbinder and Stationer for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING BOOK COVERS TECHNICALLY CALLED
" CASES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Birdsall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1882.
RICHARD BIRDSALL of Northampton in the County of Northampton Wholesale
Bookbinder and Stationer "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING BOOK COVERS
TECHNICALLY CALLED
"
〃
CASES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
I take a Strawboard, Millboard or other like board of the size and full substance
required for the book cover and I score a broad line (or two lines about one
sixteenth of an inch apart) from end to end thereof, at a distance of an inch, more
or less, from that edge of it which is intended to come next to the back of the
book, then I make at a distance of about one inch from each end of the said board
a transverse cut extending from the said scored line to the back edge of the board
and penetrating about half way through it, then I split by hand or by the machine
hereinafter mentioned that portion of the board which is bounded by the said
scored line, and the two said transverse cuts. The boards are then ready for use.
With a pair of boards so prepared I make and decorate the book cover or
case by the ordinary methods employed by Bookbinders keeping the scored
and cut side of the boards to the inside of the " case and next to the back
thereof.
"
When I fasten the book within the case thus prepared, I lift up the inner
portion of the split board, I glue the inner surface thus exposed and lay down upon
the glued surface the ends of the tapes mull, canvas or other inaterial upon which
the book has been sewn; next I put on the top of them another coat of glue and
shut the upper split section of the board down upon it, I repeat the operation

page_text: "
with the other board of the " case and I finally glue or paste down the end papers
and complete the binding in the usual way.
The apparatus employed to split the boards consists of an iron table formed or
fixed upon a strong frame. Upon the table is a carriage having screwed to it
a knife which may have either a lance shaped or a revolving cutting edge, the
carriage with its knife has a reciprocating motion parallel to the edge of the board
and equal in length to the length of the split required. The board itself is laid
upon an iron bed which travels to and fro upon the table and which is provided
with suitable gauges for holding the board truly and securely. The board thus
carried by the bed is steadily forced up against the cutting edge of the reciprocating
knife until the required depth of split is made. To keep the board flat and true
and prevent its edge from twisting under the action of the knife both the board
and the travelling. bed are made to pass under a roller which firmly presses the
board to the bed maintaining a line of even pressure at a uniform distance slightly
in advance of the cutting edge of the knife and keeping the board parallel and
true to it during the splitting process,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Birdsall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd February 1883.
RICHARD BIRDSALL of Northampton in the County of Northampton Wholesale
Bookbinder and Stationer "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING BOOK COVERS
TECHNICALLY CALLED "CASES" AND Apparatus THEREFOR
"
I take a strawboard, millboard, wood pulp board or other like board hereinafter
described as a board, of the size and full substance required for the book cover
and I score a broad line (or two lines about one sixteenth of an inch apart) from
end to end thereof, at a distance of an inch more or less, from that edge of it which
is intended to come next to the back of the book; then I make at a distance of
about one inch from each end of the said board a transverse cut extending from
the said scored line to the back edge of the board and penetrating about half way
through it, then I split by hand or by the machine hereinafter mentioned that
portion of the board which is bounded by the said scored line and the two said
transverse cuts. The boards are then ready for use.
With a pair of boards so prepared I make and decorate the book cover or
case by the ordinary methods employed by bookbinders keeping the scored
and cut side of the boards to the inside of the "case" and next to the back
thereof.
When I fasten the book within the case thus prepared I lift up the inner
portion of the split board, I glue the inner surface thus exposed and lay down
upon the glued surface the ends of the tapes, mull, canvas or other material upon
which the book has been sewn-next I put on the top of them another coat of
glue and shut the upper split section of the board down upon it, I repeat the
operation with the other board of the " case and I finally glue or paste down the
endpapers and complete the binding in the usual way.
"
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a view of the inner side of a book
cover or case prepared according to my Invention and in the manner before
described. The shaded margin marked a a represents the turned over edge of the
leather cloth or other material with which the case is covered, X X are the scored
lines Y Y are the transverse cuts; Z Z are the split portions of the board; the split
portion on the left hand board is shown partially lifted up, while that on the right
hand board is shown shut down.
The apparatus employed to split the boards consists of an iron table formed or
fixed upon a strong frame. Upon the table is a carriage having screwed to it
a knife which may have either a lance shaped or a revolving cutting edge; the
carriage with its knife has a reciprocating motion parallel to the edge of the board
and equal in length to the length of the split required. The board itself is laid
upon an iron bed which travels to and fro upon the table, and which is provided
with suitable gauges for holding the board truly and securely. The board thus
carried by the bed is steadily forced up against the cutting edge of the reciprocating
knife until the required depth of split is made. To keep the board flat and true
and prevent its edge from twisting under the action of the knife both the board
and the travelling bed are made to pass under a roller which firmly presses the
board to the bed maintaining a line of even pressure at a uniform distance slightly
in advance of the cutting edge of the knife and keeping the board parallel and true
to it during the splitting process.
In order that this part of my invention may be more completely understood
I will now proceed to describe the same by the aid of the accompanying additional
drawings

page_text: Figure 2 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention
for cutting and splitting boards. Figure 3 is a back view of the same machine
with the fly wheel removed specially showing the travelling bed and vertical knife
holders. Figure 4 is a front view of the same machine showing the reciprocating
knife carriage. Figure 5 is a view in plan and Figure 6 is a view in side elevation
of the travelling bed showing the adjustable gauges thereon Figure 7 is a vertical
cross section of the head and vertical knife holder, Figure 8 is an enlarged
horizontal section of one of the knife holders, and Figure 9 is a vertical section of
the reciprocating knife carriage. Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in
all the Figures.
A is the frame of the machine supporting a table, on the table is a travelling
bed A having upon it adjustable brass gauges B B. Beneath the travelling bed is
a rack C into which the pinion C' is geared; the shaft C2 driving this pinion is
moved through about one quarter turn by the lever D which is attached to one end
of it and this gives the bed A' a travel of about three inches.
When the bed A' is pushed forward it passes under the roller E, this roller is
adjusted by set screws E¹ to about one sixteenth of an inch, more or less, above the
bed. The axle of the roller E passes through two rings or collars FF Figures
3 and 4 which are connected by rods F1 F1 with the short levers G G keyed on a
shaft G' to which a longer lever H and weight H' are attached. This arrangement
permits the roller E to lift slightly.
The
The cast iron head I slides up and down in a groove cut into the frame of the
machine and is connected by the rods K K with the two levers K' K' keyed on to
the shaft L, one of the said levers being prolonged to form the treadle M.
head is depressed by placing the foot upon this treadle and is lifted by the coach
spring N which is bolted to the L iron stay N¹ and passes through the sides of the
frame lifting the connecting rods K by the nuts screwed upon them.
Attached to the head are two knife holders O0 they admit of lateral adjustment
to the extent of the slots 0 0¹ cut in the head. The knife is merely a short
chisel O* set diagonally in the holder-it is regulated and set by two screws 02 03 as
more clearly shown in the two enlarged sections Figures 7 and 8.
Upon the front part of the machine is placed a knife carriage P having a
reciprocating motion and kept in position by two parallel steel bars P¹ fitted to its
dovetailed base. The knife P2 is secured in the head of this carriage P by set
screws P³ as more clearly shown in the full sized section Figure 9, it has a lance
shaped point and is set to project about one inch over the travelling bed A' when
the latter is pushed home forwards. The knife carriage P is put in motion by the
lever which is driven by the connecting rod R from the revolving disc S which
latter is keyed on a shaft S¹ and driven in any usual manner for example by fast
and loose pulleys U, U.
The length of the stroke of the knife carriage P and of the cut of the knife P2 is
regulated by adjusting the pin T nearer or further from the centre of the disc S the
pin T passing through a slot T¹ in the disc S and being tightened in it by a nut.
The handle V fixed to the knife carriage P is merely added for convenience in
setting the knife, W is the fly wheel.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The board having been cut to the required size and scored as herein before
described is placed on the bed A' between the gauges B B B B which are 80
adjusted that one edge of the board lies immediately under the two vertical
knives 0 then by placing the foot upon the treadle M the two transverse cuts half
way through the board are effected. The lever D is then pushed forwards and the
.board is forced under the roller E and against the edge of the reciprocating
knife P* until the latter splits it to the required depth. Whilst the board is being
split the roller keeps it true to the edge of the knife P2 and after it is split and the
lever D is pulled back, the action of withdrawing the board causes the roller E to
press out any burr made by the knives and to deliver the board with an even
surface and fit for immediate use.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim.
First. The cutting half through and mechanical splitting of the back edges of a
pair of solid boards which boards are subsequently made into a book cover
substantially as herein before described.
Second. The machine for cutting and splitting the said boards as hereinbefore
described and fully shown in the drawings attached or any mere modification or
re-arrangement of the parts thereof.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Birdsall have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
RICHARD BIRDSALL (L.S.)