IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEWING OR STITCHING TOGETHER THE NUMBERS OR SEPARATE PARTS OF A VOLUME IN THE OPERATION OF BOOKBINDING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue
and Birkbeck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEWING
OR STITCHING TOGETHER THE NUMBERS OR SEPARATE PARTS OF A VOLUME
IN THE OPERATION OF BOOKBINDING."-A communication from abroad
by Henry Graham Thompson and Reune Martin, both of New
York United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th December 1869.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck,
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
SEWING OR STITCHING TOGETHER THE NUMBERS OR SEPARATE PARTS OF A VOLUME
IN THE OPERATION OF BOOKBINDING," to be as follows:-A communication.

page_text: This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus
for sewing together the numbers or separate parts of a volume in the
operation of bookbinding, for which Patents were granted to me, bearing
date 10th January 1868, No. 98, and 2nd January 1869, No. 16.
According to one of the present improvements mechanism is applied
to the machine whereby the movements are communicated to the
operating parts of the machine by a rotating axis so arranged that it
can be driven at the will of the operator either by hand or power. A
cam is mounted upon the rotating axis which actuates a swinging arm
connected to the lever, whereby the thread carrier motion is actuated,
the parts being so formed as to be readily and accurately adjustable to
determine the amount of movement and position of the thread carrier.
The cam before referred to, or its equivalent also actuates a lever con-
nected by a universal joint to a lever arm upon a hollow axis, such
axis being free to move upon the axis of the toothed wheels whereby
the work tables are raised and lowered. A rocking motion is imparted
to the hollow axis before referred to by means of the cam and levers
last described, and from the rocking movement of this hollow axis is
obtained the movements of the "lifters and folders," the "assistant
folder," and the tie thread guides, cam surfaces being mounted upon
the axis for this purpose. The lifters and folders are mounted upon a
frame, such frame carrying trucks or rollers at its lower part which
rest upon cam surfaces upon the rocking axis, the trucks or rollers
being mounted upon a cross bar of the lifter and folder frame. The
lifter and folder frame swings upon pins at either side, such pins turning
in sliding blocks which move in guides so that the frame can be raised
and lowered and at the same time have a to-and-fro swinging motion
imparted to it. The to-and-fro motion is imparted to the lifter and
folder frame by means of stationary guide surfaces embracing the cross
bar which carries the trucks or rollers. The cross bar is also embraced
by friction guides, which together with the rocking action of the axis
serve to effect the forward movement of the folder frame. The guides
which guide the pins upon which the frame swings are moveable and
are controlled by a hand lever so as to bring the lifters and folders into
operation at the will of the attendant.
It will be understood that by causing the axis first mentioned to
make one revolution the series of movements of the various instru-
ments necessary for sewing any one of the successive numbers will be

page_text: effected, and this rotation can be effected by means of a crank mounted
upon the rotating axis, which remains stationary after each revolution
during the time occupied by placing a fresh number over the needles;
the rotation of this axis is therefore intermittent.
In order to effect this intermittent rotation from a continuously
revolving pulley a clutch is caused to engage with such pulley when it
is desired to rotate the axis, the clutch being thrown into action by a
treadle operated by the attendant and after the pulley has caused the
axis to make one revolution the clutch is thrown out of gear by self-
acting mechanism so as to stop the rotation of the axis, the driving
pulley continuing to rotate thereon. A rod is passed through the centre.
of the rotating axis provided with a hand plate, so that the rotating
pulley can at any time be pushed out of gear by the attendant.
According to another of these improvements the thread carrier is
provided with an adjustable tension rod or guide for the purpose of
breaking the force of the pull upon the thread when the hook first
catches the thread in the first or feeding needle, which is arranged to
move forward a short distance. The adjustable tension guide is mounted
upon a sliding block to which the thread carrier bar is attached, and is
pressed by a spring towards the right-hand end of the machine. The
thread passes from the spool through an eye, and from thence between
friction surfaces, from which it passes through a second stationary eye
or guide, and then to the eyes or guides on the adjustable tension bar.
Of the eyes or guides mounted upon the tension bar there are four, two
at or near either end, those towards the left-hand end being adjustable.
A fifth guide is also mounted at the outer end of the adjustable tension bar
upon upon as slender spring, which during the movement of the thread
carrier acts to maintain the tension of the thread. The guides upon the
tension bar are so adjusted that the thread is withdrawn from the spool
during the backward movement of the thread carrier bar. The hook of
the thread carrier bar in place of being formed with the bar is attached
thereto so that it can be removed or replaced and is formed with
guiding surfaces so that it can glide with facility past the needles during
either the forward or the backward movement.
According to the present improvements the vertical needles are
formed with enlargements at one side of their lower ends, such enlarge-
ments entering into a groove in the vertical frame plate by which the
needles are secured from moving up or down. The needles are adjusted

page_text: and held in position laterally by means of grooved guides secured to the
sewed work table and holding the needles accurately against the face of
the vertical frame plate. In order to prevent the needles from springing
as the work accumulates upon the stitched work table metal plates are
introduced from time to time between the separate parts or numbers.
These metal plates are formed with projections at either end which enter
guiding grooves whereby they are retained in position against the
needles, and catch levers are provided for holding down the metal plates
until carried down by the work. The tie thread for the first needle
passes between frictional surfaces and through a spring guide and thence
through a stationary eye in a tubular bar, from which it passes to to the
looping guide or instrument. The ends of the threads employed are
hitched between frictional holding surfaces, of which a series is provided
mounted upon the receiving table.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Garrett Tongue, Her special
licence that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Garrett Tongue,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEWING OR STITCHING
TOGETHER THE NUMBERS OR SEPARATE PARTS OF A VOLUME IN THE OPERATION Or

page_text: BOOKBINDING," a communication to me from abroad by Henry Graham
Thompson and Reune Martin, both of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Garrett Tongue, my executors. or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed; and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Garrett Tongue, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof; that is to say:
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus
for sewing together the numbers or separate parts of a volume in the
operation of bookbinding, for which Patents were granted to me
bearing date 10th January 1868, No. 98, and 2nd January 1869,
No. 16.
And in order that the present improvements may be fully understood
and readily carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the same,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed..
In the said Drawings those parts of the machine which correspond
with similar parts to those shown in the Drawings annexed to the
Specification of the Patent last referred to are marked with the same.
letters of reference.
In the machine now to. be described the instruments employed; their
arrangement, and the manner in which they operate to stitch together
the separate parts of a volume correspond with the machine described in
It will therefore not
the Specification of the Patent last referred to.
be necessary to repeat here the description of such instruments and
their operation, as a full description thereof is given in, the said
Specification.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed Figure 11 is a front view,
Figure 12 is an end view, and Figure 13 is a plan. of a machine
constructed according to the present improvements; Figure 14 is a front
view partly in section, Figure 15 an end view, and Figure 16 a plan of
part of the machine on an enlarged scale..

page_text: According to one of the present improvements mechanism is applied
to the machine whereby the movements are communicated to the
operating parts of the machine by a rotating axis C so arranged that it
can be driven at the will of the operator either by hand or by power.
A cam C¹ is mounted upon the rotating axis, which actuates a swinging
arm or lever C³ connected by a connecting rod C³ to the lever, whereby
the thread carrier rod h¹ is actuated. The levers C, the connecting rod
C³, and the lever are attached to one another as shown. The amount of
movement and the position of the thread carrier bar h¹ is readily and
accurately adjustable. The cam C₁ before referred to, or its equivalent,
also actuates a lever D connected by connecting rod D' (formed with
universal joints) to lever arm D² formed or fixed upon a hollow axis D³,
such axis D³ being free to move upon the axis i of the toothed wheels h, h,
whereby the work tables bande are raised and lowered. A rocking
motion is imparted to the hollow axis D³, before referred, by means of
the cam C¹ and levers D and D2 last described, and from the rocking
movement of this hollow axis D³ is obtained the movements of the
"lifters and folders" w¹, the "assistant folder" x¹, and tie thread
guides d¹, cam surfaces being mounted upon the hollow axis D' for this
purpose. The "lifters and folders" w¹ are mounted upon a frame E, such
frame E carrying trucks or rollers E at their lower parts, which rest
upon cam surfaces D' upon the rocking axis D³, whereby the frame E is
raised and lowered, the trucks or rollers E¹ being mounted upon a cross
bar E of the lifter and folder frame E. The lifter and folder frame E
swings upon pins E³ at each side, such pins turning in sliding blocks E
which move in guides F so that the frame E can be raised and lowered
and at the same time, a to-and-fro swinging motion imparted to it.
The to-and-fro motion is imparted to the lifter and folder frame by means
of stationary guide surfaces G embracing the cross bar E which carries
the trucks or rollers E¹. The cross bar E' is also embraced by friction
guides Es, which together with the rocking action of the axis D³ serve to
effect the forward movement of the lifter and folder frame E. The
guides F which guide the pins E which the frame E swings are
moveable upon the pin joints F and are controlled by a hand lever F
so as to bring the lifters and folders into operation or withdraw them
from action at the will of the attendant. It will be understood that by
causing the axis C first mentioned to make one revolution the series of
movements of the various instruments necessary for sewing any one of the
successive numbers will be effected, and this rotation can be effected by

page_text: means of a crank handle on the wheel C*mounted upon the rotating axis C
which remains stationary after each revolution during the time occupied by
placing a fresh part of the volume over the needle m; the rotation of
this axis C is therefore intermittent. This intermittent rotation is
5 effected in the following manner :-A continuous revolving motion is
communicated by an endless belt to the pulley running loose upon the
rod C³ which passes through the centre of the axis C. When it is
desired to rotate the axis C a clutch connected with the axis C is caused
to engage with a clutch carried by the pulley C³, the clutch connected
to the axis C being thrown into action by a treadle C operated by the
attendant and the connecting rod C', and after the pulley C³ has caused
the axis C to make one revolution the said clutch is thrown out of gear by
self-acting mechanism so as to stop the rotation of the axis C, the
driving pulley C³ continuing to rotate thereon. A rod C³ is passed
through the centre of the rotating axis C provided with a hand plate C,
whereby the rotating pulley can at any time be pushed by the
attendant into such a position that the clutches with not engage with
one another.
According to another part of these improvements the thread carrier
bar h' is provided with an adjustable tension rod or guide H for the
purpose of breaking the force of the pull upon the thread when the
hook g¹ first catches the thread in the first or feeding needle which is
arranged to move a short distance. The adjustable tension guide H is
mounted upon a sliding block to which the thread carrier bar h' is
attached, and the tension guide bar H is pressed by a spring towards the
right hand end of the machine. The thread passes from the spool through
an eye and from thence between friction surfaces I, from which it
passes through a second stationary eye or guide I', and then to the eyes
or guides on the adjustable tension bar H. Of the eyes or guides
mounted upon the tension bar H there are four H1, H2, H³, H*, two at
or near either end; the guides H', H*, towards the left hand end are
adjustable. A fifth guide H³ is also mounted at the outer end of the
adjustable tension bar H upon a slender spring H, which during the
movement of the thread carrier bar h¹ acts to maintain the tension of the
thread. The guides H', H, H³, and H* upon the tension bar H are so
adjusted that the thread is withdrawn from the spool during the back-
ward movement of the thread carrier bar h¹. The hook g' of the thread
carrier bar in place of being formed with the bar is attached thereto, so

page_text: that it can be removed or replaced, and is formed with guiding surfaces
as shown, so that it can glide with facility past the needles during either
the forward or the backward movement.
According to the present improvements the vertical needles m are
formed with enlargements at one side of their lower ends, such enlarge-
ments entering into a groove in the vertical frame plate d, by which the
needles m are secured from moving up or down. The needles mare
adjusted and held in position laterally by means of grooved guides K
secured to the work table e and holding the needles accurately against
the face of the vertical frame plate d. In order to prevent the needles
from springing as the work accumulates upon the work table e, metal
plates m* are introduced from time to time between the separate parts or
numbers; these metal plates m* are formed with projections at either
end which enter guiding grooves L, whereby they are retained in position
against the needles m, and catch levers M are provided for holding down
the metal plates until they are carried down by the work. The tie
thread for the first needle passes between frictional surfaces N and
through a spring guide N', and thence through a stationary eye in a
tubular bar c, from which it passes to the looping guide or instrument d'.
The ends of the threads employed are hitched between frictional holding
surfaces P of which a series is provided mounted upon the receiving
table e.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and means
whereby the same may be carried into operation, what is claimed under
the before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. Actuating the book stitching machine herein-before described
from an intermittently rotating axis or its equivalent, substantially as
and for the purposes herein-before described and shown in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Secondly. Actuating the "lifters and folders" w the "assistant folder"
x, and the tie thread guides d by means of cam surfaces, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before described and shown in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Thirdly. Mounting the "lifters and folders" w¹ upon a swinging
frame, substantially as herein-before described and shown in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Fourthly. The application of the means herein-before described or
their equivalents for withdrawing the lifters and folders to at the

page_text: will of the attendant, substantially as and for the purposes herein.before
described and shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fifthly. The combination of the tension bar H and the spring guide H³
with the thread carrier bar h', substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described and shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Sixthly. Forming the hook g' of the thread carrier bar with guiding
surfaces, and so that such hook can be removed from the bar h' as and
for the purposes herein-before described and shown in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Seventhly. Forming and mounting the vertical needles m and re-
gulating and securing their position by means of the adjustable grooved
guides K, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described
and shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Eighthly. Inserting metal plates m* between the parts or numbers to
preserve the vertical needles m in position, substantially as herein-before
described.
Ninthly. Providing the holding surfaces P for hitching the ends of the
threads employed, substantially as herein-before described and shown in
the Drawings hereunto anuexed.
Lastly. The general arrangement and combination of the mechanical
parts for actuating the book stitching machine, substantially as herein-
before described and shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.