AN IMPROVED REMOVABLE PROTECTING
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Jones Fitch of the firm of Herbert Fitch and Co,
of 30 Bury Street in the City of London, Wholesale Stationers and Account
Book Manufacturers for an Invention of AN IMPROVED REMOVABLE PROTECTING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Jones Fitch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th May 1883.
HERBERT JONES FITCH of the firm of Herbert Fitch and Company of 30 Bury
St[reet] in the City of London. Wholesale Stationers and account book Manu-
facturers "AN IMPROVED REMOVABLE PROTECTING COVER FOR ACCOUNT BOOKS
AND OTHER BLANK BOOKS
"
My Invention relates to an improved removable protecting cover for account
books and other blank books, which cover when the book is filled or done with,
can be easily removed and applied to a new or clean book of similar size. Such
removable covers being intended to outlast a number of books, are very strongly
and substantially made and may or may not be provided with metal mounts to
enable them to withstand for a long time the wear and tear incidental to frequent
use. While the covers are thus of great strength and solidity, the books themselves
may be very lightly and inexpensively bound inasmuch as when once filled or used
up they will only be required for occasional reference. By the use of these
removable covers, the expense of heavy and elaborate binding for each book is
avoided.
My Invention consists of a removable cover constructed of two boards united by
a back and provided with inner flaps hinged to the outer edges of the boards and
adapted to fold inwards and enclose the boards of the book to which the cover is
applied, between said flaps and the boards of the removable cover; these flaps
being tightly secured by buttons or other locking devices.
The sides and back of the removable cover may be of any suitable material or
construction, and if necessary strengthened and protected in any suitable way by
metallic or other mounts, while the hinges which unite the inner flaps to the edges

page_text: of the boards of the removable cover, will form a protecting mount for the said.
edges. These metallic hinges will extend the whole length of the boards and
project sufficiently beyond the edges to protect them. These hinges will be so
made and applied as to reserve between the boards and the inner flaps of the
removable cover, the necessary space for the admission of the boards of the account
book.
The ends of the boards of the removable cover would be of sufficient thickness to
allow exactly for the thickness of the inner flap of the cover and the boards of the
account book.
By means of the buttons or other locking contrivances the removable cover may
be so thoroughly attached to the account book as to form, to all practical intents
and purposes, an integral part thereof for the time being and to present the
appearance and effect the same purpose as if the account book had actually been
bound as strongly and expensively as the removable cover appears to indicate.
To replace one book by another in the cover, the only operation necessary would
be to disengage the buttons, to throw the inner flaps outwards on their hinges, and
to remove the account book, which would then lie loosely in the removable cover;
a new book could then be as quickly and easily inserted by reversing these
operations.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert Jones Fitch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1883.
HERBERT JONES FITCH of the firm of Herbert Fitch & C° of 30 Bury Street in
the City of London, Wholesale Stationers and Account Book Manufacturers
" AN
IMPROVED REMOVABLE PROTECTING COVER FOR ACCOUNT BOOKS AND OTHER BLANK
BOOKS
"
My invention relates to an improved removable protecting cover for account
books registers and other books, which cover when the book is filled or done with,
can be easily removed and applied to a new or clean book of similar size. Such
removable covers being intended to outlast a number of books, are very strongly
and substantially made and may or may not be provided with metal mounts to
enable them to withstand for a long time the wear and tear incidental to frequent
use. While the covers are thus of great strength and solidity, the books themselves
may be very lightly and inexpensively bound, inasmuch as when once filled, used
up or done with, they will only be required for occasional reference. By the use of
these removable covers, the expense of heavy and elaborate binding for each book
is avoided.
My Invention consists of a removable cover constructed of two boards united by
a back and provided with inner flaps hinged to the outer edges of the boards and
adapted to fold inwards and enclose the boards of the book to which the cover is
applied between said flaps and the boards of the removable cover; these flaps being
tightly secured by buttons or other locking devices.
The sides and back of the removable cover may be of any suitable material or
construction and if necessary strengthened and protected in any suitable way by
metallic or other mounts.
The edges of the boards of the removable cover would be of sufficient thickness
to allow exactly for the thickness of the inner flap of the cover and the boards of
the book,
By means of the buttons or other locking contrivances the removable cover may
be so thoroughly attached to the book as to form, to all practical intents and
purposes, an integral part thereof for the time being and to present the appearance
and effect the same purpose as if the account book had actually been bound as
strongly and expensively as the removable cover appears to indicate.
To replace one book by another in the cover, the only operation necessary would
be to disengage the locking devices, to throw the inner flaps outwards on their
hinges and to remove the account book, which would then lie loosely in the
removable cover; a new book, could then be as quickly and easily inserted by
reversing these operations,

page_text: the best account book work, and the sides or boards are hinged thereto in the
usual way.
The sides A are boards thickened along their top, bottom and front edges by
fillets or thickness strips a a¹ a² of wood, millboard or other suitable material
applied on the inner surface so as to enclose a space reserved for the reception of
the board D of the book and of the inner flap E of the removable cover which
encloses the book cover as shown, the depth of this reserved space corresponding to
the thickness of said cover and inner flap. The flap E is joined to the inner edge
of the fillet or thickness piece, a³ by a flexible hinge-like connection on which the
flap works, as shown. The sides or boards A and the back B are preferably full
bound in leather in the strongest possible manner as will be readily understood by
any one skilled in the art of account book binding without further description.
The leather also covers and holds in place the thickness, pieces a a¹ a² and the top
and bottom corners and edges may be protected by brass mounts. The inner
flaps E are boards covered in cloth or other material:
.
The locking devices for securely uniting the book and cover are preferably
screws F passing through corresponding holes in the outer boards or sides of the
removable cover, the book cover D and the inner flap E and secured by disc nuts G
screwing on their inner ends.. These fastenings by passing through holes in the
cover D clamp the false cover so securely to the book as to prevent any wear of
the bindings of the book proper owing to friction between it and the false cover as
would occur were the latter loosely applied. The inner, flaps E protect the book
covers and prevent any racking strain of the screws or other fastenings.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
1st. A removable protecting cover for account books and other books, constructed
of two sides or boards hinged to a back and having inner flaps hinged to them as
described, the sides or boards and the inner flaps being adapted to receive the
permanent sides or boards of the book between them and combined with suitable
locking devices substantially as specified.
2nd. A removable protecting cover for account and other books constructed of two
sides hinged to a back and provided with recesses adapted to receive the permanent
sides or boards of the book and having inner flaps hinged to them as described, in
combination with clamping screws traversing-holes in the sides or boards of the
removable cover, the inner flaps, and the sides or boards of the permanent cover,
substantially as shown and described.
3rd. A removable book cover constructed of a back and of two sides or boards
hinged thereto and having recesses on their inner faces for the reception of the
permanent covers of the book in combination with clamping screws traversing the
sides or boards of the permanent and removable covers substantially as shown and
. described.
.In.witness whereof I the said Herbert Jones Fitch have hereunto set my hand
and seal this seventh day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
ANDE