IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PRINTING AND BOOKBINDING
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Nelson, of the Firm of T. Nelson & Sons,
Printers and Publishers, in the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PRINTING
AND BOOKBINDING.”
Sealed the 2nd April 1880, and dated the 1st November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Nelson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1879.
THOMAS NELSON, of the Firm of T. Nelson and Sons, Printers and Publishers,
in the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH PRINTING AND BOOK-BINDING."
This Invention has reference to certain improvements in and connected with the
modes and means of printing, folding, and binding books and sheets, which will
save much time iu folding and making up these sheets ready for stitching and
binding compared with the modes and means heretofore employed; and, further,
will so simplify the work of folding the printed sheets when done by hand, that
the care and attention now necessary in folding the pages is not required, or is so
reduced to a mechanical operation that it may become an occupation or work for
the blind or for very young boys or girls; or when done by machinery the folding
appliances or machines required would be very simple compared with those
heretofore employed.
The improvements comprised in this Invention are applicable to 'hand presses,
to single cylinder or two cylinder printing machines, to platen machines, to web
printing machines, also to lithographic printing machines, and to ruling machines,
and sheets ruled in such machines for book work.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consists in combining together a
particular mode of imposing and printing the pages conjointly with perforating or
piercing the sheets at the parts where they are afterwards to be folded, and in
special appliances therefor as follows:-First. Under one improvement the pages
of the type are made up in the "form on the press, so that when the pages are
printed their numbers in each section or division (or signature, as it is termed,
usually indicated by the letters A, B, C, D, and so on) will all read in parallel rows
either in the longitudinal or. transverse directions, but not sequentially, and so
[Price Gid.l
"

page_text: require to be folded or doubled up in this parallel manner also to make the pages
read consecutively, and in piercing or perforating the sheets right across either
longitudinally or transversely, or both, at the parts where they have to be folded
in this manner, being an improvement upon the ordinary manner of printing and
folding the sheets by subsequently redoubling or folding them at right angles also,
which involves much extra attention in the exact setting of the sheets while folding
them. One improved mode of so perforating these sheets for folding them, as
stated, consists in setting or fixing in the "forms" of type long thin sharp serrated
or pointed cutters or rules (such as are used for making dotted lines in printing)
in the centre of the marginal white or unprinted spaces between the pages, and
these cutters or.rules perforate or pierce the paper where the folds are to be made
by the first improvement, as stated, in parallel rows either longitudinally or
transversely in the "form," as required, to suit the corresponding manner the pages
have been made to read and are to be folded.
For example, the first section of a printed sheet indicated by the letter A may
have the pages numbers 1 to 16 set or "imposed" to print, as indicated in
Figure 1, on one side of the section, and as shown in Figure 2 on the other side of
the section.
The dotted division lines show where the paper is perforated for doubling or
folding in parallel rows at a and a¹, and the double division lines show the position
of the unpierced parts left of full strength, where the final single fold is made and
the sheet is stitched. Several successive signature sections (as B, C, D, and so on)
may be similarly set or imposed to print side by side on one large sheet of paper,
and before or after the parallel folds are made at the perforations; these sections
may be cut longitudinally into their several sheets or sections, which may be
assisted by perforating them in the press. The sections need not consist of sixteen
pages, as shown in the diagram, but may contain 8, 12, 16, 24, or 32, or any
suitable number as usual. Or the first section of a sheet may have the pages
printed and numbered as in Figure 3, in which the pages are arranged in con-
tinuous rows for folding the lengthway of the pages at the perforations, and are
finally doubled in a single fold cross ways or at right angles for stitching at the
longitudinal double line.
The pages may be set or imposed, numbered, perforated, and printed in
accordance with these improvements, also to be folded otherwise than in parallel
rows without any necessity for the usual care in folding when cross folded. For
example, the sheets may be printed and perforated in the blanks between the pages,
so that by folding and refolding the sheets at right angles alternately, transversely
and longitudinally, the numbers of the printed pages will be in their proper
consecutive order. The pages on one side of a section may be numbered as in
Figure 5, and on the other side of the same section the numbers will appear as in
Figure 6.
The dotted lines showing where the perforations are made between the pages
where the first and cross folds a and a² occur, and the full double lines where the
final fold and stitches are made for binding; or two or more complete sections or
sheets may be imposed, numbered, perforated, and printed together in one sheet of
paper without requiring to be cut into separate sheets, as paged and indicated in
Figures 7 and 8 at a, a¹, and a².
"
'forms
"of type
Instead of piercing the sheets by cutters or rules fixed within
transversely or longitudinally, the perforations in the case of parallel rows of
printed pages may be made with circular serrated cutters or discs rolling on and
perforating the paper on the printing cylinder as it revolves, either in the longi-
tudinal or transverse directions of the sheets; and either longitudinal or ring strips
of steel may be fixed on the periphery of the printing cylinder, and have saw-like
or pointed teeth, for either perforating them in the longitudinal or transverse
directions, or both at the same time, where the sheets have to be folded or cut
through for the outer edges, in which case a roller covered with blanket, india
rubber, or other yielding substance is arranged and applied to roll on and press down

page_text: the paper on to the toothed sharp strips on the cylinder during its revolution, and
perforate the sheets at the parts where they are to be folded or cut.
This perforating or piercing will so weaken and nearly cut through the sheets at
the parts where the folds have to be made, that the mere raising of the one side of
the sheet while the other is lying flat on the table will cause it to turn over on the
weak cut part, as if it were hinged, as it really thus would be, by a series of
weakened fibres or tacks only. Thus, as before stated, this new and improved
manner of imposing the pages and printing them in parallel rows or longitudinally
and transversely, and piercing or partly cutting them across in the printing press
at the parts where they are folded and where they are to be cut, would enable the
sheets (afterwards when dried as usual) to be folded and cut by blind people more
quickly and accurately than by the skilled women heretofore required. The last or
final fold, however (of each sheet folded as described), requires to be made as usual
in a central solid space, where the double lines are shown, between the printed
pages without being cut or pierced, so as to have the full strength of the double
sheets to hold the sewing or binding threads or cords. This last folding may be
done as usual, or, marks might be made or pierced in the outer sheet without
injury sufficient for the blind to feel these, and so be able to double up this last fold
also. In cases where the sheets are to be stitched through the side the perforations
for folding can be made wherever required. Otherwise, each sheet as folded to this
stage, ready for the last fold, might be laid up against a guard over a feeding slit
in a folding table under a reciprocating folding blade, which would come down and
double it in the centre or fold, and feed it into a pair of folding rollers below with
conducting tapes, which would complete the folding, and deliver each sheet over
each other into a receptacle or trays, all in order for removal and sewing or
attachment and making up ready for being bound.
This new or improved mode and means of arranging and partially cross cutting
or punching the sheets in the printing presses in parallel rows or longitudinally
and transversely, and afterwards folding them in either of these ways, reduces the
folding and making up of the sheets of books ready for sewing and binding to so
simple and expeditious an operation by hand, that motive power folding machines
may not now be required; but if still desired, they would be of a much more
simple character and construction than heretofore, cach sheet only requiring to be
doubled up in succession about three or four times, and passed through feeding-in
angled slots or bands to as many folding pairs of small rollers, which would deliver
the sheets folded and finished over each other into receptacles ready for stitching up.
For certain classes of work, and when the paper is not very damp at the time of
printing, and the sheets can be readily folded where the perforations occur, the
sheets may be folded automatically in leaving the printing cylinder, and be doubled
up at each line of perforations as each sheet comes from the revolving cylinder.
The parts of the sheet fall in a zig-zag manner on to a tray or other receptacle, one
sheet after another, and form a pile which can be removed at intervals.
The manner in which the sheets are folded and delivered also admits of the sheets
being stitched in sections without being previously cut, and the sections being
delivered always in consecutive order, wrong "collating" cannot possibly occur,
no_cutting being required until the book is stitched or partially bound.
Instead of employing folding machines for the purpose of folding the sheets at
the blank spaces between the pages which have not been perforated, the final
folding may in most cases be performed by unskilled, or even blind persons, using
inverted Vor knife edges, over which the sheets are placed with the parts where
they are to be stitched over the sharp angle of a V or knife edge, and there doubled
or folded, the perforations of the previously folded edges serving as a guide to the
hand for accurate folding.
Instead of piercing the sheets of paper in the printing press at the time of
printing, they may be pierced at the parts where it is intended to fold them
either before or after being printed in a separate piercing machine, in which the

page_text: perforators or pointed or serrated rules or discs might be placed in parallel rows or
at right angles, and set exactly to suit the breadth of the double pages, the
alternate blank spaces between the printing being left unpierced or uncut, or only
slightly marked where the final fold is given before stitching or binding.
The essential improvements of the Invention are the combined "imposing" of
the type, or stereotype plates, or electrotypes, or arranging of the sheets on the
lithographic stones, and the piercing of the sheets, either in the presses or machines
or after removal therefrom, so that they may be folded at the pierced or perforated
lines in a parallel manner or otherwise at right angles to each other, to be folded
accurately without skilled labour.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Nelson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st May
1880.
THOMAS NELSON, of the Firm of T. Nelson and Sons, Printers and Publishers,
in the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH PRINTING AND BOOK-BINDING."
My said Invention has reference to certain improvements in and connected with
the modes and means of printing, folding, and binding books and sheets, which will
save much time in folding and making up these sheets ready for stitching and
binding compared with the inodes and means heretofore employed, and, further, will
so simplify the work of folding the printed sheets when done by hand that the care
and attention now necessary in folding the pages is not required, or is so reduced to
a mechanical operation that it may become an occupation or work for the blind or
for very young boys or girls, or, when done by machinery, the folding appliances or
inachines required would be very simple compared with those heretofore employed.
The improvements comprised in my Invention are applicable to hand presses, to
single cylinder or two cylinder printing machines, to platen machines, to web
printing machines, also to lithographic printing machines, and to ruling machines,
and sheets ruled in such machines for bookwork, the nature and novelty of which
improvements consist essentially in combining together a particular mode of
"imposing" and printing or ruling the pages conjointly with the perforating or
piercing of the sheets at the parts where they are afterwards to be folded, and in
special appliances therefor.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed or put into effect or practice may be clearly understood, I have hereunto
appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings or diagrams for that purpose, to be
hereinafter referred to, and showing graphically the general method and means of
imposing, printing, perforating, and folding sheets for the making up of books by
my improved system.
Under one improvement the pages of the type are made up in the "forme" on
the press so that when the pages are printed their numbers in each section or
division (or signature as it is termed, usually indicated by the letters A, B, C, D,
and so on) will all read in parallel rows, either in the longitudinal or transverse
directions, but not sequentially, and so require to be folded or doubled up in this
parallel manner also to make the pages read consecutively, and in piercing or
perforating the sheets right across either longitudinally or transversely, or both, at
the parts where they have to be folded into their sequential pages, in this manner
being an improvement upon the ordinary manner of printing and folding the sheets
by subsequently re-doubling or folding them at right angles, also which involves
much extra attention in the exact setting of the sheets while folding them. One
improved mode of so perforating these sheets for folding them as stated consists in
setting or fixing in the "formes" of type long thin sharp serrated or pointed cutters
or rules (such as are used for making dotted lines in printing) in the centre of the
marginal white or unprinted spaces between the pages. These cutters or rules
perforate or pierce the paper where the folds are to be made by the first improve-
ment as stated in parallel rows either longitudinally or transversely in the "forme,"
as required to suit the corresponding manner the pages have been made to read and
are to be folded. For example, the first section of a printed sheet indicated by the
letter A may have the pages numbers 1 to 16 set or "imposed" to print, as indicated
in Figure 1 of the Sheet of diagrams, on one side of the sheet or section, and as
shown in Figure 2 on the other side of the same sheet or section. The dotted lines
in these diagrams show where the paper is perforated for doubling or folding in
parallel rows at a and a¹, and the double division lines b show the positions of the
unpierced parts left of full strength where the final single fold is made and the

page_text: sheet is stitched, as more clearly seen in the perspective view Figure 3, which
represents the sheet or section when partially folded in this parallel manner.
Several successive signature sections (as B, C, D, and so on) may be similarly set or
"imposed" to print side by side on one large sheet of paper, and before or after the
parallel folds are made at the perforations these sections may be cut longitudinally
into their several sheets or sections, which may be assisted by perforating them in
the press.
The sections need not consist of sixteen pages as shown in these
diagrams, but may contain 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, or any suitable number as usual.
Thus the first section of a sheet may have the pages printed and numbered as in
Figures 4 and 5, which are diagrams showing both sides of a sheet or signature
section, and in which the pages are arranged in continuous rows for folding the
length-way of the pages at the perforations a, a', all, as in Figure 6, and are finally
doubled in a single fold cross ways or at right angles for stitching at the longitudinal
double line b, b, as shown in Figure 7.
The pages may be set or "imposed," numbered, perforated, and printed, in
accordance with these improvements, also to be folded otherwise than in parallel
rows without any necessity for the usual care in folding when cross folded; for
example, the sheets may be printed and perforated in the blanks,between the pages
so that by folding and re-folding the sheets at right angles alternately transversely
and longitudinally the numbers of the printed pages will be in their proper
consecutive order. In this case the pages on one side of a section may be numbered
as in Figure 8, and on the other side of the same section the numbers will appear
as in Figure 9. The dotted lines show where the perforations are made between
the pages, at which parts the sheet is first folded at a, as seen in Figure 10, and
cross folded at a², as shown in Figure 11, and it is subsequently doubled and
stitched at the double lines b, b, ready for binding, as represented in Figure 12.
Two or more complete sections or sheets may be "imposed," numbered, perforated,
and printed together on one sheet of paper without requiring to be cut into separate
sheets, as paged and indicated in Figures 13 and 14, which show both sides of a
sheet or signature section. The perspective views Figures 15 and 16 show where
the sheet is folded in parallel lines at a, a', and cross folded at a² respectively, and
Figure 17 shows the sheet finally doubled for binding at b, b; Figures 18 and 19
show both sides of a sheet containing four printed sections or signatures A, B, C, D,
and 64 printed pages, which sheet is also shown in the various stages of folding in
Figures 20, 21, and 22, and sheets of a greater number of sections and pages may
also be perforated and folded in the same way.
'
Instead of piercing the sheets by cutters or rules fixed within the "formes" of
type transversely or longitudinally, the perforations in the case of parallel rows of
printed pages are made by an alternative arrangement with circular serrated cutters
or discs, properly spaced and fitted on a transverse spindle carried by the side
standards of the printing cylinders so as to roll on and perforate the paper on the
printing cylinder as it revolves either in the longitudinal or transverse directions
of the sheets. By another arrangement either longitudinal or ring strips of steel
may be fixed on the periphery of the printing cylinder, and have saw like or pointed
teeth for either perforating the sheets in the longitudinal or transverse directions,
or both at the same time, where the sheets have to be folded or cut through for the
outer edges of books, in which case a roller covered with blanket, india-rubber, or
other yielding substance, is arranged and applied to roll on and press down the
paper on to the toothed sharp strips on the cylinder during its revolution, and
perforate the sheets at the parts where they are to be folded or cut. This perforating
or piercing will so weaken and nearly cut through the sheets at the parts where
the folds have to be made that the mere raising of the one side of the sheet while
the other is lying flat on the table will cause it to turn over on the weak cut part
as if it were hinged, as it really thus would be, by a series of weakened fibres or
tacks only.
Thus this new and improved manner of "imposing" the pages and printing
them in parallel rows, or longitudinally and transversely, and piercing or partly

page_text: cutting them across in the printing press at the parts where they are to be
folded and where they are to be cut, would admit of the sheets being folded and
cut, when dried as usual, by blind people more quickly and accurately than by the
skilled woman heretofore employed to do the work. The last or final fold however (of
each sheet folded as described) requires to be made as usual in a central solid space,
where the double lines b, b, are shown in the diagrams, between the printed pages
without being cut or pierced, so as to leave the full strength of the doubled sheets
to hold the sewing or binding threads or cords. This last folding may be done in
the usual way, or marks might be made or pierced in the outer sheet without
injury sufficient for the blind to feel these, and so be able to double up the last
fold also. In cases where the sheets are to be stitched through the side, as indicated
in Figure 22, the perforations for folding can be made wherever required. Otherwise
each sheet as folded to this stage ready for the last fold might be laid up against a
guard over a feeding slit in a folding table under a reciprocating folding blade, which
would come down and double it in the centre, or fold and feed it into a pair of
folding rollers below with conducting tapes, which would complete the folding and
deliver the sheets over each other into a receptacle or tray all in order for removal
and sewing, or attachment and making up ready for being bound.
For certain classes of work, and when the paper is not very damp at the time of
printing, and the sheets can be readily folded where the perforations occur, the
sheets may be folded automatically in leaving the printing cylinder, and be doubled
up at each line of perforations as each sheet comes from the revolving cylinder.
The parts of the sheet would thus fall in a zig-zag manner on to a tray or other
receptacle, one sheet after another, and form a pile which can be removed at
intervals.
The manner in which the sheets are folded and delivered also admits of the
sheets being stitched in sections, as represented in Figures 21 and 22, without being
previously cut, and the sections being delivered always in consecutive order,
incorrect "collating" cannot possibly occur, no cutting being required until the
book is stitched or partially bound.
This new or improved mode and means of arranging and partially cross-cutting
or punching the sheets in the printing presses in parallel rows or longitudinally
and transversely, and afterwards folding them in either of these ways, reduces the
folding and making up of the sheets of books ready for sewing and binding to so
simple and expeditious an operation by hand that motive power folding machines
may not now be required; but if still desired, they would be of a much more simple
character and construction than heretofore, each sheet only requiring to be doubled
up in succession about three or four times, and passed through feeding-in angled
slots or bands to as many pairs of small folding rollers, which would deliver the
sheets folded and finished over each other into receptacles ready for stitching up.
But instead of employing folding machines for the purpose of folding the sheets at
the blank spaces between the pages which have not been perforated, the final
folding may in most cases be performed by unskilled or even blind persons using
inverted Vor knife edges, over which the sheets are placed with the parts where
they are to be stitched over the sharp angle of a V or knife edge, and there
doubled or folded, the perforations of the previously folded edges serving as a guide
to the band for accurate folding.
Instead of piercing the sheets of paper in the printing press at the time of printing,
they may be pierced, though not with the same degree of accuracy, at the parts
where it is intended to fold them, either before or after being printed in a separate
piercing machine in which the perforators or pointed or serrated rules or discs
might be placed in parallel rows or at right angles, and set exactly to suit the
breadth of the double pages; the alternate blank spaces between the printing being
left unpierced or uncut, or only slightly marked where the final fold is given before
stitching or binding.
In applying these improvements to the printing of sheets in lithographic machines,
the perforating of the sheets would be done either on the cylinders, as already

page_text: described in reference to the printing presses, or on a special cylinder or platen press
either before or after the printing process, by which one, two, or more sheets at a
time could be perforated, and which would also be most suitable for the perforating
of sheets to be ruled in ruling machines.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner in which
the same is performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described or delineated, but what I believe to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The combined "imposing" of the type pages, engravings, or stereotype plates, or
electrotypes in printing presses, or arranging of the pages on lithographic stones or
in ruling machines, and the piercing of the sheets either in the printing presses or
machines or before or after removal therefrom, so that they may be folded accurately
at the pierced or perforated lines in a parallel manner, or otherwise, at right angles
to each other automatically or without skilled labour, and also for enabling them to
be stitched in several parts or sections without being previously cut or separated
when so required, all substantially as herein described in reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Nelson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.