Improvements in Leaves for Books and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
Improvements in Leaves for Books and the like.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR VAWTER, of 1102, Mariana Street, Chicago, Cook County,
Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved sheet for use in making books or folders
of any kind wherein it is desirable that the leaves or sheets when opened out will
lie perfectly flat, and the invention is to provide a sheet or leaf having, as nearly
as possible, perfect flexibility in those parts or sections principally subject to
flexure in the use of the same, and at the same time having strength, durability
and neatness in said flexible section or part.
Among the different classes of books in which this invention will be of special
utility may be mentioned blank books of all kinds for book-keeping purposes,
sales-books, text-books, Bibles, whether bound in permanent covers or in tem-
"binders"
or "holders" also folders and maps, and, in fact, all sheets
in which it is necessary or desirable that the body of the leaves be of such thick-
ness or substance as to afford any substantial resiliency in the sheet and thus
interfere with the free folding of the sheet or opening of the book to its widest
porary
extent.
The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly
pointed out in the appended claims, and for convenience will be described in
connection with illustrative diagrams, in which,
Figure 1 is a plan view of a single sheet embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view of a sheet showing a slightly different way of pre-
paring the flexible strip.
Referring to said drawings, A designates, as a whole, a sheet or leaf which may
be of any size or form, as desirable or necessary. The main body or sight" a
of the leaf may be of any ordinary or desirable thickness and quality of paper or the
like, as may also the end or side portion a¹ by which the sheet is bound into the
book.
At the point of principal flexure the parts a and a are connected by a relatively
more flexible section, portion or strip a formed integrally with the portions a
and a', and indicated in the drawing as between the two transverse dotted lines.
The increased flexibility of the strip or section 2 as compared with the other
portions of the sheet, may be secured in various ways, as, for instance, by making
the section or portion a thinner than the remaining portions of the sheet but at
the same time preserving a smooth or unbroken surface whereby a person may write
over the thin or flexible portion with a pen or other implement. This may be done in
various ways owing to the manufacture of the sheets at the paper mill. Substan-
tially the same result may also be secured in cases where sized paper is employed
for making the book by removing or extracting the animal sizing from the strip
portion a² or by leaving an unsized strip in the sheet when applying the sizing,
thus removing from that section of the sheet the stiffness that would otherwise
remain in it. Still another way in which the desired result may be obtained is

page_text: by forming the portion a² less compactly or of more spongy texture than other parts
of the sheet. This can readily be done by supplying a less quantity of pulp to a
certain strip or portion of the sheet of pulp from which the paper is formed. The
subsequent compression and calendaring of the sheet will leave it of even thick-
ness throughout but more open or spongy in texture throughout the flexible portion
forming the strip a².
In Figure 2 I have shown the use of a series of indentations, or scorings at c
on the sheet C. These indentations are usually in parallel lines and do not extend
to either margin c¹ of the sheet C, and when required this indented part of the
leaf is smoothed out or flattened by being passed between a pair of rollers, or
otherwise, so that this portion of the leaf will present substantially the same
uniform surface as the balance of the sheet. The sheet is thus rendered quite
flexible at a desired point but is not weakened, in the usual sense, care being
taken not to employ too many lines of indentations or scores, or to have the
indentations to close together in the same line. On the right hand end of the
sheet C, Figure 2, I show still another form of flexible section indicated by
the lines In this instance the flexibility of the section or part is accomplished
by first folding or crimping the sheet C on the lines back and forth, accordion
This will pro-
fashion, and then straightening or flattening out the sheet again.
duce a flexible section at the folded portion without in any manner disturbing the
texture of the paper or weakening it.
From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a leaf for a book having
an integral section or portion more flexible that the remaining portion of the
leaf, is capable of being made in very many ways, and I do not, therefore, wish to
he limited to any specific method of producing the flexible section or part pro-
vided the same may be so smoothed or flattened out that the entire leaf will present
a substantially flat or smooth surface. A book embodying this invention opens
out perfectly flat, so that writing may be placed on the sheet with the greatest
facility. This is a great desideratum in blank as well as printed or written
books. The invention is of special value where a plurality of separate sheets are
held in a so-called temporary binder or holder, such as order sheet holders and the
like.
a
The present invention is not to be confounded with the method of providing
sheet or leaf having a separate flexible strip of a different material from the
sheet, and either pasted, glued, sewed or otherwise secured thereto, nor with a
leaf having
sheet having a single line of perforations or the like, nor again with
a thin section with a line of perforations running therethrough whereby the two
parts of the leaf may be torn apart and then joined again by superposing one thin
section of the leaf upon the other thin section. Such expedients have proved
either impractical or limited to some particular purpose, and not capable of
general adoption.
It is to be noted in this connection that in all the above described methods
of obtaining the desired flexibility the inherent strength of the sheet is not
materially affected, and in no case is there any increased liability of catching or
tearing by reason of projecting edges, seams or the like.
I may obviously, in some cases, combine the folded section with the section
from which the sizing has been removed, or with the other forms of flexible
section, and any such combinations I regard as within the scope of my invention.
In fact I do not regard the above stated methods or means of producing an integral
flexible strip in a sheet of paper as the gist of my invention, nor as the only means
for accomplishing it.
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 leaf for a book having an integral transverse portion or band more flexible

page_text: than the remainder of the leaf, the entire leaf presenting a substantially smooth
surface.
2. A leaf for a book having an integral transverse portion comprising a
plurality of substantially flat accordion pleats.
Doted this 11th day of April 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.