Improvements relating to the Binding of Books.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1891—Accepted, 28th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LEONARD BAILEY, of Wethersfield, Hartford,
Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements relating to the Binding of Books.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The principal object of my invention is to provide a copying book such as is
used for taking press copies of letters or other written matter, the book being so
made as to particularly adapt it to withstand the severe usage to which such a
book is put in copying. To this end my invention consists in the method of
binding the book and in the details of such method, as more particularly hereinafter
described and pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mass of leaves showing one step in the process
of my invention.
Figure 2 is a detail perspective view on enlarged scale of the book and devices
used in the process of binding.
Figure 3 is a detail view in end elevation of the book shown in the press.
In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a mass of leaves that are
arranged in a pile of desired thickness depending on the number of leaves to be
used in the book, and one edge a¹ of this mass is trimmed straight and glued or
secured along the trimmed edge. A strip of cloth or like material is then glued
along the back edge a¹ and a lining e of cloth or like suitable material is glued to
the back of the mass and extends so as to form a lining for the covers.
The mass
of leaves is then sewed through and through, preferably with wire, as near the
back edge as possible, as shown at 6 but thread or other material than copper wire
may be used for sewing if desired.
A form c consisting of a strip of material of a width greater than the thickness
of the book is prepared with its upper surface hollowed out to form a recess c¹ in
which the back of the book rests in the process of binding. On this form c the
cover d of the book is placed opened out, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the
drawings, and the mass of leaves is fastened as by glue along the back and a short
distance on each side of the portion d' that may be called the hinge; this hinge
being made preferably of leather or like tough and flexible material to which the
stiffer covers are secured in any convenient way, usually by means of glue. This
hinge is considerably wider than the mass of leaves a is thick and the mass, after
the back edge has been smeared with glue, cement, or like adhesive material, is
placed upon it as near as possible in the centre upon the cover, the central line of
the mass of leaves being located along the central line of the back of the cover.
After the mass a of separate leaves has been stitched along the back edge as
described the whole is cut to the desired size and shaped by trimming the remaining
three edges of the mass by any ordinary means.
When this trimmed mass has been opened out in the manner described and placed
on the covers that are located on the form, a shield of suitable stiff material,
preferably metal, as tin, having a V-shaped groove f' along its length is then
placed upon the mass of leaves, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and a
thick strip g of elastic material, as india rubber, is laid over the shield, the
V-shaped groove in the shield being gilled by a strip h, either of metal secured to
the shield, or of other comparatively rigid material, the object being to provide a

page_text: flat upper surface for the shield so that pressure may be brought directly upon the
mass of leaves in that part that is held between the shield and the form."
The book in this form with the binding device in place as described is closed
between the bed i and the platen k of a press, and a sufficient pressure exerted upon
it to firmly unite the back edge of the leaves and the cover of the book. The
lining strip is usually glued to the inside of the cover for a short distance beyond
the edge in this step in the process, and after the book has been removed from the
press the remaining portion of the lining is glued to the cover, as when the book
comes out of the press it is all formed, the lining only remaining to be glued in. In
this press described the shield may be of any convenient material, but a smooth
surface as of metal is preferred so that the leaves may be securely held to shape
between the shield and the form, without creasing or wrinkling. It is preferred
that the strip g overlying the shield should be of elastic material, as the best
results have been found to accrue from the use, but the specific form, shape and
material of the several parts used in the above mentioned process is not material,
the main feature being the improved method of binding the book by securing the
cover to the leaves when the mass of the latter is opened out as described
This process of binding produces a book each leaf of which is separate and so
secured as to prevent it from being completely removed or drawn out from the
inass, and the book is extremely flexible and the covers so united to the mass as to
allow a number of sheets of copying board and pads to be used without injuring
the binding or loosening the hold between the mass and the cover; the book is also
capable of being opened out flat and remaining open at any desired point.
My within described method of binding books is not limited to the particular
class of copying books but is used in binding any book, although it is particularly
valuable as a method of binding books used for book keeping, as indexes, and for
other office uses requiring them to be opened out and at times somewhat roughly
handled, and my invention is not limited to any particular class of books.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent 1 declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improved method of binding books that consists in securing a mass of
leaves together along one edge, then placing the book and central portion of the
cover in a recessed form, then opening out the mass of leaves with the back located
along the back portion of the covers placed in the form, then subjecting the book
and cover while opened out to pressure and firmly uniting the two by a layer of
glue or cement applied to the parts in contact, all substantially as described.
2. The improved process of binding a book that consists in securing a mass of
leaves together along one edge, then treating this edge with glue, then placing
the cover of the book upon a recessed form, then opening out the mass of leaves
about in their centre, then placing a shield with a V-shaped projecting ridge upon
the mass of leaves along the opened part, then overlying the shield with a strip of
elastic material, and then subjecting the parts to pressure, all substantially as
described.
3. The improved method of binding a book that consists in securing a mass of
leaves together along one edge, and then securing the cover and the mass of leaves
together by pressure upon the parts placed in contact while the mass of leaves is
opened out, all substantially as described.
Dated this 27th dox of October 1801
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.