Improvements in Bookbinding and in Rounding and Backing Machines applicable therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 16th Feb.,
1901
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Bookbinding and in Rounding and Backing
Machines applicable therefor.
I, JOSEPH MEEK, of Port Sunlight, in the County of Chester, Director, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in book binding whereby the
process is considerably cheapened and also improvements in apparatus for effect-
ing these improvements in the process.
In book binding as at present carried on, the book without the cover is rounded
and the groove pressed in by machinery. The back is now attached, and the
book is again passed through. the machine.
Now I have found that if the back be attached to the book in its unrounded
and unbound state, and it is then passed through the machine, it rounds and
grooves the entire book and so perfectly that it is practically impossible to
ascertain from inspection of a book whether it has been done at two operations
or at one. Hitherto it had been supposed to be quite impossible to do the opera-
tion in this way, as the binding would crack. I find however that the pressure
exerted in the machine' appears to condense the book to almost exactly the same
extent that the surface is extended by rounding, consequently there is no strain
on the back of the book. The book is therefore first covered with its cloth cover
or case, and instead of pressing this book I use the rounding and backing machine®
both for the purpose of pressing and rubbing down the end papers, at the same
time as the books are rounded and backed.
By this invention therefore one single machine is enabled to do the work of
several. I have also largely improved the rounding and backing machine itself
so as to enable me to round and back two or more books at one operation, thus
doubling the capacity of the machine without increasing its size and by doing
away with the radial gauge bar greatly lessen the danger to the attendant in
removing the books. My improvements are also applicable to single rounding
and backing machines. The rounding and backing machine is fed with two or
more books of say crown octavo size at each operation instead of one only as
heretofore and at present generally adopted. It is primarily to the application
of this principle of rounding and backing two or even more books at the one opera-
tion, by the same machine, that my said invention more particularly relates, and
what I have found to be an advantageous method is to make the grip plates and
rounding bar of an increased length to those in an ordinary machine to enable
it to take in the two or more books as the case may be, lengthwise with their
edges abutting against each other.
In order to facilitate the gauging and feeding of the book or books into
proper position, the usual oscillating gauge arm is dispensed with and is substi-
tuted by a horizontal gauge bar having a vertical motion imparted to it by means
of a suitable arrangement of shafts, levers, and gearing, or combination thereof,
which motion is derived from a rocking shaft, but to which I do not confine myself,

page_text: The gauge bar is adjustably mounted and is guided in its vertical movement by
suitable guides attached to the oscillating roller bracket, and is advantageously
provided with a bow, volute, or other form of spring connection, or it may be by
weights, so that the book vice during its forward oscillatory travel to take one,
a pair of more books, will collide with the flexibly connected gauge bar, and will
gently move the same out of the position which the books will now assume, and
the book vice recedes to round and back another pair of books and so on, the
operation being successively repeated for the rounding and backing of each pair
or more of books, or singly as the case may be.
I would have it understood that the gauge bar hereinbefore mentioned admits
of adjustment in order that the machine should be adapted to take in books of
varying thicknesses.
Improvements in Bookbinding and in Rounding and Backing
Machines applicable therefor.
I, JOSEPH MEEK, of Port Sunlight, in the County of Chester, Director, 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 has for its object improvements in book binding whereby the
process is considerably cheapened, and also improvements in apparatus for effect-
ing these improvements in the process.
In cook binding as at present carried on, the book without the cover is rounded
and the groove pressed in by machinery. The back is now attached, and the
book is again passed through the machine.
Now I have found that if the back be attached to the book in its unrounded and
unbound state, and it is then passed through the machine it rounds and grooves
the entire book and so perfectly that it is practically impossible to ascertain from
inspection of a book whether it has been done at two operations or at one. Hither-
to it had been supposed to be quite impossible to do the operation in this way,
as the binding would crack. I find however that the pressure exerted in the
machine appears to condense the book to almost exactly the same extent that the
surface is extended by rounding, consequently there is no strain on the back of
the book. The book is therefore first covered with its cloth cover or case, and
instead of pressing this book in a separate machine, I use the rounding and
backing machine for pressing it, at the same time as the books are rounded and
backed. By the present invention therefore one single machine is enabled to do
the work of several.
I have also improved the rounding and backing machine itself, so as to enable
me to round and back two at one operation, thus (in the case of two books)
doubling the capacity of the machine without increasing its size and by doing
away with the radial gauge bar greatly lessen the danger to the attendant in
removing the books. My improvements are also applicable to single rounding
and backing machines. The rounding and backing machine is fed with two
books of say crown octavo size at each operation instead of one only as heretofore

page_text: and at present generally adopted. It is primarily to the application of this
principle of rounding and backing two or even more books at the one operation,
by the same machine, that my said invention more particularly relates, and what
I have found to be an advantageous method is to make the grip plates and round-
ing bar of an increased length to those in an ordinary machine to enable it to
take in the two books as the case may be, lengthwise with their edges abutting
against each other.
•
The invention will be more particularly understood from the following de-
scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gauge bar and actuating gear.
Figure 2 a plan thereof;
Figure 3 an end view of Figure 1;
Figure 4 a perspective view of the entire machine showing my improvements
applied thereto.
The rounding and backing machine shown in these drawings is constructed on
somewhat similar lines to previous machines, but with the following exceptions--
In the case of a machine capable of operating on two books simultaneously it
is necessary to make the rounding bar, and the vice or grip plates B of increased
length to those of ordinary machines so as to enable them to take in the two
books placed end to end, lengthwise with their edges abutting against each other.
In order to facilitate the gauging and fitting of the book or books into proper
position, the usual oscillating gauge arm is dispensed with, and is substituted by
an horizontal gauge bar C mounted in the guides D having a vertical motion
imparted to it by means of a suitable arrangement of shafts, levers and gearing,
or combination thereof, which motion is derived from a rocking shaft to which I
do not confine myself. The gauge bar C, while capable of this vertical movement,
is also adjustably mounted in the guides E, so as to be capable of a horizontal
adjustment towards or away from the feed rolls A. The guide frames 1) which
guide the gauge bar C in its vertical movement can be mounted on the frames d
carrying the feed rolls A, said frames being arranged to admit of the free rise
and fall of the upper feed roller, as well as the independent rising and falling
of the gauge bar. The mechanism for imparting to the gauge bar its vertical
movement is so arranged as to raise the bar as the book vice comes forward to
grip the books, and to lower it as the said vice recedes. The gauge bar is made
rigid, but is provided at the ends with a bow or volute G or other form of spring
connection (or it may be by weights) so that the book vice during its forward
oscillatory travel to take one or a pair of books, will collide with the flexibly
connected gauge bar when in its raised position, and will gently move the same
out of the position which it previously occupied, and thus enable the book vice
to come forward for the purpose of seizing the books and carrying them to the
rounding and backing device, the rounding and backing being done in the
ordinary way. The intermittently rotating feed rolls are preferably arranged
to simultaneously feed forward the books into the vice, so that they can be seized
thereby, at the moment when the said vice comes forward. On the completion of
the operation, the gauge bar instantly springs back to its normal position, and
also is lowered vertically so as to again act as a stop or gauge for the next set of
books fed in by the operator, the feed rolls separating to allow them to be fed in.
The operation is successively repeated for the rounding and backing of each pair
of books or singly as the case may be. The book vice B is shown in dotted lines
in Figure 2, and in Figure 4 in full lines grasping a pair of books. The gauge
bar in the arrangement shown in the drawings, derives its motion from a crank H
mounted on rocking shafts I, and connected by a connecting rod K to the blocks J,
to which the volutes at ends of gauge bar are attached. These shafts are driven
by a transverse shaft N and mitre segments 0. One of the rocking shafts I
is driven at P from a cam on the main driving shaft of the machine. 'The block J
and horizontal guides E are attached together, and slide in the guide frames D.
I would have it understood however that the gauge bar is capable of adjustment,

page_text: in order that the machine can be adapted to admit of books of varying thicknesses
being operated upon. This is effected by a slot L being provided in each block J,
and attaching the ends of springs G to a slide mounted in each of these slots.
The slides can be locked by tightening up the nuts 1. By slackening the nuts,
the gauge bar can be adjusted into the required position according to the size of
the book required, and then locked by tightening up the nuts again. Figure 4
of the drawing shows a pair of books placed endwise with their backs to the gauge
bar, ready to be gripped by the vice, but previous to being rounded and backed.
When the pressure has been released after the rounding and backing has been
effected, and the books are taken out by hand, then the vice travels forward to
receive and grip the succeeding pair of books that are shown in the drawings in
position ready to be fed forward by the feed rolls. I would also have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details described and shown
herein for carrying this invention into effect, as various mechanical constructions
or alterations may occur or suggest themselves to an intelligent mind, without
departing from the nature of the invention.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that by the present invention,
the rounding, backing and pressing the books is effected at one operation instead
of two as heretofore. The machine is arranged so that it can operate on two
books simultaneously instead of only one as formerly. The capacity of the
machine is (in the case of two books) doubled without increasing its size. There
is a freedom of danger to the attendant on removing the books. Notwithstanding
the adaptibility of the machine for operating on two or more books simultaneously,
yet it is capable of operating also on single books..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner, the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The improvement in book binding, which consists in covering the book or
books in their unrounded or unbacked state with their covers or cases, and then
passing them with their covers on through a machine so as to round and back
them, and press in the groove, all in one operation by the one machine, whereby
the rounding, backing and pressing are all effected with a single machine, and
in one operation instead of two as heretofore, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for rounding and backing books during the process of bind-
ing dispensing with the usual gauge bar, and providing in place thereof a
rigid gauge bar mounted in guides so as to permit of vertical and horizontal
inovement, but provided at ends with a bow, volute or other form of spring con-
nection (or it may be weights) in such manner that when the book vice comes
.forward and the bar is raised, the vice collides with the spring mounted gauge
bar and will gently move the same out of the position which it previously occupied,
and thus enable the book vice to seize the books and carry them to the rounding
and backing appliance, after which the gauge bar instantly springs back to its
normal position, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for rounding and backing books during process of binding, a
horizontally mounted transverse gauge bar arranged parallel with the feed rolls
and having mechanism for raising it vertically when the vice comes forward to
seize the books, and lowering it as it recedes, in combination with means at end
of bar for giving it a certain amount of flexibility or springiness, so that it can be
moved out of the way to admit of the device seizing hold of the books, substantially
as described.
4. In apparatus for rounding and backing books during the process of binding,
the combination with the intermittently rotating feed rolls and a horizontally
mounted transverse gauge bar, of guide frames so arranged as to admit of the free
rise and fall of the upper feed roller, as well as the independent rising or falling
of said gauge bar, substantially as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 5. The apparatus for rounding and backing books, constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as herein before described with reference to and shown in
the drawings annexed.
Dated this 14th day of August 1900.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.