CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDING Books
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Léopold Delagarde, of No. 55, Rue Neuve des Petits
Champs, Paris, in the Empire of France, Stationer, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDING Books."
Sealed the 5th February 1867, and dated the 28th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Léopold Delagarde at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
August 1866.
I, LEOPOLD DELAGARDE, of No. 55, Rue Neuve des Petits Champs, Paris,
in the Empire of France, Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDING BOOKS," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in improved means of uniting sheets for making a
book of them. The object proposed by my improved means of binding is to
enable anyone to bind single sheets, double sheets, quires, sample cards,
engravings, drawings, newspapers, correspondence, and other like papers
without sewing, perforating, folding, or pasting, in such a manner as to permit
of their being classified, and of one or several parts being added to or taken
from the rest rapidly without displacing all the sheets or quires which form
the book.

page_text: Besides the advantages above stated this binding has not only the appearance
of a book bound by the usual method, it has also the same structure, and it
opens entirely as well at the middle as at the beginning and end.
To unite leaves for making a book I employ two narrow bands of metal or
other suitable material, united by a hinge and of the same length as the leaves
to be united. When the leaves are placed between these bands these latter
are kept tight by means of forks. When all the quires of sheets are so
arranged they are placed in juxtaposition one aside of the other along the
back of a register or cover disposed as follows:-In the inside of this back,
and at the lower part as well as at the upper part, I put strong metallic wires
having the form of a U with long branches. These wires are placed one at
the top and the other at the bottom; a long helical spring or a piece of india-
rubber unites the branch of the upper wire to that of the lower wire in the
inside of the back, and the two branches which remain free and which may
be at will moved further off or brought nearer one to the other are inserted
into two sockets or holes made at the top and at the bottom of the metallio
hands pressing the sheets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Léopold Delagarde in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEOPOLD
DELAGARDE, of No. 55, Rue Neuve des Petits Champs, Paris, in the Empire
of France, Stationer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
-Léopold Delagarde, Her special licence that I, the said Léopold Delagarde,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Léopold
Delagarde, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BIND-
ING BOOKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said. Léopold

page_text: Delagarde, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Léopold Delagarde, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in improved means of uniting sheets for making a
book of them.
The object proposed by my improved means of binding is to enable any-
one to bend single leaves, double sheets, quires, sample cards, engravings,
drawings, newspapers, correspondence, and other like papers, without sewing.
perforating, folding, or pasting in such a manner as to permit of their being
classified, and of one or several parts being added to or taken from the rest
rapidly without displacing all the sheets or quires which form the book.
Besides the advantages above stated this binding has not only the appearance
of a book bound by the usual method, it has also the same structure, and
it opens entirely as well at the middle as at the beginning and end.
To unite leaves for making a book I employ two narrow bands of metal
or other suitable material united by a hinge, and of the same length as the
leaves to be united. When the leaves are placed between these bands these
latter are kept tight by means of forks or clasps. When all the quires of sheets
are so arranged they are placed in juxtaposition one aside of the other along
the back of a register or cover disposed as follows:-In the inside of this back,
and at the lower part as well as at the upper part, I put strong metallic
wires having the form of a Ụ with long branches. These wires are placed.
one at the top and the other at the bottom, a long helical spring (or a piece
of india-rubber) surrounds the lower hook, and the two branches which
remain free, and which may be at will moved further off or brought nearer,
one to the other are inserted into two sockets or holes of the sheaths of the
metallic bands pressing the sheets. The sewing and the backing which in.
ordinary bookbinding give to the back its suppleness and elasticity are here
replaced by the sheaths which surround the spring rods, and the flexible
tissues which surround and collect these sheaths replace the thread, tape,
and glue, so that the round form may be given to the back together with

page_text: the stiff false back, thus protecting the mounting whilst giving the necessary
elasticity to enable the sheaths to play freely.
This Invention is represented in the different Figures of the accompanying
Drawings, Fig. 1 of which is an entire view of the whole, and the other
Figures are isolated views of the separate parts of the Invention. In these
several Figures the same letters of reference indicate similar parts.
A, A, is the covering of metal, tissue, or any other material; B, the stiff
false back in pasteboard or metal; C, flexible back; D, upper hooks; and
E, lower hooks assembled and fixed at both extremities of the flexible back
by means of sheaths of tissue, or such like material, various in form and size;
F, shank of hook D; G, shank of hook E furnished with a helical spring;
H, sheath receiving the shanks F and G; the shank F is fixed at its
extremity inside the sheath, so as to turn in the said sheath without slipping
off; the shank G turns also in the said sheath, and may by means of the
fingers and of its helical spring be made to move a length proportioned to
that of its hook. A stay or hinderance fixed inside the sheath limits its
course, and a nut placed at the entrance of the sheath prevents the shank
and the spring from coming out entirely. One or several hooks may thus
be placed in each sheath and have a common spring. J are concave blades
viewed open, J¹ are the same concave blades viewed closed. These blades
are hinged together; J" clasps which retain the leaves in the said blades;
Ju are the holes or sockets of the sheaths receiving the hooks. All the
parts above described may be made of tissue, metal, or any other convenient
material.
Manner of Operating.-The process of binding is effected by placing the
cover flat open before one so that the hooks E are placed at the bottom of
the flexible back; after having collected a certain number of double or single
sheets they are adjusted to the back, then placed between the blades J and
fixed with the clasps J". Having thus formed a back for these leaves the
hook D is placed in the hole or socket J. To fix the other extremity the
book E is drawn, the rod of which under the action of its spring enters into
the hole or socket J, and maintains the hook in position. For copy-books
which have a back formed by the fold of the leaves the blades are not
necessary; the upper extremity of the back has merely to be slid under the
hook D, and to place the lower extremity under the hook E by pulling that
hook, and by letting it enter the sheath under the action of its spring. Should
the copy-book be too much or, not sufficiently tightened the hooks being
flexible they may be tightened or slackened at will.

page_text: Having thus described the nature and peculiarities of my Invention, and
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would observe in conclusion
that what I consider to be and therefore claim as novel and original is,―
1°. The combination and arrangement of the different parts above described
in order to obtain a moveable binding for the purposes and uses above set
forth and described.
2º. The use of hooks either isolated or collected in a sheath or in a
covering.
8°. The use of metal helical springs for the hooks, or the use of caoutchouc
or india-rubber as a substitute.
4°. The use of a stiff or a flexible back fixed to the covering in a moveable
or immoveable manner.
5°. The mode of fixing the single sheets separately or together by means
of any kind of closing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Léopold Delagarde, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
L DELAGARDE
Gel
L. DELAGARDE (1)