Im- PROVEMENTS ON CERTAIN IMPLEMENTS, MACHINES, OR APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURING AND PRESERVING OF BOOKS, WHETHER BOUND OR UNBOUND
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JonN ISAAC
HAWKINS, of Chase Cottage, Pancras Vale, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the First day of November, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-five, in the sixth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Isaac Hawkins,
His especial licence, that I, the said Isaac Hawkins, my exors, adiñors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Isaac Hawkins, my
exors, adñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS ON CERTAIN IMPLEMENTS, MACHINES, OR APPARATUS USED IN THE
MANUFACTURING AND PRESERVING OF BOOKS, WHETHER BOUND OR UNBOUND;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John
Isaac Hawkins, by an instrument in writing under my band and seal, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in our High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the aforesaid proviso, I, the said
John Isaac Hawkins, do declare that my Invention of Improvements on
Certain Implements, Machines, or Apparatus used in the Manufacturing and
Preserving of Books, whether Bound or Unbound, is herein particularly set
forth and explained by the Drawings hereunto annexed, together with the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
-
The particular implements, machines, or apparatus, upon which I have
made improvements, and for which improvements I claim the exclusive right,
are,-
First, the press used in the taking-off upon single sheets of paper of
impressions from the face of a form of types, which press is commonly known
by the name of the printing press.
Secondly, the press which is used in the pressing of a number of printed
sheets together, either hot or cold, for the purpose of rendering the appearance
of the same more smooth and beautiful, which press is called the hot press
when hot plates are put between some of the sheets, and the cold press when
heat is not applied.
Thirdly, the press used in transferring any subject, printed, drawn, or written
upon one sheet of paper, and impressing the same on the surface of another
sheet of paper, so as to reverse the said subject and render it more easily
copied by an engraver or wood cutter, which press is designated by the name
of the copying press. And,
Fourthly, an apparatus for enabling the printer, or any other person, to
secure easily and without loss of time each sheet of a book within a pair of
covers united with a back, so that the increasing book may be preserved sheet
by sheet, and used as fast and as soon as each is printed off' or written without
waiting for the completion of a whole volume before it can be bound.
One of the principal improvements which I introduce into all the three descrip-
tions of presses herein-before mentioned is, to make the bearings or moving parts
which are in contact with and communicate pressure to the platens and tables
of the said presses of the figure known among mechanicians by the name of the
knife edge bearing, and I make this knife-edge bearing in so long a line, or
in such a number of long lines, across the platen and table that only a coin-
paratively small force is exerted on any small portion of this line of Learing.
when, at the same time, the aggregate force exerted on the whole platen and
table is immense. The introduction of the knife-edge bearing rend: rs it un-
necessary to make the platens so excessively strong for the purpose of giving
an even impression as is requisite in the ordinary modes, where all the pressure
is given from one bearing in the mid 'le of the platen, or from two bearings at

page_text: opposite sides of the platen, or at most from a very few bearings at different
parts of the platen and table. This improvement reduces the friction at the
contact of the moving parts to a very inconsiderable amount, and prevents any
injurious wearing away of the same for a great length of time. In combination
with the knife-edge bearing I introduce into the printing and copying presses
certain peculiar and advantageous modifications of what is called the infinite
lever, but which I denominate the indefinitely-encreasing lever, as being a term
more expressive of its operation; and I construct my printing press so that
the carriage may be run in, the pressure be given, and the carriage run out
again by the operation of a single revolution of the winch.
Fig. 1 represents a side view of a printing press containing my aforesaid
improvements. Fig. 2, front view of the body of the press, without the ribs,
legs, and crank. Fig. 3, front view of the ribs, legs, and crank. Fig. 4, plan
of the press. Fig. 5, a perspective view of one of the upper beams. Fig. 6, a
perspective view of one of the under beams. Fig. 7, a perspective view of one
of the pressure pieces or props. Fig. 8, a double-handled bar and appen-
dages for giving additional power in very large presses. Fig. 9, a set of
regulating wedges attached to a flexible rod with a toothed rack to be driven
by the pinion of the shaft (3). Fig. 10, a set of wedges forming a jointed
rod. N.B. The letters of reference indicate the same parts in all these
Figures. (a) the frame of the press; (b) the ribs upon which the carriage runs,
and which give support to the crank. The rib of Fig. 1 is shewn as broken,
in order that the parts behind may be seen; (c), the legs and foot of the ribs ;
(d), diagonal braces extending from the ribs to the upper and lower parts of
the frame; (e), the carriage on which the form of types is placed; (f), the
types; (g), the tympan; (h), the support of the tympan; (k), the frisket;
(1), a crank, and (m) two connecting rods to force the carriage under the
platen, and to withdraw the same after having received the pressure; (n), the
handle for turning the crank; (p), the platen; (g), the table upon which the
carriage rests in order to receive the pressure; (r), beams lying across from
side to side of the frame at the top and bottom to resist the force of the
pressure; (s). props as wide as the table, standing upon the lower beams and
supporting the table (9). The lower side of each prop is made of the knife-
edge or acute-angled form, nearly as long as the width of the press, and rests
on an obtuse-angled groove in the upper side of the beam; and the upper part
of each prop is formed into a similar groove to receive a knife-edge bearing
at the under side of the table,, and views of these bearings and grooves are
conspicuously represented in Fig. 1. When the types are in the situation for
laying on or taking off the paper, these props are to rest so much inclined

page_text: from a vertical position towards the carriage as that the table may be about
one sixth of. an inch lower than when the props stand upright. (t), pressure
pieces, similar to the props (s), standing in grooves across the platen (p), and
receiving knife-edge bearings at the under side of the upper beams; (u),
springs placed under the ends of the upper beams to keep them firmly up to.
the regulating screws; (v), spiral springs attached to the upper beams and to
the platen for the purpose of supporting the weight of the platen and pressure
pieces, and to keep them firmly up against the beams. The under part of
thesc pressure picces are to rest as much inclined from a vertical position
towards the carriage, as shall cause the platen to be about one fourth part of an
inch higher than when the said pressure pieces are upright. (w), stops affixed
to the back edge of the table and of the platen for the carriage to catch against
when it is run in over the table, and under the platen; (x), cushions of. leather
or other yielding substance to prevent an unpleasant jar when the. carriage is
suddenly forced against the stops. (y), screws for elevating and depressing
the ends of the beams to regulate the degree and equality of the general
resistance to the props and pressure pieces. (=), screws for elevating and
depressing the middle and intermediate parts of the beams to regulate. the
particular resistance to the props and pressure pieces. (1), two sets of wedges,
each set fastened to a flexible, rod, or forming a jointed rod sliding in a
mortice (2), made through each side of the frame over the ends of the lower
side-screws, and under the ends of the lower beams, for the purpose of
encreasing or diminishing the general-pressure after the particular pressure
has been adjusted by means of the various screws (y) and (a) (3), a shaft
to be turned around by a pin put into holes in the middle, and having a pinion
cn each end to work into the toothed racks at the ends of the rods (1), and
slide them forwards and backwards equally. The pinion and rack is scen in
Fig. 1 thro' a hole, shewn as broken, in the base of the right-hand, column.
It is essential to the perfect action of this press that all the knife-edge
bearings, and the grooves in which they act, be paralled to each other, and
perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the line of motion of the
carriage, and that planes passing through the knife-edge bearings and the
groove of each prop be parallel to each other; and further, that planes passing
through the knife-edge..bearings and the groove of each pressure piece be
also parallel to each other. In working this press after the types are inked,
. the paper laid on the tympan and frisket placed down upon the types, the
crank (1) is to be turned around by means of a handle (a), which will force
the carriage in over the table and under the platen until the carriage comes
against the cushions. (a) of the stops (w), and by a continuation of the motion

page_text: the table and platen are carried along with the carriage, and at the same time
the table is elevated and the platen depressed, by reason of the props and
pressure pieces approaching to a vertical position, and thus a great and an
A further continuation
equable degree of pressure is effected upon the types.
Το
of the motion of the crank pulls back the carriage and causes the table to fall
and the platen to rise into their former positions, and relieve the types from the
pressure; and a still further continuation of the motion of the crank, until it
has completed one revolution, will return the carriage to the situation for
taking off the printed sheet, and for renewing the operation for another sheet.
It will be seen that the action of the props and pressure pieces, in passing from
an inclined to a vertical position, constitute a leverage increasing in power
indefinetly until they become upright, and that the motion of the crank also
produces a leverage encreasing indefinetley in power until the crank comes
into the horizontal position. There is therefore in this press, as thus far
described, the principle of the indefinitely-increasing lever acting upon the
indefiniteley-increasing lever, and the ultimate power is the square of the
indefinite, or the indefinite multiplied by itself; but when the press is made of
an extraordinary large size I introduce a third indefinitely-increasing lever, by
which the power is augmented to the cube of the indefinite, thus enabling a
man of moderate strength to print a sheet greatly exceeding in size the
largest sheet printed by the best presses heretofore brought into use.
constitute this third indefinitely-increasing lever I put upon the handle or
winch (n) (a bar 4) turning on its middle, and furnished with a handle (5) at
each end, and also a short arm (6), projecting from one side of the middle of
I also attach a
the said bar, with a notch (7) in the end of the said arm.
rod (8), hinged a few inches above the floor to a piece (9); suspended from the
near rib, having a stud (10) at the upper end, for the notch of the projecting
piece to catch in. A spring (11) is affixed to the rib for the bar (4) to rest
against. (12) a pawl in the curved arm (13) for the crank to rest upon, and
prevent its turning the reverse way. In working the press with this addition
the handles (5) of the bar (4) are held one in each band, and are both used
to turn the crank around until it comes into the position shewn in Fig. 8, at
which moment the notch of the arm (7) is made, by a dexterous movement,
and without any sensible stoppage of the motion of the crank, to catch under
the stud (10), and then the bar (4), being turned around on its own centre, will
continue the motion of the crank with a great and an increasing leverage until
its power becomes indefinitely great by reason of the centre of the bar arriving
near to a right line between the hinge and stud of the rod (8). In constructing
this press cast iron is to be preferred for the frame, the platen, the table, the
'5

page_text: props, the pressure pieces. the beams, the carriage and the ribs; but where
expence is an object these may all be made of wood, except the part on which
the types are to rest, which may be of stone. The crank should be made of
wrought iron, well hanmered, and its bearings of brass. The proper materials
for the other parts will be obvious to any workman capable of making the
press, and therefore need not here be described. In a press made principally
of wood the strength of the frame and the beams should be much greater
than indicated in the Drawings. The number of the beams, the pressure
pieces, and the props, should be so increased as to give a knife-edge bearing
across every two or three inches of the length of the platen. The props and
pressure pieces to be made of planks of hard wood, with the grain of the wood
placed upright, and a piece of iron hoop or slip of tinned iron laid in cach
groove, and over cach knife-edge. The ornaments and some other things
shewn in the Drawings form no part of the Invention, the essential novelties
of which are,
First, the extensive introduction of knife-edge bearings over a thin and
comparatively flexible platen.
Secondly, the peculiar modifications of the indefinitely-increasing lever
herein described.
Thirdly, the running-in of the carriage under the platen, giving the pressure
by means of the props and pressure pieces, and running the carriage out again
by the operation of one turn of the winch.
Fig. 11 represents a front view of a press for pressing a number of sheets
of paper or books together, according to the second part of my said Invention.
(Fig. 12), the right-hand end of the press. (Fig. 13), plan of the same.
Fig. 14, a perspective view of one of the pressure pieces. Fig. 15, a per-
spective view of one of the pawls. Figure 16, a perspective view of one of
the main levers turned upside down, in order to shew the great extent of
the knife-edge bearing. N.B., the same letters refer to the same parts
in all these Figures. (a), two cast-iron checks, having horizontal racks on
the inside extending the whole width of the check. (b), three trussed frames
for supporting the bed or table of the press, and for holding the checks
together. (c), the table. (d), the platen. (c), the fulcrum frame, the front
rail of which is represented as broken away in order to shew the parts inside.
(f), angular pieces screwed on at the four corners of the platen and of the
fulcrum frame to guide them up and down by the outsides of the checks, and
keep them from rubbing against the racks. (g), two pawls to catch in the
cheek racks, and resist the rising of the fulcrum frame. (h), two connecting
rods jointed to the pawl, and to two arms on a shaft () turning in two

page_text: It is
supports arising from the fulcrum frame. (1), a handle upon the shaft (k)
to turn the same, and draw the pawls out of the racks, or by its weight to
force them into the racks. (m), two main levers, the fulcrum of each being
formed into an obtuse-angled groove as long as the cheeks of the press is
wide, to bear up against a knife-edge or acute-angled bearing of the same
length (n), placed under each side of the fulcrum frame as near as practicable
to the racks. The other ends of the levers are formed into two segments of
toothed wheels working in each other at the middle of the press, in order that
both levers may move uniformly together; the width of these toothed segments
may be about one fourth of the length of the angular groove constituting the
fulcrum. The power of those levers is communicated by means of knife-edge
bearings, placed parallel with and as near as practicable to the fulcra.
essential that the fulcrum, the knife-edge bearing, and the middle of the toothed
segment of each lever be in one plane, but it is of no consequence in what shape
the other parts of the lever are made. (p), two props as wide as the cheeks,
having angular grooves at the top to receive the knife-edge bearings of the levers,
and having also knife-edge bearings at the bottom, standing in angular grooves
formed across the whole width of the platen. (9), two pawls having knife-edge
bearings at the bottom, standing in angular grooves across the whole width of
the platen, and being formed at the top for fitting and holding firmly in the
racks, and prevent the rising of the platen. (r); two connecting rods jointed
to these pawls and to two arms on a shaft (s), furnished with a handle (t), to
force the pawls into the racks by its weight, and to pull them out again by
being lifted up. (v), a pair of arms firmly screwed on near the ends of the
fulcrum of the left-hand main lever, crossing each other and laying upon the
head of the toothed segment of that lever, thence rising up in a curved form
and proceeding over the fulcrum frame and outside the cheeks at opposite
sides of the press, beyond which they approach each other, and are again
secured together by the bolt or handle (w). The operation of pressing with
the press in the state as thus far described is effected by applying a weight to
the handle (w) of the pair of arms (v), in which case the pawls (9) catching in
the cheek racks will prevent the rising of the fulcrum frame (e), and therefore
the main lovers (m) will force down the props (p), and with them the platen
(d), until the pawls (9) of the platen fall into the cheek rack, after which the
lifting up of the handle will suffer the fulcrum frame to drop down until its
pawls fall into the next tooth of the rack and be ready for a renewal of the
operation. The press, if made in the proportions shewn in the Drawings,
would afford a pressure of one ton and a quarter upon the platen by the weight
of an ordinary sized man applied to the handle, and a pressure of twenty tons

page_text: might be given by a ton weight being placed in a scale suspended from the
handle, and this pressure would continue in full force to follow the yielding
pressed substance until the pair of arms come to rest on the fulcrum frame,
when the weights being taken out of the scale, and the handle lifted up as
high as it will go, the weights being put into the scale again will renew the
power for further pressure. (2) two trussed frames placed across the platen to
strengthen the same, and to afford by two arms, elongated upwards, and united
at the top by a bolt or bar (y), a convenient fastening for a rope, by which
the platen, with all its superincumbent appendages, may be hoisted up and kept
suspended when it is desirable to take away the articles that have been sub-
jected to pressure. (), the suspending rope passing over two pullies (1), and
around the windlass (2), which is turned by the winch (3), for the purpose of
winding up or unwinding the rope. (4), a bolt sliding out from the cheek to
prevent the return of the winch when it is required to keep the platen sus-
pended. In order to relieve any article from pressure the handle (t) is to be
lifted up, which will draw the pawls of the platen out of the check racks; the
weight being then gradually removed from the handle (w) will suffer the
platen to rise and relieve the article from pressure, provided its elasticity do
not exceed the distance of one tooth of the check rack, but if the elasticity
should exceed that distance, it will be necessary to let the pawls catch in the
teeth next above, when, by lifting up the handle (w), the pawls of the fulcrum
frame will be relieved, and may be drawn out of the rack by lifting up of
the handle (7). The pulling down of the handle (w) then will raise the
fulcrum fraine one tooth, and afford a new resistance for relieving the platen
pawls and allow the platen to rise the distance of one tooth, and this operation
may be repeated as often as the elasticity of the compressed article may render
it necessary until both pair of pawls can be withdrawn from the racks at the
same time, after which the platen with its load may be hoisted up by turning
the windlass. In practice it will be found expedient to load the fulcrum frame
with weights sufficient to slightly overbalance the weight of the main levers
and their arms, so that the handle (w) shall have a tendency to rise casily.
For the purpose of giving additional power to this press two secondary levers
are applied to act in racks attached to the arms of the main levers. (5), two
branches, one on each of the arms (v), extending downwards on each side of
the right-hand main lever, the faces of the branches being parallel with and a
little outside of the planes of the edges of the checks. (6), two curved racks,
one screwed on to each branch (5); the curve of the rack is to be the seg-
ment of a circle, the centre of which is the fulcrum of the left-hand lever. Part
of the rack in Fig. 1 i shewn as broken away to let the parts behind it be

page_text: seen. (7), two arms attached to and projecting from the fulcrum frame (c).
(8), two boxes sliding along upon the arms (7). (9), two fulcrum pieces turning
horizontally upon studs fixed in the under side of the boxes (8). (10), a nut
and washer upon the stud of each box (8), to keep the fulcrum piece up
against the box. (11), a bolt passing through an eye in the fulcrum piece,
and secured by a nut (12), the two secondary levers turning upon the bolts
(11) of the fulcrum pieces. The insides of each lever for a few inches from
the fulcrum is formed with a projecting rib or wide tooth lying in a right line
between the fulcrum and the bandle of the lever, as shown in section at A,
and in perspective at B, Fig. 11. This tooth is designed for the purpose. of
catching in the teeth of the curved racks (6), and forcing down the main
levers. In Fig. 11 the front secondary lever is represented as part broken
away to render the inner works more clearly visible. (13), two arms screwed
on to the fulcrum frame (e), carrying a platform (14), for a man to stand upon
to work the secondary levers. (15), a mass of paper with plates of iron under
pressure. (16), a rod put into a hole in the arms (v) to enable a person while
standing on the platform to push down the main levers. To work the press
with the secondary levers a man is to stand upon the platform (14), and
take boll of the handles of the levers, one in each hand. First lift up one of the
levers as high as it. will rise, and press its tooth in upon a tooth of the curved
rack (6), and press down the lever, which will carry the rack down with it;
then keep this lever down, and raise up the other lever and make it catch
upon a higher tooth of the opposite curved rack and press it down; continue
thus to work the two levers alternately until the curved racks are forced down
low enough for the pawls of the platen to fall into lower teeth of the cheek
racks; then let the curved racks rise by working the levers alternately into
lower teeth until the pressure is relieved sufficiently to allow of both levers
being taken off from the racks, when the fulcrum frame will descend and its
pawls catch under lower teeth of the cheek racks, and enable the platen again
to be forced down by a repetition of the procedure. In order to relieve the
article from pressure by means of the secondary levers, first withdraw the
pawls of the platen from the cheek racks and allow the platen to rise until
its pawls catch a tooth higher by working the levers alternately into lower
and lower teeth of the curved racks; then withdraw the pawls of the fulcrum
frame, and cause it to rise by pushing against the rod (16) until they catch
again in the cheek racks, when the curved racks must be worked down a
tooth or two to ease the pawls of the platen, and allow of their being with-
drawn and let the platen rise. A repetition of this operation may or may not
be necessary, according to the elasticity of the substance passed. The secondary

page_text: levers may be worked with various degrees of power at pleasure by sliding
their fulcra along the arms (7), when the boxes (8) are drawn close to the
main fulcrum frame. The weight of an ordinary sized man applied to the
handle of these levers will produce a pressure of about twenty tons, which
power may be encreased by suspending weights from the handle (w), or from
the secondary levers. This press is to be made principally of cast iron, but the
secondary levers should be made of well hammered wrought iron, with their
fulcrum holes bushed with tempered steel, and their ribs or wide teeth of tem-
pered steel. The curved racks should be made of wrought iron, and the
middle or angular top edges of the teeth of tempered steel.
The points which I claim to have invented in this press are, the extensive
introduction of the knife-edge bearing, and the peculiar combination of the
levers, but I make no claim to the parts separately. In this press, as well as
in the printing press herein-before described, I have placed the knife-edge
bearings to work upon the angular grooves rather than under them, for the
sake of retaining oil longer than could be done in the reverse way.
Fig. 17 represents a plan of the copying press according to the third part of
my said Invention. Fig. 18, an end view of the same. N.B., the samo
letters here also refer to the same parts. (a), the table of the press, having
two angular grooves along the under side from end to end near the edges.
(6), the platen, having two angular grooves along the upper sides from end to
end near the edges. (c), two clips, cach clip having at the inside two knife-
edge bearings as long as the platen. (d), two levers, each lever having at the
lower side of the head a knife-edge bearing as long as the platen, and at the
upper side an angular groove of the sanie length. The middle part of one of
these levers is perforated to allow of the tail of the other lever passing through
it, as shewn in Fig. 17. The inner faces of the platen and table are to be
made smooth, and in a very small degree cylindrical, to compensate for their
clasticity, and occasion as great a pressure in the middle as at the sides. (e),
the paper
under pressure. To work this press place the table upon a low bench
or other convenient support, and lay a sheet of vellum or wove paper upon the
table, and upon that lay the writing, drawing, or print that is to be reversed, over
that the sheet of paper damped that is to receive the impression, and upon that
a few sheets of wove paper or vellum, over which put on the platen; then
place the knife-edge bearing of one of the levers in one groove of the platen,
raise up the tail of the lever, and put on the clip with one of its knife edges in
the groove of the table; place the other lever in the opposite groove of the
platen, and put on the other clip in the same way, and pass the tail of the single-
armed lever through the aperture in the double-armed one, and press down

page_text: the tails of the levers with the two hands, throwing the principal weight of the
body upon them. This will effect a degree of pressure increasing indefinitely as
the three knife-edge bearings on each side of the press approach to a vertical
plane, and when they come into one plane the pressure becomes immense,
provided a sufficient thickness of paper be placed between the platen and the
table, but the pressure is increased or diminished at pleasure by adding or
taking away a sheet or piece of a sheet or some sheets of paper. And I
sometimes make this press with only one lever and one active clip, in which
case I held the opposite edges of the platen and table together by a passive
clip forming a species of binge, as shewn in Fig. 19; and for such subjects as
may require what is called a soaking pressure, that is to say, a little time for
the impression to be transferred, I apply another clip to catch under the table
and over the tail of each lever, and retain the pressure as long as may be
requisite. This press may be made entirely of cast iron and covered with
leather, or painted or japanned for the sake of ornament, except the inner faces
of the platen and table and the angles of the grooves and knife edges. But I
sometime make the clips of steel or wrought iron, and the platen, table, and
levers of a case or covering of sheet iron, or of strong tinned iron rivetted and
soldered. And into this case or covering I drive pieces of wood to keep the
cases distended to the proper figure, and I affix on the edges of the table, platen,
and levers slips of iron to form the grooves and to form the knife edge of the
lever, and I secure the same in their places by means of solder.
The novelty which I claim to have invented in this press is the extensive
introduction of the knife-edge bearing, combined with the peculiar modication
of the indefinitely-increasing lever herein described.
Fig. 20, a perspective view of a species of portfolio, consisting of a pair of
covers attached to an inner stiff back and an outer flexible one, leaving a
space between the two backs for the reception and passage through of a needle
and thread, according to the fourth and last past of my said Invention.
Fig. 21, the needle, made as long as the back of the portfolio, and about
half the width. This needle is to have as much thread wound around over its
length as by estimation shall be sufficient for securing or binding in of all the
shects expected to ultimately form the book.
Fig. 22, a perspective view of a portfolio, with the inner back folded inwards,
and the outer back bent outwards to occupy but little space on the bookshelf,
while only a few sheets are bound into it. (f), the covers; (g), the inner
back; (h), the outer back; (i), the needle; (k), the thread, one end of which
is fastened to the bottom left-hand corner of the inner back, and the other end
wound around the needle longitudinally with two or three lateral turns, and a

page_text: hitch for the purpose of allowing the needle to be suspended by the thread.
In order to secure or bind a sheet into this portfolio I first fold the sheet into
the proper size, and place the back of the fold against the left-hand side of the
inner back of the portfolio, and lay the thread along the inside of the fold from
the bottom to the top, and pass the needle and thread down through between
the two backs, and draw the thread tight, then bring the thread up against the
inside of the back, and take as many turns of the thread around the width of
the needle, and make a hitch at such a height as shall suspend the needle
between the two backs evenly with the top and the bottom of the portfolio.
If two or more sheets are to be bound in at one time, it will of course be
unnecessary to make the hitch until the last sheet is fixed. The materials
which I use for the portfolios are the same as those used for ordinary port-
folios, or for the binding of books, and I make the needles of metal, or of
bone, horn, ivory, hard wood, or any other suitable material, but I lay
no claim to the use of any particular material, nor in the double back as
applied to a bound book; and I do declare that this part of my said
Invention consists in the combination of a portfolio having a double back com-
bined with the needle and thread, and concealing the said needle and thread
within the back, as in a sheath.
Although the Drawings hereunto annexed are made to the scale marked on
the same, yet it must be obvious that I am not confined to these or any other
dimensions, since they must always be dependent on and in proportion to the
uses required.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Isaac Hawkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.