Improvements in Binding Books Exposed to Heavy Wear.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Binding Books Exposed to Heavy Wear.
I RICHARD BIRDSALL of Northampton in the County of Northampton, Wholesale
Bookbinder and Stationer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to render the binding exceedingly strong, preventing
the sewing threads from wearing loose in the paper, and the sheets from breaking at
the bottom of the back where by the thumb of rough or careless readers, or by
continuous and heavy wear, the paper is often caused to split and the binding to fail.
Another object of my invention is to connect the endpapers more securely to the
book.
For this purpose 1 sew the endpapers and every sheet of the book itself, not only
as beretofore round cords or tapes, or the like, but also through a piece of linen
interposed between the backs of the .sheets and the cords or tapes, such piece of linen
being plaited by preference in narrow folds so as to form a linen lining attached to the
back of each of the sheets of the book, and continuously connected throughout it.
Another improvement for the same purpose and which may be used alone or with
the just named improvement, consists of lining the endpapers (or two leaves, one of
which is attached to the board and the other forms the first or last leaf in a bound
book) with linen, either throughout, or say for an inch in width down the back. I
then, by preference, by means of a sewing machine run one or more rows of stitches
longitudinally at a distance of about a quarter of an inch from the fold of the back,
through the linen lined endpaper, and the first (or as the case may be, last) sheet of
the book itself, and with or without added fly leaves; the object being to attach them
directly together without the intervention of a merely adhesive surface and to prevent
them from becoming severed.
I have named linen but I do not confine myself to it, as calico or other strong
suitable substance or sheet material or fabric may be substituted.
Th
1
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Binding Books Exposed to Heavy Wear.
I, RICHARD BIRDSALL, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, Wholesale
Bookbinder and Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The general object of this invention is to render the binding of books exceedingly
strong.
According to the first part of my invention I provide means for preventing the
sewing threads from wearing loose in the paper, and the sheets from breaking at the
bottom of the back where by the thumb of rough or careless readers, or by continuous
and heavy wear, the paper is often caused to split and the binding to fail. According
to the second part of my invention I provide means for connecting the end papers
more securely to the book than heretofore ordinarily the case.
"
By the aforesaid first part of my invention I sew the end papers and every sheet of
the book itself, not only as heretofore round cords or tapes viz., the so-called "slips
or the like, but also through a piece of linen interposed between the backs of the
TD 27

page_text: 1
sheets and the cords or tapes, such piece of linen being pleated in narrow folds
between the sections so as to form a linen lining attached to the back of each of the
sheets of the book and continuously connected throughout it.
"
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical cross section through a book
which is undergoing the process of sewing the pleated linen to the book. A A' is the
hed of the sewing frame. S is one of the "slips" or tapes and D) is a piece of
suspended linen interposed between the back of the "sheets" or sections" F, G, H
and I of the book. The sections F, G and H are shewn sewn to the slips S and to
the piece of linen D. D¹ is the linen fold under the end paper E both being sewn to
the slips S. I represents a section or sheet partly opened and ready for sewing as
soon as the pin K is withdrawn; this pin serves temporarily and successively to form
the intermediate folds or pleats of the linen D. In order to give the necessary
rigidity to press the linen down and form the fold I place a metal plate L inside the
section before the pin K is drawn out. The slips S are during the process of sewing
attached to an ordinary sewing frame key M.
The slips S having been strained in the frame in the usual manner I take a piece
of fine linen 1) of a width equal to the length of the book back and suspend it
vertically in contact with the slips folding about an inch of lower end of this linen
to lie flat upon the frame. I then place upon it the first section of the book and sew
it through the linen D to the slips S. I then insert between D and B the steel pin K
causing the linen just over the said section to be bent away from the slips to the
extent of the thickness of the pin. Upon the fold thus made I place the second
section having first laid within it the metal plate L and by withdrawing the pin K
I leave or form a narrow pleat of linen between the first and second section which
latter is now ready for sewing through the linen to the slips, repeating the operation
by reinserting the pin K adding another section and so on section by section finishing
as I commenced by leaving on the outside at the top a fold of the linen about an
inch wide. In describing the first part of the book as
" a section I do so for
clearness' sake but the first and last part of any book thus sewn may consist of a
folded end-paper or a section or both attached together as the case may be.
"
Another or additional means of strengthening the back at the "head" and "tail"
(or top and bottom of the book) consists in providing a "slip" a short distance from
the top and bottom, in fact at the place of the so-called "kettle stitch" or "catch up
stitch" the latter being sewn through the slip.
•
Figure 2 is a plan section of the sewing frame and other parts used in connection
with the foregoing portion of my invention. A A¹ is the sewing frame and B
indicates the book during the process of sewing. CC are metal pieces about five
inches long and half an inch wide by three sixteenths of an inch thick, which are
attached vertically to the bed A so as to stand up between the slips S in order that
the backs of the "sections" may be pressed firmly against them and may be kept
evenly over each other during the process of sewing. CC are four similar but
stronger metal pieces which form guides for keeping the metal pin K steadily in
position during the formation of the fold in the linen.
The second part of my invention and which may be used alone (that is to say with
an ordinary binding) or with the aforedescribed first part of my invention, consists
of lining the end papers (or two leaves, one of which is attached to the board and the
'other forms the first or last leaf in a bound book) with linen, either throughout, or
say for an inch in width down the back. I then (by preference by means of a sewing
machine) run on one or more rows of stitches longitudinally at a distance of about
a quarter of an inch from the fold of the back, through that leaf of the linen lined
end paper which comes next to the book, and the first (or as the case may be last)
sheet of the book itself, and with or without added fly leaves; the object being.to
attach them directly together without the intervention of a merely adhesive surface,
and to prevent them from becoming severed.
I have in the foregoing named linen but I do not confine myself to it as calico or
other strong suitable substance or sheet material or fabric may be substituted.

page_text: 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
First The use and application of a piece of linen which is attached to the back
of a book so as to form narrow folds between each two sections and so as to unite
them strongly and continuously with the slips and the covers, substantially as set
forth, and for the purpose of strengthening the binding at the head and tail of the
back of the book.
وو
Second-The application and use of slips at the place of the "kettle" or "catch
up stitches and attached by the same substantially as set forth and for the
purpose of strengthening the binding at the head and tail of the back of the book.
Third The application and use of a linen lined or linen jointed end paper which
is united to the first and last sections of a book by sewing substantially as set forth
and for the purpose of making a stronger connection of the end papers to the
book.
Fourth-The improvements in the binding of books as described and for the
purpose of strenghening the same.
Dated this 20th day December 1889.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.