IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOKBINDING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Florenz Edward Schmitz and William Gabriel Slanson,
of Middletown, in the County of Orange, and State of New York, United States
of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOKBINDING.”
Sealed the 1st September 1877, and dated the 23rd June 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Florenz Edward Schmitz and
William Gabriel Slanson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
. 23rd June 1877.
FLORENZ EDWARD SCHMITZ and WILLIAM GABRIEL SLANSON, of Middletown,
in the County of Orange, and State of New York, United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOKBINDING."
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 is a view of a book cut square, marked with horizontal lines across the
back for beveled saw cuts c, d, e, f, g, and a diagonal line A, B, as a guide for the
binder in compiling the sections of the book, and also to show in the further process
of binding that no sections are misplaced.
Figure 2 is a view of the book divided into sections 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,
etc., and then divided into two piles X, Y, so that one pile contains imaginary odd
numbers or signatures 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, the other pile containing even numbers or
signatures 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. The two piles are placed as shown for the purpose of
making the beveled saw cuts hereafter described.
Figure 3 shows the sections after cutting, placed together in their original order,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc., the unbroken diagonal A, B, line proving that the collation
of the sections is correct.
Figure 3 shows the side of the book at the same stage of the process as when in
Figure 3B the back is shown. The beveled saw cuts are shown at c, d, e, f, g.
Figure 4 shows a strip of white papers muslin pasted around the back edges of
the first and. last sections, extending one-quarter of an inch to the sides, as at
h, i, k, l.
Figure 5 shows the twines for uniting the sections inserted. The ends of the
twines are used in fastening the pasteboards of the cover.
The object of our Invention is to furnish a neat and secure means of binding all
classes of books without stitching, as follows:-In binding a book by our method
Prins G21

page_text: as soon as the sheets are put in the hands of the binder they are folded and placed
in their consecutive order, according to the printer's signatures.
The complete book is then placed in the cutting machine, and the front and
bottom edges are trimmed, merely to obtain two straight edges, which are needed
to gauge the cutting of the top and back, which must be perfectly square. The
backs of the sheets are then cut off, transforming them to single leaves.
Horizontal lines are now marked with a pencil across the back of the book at
equal distances for the beveled saw cuts, as shown in Fig. 1, at points c, d, e, f, I.
A diagonal line is also drawn from top to bottom of the back with a pencil, as
shown in Fig. 1, A to B. A thin coat of glue is then applied to the back over the
above-described lines.
When the glue is dry the book is divided into sections of from four to eight
leaves (without counting them) entirely disregarding the printer's signatures, but
placing the sheets in their original order while doing this.
The binder now places the first section of the book at his left side, the second
section at his right side, the third at his left, the fourth at his right side, and so on
throughout the book, causing the left hand pile to comprise the imaginary odd
signatures, and the right hand pile the imaginary even signatures or numbers.
Each pile is then straightened separately for sawing, or they may be placed
altogether, as in Fig. 2, for convenience in cutting. In the latter case the beveled
saw cuts are made by commencing the cutting at the head of that portion of the
sections containing the imaginary odd numbers, starting the cut one-sixteenth (18)
of an inch above the line 12, Fig. 2, cutting at an angle or bevel of about forty-five
(45) degrees, making the saw cut one-eighth () of an inch deep, to a point one-
sixteenth () of an inch below the line 1, Fig 2.
At 1b the saw cut is started one-sixteenth of an inch below the line 1b, a², at an
angle or bevel of forty-five degrees, and the cut is made through the entire book to
a point one-sixteenth (fr) of an inch above the line 1b, a²
The third saw cut, as made at 1c, 62, must be made in the same direction as the
first cut, but through the entire book. The fourth cut is made in a similar manner
to the second cut, and this plan is followed for as many times as may be required
by the size of the book, the last cut, however, being made through that portion of
the book containing the imaginary even numbers only, as at E², Fig. 2.
The two portions of the book can be cut together,, as described above, or when.
the book is very thick each portion may be cut separately, conforming to the same
system.
The sections of each pile are now returned to their regular order, according to the
printer's signatures. Should a section have been misplaced in dividing or uniting
the sections as above, the diagonal line A, B, Fig. 3B, will be broken, and will show
that something is wrong. When the sections have been properly collated the
diagonal line A, B, Fig. 3, will be unbroken or perfect, and the beveled saw cuts
will form dovetails, as seen in Figs. 34 and 3b, at c, d, e, f, g.
Half-inch strips of white paper muslin Z are now pasted around the back edges
of the first and last sections, extending one-quarter (+) of an inch over their sides, as
in Fig. 4, h, k, i, l. This is done to strengthen the hold of the twines in the back
of the book, the first and last sections necessarily bearing the whole strain of the
covers.
Twine is to be used corresponding in size to the holes made by the coincidence of
the beveled saw cuts. This twine is to be passed by a blunt-pointed darning
needle through the holes, in this way dovetailing the back, as seen in Figs.
4 and 5.
The fly leaves or lining are now pasted in in the usual manner at the begin-
ning and end of the book, and the book is finished in the usual method as known to
bookbinders.
The points of superiority in this process or manner over the old are as follows:-
First. The edges will always remain smooth, and the leaves will keep their places
because each and every leaf is fastened in the back with glue and a dovetail,

page_text: Second. The book will not be too thick in the back, as is often the case with very
thick books, because there is no stitching used.
Third. Single-leaved books, as music, check, receipt, and all single-leaved books
bound by our process instead of by whip stitching, will open with greater freedom,
and are extremely enduring, and capable of bearing very hard usage.
Fourth. Plates, maps, and cuts of all kinds need only to be put in their proper
places in books without pasting, and can then be cut and securely fastened with the
rest of the book.
Fifth. Stitching is entirely dispensed with.
Sixth. By this process a great saving of time in the execution of the labour of
bookbinding is effected.
Seventh. Less hands are needed, as no stitchers are required by this process.
If desired the signatures may be folded from the front instead of from the back,
leaving every leaf open at the back and each signature sewed in as they come from
the folding and trimming machine, the cuts being in opposite direction in each suc-
ceeding signature.
We claim as our Invention,—
1st. As a new article of manufacture a book composed of single leaves united by
means of binding threads passed through orifices formed by the crossing of opposite
diagonal cuts in the alternate sections of leaves.
2nd. The method of binding books, consisting in uniting the leaves by passing
the binding threads through the opposite diagonal cuts in the alternate sections,
whereby the threads are securely held within the orifices or cuts by means of the
alternately projecting corners made by the cuts, substantially as described.
In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty-
first day of May. A.D. 1877, at New York.
Witnesses,
HARRACE L. WATERFORD,
17, Broadway,
and
G. R. MITFORD,
New York.
FLORENZ EDWARD SCHMITZ. (L.S.)
WILLIAM GABRIEL SLANSON. (L.S.)