Improvements in Celluloid and Analogous Bindings, Card-cases, and the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: ate of Application, 23rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Celluloid and Analogous Bindings, Card-cases, and
the like.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Kate Jane Collins, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, Gentlewoman, to be as follows
:-
The object of my invention is to enable sheets of celluloid and similar frangible
material having like properties to he used in book binding, the manufacture of card-
cases and for other similar purposes. Previous to my invention it has been attempted
to apply said sheets to such purposes by providing holes at the corners thereof and
tying, through said holes, the sheets to the other portions of the book covers or other
devices, but such work is insecure, presents an unfinished appearance, and is crude
and unsatisfactory in many ways. Prior to my said invention it had been the
prevailing impression among those using celluloid sheets that, from the peculiar
character of the material, it was too refractory to be sewed and hence all attempts
to utilize sheets thereof for the purposes hereinbefore indicated were in other
directions. I ascertained, however, by repeated experiments, that when the edge of
a sheet of suitably thin celluloid has placed upon its surface a layer or thickness of
leather or like cushioning material that a seam may he readily sewed through such
leather or the like and also through the margin of the celluloid sheet, so that when
the leather or like material is so provided as to itself serve a useful purpose when
thus connected to the edges of the celluloid sheet, the celluloid sheet and the leather
or like material together may be used form any useful purposes-such, for example,
as book covers, card cases, etc.,-which possess all the beauty and utility due to the
celluloid without any of the defects previously necessarily incident to the use of said
substance in such articles; in other words, I am enabled by means of my said
invention to produce such articles with characteristics of beauty, durability and
utility heretofore unknown therein. My invention comprises the novel com-
bination of parts hereinafter described in the specification and duly set forth in the
claims.
Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating my invention as applied in book-binding and
Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken in the line, a, a, of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4
are corresponding views illustrating my said invention as applied in a card-case or
like device.
Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, A, is one flap of a book cover, of which the back
is shown at a. B, is a sheet of celluloid, of any suitable thickness, as for example,
say the one thirty-second of an inch. Upon both sides of the peripheral surface or
edge of this sheet is placed a layer of leather or of other material having similar
properties. This leather or material is best applied to the opposite surfaces, as
described, by folding it over the edge of the celluloid sheet, as shown at b, except at
the edge adjacent to the back a, at which place one (preferably the outer) layer may
be formed by the lapping edge of the leather or material of the said back. A row
of stitching c, is then made through the two layers of leather or like material and
through the marginal portion of the celluloid sheet confined between the said layers,
and the layers of leather or like material; the latter being connected by sewing or
otherwise to the material of the back, a; the whole is held together, and both Haps
of the. book-cover being made in the manner described, a handsome and durable
binding is provided to the book, pamphlet or volume, as the case may be, one having
all the beauty and advantages due to the ivory-like surfaces presented by the
celluloid, combined with strength and permanence even greater than that of

page_text: ordinary board binding and with an elasticity not heretofore known in book binding
and the like.
When it is desired that the inner surface of the flaps of the book cover or other
article, shall be of paper, I, in order to avoid discoloring the celluloid by the use of
paste, place upon the said inner surface of the celluloid a sheet of paper with the
edges of the paper substantially coincident with the circumference of the sheet and
extended under the contiguous layer of leather or the like previous to the formation
or sewing of the seam, so that said seam, when formed, confines the paper in
place so that it may present a surface to which, when desired, a fly leaf of the
volume may be pasted. When no such paper surface is desired to the flap, the
paper may be dispensed with in the flap and the inner surface of the latter be that
presented by the inner surface of the celluloid sheet.
In Figs. 3 and 4 a card case or like device is formed of two celluloid sheets, B, B,
held together at their side edges and one of their end edges by the seam passed
through the same and through the two layers of leather or like material placed at
opposite sides of the surfaces, or peripheral portions adjacent to said edges.
By celluloid as herein used I mean materials having the frangibility and peculiar
properties which in general characterize the substance commercially known as
celluloid.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1000.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Celluloid and Analogous Bindings, Card-cases, and
the like.
-
1, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Kate Jane Collins, of the City and State
of New York, United States of America, Gentlewoman), and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to enable sheets of celluloid and similar frangible
material having like properties to be used in book binding, the manufacture of card-
cases and for other similar purposes. Previous to my invention it has been attempted
to apply said sheets to such purposes by providing holes at the corners thereof and
tying, through said holes, the sheets to the other portions of the book covers or other
devices, but such work is insecure, presents an unfinished appearance, and is crude
and unsatisfactory in many ways. Prior to my said invention it had been the
prevailing impression among those using celluloid sheets that, from the peculiar
character of the material, it was too refractory to be sowed and hence all attempts
to utilize sheets thereof for the purposes hereinbefore indicated wero in other directions.
I ascertained, however, by repeated experiments, that when the edge of a sheet of
suitably thin celluloid has placed upon its surface a layer or thickness of leather
or like cushioning material that a seam may be readily sewed through such leather
or the like and also through the margin of the celluloid sheet, so that when the
leather or like material is so provided as to itself serve a useful purpose when
thus connected to the edges of the celluloid sheet, the celluloid sheet and the
leather or like material together may be used for many useful purposes-such,
for example, as book covers, card-cases, etc., which possess all the beauty and
utility due to the celluloid without any of the defects previously necessarily incident
to the use of said substance in such articles; in other words, I am enabled by means
of- my said invention to produce such articles with characteristics of beauty,
durability and utility heretofore unknown therein. My invention comprises the novel
combination of parts hereinafter described in the specification and duly set forth in
the claims.

page_text: In the drawings accompanying the provisional specification filed with the present
application Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating my invention as applied in book-binding,
and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken in the line a, a, of Fig. 1. Figs. 3
and 4 are corresponding views illustrating my said invention as applied in a card-case
or like device.
Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2. A, is one flap of a book cover, of which the
back is shown at a. B, is a sheet of celluloid, of any suitable thickness, as for
example, say the one thirty-second of an inch. Upon both sides of the peripheral
surface or edge of this sheet is placed a layer of leather or of other material having
similar properties. This leather or material is best applied to the opposite surfaces,
as described, by folding it over the edge of the celluloid sheet, as shown as b, except
at the edge adjacent to the back, a, at which place one (preferably the outer) layer
may be formed by the lapping edge of the leather or material of the said back. A
row of stitching, c, is then made through the two layers of leather or like material
and through the marginal pcrtion of the celluloid sheet confined between the said
layers, and the layers of leather or like material; the latter being connected by
sewing or otherwise to the material of the back, a; the whole is held together, and
both flaps of the book-cover being made in the manner described, a handsome and
durable binding is provided to the book, pamphlet or volume, as the case may be,
one having all the beauty and advantages due to the ivory-like surfaces presented by
the celluloid, combined with strength and permanence even greater than that of
ordinary board binding and with an elasticity not heretofore known in book binding
and the like.
When it is desired that the inner surface of the flaps of the book cover or other
article shall be of paper, I, in order to avoid discoloring the celluloid by the use of
paste, place upon the said inner surface of the celluloid a sheet of paper with the
edges of the paper substantially coincident with the circumference of the sheet and
extended under the contiguous layer of leather or the like previous to the formation
or sewing of the seam, so that said seam, when formed, confines the paper in place
so that it may present a surface to which, when desired, a fly leaf of the volume
may be pasted. When no such paper surface is desired to the flap, the paper may be
dispensed with in the flap and the inner surface of the latter be that presented by the
inner surface of the celluloid sheet.
In Figs. 3 and 4 a card-case or like device is formed of two celluloid sheets, B, B,
held together at their side edges and one of their end edges by the seam passed through
the same and through the two layers of leather or like material placed at opposite
sides of the surfaces, or peripheral portions adjacent to said edges.
By celluloid as herein used I mean materials having the frangibility and
peculiar properties which in general characterize the substance commercially known
as celluloid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be perforined, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The combination of a sheet of celluloid, a sheet of leather or like material,
and a sewed seam uniting the two sheets, substantially as herein set forth.
2nd. The combination with a sheet of celluloid, of layers of leather or like material
placed on opposite sides of its edges and a sewed seam passing through both of said
layers and the celluloid between them, substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
3rd. The combination of a sheet of paper with the sheet of celluloid, the layers of
leather or like material placed on opposite sides of the edges of the celluloid sheet,
and a sewed seam passing through said layers, paper and celluloid sheet, substantially
us and for the purpose herein set forth.
4th. The combination with the back, B, of a book or volume, of sheets of celluloid,
layers of leather or like material placed on opposite sides of the edges of said

page_text: celluloid sheets and connected with the back, B, and a sewed seam passing through
both of the said layers, and the celluloid between them, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
5th. The combination with the back, B, of sheets of celluloid, layers of leather or
like material placed on opposite sides of the edges of said celluloid sheets. paper
placed upon the inner surfaces of said celluloid sheets and extended under the
adjacent layer of leather or like material and sewed seams passing through said
layers, paper and celluloid sheet, substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth.
Dated this 28th day of June 1900
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.