AN IMPROVED METHOD OF BOOKBINDING
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM JEFFREY HOPKINS Architect, F.R.I.B.A. Sansome Lodge, Worcester
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
BOOKBINDING to be as follows:-
My method consists in a peculiar adaptation and use of leaves or portions of
leaves of any material or materials suited for the purpose which renders the
operation of sewing in bookbinding unnecessary and which method I name
'Hinge Binding.'
The means of adapting and using the leaves or portions of leaves consists in the
formation and use of certain holdfasts, clasps or keys made out of leaves or portions
of leaves of any suitable material or materials similar in construction to such as
are shown in the diagrams annexed, varying according to requirements from that
of a whole leaf to a mere filament, for the purposes of bookbinding or the binding
of any kind of leaves together by means of such holdfasts or keys and which can
be made capable, when passed through incisions in the material or materials to be
bound, not only of holding the leaves of a section of a book together, but also the
various sections to each other and the sections to the covers as exemplified by
the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that only the part forming the
holdfast is intended when the word leaf or leaves is used, excepting where shown
otherwise.
REFERENCE TO DIAGRAMS,
Fig. 1. Leaf with bands before insertion, when the whole leaf is intended to be
used.
Fig. 2. One of the upper bands partly inserted into a section of leaves.
Fig. 3. Portion of leaf with band fully inserted.
Fig. 4. Shows a hold fast complete as it appears before insertion, when the portion
intended to lie between the leaves of a section is reduced to a filament.
Fig 5 The unner portion of the same holdfast partly inserted.

page_text: Fig. 8. Six sections of leaves with bands projecting at the back before being
cemented down.
Figs 9 & 10. The same series of sections with bands-N° 9 showing them turned
to the left. Those in N° 10 to the right. The portions dotted show bands attached
and turned the reverse way the better to secure the sections to the cover.
Fig 11 & 12. Holdfasts split so as to allow a portion to be turned to the right
and another to the left.-Fig. 12. The portion separated to show it more clearly.
Fig. 13. Shows the way of inserting plates by means of the holdfasts in which
case the holdfasts are made double to obtain greater strength.
Fig. 14. Holdfast adapted to receive plate-the plates being inserted between
the filaments J. J.
Fig. 15. Holdfasts when required to be made of more than one material such as
vellum bands and metal filaments.
Fig. 16. Shows a section of leaves bound together-with the bands glued to the
outer leaves or cover. This is all that would be required for books composed of
one section of leaves.
Fig. 17. Shows the bands of a book extended to bind the sections to the covers.
Fig. 18. A book with one of the sections drawn and a leaf-holdfast partly
inserted.
Fig. 19. The appearance when a leaf-holdfast is fully inserted and becomes one
of the leaves of a book itself-The bands which are shown extended by the dotted
lines upon being bent back and when glued to each other and to the other sections
of the book binds them together-the further extension being used for binding the
sections to the covers.
Fig. 20. Shows a book with sections when bound. The dotted lines showing
the bands crossing the sections at the back and returned for the purpose of
connecting the sections with the covers.
LETTERS OF REFERENCE.
A. Indicates the portion of the holdfasts that are intended to lie between the
leaves of the section, or portions of such leaves.
B. The portions of holdfasts forming the bands.
C. The portion of leaves cut away in forming the holdfasts and not required
when vellum, cloth, or many other materials are used.
D. Cover of book.

page_text: instances would be best made of two materials, that recommended where expensive
plates are introduced is vellum in connection with the material of the plate itself.
In the arrangement delineated by Figures 1 and 2 one of the leaves is shown as
used for, and forming that portion of the holdfast or clasp that lies between the
other leaves of the section and forms a leaf of the book itself and another portion
of the same sheet is shown as used for the formation of the bands in connection
with it. This arrangement is particularly suited for many descriptions of books―
particularly where blank leaves, illustrations or plates are required to be introduced
at intervals, in many of which cases it is desirable to double the bands after passing
them through the incisions as shown in Figure 14, and in other instances to attach
the bands to the plates according to the circumstances of the case.
The actual material used for some childrens' books is admirably suited for this
new method of binding when the binding leaves are used as shown in Figure 1; as
it ensures a stronger binding than can possibly be obtained by sewing.
The
In using the holdfasts or clasps to bind a section or portion of a section together,
the bands are passed through the incisions made in each separate section.
incisions in the leaves of the section should be stamped or cut out at one time (not
separately) so that the bands can be passed through the whole section or portion of
a section by one operation and not by taking each leaf separately. This being done
and the bands drawn tightly brings the inner edge of that portion of the clasp that
lies between the leaves into close contact with the inner folded portion of the
leaves or sections of the leaves and then the bands being fastened at the back, all
the leaves in that particular section of the book are tightly and firmly held together.
The way of fastening the bands at the back when a section or only a portion of a
section is required, is simply to turn them back and glue or paste the bands to the
outer leaves or the binding at pleasure.
To bind sections the saine process is required but in this case the bands are made
longer so as to cross the sections and overlap each other. In doing so it is best to
pass one portion of the bands to the right and another portion to the left. By this
means both leaves and sections are firmly bound together. Before the bands at the
backs are joined or glued together in the manner described the books should be
pressed together tightly as in the ordinary process of bookbinding.
To bind the sections to the covers-care should be taken that the bands required
for the purpose should be sufficiently long. In which case it is only necessary to
attach them to the covers in the usual manner.
The book is then subjected to any of the ordinary processes of bookbinding that
may be thought desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) An improved method of book binding by means of a peculiar formation and
application of holdfasts formed of leaves or strips of any suitable material or
materials, the same being made to pass through the leaves to be bound in a vertical
direction as they lie open-such leaves being previously prepared for the purpose.
(2.) For the further use of such holdfasts after they have been passed vertically
through the sections as they lie open-for the purposes of binding such sections to
each other and further if required the sections to the covers.
DAL: