CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCOUNT BOOKS AND OTHER LARGE BOOKS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Linsey, of 12, Pilgrim Street, Ludgate
Hill, in the City of London, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN ACCOUNT BOOKS AND OTHER LARGE BOOKS."
Sealed the 21st December 1855, and dated the 19th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Linsey, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
September 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY LINSEY, of 12, Pilgrim Street, Ludgate Hill, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCOUNT BOOKS AND OTHER LARGE BOOKS " to be as follows:--
The features of novelty of this Invention consist, firstly, in making the backs
of books of one solid piece of steel, so as to act as a spring to give the back of
the book elasticity, and to preserve its shape.
Secondly, in combining millboards with the above-mentioned metal back, to
prevent the edges of the metal from cutting the leather or other material with
which the back is covered.
Thirdly, in the use of longitudinal pieces of metal hinged to the covers,
and acting as levers to assist in throwing the book open, and thus to keep
those leaves which are near the beginning and end of the book flat when the
book is open.

page_text: Fourthly, in covering the outside of the metal back with linen or other
suitable material, and securely fastening the same between the millboards, of
which the cover is made, previous to placing the outer or finishing cover over
the back and cover of the book.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Linsey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY LINSEY, of 12, Pilgrim Street, Ludgate Hill, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Linsey, Her special licence that I, the said John
Henry Linsey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Henry Linsey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCOUNT BOOKS AND OTHER LARGE BOOKS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Linsey, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Linsey, 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 thereof (that is to say):-
The features of novelty of my said Invention consist, firstly, in making the
backs of books of one solid piece of steel, so as to act as a spring to give the
back of the book elasticity, and to preserve its shape.

page_text: Secondly, in combining millboards with the above-mentioned metal back, to
prevent the metal from cutting the leather or other material with which the
back is covered.
Thirdly, in the use of longitudinal pieces of metal (hinged to the covers)
and acting as levers to assist in throwing the book open, and thus to keep
those leaves which are near the beginning and the end of the book flat when
the book is open.
Fourthly, in covering the outside of the metal back with linen or other
similar suitable material, and securely fastening the same between the mill-
boards, of which the cover is made, previous to placing the outer or finishing
cover over the back and cover of the book.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing annexed
to these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure represents one of my improved books as it would appear when
laid open, shewing the relative position of the back, and the levers employed
for keeping the leaves flat. Figure 2, the book in course of construction,
and without the back thereof, shewing the method of connecting the hinged
levers to the millboard cover. Figure 3 is a section of the book (through the
line A, B, at Figure 2), shewing the relative position of the several parts
when the book is closed. Figure 4 is an end view, drawn enlarged, of the back
of the book detached from the covers thereof, shewing the construction thereof.
Figures 5, 6, 7, are detached parts, hereafter referred to. At each of the
foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding
parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of the said Figures
respectively.
MODE OF MANUFACTURE.
I first fold the paper A in as many sections of about six sheets as are
necessary to make a book of the desired thickness, and these several sections I
connect together by sewing them over slips of vellum or parchment in the
necessary to make a book of the desired thickness, and these several sections I
connect together by sewing them over slips of vellum or parchment in the
manner commonly practised, the back is then glued, and when dry the edges
are cut and marbled, or otherwise ornamented. I then fix (with glue) piecos
of linen between the several aforesaid slips, and finally fix with glue another
and entire piece of linen B over the surface of the back of the paper, leaving

page_text: the linen about one and a half inch wider than said back, for the purpose of
connecting the book to the millboard covers E, E, which I effect by pasting
the parts D, D, at Figure 7, between two millboards, as commonly practised;
but instead of making the covers E, E, of only two thicknesses of millboard,
one thick and the other thin, in the usual way, I make each cover of the
book of four thicknesses of millboard (as at Figure 7), the outermost one being
the thickest, and between these several millboards I affix with paste or other
suitable material the following parts in the following order; that is to say,
between the millboards 1 and 2 I fix the pieces D, D, and thus connect the
book to the covers thereof; and having done this, I fix between the millboards
2 and 3 the levers H, H, of the construction hereafter described; and, lastly,
I fix between the millboards 3 and 4 the parts D', D', by which I connect the
metal back G to the covers of the book; and having in this manner connected
the aforesaid several parts to the millboard covers, and securely fixed together
the several thicknesses of millboard, I then paste down the sides, and the
book is in a fit state to be finished in the binding, which may be effected in
the manner commonly practised of finishing books.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the metal back G and levers
H, H, and the purpose of so constructing such said parts. First, as regards
the back G, I take a stout piece of millboard and shape it to the desired shape
for the back; I then paste or glue a piece of linen D', D', (which is wider
than the back) to the inner surface of the aforesaid back, and having shaped a
piece of sheet steel g to the curvature of the aforesaid back, I securely fix by
rivets the metal to the millboard and linen, and by pasting the linen between
the millboards of the covers, as before stated, I connect the metal back to the
covers of the book, and thus I give elasticity to the back of the book, and at
the same time preserve the shape thereof. And as regards the construction
of the levers H, H, it is as follows:-I take a piece of thin sheet steel of nearly
the same length as the book and slightly curve the same, as at Figures 6
and 7; I then take a piece of vellum or parchment D2, pasted. or glued
upon linen, and of the same length as the piece of steel, to which I securely
fix by rivets the vellum and linen D, taking care to turn the edge of the
vellum over the edge of the steel, securely fixing it thereto with glue, the
purpose of thus covering the edge of the steel being to prevent the steel from
cutting the back of the book as the levers press against the same in the act
of throwing the book open. And I would here remark that in practice I
have found the aforesaid levers effect the above object well when the
breadth of the strips of steel has been such as to embrace from about six
to eight of the aforesaid sections.

page_text: The effect of constructing account books and other large books in the above.
manner and upon the above principle is as follows:-In opening the book, the
edges of the levers pressing against the back of the book forces up such part
and thus prevents it from sinking, thereby presenting a comparatively flat
surface in the folds of the sections for writing upon, instead of a convex surface,
as heretofore, and more particularly the leaves near the beginning and end of
the book, as above stated.
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Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of Certain Improvements in Account Books and other Large
Books," together with the best means I am acquainted with of carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my
Invention, the manufacturing of account books and other large books in the
manner and upon the principle above particularly described, set forth, and
represented by the Drawing hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Linsey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
RICH NUTH,
24, Oxford St.
JOHN HENRY LINSEY. (L.S.)