AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BOOKS, PORTFOLIOS, DESPATCH BOXES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, of Little Britain, in the
City of London, Bookbinders, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FASTENING
FOR BOOKS, PORTFOLIOS, DESPATCH BOXES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 13th April 1866, and dated the 16th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas
Geer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 16th October 1865.
We, JOSEPH ORRIN and THOMAS GEER, of Little Britain, in the City of
London, Bookbinders, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED FASTENING FOR BOOKS, PORTFOLIOS, DESPATCH BOXES, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed principally as a fastening for prayer books,
church services, and other books intended to be carried in the pocket; but
is also applicable to other books, portfolios, despatch boxes, and other recep-
tacles closing in a similar manner.
In applying our Invention to a prayer book or church service for instance,
we attach a metallic rim to the front board of the cover, extending round the
top, front, and bottom edges thereof, and to the centre of this rim we solder
or otherwise fix a projecting pin or knob also of metal. To the front edge of
the back board we attach by a hinge of leather or other suitable material a
flap of thin metal or board, covering the fore edge of the leaves, and near the
front edge of this flap in the centre thereof is a small eyelet hole, which fits
1

page_text: over the aforesaid knob or pin, and thus fastens the book at the same time
that it protects the corners and edges of the leaves from injury. The breadth
of the flap and the position of the eyelet are so proportioned to the thickness
of the book, that a slight compression of the book is necessary both to fasten
and unfasten the same, and it thus acts as a kind of spring clasp. In covering
the book the morocco, leather, or other material conceals all the fastening
with the exception of the knob or pin and the eyelet hole above named, so
that the fastening has a very neat appearance.
In applying the Invention to what is termed "circuit binding," the rim will
be furnished with three projecting knobs or pins, and there will be three flaps
covering the top, bottom, and front edges of the leaves, each having of course
its respective eyelet hole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
ORRIN and THOMAS GEER, of Little Britain, in the City of London, Book-
binders, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, Her special license that
we, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Orrin and
Thomas Geer, our 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 "AN IMPROVED
FASTENING FOR BOOKS, PORTFOLIOS, DESPATCH BOXES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said, Joseph Orrin and
Thomas Geer, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in. writing
under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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

page_text: Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer,
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 in writing, and on reference to the accompany-
ing Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention is designed principally as a fastening for prayer books,
church services, and other books intended to be carried in the pocket, but is
also applicable to other books, and also with slight modifications to portfolios,
despatch boxes, and other receptacles closing in a similar manner.
In apply-
ing our Invention to a prayer book; or church service for instance, we attach
a metallic rim to the front board of the cover, extending round the top, front,
and bottom edges thereof, and to the centre of this rim we solder or other-
wise fix a projecting pin or knob also of metal. To the front edge of the
back board we attach by a hinge of leather or other suitable material a flap
of thin metal or board covering the fore edge of the leaves, and near the front
edge of this flap, in the centre thereof, is a small eyelet hole which fits over
the aforesaid knob or piu, and thus fastens the book at the same time that it
protects the corners and edges of the leaves from injury. The breadth of the
flap and the position of the eyelet are so proportioned to the thickness of the
book that a slight compression of the book is necessary both to fasten and
unfasten the same, and it thus acts as a kind of spring clasp. In covering
the book the morocco, leather, or other material conceals all the fastening
with the exception of the knob or pin and the eyelet hole above named, so
that the fastening has a very neat appearance.
In applying the Invention to what is termed "circuit binding," the rim will
be furnished with three projecting knobs or pins, and there will be three flaps
covering the top, bottom, and front edges of the leaves, each having of course
its respective eyelet hole.
Such being the nature and object of our said. Invention for "An Improved
Fastening for. Books, Portfolios, Despatch Boxes, and other similar Articles,"
we will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order
that the same may be distinctly understood, we have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents the metallic rim, to the centre

page_text: of which is soldered or fixed the pin or knob a. This rim is placed round
the edges of the front board of the cover of the book, and fixed thereto by
simple pressure before the board is covered.
Figure 2 is a plate or flap of thin metal, having in the centre of one edge
a hole or opening 6 corresponding with the position of the pin a.
This plate
or flap is attached to the front edge of the back board (which has no metal
rim affixed) either by pasting on a piece of linen, canvas, or leather, so as to
form a hinge, or simply when covering the book with leather, morocco, or
other material, the latter forms the hinge for the plate or flap as shown at c, c,
in Figure 3.
It will be seen that with this improved fastening there is only one rim
required, and that may be of an inferior metal, and will not require gilding,
burnishing, or polishing, as it is entirely covered and concealed when the
book is covered with leather, morocco, or other material, nothing being visible
but the pin a and opening b, so that at the same time an economy is effected,
and a very neat appearance is presented, as seen at Figure 4. It will of
course be evident that (if preferred) two or more pins may be soldered or
attached to the rim of the front board, a corresponding number of holes
being provided in the front edge of the flap.
Figure 5 is a view showing the application of our Invention to what is
termed "circuit binding," wherein three flaps are used to protect the three
edges of the leaves, each flap having an eyelet hole b, and the front board
being provided with three pins or knobs a.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for "An
Improved Fastening for Books, Portfolios, Despatch Boxes, and other similar
Articles," together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, we would remark in conclusion
that we claim as our Invention the improved fastening herein-before described
and illustrated by the annexed Drawing, whether applied to books, or to
portfolios, despatch boxes, or other receptacles closing in a similar manner.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Orrin and Thomas Geer, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOSEPH ORRIN. (L.S.)
THOMAS GEER.
(L.S.)
JOSEPH ORRIN. (L.S.)
THOMAS GEER.
(L.S.)