IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING COVERS OR CASES FOR BOOKS TO FACILITATE THE SECURE FASTENING OF · VOLUMES THEREIN, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.” PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilkinson, of Middlesbrough, in the County of
York, Accountant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING
COVERS OR CASES FOR BOOKS TO FACILITATE THE SECURE FASTENING OF
· VOLUMES THEREIN, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1877,
"
WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Middlesbrough, in the County of York, Accountant.
IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING COVERS OR CASES FOR BOOKS TO FACILITATE
THE SECURE FASTENING OF VOLUMES THEREIN, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME."
The first part of this Invention relates to an improved method of preparing covers
or cases for books to facilitate the secure fastening of the volumes therein. For this
purpose the boards for such covers or cases are made by glueing together two or more
sheets of paper, pasteboard, cardboard, millboard, or other like material, according
to the thickness desired; and in the inner sheet or the one falling next the book
two slits are cut obliquely from the edge so that the space or tongue between them
will cover the projecting ends of the tapes on which the book is stitched. In glueing
the sheets together care must be taken to leave this tongue and the corresponding
surface of the other sheet untouched with glue, so that the tongue may be raised
afterwards when wanted.
Where three or more sheets are needed to make up the required thickness of the
complete board, tongues are cut in all except the outer sheet of a gradually decreasing
length, so that the slits in the different sheets do not coincide, but leave an overlap
between.
As the boards are made they should be placed under pressure to dry. It is
better to bevel off the outer edge of the composite board on the side falling
next the hinge of the case or cover to the extent of the thickness of the uncut sheet,
but this is not essential.
.
The volume is stitched on tapes of strength, and number proportionate to the
volume, and after being cut, rounded up, and blocked in the ordinary way, and the
edges finished off as desired it is fastened into the case or cover by lifting up the

page_text: loose tongues and inserting beneath them the projecting ends of the tapes, and then
glueing all down with strong glue.
The second part of the Invention relates to the apparatus employed therein, and
which consists of a jointed lever of wood or iron fixed over the work bench, and
terminating in a flexible fork which can be brought down and made to grasp the
edge of the volume and hold it in position on the open case or cover, and so leave
the workman's hands free. As each side of the cover is glued down pressure may be
applied to press all well together by means of another lever hinged to the work
bench, so that it can be brought down over the cover and fastened by means of a
catch under the front edge of the bench. A turn of a screw in the center of the
lever forces down on the book cover a moveable planed surface attached to the
under side of the lever, and in which by means of bevelled slides, pieces or faces of
different sizes to suit the different sizes of books may readily be inserted at will.
A strip of paper or plain cloth pasted down over the joints in the board of the
cover will prevent the pressing face of the lever from sticking to the board, and will
add proportionately to the strength of the board.
By using two or three sets of this apparatus the workman may insert as many
volumes one after another, and so give time to the glue in the jointed boards to set
under the pressure of the levers before the end papers or linings are pasted down
over all. When this last is done the book is completed and should be placed under
pressure to dry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Wilkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
August 1877.
WILLIAM WILKINSON, of Middlesbrough, in the County of York, Accountant.
"IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING COVERS OR CASES FOR BOOKS TO FACILITATE
THE SECURE FASTENING OF VOLUMES THEREIN, AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME.".
The first part of this Invention relates to an improved method of preparing covers
or cases for books to facilitate the secure fastening of the volumes therein. For this
purpose the boards for such covers or cases are made by glueing together two or
more. sheets of paper, pasteboard, cardboard, millboard, or other like material,
according to the thickness desired; and in the inner sheet or the one falling next
the book two slits are cut from one edge so that the space or tongue between them
will cover the projecting ends of the tapes on which the book is stitched. In
glueing the sheets together care must be taken to leave this tongue and the corre-
sponding surface of the other sheet untouched with glue, so that the tongue may be
raised afterwards when wanted.
Where three or more sheets are needed to make up the required thickness of the
complete board, tongues are cut in all except the outer sheet of a gradually decreasing
length, so that the slits in the different sheets do not coincide but leave an overlap
'between.
As the boards are made they should be placed under pressure to dry. It is better
to bevel off the outer edge of the composite board on the side falling next the hinge
of the case or cover to the extent of the thickness of the uncut sheet, but this is not
essential.
The volume is stitched on tapes of strength and number proportionate to the
volume, and after being cut, rounded up, and blocked in the ordinary way, and the
edges finished off as desired, it is fastened into the case or cover by lifting up the
loose tongues and inserting beneath them the projecting ends of the tapes and then
glueing all down with strong glue.
"
The second part of the Invention relates to the apparatus employed therein, and
which consists of a jointed lever of wood or iron fixed over the work bench, and
terminating in a flexible fork which can be brought down and made to grasp the

page_text: edge of the volume and hold it in position on the open case or cover, and so leave
the workman's hands free. As each side of the cover is glued down pressure may
be applied to press all well together by means of another lever hinged to the work
bench, so that it can be brought down over the cover and fastened by means of a
catch under the front edge of the bench. A turn of a screw in the centre of the
lever forces down on the book cover a moveable planed surface attached to the
under side of the lever, and in which by means of bevelled slides, pieces or faces of
different sizes to suit the different sizes of books may readily be inserted at will.
A strip of paper or plain cloth pasted down over the joints in the board of the
cover will prevent the pressing face of the lever from sticking to the board, and will
add proportionately to the strength of the board.
By using two or three sets of this apparatus the workman may insert as many
volumes one after another, and so give time to the glue in the jointed boards to set
under the pressure of the levers before the end papers or linings are pasted down
over all. When this last is done the book is completed and should be placed under
pressure to dry.
I now proceed with reference to the Drawings to describe more particularly the
mode of carrying my Invention into practical effect.
Figure 1 is a plan of a book showing the covers laid open; and Figure 2 is a
vertical section of the same.
A, A, are the covers which are made up in the ordinary manner by glueing
together two or more sheets of millboard or other like material; and a are tlie
tongues formed therein by the cuts or slits b which are from an inch to an inch and
a half in length, according to the size and weight of the book the cover is intended
for. These slits must be placed one near each end of the board or cover, just far
enough from the ends to leave room for the "turning in" of the leather, cloth, or
other material of the outer covering of the cover or case.
The slits may be cut by hand with a knife, but where large quantities are to be
done it is best to use a cutter on the principle of an envelope stamping machine, the
slits being cut by cutters kept in position by means of thumb screws.
In this case
it is well also to fix between the cutters stamping pieces or dies, so that in the
operation of cutting the slits the dies form grooves or depressions for the reception
of the tapes c on which the volume is sewn, so that when all is pressed together
there may be no unsightly marks or ridges where the tapes fall. These tongues
are cut obliquely or otherwise in the inner sheet of material or the one falling next
the volume from the inner edge so as to cover the projecting ends of the tapes con
which the book or volume is stitched. In glueing the sheets together care must
be taken to, leave the tongues and corresponding surface of the other sheet
untouched with glue to allow the tongues to be raised when required for inserting
the tapes.
Before glueing the boards together the under surface of each slit board should be
slightly scored in a line joining the ends of the slits and parallel with the edge of
the board so as to facilitate turning up the tongues.
The volume is stitched on tapes, of strength and number proportionate thereto.
After cutting, rounding up, and blocking the volume in the usual way and the
edges finished up as desired, I then fasten the volume into its cover or case by
lifting up the tongues and inserting between them and the surface of the next sheet
or board the projecting ends of the tapes, and I then glue all down with strong
glue.
Figure 3 is a plan; and Figure 4, a vertical section of a book in which the covers
are made up to the required thickness by glueing together three boards or sheets of
material, although more than three may be used if desired.
When three or more sheets are used to make up the required thickness of the
complete board I cut the tongues a¹, a², in all the sheets except the outer ones of a
gradually decreasing length, in order that the slits do not coincide but leave an
overlap between them.
When there are three thicknesses to be glued together to form the "split" board

page_text: the middle one must be so cut and scroed that the slits or cuts and the scoring
mark connecting them fall within the third one, as seen at Figures 3 and 4. The
under tongue must be cut a little smaller than the other, not only for convenience
in lifting it up, but in order that the overlap may give greater strength than if the
slits coincided. The outer edge of this composite board on the side falling next the
hinge of the outer cover may if desired be bevelled off, as shown at Figure 4. The
boards (covers) as made should be placed under pressure to dry after glueing.
It need scarcely be said that whether these slits be cut by hand or by mechanical
means they will have one side thicker than the other. In glueing the boards
together the thin edges of the cuts must be placed outwards as they necessarily
make the best and least perceptible joint. On the other side of the board or
where the thick edges of the slits or cuts fall it is desirable to slightly score the
surface of the board between the ends of the slits or cuts, as seen in dotted lines d at
Figure 1, as this greatly facilitates the turning up afterwards of the tongues or
flaps a.
When the "split" boards are required of an extra thickness, as for large books,
it is best to make them of three thicknesses, placing the main thickness between the
other two. It is only in this middle board that the grooves or depressions for the
tapes are stamped, as before stated, and of course on the under side or that falling
next the uncut outer sheet.
In leather binding the leather itself is a strong enough tie between the two
boards or covers when the volume is glued to it, as herein-after described; but
where the outer covering of the case is of cloth it is desirable to strengthen it with
an inner band of course linen p or other suitable material not too thick, as seen in
dotted lines in Figure 5. The linen must be shorter than the rest of the case so
as not to interfere with the "turning in." As the edges of this piece of linen would
show under the outer cloth, the blocking may be so arranged as to conceal it; or
by suitable designs, such as are occasionally adopted in fancy cloth bindings, it
may be made an ornamental feature in the binding. To this inner band in the
case of cloth binding, or to the leather back in the case of leather or half leather
binding, the back of the volume is to be first glued after being prepared in the
usual way.
In the case of cloth binding, besides the usual paper lining of the cloth at the back,
it is desirable to line with thin paper the outside of the inner linen strip to which
the volume is to be glued to prevent the glue from striking through and sticking
it to the outer cloth of the case.
Figure 7 is a side view of my improved apparatus; Figure 8, a plan; and
Figure 9, a section taken on the line a, B, of Figure 7.
Figures 10, 11, and 12 are details, Figure 10 being a perspective view of the
fork attached to its lever, Figure 11, a side view of one of the bevelled slides,
and Figure 12, an end view of the same; Z is the work bench or platform through
which two screw bolts e, e, are passed, and between which is a horizontal bar or
rod f; E, E, are levers working freely on the rod f by means of eyes g, so that they
may be placed at any required distance apart within the length of such rod. The
rod is capable of being raised and lowered by turning the screw bolts e, e, furnished
with winged nuts ex for the purpose, so as to raise and lower the levers in order
to admit any size book to be pressed; j, j¹, are bevelled slides with raised
pressing faces, which are inserted in the levers to suit the different sizes of books,
and to press only on the plain surface of the board of the book cover and not on
the leather or cloth turned in at the edges; G, G¹, are moveable surfaces or pressing
pieces capable of being changed so as to suit the different sizes of books, as for
example "foolscap 8vo.," "crown 8vo.," "medium 8vo.," and so on of the exact
length to suit each respective size, so as to miss the cloth or leather turned over
the edges of the book cover and press only on the even surface of the millboard.
They are capable of being moved from left to right, or vice versa, in order to admit
any width of back of book which it is desired to press; h, h, are thumb screws
passing through slots contrived in the ledge m for regulating them. These pressing

page_text: pieces are covered with a padding of india-rubber or other suitable substance p* to
prevent injury to the outside of the book cover as it rests on them; H is an arm
fixed to the work bench or platform Z and to which is centered a lever J. This
lever terminates in a flexible fork of metal or wood K, and is employed for grasping
the volume when the book with its cover has been introduced to be pressed in order
that the operator may have his hands free so as to bring down the levers E, E¹, on
the book covers. The opening and closing of the fork is regulated by revolving
the nuts k, l, which are mounted on a screw-threaded rod k* passing through the
branches of the fork K.
When the levers are brought down (on the books' covers to be pressed) they are
securely fastened to the platform or bench, by means of screw bolts S furnished
with a claw q to grip the bench or platform, and they are securely fastened thereto
by means of winged nuts S*; T is a moveable support, strip, or bar of wood working
in a groove t* in the bench or platform, and on which the back of the book rests
when introduced into the apparatus. It is covered with a pad or cushion t² of
some soft material to prevent the back getting rubbed or scratched, and its height
is regulated by thumb screws t³.
The apparatus or press as here shown is for pressing separately the two sides of
the case or cover of the book. It is of course important to bring the pressure to
bear as soon as possible after the warm glue is applied, so that the glue may set
the better and make as good and firm a job as possible directly the levers E, E³,
are brought down. In the case of cheap books however so much care is not
necessary, and here I propose to glue down both sides of the cover at once before
putting the book in the press. In this case the two levers E, E¹, are braced
together by clamps, as shown in the perspective view, Figure 13, the proper distance
apart to suit the thickness of the book; P is the block which keeps them apart and
serves as a gauge, up to which the book is pushed when put in to be pressed. A
spring v secured to the platform keeps the levers E, E¹, lifted a little above the
pressing board G, G¹, to permit the covers to be easily slipped down under them
from the front. Here the screw bolts working through the levers are dispensed
with, and a single bolt S2 is hinged at S to the bench or platform in such manner
as to fall down in front, and carries a cross head W which catches both levers when
brought up into position, and presses them down equally by the bolt S as the
nut S is screwed down on it. This extremely ready and simple arrangement for
cheap binding can be worked very quickly, and quite sufficient pressure is obtained
for the purpose.
Under either arrangement the workman requires a set of three or four apparatus
(with the levers braced as described) arranged along his bench or platform side by
side.
For convenience the whole of the apparatuses may be fixed to a suitable board
instead of to the work bench, so as to render them portable and readily moveable
if needful.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. Cutting slits in the sheets or boards of the case or cover next the volume
in order that a space or tongue may be formed between such slits to allow of the
tapes being introduced therein and securely fastened, as herein-before described.
Second. Cutting or forming spaces or tongues of gradually decreasing lengths
in all the sheets or boards except the outer ones, when three or more sheets or boards
are required, so as to leave an overlap between such tongues, as herein-before
described for the purpose set forth.
Third. The employment of levers carrying moveable planed surfaces by which
pressure is applied to the cover or case containing the volume after glueing, sub-
stantially as herein described.
Fourth. The employment of a jointed lever carrying a flexible fork for grasping
the edge of the volume and holding it in position on the open case or cover, thus
leaving the hands of the operator free, as herein described.

page_text: Fifth. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
apparatus, herein described and exemplified in the Drawings from Figures 7 to 13,
both inclusive.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN PALLISER SQUIRE.
WILLIAM WILKINSON. (L.S.)