Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
1, JULES HENRI FISCHBACH, of 32, Boulevard de Garibaldi, Paris, in the French
Republic, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a hand folding-screen for holding newspapers and the
like.
At the present day, the reading or perusal of newspapers presents, by reason of
their ever-increasing extent, a certain difficulty which is multiplied in public places,
where it may so happen those persons present are inconveniently close to one another,
and also by reason of the considerable unfolding or manipulation of the sheets,
sometimes a matter of labour and sometimes even troublesome or objectionable to
immediate neighbours.
I have attempted to remedy these numerous inconveniences of the present
ordinary primitive systems by designing and adopting the hereindescribed screen or
apparatus, which is both elegant and simple, and which allows the perusal or reading
of these periodicals in book-form i.e., in the shape of a book, the handling or
management of which is much more convenient and less cumbersome.
The screen or apparatus hereafter described thus permits or allows the reading or
perusal of daily, weekly monthly or other papers, reviews, or similar periodicals and
in general, all kinds of unstitched publications which are printed (front and back) in
columns and on loose sheets.
After folding and fixing in the screen, the reader has always before or in front of
him two columns forming the two pages of the "book" thus formed; he can by a
continuous movement always in the same direction turn over the sheets from the
first column of the first page until or to the last column of the last page.
In case maps, drawings, sketches or portraits should occupy more than a column,
it is enough to sufficiently extract or pull out the printed sheet to suitably examine.
it and when this latter is freed, it automatically resumes its orginal position in the
screen. The sheets, boards or wings forming the body or skeleton of the screen may:
be furnished with advertisements or suitable decorations.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FOLDING-SCREEN.
In the first place, the dimensions of the screen or apparatus are necessarily
determined by the sizes of the publications which it is intended to contain.
The pattern or specimen shewn on the accompanying drawing is one suitable for
an ordinary small daily or evening paper; the specimen shewn is intended for what is
known as a single-sheet" newspaper.
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The width of the leaves or pages of the book depend on the width of the column,
of the newspaper in question, and the height is that of the paper itself;
In the first place, the dimensions of the screen or apparatus are necessarily
determined by the sizes of the publications which it is intended to contain.
The pattern or specimen shewn on the accompanying drawing is one suitable for
an ordinary small daily or evening paper; the specimen shewn is intended for what is
known as a single-sheet" newspaper.
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The width of the leaves or pages of the book depend on the width of the column,
of the newspaper in question, and the height is that of the paper itself;
the thickness Is that 01 the binding; The apparatus snewn weigns at most
700
menmes

page_text: It will be noted from the annexed drawing that the paper to be folded and
inserted in the screen is one having five columns on each side of the sheet, see
Figure 4.
On these drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the screen without the
publication or any ornamentation which latter it can of course receive.
Figure 2 represents two views of the screen; the left hand figure being a side
elevation of the intermediate panel or central wing I of Figure 1, the right
hand figure shews in sectional elevation the apparatus when the wings are closed
inwardly.
Figure 3 represents two diagrams shewing in plan the principle of the jointings.
For clearness, it has been supposed-and this does not really exist-that the leaves
or wings are removed or detached one from the other.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the folded publication.
Figure 5 shews two diagrams illustrating this latter inserted in the screen (same
note as for Figure 3).
Figure 6 illustrates two diagrams showing the principle of the jointings and the
leaf put in place, in the case of a publication having a supplement; (same note as in
the case of Figure 3).
It will be noticed with regard to Figures 3, 5 and 6, that the two views shew the
position of the screen when the front and the back of a sheet of the same news-
paper are being read, i.e. the one of the coupled diagrams is the reversed position of
the other.
The first figure of the drawings represents in perspective the screen or apparatus
open, that is to say ready to receive the publication; it will be seen that it is formed
of three light leaves, boards or wings arranged in the form of small divisions or panels
on one and the other face; they may be wholly of metal (light metal, such as
aluminium) or of wood and furnished with metal fittings, of wood and cardboard, or
of any general combination of materials ensuring a minimum of weight. The central
panel and the wings of the screen might, therefore, be formed of sheet aluminium,
cardboard leaves, or thin wooden boards, and be furnished with metal or other suit-
able fittings. The intermediate leaf or central panel I is prolonged or extends into,
both at top and bottom, two projections T, protecting the outer wings E' and E2.
When the screen is closed, these latter E¹ E2 pivot and I thus forms the dormant
or fixed portion of the system. The arrangement of the projections T has been
settled by experiments, with a view to ensuring the greatest convenience in reading;
the small brackets C which end them have for purpose to act as supports and to serve
as stops or limits to the movement of the wings E and E².
The second figure shews the appearance of the screen when closed.
ornamentation of the panel and of the wings can be varied as desired.
The
The principle of jointing the whole is set out on and explained by the diagrams
forming Figure 3; there will be remarked at top and bottom of the screen (as
shewn in plan on these two diagrams) two flat straps or bands L1 and L2 somewhat
flexible, fixed at their centres and their ends; they form a strong spring or elastic
recall, the mechanical strength of which depends on the length of the instrument
and consequently on the strain which they have to undergo; it will also be
clearly seen from the drawing in the firm and dotted lines of these two straps
or bands situated at each end and thus forming quadruple extensible hinges,
how the leaves can always be easily turned in the same direction and why when
free the folding screen closes automatically, see Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Figure 4 shews the publication J folded and ready to be encased or inserted.
The diagram Figure 5 shews the arrangement of this publication J when in
place, its middle fold being fixed to the spring clips p (Figure 1) of the leaf or
panel I and its ends or edges to the spring clips of the outer wings E¹ and E².
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Thenceforward the leaves of the "book so formed are unfolded or turned over
in the same way as the leaves of an ordinary book, in a continuous course and
always in the same direction. When the publication permanently includes a
supplement composed of an additional sheet of the same height, it is sufficient

page_text: to add one or more wings and to proportionally lengthen the bands or straps,
by multiplying the number of the points of fixation, that is to say the joints, as is
clearly shewn on Figure 6. In the case of this figure, I have shewn an apparatus or
screen having four leaves or wings E¹, I, E2, E³, for the fixation of the usual
supplements; and reading proceeds or takes place as easily as in the previous
instances.
The number of jointings is determined in the same way as the number of leaves
or wings in the screen.
The screen when closed, presents the same dimensions Figure 2 (front view),
only the thickness increases by one or more leaves or wings, Figure 2 (section).
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. A folding screen for allowing the reading or perusal of a paper under the form
of a book, consisting of several leaves or wings connected and hinged together
by bands or straps, and provided with spring clips for the purpose of retaining
a publication folded according to its columns, substantially as herein described.
2. In a folding screen for retaining for reading purposes and in the form of
a book, a publication folded according to its columns, the combination with a number
of leaves or wings forming the body of the screen, of flat bands or straps hinging
and connecting the wings together, whereby the apparatus may be reversed so as to
render possible the perusal of both sides of the newspaper sheets, substantially
as described.