IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOKBINDING, AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING BOOK AND OTHER FOLDED PAPER, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO PENHOLDERS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
STEPHENSON, of High Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Comb
Manufacturer and General Dealer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victioria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of
March, in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Stephenson, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Frederick Stephenson, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederick Stepheuson, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOKBINDING, AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
BOOK AND OTHER FOLDED PAPER, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
TO PENHOLDERS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the
said Frederick Stephenson, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to. be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Frederick Stephenson, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to improvements in binding printed books, by
applying tortoiseshell and other shells of a similar character, and also horn
stained to imitate the same, as ornamental covers and backs of printed books.
Secondly, my Invention relates to improvements in binding printed books,
by applying transparent surfaces of horn over prints of engraving, water-colored
paintings, or other ornamental devices on the covers or backs of books.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to the application of veneers of wood to the
ornamenting the covers and backs of printed books.
Fourthly, my Invention relates to combining a paper cutter with a pen-
holder, thus making the two instruments into one.
And, fifthly, my Invention relates to giving elasticity to a penholder by
applying a tempered steel screw in such manner that it may act as a spring or
elastic stem, and offer more or less elasticity, according as it is screwed more
or less into the stem.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to explain the means pursued by me in per-
forming my Invention.
And, first, in respect to those improvements which relate to the binding of
printed books when tortoise or other similar shell is to be used. The printed
book which is to be bound according to my Invention is to be bound or pre-
pared in the ordinary manner so far as to render it ready to receive leather or
other covering to the back, and millboard covers, when it will be in a condition
to be finished according to my Invention. Suitable sized sheets of tortoise-
shell, or shell of a suitable character, are dipped into hot water to render them
soft. They are then allowed to cool, whilst they are separately kept pressed even
between two flat surfaces. The shell is then scraped, as is well understood by
workers in such description of shell. The back surface of the shell is then to
be what is technically called "whitewashed," which consists of applying a
coating of white lead mixed with water, which is allowed to dry, and then melted
glue is applied to that surface, and it is caused to adhere to a sheet of thin
deal or other wood by means of a hot iron, and so soon as the iron has caused
all the surface to adhere, a cold iron is applied, which sets the glue and the

page_text: shell, and the same is allowed to cool down under such pressure. The thin
sheet of wood before receiving the surface of shell is fixed on a block of wood
to retain it level when applying the shell, as is well understood. The outer
surface of the shell thus prepared is then to be dressed, and if desired, the
surface inlaid or left plain, and then polished, as is well understood in working
such shell. The shell with the thin sheet of wood combined therewith is now
in a condition to be applied to the millboard cover of a book, which is effected
by means of glue or cement fixing the wood to the millboard covers, the
covering of shell thus applied being kept under pressure till fixed and set. In
some cases I apply silver or other metal edges to the covers of books so bound
with shell, in which case the millboard and shell would not be made to project
beyond the leaves of the book, the metal edges forming the necessary projec-
tion, as is well understood by bookbinders. In other cases I cause the shell to
lap over and cover the edges of the millboard covers, in which case I apply
strips of shell to the inner surfaces of the covers in such manner as to have the
appearance of the shell folding over.
In preparing shell for the covering the back of the book, I do not use the
thin wood, but bend the shell on to a wood block of the desired figure of the
back of the book when the shell is hot, and I bind the shell thereon by string,
and allow the shell to cool whilst retained in shape. The shell is then to be
dressed, and, if desired, inlaid or left plain, polished, and whitewashed, and
then gluel or cemented on to the back of the book. Care is to be observed in
forming the edges of the covers, and also of the back, that the shell may be so
bevilled off that the covers will open freely on the flexible joint or hinge of
vellum, leather, cloth, or other suitable material; and where a stiff back is not
desired, I have found it desirable to form the back of strips of shell set edge
to edge, glued or cemented on to cloth, leather, or vellum, by which the back
may be slightly bent without injury. I would here remark that when using
horn stained to imitate tortoise or similar shell, the sheets thereof are to be
employed in a similar manner.
I
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which is applicable
when using ornamental surfaces on the covers and backs of printed books
which require a transparent surface over the same. A print of an engraving
or other ornamental device for the cover of a book being prepared on paper,
take a thin sheet of horn, such as is usually called lantern leaf, well polished on
both sides, and I coat the front surface of the print or other device with paste
and apply the sheet of horn thereto; and in order to protect the same and the
horn, I wrap the same in three or four folds of tissue paper, and submit the

page_text: whole to strong pressure between two hard wood or metal surfaces, by which
all superfluous paste will be driven off, and the horn will shew the print or
device through it, and in this state the sheet of horn is to be affixed by paste
or glue to the millboard of the printed book to be bound according to my
Invention; and the back is to be prepared in a similar manner to that above
described, having the design applied in the same manner as just explained.
By this means printed books may be bound with very elegant devices, pro-
tected by the horn, and very beautiful effects may thus be produced when
binding books.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which has for its object
the obtaining very elegant binding for printed books by applying veneers of
elegant woods; and this I do either to the millboard covers, and also to the
backs or to covers of thin wood, used in place of the ordinary millboard. The
veneers are to be glued according to any desired device, as well understood
when applying veneers of wood for other purposes to the millboard or wood
covers of a printed book, and the veneers are to be finished and polished. By
this means I am enabled to introduce very novel and beautiful bindings to
printed books by applying woods of various kinds, whether combined or single,
to the covers and to the backs of books. In applying veneers of wood to the
backs of books, they are to be first bent to the proper figure.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a penholder, which is formed at its upper end suitable for
a paper cutter, and the fourth part of my Invention consists in so forming the
upper part of a penholder that it may have a cutting edge suitable for cutting
paper, as is shewn; at the same time the paper cutter may be of a different
shape or figure, so long as it is suitable for cutting paper. a is the holder for
the pen, to which a screw 6 is affixed; this screw works in a female screw c
in the stem d of the penholder; and it will be seen that the hole in the stem
of the penholder is conical, hence the spring screw 6 will be allowed to bend
when in use. The screw b is of tempered steel, and the degree of play or
elasticity of the holder will depend on the quantity of the spring screw beyond
the female screw c, and this may be adjusted to the pleasure of the user by
screwing it more or less into the female screw.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would wish it to be understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein described so long as the

page_text: peculiar character of either part of my Invention be retained; but what I
claim is,―
First, the mode of binding printed books by applying tortoiseshell and other
similar shell and horns, as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of binding printed books by applying the trans-
parent properties of horn over ornamental surfaces used in bookbinding.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of binding books by applying veneers of wood,
as herein described.
Fourthly, I claim the combining a penholder and paper cutter in the same.
instrument.
And, fifthly, I claim the mode of giving elasticity to penholders by applying
a screw spring, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Stephenson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
FREDERICK (L.S.) STEPHENSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid Frederick Stephenson came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.