GB2101934A - Photograph album page - Google Patents

Abstract

An album page for mounting instant photographs comprises two apertured cardboard sheets (10, 11) mounted back to back. The sheets (10, 11) all separated by a thin sheet. The photographs (10', 11' etc.,) are located in the apertures (10, 11) which may differ in size, shape and position. The photograph in the apertures (10, 11) are covered by transparent sheet (15) which is wrapped around the edge of the page remote from the binding edge, eg for a ring binder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved page for photograph albums and the like Field ofinvention This invention concerns pages for photograph albums and the like, for displaying photographs and other graphic articles of similar physical properties.

The invention is particularly appropriate to the mounting of so called instant photographs.

Background to the invention Pages of this kind have an inner leaf on the front and back of which are arranged photographs or other graphic articles, which are covered by a sheet of transparent material of minimal thickness which forms a wrapper. The sheet is rectangular and has an area which is slightly less than the combined area of the front and back of the inner leaf. The sheet is folded in half, the fold being laid along the edge opposite the edge which is to be bound in the album and is held flat and stretched tight over the front and back by gluing, for which purpose the two surfaces are provided with a film or layer of adhesive which is either continuous or in strips, spots or the like.

Album pages of this type known to-date to not allow the mounting of photographs or graphic articles of substantial thickness such as instant photographs as the thickness prevents the fronts and backs of the page from laying correctly and this prevents the page from performing its function of securing the articles in place. In the case of instant photographs, these have had to be fastened in known album pages by removing the backing sheet which covers the development chemicals.

This reduces the thickness of the print to some extent, but on the other hand leaves the developing substance exposed, which because of its toxic properties constitutes handling hazard.

In addition when the backing sheet of an instant photograph is removed, the reduction in rigidity causes the print to curve which in combination with the still existing thickness of the print makes it virtually impossible to fasten it securely to either the front or back of the page so that the sheet will come loose, with the risk of the photographs becoming superimposed and possibly falling out of the album.

Summary ofthe invention According to the present invention an album page for mounting instant photographs and like graphic articles of considerable thickness has on both faces a plurality of windows or depressions into which the photographs can be fitted.

Conveniently such a page is formed from two relatively thick boards faced together with a thin sheet between them, the boards having a plurality of cut-outs of varying shape and size, arranged in the two boards. This makes the album versatile by allowing articles of differing shape and size to be mounted on the same page.

Articles are inserted into depressions, which correspond to their size and shape and are held in place by a transparent sheet overlying the two faces of the page itself held in place by an adhesive on the outer surface of each page between the various depressions.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention an album page is formed by joining together two relatively thick boards or sheets or cardboard, having a plurality of generally rectangular openings the size of which are a little greater than the size of the corresponding graphic photographic or other articles which are to be located therein, and the boards have between them a third sheet of minimal thickness, transparent or otherwise, which acts as a separator or spacer. The two faces of this third sheet constitute the seats of the depressions on the front and back of the page.The thickness of the two boards making up the page is such that the depressions formed by the cut-outs co-operating with the third sheet are sufficiently deep that when a photograph or other graphic article is placed in the seat, the surface of the former, even if it possesses some curvature (which is natural with some cardboard items of a certain thickness or can be caused by the position in which the item has previously been kept) will always remain below (or at the most be level with) the outer surface of the board, to which the transparent cover sheet is fastened. Since the latter is over all the unoccupied surface of the page, it remains firmly glued to it, and effectively assists in holding down the articles mounted on the album.

The two boards making up a page may be of completely identical characteristics, so that the cutouts coincide when the boards are placed back to back. Alternatively they may have cut-outs of differing sizes and so that photographs and other graphic articles of differing formats can be mounted on the two faces of the same page. In either case, the third or intermediate sheet forms the base of each of the various pockets when the boards and sheet are put together.

In order to optimally secure the graphic articles, provision is made for depositing an additional coat of adhesive of the same kind as is used on the outer faces of the two boards on part or all of the bottom of each depression, and also on the side walls thereof or the sides of the cut-outs in the two boards making up the page, which results in less retaining force being exerted by the transparent cover sheet on the two faces of the page, and this make it possible to decrease the amount of characteristics of the adhesive coating on the outer surfaces of the boards.

Album pages embodying the invention may be of different size and the depressions (which will normalls be rectangular in shape because of the primary application of pages of this kind, i.e. the mounting of instanttype photographs) may be identical or differently shaped and sized. In any case, the edge opposite the edge over which the transparent cover sheet is folded will have conventional means (holes in line, interlocking fastener tubes etc.,) for binding the page in the album in such a way that it can be removed therefrom and be moved around for convenient viewing of the visual items mounted on the page.

The invention also resides in an album page having mounted therein photographs or other graphic articles.

The invention further resides in an album having bound therein album pages embodying the invention.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through a page embodying the invention having four depressions for photographs in pairs on the opposed faces thereof and Figure2 is a plan view page embodying the invention on which can be seen a number of depressions in which photographs can be arranged and in which broken lines denote the outlines of two depressions of differing width on the opposite face.

Detailed description of the drawings Pursuant to these two Figures the new page consists of three elements, two of then 10 and 11 made of fairly thick cardboard, in which are cut-out a number of openings 10' and 11' of differing length and breadth. The boards are arranged back to back with an intermediate sheet 13 between them which acts as the bottom of the depressions formed in two faces of the page by the openings 10' and 11'.

In these depressions are mounted, according to shape, desired graphic items 14theviewing surfaces of which remain below the outer face of the boards.

Over these surfaces is laid a wrapper of transparent sheet material 15 which is fastened to the two faces by an adhesive coating on these, but which can be removed to give access to the aforesaid graphic items 14.

In Figure 2 the sheet 15 is shown partially raised as can be achieved by the user lifting one corner. It can be seen that the sheet is stretched completely flat by gluing to one of the boards 10 comprising this page, the two sides of the sheet covering the articles 14 in the depressions 10' and 11 overlying the two faces of the page, with its fold covering the edge opposite the binding edge 16 which in this case consists of a plurality of holes pierced to correspond to a conventional ring binder device.

Claims (14)

1. An album page for mounting instant photographs and like graphic articles of considerable thickness having on both faces thereof a plurality of windows or depressions into which the photographs or the like can be fitted.

2. An album page as claimed in claim 1 which is formed from two relatively thick boards or sheets of cardboard, mounted back to back with a thin sheet sandwiched between them.

3. An album page as claimed in claim 2 in which the boards have a plurality of cut-outs of varying shape and size which define the windows or depressions.

4. An album page as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the two faces of the page are overlaid by sheets of transparent sheet material.

5. An album page as claimed in claim 4 in which an adhesive is provided on the surfaces around the cut-outs for holding the transparent sheet material in place.

6. An album page as claimed in claim 5 in which the adhesive is of the type which will permit the transparent sheet material to be peeled away therefrom and be subsequently stuck back thereon.

7. An album page as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the depressions or windows in the opposed faces of the page are identical.

8. An album page as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the depressions or windows in the opposed faces of the page are different in size and/or shape.

9. An album page as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which a coat of adhesive is provided at least on the base of each depression for securing a photograph or the like therein.

10. An album page as claimed in any of claims 4 to 9 in which the transparent coverings are formed from a single sheet folded in half and fitted over the page with its fold fitted around the edge of the page remote from the edge which is bound in the album.

11. An album page as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the edge of each page which is to be bound into the the album is perforated or otherwise cut-away to permit the binding.

12. An album page constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

13. An album page as claimed in any of the preceding claims having mounted therein photographs or other graphic articles.

14. An album made up of album pages as claimed in any of the preceding claims.