US1858685A - Method of binding books - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1932. w. 1.. SEMON METHOD OF BINDING BOOKS Filed April 18. 1929 Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALIDO L. SEMON, OF CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, ASSIG-N'OR TO THE F. GOODRIOBf COM- IPAN'Y, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK V METHOD OF BINDING BOOKS Application filed April 18,

when the sheets are folded and the book assembled. Brochures and periodicals are frequently printed on sheets twice the size of the page, one sheet containing, for example, the first page on one end of the sheet and 5 the last page on the other end. The respective sheets are superimposed and stitched or stapled together in the middle. The manufacture of books, etc. from single sheets, each of which may be printed separately, and each .20 constituting only a single leaf of the completed book offers important advantages over the hereinabove described processes, but has not found universal favor because of the.

lack of a suitable strong and flexible means of fastening together the edges of the sheets and securing them to the cover.

This invention consists in distorting or bending the leaves of a book or similar publication adjacent to the back edge thereof in such a manner that the leaves interlock with one another mechanically, and fixing the distorted edges of the leaves by means of an adhesive or otherwise to provide a secure an-' chorage against separation or removal of any or all of the leaves. In order to provide a structure with the maximum-degree of flexibility it is preferred to manufacture the book from separate leaves, which are superimposed and trimmed to-a smooth surface on their common back edge, the edge of the bundle of leaves being distorted and treated with an elastic adhesive as hereinafter more fully described. That is, portions of the b ck ed e of each leaf are bent out of the plane defined by the remainder of the leaf, each Successive leaf being bent in the same manner, the complete stack or bundle of leaves being united to a permanent whole by an adhesive substance applied to the back edge. 50 The edge of each leaf may betreated sepa- 1929. Serial No. 356,228.

rately, the book being built up by superimposlng the leaves after their edges are distorted, but preferably the leaves are first assembled and the edges of all the leaves are treated simultaneously while they are maintained in then final positions relative to one another. The adhesive may be applied after the back edge of the bundle of leaves is distorted, but if t is of such a nature as to soften the paper, it may be found desirable to apply the adhesive first in order to facilitate the distortion of the edge. I

The method of this invention will be readily understood from the following descriptionsof specific embodiments thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 are sections through the leaves of a book in the rocess of manufacture. Figs. 2, 3, 6, an 7 are views of portions of the back of a book. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a finished'book bound by the method of this invention, portions being broken away to Show the construction.

In Fig. 1 the leaves 10 of a book are shown assembled in their proper order, supported by a clamping device '11, the back 12 of the leaves pro ectin a slight distance,.say 1/16 in. to 1/8'in., a ove the clamp 11. If the edges of the leaves are ragged, or if they do not all project the same distance above the clamp, they should be carefully trimmed to a smooth surface.

- The trimmed back 12 is then cut or scored across at fairly close intervals, say 1/8 in. to 1/4 in., with a sharp knife or other suitable instrument,.as shown at 13, 13 in Fig.-

2, which represents diagrammatically a portion of the back 12. The cuts 13 are most angle thereto, in which case an additional advantage is secured by reason of the dovetailing of adjacent sections of the edge.-

The edges of the sections of paper between successive cuts are bent in opposite directions,

as'shown in Fig. 3, either at the same time that the cuts are made, or subsequently. For

15, 15 of the edge are bent in the opposite direction.

The manner in which the sections 14 and 15 of the leaves 10 may be bent is illustrated v .in Fig. 4. The bending is preferably acunite the pages permanently and to secure them to the cover. If desired, a strip of fabric may be inserted between the treated back of the leaves and the cover, further to reenforce and strengthen the binding. Thus, in Fig. 5, which shows a preferred construction of a completely bound book, a fabric strip 21 is secured to the treated back of the leaves 10 by means of a suitable adhesive, a second layer of the adhesive being used for attaching the cover 22.

An alternative modification is illustrated in Fig. 6, the opposite corners 17 and 18 of each section between adjacent cuts 19 and 20 being bent in opposite directions, instead of the whole section being bent in the same direction, -.each section of the edge thereby acquiring an S shape.

It is not even always necessary to cut across the edge of the leaves. The leaves may be bent at a considerable angle in opposite directions without severing the edges of the sheets, especially if a soft paper is employed or if the ed e is softened by moistemng or otherwise.

- binding prepared in such a manner, 14, 14

and 15, 15 being the respective portions bent in the op osite directions as before. How-' ever, it w 11 usually be preferred to cut the edge, since the cut sections "can-be bent at I a sharper angle and produce a somewhat stronger binding.

The adhesive employed for securing the leaves and the cover in their permanent relationship may be any of the well-known adhesives which have a sufliciently great tenaci- -ty and elasticity. For example, glue admixed with sufiicient glycerine or other equivalent substances to render it permanently somewhat elastic is commonly employed in binding books. However, more elastic adhesives are preferably employed. Latex, for example the ammonia-preserved and/0r concentrated latex of the Hevea brasilienss, which yields the ordinary rubber of commerce, is one of the best known adhesives for this purpose, especially when admixed with a colloidal substance such as egg or blood albumen, caseig. 7 represents the edge of a.

in, glue, sodium silicate, sodium alginate, etc. Such an adhesive may bepreparedby dlssolving 20 parts by weight of glue in 100 parts of latex which has been concentrated to a rubber content of about 50%. The thick adhesive is smeared over the back of the book, the binding strip and covers are applied and the adhesive is dried. The finished book is quite flexible; the book can be bent to a considerable extent without breaking it; and the leaves are so firmly united that it is impossible to remove the individual leaves without tearing the paper.

The tough balata-like rubber isomers prepared by the reaction of sulphonic acids with rubber, and described by Harr L. Flsher in the United States Patent 0. 1,605,180, November 2, 1926, are remarkably effective adhesives for the purpose of this invention. They may be employed either in solution in a suitable solvent such as-benzene or carbon tetrachloride, or finely dispersed in water, or may be softened by heat. The latter is usual ly preferable, since the adhesive sets much more rapidly upon cooling than adhesives which set upon evaporation of a solvent.

The adhesive, for example, may be applied to the back in the form of a thin calendered strip, which is softened and pressed into the paper by means of a hot'iron. The rubber isomer need not be prepared according to the specific disclosure of the above-mentioned patent. The term tough heat-plastic rubber isomer is intended to include tough, somewhat elastic, heat-plastic products, isomeric with rubber, but chemically less unsaturated than rubber, whether prepared by the method of the above patent or by any other method.

It is to be understood that the specific may be required by the prior art and as in-- dicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book comprising a plurality of leaves, sections of the back edge of said leaves being bent alternately in opposite directions.

2. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge by an-adhesive, successive short sections of the said edge being bent alternately in opposite directions.

3. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge by a tough, heat-plastic rubber isomer, the said edge of the leaves being divided by a plurality of transverse cuts into short sections which are bent alternately in opposite directions.

4-. A book comprising a cover and a plurality of leaves united atone edgeby an adhesive, successive short sections of the said edge being bent alternately in opposite directions.

5. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge to each other and to a fabric reenforcing strip by an adhesive, and a cover aflixed to the reenforcing strip, successive short sections of the said ed of the leaves being bent alternately in opposite directions.

6. A book comprising a plurality of leaves united at one edge to each other and to a fabric reenforcing strip by a. tough, heatplastic rubber isomer, and a cover aflixed to the reenforcing strip, the said edge of the leaves being divided by a. plurality of transverse cuts into short sections which are bent alternately in opposite directions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of April, 1929.

' WALDO L. SEMON.

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