US2301422A - Bookbinding - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1942. M, LlCHTER 2,301,422

BOOKBINDING. Filed Dec.' 19, 1939 2 Sheng-spent 1.

INVENTQR MALv/N LIGHTER.

Nov. 10, 1942. LlCHTER 2,301,422

- BOOKBINDING Filed Dec. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig. Z I L--.

INVENTOR NAU/1N L/CHTER;

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE BOOKBINDING Malvin Lichter, New Rochelle, N. Y. Application December 19, 1939, Serial No. 309,979

7 Claims.

This invention relates to bookbinding and more particularly to a type of bookbinding for notebooks, pads, record books, ledgers, advertising folders, as well as bindings for books containing printed matter wherein the pages thereof may lie absolutely flat no matter what the position of the page within the book and with respect to other pages. w

Despite the fact that the pages of books bound by this novel method and means are allowed to lie flat, this lbinding is by no means intended to be a temporary one or a make shift one, but is of a type which will be incorporated in any type of book whatever, no matter what the relative importance or expense thereof may be,

Where a iiat binding has been attempted, this has usually been by means of various types of temporary bindings including rings or spirally wound coils or other types of relatively loose bindings. The ordinary type of stitched binding, by its very nature, precludes the possibility of the arrangement of the pages of a book so that they may lie fiat. Heretofore also, many of the attempts to obtain any flat binding has been directed towards the treatment of the pages of the book themselves and/or of various means of attaching the pages themselves to the stitching or other binding such as stitching thread, glue or wire.

The present invention has, however, for its ob- 'Y ject, the provision of a binding which will permit the pages of a book to lie iiat no matter what the position of the page within the book may be, said means depending upon an additional tape which is associated with not more than two adjacent pages, and which may be'unfolded to lie in a plane substantially parallel to the two pages which it Connects. In this manner, the pages of the book are connected so that only adjacent pages are connected tc each other and so that no page of the book is in any way connected to any other page of the book which is not adjacent thereto. A flat binding may readily be achieved.

A further object of this invention, therefore, is the use of a series of tapes or strips between adjacent pages of a book and the connection of only adjacent pages of the book to each other without connecting any of the pages of the book to any other page of the book which are not adjacent thereto.

Many other objects and uses of the present invention will in part be apparent and in part pointed out in the following description taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a cross-sectional View taken on line I-l cf Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing one form of my invention comprising the arrangement of a series of tapes connecting only adjacent pages of a book together.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View partly in elevation taken from line 2 2 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the first page of the book with the cover or outer binding removed.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a book bound in accordance with my invention, showing the same open ilat.

Figure 6 is an end view taken on line 6-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a partial View in perspective of a book bound in accordance with the elements of Figure 1.

Figure 8 illustrates a slightly modified formation of the construction of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a View in perspective of a modiiied type of binding comprising the same principles as set forth in connection with Figure 1.

Figure l0 is a cross-sectional view in perspective taken on line lill0 of Figure 9 looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view partly in elevation on line I I-H of Figure 9.

Figure l2 is a plan view showing a book having the construction of Figure 9 open flat.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 7, I have here shown a book 2i) having pages 2l, 22, 23 and 24, and an cuter cover or binder 25-26--2l- The outer cover or binder has been shown as comprising two outer rigid or iieXib-le sheets or plates 25 and 2l which may have any design or formation which may be suitable in connection with the particular bookbinding and having a flexible cover strip 26 connected therebetween. Where a cloth bound book is desired, the iiexible cover 2B along the back of a book may also be continued as an outer lamination of the members 25 and 2l.

The pages 2l and 22 are connected by means of the tape 28 which is adhesively secured to the adjacent pages. The tape 23 therefore comprises section 29 which is adhesively secured along the marginal rear end of page 22 as is also seen in Figure 2 and the section 30 of tape 28 is adhesively secured along the marginal rear portion of page 2|. Y

A sufficient area 3l between the sections 29 and 30 of the tape 28 is left between the rear edges of the pages 22 and 2l so that the pages may readily swing with respect to each other and further so that the pages may be rotated so that their rear edges may lie in abutment to each other when they are laid flat. Page 22 is connected to page 23 by a similar tape having exactly the same formation. Page 23 is connected to page 24 by an exactly similar tape 23 and all the other pages of the bock are similarly connected together.

It will thus be seen that none of the pages of the book are connected to any other pages thereof except the immediately adjacent pages. As a matter of fact, the end pages of the book 2i may be connected to the binding in exactly the same manner, that is, by tapes 28, although other means of connection of the book itself to the covers may be used.

By this means, it will be seen that each of the pages of the book is so arranged with respect to adjacent pages that each of the pages may be arranged to lie flat, None of the tension which causes pages to rise from the surface of the book or tend to turn towards other pages is present, since none of the pages are connected to pages remotely placed in the book. Nor are adjacent surfaces of the pages bound to each other and so no fold line in the page is required in order to obtain a flat folding.

Further, none of the pages emanate from a common base or binding or back with remotely spaced pages in the I1pook; only adjacent pages have a common connection. And further also, the common connection, as at 3i, may be sufficiently resilient or a sufficient space may be provided for, as seen for instance at 3io, permitting the pages to be hingedly rotated with respect to each other and so that the rear end of the pages may abut without interfering with the placement of adjacent pages at an angle of 180 with respect to each other.

The ends of the tapes may be carried beyond the margins of the pages as seen for instance at 32 of Figure 8 or indentations, slots or cut outs 33, Figures 1, 4 and 5, may be provided so that the ends of the tapes may be brought together at the edges thereof.

When the book is open, as seen in Figure 5, n

the only element apparent to the user is the page 2i, the page 22, and the binding tape 28 between them. The indentations 33 and the space 3| of the tape between the rear edges of the pages 2l and 22 are not visible. By this means therefore, a simplified binding arrangement for the pages of a notebook, blank book, record book, advertising folder or printed book of any type whatever is readily provided. BY a suitable proportioning of the relative thickness of the tapes and the pages, the thickness of the book need not be appreciably increased.

It should be noted that each tape need merely be of sufficient strength to hold in place any two particular pages so that the thickness of any particular piece of tape need not substantially increase the space between adjacent pages (since the tapes may be rather thin) and so that the book may virtually have the same appearance as a book bound in any other manner, except that the pages thereof may be laid flat at any portion of the book for the purpose of making entries in or reading the same.

However, in order to avoid any substantial increase of thickness by reason of the use of tapes between adjacent pages, I may resort to the modification shown in Figures 9-12 inclusive wherein complementary notches 4t, 4l, 42, 43 and 44 may be placed in adjacent pages cf the book, the notches being complementary to eX- tending tabs 45, 45, 41, 48 and 49. With the notches of one page, for instance page 5e, being complementary to the tabs of the adjacent page, for instance page 5I, any substantial increase in thickness of the book by reason of the Presence of the tapes 6i) between adjacent pages is avoided.

The tapes connect adjacent pages of the book in exactly the same manner as the tapes in Figure l and the tapes are constructed and operated in exactly the same mannery having for instance the space 3| between the rear edges of adjacent pages to permit the pages to be laid absolutely flat. But since, as seen also in Figures 10 and 11, adjacent tapes @D and Gil are at tab 4S engaged with either side of page 5i while at notch 43 the adjacent tapes Sil and SG are adhesively engaged with each other thus forming a recess at notch 43 so that the portion of tape which engages the tab 4E! of page 5B may be nested in the portion of the tape 6i) which enters into and is recessed in the notch 43, then when the book is closed there is absolutely no increase in thickness thereof.

In other words, while following the same principles as set forth in Figures 1-8 inclusive, the attaching or complementary tabs and notches permit of an arrangement of the tapes in such a, manner that no increase in thickness of the book occurs.

The principal element and importance of the invention therefore resides in the fact that a securely bound book may be constructed wherein adjacent pages are directly attached one to the other and no page is attached directly to any page remote thereto.

Further, no fold lines or bends in the page are relied upon to create the flatness when opened, but each page is hingedly mounted by means of its own set of hinges in the book itself and all of the pages may be so arranged that they may be readily swung out of the plane of any two connected adjacent pages.

As has been pointed out, this invention is applicable to any type of bock wherein the desire is that the pages remain fiat. Various other means and expedients may be used in connection with the pages. Thus additional flexible long bindinfI strips may be inserted between remotely spaced tabs in the book in order to insure that the book may be held together where that is necessary, but such connecting strips sh-ould be of sufficient length so as not to interfere with the operation of the present invention and hence should be of a length of the order of the connecting strip 26. The use of such connecting strips where desired may make it possible to maintain the book in united condition even though individual pages or individual portions of the bindings may be destroyed. Various other formations may readily be combined with a book bound in this manner.

Thus, the portions of the tabs projecting as at 32 of Figure 8 beyond the edges of the pages may, where desired, be further reinforced so as to insure that the book remain in perfect condition and the same may be done to those portions of the tabs extending into the notches 33 of, for instance, Figures 2, 4 and 5. Instead of using an adhesive to secure the tabs together, the tapes may, in iine bindings, be stitched to adjacent pages and where that is possible and where the pages are of suicient strength and rigidity, various types of cross stitching may be used in place of tapes, that is, adjacent pages may be connected to each other and not to remotely placed pages by means of ilexible stitchlng.

Many other objects and uses of the present invention will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, and I therefore prefer to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a exible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, said tapes being extended longitudinally beyond the boundaries of the pages and secured to adjacent tapes.

2. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a flexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, and notches at the corners of said margins of said pages, said tapes being extended longitudinally into said notches and secured therein to adjacent tapes.

3. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a, similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a i-lexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each of the adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other, said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs, and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches and engaging the tabs,

4. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a flexible 1ongitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each of the adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other,sald margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs, and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches and secured to each other thereat, and engaging the tabs.

5. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a flexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each of the adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other, said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs, and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches and engaging the tabs, the notches of each page registering with tabs of adjacent pages.

6. A book-binding for connecting pages oi a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a flexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each of the adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other, said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs, and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches and engaging the tabs, the notches of each page registering with tabs of adjacent pages, the thickness of the tapes between the pages being substantially less than that of the pages.

7. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said binding comprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape being secured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having a ilexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each of the adjacent pages of the bookbeing similarly connected to each other, said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs, and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches and engaging the tabs, the notches of each page registering with tabs of adjacent pages, the thickness of the tapes between the pages being substantially less than that of the pages, the portions of the tapes in the notch-es forming pockets for receiving the adjacent tabs carrying the tape for reducing the thickness of the book when closed to substantially that of the sum of the pages therein. A

MALVIN LIGHTER.

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