US39300A - Improvement in photographic albums - Google Patents

Description

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOB)T D. METS, OF DUBUQUE, IOVA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,300, dated July 2l, 1563.

.To all whom, it may concern'.-

Be it-known that I, JOHN D. METS, of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Binding Photograph-Albums; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an album made with my improved hinge-binding. Fig. 2 is a side view of one leaf of a hinge. Fig. 3 shows the back of several leaves and the manner of uniting the same together. Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner of uniting the album-leaves to the Y hinges. Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of one hingeleaf enlarged. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, shows the end of an album bound with hinges. Fig. 7 shows an album-leaf united to one hinge-leaf. Figs. 8 and 9 show the manner of constructing the album-leaves to receive the leaves of the hinges.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in binding that class of books which have very thick and sti leaves, used for containing photograph-pictures, and commonly called photograph-albums.

1t consists in securing each separate leaf, of which the album is composed, to metallic or other plates, which are hinged together in such a manner that a succession of hinges or joints are formed, the eyes of which hinges leave spaces between the plates exactly equal to the thickness of the leaves, thereby allowing the book to be closely shut, all as will be hereinafter described.

It also consists in a novel method of securing the album-leaves to the plates or leaves of the hinges, and in adapting said leaves to receive these plates, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The thick leaves which are required in photograph-albums cannot be bound together by stitching, or in the usual manner of binding books, and the method of securing such leaves into a book form hitherto adopted consists in pasting a strip of muslin over the back edges of the leaves, and then putting on the cover, in the usual manner of tinishin g books. This plan, it will be seen, is not very durable, as each leaf has only its pasted edge and the thin muslin to hold it in the book.

In Fig. l, I have represented an album in which the leaves are all secured together at their backs by means of hinged joints, which consist of thin plates of metal, or other suitable material, a, having eyes b formed on them, as shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. The method ot' forming these hinge-plates is as follows: A strip ot' metal of the desired width and length is doubled over a rod in the direction of its length, and by a certain manipulation a tubular eye is formed on the united edge of this doubled plate, which being split at suitable points, the sections b b are bent alternately, one side and then the other, forming a double-eyed hinge-plate, to which a plate corresponding in size, but diftering in respect to the position of its eyes b, may be hinged by means of a pintle, o, which should be as long as the hinge-plates, and of such a size as will t into the eyes of the plates. Thus the spaces between the eyes of one plate willreceive and be filled up by the eyes b of the opposite plate, and in this way any number of these plates may be hinged together. The diameter of the .eyes b should be made with respect to the thickness of the album-leaves to be used, for the spaces between the plates a are determined in this way, and they may vary according to the thickness of the album-leaves. When the plates ay are formed with their right and left eyes b they are punched out, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. These holes e e e are intended to receive pieces ot paper or other suitable material, which unite the two outside portions, f f, of the leaves A to the plates a, as will be hereinafter described.

The leaves A consist of two outside pieces, ff, and an inside piece, g, (shown in Figs. 8 and 8,) the latter of which is cut out, as shown in Fig. 8, to receive the perforated portions of the plates a. The length of these hinge-plates is not equal to that of the leaves and the inside portion, g, is therefore cut so that the ends of the plates will be covered, and the spaces between the portions fj' filled up at these points.

The manner of uniting the hinge-plates to the leaves is as follows: rIhree pieces of paper, f f and g, are used for each leaf. The inside piece, g, is cut, as above described, and pasted on one of the outside pieces, j'. The perforated portion of a hinge-plate is now adjusted Within the space left by the portion which is eut out ot'fpiece g, and pieces of paper z', of the size and shape of the perforations c e, are now pasted on both sides and inserted Within these perforations. The other outside piece,f, is now pasted over the Whole, and the leaf thus formed With its hingeplate (shown in Fig. 7) are put away to dry under pressure. The small bits of paper i, which are introduced into the holes through the plate a., should not be thicker than this plate, and they furnish surfaces to which the outside portions,ff, can be pasted, and both of these portions being pasted to these bits of paper it will be seen that when the whole is dry they will hold the hinge-plate and the leaf firmly together. The perforations e e may be made either round or square, or oblong, and lled up with corresponding-shaped pieces of paper,

A pasteboard, or other suitable substance which will supply their place. The leaves When formed in this way, with their respective hingeplates secured to them, are put together by passing small wire rods or pintles e. through their eyes, and every Wire connects two leaves together in consequence ot' its passing through the bent eyes b of each hinge-plate. Vhen a suitable number of leaves to make a book are thus united, they are put into a press and their edges plowed or trimmed, after which the cover of the book is put on in the following manner: The covers are made and iinished in the usual manner of making covers for books which are not stitched, and the two outside leaves, A A, are pasted down on the inside faces of the covers, and then put under pressure until dry.

I have described a particular form of hinge as applicable to my im proved method of binding albums, but it will be seen that a hinge might be constructed out ot' a single plate which is not doubted. The eyes in this case Would be made by bending over the metal, after it has been clipped, and soldering down the edges. I do not, therefore, desire to coniine myself to any particular form of hinge. Neither do I `vvish to confine myself to any particular material out of which to make said hinge, as the same may be made of gutta-percha or leather, and when made of the latter substance the sides of the plates need not necessarily be perforated, since pasted paper will adhere to it, which it will not do to metal.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improved method of binding photograph-albunis, uniting the leaves thereof to perforated plates which are hinged or jointed together, substantially as described.

2. A photograph-album constructed With a hinged back made up of a succession of plates hinged together, substantially as described.

3. Uniting the book of leaves to the cover thereof by means substantially as described.

et. A combination of hinged plates, united together and adapted to receive and hold the thick leaves A A', and to form a hinge-binding, substantially as described.

JOHN D. METS.

Witnesses:

MYnoN H. BEACH, Giro. GRAY.

Images