US1284896A - Book-cover. - Google Patents

Description

ITM. TC.. yHOLADIEN ELF. 'NE/XL.

. Patented Nov. 12,1918.

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MILES C. HOLDEN .AND FRANKLIN G. NEAL, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID NEAL ASSIGNOR TO ySAID llzlOIlhDEN.y

BooK-COVER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led June 5, 1916. Serial No. 101,752.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that we, MILES C. HOLDEN and FRANKLIN G. NEAL, citizens of the United States of America, and residing at Springeld in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book- Covers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to book covers and particularly to improvements in covers of the t pe disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 79.161, granted January 3, 1905, to George W. Holden.

The patent referred to discloses a book cover which is particularly adapted for books of varying dimensions and is so constructed that one size of blank can be used for all the ordinary sizes of books within a given range. While such covers have proved generally satisfactory in accomplishing the purpose for which they were intended, it

has been found that, when the cover is used with books of certain sizes, it sometimes becomes torn after prolonged use due to the repeated opening and closing of the book. lThe difficulty has been found to be due in part to lack of sufficient flexibility in that portion of the blank, which covers the back of the book, so that the said portion often fails to bend 'smoothlywhen the book is opened. The-tendency is for the cover to crease along one or more lines and eventually to tear at the creased portions. This difiiculty isaccentuated by the construction of the central upper tongue, which is of fixed width and is adapted to be turned in behind the back of the book to act as a reinforcement. lt will be seen that, when books having backs narrower than the tongue are covered, a portion of the inturned tongue projects behind one cover of the book which prevents free bending at the desiredl point and causes eventually a tearing of the cover at one or both ends ofthe tongue. This invention is concerned particularly with the elimination of the difficulties above set forth.

An obiectfof the invention is to provide in a book cover of the character described, an upper tongue intermediate the two top iaps which tongue is of a width sufficient to overlie the backs of the largest books encountered but has a series of scored or perforated lines parallel with one edge of the tongue along which the tongue may be conveniently severed to lit books having smaller backs.

Another object is toprovide a book cover of the class described having its central portion scored with a series of parallel lines preferably on the inside of the coverto form a flexible portion which will readily conform to the back of the book and will bend smoothly along the proper lines when the book is opened and closed.

ther objects and advantages will appear in the description to follow and in the annexed claims.

For the purpose of illustrating one manner in which the invention may be practised, asingle preferred embodiment 'thereof is shown in the accompanying drawing in which the ligure shows a plan view of the unfolded blank.

As shown in this drawing. the blank comprises a substantially rectangular body portion l, which is adapted to extend from the edge of one cover of the'book, across the back thereof and to the edge of the other cover, whereby the book may be completely covered. rlhe end flaps 2. upper and ' lower flaps 3 and 4, respectively, and the lower central tongue 5 project from the body portion 1 in a manner substantially the same as disclosed in the above identified patent. One end flap 2 is inturned as is'also the left hand lower Hap 4 which is pasted to flap 2 in the usual manner. Flaps 3 and the right hand Hap 4 are provided with gummed portions 6. whereby they may be'secured to the end flaps 2 after the blank has been folded to fit the book. as will later appear.

An upper tongue 7 is formed between flaps 3 by cuts 8 and preferably perforations or scorings 9 are provided as prolongations of the cuts 8, so that the length of `the tongue. which is adapted to be inturned. may be varied to accommodate books of varying heights. The width of tongue 7, that is the distance between cuts 8, is gaged to fit the back of the thickest book ordinarily encountered but in order that tongue the tongue severed 7 may be varied in width to accommodate thinner books a series of spaced scored or perforated lines l0 are` made in the tongue parallel to one edge thereof. Thus, by tearing along the left hand line 10, the tongue obtained will be of suitable Vwidth for the thinnest book customarily found and by tearing along other lines l0 books of intermediate sizes may be fitted. The entire central portion of the blank, including both tongues 5 and 7, is also scored vertically preferably on its inner surface along aseries of closely spaced parallel lines 11, which scorings cover substantially the entire width of tongue 7. The score marks 11 may be formed in any suitable manner as by par-` tially cutting the blank or by ruled indentations for example. They are, however, preferably formed on the inner surface of the blank, not only for the sake of providing a neat smooth exterior surface, but also because the scorings thus formed permit flexibility in the` desired direction, that is, when the book is opened.

The manner of covering a book with the blank cover disclosed will now be described assuming that the open book is represented by the rectangle 12 and that the thickness of the closed book is represented by the dimension 13. One cover of the open book is slipped in and` nested under the already inturned flaps 2 and 4 and the other flap 2 is folded along the edge of the other cover. The book is next closed to determine its thickness and the perforated line 10 best accommodated to ft the back of the book is selected, as, for example, the left hand line 10 in the figure. The book is then opened, along the selected line'lO, and the entire tongue 7 is inturned along the top edge of the book. Tongue 5 is similarly lnturned along the bottom edge of the book. Should the height of the book be less than that indicated by rectangle 12, the cuts 8 and left hand line 10 may be prolonged along the extensions 9. The upper flaps 3 and lower Hap 4 are next inturned and lgummed to the end flap 2 which completes the covering operation.'

In using the book cover, as heretofore formed, the portion of the blank overlying the back ofthe book had no more flexibility than any other portion. Moreover, with a book of the thickness indicated by dimension 13, a portionof tongue 7 (that between left hand line l0 and right hand line 8) extended beyond the back of the book. Ob-

vious'ly, when the book so covered is opened,

' the cover bends along substantially vertical lines from the base of cuts 8 for the latter form weak points and establish a natural line of bending. Now, when the central portion of the blank is not rbleit Idoes not bend readily in a smooth curve, when the book is opened, but on the Thus, the weak points -which is defined by t particularly flexpiece of tangular the cover of the book is opened but the blank, bending only slightly at the base of right hand cut 8, tends to push the left hand cover, which, however, is firmly held to the book. Thus, the tendenc is for the pushing action described to tear t e blank at the base of left hand cut 8. Bymaking the central portion of the blank liexible, as by scoring, the tearing tendency is reduced since the tongue and portionstherebelow will bend into a smooth curve. To completely prevent all possibility of tearing as described the tongue 7 is cut to fit the back of the book by tearing along perforations 10. purposely employed to locate the lines of bending are arranged to lie coincident with the edges of the closed book.

Thus, book cover which is characterized by provision for extended life under prolonged service. It is recognized that modifications may be made in the structure herein described for illustrative purposes without departing from the scope of the invention e appended claims rather than by the foregoing description of one preferred form.

What we claim is.- 1. A book cover composed of a single piece of paper having a substantially rectangular body portion and integral flaps on the edges of said body, the upper of said flaps being out along two converging linesto form a substantially central tongue, the latter being weakened along la plurality of spaced lines so that the tongue 'may be readily severed along any of said lines by tearing, whereby the width of. said tongue may be readily thickness ofthe book to be covered.

2. A book cover .composed of a single piece of lpaper having a substantially rectangular ody portion and integral flaps on the edges of said body portion, the vupper of said flaps being cut by two converging lines to form a substantially central tongue, the latter and the portion of the blank therebelow being scored along a series of spaced parallel lines extending vertically from the top of the tongue to the bottom ofthe lower flap, whereby the portion of the lblank overlying the back of the book may be bent smoothly as the book is opened and closed.

3. A book 'cover composed of a single paper having a substantially recody portion and integral flaps on we have provided an improved i varied to conform to the g the edges of said body portion, the upper of the portion of the blank therebelow being said aps being cut along two converging scored on its inner surface along a series of lines to form a substantially central tongue, spaced parallel lines which extend from the 10 the latter being weakened between said cuts top of the tongue to the bottom of the lower along a plurality of spaced parallel lines, flap.

whereby the width of tongue may be con- MILES C. HOLDEN. Veniently varied as desired, said tongue and FRANKLIN G. NEAL.

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