US2850295A - Protective book cover - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1958, sjc. NIEDERMAN ETAL 2,850,295

- PROTECTIVE BOOK COVER Filed Sept. 27, 1954' INVENTOR$.-

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kROIECTIVE iii 80K COVER Sara C. Niederman and Helen Braten, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 27, 1954, Serial No. 458,496

2 Claims. (Cl. 28134) This invention relates to a protective book cover which preserves, as well as enhances the appearance of a book notwithstanding the fact that such a book may be possessed of an inexpensive, fragile, and/or unattractive binding.

In recent years a large segment of the general public has had an opportunity to enjoy and acquire for their own personal use numerous literary classics, textbooks, and the like because of the fact that such works have been published in inexpensive, usually paper bound, pocket size editions. Such editions, however, are not particularly suited for use in public and private libraries or for classroom work because of their fragile character and oftentimes unattractive appearance. By reason of this fact, for example, a student has heretofore been normally compelled to purchase a new or used edition of his or her classroom text which was possessed of a more durable and costly binding. A student, however, Was generally reluctant to purchase the new edition because of the cost involved and therefore purchased instead a used edition which frequently contained numerous marginal notations and underscoring on the various pages which not only made reading of such pages difiicult and frustrating but also gave an untidy appearance.

Thus, it is one of the objects of this invention to provide an improved cover for fragile and unattractively bound books which renders such books suitable for library, classroom, and personal use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved book cover wherein the portion thereof overlying the bound edge of the book may be opened and thereby permit the reader to observe the title of the covered book without requiring the book to be withdrawn from a shelf or stack.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a book cover which is attractive, yet durable in construction, and may be readily positioned on or removed from a book, and is inexpensive to produce.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a removable protective book cover is provided comprising side sections adapted to overlie, accommodate, and conceal the front and back leaves of a book, and a center section integrally connected to said side sections and adapted to overlie and conceal the bound edge of such book. The center section includes a hingedly connected flap portion which, when in an open position, is adapted to uncover a portion of the bound edge of the book, and, when in a closed position, is adapted to conceal and protect said bound edge. The flap portion, when in a closed position, has the free end thereof adapted to be inserted between an adjacent portion of the cover and the portion of the book leaf overlaid thereby.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be made to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved book atent O cover shown mounted on a book and having the flap portionformed on the center section of the improved cover shown in an open position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged layout view of the exposed side of the improved cover, shown in Fig. l, with the flap portion thereof in a closed position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the section of the improved cover taken along line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are fragmentary layout views of the exposed sides of three modified forms of the improved cover.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 2, a form of the improved book cover 10 is shown which is formed of pliable opaque protective sheet material, preferably of some plastic composition. The book cover is provided with separate side sections 11 and 12 which are adapted to overlie and accommodate the front and back surfaces or leaves of a book 14. Disposed intermediate side sections 11 and i2 and preferably integral with the edge of one of said sections is a center section 13 which, in this instance, is foldably connected along fold line 13 to section 12. Center section 13 includes a flap portion 20 and tape sections 16a; the latter being disposed above and below 'the' flap portion and connecting the edge portions of side sections 11 and 12 of the cover. The flap portion 2%), when in a closed position, overlies and conceals the bound edge 15 of the book 14. The flap portion 20 may either be a separate piece which is secured to the inside surface of one of the side sections, or, as illustrated, be formed integral with the edge of one of the side sections. Each of the side sections 11 and 12 have the outer edges thereof, lla and respectively, turned back upon themselves and secured along their upper and lower edges to the remainder of the side sections by binding tape 16 to form elongated pockets 17. The pockets are adapted to accommodate the outer edge portions of the leaves of the covered book and retain the cover in position on the book. As seen in Fig. 4, the tape 16 is slit at point 13 so as to permit the pocket 17 to extend substantially the full length of the side sections of the book cover.

Flap portion Zll, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, extends substantially the full length of the cover between upper and lower binding tape sections 16a; and, when in a closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, is adapted to have the outer free edge 20:: thereof inserted between the elongated edge 21 of side section 11 and the book leaf overlaid thereby. The outer edge 2th; of the flap portion is reinforced by a strip 22 of binding tape. A finger tab or tongue 23 is provided on flap portion 20 which, when the flap is in a closed position, is adapted to have the end 23a thereof exposed so as to facilitate opening of the flap portion to permit observance of the bound edge 15 of the covered book.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 disclose improved book covers having modified forms of flap portions 24, 25, and 26, respectively, wherein only selected portions of the bound book edge are observable when the flap portion is opened. In Fig. 5, the flap portion 24 therein shown is substantially centrally disposed with respect to the center section 13a thereof and is adapted to extend for approximately onethird the length of said section. The flap portion 24 may be a separate piece which is secured along one edge to the inside surface of the side section 11a or 120, or, as shown in Fig. 5, be integral with one of the side sections and have an extension 24a, secured to the free edge of the flap portion, which is adapted, when the flap portion is in a closed position, to be inserted behind a portion 27 of the adjacent edge of side section 11.

3 In Fig. 6, the flap portion 25 is a separate piece which is hingedly secured to the upper binding tape section 16a and extends downwardly therefrom for approximately one-half the length-of center section 13b. The lower or free end 25a of flap portion 25 is pointed and the tip.

thereof is adapted to be inserted through a transverse slit 28 formed in center section 13b when theflap portion 15' is in its closed position. The length of the flap portion 25 win depend upon the size of the opening 30 formed in the center section 13b.

In the cover shown in Fig. 7, the fiap portion 26thereof is of substantially the same size, shape and construction as flap portion 24 heretofore described but, in this instance, is disposed in the upper portion of "center section 130. The flap portion26, when in a closed position, is adapted to have the extension or free. edge 26a thereof inserted behind a portion 31 of the adjacent edge of side section 110. Furthermore, in the cover shown in Fig. 7, a transparent plastic liner 32 is provided which overlies the back surface of the cover and has the sides thereof terminating within the side pockets 17 formed in the cover. The liner may be stitched or adhesively secured to the cover sections and is adapted to give added protection to the binding; if desired, the liner may be incorporated in any of the book covers heretofore described.

Thus, it will be seen that an improved book cover has been providedwhich is simple, attractive, and inexpensive in construction and is adapted to aiford lasting protection and beauty to a book notwithstanding the fact that the latter is possessed of a delicae and unattractive binding.

While several embodiments of this invention are shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A removable protective cover for a bound book comprising rectilinear side sections to overlie the front and back leaves of such book, interconnecting central means maintaining said side sections in a predetermined spaced relationship, said interconnecting means overlying a portion of the binding of said book whereby said side sections and said interconnecting means define a central opening to overlie the remaining portion of the binding, a cooperating pocket panel overlying the free portion of each of said side sections and secured thereto along the free edges of said side sections to formpockets to receive the respective back and front leaves, and a panel portion hinged to said cover along a portion of the periphery of said opening and extending beyond an opposed portion of the periphery of said opening whereby said panel portion overlies said opening and is insertable into said central opening to overlie a side section and is thereby disposed between said cover and said book. 7

2. The protective book .cover recited in .claim 1 wherein the panel portion isprovided with a finger tab secured to the outer surface thereof, said finger tab being partially exposed adjacent said opening when said panel portionis in its inserted relationship to facilitate manipulation of said panel portion between an open and the inserted relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 69,062 Osborn Sept. 24, 1867 752,537 Eneas Feb. 16, 1904 1,109,846 Knap Sept. 8, 1914 1,528,087 Sheridan et a1 Mar. 3, 1925 1,784,736 Lear Dec. 9, 1930' 2,180,808' Iacobstein et al. Nov. 21,1939 2,596,131 Darby et al May 13, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 953,430 France May 23, 1949

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