he book was opened there was an invariable tendency to open
and pull away the few outer sections of the paper or vellum itself--a
destructive and disagreeable peculiarity. These machines are capable,
after they are properly set, of rounding and backing about 750 volumes
of the same size within an hour.

[Illustration: FIG. 10.--Section of back of book sewn on bands.]

[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Section of same book after it has passed
through the machine for rounding and backing.]

[Illustration: FIG. 12.--Case-making Machine.]

The machine for making cases, or "case" covers (fig. 12), for books is
large and complicated, but beautifully effective. It contains
altogether over fifty springs, some of which are very small, like
watch fittings, while others are large and powerful. The machine is
fed with pieces of cardboard cut exactly to the sizes of the required
boards, other pieces cut to the size of the back, and a long roll of
the cloth with which the cases are to be covered, and when set working
the roll of cloth is gradually unwound and glued by contact with a
roller, which is drawn along until it reaches a point where the two
boards are ingeniously dropped upon it one by one, then on again to
where a long arm swings backwards and forwards, at each movement
picking up a piece of cardboard for the back and placing it gently
exactly upon the glued bed left for it between the two boards already
fixed. Next, as the cloth passes along, it comes under the sharp
influence of two rectangular gouges which cut out the corners, the
remaining side pieces being gradually but irresistibly turned up by
hollow raisers and flattened down by small rollers, a very delicate
piece of machinery finishing the corners in a masterly way. Then,
lastly, an arrangement of raisers and rollers acting at right angles
to the last mentioned turn over and press out the remaining pieces of
cloth. Of course each piece of cloth is cut across at the proper point
before the turning up begins. This machine is capable of producing
1200 cases in an hour of any size that the machine will take.

[Illustration: FIG. 13.--Smyth Casing-in Machine.

A. Cases.
B. Side of Case Hopper.
C. Paste box.
D. Head Clamp Rod.
E. Head Clamp.

1. 1st position.
2. 2nd position.
3. 3rd position and finished book. When in 2nd position the book
drops to level of paste box.