Beverley Pyke has invented the Pyk Title Spine, which allows spiral-bound books to compete with perfect-bound books for durability and looks, the inventor claimed.

The Title Spine is attached to the wire binding, giving it a spine similar to that of a perfect-bound book. The title and author of the publication can be printed on the spine and it allows the book to lay flat when opened.

Channel Islands-based Pyke has been working with patent attorney Stanleys on the project.

David Stanley, from the patent attorney firm, said: "The disadvantage of a coil-bound book is that when you put it on the shelf you can't see what it is. But a coil book is far easier to keep open, a perfect-bound book will close again.

"If you think about an in-house printroom that produces books for large companies, they are often bound. Or perhaps manuals, which are bound so that you can lay them flat, but when they are on the side you can't tell what they are. When you start to think about it there are an awful lot of uses."

He continued: "We have had prototypes made, they are economical to produce. We have had interest from a number of publishers and stationery producers. What we are looking for now is somebody interested in making them."

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Title Spine product can contact Stanley at david@stanleys.co.uk.