IMPROVEMENTS IN RULERS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Edward Hodges, of Southampton Row, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RULERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Edward Hodges
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th June 1866.
I, RICHARD EDWARD HODGES, of Southampton Row, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RULERS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in rulers. For this purpose
I construct rulers in such manner that in addition to the ruling edges being
raised clear of the paper, as has heretofore been proposed, that portion of the
ruler having the ruling edge applied thereto shall be capable of projecting.
over one or more lines or columns of figures or other signs either in a vertical
or lateral direction, or both, in order that when. a number of entries have been
made in a ledger or other book, or on a sheet of paper, that portion of the
ruler having the ruling edge applied thereto may be passed over one or more
lines or columns of figures or other signs without touching such entries,

page_text: thereby enabling the ruling of the book or paper to be effected without danger
of spreading the ink.
thereby enabling the ruling of the book or paper to be effected without danger
of spreading the ink.
I also provide the ruler with a suitable handle by which the ruler may be
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Edward Hodges in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
EDWARD HODGES, of Southampton Row, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Edward Hodges, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Edward Hodges, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Edward Hodges, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RULERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Richard Edward Hodges, my exccutors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Edward, Hodges, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in rulers. For this purpose
I construct rulers in such manner that in addition to the ruling edges being
raised clear of the paper, as has heretofore been proposed, that portion of the
ruler having the ruling edge applied thereto shall be capable of projecting

page_text: ver one or more lines or columns of figures or other signs either in a vertical
or lateral direction, or both, in order that when a number of entries have been
nade in a ledger or other book, or on a sheet of paper, that portion of the
uler having the ruling edge applied thereto may be passed over one or more
ines or columns of figures or other signs without touching such entries,
hereby enabling the ruling of the book or paper to be effected without
langer of spreading the ink.

page_text: ruling edges, will at such times project over the left-band money column
without touching any of the entries in such column. When it is desired to
rule the right-band money column the ruler may be reversed in position, and
the edge a' brought into use, or the part on which the ruling edges are
formed may be extended on both sides of the body a of the ruler; or rulers
may be formed having the ruling edge projecting over the right-hand side
thereof.
Although in the Drawings I have only shown three examples of rulers
constructed according to my Invention, other forms of rulers may be made
according to the particular purpose to which they are desired to be applied;
and they may be made of any material or combinations of material, and may
be cast, cut, or pressed into the form required.
I
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mode in which
carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details berein shown and described, as such may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention; but
what I do claim is, the combined improvements in rulers herein shown and
described in which that part of a ruler having the ruling edges applied
thereto in addition to being raised clear of the paper is also capable of
extending over one or more lines or columns of writing, figures, or other
entries, without touching such entries, such rulers also being provided with
handles or their equivalents, by which they may be held and greater control
exercised over them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Edward Hodges, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
R. E. HODGES. (L.S.)