Improvement in Indexers, for use in Book-keeping, Indexing Journals, Sales Books, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
Improvement in Indexers, for use in Book-keeping, Indexing
Journals, Sales Books, and the like.
We, JOSIAH NEWMAN YOUNG, Merchant, and DAVID SMITH JONES, Agriculturist,
both of Sunnyside, in the County of Leflore, and State of Mississippi, one of the
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to indexers, and has for its object to provide a device of this
character for conveniently carrying and exposing an index strip, especially designed
for use in bookkeeping, such as indexing journals and sales books and adapted to be
situated at such a point relatively to a counter or book rest as to be readily operated
to display the desired portion of the letter index, the parts being simple and effective
in construction and operation and comparatively inexpensive in manufacture.
The invention further consists in certain novel features and details of construction
and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings
and incorporated in the claim.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved indexer.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken centrally through the same.
Figure 3 is a plan view with the cover or lid removed.
Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary cross section taken in line with the shaft of the
inner cylinder at its upper end.
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a modified form of indexer.
Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same.
Figure 8 is a plan view thereof with the lid or cover removed.
Figure 9 is a bottom plan view.
Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the
views.
Referring to the drawings, the casing is seen to be of rectangular form, comprising
a bottom 1, top 2, sides 3, and ends 4, the front end being provided with a large
opening 5 through which extends and operates one portion of the forward one of
a pair of cylinders journaled on parallel vertical axes within the casing. 6 designates
the forward cylinder and 7 the rear or inner cylinder, both cylinders having central
vertical axles or shafts 8 which are journaled at their lower ends 9 in the bottom of
the casing, the upper ends thereof being received and journaled in a longitudinal
bar 10 fastened at its ends to the ends of the casing by any suitable
means.
Both of the cylinders are preferably hollow for the sake of lightness and within the
rear or inner cylinder is arranged a retracting spring 11 coiled around the shaft 8
and having one end 12 fastened to the cylinder while its opposite end 13 is fixedly
connected to the shaft 8, said shaft being normally stationary. The shaft 8 has a
077

page_text: squared upper end 14 which is received in a correspondingly shaped opening 15 near
the center of a cross bar 16, the opposite ends of which are stepped in notches or
recesses 17 in the side walls of the casing. By slightly lifting the bar 16 the ends
are disengaged from the notches or recesses 17, thus allowing the bar 16 to be turned
for the purpose of rotating the shaft 8 and winding up the spring 11 so as to give
said spring the necessary tension and retracting power for operating the
cylinder 7.
18 designates an index strip, the opposite ends of which are secured to the cylinders,
the strip being wound thereon and designed to receive upon its exposed surface
names or other data arranged alphabetically in rows or columns. Each cylinder is
provided at its top with a grooved wheel or pulley 19 and around the two pulleys is
placed a driving belt, band or chain 20 so that both cylinders will be rotated
simultaneously and equally, thus preventing the index strip from becoming slack
and being improperly wound thereon. In order to insure the accurate movements of
the cylinders teeth may be provided in the grooves of the pulleys, as shown in
Figure 3.
The rear cylinder has fixed to its lower end a concentric sleeve 21 which passes
through the opening in the bottom 1 of the casing and has fixed upon it beneath the
bottom a spur pinion 22. This pinion meshes with and is driven by a spur gear 23
journaled on a stud shaft 24 beneath the bottom 1.
The gear 23 has fixedly connected thereto or formed integrally therewith a pinion 25
which in turn meshes with a gear segment 26 revolving about a fulcrum pin 26¹ and
provided with a forwardly extending lever arm 27, the forward end of which is bent
or re-curved to form an inwardly extending pointer 27' which works over a segmental
plate 28¹ forming a continuation of the bottom 1 and which has represented upon its
upper surface the letters of the alphabet or other desired characters. The pointer 271
is also provided with a knob 28 which is grasped by the operator for the purpose of
moving the pointer to any desired letter.
The operator by moving the pointer 27¹ to the desired letter of the alphabet, may
readily bring the names beginning with the corresponding letter of the alphabet to
the front of the casing 1, where such names will be exposed to view, as shown
in Figure 1.
In Figures 5 to 8 inclusive a modified form of invention is shown, in which the
operating lever is dispensed with, and the bottom 1 extended in front of the casing
to form a shelf 29 upon which is placed a dial 30. Operating upon said dial is a
hand or indicator 31, the shaft or arbor 32 of which extends through the shelf and has
on its lower end a wheel 33 from which a chain or band 34 passes around another
sinaller wheel 25 on the lower end of the shaft 36 of the front cylinder. Stops 37 in
the form of pins are provided on the face of the dial for limiting the movement of
the hand 31. The parts are so constructed and related that when the hand or
pointer 31 is rotated and brought over a certain letter of the alphabet, that portion
of the index strip 18 bearing the names beginning with that letter of the alphabet
will be exposed at the front of the casing in a manner similar to that above described.
By omitting the stops 37, the hand or pointer 31 may he carried through two
complete revolutions, thereby enabling both sides of the index strip to be exposed
and provided with names or other data.
The improved indexer hereinabove described is very simple in construction, may
be manufactured economically and will be found of great convenience to book-
keepers, librarians and others. Modifications in the details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In an indexer, the combination with a casing, of a pair of cylinders mounted
therein to rotate on parallel vertical axes, an index strip wound upon said cylinders

page_text: and designed to be exposed through an opening in the casing, means for operating
one of said cylinders, a retracting spring for the other cylinder, and a spring winding
bar engaging the shaft of the last mentioned cylinder and having its ends removably
stepped in recesses in the casing, substantially as described.
2. In an indexer, the combination with a casing having an opening in one end, of
a pair of cylinders mounted therein to rotate on parallel axes, an index strip con-
nected to and wound upon said cylinders, a retracting spring located within one
cylinder, a shaft passing centrally through the last mentioned cylinder and connected
to the spring and having one end squared, and a winding bar fitted upon the squared
end of said shaft and having its ends removably stepped in recesses in the casing,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In an indexer, the combination with a casing having an opening, of a pair of
cylinders mounted to rotate on parallel axes, an index strip secured to and wound
upon said cylinders, a retracting spring arranged within one cylinder, an operating
lever projecting outside of the casing and provided with a gear segment, and gearing
interposed between said segment and one of the cylinders, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
4. In an indexer, the combination with a casing having an opening, of a pair of
cylinders mounted to rotate on parallel axes, an index strip secured to and wound
upon said cylinders, a retracting spring arranged within one cylinder, an operating
lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends and provided with a gear segment, a pinion
connected fast to one cylinder, and a double gear interposed between said pinion and
the gear segment, substantially as described.
5. In an indexer, in combination, a casing having an opening, a pair of cylinders
rotating on parallel axes therein, an index strip secured to and wound upon said
cylinders, a retracting spring arranged within one cylinder, grooved pulleys or wheels
mounted on the ends of said cylinders, a band or belt passing around said pulleys, and
means for rotating one cylinder, substantially as described.
6. In an indexer, in combination, a casing having an opening therein, two
cylinders mounted to rotate on parallel axes therein, a retracting spring within one
cylinder, means for rotating one cylinder, grooved pulleys or wheels at the upper
ends of said cylinders, sprocket teeth in the grooves of said pulleys, and a chain
passing around both pulleys and engaging the teeth thereof, substantially as
described.
7. In an indexer, in combination, a casing having an opening, a pair of cylinders
mounted to rotate on parallel axes therein, an index strip secured to and wound upon
said cylinders, an operating lever connected with said cylinders so as to rotate the
same simultaneously and equally and having its forward end bent to form a pointer,
a knob connected to the pointer, and a segmental plate at the front of the casing
having characters such as the letters of the alphabet represented thereon, sub-
stantially as described.
8. In an indexing device, a casing having an observation opening in one end and
also having a shelf extended in advance of the front of the casing and beyond said
opening, in combination with a pair of cylinders rotatable on parallel axes within
said casing, a retracting spring located within one cylinder, an index strip attached
at its opposite ends to said cylinders and wound thereon, a dial on the shelf, an
index hand having an arbor extended through the shelf, and operative connections
between said arbor and one of the cylinders whereby movement of the index hand
controls the movement of the cylinders and index strip, substantially as described.
9. In an indexing device, a casing in the form of a rectangular box provided with
an observation opening in one end, and having its bottom extended in advance of
the front of the casing and beyond said opening to form a dial support, in com-
bination with a pair of cylinders rotatable on vertical axes within said casing, a
retracting spring located within one cylinder, an index strip attached at its opposite
ends to said cylinders and wound thereon, a dial plate on the extended bottom of
the casing, an index hand having an arbor extended through the bottom, wheels on

page_text: said arbor and one of the cylinder shafts beneath the bottom, and a band passing
around said wheels, all arranged for joint operation substantially as described.
Dated the 19th day of July 1898.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.