Improvements in the Construction of Supports for Books and Papers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1880
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1389
Improvements in the Construction of Supports for Books and
Papers.
We, FREDERICK ALFRED MESSER, and WALTER FULLER THORPE, both of 8 Quality
Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object the supporting of books, magazines, or other
papers, when the same are arranged or standing upon their ends or edges, upon shelves
or tables.
The invention consists of a thin plate or strip of sheet metal, or other suitable
material, so manufactured, or bent, that it forms, (preferably in one piece) two arms,
blades or wings, standing at or about right angles to each other, and thereby forming
an shaped piece, having by preference one arm or wing slightly longer than the
other. One of these arms or wing pieces, namely that one which takes the horizontal
position, we cut, or shape to a parabolic outline, or to a gothic or triangular outline,
with a rounded point or apex, at the same time thinning or chamfering the upper
edge, at and near the point or apex. This thinning or chamfering greatly
facilitates the sliding of the horizontal arm under the books or papers to he
supported.
The pressure exerted upon the horizontal wing piece by the weight of the books
or papers resting on the same, counteracts the "tendency which they have to fall
or topple over when one or more are removed out of a row.
The other, or vertical arm of this support, may be shaped to any desirable or
convenient design or outline; and we emboss or corrugate or stamp, either on one
side or on both sides of the vertical arm, or we perforate the same.
This stamping or embossing is for the purpose of keeping the adjoining books a
certain and apparent distance apart whereby the whereabouts of the support is
readily detected in the event of books or papers being placed on each side of the
vertical arm.

page_text: In using the supports. for books or papers, upon-say for instance-a table, we
arrange two of the supports with their horizontal arms pointing towards each other, and
the books or papers to be supported are arranged in the space between the two vertical
arms.
We sometimes, in lieu of, or in conjunction with, the embossing as before described,
fix buttons, or a shallow handle on the vertical arm.
We also sometimes construct of wood or other suitable material, that portion of the
support which we call the vertical arm, the horizontal arm in this case being
constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material, and shaped, as before mentioned
and fixed or attached, preferably in a groove or recess, formed in the wooden vertical
arm, by screws or other suitable means. In this case we prefer to make the vertical
arm of the support take the outward form and appearance of the back of a book or
that of the books it has to support, but at the same time to be so marked and divised
as to indicate its being a support or dummy.
Another modification of our improvements consists in making the vertical arm or
wing piece, of our support, to form a box or case (having by preference the outward
appearance of a book) which can be utilised as a convenient receptacle for stationary,
tracts, or other similar purposes. In this last mentioned example of our invention the
horizontal arm or wing piece is shaped and made of sheet metal, or other suitable
material, as before described, screwed, or otherwise suitably fastened to the said
box, which latter forms the vertical arm part, the whole forming the L-shaped
support.
It will be readily understood that the support may be made in a more simple
and less expensive form, by despensing with the embossing or stamping before
alluded to.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Supports for Books and
Papers.
We FREDERICK ALFRED MESSER and WALTER FULLER THORPE, both of 8 Quality
Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object the supporting of books, magazines, papers and
analogous articles, in a vertical position, when the same are arranged so as to stand
upon their ends or edges, upon shelves, tables, or other suitable supports or articles of
furniture.
Our invention consists in its most simple form and construction of thin plate or
strip of sheet metal, or other suitable material so bent, or otherwise manipulated
that it forms two arms, blades or wings, standing at about right angles to each other,
thus forming an shaped plate, the vertical arm being by preference longer than the
horizontal, the latter having its upper edge or surface chamfered at the apex and
shaped as hereinafter described and illustrated.
In more elaborate forms the angle supports may be cut, stamped, and fitted with
various ornamental and useful additions or the vertical limb may be constructed
in the form of a box, case or other useful contrivance, having the metal tongue
or horizontal limb attached to the same such combination forming our angle
supports.
And in order that our said invention may be particularly described and ascertained
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding or equivalent parts.
•
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan, showing
one form of our invention, constructed of one plate of metal. a is the horizontal
portion of the plate, and is the vertical portion.
Fig. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, a section on the line A B of Fig. 3, illustrating
the method of chamfering the upper surface or edge of the horizontal plate a.
This chamfering enables the horizontal metal tongue to be passed freely under
the books without injury to them, or the necessity of raising the books for that
purpose.
Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line C. D. of Fig. 3, illustrating the rounding of
the edge in that locality.
Figs. 6, 8, 10 and 12 are elevations, and Figs. 7, 9, 11 and 13 are sections,
illustrating various forms and modes of embossing the plates b, for the purpose of
keeping the books a small distance apart, and thereby indicating the locality of the
support.
For the same purposes, and for more conveniently handling the supports, we
sometimes attach handles thereto, as shown in Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17, & 18. Fig. 14
being a sectional elevation, Fig. 15 a front elevation, and Fig. 16 a plan, showing the

page_text: handle e rivetted to the vertical plate b. In Fig. 17 a tubular, and in Fig. 18 a solid
form of handle are shown in section; and in Figs. 19 20 and 21, modified forms of
handles or distance pieces e are shown stamped out of and formed in one with the
vertical arm b of the support.
Figs. 22, 23 and 24 are views showing the vertical arm or wing piece b, fitted or
furnished with buttons f, made of leather or other suitable material, these buttons
being in lieu of and for the same purpose as the embossed distance pieces d herein-
before described. Fig 22ª shows another form of horizontal tongue.
Figs. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 are various views illustrating methods of forming
the vertical arm or wing piece of the support, of wood or other suitable material,
embellishing the same so as to impart the appearance of a book.
The metal tongue or horizontal blade a is, in this case, attached to the vertical arm b
by the upright piece f', in one with the tongue, and is secured to the same by means
of the screws g or by other suitable means.
Figs. 31 to 38 illustrate methods of fitting various useful articles, consisting of
book boxes, stationery cases, or analogous contrivances with the metal tongue or
horizontal blade a so as to form, so combined, our angular supports.
In these examples, the tongues are attached, by screws g, or other suitable means,
to the box or case.
In the application of our invention to the support of books and analogous
articles, in their vertical, or "on-edge" position, on the shelves of libraries, where the
removal of one or more books would allow the contiguous books to fall or topple
over, we place one of our supports against the last book in the row, with the
tongue or horizontal arm of the support towards the books, and passing under one
or more of them, until the vertical arm or wing of the support is close to the
last book. On the withdrawal of any book or books from the row, the support is
moved forward or along the shelf, the books being by this means brought together
and supported so as to fill up the vacancy caused by such withdrawal.
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. The improvements in the construction of supports for books and papers, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. In the construction of supports as aforesaid, the combination of the blade a
with a case or box forming the vertical arm or wing of the support, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 1241 Amil 1000
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicants.