AN IMPROVED SELF-INDEXING HOLDER FILE AND BINDER, FOR LETTERS, PAPERS, BILLS, NOTES, ETC
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-INDEXING HOLDER FILE AND BINDER,
FOR LETTERS, PAPERS, BILLS, NOTES, ETC."-A communication from
abroad by William Adam Amberg, of Chicago, United States of
America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 31st October 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown,
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London,
and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
SELF-INDEXING HOLDER FILE AND BINDER, FOR LETTERS, PAPERS, BILLS, NOTES,
ETC.," and have petitioned Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it
has been communicated to me from abroad by William Adam Amberg,
of Chicago, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved self-indexing holder file
and binder for letters, papers, bills, notes, etc. and embraces a novel
construction of index, and also a novel apparatus for receiving and
holding not only such index, but the papers, &c., to be classified,
preserved, and bound between its leaves.
The index consists in a set of loose sheets of cardboard or suitable stiff
paper, as distinguished from the folded or doubled sheets of an ordinary
indexed book; these loose non-folded sheets being severally marked with
their appropriate letter of the alphabet, or with other suitable designating
characters, the loose and separated condition of the leaves permitting
the introduction between any two of them of any desired number of
papers, letters, &c., whose edges may reach even with the back edges of
the index sheets, and yet permitting the whole to lie smooth and flat
however much the number of papers between any two sheets. may
exceed the number between any of the others.
The apparatus consists in a device in and by which the letters, bills,
or any other papers to be filed between such detached index leaves may
be firmly and securely held in place, and in which when the device is
filled or when enough papers, bills, or letters shall have been filed
therein to form a volume they may be securely bound together either
with or without the index as herein-after set forth.
To enable those skilled in the art to understand how to construct and use
my said Invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity,
making reference in so doing to the Drawing, in which Figure 1
represents a front view or elevation of my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan
or top view of the same; Figure 3 is a top view of the pressing bar

page_text: which holds the papers in place; Figure 4 is a side view of said
Invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view, shewing more clearly the
construction and utility of the loose leaved index; and Figure 6 one of
the loose sheets of such index.
A represents the bottom of the apparatus which is provided with side
pieces B, B, and the back H as shewn, the height of the back and that
part of the sides adjacent to it being sufficient to allow the desired
number of letters, bills, or other papers to be laid in the box and below
the top C of the same, this top being connected to the back by hinges,
and secured in place by means of hasps or hooks Į, as shewn in the
Drawing; the width of the box is designed to be sufficient to permit
ordinary letter paper to be placed in sidewise, and half-note sheets to be
placed in endwise, two on a page; but the dimensions of the box are
immaterial, and it may be made of any desired size. Beneath the top
or cover C is arranged a strip of wood or other material marked D, upon
the top of which, near each end, is a block d,.over which a spiral coil
spring is arranged, said blocks d serving to keep the springs in place
while the upper ends of said springs are retained in place by means of
similar blocks e upon the under side of the top piece C as shewn ; instead
of said springs rubber or conically coiled springs may be used, secured
in position in any suitable manner; the said springs tend to press
the bar D down upon whatever may be placed bencath it, and the
bar is provided with a handle whereby it may be raised up, which
handle may be passed over a hook h and held up when desired. In
said bar and also in the bottom directly beneath. are slots b, b, whosę
ends are formed with enlargements a, a, for the purpose of facilitating
the binding of the files contained in the holder when desired as
herein-after described. In the said box is a series of cardboard or paper
sheets indexed as shewn, between which, under appropriate letters, the
letters, bills, or other papers may be placed to facilitate reference thereto
when desired.
The papers are placed in the holder between the appropriate cardboards
or paper sheets, one edge being firmly pressed up against the back piece H,
and being otherwise adjusted so as to present uniform and even edges
against the side pieces B. Thus the papers may be filed and held in
place by means of the pressing bar D until the holder is full, when
the index sheets may if desired be withdrawn, and the entire contents

page_text: of the file be bound together and removed ready for another set
or series.
To bind the files the hooks are detached, and the cover C thrown-
back upon its hinges, when perforations are made by passing an awl
through the holes, a through which tapes or wires are passed and drawn 5
down through the bottom and tied, the tapes passing through the slots b
when the bar D is removed, and the file properly and securely bound is
taken out as aforesaid.
Instead of the arrangement herein shewn the springs may be so
arranged as to operate in connection with the side pieces B, in which
case the cover or top C may be dispensed with, or said spring may
operate against lugs formed upon the top of the back H or sides B,
or both.
If preferred the side pieces B, B, may be dispensed with, as the only
service which they perform is to keep the edges of the letters or other
papers filed even and straight.
The top piece C instead of being hinged as described may be secured
permanently so as to be a fixed part of the apparatus.
When it is desired that the filled index with its interposed letters, &c.,
shall have a backing piece, such a piece marked m in Figures 7 and 8 is
applied at one edge by means of any proper adhesive material to one
of the outer leaves or covers n of the index, as seen in Figures 7 and 8;
whilst the index is being filled this piece is doubled back, lying flat upon
the leaf as seen in Figure 8, and when the index is sufficiently full to be
bound and removed this piece is turned back over the back edge of the
book, and its other edge (previously gummed or not as desired) secured
to the opposite outer leaf or cover; this backing piece however may be
used or not as desired.
Having described the construction and operation of my Invention I
will specify what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent.
1. I claim the index composed of a set of unfolded disconnected
indexed sheets, substantially as shewn and described.
2. I also claim as a means for binding together the index and its
interposed leaves, the removable clasping covers or strips provided with
the slots, substantially as shewn and described.

page_text: 3. I also claim a paper holder file and binder, when constructed and
operating, substantially as described, and in a convenient form for
indexing and binding, substantially as fet forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)