IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK SLIDES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Betjemann, George William Betjemann,
and John Betjemann, all of 36 and 38, Pentonville Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK
SLIDES."
Sealed the 12th January 1869, and dated the 13th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Betjemann,
George William Betjemann, and John Betjemann at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th July
1868.
We, GEORGE BETJEMANN, GEORGE WILLIAM BETJEMANN, and JOHN
BETJEMANN, all of 36 and 38, Pentonville Road, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK SLIDES," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in book slides, and
relates to the application of means whereby the slides are operated by
suitable gearing or connections so as to cause them to travel outwards
and be retained in any suitable position whilst the books are being
changed, or removed, or otherwise, and then when it is desired to cause
the ends of the slides to close upon the books the parts acting upon the

page_text: slides are thrown out of gear or disconnected so as to allow springs to
act on the slides to draw them towards each other as is now well
understood.
The mode in which we prefer to carry our Invention into effect is as
follows: We connect to each of the slides a toothed rack, which racks
take into and receive motion from opposite sides of a toothed wheel
mounted on a shaft or axis, to the outer end of which a knob or other
suitable enlargement is fixed. This shaft or axis is acted upon by a
spring so as to keep the toothed wheel in gear with the racks, but when
it is desired to allow the springs to act the knob or other suitable
enlargement is pressed so as to throw the toothed wheel out of gear with
the racks. A ratchet wheel and a catch or other suitable means are
employed to retain the slides in any position to which they have been
caused to travel.
We would have it understood that although we prefer the above
arrangement we do not confine ourselves thereto, as it is obvious that
various modifications of the improvements may be adopted without
departing from the nature of our Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Betjemann, George William Betjemann,
and John Betjemann in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
BETJEMANN, GEORGE WILLIAM BETJEMANN, and JOHN BETJEMANN, all
of 36 and 38, Pentonville Road, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said George Betjemann, George William Betjemann,
and John Betjemann, Her special licence that we, the said George
Betjemann, George William Betjemann, and John Betjemann, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
George Betjemann, George William Betjemann, and John Betjemann,

page_text: our executors, administrators, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BOOK SLIDES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said George Betjemann, George William Betjemaun, and John
Betjemann, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said George Betjemann, George William
Betjemann, and John Betjemann, 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
thereof, that is to say:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in book slides, aud
relates to the application of means whereby the slides are operated by
suitable gearing or connections so as to cause them to travel outwards
and be retained in any suitable position whilst the books are being
changed, or removed, or otherwise, and then when it is desired to cause
the ends of the slide to close upon the books the parts acting upon the
slides are thrown out of gear or disconnected so as allow springs to
act on the slides to draw them towards each other as is now well
understood.
The mode in which we prefer to carry our Invention into effect is as
follows:-We connect to each of the slides a toothed rack, which racks
take into and receive motion from opposite sides of a toothed wheel
mounted on a shaft or axis, to the outer end of which a knob or other
suitable enlargement is fixed. This shaft or axis is acted upon by a
spring so as to keep the toothed wheel in gear with the racks, but when it
is desired to allow the springs to act the knob or other suitable enlarge-
ment is pressed so as to throw the toothed wheel out of gear with the
racks. A ratchet wheel and a catch or other suitable means are employed
to retain the slides in any position to which they have been caused to
travel.

page_text: We would have it understood that although we prefer the above
arrangement we do not confine ourselves thereto, as it is obvious that
various modifications of the improvements may be adopted without
departing from the nature of our Invention.
And in order that our Invention may be more clearly understood and 5
readily carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
Figure 1 is an under side view; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on
the line 1, 1; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 2, 2,
Figure 1.
a, a, are the two slides, which are capable of moving to and fro in
suitable guides as is well understood. To each of the slides a, a, we
connect at 6¹ a toothed rack 6, which racks are taken into by and receive
motion from a toothed wheel c, carried by the rod or axis c³, on the top
of which is fixed a knob or button c. The toothed wheel c has formed
or fixed thereon a ratchet wheel c³, which is acted upon by a spring stop d
to prevent its being rotated in the wrong direction, such spring d also
acting to bear the toothed wheel c upwards and keep it in gear with the
racks 6 except when otherwise acted upon. The racks bare held and
guided in the desired position by means of the cross bar e and guides f
When it is desired to cause the slides a, a, to move outwards or away
from each other the knob or button c is rotated in the direction of the
arrow, whereby the toothed wheel c is caused to act upon the racks b,
and so move the slides a, a, simultaneously outwards or away from each
other. The spring catch d acting upon the ratchet wheel serves to
retain the parts in the position to which they have been moved until it is
desired to cause the slides a, a, to again close upon the books placed on
the slide, when by depressing the knob or button the toothed wheel c
is taken out of gear with the toothed racks b, and the springs g (which are
connected at one end g¹ to the slides a, a, and at the other end g to the
frame of the slide as is now well understood) are allowed to act upon
the slides a, a, and draw them towards each other until they close upon
the books held thereby, the pressure is then removed from the knob or
button c³, when the spring d raises the toothed wheel c again into gear
with the racks b, b, in readiness for again-acting thereon when required.
If desired, instead of employing the springs g shown in the Drawings,

page_text: a coiled spring may be caused to act on the rod or axis c³, so that when
released from a ratchet wheel it may move the slides a, a, in the contrary
direction to that effected by the knob or button c³, or other suitable
springs may be employed. And instead of mounting the rod or axis c¹
vertically in the handle piece i such piece i may be dispensed with, and
the rod or axis c' may be placed in a horizontal position suitable bevilled
or other gearing being employed, and if desired the racks b may be acted
upon separately by different toothed wheels c so as to cause the slides a to
move outwards separately from each other. Or, if desired, cords or bands
may be employed instead of the gearing described, one end of each cord
or band being attached to a slide and the other end being attached to a
barrel mounted on the rod or axis c¹, a suitable ratchet wheel being
employed as before described.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the best
means with which we are acquainted for carrying the same into
effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to
the precise details herein shown and described, as such may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention; but what
we do claim is, the mode of operating the slides of book slides in manner
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Betjemann, George William
Betjemann, and John Betjemann, have hereunto set our hands
and seals, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
G. BETJEMANN.
(L.S.)
G. W. BETJEMANN. (L.S.)
JOHN BETJEMANN. (L.S.)
Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.