Improvements in Indices.
Year: 1891

page_text: Improvements in Indices.
I, THOMAS CHEYNE BRINKLEY, of 573 Euclid Avenue, City of Cleveland,
State of Ohio, U.S.A., Insurance Agent, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in indices, which consist in certain
features as described in the accompanying Specification and more especially pointed
out in the annexed claims.
My invention is designed to facilitate the easy and rapid finding of filed papers,
such as letters received, copies of correspondence in impression books, legal papers
miscellaneous matter, filed in ordinary desk pigeon holes, letter filing
or
cases, etc.
The special feature of my invention consists in a separating sheet having a lateral
projection upon which to write the name of the division to be used, whether it be
the name of a person, title of subject, or otherwise. This separating shect serves a
definite portion of the entire file for only the object designated upon its projection.
In the case of a letter press impression book a certain number of pages of the book
would be assigned to one person, hence, the moment the lids of the book are opened,
the person's sub-division may be selected from the series of projecting index portions
and the sub-division belonging to such person is readily found and all the con-
secutive correspondence of the party brought to sight in regular successive pages of
this division instead of looking at an ordinary index, and finding the name of the
party entered a few dozen times answering for a like number of communications
which have been received or sent him, and each one directing the search to a certain
page, or file, but when turning to this certain place it is more than likely found that
the communication is a few months previous to the one that is desired, and so the
search proceeds, trying first one page then another, and as usual finding the last to
be the proper one.
With my system no such needless expenditure of time as well as patience is
encountered. The name sought for is distinctly visible without leafing through the
book, thus making possible an expendition in large correspondence and general
indexing that could not be attained in any manner at present known to me.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention, of which
Fig. is a perspective view showing an impression book equipped with my
device, and the manner of designating its contents as it stands filed away without
opening its covers.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the book open, disclosing the index projections.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective showing the separating sheets and their
projections.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a separating sheet detached.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the closed book.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the device as applied to an ordinary pigeon
hole.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a detached set of separating sheets, such as might
be used in an ordinary cabinet file, showing the same held together on the back by
suitable fastenings. I show a book A, of ordinary make, excepting that my index
sheets are inserted.
It will be noticed that in Fig. 2 the whole book is divided into four divisions,
having the index projections bunched likewise so as to present a step by step rise
from the lower group serving the last part of the book and the bottom of the page

page_text: to the upper group which occur at the top of the page and serve the first portion of
the book.
Each of these groups have a series of separating sheets a, with lateral projec-
tions ', which project one from beneath another and present a step by step
arrangement at about right angles to the main groups.
In Fig. 4 I show one of the separating sheets as removed and which, in this
instance, is provided with a series of ruled divisions a' serving for a special notation
referring to the matter filed, whether it be upon a page or a special sheet which
may be numbered, and the numbers upon the left-hand side of the sheet from 1 to 9
may designate the subject or the page, as the case may be. The other divisions to
the right of the page column are respectively, for the notation of the month, day
and year, while the wide space between this last column and the right-hand edge of
the sheet is reserved for any special reference pertinent to the subject the name
and address or other matter is placed at the head of the sheet.
In Fig. 5 I show the front edge of an impression book when it is closed,
which discloses the contents of the book. For instance, in the illustration, the
book is for the use of the letter S, and in each of the divisions a³ are the
rowels a. c, i, o, u, and in each division a³ is a blank space for notations stating
from the month, day, or year to the same time or designations when this division
of the book is entirely used up. These divisions should correspond to the
divisions of the index sheets. In Fig. 2 there are shown four divisions, and
the forward edge of the book as shown in Fig. 1 also discloses four, while
Fig. 5 shows the five divisions illustrating the possibility of changing these
divisions to any number as the groups of index sheets in the book would
require.
It will be observed in Fig. 7 that a series of index sheets are held together
at their rear end by any suitable fastenings, as at a, and that these sheets are
so held together that the whole set may be bodily removed from any filing
case without their becoming separated. In the case of a pigeon hole index, as
shown in Fig. 6, the rear end of these separate sheets are held together in like
manner, as shown in Fig. 7. In this figure they are purposely shown separated
somewhat as though containing filed matter between them in order to more
especially show the expanding feature of the index and its adaptability to a
large or small amount of contents, and as shown, very easily disclose adaptability
of my invention to either a pigeon hole file, or that of an impression book,
filing case, or the like, in which, as previously stated, the series of separating
sheets composing the entire index are first grouped into an arbitrary number of
main divisions, a certain number of sheets constituting a group, and each group
independent of every other having for each separate sheet a projecting portion
thereof, which, as the number of sheets increase in a downward direction, the
projections increase in length so as to present an unobstructed face projecting
from beneath the projection of the sheet next above. These series of projections
which form an inclined index which presents to view every separating sheet
and any designation thereon for each sheet at a single glance, occurs
higher plane in a lateral direction than the group next beneath it. Thus, the
groups themselves with their projections form a step by step series of projections,
cne above the other, while the projections of each group are arranged step by
step at about right angles to the step by step arrangement of the different
groups of projections.
on a
In Fig. 2 show the lids of the impression book as projecting to A' so as to
entirely enclose the projections of the separating sheets, and the front edge of the
book, when closed, is the portion A2, which has a flap A³ attached thereto, and which,
when the book is closed, sérves to maintain the portion A2 in position, the flap A³
being folded upon the inside of the lid, as shown in Fig. 1.
In Fig. 1 the divisions a upon the forward edge of the book are shown as bearing
consecutive numbers, the book itself being designated by the number 16, these

page_text: Fig. 5.
being designed to show a amerent style OL notation from that in
Of course the separating sheet shown in Fig. 4 may have its notation columns
and lines modified to suit different business requirements, but the index is sufficiently
adaptable to the different uses set forth as to not limit me to an impression book
alone.
The simplest form of prevailing indices in common use necessitates the opening of
the book or file at the initial letter of the name in request. A search for it among
these indexes, whether classified or otherwise, necessitates the turning over to
different pages indexed under this name until the object of the search is accom-
plished, whether in a book or file, or through a more or less number of the same
until it is found, thus enforcing the expenditure of much valuable time on a
comparatively simple matter. Special indices designed for ready reference to any
given name or subject are so classified as to be of little service in facilitating the
rapid and easy finding of index matter.
In my present system all unnecessary time and labor is dispensed with. The
moment the front cover of the book or file is removed, the lateral projections are
exposed to view, forming in themselves an exposed complete index of the contents.
The insertion of the index sheets in alloted spaces of any given number of pages or
divisions permits the copying or filing of letters or papers of any kind for each name
or subject in consecutive order, without a chance to misplace or mis-file the same, so
that a letter to or from another individual can be read in rotation, thus insuring
continuity of subject and a rapidity of reference, and in reality dispense with the
necessity of indexing individual pages for each impression. But for the convenience
of those so desiring, special notations referring to each letter or sub-division of a
subject may be made upon the sheet, as shown in Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
1. An index comprising division or separating sheets provided with lateral pro-
jections, said sheets grouped into main divisions throughout the series of sheets,
each group having an exposed portion of its projections in different planes and each
projection of each sheet in each group also located in different planes, substantially
as described.
2. In an index, a group or series of division sheets having lateral projections
extending from beneath each other for the purpose of notation etc., and a series of
such groups, the projections of the several groups being so arranged as to extend
from beneath each other, substantially as described.
3. An index comprising a series of separating sheets, said sheets divided into an
arbitrary number of divisions, each division presenting to view a series of projecting
portions for each division, said projecting portions forming a step by step arrange-
ment throughout the series of separating sheets, each of said divisions having their
projecting portions arranged in a step by step order at about right angles to the
step by step arrangement of the main divisions of the index, substantially as
described.
4. In an index, a series of division sheets secured to each other at one end thereof,
their forward end presenting different banks of lateral projections, said lateral
projections projecting one from beneath another, in combination with arbitrary
groups or divisions of the division sheets, each group or division presenting to view
in an unobstructed manner its series of lateral projections, the said groups extending
at an incline with respect to each other at about right angles to the incline of the
lateral projections of each group, substantially as described.
5. In an index, a series of division sheets having lateral projections, a group of
such series of sheets, and the projections of each group and of the several series of
sheets projecting from beneath each other in a plane at about right angles to each

page_text: other, and blank spaces, columns or the like thereon for special reference, substan-
tially as described.
6. In an index, a forward projection or flap from the last sheet, forming a cover
for the forward portion of the index which may be folded against the upper or first
sheet of the index, and a space upon the forward side of the flap for any suitable
notations of the contents of the index, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1891.
THOMAS CHEYNE BRINKLEY.