A NEW. OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PROTECTING LABELS - FROM INJURY
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Colville Gibson, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, for
the Invention of "A NEW. OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PROTECTING LABELS -
FROM INJURY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Colville Gibson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th August 1866.
I, WILLIAM COLVILLE GIBSON, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PROTECTING
LABELS FROM INJURY," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a new or improved method of protecting labels for
plants and other objects against injury by the atmosphere, damp, or dirt, and
it consists in employing a glass tube which may be of a cylindrical, compressed,
or other suitable shape provided with a stem for the purpose of fixing it
into the ground, or with an eye or hook for suspending it in any desirablé
position. The label, which may be of paper, wood, or other suitable material
is placed inside the glass tube, the end or ends of which may be closed with a
plug of wood or other material with the view of preventing moisture, dirt, or
other injurious matter from entering therein; or one or both ends may be
hermetically sealed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Colville Gibson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, WILLIAM
COLVILLE GIBSON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Colville Gibson, Her special licence that I, the said William Colville
Gibson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Colville Gibson, my 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 "A
NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF PROTECTING LABELS FROM INJURY," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Colville Gibson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said William Colville Gibson, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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:-
This Invention relates to a new or 'improved method of protecting labels
from injury, and in mounting them so that they may be supported in a
horizontal position in order to facilitate the reading of the same when applied
to objects in museums or exhibitions, or to trees or plants in conservatories,
gardens, or for other similar purposes.
+
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
practised I will proceed to describe the several Figures of the Drawing here-
unto annexed, which represent different forms of labels constructed and
mounted in accordance with my Invention.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure represents one of my improved labels 'furnished with a stem
suitable for being inserted in flower pots or in the ground to support the
label, and Figure 2 shows a similar label suitable for being suspended to a
tree, plant, or other object. a is a glass tube (containing the descriptive
Jabel) closed at each end by means of capsules b, b, of metal or other material.
The glass tube a may be cylindrical, prismatic, oval, or of other sectional
form, plain or tinted, the capsules b, b, employed for closing the ends being of
corresponding form (as shewn by end views at Figure 3), and they may be
stamped or formed of sheet metal or moulded from plastic or other materials.
Each end of the wire c is passed through a hole formed for that purpose on the
centre of the capsules, which are retained thereon by bending up the ends of
the wire into a knob (as shewn in section at Figure 4), so that when a
capsule is removed from the end of the glass tube it remains attached to the
wire. The capsules being moveable on the wire c, when placed on each end
of the glass tube a (as shewn in Figures 1 and 2), the latter can be readily
caused to rotate when required in order to place the descriptive label in a
position to be easily read. Or the capsules b, b, may be fastened to the ends
of the wire c, in which case the position of the tube a can be easily altered
by turning it on its axis to the position required.
Figures 5 and 6 show similar labels to those previously described, but in
place of enclosing paper or other labels by means of capsules a core 6 made of
clay, earthenware, or other suitable material having the descriptive matter
written or printed thereon, and of corresponding form to the outer glass tube a,
is inserted therein, the ends of the wire c being inserted into each end of the
core to support or suspend the label, and upon which it may be caused to
rotate when required; and should the outer glass tube be broken, the core
and label will still remain perfect and legible. Figure 7 shows an end view
of a tube a and core 6 of this description made of triangular section.
Figures 8 and 9 show similar labels, the ends being closed by cork or other
suitable stoppers b, into which the ends of the wire support or suspender care
inserted, the tube and stoppers being capable of rotating upon the ends of the
wire c. This improved construction of label affords a ready means of changing
the descriptive matter contained within the tube a by simply removing one or
both of the corks, or stoppers, rain and dirt being also effectually excluded and
prevented from injuring the descriptive label. One or both ends of either of
the tubular labels previously described may be hermetically sealed if desired.

page_text: Figure 10 shows another of my improved labels. a is a glass tube
(hermetically closed at one end) formed with a glass stem or support c for
insertion in the ground, the open end of the tube a for the reception of the
descriptive matter being closed by a cork or other suitable stopper b.
Figure 11 shows a label of similar form to that last described, the glass
tube a being attached to the separate stem c by means of wires d, as shewn,
or otherwise, by which arrangement the tube a containing the descriptive
matter may be turned round or adjusted upon the support c, as required, and
the support or stem c may be made of metal or other material.
Tubular labels such as last described may be mounted on wire or other
holders suitable for being suspended in a horizontal position upon trees, plants,
or other objects if desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Colville Gibson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
W. C. GIBSON. (L.S.)