AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION AND PRESERVATION OF LETTERS, PAPERS, BILLS, NOTES, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue. Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION AND PRESERVATION OF LETTERS, PAPERS,
BILLS, NOTES, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by
William Adam Amberg, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION AND PRESERVATION
OF LETTERS, PAPERS, BILLS, NOTES, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES." [A communication
from abroad by William Adam Amberg, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of
America.]
This Invention of an improved apparatus for the classification and preservation
of letters, papers, bills, notes, and such like articles relates to an expanding index
consisting of sheets of paper having each an appropriate letter of the alphabet
or other suitable designating character marked thereon, which with the cases and
apparatus for holding them forms the basis of the apparatus. Between these
indexing leaves the letters or other papers to be classified or preserved are placed.
A holder or case is provided to contain the index leaves in such manner that
papers to be classified may be readily slipped in between the leaves. A separate
index holder, hereinafter called the permanent holder, is also provided for con-
taining the index when filled with papers, and also a box into which the last above
mentioned holder and its contained index and contents may be enclosed for final
filing away.
The expanding index is composed of index leaves lettered in the usual way; at
the back of each is a metallic T projection rivetted or fastened to the index leaves;
the back of the box or holder for the index is like the back of a book, and is pro-

page_text: vided in the interior with a groove, which will hold all these T pieces, the full
width of the head of the T, and there is attached to the back of the box a sliding
piece of metal with a narrow groove or cut, so that when the index leaves are in
place in the box the metal slide goes on the stalk of the T, and the projection or
head of the T prevents the index leaves from coming away from the back, although
any papers placed in the index accommodate themselves to the varying thickness by
the pieces sliding in the groove and the metallic slide, and are capable of being
turned up as if they were hinged to the back.
The index leaves are kept down by a spring, which, attached to the upper part
of the back of the box, is made to press on the papers, or can be turned up out of
the way whilst the papers are being examined or arranged or placed in the index.
The permanent holder consists of a back, with or without covers, having a T shaped
groove in which the T pieces of the index are deposited, the side covers when closed,
preventing them being taken out or displaced; or they may be permanently
fastened by pasting or gumming slips of paper or other material over the upper or
lower aperture of the groove in the back piece. This form of back with the T
groove may be applied to the box of the expanding index, but it does not allow of
the temporary abstraction of any portion of the papers so readily as when used as
described with the metal slide.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
April 1880.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION AND PRESERVATION
OF LETTERS, PAPERS, BILLS, NOTES, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES." A communication
from abroad by William Adam Amberg, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of
America.
This Invention of an improved apparatus for the classification and preservation
of letters, papers, bills, notes, and such like articles relates to an expanding index
consisting of sheets of paper having each an appropriate letter of the alphabet or
other suitable designating character marked thereon, which with the cases and
apparatus for holding them forms the basis of the apparatus. Between these
indexing leaves the letters or other papers to be classified or preserved are placed.
A holder or case is provided to contain the index leaves in such manner that papers
to be classified may be readily slipped in between the leaves. A separate index
holder, herein after called a permanent holder, is also provided for containing the
index when filled with papers, and also a box into which the last above mentioned
holder and its contained index and contents may be enclosed for final filing away.
To enable those skilled in the art to understand how to construct and use the said

page_text: Invention I will proceed to describe the same with particularity, making reference
in so doing to the Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved
index and holder; Figure 2 is a similar view of the holder with the index removed;
Figure 3 is a view of the index when removed from the holder; Figure 4 is a view
of the supplemental permanent holder; Figure 5 is a view of the box for con-
taining the permanent holder; Figure 6 is another view of said box; Figure 7 is a
transverse vertical section of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in hori-
zontal section of the device for attaching the index to the temporary holder, shown
at Figure 1; Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views of the spring hinge used in.
the temporary holder.
The temporary holder, which I prefer to make of wood principally, consists of a
bottom A provided with side pieces B, B, and a back piece C, as shown at Figures
1, 2, and 7, the height of the back and that of the side pieces adjacent to it being
sufficient to allow the desired number of letters, bills, or other papers to be laid in
the box, with some room to spare in height. D is the index, consisting of a number
of loose sheets cut at the front edge with steps like an index book, and each sheet
marked at this part with any suitable character or characters, but preferably with
the alphabet, one or more letters being assigned to each sheet. At the back edge,
opposite to the alphabet, each sheet of the index is provided with a T shaped pro-
jection d, which I prefer to make of sheet metal, and secure to the sheet, in the
manner indicated in the Drawing, by providing the sheet metal with a series of
sharp points, which are caused to pierce the paper of the sheet, and are bent down
towards the back edge of the index to clamp the same, in conjunction with shoulder
pieces, which are bent over the edge of the sheet in the opposite direction. The
central portion of the back C is cut with a rebate or groove, into which is slipped
a metal slide E furnished with a slot e. The index being placed within the holder
with the T shaped tags or projections lying in this groove, the metal piece is slipped
down, bringing the slot over the shanks, as shown in Figures 1 and 8, thus securing
the index against accidental displacement, while at the same time each sheet is
separately free to rise to accomodate papers, &c., placed between the leaves. I
prefer to make the top and bottom leaves of the index of rather stiffer paper than
the rest in order to give consistency and strength, and to obviate any tendency that
the front edges may have to turn up. Inasmuch as this temporary holder is to be
used generally upon a desk, it is desirable that the index should be held down to
prevent the wind from lifting it and to keep its contents pressed flat. I therefore
provide a spring arm F, hinged to the back piece and resting down upon the leaves
of the index, as shown at Figures 1 and 7; this arm I prefer to make of stout wire,
with a U shaped depression G in the middle, the purpose of which is to allow the
operator in bandling the index when the spring is thrown up to put his left arm
through this depression in order that he may conveniently with his left hand hold
such of the index leaves as he has lifted while inserting papers between the sheets
with his right hand. The hinge by which this wire arm is attached is peculiar, and
is shown at Figures 9 and 10. The end of the wire is bent at right angles as at g,
and again at right angles as at gl, and again at right angles as at g², the extreme
end being furnished with a roller gs. A two leaved piece of spring metal H is
secured to the back C at each end. One of the leaves his bent to enclose the
part g, and form of it a pivot; the other leaf h¹ has its end bent up in hook form.
When the arm G is down, as at Figures 1 and 7, the action of the two leaves upon
the roller and pivot is to hold it down with considerable force, as shown at Figure 9,
and when it is raised the action of the same leaves, as shown at Figure 10, is to hold
said arm raised.
When the index in the temporary holder is as full as desired the slide and arm
are raised, and the index and its contents are removed in the condition shown at
Figure 3. I provide as a permanent holder the device shown at Figure 4, which
consists of a block of wood J with a central T shaped slot j. To this block is
glued a paper cover ³, as shown at said Figure 4. Along the upper edge 2 of this
wooden block I apply a coating of gum arabic, which may be moistened upon

page_text: occasion, and the paper cover brought down and secured thereon. The index and
contents are placed within this holder, the T shaped tags within the T shaped slot,
the paper being pressed down upon the moistened surface ³, and the tags thereby
held from coming out. When in this holder the index and contents are easily
accessible, and maintain a sufficiently firm and stable condition to be used as much
as required to give access to papers already filed. Papers to be filed in this appa-
ratus need not be secured within the index, simply laid therein without any
fastening, and hence any single paper can be removed for examination. The index
and contents within the cover, shown at Figure 4, are to be kept when not being
examined in the box, shown at Figures 5 and 6, which may be stood up on end like
a book, and shelved as a book is shelved, the contents being duly marked on the
back.
The temporary binder or holder, Figures 1 and 2, may be used to hold papers
permanently, if desired, without resorting to the other device. In case the tem-
porary binder is used as a permanent binder, or in case several temporary binders
are used simultaneously, they may be placed in a cabinet or pigeon holes like
drawers, with the backs outward. In that case it is desirable to note the contents
of the holder upon its back by a label, and I find the most convenient place to
apply the label to be upon that portion of the metal slide E which projects over the
back.
Having now described the construction and operation of the said Invention, I
would have it understood that what I claim and desire to secure in the herein in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. I claim the combination in a letter file an apparatus for the classification and
preservation of letters, papers, &c., of the adjustably hinged index and the spring
arm, substantially as specified.
2. I also claim the permanent holder with cover and slotted back, shown at
Figure 4 of the Drawing.
3. I also claim the combination of the permanent holder, shown at Figure 4, and
the index of loose sheets provided with hinging tags, substantially as specified.
4. I also claim the combined apparatus consisting of the temporary and per-
manent slotted holders, the tag hinged index, and the filing box, which latter is
shown at Figures 5 and 6, substantially as specified.
5. I also claim the spring arm for pressing down the index when it is made with
an opening for the operator's arm, as shown.
6. I also claim the peculiar hinge for the spring arm, consisting of the cranked
ends of the arm and the two leaved spring hinge pieces, constructed substantially
as specified.
7. In combination with an expanding index, the metal fasteners with T shaped
projections attached to the sheets of the index in manner substantially as shown and
described.
8. The combination with the expanding index and case or holder of a spring arm
so hinged or attached to said case or holder as to press the index when down, and
to remain automatically upheld when raised, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)