Improvements in and relating to Indexes for Ledgers and other Books of Record.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Indexes for Ledgers and other
Books of Record.
We, SIMEON BEAUFORD KIRTLEY and HIRAM PHILLIPS, citizens of the
United States of America, residing at Columbia, in the County of Boone and State
of Missouri, one of the United States of America, Merchants, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
18 to be
Figure 1 is a perspective showing an open ledger, in which this invention is
embodied.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the upper edge of the book showing how the top
edges are cut away.
Figure 3 is a perspective view in detail showing how this invention is used.
Figure 4 is a top plan view enlarged, of the ledger or book, showing how
several names can be placed on a single page.
This invention relates more particularly to ledgers but is applicable to record or
any other book in which it is desirable to use an index, or to which an index can
be applied, thus embracing not only books of account and official record books, but
trade catalogues or any other book which is arranged alphabetically or is capable
of being so arranged, where it is desired to refer very rapidly to a given name or
a particular subject. By the use of our invention a separate index for the book is
dispensed with, likewise the numbering of the pages.
It has been found an absolute
necessity in books of account kept in large banking institutions, or in large
commercial houses, or in trade catalogues or like books where there are oftentimes
hundreds of names or titles of subjects under a given letter of the alphabet, to
provide some casy and simple method for the book-keeper or the party examining
the books to find a given name, title, or subject, with the least possible delay. So
that the object of this invention is to supply a means and method integral with each
book, whereby the desired results can be obtained rapidly, easily, and certainly,
and to this end in the present instance the novelty consists more especially in so
constructing the tops of the pages under each letter of the alphabet that on opening
the book, the eye, at a glance, will readily see upon what special page under that
letter a given name, subject, or title can be found; any given page under such
index letter being at once accessible to the user; and the novelty further consists
in the details of construction and arrangement by which this invention is put
into use.
Heretofore several attempts have been made, having in a very general way the
same ends in view which we have set out; but in no instance of which we are
aware is there found, combined with, or integral with a book of account, an index
like that shown in the present invention.
We are
aware that it is not new to
cut away the lower edges of the leaves of an index for the purpose of placing
thereon the letters of the alphabet, and that the upper edges of the leaves have,
in like manner, been sometimes cut away, and for like purposes; also, that it
has long been a well-known practice to attach the index letters to the right
hand edges of the leaves, so as to be conveniently accessible to the finger, and
that such details of construction are most invariably used in indexes which are
separated from the account book or other book in connection with which they
are used.
Having now generally stated the nature and object of our invention, we
proceed to explain it in detail, reference being had to the accompanying

page_text: IS
In these drawings the letter, A, denotes a ledger, which is shown for the purpose
of clearly illustrating this invention and the means and the method by which it
is adapted for use. It will be observed that upon the edges of the leaves in
any usual manner are attached or applied the letters of the alphabet as
common in indexes. These can be applied or attached to the edges of the leaves
or in the edge of the book. It should be borne in mind, however, that in our
book under each letter it is supposed there is quite a large number of pages.
The index letter in each instance is attached to or placed upon the first and
last of the series of pages in connection with which it is to be used, and the tops of
each series of pages so alphabeted are cut away, as is illustrated in the drawings
at, B.
It will thus happen that the page after the first of each series of pages to
which the letters are attached, for instance the letter, C, as now shown in the open
book, Figure 3 in the drawings, is cut away at the top from 1 on a slant or incline
at its left hand side and thence horizontally, as at, c, to within a short distance of
the front edge of this page; that the next page is cut away in like manner at, 2,
except that the inclined cut begins at a remove of about half an inch to the right
from the cut, c, on the preceding page, and that each page is in like manner cut
away at the top, its cut commencing about half an inch to the right from that of
the next preceding page, and thus through the entire series of pages to which the
index letter is applied, so that the series of cuts will be in a sort of step shape.
At the right hand edge the cut away portions on all these pages substantially
coincide. Of course the space on each page between the cut away part will be
regulated to suit convenience, the amount above specified being simply stated for
illustration. Upon the cut away portions are placed in due succession the vowels
and with each in like order the consonants; for instance, the vowel and the first
consonant following that vowel, the vowels being arranged alphabetically, the
consonants likewise. On the first cut away part and conveniently near to the
right hand edge is placed this vowel a with the next consonant following; for
instance, there is now shown in the drawings the vowel a with the consonant ]
after it. It will, therefore, be in order to write upon this page all the names in
which a is the first vowel and 1 the first following consonant; as for instance in
the present illustration the name Callahan is shown; upon the edge of the next
cut and near its right hand edge, which will project beyond the place in the
pieceding page where the vowel is marked, is in like manner placed the vowel a,
with the consonant which comes after 1, namely, m; and on this page the name
Campbell can be used; and so upon ach succeeding page is placed a vowel and in
due order the consonant that comes after it, which will enable the user of the
ledger or book to tell as he glances his eye across the cut away tops of the pages when
he has turned to a series of pages under the letter C, upon what page any given
name commencing with C may be found.
'
It will only be necessary for the user then to place his finger, as is shown in the
drawing, upon the projecting part of the edges under the cut away portion upon
which the vowel and other letters have been placed, and then by turning back to
the series of pages inside or above that where the vowel and any other letter in
connection with it have been placed, the page will be found upon which the desired
name is inscribed. It will be convenient also to give in the same place some marks
or letters to indicate the initials of the several parties, for instance, in case of the
name Callahan, this name will be found under a 1. To find J. R. Campbell look
under a m J. R. To find C. C. Cline look under in C. C. Where, as often
happens, there are several of the same name, as John Smith or John Brown in
the same ledger, it will be only necessary to add to the cut away top part of the
page some symbol or mark to denote the residence or occupation of cach
John Smith or John Brown.
In like manner every series of pages connected with each letter is designated and
constructed. It will be seen therefore that in such business houses as require
several ledgers in constant use to keep the record of all their customers and business
transactions, while they will have under each given name sometimes several

page_text: hundreds of names, that our invention as now described will be of the greatest
possible benefit in the saving of the book-keeper's time, because upon reference to
any letter, as has been above remarked, the book-keeper can on opening the ledger
at a given letter tell instantly which particular page is to be turned to in order to
find the desired name, and can at once put his finger upon that page with absolute
certainty.
In reference then, to the use of the first vowel after the initial letter and the
first consonant following it, which is the essential idea of our invention, as has
heretofore been described, it will be noticed that by our invention we indicate in
connection with the mechanical structure now shown, when the book is opened at
the desired letter, exactly the page upon which each name can be found.
We are
aware that there are systems of indexing where the second and third letters of each
name or word are used, but this system in any large book of account, or other
large volume requiring an index, does not in fact to any appreciable degree, help
the book-keeper or other person to find rapidly a desired name; in fact, it would
by no means enable the book-keeper to put his eye with any degree of quickness,
upon the desired subject or name, because by taking the second or third letter there
is indicated only such letters as are applicable to a very large series of names or
words under the given index letter. Whereas by our invention there is indicated
exactly the name or word it is desired to find, so that it will happen under the old
system to which we have referred that a very large number of names or words will
have to be gone over before the desired one is found, whereas by ours the exact
name or word is indicated; for instance, let us suppose that we want to find under
the old system a name or word beginning Bea; now by reference to the directory
of any large city it will be found that in some instances there are scores of names
that begin in this way; now by our invention using the vowel and the consonant
in order stated we reach almost instantaneously any name beginning with Bea.
The substance of all these remarks is applicable to the merchant who is desirous
of finding a particular subject or title in any of the many and very bulky trade
catalogues. These catalogues not infrequently number as high as a thousand pages,
very often more than one thousand. By any other construction or system that we
are aware of it will take considerable time to find any given title or subject. In a
ledger, catalogue or book, prepared by the construction and after the method we
have explained, the same at only two moves can be opened at the desired place;
the first move discloses the index letter, the second the particular page desired.
By cutting away the tops of the several pages at an incline or slant, the finger
will more readily turn a desired page, and there will be much less likelihood of
tearing the page.
One great and valuable advantage, particularly in ledgers, derived from this
invention, is that no separate index is needed. Nor is it necessary to number the
pages of the ledger or other book. In these details alone there will be a very
lange gain in the cost of construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A ledger, or other book, having integral therewith an index provided in any
usual way with index letters along or in its edges, and at the cut away portions at
the top of each series of leaves or pages having thereon the first vowel and first
consonant following to denote on which particular page of said series the particular
name can be found.
2. A ledger or book having integral therewith an index arranged according to
the first vowel after the initial letter and first consonant following, whereby the
vowels are marked, with the consonants in due succession on the several pages
under each alphabetical index letter, substantially as described.
3. A ledger or book having integral therewith an index arranged by alphabetical
letters and initial letters of Christian names according to the first vowel after the

page_text: initial letter and the first consonant following, whereby under each letter any
desired name can be found by two motions of the hand.
Dated this 10th day of March 1891.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.