Improvements in Fans, Screens, Dance Programmes, and similar Folding Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 21st Oct., 1895-Accepted: 14th Dec. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fans, Screens, Dance Programmes, and similar
Folding Articles.
I JOSIAH PIERCE Junior of the Equitable Building corner of Calvert and
Fayette Streets in the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland United States of
America Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in fans, folders or screens or like article
in which the said folder or screen is provided with a plurality of illustrations of
animate or inanimate objects superimposed over the folding edges of said fan, folder
or screen and so arranged that the illustration on one edge of the fan folder or
screen will combine with the illustration on one or more of the other edges, when
the said fan, folder or screen is folded whereby a plurality of variable and
interchangeable designs are effected.
The invention is applicable to fans screens and folders of almost every description
such as Japanese screens dance cards, menu cards, time tables desk calendars and
the like.
In the case of a screen or folder it is provided with a number of panels which
may have designs or figures stamped printed or painted across the folds upon said
panels, and so arranged that the imaginary section lines made by the several folds
will register with each other as the screen or folder is folded.
With the screen or folder constructed as above described I may employ, a clip of
some convenient description to hold one end of same in the folded position and to
allow the other end to spread out radially.
The fan folder, screen or the like may be arranged to exhibit advertisements in
place of the devices or together therewith.
Dated the 19th day of April 1895
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London,
For the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fans, Screens, Dance Programmes, and similar
Folding Artioles.
I, JOSIAH PIERCE, Junior, of the Equitable Building, corner of Calvert and
Fayette Streets, in the City of Baltimore, and, State of Maryland, United States
of America, Civil Engineer, 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 fans, folders, or screens, or like devices,
in which the said fan, folder or screen is provided with a plurality of illustrations
of animate or inanimate objects superimposed over the fulding edges of said fan,
folder or screen, and so arranged that the illustration on one edge of the fan,
folder or screen will combine with the illustration on one or more of the other does
ترن

page_text: when the said fan, folder, or screen is folded, whereby a plurality of variable and
interchangeable designs are effected.
The sail invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters and numerals
throughout the several views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a front view of an ordinary collapsible fan when spread open,
the face of said fan having engraved, printed, or painted thereon sketches, of eight
ballet dancers so grouped that part of each figure will lie on the folding edge
between two of the slats of the fan, the section made of each figure by the fold
being substantially the same as that made by the corresponding folds of all the
other figures.
Fig. 2 represents the same fan shewn in Fig. 1 after it has been partly
closed, and
Fig. 3, represents the same fan shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, but folded somewhat
differently.
:
Fig. 4 represents a folder or screen made of cardboard, stout paper or other like
material, and illustrated with designs so arranged on the several folds that every
time the screen is folded a new effect is produced.
Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the screen shewn in Fig. 4 after it has
been partly folded, and
Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a modified form of folder, in which the
several parts are held together by a clip placed near one end of the folder.
While I have shewn only a fan and a folder for use as a toy or for advertising
purposes, the same may be applied to large or small fans, screens or folders of
almost every description, such as Japanese screens, dancing cards, menu cards,
railway time-tables, desk calendars or the like.
With this explanation I will describe the figures in detail.
In Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, the Roman numerals indicate the left-hand
sides of the folds between adjacent slats of the fan, and the Arabic numerals
represent the right-hand edges of said folds. In collapsible fans as ordinarily
constructed, the Roman numerals indicate the sides folding under and the Arabic
numerals represent the sides always uppermost of each fold.
Beginning at the left of the fan when spread open, the first figure is partly on
the side I, and partly on the side 1; the second figure is partly on the side II, and
partly on the side 2; the third figure is partly on the side III, and partly on the
side 3 of their respective folds, and so ou for the other figures.
Now if the section of each figure made by its folding line be substantially the
same as that made by the respective folding lines of all the other figures, and the
figures be grouped so as to have these similar imaginary section lines at equal
distances from the pivot center of the slats of the fan, then it will be evident that
no matter how much or how little the 'fan be folded, each figure will fit into the
part of the figure brought adjacent thereto by the folding of the fan, and thus a
new figure will be created shewing a different pose from either of the two original.
figures whose parts are so brought together.
Thus in Fig. 2, the fan is folded so that the side 2 will be adjacent to the side I,
the side 4 adjacent to the side III, and the side VII adjacent to the side 8, the
sides V-5, and VI-6 being in the ordinary open position. The various effects
produced by the simple folding of the fan is too obvious to be dwelt upon.
In Fig. 3, the sides 11 and 3, IV and 5, and VI and 7, are folded together as
shewn producing still different effects.
Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, A represents a folder, which is arranged to fold
along the dotted lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 and is provided, on one side
with a plurality of figures adapted to combine one with the other as the folder is
folded, and on the other with some suitable printed matter, as an advertisement or
tlie like..

page_text: The various folds of the folder' are shewn diagrammatically in the zigzag dotted:
line at the base of Fig. 4, but the panels may be folded in any desired manner,.
such, for instance, as is shewn in Fig. 5.
In the form of device shewn in Figs. 4 and 5, I have represented as typical
illustrations an acrobat tossing up in the air an old woman carrying a basket of
eggs, on the back of the screen may be imprinted or otherwise displayed any
advertisement that may he desired, such as SPRING CHICKENS, and
FRESH EGGS CHEAP.
1
The parts of each figure which occupy the same positin on the fold are
similar to those of all the other figures occupying the same relative position, and
the folds are so arranged relative to the figures that each time the device is folded:
to the front a new arrangement or grouping of the figures is obtained.
Thus in Fig. 4, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, al and a represent the various
panels when the folder is spread out flat, while in Fig. 5 the panel a is bent back
over the panel a' which, with the fold a³, is turned forward over the panels a³
and a while the panelia is turned forward on the pauef a, while the panel a³
is turned back on the panel as, and thus part of the back of the folder is brought
into view, while the regrouping of the figures shewn in Fig. 5 is obtained.
In a similar way the other pairs of the panels may be caused to combine.
whereby a great variety of arrangements of the figures is obtained.
The figures shewn are intended merely as illustrative of the capabilities of my
invention, and the designs may be varied at will.
In the form of device shewn in Fig. 6, a similar type of folder is represented,.
except that the back of the folder intend to contain the advertisement is shewn,
while the ends of the folder are held in a suitable clip B.
Where the folder is shewn as gathered in at one end as represented in Fig. 6,
the effect of bringing together two of the edges such as 1 and 3, or 3 and 5,
or 1 and 5, will be to produce a complete design or figure, and by increasing the
number of the folds the variations in these designs or figures may be increased.
indefinitely.
The advertisements, calendars, &c., may be printed on either the back or the
front of the fan or folder if desired.
By having these fans, folders or screens made large or small they may be.
readily adapted for producing a pleasing artistic effect in combination with the
useful results obtained from a fan, screen, or advertising folder or calendar, or
other like device. Thus parlor screens of great effectiveness may be manufactured
according to my invention, while at the same time the little pocket fans or folders.
for advertising purposes may be as readily manufactured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said:
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A collapsible fan provided with radial slats and having a plurality of designs.
or figures stamped, printed, or painted on one side thereof across the folds of said fan,.
a part of each design or figure being adapted to combine with a part of one or
more of the other designs or figures, substantially as described.
2. A collapsible fan provided with radial slats and having a plurality of designs
or figures stamped, printed, or painted on both sides thereof, across the folds of
said fan, a part of each design or figure being adapted to combine with a part of
one or more of the other designs or figures, substantially as described.
3. A screen or folder provided with a plurality of panels, with designs or
figures stamped, printed or painted across the folds upon the said panels, and so
arranged that the imaginary section lines made by the several folds will register
with each other as the said screen or folder is folded, substantially as described.
4. An advertising device comprising a screen or folder provided with a
plurality of panels with designs or figures, stamped, printed, or painted across.
the folds upon said panels, and so arranged that the imaginary section lines made:

page_text: i
by the several folds will register with each other as the said screen or folder is
folded, and advertisements displayed on the said screen or folder, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
5. A screen or folder provided with 'a plurality of panels, with designs or
figures stamped, printed or painted across the folds upon the said panels, and so
arranged that the imaginary section lines made by the several folds will register
with each other as the said screen or folder is folded, and a clip adapted to hold
one end of said screen or folder in the folded position, and to allow the other end
to spread out radially, substantially as described..
Dated the 21st day of October 1895.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London,
For the Applicant.