A New or Improved Holder for Holding and Facilitating the Reading of Written and Printed Documents, and for other like Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Holder for Holding and Facilitating the
Reading of Written and Printed Documents, and for other
like Purposes.
I EDWARD JAMES SMITH of the firm of Hoyland and Smith of Soho Works Heath
Street South Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
In the reading of manuscripts and printed documents especially in public places as
in public meetings and in the pulpit it frequently happens that the reader is incon-
venienced in consequence of the position of the table or desk on which the document
he is reading rests or in consequence of its position with respect to the windows or
lights by which it is illuminated. The object of my invention is to remedy these
difficulties and my said invention consists of a holder constructed in the manner
hereinafter described which holder can be readily held in the hand while the speaker
or preacher is reading the document held by the said holder thus enabling him to
hold the document at any convenient height and in any desired position.
In constructing a holder according to my invention I employ two rollers which I
support with their axes parallel at the two opposite ends respectively of a light
rectangular frame. One end of each roller projects through its bearing preferably
at that side of the holder which when the said holder is in use is the left hand side.
Each of the projecting ends of the axes of the roller carries a disc or head milled
on its edge by turning which milled head rotary motion may be given to the
roller.
The light frame carrying the rollers may have on its upper side a thin or light
plate or sheet of wood or metal preferably slightly convex.
The written or printed matter to be held in the said holder is written or printed
on a sheet of paper or like material of a width somewhat less than the length of
the rollers.
The said sheet with the side written or printed on outwards is wound upon that
roller which when the holder is held in the left hand in a vertical position is the
lower roller and the free or unwound end of the paper is attached by guin or otherwise
to the
upper
roller.
In using the holder it is held in the left hand. The milled head of the upper roller.
being situated between the thumb and fore finger or pressed upon by the fore finger
alone. When 'the written or printed matter on the exposed portion of the sheet has
been read the milled head is turned and that portion of the sheet is wound upon the
upper roller an equal portion being unwound from the lower roller. In this way all
parts of the sheet are in succession passed in front of the holder being unrolled from
the lower roller and rolled on the upper roller. In this way the whole of the
document although occupying a small space is readily passed under the eye of the
reader or speaker.
The sheet passes over the light convex plate of wood or metal referred to and
buckling or creasing is thereby prevented.
When it is desired to hold the holder by the right hand it is inverted and the sheet
Wound on the roller which in the inverted position is the lower roller. Or the axes
of the rollers may have milled heads at each end when the holder may be held
indifferently in either hand the sheet being wound as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1889.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Holder for Holding and Facilitating the
Reading of Written and Printed Documents, and for other
like Purposes.
EDWARD JAMES SMITH of the firm of Hoyland and Smith of Soho Works,
Heath Street South, Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention and the manner in which the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In the reading of manuscripts and printed documents especially in public places as
in public meetings and in the pulpit it frequently happens that the reader is incon-
venienced in consequence of the position of the table or desk on which the document.
he is reading rests or in consequence of its position with respect to the windows or
lights by which it is illuminated. The object of my invention is to remedy these
difficulties and my said invention consists of a holder constructed in the manner
hereinafter described which holder can be readily held in the hand while the speaker
or preacher is reading the document held by the said holder thus enabling him
to hold the document at any convenient height and in any desired position.
In constructing a holder according to my invention 1 employ two rollers which I
support with their axes parallel at the two opposite ends respectivoly of a light
rectangular frame. One end of each roller projects through its bearing preferably at
that side of the holder which when the said holder is in use is the left hand side.
Each of the projecting ends of the axes of the roller carries a disc or head milled
on its edge by turning which milled head rotary motion may be given to the
roller.
The light frame carrying the rollers may have on its upper side a thin or light
plate or sheet of wood or metal preferably slightly convex.
The sheet passes over the said light convex plate of wood or metal referred to and
buckling or creasing is thereby prevented.
The written or printed matter to be held in the said holder is written or printed
on a sheet of paper or like material of a width somewhat less than the longth of the
rollers. The said sheet with the side written or printed on outwards is wound upon
that roller which when the holder is held in the left hand in a vertical position is
the lower roller and the free or unwound end of the paper is attached by gum or
otherwise to the upper roller.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation and Figure 2
in vertical section my new or improved holder the strip or sheet of written or printed
matter being represented wound upon the lower roller ready to be unwound therefrom
and wound upon the upper roller; Figure 3 represents an elevation of one end of the
holder and Figure 4 represents an elevation of the opposite end of the holder;
Figures 5, 6 and 7 represent the same views as Figures 1, 2 and 3 showing the strip
or sheet of written or printed matter after a portion of it has been unwound from the
lower roller and wound upon the upper roller; Figure 8 represents in front elevation
the holder without the strip or sheet of written or printed matter.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
a a is the light rectangular frame of the holder carrying at its opposite ends the
two parallel rollers b, c on which the strip or sheet d of written or printed matter is
wound. Each roller works in holes or bearings in the end of the frame a and one end
of cach roller projects from the left hand side of the frame the projecting end carrying
a disc or. milled head b², c² for turning the roller. Between the inner face of each
disc or milled head 62, c² and the side of the frame a an india rubber washer e is
interposed for exerting a slightly binding action upon the rollers and thereby holding
them frictionally in the positions to which they have been brought; f is a light plate
at the front or upper side of the frame of the holder. This plate may either be flat

page_text: Or convex on its outer face and over the said plate the sheet or strip d passes to prevent
Its buckling or creasing.
In applying the strip or sheet d to the holder the said strip or sheet with the side
written or printed upon upwards and outwards is wound upon the bottom roller c
and the free end of the strip is attached by gum or otherwise to the upper roller b
and wound thereon as seen in Figure 2 so that by rotating the upper roller in the
direction of the arrow as hereinafter described the strip or sheet d can be unwound
from the lower roller c and wound upon the upper roller b. As the strip or sheet is
wound upon the top roller it passes over and is supported by the plate at the front.
of the frame and buckling or creasing of the said strip or sheet is prevented.
In using the holder it is held in the left hand the milled head of the upper
roller being situated between the thumb and fore finger and pressed upon by the
fore finger alone. When the written or printed matter on the exposed portion of
the sheet d has been read the milled head is turned in the direction of the
arrow near it and that portion of the sheet is wound upon the upper roller an
equal portion being unwound from the lower roller c. In this way all parts of
the sheet are in succession passed in front of the holder. Thus, the whole of the
document although occupying a small space is readily passed under the eye of the
reader or speaker. Should it be required to use the printed or written matter a
second time, the milled head c² of the bottom roller c is turned in the direction proper
to wind the said matter upon the said bottom roller and unwound from the top roller >>
when the holder is again ready for use.
C
When it is desired to hold the holder by the right hand it is inverted and the sheet
wound on the roller which in the inverted position is the lower roller. Or the axes
of the rollers may have milled heads at each end when the holder may be held
indifferently in either hand the sheet or strip being wound as herein before
described.
Besides being applicable to the holding and facilitating the reading of written
and printed documents my invention may also be used for other like purposes such
for example as holding memoranda or notes for business or other purposes reporting
in shorthand sketching and holding notes for music either printed or in manuscript;
also for diaries.
My new or improved holder may be made of metal or of some hard and durable
non-metallic material such as ebony or other wood ebonite and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention :-
The new or improved holder for holding and facilitating the reading of written
and printed documents and for other like purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing the said holder consisting essentially of a
light rectangular frame supporting at its ends two parallel rollers on which the
written or printed document or the like is wound and from which it is unwound for
the purpose and substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the Twenty-eighth day of November 1889.
EDWARD JAMES SMITH.