Improved Method of and Means for Indexing Books.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of and Means for Indexing Books.
I, NORCLIFFE SPENSER of 15 Albert Terrace, King Cross, Halifax, in the County
of York, Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is by a new method of indexing ledgers, account
books, atlas, and other books, to save time and facilitate the accountant's, clerk's
or user's work.
I construct my ledger or other book with projecting or overhanging backs,
inside the projecting margin of the back, preferably on the top and side of the
back preferably on the top and side of the back cover. I arrange the alphabetical
letters at intervals. References to the contents of the books are facilitated by
attaching to the pages or folios, a gummed slip of paper or other material on
which is written the name of account or other matter, this gummed slip projects
outside the book when the account is open and by opening at any of the slips
having the required name you open direct to the account, without any use of
the usual index. When there are a number of accounts under one initial, a
B
number of other letters, for instance
-may be arranged under each
aeiou y
letter, thus Bates would be under B a, Berry under Be, Busler under B . As
each folio or account becomes full or closed, its slip is turned back inside the
page so as not to project, and so will not be referred to, but a new gummed slip
is put in and indexes the new account or folio to which the account is carried.
Also in extracting lists of Debtors and Creditors they can be taken down direct
in Alphabetical order.
Dated this First day of December 1896
Improved Method of and Means for Indexing Books.
I NORCLIFFE SPENSER of Albert Terrace, King Cross, Halifax in the County of
York Accountant, 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:-
The object of my invention is by a new method of and means for indexing
ledgers, account books, atlas, and other books, to facilitate reference and save the

page_text: users time, and also in extracting lists of Debtors or Creditors and the like, they
can be taken direct in alphabetical order.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a ledger or other account book, shown open with my
improved system of indexing applied.
Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view of a series of name slips.
Fig. 4 is a view of index letter B divided into subdivisions.
I construct my ledger or other book A with projecting or overhanging backs B.
Inside the projecting margin C of the back, preferably on the side of the back
cover I arrange the alphabetical letters at intervals and where desired divided
into subdivisions.
References to the contents of the books are facilitated by attaching to the pages
or folios a gummed slip of paper or other material D, on which is written the
name of account or other matter, this gummed slip projects outside the book when
the account is opened. The slips are made of varying sizes see Fig. 3, so that
each succeeding slip projects beyond the one preceding, thus giving a view of
the name upon each slip, and by opening at any of the slips having the required
name, you open direct to the account, without any use of the usual index.
When there are a number of accounts under one initial, I may employ a
number of other letters in the form of a subdivision E, for instance a, e, i, o, u, y,
may be arranged under each letter of the alphabet upon the book back, usually
the first vowel determining the division to which the name belongs, thus Bates
would be under B a, Berry under B e, Busler under B u, and so on, such vowel
being placed upon the slip and opposite the corresponding vowel on the alphabet
of the book back the operation being as before described.
As each folio or account becomes full or closed, its slip is turned back inside
the page, so as not to project, and so will not be referred to, but a new gummed
slip is put in and indexes the new account or folio to which the account is carried.
Also in extracting lists of debtors and Creditors they can be taken down direct
in alphabetical order.
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
clair is:-
1. The method of and means for indexing ledgers, account books and the like,
for facilitating reference, and saving time, substantially as shown and described.
2. In indexing ledgers, account books and other books the use of projecting
indicating slips of Paper or canvass or other suitable material, secured to the
leaves in any suitable manner, as and for the purposes substantially as shown and
described.
Doted this Fourth day of August 1897
JOHN E. WALSH,
Waterhouse Chambers, Crossley Street, Halifax,
Patent Agent for the Applicant.