IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING INDICES TO ACCOUNT AND OTHER BOOKS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Draper, of 5, Little Tower Street, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING INDICES
TO ACCOUNT AND OTHER BOOKS."
Sealed the 8th November 1859, and dated the 26th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Draper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th May 1859.
I, JOHN DRAPER, of 5, Little Tower Street, in the City of London, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING
INDICES TO ACCOUNT AND OTHER Books," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in applying indices to
account and other books. For these purposes, in applying an alphabetical
index to an account or other book, such index is bound in a separate form,
and the leaves are cut or notched out as heretofore, but it is preferred that the
index letters should be formed on both sides of the leaves of the index, so that
on whichever side it may be, the letters may be read, and the index opened to
the desired letter. The back of the index is fixed or bound in at either end
of the account or other book in such manner that when in use the index
may be outside or extend beyond the leaves of the account or other book, and
so that the index may be consulted without shutting the leaves or covers or
lids of the account or other book, and, in fact, without interfering with the

page_text: leaves or lids of such book. It is preferred that the index should be fixed or
bound into the end, and not, as is most generally the case, at the commence-
ment of the book; but this is not essential, and generally it is believed that it
is better to fix or bind the back of the index to the inside of the end lid or
cover of the book, and near to its front edge, so that when folded out there-
from the index will lie on the table or desk to the right hand of the book, and
the back as well as all parts of the index will be beyond the cover of the book.
'The index will thus admit of being referred to, whether the book is open or
shut, or the back of the index may be fixed to the outer edge of a strong leaf.
In either case the index is to fold into and be shut up with the book, and in
such a manner as not to protrude beyond the lids or covers of the books.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Draper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
DRAPER, of 5, Little Tower Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Draper, Her special licence that I, the said John
Draper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Draper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLYING INDICES TO ACCOUNT AND OTHER BOOKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Draper, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Draper, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: Figure 1 shows an account or other similar book arranged according to my
Invention, and in the manner which I consider most convenient; the lid or
cover at the end of the book is thrown back, so as to show the index. The.
index is attached to the lid or cover by means of a strip of cloth or other
suitable strong and flexible material. The said strip is either sewn or cemented
to the lid or cover of the book, and to the exterior of the index, and it serves
as a hinge or flexible connection, so that when desired the index may be
turned over to project beyond the lid or cover of the book, as is shewn at
Figure 2, where the book is seen open, and the index in the position it should
occupy when both the book and the index are in use. When in this position

page_text: the index may be referred to without turning over the leaves of the book,
w ich cannot be done with books having indices bound up with them in the
manner heretofore practised. In place. of connecting the index by means of
a strip of cloth or other flexible material, in very large books where considerable
strength is required, a brass or metal hinge may be employed. It will be seen
that the index may, if desired, be similarly attached to the cover at the
beginning of the book, or it may be attached to the edge of a strong leaf
bound into the book for the purpose; but these arrangements I do not on the
whole consider as convenient as that shewn in the Drawing. Fig. 3 is an
.edge view of the book shewn at Figures 1 and 2. It will be observed on
comparing the Figures 1 and 2 that the projections from the leaves of the
index to receive the reference letters are marked with such letters on both
sides in place of on one side only, as is usual with indices bound with
account and other similar books, this is in order to facilitate reference. If the
index be open at a letter near the end of the alphabet, this arrangement
enables the person using the index to turn directly to a letter nearer the
beginning of the alphabet, and that without first turning back to the first page
of the index, as is usually necessary. This is an important point in applying
indices to account and other books. As will be observed, the projection from
each leaf of the index is in the book shown in the Drawing of such a size as
to carry two reference letters (which belong to two pages of the index), and
the letters on the back of each projection differ from those at the front thereof,
the letters on the back of the projection being, in fact, those which in the index
immediately succeed those on the front of the projection. A similar arrange-
ment may be adopted when a leaf, or it may be several leaves, are devoted to
each letter of the alphabet.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Draper, have hereunto. set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN DRAPER. (L.S.)