IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING REFERENCE BY MEANS OF INDEXES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund White, of Bath, in the County of Somerset,
Outfitter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING REFERENCE
BY MEANS OF INDEXES."
Sealed the 19th October 1858, and dated the 27th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund White at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
April 1858.
I, EDMUND WHITE, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Outfitter, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING
REPERENCE BY MEANS OF INDEXES," to be as follows:-
I propose for directories, ledgers, or other books or works of reference to
make an index in the usual manner by cutting portions of the leaves away
and placing an index letter, as required. Suppose the letter to be B, in a
great number of names those beginning with that letter would be very
numerous, and as indexes are usually made the whole number of names so
commencing must be run over until the desired name is arrived at. I propose
to cut out portions of the upper part of those leaves occupied by or devoted to
the letter B, so that when that letter is turned to in the ordinary index and
the book opened, the upper part will shew the letters of the alphabet with

page_text: secondary letters added; thus, if I require the name of "Brotherton," instead
of running down all the names commencing with B, I open the book at index
letter B, and on the top I perceive Br or Bro; dividing the pages at Bro, I
find all the names so commencing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmund White in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
WHITE, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Outfitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edmund White, Her special licence that I, the said Edmund White,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edmund White, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FACILITATING REFERENCE BY MEANS OF INDEXES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edmund White, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Edmund White, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The object of my Invention is to facilitate reference by means of indexes
arranged in novel combination; by their use quick reference is made to the
contents of directories, ledgers, and other books or works enabling any person
to find the name, word, or numeral required at the page containing it, whether the

page_text: word be the name of a person, street, or other subject matter, or in a ledger or
other book of account, to open it at the numbered page in which the entry
sought will be found, or where the fresh entry should be made. The use of
indexes of my Invention greatly lessens the time necessarily hitherto required
in the compilation of directories and similar books of reference, while in banks,
insurance, and other offices in which large books, of accounts or other entries,
are continually referred to, my Invention will materially accelerate the despatch
of business. The alphabetical index is applicable to all books, whether
printed or in manuscript, in which the names of persons, places, or things,
or words of any kind are alphabetically arranged or to be alphabetically
entered. The numerical index is applicable to all printed or written books or
records in which consecutive numbers are used for reference or any other purpose.
The novelty of the alphabetical index consists in the use of the margins at the
top and bottom of the book, together or separately in conjunction with that
at the front or fore edge thereof, in the peculiar combinations of letters and
numbers by which the results are obtained, and in the extent to which
such combinations may be carried out. The peculiar combination of letters
consists in making the alphabet as used in the common index the starting
point, and forming a separate index to cach letter of the alphabet of all the
letters that can be used in conjunction therewith and second thereto, and
so on with each letter in succession to the end of the word or name, or so far
in reference thereto as convenienco requires, as, for instance, to find or record
the name or word "Brown," I take the letter B in the general alphabetical
index, r in the index of letters that combine with B, o in the index of letters
that combine with Br, w in the index of letters that combine with Bro, and n
in the index of letters that combine with Brow, thus completing the word
"Brown." It will be seen that by this arrangement each letter in succession
is made to furnish the same aid to reference as the first, the second index
being to the particular letter or combination of letters to which it refers, just
what each letter of the alphabet is to the whole.
The mode of application which appears to me most convenient is to place
the letters of the alphabet in succession on the front or fore edge of the book,
the letters being either cut in the leaves or attached thereto and projecting
therefrom; the second index of the letters in combination with each letter of
the alphabet at the top, and the third at the foot or bottom of such page,
the letters in all cases being either cut in the margin or printed on projecting
tabs of paper, parchment, or other material attached to the leaves, such
projecting tabs to have the letters or numbers printed on one or both sides, as

page_text: may be required. Where indices are very extensive or voluminous the aid
to reference may be carried to the extent of the whole word or name, as
already shewn, but in the majority of cases, as, for instance, the names in the
Post-office Directory, it will be found that the fourth letter in any name will
bring the eye to the exact page in which the name appears, and in reference
to those less numerous the second letter will answer the same purpose. The
figure index is formed by cutting in or attaching to the fore edge, and
either or both ends in conjunction with the fore edge, figures instead of letters,
as, for instance, in a book containing 200 pages, I take and cut in or attach
to the twentieth page the figure 2; to the fortieth, the figure 4; to the
sixtieth, 6; to the eightieth, 8, and to the hundredth the figure 1, printed
or written in a different color; I then repeat at every twentieth page the
figures 2, 4, 6, 8, which following the hundred now stand for 120, 140,
160, 180, and then I put the figure 2 (representing two hundred) in the same
(colour) as the 1 (which represents one hundred,) and so on to any extent; thus
will be afforded the means of opening the book at any of the pages to which
the numbers in the margin have reference, and which in all cases would
represent 20 or any multiple of that number. But in order to find the exact
page required without the trouble of turning over different leaves, I index the
figures 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, at the top or bottom margin, thus
bringing the exact number required immediately in view where the pages are
numbered right and left alternately. But in some cases books of reference,
such as ledgers, are ordered to be printed or numbered on both (left and right)
pages alike, in this case if it be deemed of sufficient importance to be precisely
accurate (in reference,) the top of the pages should shew all the numbers from
1 to 19, but for ordinary purposes the finding of the next page and then
turning over the leaf will be sufficient. The numerals above mentioned may
(as directed for the alphabet) project from the leaves formed on any suitable
material and be attached thereto, if preferred.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Facilitating
Reference by Means of Indexes," and the means by which it is carried into
effect, I would observe that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein given of the manner of arranging the letters and numerals, as some
modifications thereof may be required and made without the principle or main
characteristics of my Invention being in any way departed from, the indexes
herein-before described being applicable to all sorts of books or manuscripts,
whether of a commercial, statistical, or other description, where great facility
of reference is or may be required. And I claim the exclusive right, as

page_text: secured to me by Letters Patent, to manufacture, make, letter, or number
indexes having references arranged in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund White, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
W. E. GEDGE,
4, Danes Inn.
EDMP WHITE. (L.S.)