IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC GUIDE AND STREET DIRECTORIES, AND IN APPLIANCES COMBINED THEREWITH
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue and Birk-
beck, Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC GUIDE AND STREET DIRECTORIES,
AND IN APPLIANCES COMBINED THEREWITH." A communication from abroad
by Achille Emile Gosteau, Jean Marie Auguste Lacomme, and Adolphe Antoine
Giren, all of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tongue at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1877.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC
GUIDE AND STREET DIRECTORIES, AND IN APPLIANCES COMBINED THEREWITH.”
communication from abroad by Achille Emile Gosteau, Jean Marie Auguste
Lacomme, and Adolphe Antoine Giren, all of Paris, France].
[A
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
public guide and street directories, in the form of tablets or frames, upon which are
exhibited the names of persons or firms trading in the street in which the guide or
street directory is placed.
The name of each person is displayed upon an inner moveable and separato
transparent glass, or any other suitable transparent material.
The label stuck upon the glass is covered with a suitable varnish or preparation,
to render it waterproof.

page_text: The tablet is arranged with columns of names, trades, and professions of the
persons indicated.
The front of the frame is supported by an iron and moveable frame mounted
upon hinges.
At the lower part of the frame indicator a divided compartment is reserved for
useful indications, such as the fire engine station, police station, post office, and
telegraph, surgeon, chemist, cab station, the drawing or plan of the street and
adjoining streets, important buildings, or other references
A space or compartment is arranged in which is placed the illuminating apparatus
to illuminate the fiame at night, so that the names shown on the indicator guide may
be visible.
A rhoometer is combined with the frame to regulate and calculate the quantity of
gas consumed. Ventilators are also arranged, and a small sliding door for lighting
the gas at night.
A moveable and portable iron door is supported at the lower part by two screw
rings or fixed bolts, and at the upper part of the door there is a spring click which can
only be opened by a key. This moveable door may be fixed at night if necessary,
it may also be replaced, if necessary, by a revolving iron door, moved through a
revolving cylinder placed at the bottom of the frame, the shutting and opening being
effected by a handle or crank.
Upon the moveable or fixed door at night (after business hours) any useful indi-
cations are displayed, such as the fire station, police station, surgeon, chemist, or
other references.
A telegraphic apparatus is arranged at the top of the frame indicator, and may
be put into communication if desired with an electric alarm placed at the nearest
fire station. For that purpose a spring knob or nipple, when pressed by the finger,
establishes the electric current and causes the action of the fire alarm. The alternate
and interrupted pressure under the pressure of the finger may correspond with the
number of the house on firo. This telegraphic knob or nipple can only be put into
motion through the agency of the person or the housekeeper on whose house front
the guide and street directory is situated.
It will thus be seen that when illuminated at night the guide and street directory
may be read at any time to give important and useful indications for the trade, and
public safety, also affording facility for to establish communication by clectricity
with fire stations and other establishments.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed by
the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st April
1878.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC
GUIDE AND STREET DIRECTORIES, AND IN APPLIANCES COMBINED THEREWITH." A
communication from abroad by Achille Emile Gosteau, Jean Marie Auguste
Lacomme, and Adolphe Antoine Giren, all of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
public guide and street directories, in the form of tablets or frames, upon which are
exhibited the names of persons or firms trading in the street in which the guide or
street directory is placed.
The name of each person is displayed upon an inner moveable and separate trans-
parent glass or any other suitable transparent material.
શ
The label stuck upon the glass is covered with a suitable varnish or preparation to
render it waterproof.
The tablet is arranged with columns of names, trades, and professions of the
persons indicated.
The front of the frame is supported by an iron and moveable frame mounted upon
hinges.
At the lower part of the frame indicator a divided compartment is reserved for
useful indications, such as the fire engine station, police station, post office and
telegraph, surgeon, chemist, cab station, the drawing or plan of the strect and
adjoining streets, important buildings, or other references
A space or compartment is arranged, in which is placed the illuminating apparatus
to illuminate the frame at night, so that the names shown on the indicator guide
may be visible.
A rheometer is combined with the frame to regulate and calculate the quantities
of gas consumed. Ventilators are also arranged, and a small sliding door for lighting
the gas at night.
A moveable and portable iron door is supported at the lower part by two screw
ings or fixed bolts, and at the upper part of the door there is a spring click which
can only be opened by a key. This moveable door may be fixed at night if noces-
sary: it may also be replaced if necessary by a revolving iron door moved through a
revolving cylinder placed at the bottom of the frame, the shutting and opening
being effected by a handle or crank.
Upon the moveable or fixed door at night (after business hours) any useful
indications are displayed, such as the fire station, police station, surgeon, chemist,
or other references. These indications may be printed, painted, or, if preferred,
in perforated letters to render them visible at night.
A telegraphic apparatus is arranged at the top of the frame indicator, and may
be put into communication if desired, with an electric alarm placed at the nearest
fire station. For that purpose a spring knob or nipple when pressed by the finger
establishes the electric current and causes the action of the fire alarm The alter-
nato and intermittent pressure under the pressure of the finger may correspond with
the number of the house on fire Or, if desired, an electric alarm may be combined
with a telephone apparatus in order that when the electric alarm is given a verbal
communication could be exchanged or established through the agency of the
telephone apparatus and wires. This telegraphic knob or nipple can only be put
into motion through the agency of the person or the housekeeper on whose house
front the guide and street directory is situated.
It will thus be scon that when illuminated at night the guide and strect directory
may be seen at any time to give important and useful indications for the trade and

page_text: public safety, also affording facility to establish communication by electricity or
telephone with fire stations and other establishments.
And in order that the Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an exterior or general view of the frame upon which are
painted, printed, and exhibited the names of persons or firms trading in the street
in which the guide and street directory is placed, also any other information that
may be required.
The name of each person is fixed upon an inner moveable and separate trans-
parent glass, or any other suitable transparent material.
The label stuck upon the glass is covered with a suitable varnish or preparation
to render it waterproof or impermeable to the influences of weather; or if preferred,
the label may be secured between two pieces of glass.
B, B, represents the column or arrangement of names, trades, and professions of
the persons indicated.
The front of the frame is supported by an iron and moveable frame upon
hinges.
At the lower part of the frame indicator C, D, C, a divided compartiment is
reserved for useful indications, such as the fire engine station, police station, post
office, and telegraph, surgeon, chemist, cab station, the drawing or plan of the street
and adjoining streets, important buildings, or other references.
Figure 2 represents the space or compartment in which is placed the illuminating
apparatus to illuminate and thus render the frame and advertisements, with the
names shown in the indicator guide, visible at night, I, I, is the gas pipe; R, is a
rheometer to calculate and regulate the quantity of gas consumed; 0, 0, O, are the
gas burners; F, F, ventilators; H, small sliding door for lighting the gas apparatus
at night.
A moveable and portable iron door is mounted and supported at the lower and
upper parts by two screw rings or fixed bolts At the central upper part of the
said door is a spring click opened by a key. This moveable door may be fixed at
night if necessary to prevent damage (caused by ill-intentioned people) to the frame.
It may also be replaced, if desired, by a revolving iron door moved by a revolving
cylinder placed at the bottom of the frame, the shutting and opening may be effected
by a handle, crank, or key.
Upon the above moveable or fixed door at night, or after business hours, are
written useful indications, such as the fire and police stations, surgeon, chemist, and
other references
A telegraphic apparatus T is placed at the lower and centre part of the frame
indicator, and is put into communication with an electric bell or alarm N, Figures
3 and 4, placed at the nearest fire or polico stations. For this purpose a key is
introduced at the point S, Figure 1, and when moved by the hand establishes through
the wires Z an electric current, which causes the alarm bell to ring at the corre-
sponding station. The alternative interrupted distant and regular movements of the
key establishes by each stroke of the bell N a number of strokes, which indicates as
agreed or arranged by a previous understanding, the name of the street and the
number of the house on fire, or where assistance is required. When the message or
information has been sent to the fire or police stations a reply acknowledging the
receipt of the communication is sent back or returned to the indicator guide or
tablet, which is shown by the passage of a red disc X in the opening left in the
dial plate (see Figures 1, 3, and 4) and vice versa, from the fire and police stations
to the guide indicator, and so on reciprocally.
A telephone apparatus may be combined with a telegraphic apparatus and applied,
if preferred, to communicate with the station named, a telegraph key being given to
each policeman on duty, also to the housekeeper on front of whose house the street
guide or directory is situated or placod,

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, what I claim under the above in part recited
Letters Patent is, the improved arrangement and construction, substantially as
herein-before described, of a guide and street directory in such manner that it may
be read night and day so as to give important and useful indications for commercial
purposes and for public safety; also for the purpose of establishing immediate com-
munication by electricity and telephone with fire and police stations and other
establishments, and thus facilitate the services rendered by policemen on duty.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE. (L.S.)