Improvements in Pocket and other Folding Maps, Plans, and similar Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: -
Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1893.
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pocket and other Folding Maps, Plans, and
similar Articles.
I, THOMAS BEST of 33 Hercules Road Lambeth in the County of Surrey,
Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the manner of folding and covering
maps, plans or other similar articles. The said invention consists in folding and
covering the said maps, plans or similar articles so as to render all parts of the
face of such maps, plans or other articles quickly and easily accessible to view
without the necessity of unfolding or opening the map beyond the extent of its
covers, and without severing the continuity of the said map.
This invention applies to all folded maps, plans or similar articles which are
drawn or printed upon one surface only of the paper or other material, but is
especially applicable to those intended to be carried in the pocket for frequent
reference: and for use out of doors, as by cyclists, tourists and others where the
necessity of unfolding the whole or a large portion of the map each time it is
desired to examine it is inconvenient, and detrimental to the durability of the map.
In applying my invention to a map, the map is folded to the desired size, face
outward, in such a manner that each fold can be turned over like the leaf of a
book, so that the entire map can be consulted or examined by turning over the
successive folds, and without the necessity of unfolding it beyond the covers,
whilst it can, if desired, be readily unfolded so as to exhibit the whole map at one
view.
The cover may consist of two flaps or leaves of paper, cloth, leather or other
suitable material, stiffened or not, hinged or otherwise affixed one at each end of
the said folded map in such a way as to close upon and cover or protect the exposed
terminal folds of the map when the same is closed.
This cover is similar to the cover of a book with the back removed, and admits
of the map being opened and read from either front or back edges, according to the
portion of the map it is desired to inspect.
Or the said cover may consist of three leaves attached to each other, the map
being affixed to the centre leaf of the cover.
Or the map may be attached to a cover consisting of two leaves by means of a
pivot, so as to enable the map to be turned upon the cover for the purpose of
reading the different parts of the map without unfolding it beyond the extent of
the-cover.
The said maps or other articles may also be mounted upon cloth or other suitable
material before being folded so as to increase their durability.
The said maps may also be so drawn, printed or mounted as to leave narrow
strips or intervals of blank paper or other material at positions corresponding with
the creases of each or any of the folds of the said maps.
001 M 1002

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pocket and other Folding Maps, Plans, and
similar Articles.
I, THOMAS BEST of 33 Hercules Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Clerk, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming
a part of this Specification :-
My invention relates to improvements in the manner of folding and covering
maps, plans and similar articles.
The said invention consists in folding and covering the said maps, plans or other
articles so as to render all parts of the face of such maps, plans or other
articles quickly and easily accessible to view without the necessity of unfolding
or opening the map beyond the extent of its covers, and with or without severing
the continuity of the said map as may be desired.
This invention applies to all folded maps, plans or similar articles, but is
especially suitable to those intended to be carried in the pocket for frequent
reference and for use out of doors, as by cyclists, tourists, and others where
the necessity of unfolding the whole or a large portion of the map each time it
is desired to examine it, is inconvenient and detrimental to the durability of the
map. It is also applicable to very large maps for office use.
In applying my invention to a map, the map is folded to the desired size,
face outward, in such a manner that each fold can be turned over like the leaf
of a book, so that the entire map can be consulted or examined by turning over
the successive folds and without the necessity of unfolding it beyond the covers,
whilst it can, if desired, be readily unfolded so as to exhibit the whole map at one
view.
The cover consists of two flaps or leaves of paper, cloth, leather or other suitable
material, stiffened or not, hinged or otherwise affixed one at each end of the said
folded map, in such a way as to close upon, cover and protect the terminal folds of
the map when the same is closed.
This cover is similar to the cover of a book with the back or hinge removed, so
as to admit of the map being opened and read from either front or back edges,
according to the portion of the map it is desired to inspect.
Or the cover may consist of three leaves attached to each other, the map being
affixed to the centre leaf of the cover.
Or the map may be attached by means of a pivot to a cover consisting of two
ordinary leaves, so as to enable the map to be turned upon the cover for the purpose
of reading the different parts of the map without unfolding it beyond the extent of
the cover.
The said maps or other articles may also be mounted upon cloth or other suitable
material before being folded so as to increase their durability.
The said maps may also be so drawn, printed or mounted as to leave narrow
strips or intervals of blank paper or other material at positions corresponding with
the creases of each or any of the folds of the said maps.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 illustrates my method of folding a map.
Figure 2 shows the map open with covers attached.
Figure 3 shows a map folded with covers attached and partially extended.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a modified form of cover with three portions or leaves
hinged together and the map opened therein in different positions.
Figures 7 and 8 show a two-leafed case or cover with map pivoted therein.

page_text: I fold the map ABCD Figure 1 inside out, that is, with the face of the map
outwards, by making two longitudinal creases represented by the lines E F and G H
Figure 1 the map being thus folded into three folds or zones A' A' A³. This
reduces the map to a kind of strip of three folds. This strip I then fold back and
forth at right angles to its length on the lines a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, &c., &c. or at such
other distances as will bring the map to the desired size when folded. The map is now
completely folded and ready to receive the protecting case or cover which is affixed
to it in the following manner :-
At each end of the map I hinge or otherwise affix a flap of paper, cardboard,
cloth, leather or other suitable material as shown at I. J. Figure 2; so that when
closed, the map lies between the said flaps or covers J. and is covered by them.
This form of cover resembles that of an ordinary book with the back removed.
The map folded and covered as above described can be opened from either front or
back edges I J¹ Figure 3 giving access to the central fold or zone A² on one side,
and either the fold A' or A³ (whichever is uppermost) on the other side. When it
is required to inspect the lower fold or zone the map is extended its full length, and
the relative positions of the folds A¹ and A³ are transposed. The whole extent of
each of two zones can thus be inspected by simply turning over the successive folds
of the map in the same manner as the leaves of a book without any portion of the
map being unfolded or opened out beyond the limits of the said flaps or covers.
The flaps or covers I. J. are preferably placed on the end folds of the central zone
or fold E F G H Figure 1 but they may be attached, one at each end of the map,
to either of the end folds thereof, if desired.
I may affix the map, folded as above described, into a case consisting of three
hinged leaves K L M or of one piece folded so as to form a three leaved cover as
shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. In this modification of my invention the map is
affixed to the portion L of the cover, close to one of its hinged sides by one of the
end folds of the said map in such a manner that it can be opened so as to rest upon
section K and L or L and M of the said cover as shown in Figures 5 and 6
respectively for the purpose of affording access to two of the longitudinal folds or
zones as above described without any portion of the map being opened out beyond
the said three leaved cover.
Or I may attach the map folded as above described to a two-leaved cover as
shown in Figures 7 and 8 by means of a flap N affixed to one of the terminal folds
of the map and secured to either leaf of the cover by means of a pin or pivot O in
such a manner that the map can be rotated freely thereon.
By rotating the folded map on the said pivot O, either side P or Q of the map
can be brought to the fore edge of the case or cover, thus affording access to two of
the longitudinal folds or zones as above described without opening the map beyond
the said case or cover. The map may be pivoted in the manner described in a three
leafed case or cover such as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.
In all the methods above described the central fold or zone A' and one other of
the longitudinal folds or zones of the map are always accessible throughout their
length (fold by fold) without opening the map beyond the limits of the cover.
Access to the remaining longitudinal fold or zone is obtained by opening the map
out and transposing the relative positions of the zones A' and A³ as described with
relation to Figures 1 and 2.
The map may be printed or produced on one sheet of paper or other suitable
material folded as above described, or it may be divided into sections and the whole
mounted on cloth, or other suitable material, allowing slight intervals at some or all
of the said creases or folds.
My invention is applicable to maps, plaus, diagrams or any such like articles,
which, while it is necessary to retain them as a whole, in one sheet, it is also desirable
to bind them in a portable form with ready access to any portion desired without
cutting or unfolding the sheet.
The map may be folded into two longitudinal folds or zones, instead of three if
desired,

page_text: 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 claim is
First. The combination of a map, plan, diagram, or other similar article, folded
as described, with the covers I. J. substantially as set forth and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing.
Second. The combination of a map, plan, diagram, or similar article, folded as
described, with a three-leaved case or cover substantially as set forth and illustrated
in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing.
Third. The combination of a map, plan, diagram, or similar article, folded as
described, with the flap N, pivot O and a two or three leaved case or cover
substantially as set forth and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 30th day of December 1893.