IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAIGHT RULERS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN SHORT DOWNING of Commercial Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAIGHT RULERS to be as follows:-
"
My invention has reference to flat or non-rotating rulers composed of wood,
metal, vulcanite and the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line
for ruling purposes; thus the edges of the ruler conduct the inking or other
instrument without any possibility of smearing or blotting the paper or other
surface being ruled; so that the principal object of my invention is to so fórm
or construct the conducting edges of the ruler that the inking instrment in
following its course or direction, only touches the ruler at at a point removed from
the surface being ruled; that is, the ruling edges are undercut or overhanging the
base or supporting surface of the ruler, the edges being reversable; so that the side
presented for ruling is removed on its underside from the surface of the paper;
thus the section of the ruler is
shaped-Or inclined parallel sides or edges
may be substituted for the inside angles of the said form or figure as described, so
as to make in cross section the geometrical figure of a lozenge with horizontal top
and bottom surfaces and parallel inclined sides or edges, the base of the ruler
being more or less broadened out to suit the purposes for which the ruler is to
be used.
When the ruler is made of metal, it is preferably drawn from a thin strip into
the required section likened unto the letter -When the ruler is reversed,
the base of the edge comes flat upon the surface of the paper, which may
be useful for pencil lining-To prevent slipping the top and bottom surfaces
or base of the ruler may be fluted or corrugated longitudinally, so as to give a
better hold upon the paper or surface being ruled.

page_text: I, JOHN SHORT DOWNING of Commercial Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAIGHT RULERS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention has reference to flat or non-rotating rulers composed of wood,
metal, vulcanite and the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line
for ruling purposes.;. thus the edges of the ruler conduct the inking or other
instrument without any possibility of smearing or blotting the paper or other
surface being ruled; so that the principal object of my invention is to so form
or construct the conducting edges of the rule that the inking instrument in
following its course or direction, only touches the ruler at a point removed from
the surface being ruled; that is, the ruling edges are under-cut or overhang the
base or supporting surface of the ruler, the edges being reversible; so that the side
presented for ruling is removed on its underside from the surface of the paper;
thus the section of the ruler is
shaped; or inclined parallel sides or edges
may be substituted for, the inside angles, of the said form or figure as described, so
as to make in cross section the geometrical figure of a lozenge with horizontal top
and bottom edges and parallel inclined sides or edges, the base of the ruler being
more or less broadened out to suit the purposes for which the ruler is to be used.
When the ruler is made of metal, it is preferably drawn from a thin strip into
the required section, likened unto the figure ✓. When the ruler is reversed,
the base of the edge comes flat upon the surface of the paper, which may be useful
for pencil lining. To prevent slipping, the top and bottom surfaces or base of the
ruler may be fluted or corrugated longitudinally, so as to give a better hold upon
the paper or surface being ruled.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 is a plan and figure 2 is an end elevation of a flat ruler made
according to my invention, in which the back and front edges are made reversible
and step like to admit of the ruler being used either side, on being turned over
from front to back, or vice versa; so that an overhanging edge is always presented
for conducting an inking pen or other instrument on ruling.
5
J.
1
a is one side of the ruler and b the other side. The overhanging edge of the
one side, when presented to the front, leaves a step like. formation on the back
side; so that the front edge as described, conducts an inking or other' instrument
in ruling, without any possibility of smearing, or blotting the paper or other
surface being ruled; in consequence of the under cut, or over-hanging character of
the ruling edge.
32
When the ruler is required to be used for pencil, without an overhanging ruling
edge, the back edge is then turned round.
In figure 3 the flats, or top and bottom sides are slightly concaved, to lie more
evenly and steadier upon a surface being ruled-Or the top and bottom sides may
be scolloped longitudinally as in figure 4..

page_text: Figure 5 is a plan, and figures 6 and 6ª are end views of a flat ruler in which
the one edge is stepped, or overhanging, and the other side is inclined upwards
from the plain side, thus forming an overhanging ledge.
is an
One end of the said flat ruler figure 5 is chamfered or under cut, as best seen in
the edge view figure 6B and the plan of the underside figure 7. Figure
edge view of figure 7. The overhanging chamfered end is marked c. This
chamfering or slanting away of the end admits of the ruling up to the inside edge
of the page of the book, as shown in the perspective view figure 9, in which the
chamfered or overhanging end, overlaps to some extent, the page upon the opposite
side to that being ruled; so that the ruling pen can be drawn up to the extreme
inner boundary of the page.
Figure 10 is a flat ruler made according to my invention, and formed from sheet
metal, and drawn to the section figure 11.
Figure 12 shows a flat ruler, with inclined parallel edges instead of being step-
like, as in figure 1. Figure 13 is an end view of figure 12, showing the parallel
inclined edges which have.all the advantages of the overhanging edges, in the
preceding figures.
Figure 14 is a plan of a half round ruler with concaved over hanging ruling
edges, as best seen in the cross section figure 15.
By constructing rulers as shown in the cross section figure 15, the ruling edge is
removed from the surface of the paper being ruled.
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. A flat reversible ruler, of the cross section of figure 2, in which the
opposite step like ruling edges when presented for inking purposes, overhang the
base or supporting surface; but when the roller is turned round, from back to
front, for pencil ruling, the ruling edge lies flat to the surface upon which it rests,
substantially as described and illustrated in figures 1, 2 and 11 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly. A flat ruler with step like over-hanging ruling edges upon one side,
and an inclined undercut or over-hanging edge on the other side, as shown in the
end view figure 6, and represented in figures 5, 6, 6^ 6B and 7.
Thirdly. A flat reversible ruler of the cross section figure 13; that is, a ruler
with inclined undercut opposite edges, which when presented for use, overhang or
lie flat upon the surface to be ruled, substantially as described and set forth in
figures 12 and 13.
Fourthly. A half round reversible ruler of the cross section figure 15, consisting
of a semi circular back, with concaved front and undersides; so that when the
ruler is presented for use, the conducting edge over-hangs the paper being ruled,
substantially as described and set forth in figures 14 and 15; also the concaving
or fluting of the top and bottom, or bearing surfaces of flat rulers as set forth
in figures 3 and 4.
Fifthly. Slanting the ends of straight or flat rulers, with an undercut or incline
marked c, so that the inside end of a ruler when in use, may overhang an adjacent
page of a book inclining upwards, in order to rule from the extreme inside
boundary of a page, substantially as described and set forth in figures 5, 6ª, 6B
7, 8 and 9.