Improvements in or relating to Pocket Books and Memorandum Blocks or Tablets and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pocket Books and Memorandum
Blocks or Tablets and the like.
.1, FREDERICK WICH of 8 and 10 Great Titchfield Street in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer and Importer of Fancy Goods, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a device applicable to a pocket book,
memorandum block or tablet or the like whereby one is able to write notes even
in the dark without risk of writing one note over another and also to enable the
notes to be readily hidden from view as may be necessary in crowded places such
for example as at race meetings and on the Stock Exchange, the device being
serviceable for people engaged in various business and professions.
The device comprises a frame and a series of slides or shutters adjustable therein
the whole series of shutters nearly filling the space enclosed by the frame, the
portion of the space not so filled being of about the width of each of the shutters
which are preferably all of equal width.
The device is applied to a pocket book, memorandum block, tablet or the like
by fitting the fiame thereon, any suitable means of attachment such as a hinge,
one or more clips or equivalent being provided if desired.
When it is desired to use the device the shutters are first moved into their
lowest positions, a writing space then being presented between the upper part of
the frame and the uppermost or first of the shutters; when this space is filled the
first shutter is moved up so as to cover the notes previously made and expose
between it (the first shutter) and the second shutter an unused portion of the
writing surface. When this portion of the writing surface is filled the second
shutter is moved up so as to cover the notes thereon and expose a writing space
between the second and third shutters and so on until the last available portion
of the writing surface is used. After this the frame may be raised or detached
and the last completed sheet of notes separated from the unused sheets, the frame
replaced and the shutters all moved down to their lowest positions ready for a
fresh series of notes.
If desired the device may be used in the reverse manner the notes being made
first at the bottom of the sheet or tablet and thereafter at successively higher
parts thereof, or the shutters instead of moving up and down may be arranged to
move sidewise which would be convenient when columns of figures are required
to be written down.
The shutters may be guided in the frame in any convenient manner and they
are preferably provided with recesses knobs or equivalent to enable them to be
readily moved by the fingers.
With the before described device a person may readily write a note in the dark
as the writing would be effected within a space surrounded as it were by a frame
constituted by the frame and one or two of the shutters which would prevent
the pencil or equivalent escaping from the portion of the writing surface then
in use.
The device beside being applicable to blocks of paper as before described may
be applied to ivory and other washable memoranduin tablets.
Dated this 28th day of June 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Pocket Books and Memorandum
Blocks or Tablets and the like.
I, FREDERICK WICH of 8 and 10 Great Titchfield Street in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer and Importer of Fancy Goods 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 :-
This invention has for its object to provide a device applicable to a pocket
book, memorandum block or tablet or the like whereby one is able to write notes
even in the dark without risk of writing one note over another and also to enable
the notes to he readily hidden from view as may be necessary in crowded places
such for example as at race meetings and on the Stock Exchange, the device
being serviceable for people engaged in various business and professions.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pocket book provided with one form of the
device constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of part of the same after adjustment.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The device as shown in the drawings comprises a frame A and a series of slides
or shutters B B B3 B4 B B° and 137 adjustable in guides A' therein the whole
series of shutters nearly filling the space enclosed by the frame, the portion of the
space not so filled being of about the width of each of the shutters B' &c. which
are preferably all of equal width.
The device is applied to a pocket book, memorandum block tablet or the like
by fitting the frame thereon, any suitable means of attachment such as a hinge C
Fig. 1, one or more clips or equivalent being provided if desired.
When it is desired to use the device the shutters B¹ &c. are first moved into
their lowest positions, a writing space D then being presented between the upper
part of the frame A and the shutter B¹ as shown in Fig. 1; when this space D is
filled the shutter B₁ is moved up so as to cover the notes previously made, and
expose between it (B) and the shutter B2 an unused portion of the writing surface.
When this portion of the writing surface is filled the shutter B2 is moved up so
as to cover the notes thereon and expose a writing space between the shutters B²
and B and so on until the last available portion of the writing surface is used.
In Fig. 2 the writing space D is presented between the shutters BS and B.
this the frame A together with the shutters B' &c. may be raised or detached and
the last completed sheet of notes separated from the unused sheets E, Fig. 1 the
frame replaced and the shutters all moved down to their lowest positions ready for
a fresh series of notes.
After
If desired the device may be used in the reverse manner the notes being made
first at the bottom of the sheet or tablet and thereafter at successively higher
parts thereof, or the shutters instead of moving up and down may be arranged
to move sidewise which would be convenient when columns of figures are required
to be written down.
The shutters B' &c. of which there may be more or less than the number shown
in the drawing are guided in the frame A in any convenient manner and they are
preferably provided with recesses, knobs or equivalent B to cuable them to be
readily moved by the fingers.
With the before described device a person may readily write a note in the dark
as the writing would be effected within a space surrounded as it were by a frame
constituted by the frame A and one or two of the shutters B' &c. which would

page_text: prevent the pencil or equivalent escaping from the portion of the writing surface
then in use.
Instead of employing shutters for covering up the portions of the writing surface
when written upon I may use other equivalent devices such as flaps of different
widths adapted to be turned down successively or I may use either a number of
slats hinged together as in a revolving shutter or a flexible spring controlled blind
or shutter adapted to be drawn more or less over the writing surface and if desired
the flexible blind may be retained in any position by a spring catch.
The device beside being applicable to blocks of paper as before described may
be applied to ivory and other washable memorandum tablets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. A device for use in connection with a writing surface for the purpose of
covering up any part when written upon.
2. For use in connection with a writing surface a frame such as A and one or
more adjustable shutters such as B' substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with a pocket book writing block or tablet or other
writing surface of a frame such as A and one or more shutters such as B¹
movable within the frame substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. The complete attachment for pocket books or other writing blocks or
surfaces substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of March 1896
FRED. WICH.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.