An Improved Library Indicator.
Year: 1898

page_text: An Improved Library Indicator.
ALFRED LLOYD BRAITHWAITE, Gentleman, 54, Francis Street, Leeds, HARRY
LEACH, Commercial Traveller, 16, Leopold Square, Leeds, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to library indicators consisting of vertical columns of
shelves fitted with reversible blocks or trays in which the absence of any
particular book is indicated by reversing the corresponding tray or block and
in effect that it substitutes an alphabetical order of titles of books, for the
numerical order, whereby the indicator would also serve the purpose of a com-
bined catalogue and indicator, by enabling a librarian to classify in the indicator
the titles of books alphabetically, both as to the authors' names, and the titles
of their books; that is to say, the authors' names would be arranged alpha-
betically, and their works likewise alphabetically after each author, and owing
to the names of writers and books being on the ends of movable blocks, inserted
in the divisions of the indicator frame, additions to the library which are made
from time to time could be put into position, thus always maintaining the
alphabetical arrangement and classification, which would enable the borrowers
to ascertain at a glance what books are in the library.
1000
ALFRED LL. BRAITHWAITE,
HARRY LEACH.
An Improved Library Indicator.
We, ALFRED LLOYD BRAITHWAITE, of 54, Francis Street, Leeds, in the County
of York, Gentleman, and HARRY LEACHI, of 16, Leopold Square, Leeds, in the
County of York, Commercial Traveller, 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 refers to library indicators consisting of vertical or horizontal
columns of shelves fitted with reversible blocks or trays, in which the absence of
any particular book is indicated by reversing the tray or block representing the book
in the shelf of the indicator, so as to present a different colour to the person
looking over the indicator to that shown previous to reversal, and which indicated
that the book was in the library. In the indicators at present used, the par-

page_text: ticular book represented by the block or tray is determined by putting the
stock number of the book on each end of the tray or block, the numbers being
printed in different colours, or the ground on which they are printed being
different, at the two ends.
The main disadvantage of this method is, that when the reader has found
the number of any particular book he desires to have out, he may on referring
to the indicator, find the book already out; and if there are several copies of the
same work in the library, he may have to refer several times to the catalogue
before coming on the particular copy that is in the library. If the work or all
the copies of the work are out, the reader has to refer again to the catalogue for
the number of some other book he would like to have out. In large libraries
at busy times, where the number of catalogues for reference is always small
compared with the number of persons attending to take out books, much time
is lost and considerable annoyance caused to the public by the necessity for con-
stantly referring to the catalogue.
Fig. 1, is a part of front view and Fig. 2, a cross section on line X Y of Fig. 1,
of a library indicator constructed and arranged according to our invention.
Fig. 3, is a part of front view of a modification hereunder described.
Now we propose to avoid any necessity for reference to the catalogue by
printing the titles of the books on the ends of the blocks or trays a in place
of the stock (i.e. book) numbers, the printing or the ground at the opposite ends
of the blocks being of different colours; and we provide a set of dummy or spare
blocks or trays on both the ends of which the different authors' names are
printed i.e., one such block or tray for each author; either the printing, or the
ground on which the name is printed, being of a different colour to either of the
colours on the ends of the trays or blocks having the titles of the books on
them. Thus for example, those having the titles might have the title printed in
black on white ground at one end, and when put in the shelf so as to expose
this side to the public, would indicate that the book was in the library; whilst
at the opposite end the title might be printed in white on a black ground,
indicating when this end was exposed to the public, that the book was out of the
library. Both ends of the authors' blocks or trays 6 might be white on a scarlet
ground, or one end black on a scarlet ground and the other end white say on a
blue ground.
Both the trays or blocks having the authors' names and those having the a
titles are arranged in alphabetical order, that is to say, that whilst the authors'
names appear in alphabetical order, the blocks or trays having the names of
any two immediately successive authors are separated by the trays or blocks
having the titles of the books of the alphabetically first of the two authors,
these trays or blocks being themselves arranged in alphabetical order of the 4
titles. This is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Fig. 3.
In the case of scientific, technical and other books, we propose to modify our
invention by substituting in place of the blocks or trays having the authors'
names, blocks or trays having the subject matter of the different works printed
on the ends, which are placed on the shelves in alphabetical order, and between 4
them blocks or trays having the titles of the works or the authors names, (which
may or may not include the title.) arranged alphabetically.
Where there is more than one copy of any work, a corresponding number of
blocks or trays are or may be used, that is, one block or tray for each copy;
and these are all placed together, so as not to disturb the alphabetical order.
5
In order to identify the different copies, these have one of the letters A, B, C, etc.
placed next to the book number, say on the label on the inner side of the book
back, and a space is left on one side of the title on the corresponding tray or
block to receive the identifying letter; as illustrated for example in the case
of Ainsworth's "Merrie England," Fig. 1, column 1.
Or where economy of 5
space is important, only one block or tray may be used for each work, and this
only reversed when all the copies are out.

page_text: Or we may in place of having a separate block or tray for each copy of a
work, have two narrow columns, see Fig. 3, in which long narrow blocks can
be inserted; those on one side having the total number of copies of the work
represented by the adjoining block or tray in the stock of the library printed on
the ends; and those on the opposite sides the number of copies taken out (or left
in) printed on them. A small drawer is in this case provided behind the
indicator, having compartments containing the necessary number of the long
narrow blocks, which latter have the numbers printed on the ends, all those
having the same number printed on the ends, being in the same compartment.
Thus if there are four copies of a work, the narrow block on one side has the
figure 4 printed on the ends, whilst if two are taken out, the block on the
opposite side would have the figure 2 printed on the ends. If a third copy is
afterwards taken out, the library attendant withdraws the last mentioned block
and places it in the (2) compartment of the drawer, and takes a block from the
(3) compartment, which has the figure 3 printed on the ends and places it
in the shelf from which he has removed the block having the figure 2 on the
ends.
If all the copies of a particular work are out, the tray is reversed, so as to
present the title in that colour or on that colour of ground used for indicating
that a work is out.
The trays may be provided with an indicator book, containing the stock number
and other particulars referring to the book, attached or loose, or arranged to
receive the readers card, or a solid block or otherwise, according to the method
considered most suitable by the librarian. We also print the authors name on
the tray in some convenient position; so as to facilitate it being replaced, if
by any means the tray should fall out or become misplaced.
It will be evident, that owing to the names of the authors and the titles of the
books being on the ends of moveable blocks or trays, that additions to the
library which are made from time to time can be put into position, thus always
maintaining the alphabetical arrangement and classification, which would enable
the borrowers to ascertain at a glance, what books are in the library.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Library indicators consisting of rows of shelves and removable blocks or
trays adapted to fit said shelves some of said blocks or trays having each an
author's name printed on both ends in a distinctive colour or on a distinctively
coloured ground whilst the remainder of the blocks or trays have each the title
of a book printed on both ends two distinctive colours of printing or of the
ground being used respectively for the two ends both of these colours being
different from the colour used for the first mentioned set the whole of the
shelves being so arranged that the blocks or trays having the author's names
on the ends follow each other in alphabetical order whilst any two immediately
successive authors' names are separated by the likewise alphabetically arranged
blocks or trays having on their ends the titles of the works of the alphabetically
first of the two authors all substantially as herein set forth.
2. The modification of the subject matter of the first claim in which removable
blocks or trays having the subject matter of the books printed on the ends are
substituted for removable blocks or trays having the authors' names on the ends
thereof substantially as set forth.
3. In a library indicator the combination as described of trays having an
alphabetical arrangement of the authors' names and trays having an alphabetical
arrangement of the titles of the works of each author and an alphabetical indica-
tion of the respective copies of the same work substantially as set forth.
4. The modification of the subject matter of the first claim in which an addi-
tional space (or column) is provided on each side of the shelves (or shelf columns)

page_text: to receive blocks those on the one side having respectively the total number of
copies of the works printed thereon and those on the other side having respectively
the corresponding numbers of copies taken out (or left in) marked on both ends
substantially as set forth.
D
1
1
1300
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, WH.Sc., F.I.P.A.,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.