IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF DUPLICATE WRITINGS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Bousfield, of 20, Hereford Terrace, De
Beauvoir Road, Kingsland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF DUPLICATE WRITINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Bousfield at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1858.
I, FREDERICK BOUSFIELD, of 20, Hereford Terrace, De Beauvoir Road,
Kingsland, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF DUPLICATE WRITINGS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to facilitate the
production of duplicate writings. For these purposes, in order to produce two
or more similar writings at the same time, the desk or surface used is arranged
in such manner as to present portions of two or more pieces of paper on its
upper surface, so that a person writing on the presented portions of the pieces-
of
paper with two or more pens or writing instruments combined together, will-
be able to write simultaneously on the presented portions of all the pieces of
paper. The apparatus combined with the desk or surface on which the pre-

page_text: sented portions of the pieces of paper are held, is so arranged that in moving
one piece of paper a distance the other piece or pieces of paper is or are moved
a like distance. By thus from time to time presenting fresh portions of the
pieces of paper on the desk or surface, not only will the several lines of writing
on the two or more pieces of paper correspond in respect to the words, but the
forms of the letters and the distances of the lines of writing one from the other
will correspond on all the pieces of paper. When desired, one piece of paper
may be advanced a greater distance than the other or others, in order that the
lines of writing may be at a greater distance apart.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
BOUSFIELD, of 20, Hereford Terrace, Beauvoir Road, Kingsland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Frederick Bousfield, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick
Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederick Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF DUPLICATE
WRITINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick
Bousfield, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and.
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the.
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Bousfield, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
.statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus to facilitate the
production of duplicate writings. For these purposes, in order to produce two
or more similar writings at the same time, the desk or surface used is arranged
in such manner as to present portions of two or more pieces of paper on its
upper surface, so that a person writing on the presented portions of the pieces
of paper with two or more pens or writing instruments combined together, will
be able to write simultaneously on the presented portions of all the pieces of
paper. The apparatus combined with the desk or surface on which the
presented portions of the pieces of paper are held, is so arranged that in moving
one piece of paper a distance the other piece or pieces of paper is or are moved
a like distance. By thus from time to time presenting fresh portions of the
pieces of paper on the desk or surface, not only will the several lines of
writing on the two or more pieces of paper correspond in respect to the words,
but the forms of the letters and the distances of the lines of writing one from
the other will correspond on all the pieces of paper. When desired, one piece
of paper may be advanced a greater distance than the other or others, in order
that the lines of writing may be at a greater distance apart.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe

page_text: k
spring clamp k. The spring clamps & are connected to each other by strips of
vulcanized india-rubber l, l, which pass around the back of the sloping part a,
and over a rod fixed to the projection e, e', by which means the paper is kept
extended. m, m, are two pins held in holders, which are connected together
and fixed in the same stick. Before commencing to write, the uppermost of
the clamps k should be moved near to the slit or opening d, leaving, however,
sufficient space for a line of writing between the clamp and the slit. In
writing, one of the pens m writes on the portion of paper on one side of the
slit, and the other pen writes on the portion of the paper on the other side of
the slit. After having written the first line the uppermost clamp k is moved
a distance upwards, which brings up another portion of paper to be written
upon, both above and below the slit, and when the second line of writing is
finished, the paper is again moved as before, and so on until all the paper has
been written upon; the slip of paper is then divided, so as to separate the two
copies, of the writing. The holes f and slots g in the projections e, e', are to
allow the roller h to be placed at different distances from the sloping part a, so
as to be able to vary the length of paper upon which each copy is written. If
it is desired to produce three similar writings at the same time, then two slits
or openings are formed in the sloping part a of the desk, and the paper is
passed down through each of the slits around a roller, and up again through
the slits in the same way as for the one slit, and three pens or writing instru-
ments must be used combined together, one pen writing on the portion
of paper above the slits, the second pen writing on the portion of paper
between the slits, and the third pen writing on the portion of paper below the
slits.
I would remark that although I prefer making all the copies on different
parts of the same strip of paper, and afterwards dividing the strips so as to
separate the copies, each copy may be written on a separate piece of paper; in
which case each piece of paper is passed down through the slit or opening, and
one piece is turned down over the portion of the desk below the slit, and the
other piece over the portion of the desk above the slit, and each piece of paper
is kept extended by clamps connected together by elastic bands, one clamp
being in front of the desk and the other at the back. By connecting together,
by bands or otherwise, two clamps at the back of the desk, when one piece
of paper is moved a distance, the other piece of paper will also be moved an
equal distance. Three similar writings can also be produced on separate pieces
of paper by forming the desk with two slits, as before, and by causing the
elastic bands which connect the clamps which hold the ends of the third piece
of paper to pass over a roller or pulley at the back of the desk, and this third

page_text: piece of paper may, if desired, be made to move a greater distance than the
other piece or pieces of paper, so that the lines of writing are at a greater
distance apart.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Bousfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
FREDERICK BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)