Improved Combination Card Catalogue Rack and Indicator.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improved Combination Card Catalogue Rack and Indicator.
I, ERNEST CROWTHER, of The Public Free Library, Colne, in the County of
Lancaster, Librarian, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to an improved combination card catalogue rack and
indicator for public libraries to determine what books have been lent out, and
what are for the time being in the library. The invention consists in a suitably
devised rack of wood or other material, crossed and re-crossed with partitions
so as to hold cards or plates having printed thereon, as regards some, the names.
of authors, and as regards others, the names of their works; the authors names
being printed in much larger type than those of their works. Instead of printing
the names as aforesaid upon the cards, these may be cut out of the library cata-
logue, or catalogues of books supplied by publishers, and then pasted at the top
corner of the card. The cards are arranged to stand in elevation one above another
so that the printed names thereon will stand prominently before the eye, and it
may be seen at a glance what books, are in, and what hooks are lent out of the
library. The cards are removed of such books as are lent out of the library,
and are placed with the borrower's ticket, but when the books are returned, the
cards with the same designation are replaced in the rack.
Having thus given a general outline of the nature of my invention I will pro-
ceed to describe it in detail :-
The rack at the back is preferably about eight inches deep, and at the front two
At about every
and a half inches. It is about three and a half inches wide.
four inches of its length it is divided by inclined partitions, which slope towards
the front. These side divisions are grooved to receive cross divisions of tin plate
or any suitable material.
The rack is so constructed from back to front as to cause the cross division
plates, and also the catalogue cards, which are placed in them, to stand in eleva-
tion one above another, so that the matter they contain may be plainly seen.
The rack may be divided into ever so many divisions as described above, which
are again cross-divided; or each row of cards may constitute one separate com-
partment constructed separately, and to be moved about entirely free from the
rest, but I prefer the arrangement described above.

page_text: Improved Combination Card Catalogus para que ***.
I, ERNEST CROWTHER, of The Public Free Library, Colne, in the County of
Lancaster, Librarian, 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 relates to an improved combination card catalogue rack and
indicator for public libraries to determine what books are for the time being in
the library.
The invention consists in a suitably devised rack of wood or other material,
crossed and re-crossed with partitions, so as to hold cards or plates having printed
thereon, as regards some the names of authors, and as regards others, the names
of their works; the author's names being printed in much larger type than those
of their works, and preferably in red ink or other striking colour. Instead of
printing the names as aforesaid upon the cards, these may be cut out of the
library catalogue or catalogues of books supplied by publishers, and then pasted
at the top corner of the card.
In this form, the card catalogue rack and indicator is very suitable for works
of fiction, where the names of authors are run alphabetically in the catalogue.
Where the names of subjects are used as references, these may be printed alpha-
betically on separate cards in large type, and in a distinctive colour, the titles of
the particular works, and the names of their authors being printed together on
other cards, preferably in smaller type.
The cards are arranged to stand in elevation one above another, so that the
printed names thereon will stand prominently before the eye, and it may be seen
at a glance what books are for the time being in the library. The cards are
removed by the borrower of such books as are borrowed by him, and are given
to the librarian, who places them with the borrowers ticket, and when the books
are returned, the cards are replaced in the rack.
Having thus given a general outline of the nature of my invention, I will pro-
ceed to describe it in detail:.
At about
The rack is preferably much deeper at the back than at the front.
every four inches of its length, it is divided with inclined partitions, which slope
towards the front. These side divisions are grooved to receive cross divisions of
tin plate or any suitable material.
The rack is so constructed from back to front as to cause the cross division
plates, and also the catalogue cards, which are placed in them, to stand in eleva-
tion one above another, so that the matter they contain may be plainly seen.
The
rack may be divided into ever so many divisions as described above, which are
again cross divided; or each row of cards may constitute one separate compart
ment constructed separately, and to be moved about entirely free from the rest,
but I prefer the arrangement described above.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of my improved card
catalogue rack and indicator combined.
The rack is provided with inclined partitions B at suitable distances apart, which
are again cross divided with cross division plates C, preferably of tin plate, but
may be of any suitable material. These are arranged to stand in elevation, one
above another, as shewn, and in them are inserted cards or plates D.
For works of fiction, the names of the authors are alphabetically arranged, and
the cards bearing the titles of the author's works follow the name of each par-
ticular author.

page_text: When the names of subjects are used as references, these are printed in large
type, and in distinctive coloured ink, and separate cards are used containing the
titles of the works of each particular author and also the authors name.
In Fig. 1 on one side of the rack is shewn the alphabetical arrangement of the
author's name index, and on the other is shewn the subject index, and the titles
of works and their authors names, it being understood that separate racks are
used in each case, the same having been put in one rack merely for convenience.
in drawing.
The authors names may be printed in larger type than the names of their
works, and preferably in red ink, or other striking colour, so as to bring the
name prominently before the eye. The style of the author's name cards is shewn
in Fig. 3, and Fig. 4 represents the style of the cards containing the names of
authors' works. This latter card also gives the name of the author, and other
particulars necessary for the librarians reference.
When the borrower intends to borrow a book from the library, he obtains the
card bearing the title of the particular work he desires from the catalogue rack,
and brings it to the librarian, who exchanges for it the book, and then places the
card in the borrower's ticket, shewn in Fig. 5.
As shewn in dotted lines at E in Fig. 2, the rack may be double in construc-
tion, or it may consist of two racks placed against each other.
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:
1
The improved combination card catalogue rack and indicator, substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Owl 1.1. 1898
RICHMOND & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.