Year: 1886

page_text: | ARTHUR ANDREW MELVILLE of 27 Tillingham Street Sparkbrook in the County
of Warwick Clerk do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to he as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object an improved toy or picture book which is designed
in such a manner as to make the figures or pictures therein to appear as if they were
alive and moving about the scene constantly varying as the eye looks upon it and this
I accomplish in the following manner :-
I bind into book form a number of rather stiff sheets of paper by fastening them
either at one edge or across the centre or by a centre pin or other fastening in such a
manner that either one, two, three, four, or other number of sides may be utilized and
taking one side or edge of the leaves I commence at the bottom page with a figure
say a man and on the next page a second figure advanced a little more to (say the
left on the next page both figures may be seen say one being red and the other black
and by advancing their positions more to the left on each page and altering the
figures on each page they may as the leaves are rapidly turned down through the
thumb and fingers be made to appear leap-frog or other game. In like manner
various scenes may be brought together to represent a long journey or voyage or any
other games may be represented in fact the variations possible with books so made are
endless as will be easily understood and such books may be used as either amusements
or for instruction in many various ways.
Dated this 16th day of November 1886
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: I ARTHUR ANDREW MELVILLE of 27 Tillingham Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick England Clerk do hereby declare the nature of my snid
invention 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 for its object an improved toy or picture book which is designed
in such manner as to make the figures or pictures therein to appear as if they were
alive and moving about, the scene constantly varying as the eye looks upon it and
1 therefore call it "The living Picture Book" the invention is as follows:-
I bind into book form a number of rather stiff sheets of paper by fastening them
either at one edge or across the centre or by a contre pin or other fastening in such a
manner that either one two, three four or other number of sides may be utilized and
taking one side or edge of the leaves I commence at the bottom page with a figure
say a man and on the next page a second figure advanced a little more to (say the
left) on the next page both figures may be seen say one being red and the other black
and by advancing their positions more to the left on each page and altering the
figures on each page they may as the leaves are rapidly turned down through the
thumb and fingers be made to appear to play leap frog or other game. In like
manner various scenes may be brought together to represent a long journey or
voyage or any other games may be represented in fact the variations possible with
books so made or endless as will be easily understood and such books may be used
as either amusements or for instruction in many various ways.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and easily carried into
practice I have shewn several forms of the same upon the accompanying sheet of
drawings which are merely intended to illustrate the principle of the invention and
not by any means to exhaust the almost endless subjects which may be introduced
when the principle of "The living Picture Book" is understood.
Figure 1 shows an oblong picture book as it appears when not in use with the
two binding pieces A and B attached to the covers AA by the hinges a³, a* at their
centre binding piece A and to the B centre binding piece the similar covers B' and B
by the hinges 6 and 6. The binding pieces A and B are secured together with the
intermediate leaves C between by any suitable means such as the rivets d, d', d³ or
stitches or other means.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the book shown by Figure 1 in use by the hand H
which is in the act of turning over the a' end of the book a portion of the leaves C
having already passed from under the thumb and a portion are still retained by the
thumb.

page_text: Figure 3 is a similar book but it has three covers D' D³ and D3 which is hinged to
the fast centre C with similar covers at the other side enclosing leaves between which
are fitted with sets of figures drawings words or other matter upon three sides instead
of two sides as in Figures 1. and 2.
Figure 4 is a similar book except that there are four sides or books E¹ E³ E³
and E hinged to the centre E for containing sets of illustrations or interesting or
instructive matter upon the pages thereof.
Figure 5 is a hexagon book having six hinged sides or separate books K'K' K³
KK and K all hinged to the centre piece K.
The foregoing figures will serve to show that a large number of books of various
shapes and size may be made to contain the various subjects to be illustrated and the
backs of the leaves may in some cases be used as well as the fronts thereof. The
subject shewn at Figure 2 is the game of leap-frog with the men in the various
attitudes of bending or jumping or running, but voyages by sea, travelling by railway
train or other vehicles, the flying of birds as taken by photography or otherwise, or
lessons in arithmetic the growth of plants and flowers or almost any conceivable
subject of amusement or instruction may be shown by this means in an interesting
and progressive manner.
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 :-
:-
The improved toy or picture book constructed with the pictures or other matter so
arranged upon the leaves as to show when in action a range of progress in any game
or developement in the growth of plants or advancement in instruction, substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings
Dated this 4th day of Anonst 1007
GEORGE
BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.