IMPROVE- MENT IN READY RECKONING BOOKS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, SIDNEY REID of Printing Court Buildings, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Printer
and Stationer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN READY RECKONING BOOKS, to be as follows:-
My invention consists in an improvement whereby ready reckoning books for
wages and prices and for calculations of interest are made more efficient and easy
of use.
For a price book for instance, I cut the edge or edges of the book with projecting
index pieces, as the index of a ledger is cut, and stamp the visible edge of the
projecting index piece with the price calculated and shewn on the page to which
the projecting piece belongs so that the thumb being laid upon the price required
the book may be at once opened at the desired spot, and turning of leaves is
avoided. Where it is required to show a very extended range of prices, I cut
several indexes in the same book, as for instance, one index for farthings and
pence, on second and altogether distinct index on pages following for shillings and
pence, and, if necessary a third for pounds and shillings.
I am aware that such indexes have been applied for facility of reference to
various purposes before as for instance to Bibles, to Dictionaries, and to address
and other Books, but not, I believe, to the purpose to which by my invention they
are applied; namely ready reckoners, for which they are I believe of great value.
•
Dated this Fifteenth day of June 1885

page_text: SIDNEY REID of Printing Court Buildings Newcastle upon Tyne Printer and
Stationer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVEMENT
IN READY RECKONING BOOKS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in an improvement whereby ready reckoning books for
wages and prices and for calculations of interest are made more efficient and easy
of use.
For a price book for instance I cut the edge or edges of the book with projecting
index pieces, as the index of a ledger is cut and stamp the visible edge of the
projecting index piece with the price calculated and shewn on the page to which
the projecting piece belongs so that the thumb being laid upon the price required
the book may be at once opened at the desired spot, and turning of leaves is
avoided.
Where it is required to show a very extended range of prices, I cut several
indexes in the same book as for instance, one index for farthings and pence, a
second and altogether distinct index on pages following for shillings and pence
and if necessary a third for pounds and shillings I am aware that such indexes
have been applied for facility of reference to various purposes before, as for
instance to Bibles, to Dictionaries, and to Address and other books, but not,
I believe to the purpose to which by my invention they are applied, namely ready
reckoners, for which they are I believe of great value.
.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the manner in which the same is to be carried out as
follows that is to say
The index or indices described are in the same form as the ordinary well
known stepped indices of ledgers, letter copying and other books and the especial
points of my invention are that I apply these indices to ready reckoning books
such as price books and interest tables to which I believe they have not been
hitherto applied, and that I apply them in single or double or a larger number
of rows so as immensely to increase facility of reference to these books.
The especial value of a ready reference book consists in the readiness with which
any page can be referred to and in making out Invoices or Bills of Parcels or
calculating interest by the aid of such of these books as have heretofore been
produced much time is usually lost in finding the page in the book referring to the
rates or the days required which time would be to a great extent saved if the
page or even the immediate locality of the page required could be referred to
at once.
Now I by my invention give this required facility in proportion to the extent to
which my invention is carried that is to say either with a single stepped index or
with an increased number of stepped indices. With a small book of say for
instance 20 or 25 leaves for wages tables I should use one index of 20 or 25 steps
and with a book of say 100 leaves I should attain considerable facility by the use

page_text: of a single index of 25 steps giving immediate access to the wages required within
say two leaves in either direction but if I desired to give extreme facility of
reference I would use two indices in such a case giving immediate access within
one leaf in either direction to the page required and for still greater readiness
I may use 4 indices in such a book so as at will to immediately turn to any page.
The drawing hereto attached illustrates the manner in which my Invention
is applied to a book with two indices.-A is the book represented as having.
121 leaves and fitted with two indices of 20 indications each, and opened at the 21st
and 22nd pages or the 11th leaf the price given on the index price of this opened
leaf applies to the calculations on pages 19, 20 & 21, 22, 23 & 24 so that by turning
one leaf either way the exact price required may be found and it will be seen that
by means of the indices shewn any price in the book may be at once referred to by
the mere opening of the book and the turning thereafter of one leaf at most.
I may arrange the index or indices in various ways as for instance that all
prices referred to on the index piece which serves for opening the book shall follow
on pages coming after the page of such opening or before it instead of as in the
illustration both before and after or as already said every page may carry its
index piece with such Nos of indices as the thickness of the book may require and
I may place the indices absolutely clear of each other so as to be all completely
visible when the cover of the book is raised or to be partially visible so as to give
the needed facility without making the book too cumbersome or I may modify in
various other ways without departing from the essential features of my invention.
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 construction of ready reference books with stepped indices for increasing.
facility of reference substantially as described.