MENTS IN FACILITATING A REFERENCE TO BOOKS
Year: 1854

page_text: Sealed the 12th January 1855, and dated the 9th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Ferrier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th November 1854.
I, DAVID FERRIER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, Scotland,
Bookseller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FACILITATING A REFERENCE TO BOOKS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming on the edge of the book without cutting
or indenting the same, an index to its contents,, which is invisible or not con-
spicuous when the book is closed, but which comes into view when the edges
of the leaves are slightly spread or brought into less close contact with each
other...And the lettering of such index becomes magnified or more conspicuous
within certain limits by increasing the degree in which the edges of the leaves
are spread. This index is made by taking a book before gilding the edges,
spreading the leaves a little open, putting the lettering on the edges thereof,
and then gilding the leaves.

page_text: 4
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Ferrier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
FERRIER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, Scotland, Bookseller,
send greeting.
A
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said David Ferrier, Her special license that I, the said David Ferrier, my
executors, administrators, and assigns or such others as I, the said David
Ferrier, 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, usc, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING A
REFERENCE TO BOOKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David
Ferrier, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should par-
ticularly 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 David Ferrier, do hereby declare the
nature of .my. said Invention, and in. what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My.Invention of "Improvements in Facilitating a Reference to Books" is
intended to furnish the means of readily obtaining à view of the contents of
the book from the outside when required; without disfiguring the ordinary
appearance of the book, and consists in forming on the edge of the book,
without cutting or indenting the same, an index to its contents, which is
invisible or not conspicuous 'when the book. is closed, but which comes into
view when the edges of the leaves are slightly spread or brought into less
close contact with. each other. And the lettering of such index becomes
magnified or more conspicuous within certain limits by increasing the degree
in which the edges of the--leaves-are-spread.---This-index is made by taking a

page_text: book, before gilding the edges, spreading; the leaves a little open, putting the
lettering on the edges thereof, and then gilding the leaves...
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood; I will describe
the manner in which I have carried it into effect, in order to afford a ready
means of referring to the contents of the Holy Bible.
It is well known that the Old Testament is divided into thirty-nine books or
portions of various lengths, and the New Testament into twenty-seven books
or portions; also varying in their respective lengths, or in the number of
leaves occupied by them in the volume. In this case I have commenced.
with the first book (viz.) "Genesis," and marked this word, at or near the
top and left hand of the edge of the book, in letters ofja length extending
from the page on which the first chapter is contained, to that on which the last
chapter is contained, placing the letters so that the tops of them mark the last
page. of the book, and the tails mark the first page, thereof. Then, I have
taken the next book (viz.) "Exodus," and marked this word above the word
"Genesis," as well as to the right hand of it, (reckoning this position according
to that in which the word "Genesis" would be read on the edge of the
volume;) in letters regulated in size to suit the number of leaves in this book;
and in this manner I, have proceeded with the first eleven. books in succession
until the bottom edge of the volume has been reached with the book of "First
Kings." Then I have, returned with the book of Second Kings," and
reached the top edge of the volume with the book of "Psalms," being the
nineteenth book. This being nearly the centre of the volume, and.as, when
laid open,at, such centre, the leaves will slope off in opposite directions,
I have recommenced at the top edge of the volume with the next book (viz.)
"Proverbs," and in consequence of the reverse slope of the leaves in this part
of the volume, I have made the letters so that the tops of them mark the first
page of the book, and the tails mark-the last page thereof; and-I proceed
down the edge of the volume as before, and reach the bottom edge with the
book of "Daniel," being the twenty-seventh book. I again return and reach
the top edge with the book of "Malachi," being the thirty-ninth book, the
last of the Old Testament Scriptures. I then commence the New Testament
Scriptures at the bottom edge with the first book (viz.) "Matthew," and reach
the top edge, or nearly so, with the books of First and Second "Corinthians,"
being the first eight books of the New Testament, and have returned from
the top edge with the book of " Galatians," reaching the bottom edge with
the book of Revelation," being the twenty-seventh, the last of the New
Testament Scriptures. In the smaller books of the Old and New Testaments,
where a sufficient number of leaves could not be got for putting on the letters

page_text: .
of a legible size, I make the letters pass over a sufficient number of leaves for
the purpose, and have indicated the first page of the book by means of a
narrow line. Also, in order to make the exact situations of the respective
books the more evident, I have marked their names alternately in blue and
red; thus, "Genesis" in blue; "Exodus" in red; "Leviticus" in blue, and
so on. After the marking of the index as above described on the edge of
the volume, the edges were gilded, such marking being thereby covered and
prevented from being conspicuous except when required by spreading the
leaves a little.
Now, the foregoing application of my Invention will serve to illustrate the
mode in which it may be adapted to facilitate a reference to the contents of
books generally, but I would remark that my Invention is not confined to the
mode described of arranging the contents on the edge of the volume, which
will obviously depend upon the extent and nature of the contents required to
be displayed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to bé performed, I would have it understood that what I claim
as of my Invention is, the marking of the contents of the book on its edge,
(making it an index without cutting or indenting the edge,) and covering the
same by the gilding, so as not to be conspicuous when the book is closed.
In witness whereof, I, the said 'David Ferrier, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
AND BRIMS, Wittness.
DAVID
(L.S.)
FERRIER.