FURTHER IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE REGISTRATION AND INDEXING OF DEEDS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Arthur Dillon, of No. 7, Lower Ormond St.,
in the City of Dublin, Gentleman, for the Invention of "FURTHER IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE REGISTRATION AND
INDEXING OF DEEDS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS."
Sealed the 16th September 1879, and dated the 18th March 1879
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Arthur Dillon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1879.
THOMAS ARTHUR DILLON, of No. 7, Lower Ormond St., in the City of Dublin,
Gentleman. "FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS
FOR THE REGISTRATION AND INDEXING OF DEEDS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS."
This Invention consists of further improvements in the method of and in
apparatus for the registration and indexing of deeds and other documents, andfor
which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 4 June 1874, No. 1935, whereas
I have lately invented additional improvements of a novel and useful character,
which will not alone cheapen and simplify the operation of the previous Invention,
but will render title registry more facile and a map registry a practicable and
simple adjunct of verbal description in either deed registry or title registry. I
hereby enumerate the several improvements which I claim to have invented and
which are hereafter described.
First. My Invention consists in printing names of persons or of lands day by
day in bound index books; although highly desirable, it has hitherto been deemed
a work of such trouble, expense, and uncertainty, that it has never been attempted.
I have succeeded in devising and constructing an apparatus which effects the
desired purpose with perfect ease and certainty, it requires no preliminary training
of operators.
Secondly. In constructing a record names index book which will be free from
blocks or transfers, which blocks or transfers are confusing and dangerous for those
who have occasion to search the record names index books before mentioned in the
manner hereinafter described.
Thirdly. In a method of converting any printed or written document into a
thin brass or other metal indented sheet by the aid of photography, from which

page_text: ↓
thin metal sheet any amount of fac simile copies can be taken without injuring or
defacing the original, as it is of the last importance that in a public record depart-
ment all documents should be indestructable and that all copies should be accurate
transcripts of the originals.
These copies of originals, deeds, or documents can be produced of miniature size,
stored in niiniature size, and reproduced at will of any sufficiently desirable degree
of largeness.
Fourthly. My Invention consists in a new method of making matrixes rapidly
and effectually in papier mache for stereotype casting, whereby much labour is saved,
hereafter described.
Fifthly. The process whereby large numbers of documents can be photographed
with extraordinary rapidity, and whereby old and crumpled and dirty parchment
documents can be caused to offer in some cases a perfectly flat surface to the
copying camera, and thus allow of copies to be taken which without such process
could not have been produced, and I have invented a method whereby such
documents automatically present not less than twenty stereo sheets or pages to be
copied, and that the camera automatically presents a fresh plate for the said copies
and thus permits work to proceed without any assistance in early mornings before
office hours. I use a special form of electric light for copying purposes which
illuminates the documents to be copied only while the instrument works, that is to
say, so long as there are documents to be copied.
Sixthly. My Invention further consists of the new system of identifying parcels
of lands by reference to maps, although highly desirable has not yet been satis-
factorily accomplished. I have devised a new method of map-registration whereby
either in registering titles or deeds absolute certainty, compactness, and cheapness
are attained to.
I will now proceed to describe my improvements under their several headings.
The apparatus for printing in books consists of three parts,-
No. 1. A bed slab of mahogany or any other straight grained solid wood, rect-
angular in form, having stout uprights mortised into either end. These uprights
are to be stout enough to sustain a mahogany strong bar between them, on which
latter bar a travelling pressure screw can travel. This travelling screw will be
best described by mentioning that it is in every particular similar to the sliding
.pressure screw attached to the arm which stands out from a smith's pillar used to
give pressure to a boring brace for iron.
.
No. 2. A mahogany tray is lifted to slide in grooves to right or left beneath the
longitudinal bar on which the pressure screw travels. In this tray the book to be
printed on fits evenly.
No. 3. To the tray is hinged by elastic bands a frame, consisting of a thin plate
of wood or metal covered with printers' blanket, and to this again is attached by
desk hinges a square skeleton frame, size of page. This frame carries a T piece,
having a rack and pinion, and a pair of jaws, clamps, or cramps, which slide
smoothly along T. piece under influence of rack and pinion aforesaid.
The tray is first drawn from under the bar carrying the travelling screw, the
book is laid in the tray evenly, is opened at the page selected, the blanket slab
'is inserted underneath this page, the square skeleton frame closes on the page and
compresses it against the blanket slab. Then the T piece hinged to this latter
is raised off two buffer or sustaining springs, which had served to keep the sliding
clams from touching the page before printing. Between the jaws of the sliding
clams the stereo block, plate, or type stick to be printed from is inserted and held
by compressing screws as a vice.grasps an object. The rack and pinion draws the
sliding clams to the proper position required over the page on which the printed
matter is to be impressed. The T piece is lifted, the plate or type inked, the tray
holding all is solid; beneath the longitudinal bar the travelling pressure screw is
brought to bear, on the clams, holding the inked plate face downwards, the clam
is evenly depressed and the impression is struck accurately on the page.
The varying size of the book requires elastic hinges to be used on the skeleton

page_text: frame, to which is attached the blanket slab. I construct a book of separate sheets,
having eyelets holes, and fasten them to the book cover by a toothed rod bar. This
permits of altering the leaves so as to preserve an alphabetical dictionary or such
convenient order of surnames or lands; the toothed rod has teeth to correspond
with eyelet holes, so many teeth to so many eyelet holes, and thus the pages of
letter A index book cannot be put by mistake into letter B index book, because
each book having a different number and position of eyelet holes the teeth of the
toothed rod securing letter A would not fit letter B.
Again, each separate surname index page contains an unerring warranty that.
neither itself, precussor, or follower has been surreptiously or accidently mis-
placed. Printed on the top sides or bottom are the words; "this name (say,
Brown) is immediately preceded by " Breen or Bright. Then, again, each entry
under each surname or land is stamped with a consecutive number; and, lastly,
each of these entries has this note. "This entry (say No. 20) is followed by " No. 21,
when such is the case. If it is not followed by 21, and that the series terminates
on, say, No. 20, no such note is appended.
Thus the three checks indicated above will prevent a page of one letter, say of
letter "A," being fastened into, say letter "B," of any surname again of a page of
letter A or B getting into a wrong place in its own book and not being detected,
and of any entry in such page being removed without detection.
There can obviously be no blocks and therefore no transfers with this system,
which is just as applicable to written as printed matter.
Thirdly. Paper or parchment used in these books I prefer to back with slips of
thin sheet brass; this is useful in two ways. Suppose the name
"Smith" or
"Brown" grows to a great length, as is usually the case, repeated additions of
pages must be made to the first surname page. Each additional page can be
soldered or rivetted to the preceding ones, thus all the deeds of Smith and Brown
will form a small compact volumn by themselves, the absence or removal of which
would be instantly detected by the checks already mentioned.
Fourthly. In constructing papier maché moulds for taking stereotypes I avoid
using the ordinary brush beating which is a slow and laborious process and tends
to break plaster moulds, nor do I use rollers with blankets because the roller
woollen blanket principle often produces a curved line matrix, or would crush down
the plaster mould when a papier maché matrix is required to be taken from the
plaster mould. I construct my pressure frame thus:-If a common platten press is
at hand I use a straight up and down or flat pressure on an india rubber slicet
instead of the usual blanket. If there be no platten press I use a water or air bag
of india rubber in a closed box.
The plaster or other mould or type from which the papier maché matrix is to
be taken is laid on the bottom of the box face upwards; the papier maché is
spread over this in the usual way, and then the elastic water bag over that. The
box lid is closed down and water or air forced into the bag. This expands the
latter and compresses the moist papier maché into the type or mould. Hot water
or hot air are to be preferred because of their tendency to more rapidly dry the
3 matrix.
Sometimes I take a cast from the type in gutta percha or dentists' composition,
and a second or printing plate from the latter. In this case I prefer a metal slab
coated with the material and pressed under the ordinary platten or screw press.
Fifthly. I photograph in the ordinary way and then print on bichromate gelatine.
I take, say, 20 pages of written or printed deeds and preserve it in miniature form.
From the gelatine a plaster or other like cast is taken; a metal stereo plate is taken
from the plaster and impressed on thin metal after the manner described in my
previous Patents; or the gelatine may be dried and used as in the well known
Woodbury type that is forced into the metal direct by rollere, having a soft metal
bed blanket underneath in the way which is usually practiced and well understood
by the autotype or other photographic manipulators.

page_text: I have contrived an apparatus whereby great numbers of documents can be
copied by photographs with greater rapidity.
A square upright wooden frame with a glass shutter is with two rollers on the
reverse side a friction roller top and bottom of frame.
The documents are first pinned on a linen band to be copied and rolled; the
latter is on one roller framed over the friction rollers and back to second roller, so
that one roll supplies and the other receives the band containing the documents.
A camera being placed in position opposite the above a long frame holding a
sufficient number of dry plates is influenced by clock work in connection with the
frame rollers holding the document to be copied, the clock work being wound up
and the beams of the sun, or electric or other photographic light directed on the
documents to be copied, and the time of exposure fixed upon one sensitive plate
of the camera and one series of documents face each other. The moment the time
is up the camera closes automatically a fresh series of documents and a fresh
sensitive plate face each other again until the copying is finished. The plates are
developed and printed at any convenient time.
When very old crumpled parchments are to be copied I saturate or damp them
with spirits of wine and flatten under glass, since water damping would injure
the skin or ink, or both.
If analine ink has been used I do not use spirits of wine as it is a solvent of the
ink, and
Sixthly. The method of map registering is as follows:-A standard map of any
fixed dimensions and scale is covered by a sheet of tracing paper, of transparent
gelatine, talc, or such like transparent or semi transparent substance.
On this latter sheet the outline of the property is carefully traced from the
map beneath. The tracing paper and map paper must coincide in dimensions very
accurately.
The tracing is now removed and gummed or pasted down on a pair of thin brass
or metal leaves, same area as map and paper.
The outline on the tracing paper is carefully cut through, as are likewise the two
brass sheets. One copy is given in with the registered deed to be filed on the
record department, the second returned by the owner of the registered property or
his authorized representatives. But the two plates having been struck with one
die they must ever after fit each other.
When it becomes necessary to identify a property on the standard map or reduced
copy thereof, the stencil plate just described, which the owner or proprietor retains,
is applied evenly on the map, and the part exposed to view will obviously represent
the property in question.
To prove that the plate used is the real plate it will be only needed to bring it
to the record office and apply it to the counterpart, with which it must accurately
correspond both as to shape, dimensions, and as regards the impress or indentations.
This latter is of course another form of identifying counterparts of deeds.
I would observe in conclusion with reference to the printing apparatus, the
construction of the books, the stereotyping process, the automatic apparatus for
taking photographs & map registration, berein before described, are limited to the
purposes of this Invention for improving the system of deeds & title registry, and
that no claim is made separately and apart to either of the above subjects.

page_text: 5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Arthur Dillon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
September 1879.
THOMAS ARTHUR DILLON, of No. 7, Lower Ormond Street, in the City of Dublin,
Gentleman. "FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS
FOR THE REGISTRATION AND INDEXING OF DEEDS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS."
This Invention consists of further improvements in the method of and in apparatus
for the registration and indexing of deeds and other documents, and for which
Letters Patent were granted to me on the 4th June 1874, No. 1935, whereas I have
lately invented additional improvements of a novel and useful character which will
not alone cheapen and simplify the operation of the previous Invention, but will
render title registry more facile, and a map registry a practical and simple adjunct
of verbal description in either deed registry or title registry; I hereby enumerate
the several improvements which I claim to have invented and which are hereinafter
described.
First. My Invention consists in printing names of persons or of lands day by day
in bound index books, although highly desirable it has hitherto been deemed a work
of such trouble, expense, and uncertainty, that it has never been attempted. I have
succeeded in devising and constructing an apparatus which effects the desired
purpose with perfect ease and certainty, it requires no preliminary training of
operatives.
Secondly. In constructing a record names index book, which will be free from
blocks or transfers, which blocks or transfers are confusing and dangerous for those
who have occasion to search the record names index books before mentioned in
tlie manner hereinafter described.
Thirdly. In a method of converting any printed or written document into a thin
brass or other metal indented sheet by the aid of photography, from which thin
metal sheet any amount of fac simile copies can be taken without injuring or
defacing the original, as it is of the last importance that in a public record depart-
ment all documents should be indestructible and that all copies should be accurate
transcripts of the originals. The copies of original deeds or documents can be
produced of miniature size, stored in miniature size, and reproduced at will of any
sufficiently desirable degree of largeness.
Fourthly. My Invention consists in a new method of making matrixes rapidly
and effectually in papier mache for stereotype castings whereby much labour is saved,
as hereafter described.
Fifthly. The process whereby large numbers of documents can be photographed
with extraordinary rapidity, and whereby old crumpled and dirty parchment
documents can be caused to offer in some cases a perfectly flat surface to the
copying camera, and thus allow of copies to be taken which without such process
could not have been produced, and I have invented a method whereby such
documents automatically present not less than twenty stereo sheets or pages to be
copied, and that the camera automatically presents a fresh plate for the said copies,
and thus permits work to proceed without any assistance in early mornings before
office hours.
I use a special form of electric light for copying purposes which illuminates the
documents to be copied only while the instrument works, that is to say, so long as
there are documents to be copied.
Sixthly. My Invention further consists of the new system of identifying parcels of
lands by reference to maps, which although highly desirable, had not yet been
satisfactorily accomplished; I have devised a new method of map registration
whereby either in registering titles or deeds absolute. certainty, compactness, and
cheapness are attained to.
I will now proceed to describe my improvements under their several headings,―
Firstly. The apparatus for printing in books consists of three parts which is shewu
.

page_text: on the accompanying Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of my
apparatus, Fig. 2 is an end elevation, Fig. 3 is a cross section, Fig. 4 is a plan,
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section.
No. 1. A bed slab of mahogany a or any other straight grained solid wood,
rectangular in form, having stout uprights b, b, mortised into either end. These
uprights are to be stout enough to sustain a mahogany strong bar c between them
on which latter bar a travelling pressure screw d can travel. This travelling screw
will be best described by mentioning that it is in every particular similar to the
sliding pressure screw attached to the arm which stands out from a smith's pillar
used to give pressure to a boring brace for iron.
No. 2. A mahogany tray e is fitted to slide in grooves f to right or left beneath
the longitudinal bar c on which the pressure screw d travels. In this tray e the
book to be printed on fits evenly.
No. 3. To the tray is hanged by elastic bands g a frame consisting of a thin plate
of wood or metal h covered with printers' blanket, and to this again is attached
by desk linges i a square skeleton frame j size of page. This frame carries a
Tpiece having a rack and pinion m, and a pair of jaws, clams, or cramps n
which slide smoothly along T piece under influence of rack and pinion afore-
said.
The tray e is first drawn from under the bar c carrying the travelling screw d,
the book is laid in the tray evenly, is opened at the page selected, the blanket slab
is inserted underneath this page, the square skeleton frame j closes on the page and
compresses it against the blanket slub h.
Then the T piece k hinged to this latter is raised off by two buffer or sustaining
springs O which had served to keep the sliding clams from touching the page before
printing. Between the jaws of the sliding clams n the stereo block, plate, or type
stick to be printed from is inserted and held by compressing screws p as a vice
grasps an object. The rack and pinion m draws the sliding clams n to the
proper position required over the page on which the printed matter is to be
impressed. The T piece is lifted, the plate or type inked, the tray e holding all
is slid beneath the longitudinal bar c, the travelling pressure screw d is brought to
bear on the clams n holding the inked plate face downwards, the clam is evenly
depressed and the impression is struck accurately on the page.
The varying size of the book requires elastic hinges to be used on the skeleton
frame, to which is attached the blanket slab. I construct a book of separate sheets
having eyelet holes, and fasten them to the book cover by a toothed bar.
This permits of altering the leaves so as to preserve an alphabetical dictionary or
such convenient order of surnames or lands; the toothed rod has teeth to correspond
with eyelet holes, so many teeth to so many eyelet holes, and thus the pages of
letter A index book cannot be put by mistake into letter B index book, because each
book having a different number and position of eyelet holes the teeth of the toothed
rod securing letter A would not fit letter B.
Secondly. Each separate surname index page contains an unerring warranty
that neither itself, precussor, or follower has been surreptitiously or accidentally
misplaced.
Printed on the top, sides, or bottom are the words. "This name" (say, Brown) is
immediately preceded by Breen or Bright. Then again each entry under each
surname or land is stamped with a consecutive number; and, lastly, each of these
entries has this note. "This entry (say No. 20) is followed by " No. 21, when such
is the case.
If it is not followed by 21, and that the series terminates on, say, No. 20, no such
note is appended.
Thus the three checks indicated above will prevent a page of one letter, say, of
letter "A," being fastened into, say, letter "B" of any surname; again, of a page of
letter A or B getting into a wrong place in its own book and not being detected, and
of any entry in such page being removed without detection.

page_text: There can obviously be no blocks and therefore no transfers with this system,
which is just as applicable to written as printed matter.
Thirdly. The paper or parchment used in these books I prefer to back with slips
of thin sheet brass; this is useful in two ways; suppose the name "Smith".or
"Brown" grows to a great length, as is usually the case, repeated additions of pages
must be made to the first surname page. Each additional page can be soldered or
rivetted to the preceeding ones; thus all the deeds of "Smith" and "Brown" will
form a small compact volume by themselves, the absence or removal of which would
be instantly detected by the checks already mentioned.
Fourthly. In constructing papier maché moulds for taking stereotypes I avoid
using the ordinary brush beating, which is slow and laborious process, and tends
to break plaster moulds. Nor do I use rollers with blankets, because the roller
woollen blanket principle often produces a curved line matrix, or would crush
down the plaster mould when a papier maché matrix is required to be taken from
the plaster mould. I construct my pressure frame thus:-If a cominon platten
press is at hand I use a straight, up and down, or flat pressure on an india rubber
sheet, instead of the usual blanket. If there be no platten press I use a water or air
bag of india rubber in closed box.
The plaster or other mould or type from which the papier maché matrix is to be
taken is laid on the bottom of the box face upwards, the papier mache is spread
over this in the usual way, and then the elastic water bag over that. The box lid is
closed down and water or air forced into the bag. This expands the latter and
compresses the moist papier mache into the type or mould. Hot water or hot air
are to be preferred because of their tendency to more rapidly dry the matrix.
Sometimes I take a cast from the type in gutta percha or dentists' composition,
and a second or printing plate from the latter. In this case I prefer a metal slab
coated with the material, and pressed under the ordinary platten or screw press.
Fifthly. I photograph in the ordinary way and then print on bichromate gelatine.
I take, say, 20 pages of written or printed deeds and preserve them it in miniature
form. From the gelatine a plaster or other like cast is taken, a metal stereo plate
is taken from the plaster and impressed on thin metal after the manner described in
my previous Patents, or the gelatine may be dried and used as in the well known
Woodbury type, that is, forced into the metal direct by rollers. having a soft metal
bed blanket underneath, in the way which is usually practised & well understood
by the autotype or other photographic manipulators.
I have contrived an apparatus whereby great numbers of documents can be
copied by photographers with greater rapidity.
A square upright wooden frame with a glass shutter is with two rollers on the
reverse side a friction roller top and botton of frame.
The documents are first pinned on a linen band to be copied and rolled, the latter
on one roller passed over the friction roller and back to second roller, so that one
roll supplies and the other receives the band containing the documents.
A camera being placed in position opposite the above, a long frame holding a
sufficient number of dry plates is influenced by clock work in connection with the
frame rollers holding the documents to be copied. The clock work being wound
up and the beams of the sun, or electric or other photographic light, directed on the
documents to be copied, and the time of exposure fixed upon; one sensitive plate of
the camera, and one series of documents face each other; the moment the time is
up the camera closes automatically, a fresh series of documents and a fresh sensitive
plate face each other again until the copying is finished. The plates are developed
and printed at any convenient time.
When very old crumpled parchments are to be copied I saturate or damp them
with spirits of wine and flatten under glass, since water damping would injure the
skin or ink, or both.
If aniline ink has been used I do not use spirits of wine, as it is a solvent of the
ink, and I hang up simply in a damp room until parchments are limp and flexible.
Sixthly. The method of map registering is as follows:-A standard map of any

page_text: fixed dimensions and scale is covered by a sheet of tracing paper, of transparent
gelatine, or such like transparent or semi transparent substance.
On this latter sheet the outline of the property is carefully traced from the map
beneath.
The tracing paper and map paper must coincide in dimensions very accurately.
The tracing is now removed and gummed or pasted down on a pair of thin brass
or metal leaves same area as map and paper.
The outline on the tracing paper is carefully cut through, as are likewise the two
brass sheets. One copy is given in with the registered deed to be filed on the
record department, the second retained by the owner of the registered property, or
his authorized representative.
But the two plates having been struck with one die they must ever after fit each
other.
When it becomes necessary to identify a property on the standard map or reduced
copy thereof the stencil plate just described, which the owner or proprietor retains,
is applied evenly on the map, and the part exposed to view will obviously represent
the property in question.
To prove that the plate used is the real plate, it will be only needed to bring it
to the record office and apply it to the counterpart, with which it must accurately
correspond both as to shape, dimensions, and as regards the impress or indentations.
This latter is of course another form of identifying counterparts of deeds.
As stated in the centre portion of this Specification, the book printing machine
is applicable to manuscript indexing as well as printing. I now describe the manner
in which a names index, lands index, abstract book, day book, or other such record
entry is made and multiplied in manuscript.
The matter to be indexed, or copied, or duplicated, or multiplied, is by preference
written on ruled paper in the first instance, clearly and legibly, with the ink used
for chromograph, hectograph, or centagraph copying.. Ordinary. aniline violet ink
or ink of a similar character will serve the purpose. A.long ribbon is coated thinly
with the composition generally used for copying, reproducing, and multiplying.
manuscripts, drawings, plans, &c., and sold under the names above mentioned.
The ribbons may be of various widths, and may be cut into slips of suitable length,
and may be coated on both sides, so as to accomodate in breadth to the number
of lines to be copied, and that copies may be given off from both sides of the
ribbons. As soon as the composition sets on the ribbons the latter are greatly
pressed down on the written lines, which have been written out on paper in the
aniline or other suitable ink. The composition laid on the ribbons will instantly
absorb the ink on which it is pressed; a reverse impression of the writing will
appear on the ribbon naturally. The slips of ribbon are then arranged together so
that all similar surnames will be together. Suppose all. the "Abbots," or "Smiths,"
or towlands of similar names to have been so arranged, the operator lifts, says,
"Smith's ribbon slip, attaches it to a slip of wood, which locks in the moveable
clam of the book printing machine. The further operation is merely the printing
of copies off the ribbon in the bound book in exactly the same way as is done by
the stereotype plate, with this difference only. that the chromo or hectograph com-
position requires no fresh inking.
"
Although I greatly prefer the system of books with moveable pages already
described by me, it is evident that this manuscript printing, as also the type
printing from stereo plates, is equally suitable to ordinary paged books (when the
book printing machine is used), in which entries are transferred from one part of
the book backwards or forwards. It is self evident also that instead of ribbons
slips of paper, metal, or wood may be conveniently used for the purpose described.
The chemical compound can be scraped off, remelted, and a fresh coating produced
for each day's work. I adopt the following method when it becomes requisite to
index a number of grantors in same deed under different initial letters. Suppose
Smith, Yelverton, and Alrick are grantors in same deed, and must be indexed;
then printers' "reglets" are to be used instead of ribbons. They are divided neatly

page_text: into short lengths, each short piece having the name on "A" of one grantor or one
land. Now on this condition the slips of wood so divided are, when coated with
composition and carrying the name to be impressed or copied, simply cheap readily
made "logotypes," and are of course easily transposed, and will with certainty and
ease permit any reasonable number of indexes to be supplied, one copy being a
fac simile of the other. Suppose "Smith" to be first grantor, obviously when that
is indexed the moveable logotype is transposed and "Ulrick" takes precedence.
I do not claim as my Invention either the ink or composition used in the chromo-
graph, or heptograph, or such like method, I only claim the adaptation and
arrangement of its application in the manner described.
With a view of more unmistakingly and distinctly explaining the operation of
my improved method of registration hereinbefore alluded to, I will describe, as I
described in my first Patent on this subject of deeds registry improvement, one
day's work in a deeds office under my proposed method.
Beginning with the reception of the deed " and abstract," I photograph the deed
in miniature, and by the gelatine process transform miniature copy into an indented
brass sheet. I photograph the abstracts of sufficient size and carefully retain the
original copy, which latter may either be formed into a receipt book to bo
signed by the recipient of the original deed when returned, or as reference in case
of disputed accuracy.
The photographs of the deeds I prefer to preserve in book form or on rolls after
the method proposed for my so called " mechanical index," and described in my
previous Patent. The photographs of the abstracts I distribute between the index
clerk to be indexed from.
Although any person of ordinary intelligence can be instructed in the photographic
operations by camera and dry plate process, it would be still more simple in suminer
time at all events to copy those abstracts by super position and photographic
copying. If the abstracts were brought in on thin semi transparent paper, yellow
or red tints to be carefully avoided, which might the more easily be posted down
in blank books by reason of the comparative thinness of the paper. The super
position printing method I adopt is as follows:-A photographic printing frame of
large size is used; the semi transparent abstracts take the place of the ordinary
glass negative, only that it is used as a reverse negative for following reasons:-
Used as a glass negative is used with face to sensitive paper, the proof would
obviously be the reverse of the copy and unreadable, but by reversing the thin copy
of abstracts itself, so that the writing would face the glass of the printing frame,
and the back of the abstract be laid on the sensitive papers, a direct plainly
readable copy would be the result without any further trouble. The sensitive paper
being a paper washed with a cheap bichromate of potash or bichromate of ammonium
solution mixed with sulphate of copper. This process is cheap and certain; but in
dark winter weather or at night, I prefer to use simple printing from the semi
transparent paper abstracts on dry photographic plates. In this case the abstracts
'need not be reversed, as this process is not dependent on daylight, an argand gas, or
Silber or any strong artificial light being sufficient to produce the copy in a few
seconds. I use it, by preference, notwithstanding the greatly increased cost. As
soon as the glass plate is developed and fixed and dried, I put it into a glass case
and either place a white or black ground behind it, or read it by transmitted light.
Those sensitive plates can be either purchased readily made or can be prepared
in the office and stored up for use, as they keep for an indifferent time.
When the abstracts so printed by photography are handed to the indexing
department, the abstracts are manipulated after the fashion described in my original
Patent, that is to say, they are set up in type, aided by logatype; then stereotyped
and indented on brass; or the stereo plates are first printed in books as I have
described in this present Specification by means of the book printing apparatus,
5 and then impressed in the brass so as to produce both printed books and brass roll
index from same plates; or of manuscript copying be preferred, then the chromo-
graph printing from manuscript is adopted in books alone in the way I have herein-

page_text: before described, either in the special expanding safety book which I have invented,
described, and prefer; or in the ordinary prospective indexes of names and lands
which I object to and condemn for the following reasons:-Experience has shown
that only a limited number of surnames can have space éstimated with anything
approaching to accuracy in a prospective index of the ordinary kind, for the suffi-
cient reason that old names for which space had been provided die off the register,
and other names come upon it which were not and could not have been anticipated
and for which no space could have been alloted.
"
With a prospective townland index the case is as bad or worse, it is impossible
to foresee the amount of space which a particular townland is likely to require, as
not even a rough guess can be made; certain surnames as Smith," "Brown,"
"Murphy," may be approximately estimated for, because there are thousands of
persons of that particular name, and it is natural to suppose that their dealings
with land will be after the usual manner. Not so with townlands, because the very
fact of a particular townland having been largely dealt with of late by lease, mort-
gage, or settlement renders it uncertain that it will be dealt with for years to
come.
Therefore only by the roll or mechanical index method of joinings when
required, or by the expanding book method hereinbefore described, can a safe
prospective index be constructed of "names," of "lands," of "grantees," or of
"alias" names.
In bringing in an "abstract" and deed to lodge for registry I prefer that the
person who prepared the deed should copy the abstract so lodged on to a prominent
part of the deed itself, so that clients will at once be in a position to say whether
the abstract thus copied is a correct precés of the deed, and that the official staff
should have this simple mode of avoiding a perusal of the deed, and hold over the
solicitor or party lodging the deed an extra check. The abstract should be printed
if possible in a form easily filled up, and should run "I certify that the foregoing
is a true abstract of the foregoing,' 'following,' or 'within' deed."
In numbering deeds chronologically, I use a numbering machine. In case of
provisional registry I stamp, say, 263 in black first and then same number in red
if decd to be received, finally the black stands, red is obliterated, otherwise if deed
wrong, red stands, black goes.
In using the chronograph composition method of producing copies of the index I
sometimes attach the prepared tape or ribbon to a small wheel such as a chair, or
sofa, or table castor, and having first rolled it over a line or lines of manuscript and
taken up the impression,, I lay the said castor against a rule or straight edge, and
run it across the page of the book where the line is to be printed or copied. The
line appears on the page as the castor passes over it. I find it convenient, some-
times, to divide the brass roll index above alluded to in the following manner :-
One method is to construct a long desk and divide it lengthways so that readers
would face each other; one side would be allotted to names "index, the opposite to
land" index, the names side being subdivided into 26 letters of the alphabet;
having a separate roll for each letter, and the lands index into "counties," "cities,"
and "corporation towns," say 40 divisions.
$6
"
Another method is as follows:-To use books as indexes and the brass roll as
abstract from which copies. can be taken or index books produced at will, should
the coating on the brass get rubbed in time it is easily renewed in the following
simple manner :-
The old paper is washed off; a mould in either gutta percha, or sealing wax, or such
like material is taken by means of any facile mode of impress from the brass or metal
indented roll. A sufficient quantity of fresh paper is coated with glue or paste and laid
over the cleaned brass. The mould already taken is squeezed with an even pressure
having been previously rolled with ink roller) on the paper, which is thus printed
on and ground into the hollow brass letters by one operation.
- Similarly, when it is requisite to produce copies of the brass itself, a papier mache
mould is taken, or a plaster of Paris mould is taken from the brass; a papier mache

page_text: mould is taken from this; a stereotyped plate produced which produces as already
described fac simile of the brass. A simple method is to take the impress in
gelatine, allow it to dry and harden, and use it as stereotype indenting matrix.
In order to prevent references in books from being chemically destroyed I per-
forate such references by means of the electric pen or horograph, mechanical
perforating pen, or by a die stamp or pen, using a coloured ink.
In order to affix signatures to either the map stencils or other than brass sheets,
I use a metal, hard wood, or ivory style.
In order that either hook index or roller index may be more conveniently divided,
I print in different type and different colour ink, as may be required and deemed
useful. In constructing a lands index I sometimes form a sub index on front of
book, with or without moveable slips referring to different pages and transfers,
although I consider such books to be dangerous and confusing.
And whereas it is essential and convenient frequently to preserve copies of
important documents, as maps, deeds in miniature, but not necessarily on brass, I
construct a portfolio, or book, or case in the following manner-A blank book
blotter, portfolio, or case, containing sufficient number of pages, is filled with two
folding or hinged covers, which can be raised and fixed in position as the photographic
graphoscope is fixed. The object to be attained is that when the book is opened
the right or left hand page will come under view when right or left hand hinged
graphoscope is elevated. This graphoscope enables the reader to read the miniature
copies with facility, because it contains a powerful magnifying lens or lenses, that is
to say, the lenses may be binocular or single lenses; I afford the choice. Each
folding graphoscope lid will contain three single lenses, a binocular, and a single
arrangement sliding in such a manner as that the roller can by a rack and pinion
or other convenient method move the slide containing the double arrangement up
or down, and so read at will through the single or double glasses. I claim the
special arrangement of portfolios, substantially as and for the purpose described.
As it frequently occurs in working from manuscript or type, that enlarged or
reduced copies may be required to be printed in books or duplicated otherwise,
I print or write on india rubber thin sheets in chromographic ink; I then
enlarge or contract the india rubber at discretion in the manner well known to
map reducers, lithographic artists, and such like persons, and instead of printing to
the lithographic or stereotype methods, print from the chromograph ribbon or
slips, or wheels or paper or tapes already herein before described.
I do not claim the mechanical method of enlarging and reduced, as that it is
familiar well known principle, but the particular adaptation and method of utilizing
chromographic paste and ink in lieu of the older methods, and in combination with
the mechanism hereinbefore described, I claim as mine.
I claim as original and useful the various adaptations and methods of type
printing, logotype printing, stereotype printing, photographic, chromographic
printing and copying, substantially and in the manner aforesaid.
I claim as original and useful the book printing apparatus substantially and as
hereinbefore described, and as adapted to indexing grantors, grantees, lands, alias
lands.
I claim the arrangements of books and indexes, and whereby transfers and
blocks are prevented, substantially as in the manner already herein before described.
I claim the sub division of the mechanical index herein before described as novel
and useful.
I claim the formation of lands index volumes having sub indexes directing to
each townland and its transfer substantially and as aforesaid.
I claim the method of printing the consolidated or "prospective index" of names
is substantially and in the manner stated.
I claim the mode of restoring the injured paper covering of the brass rolls, the
re-printing thereof, and duplicating of the brass rolls as novel and useful.
I claim the mode of production of stereotype plates from metal and gelatine as
novel and useful,

page_text: I claim the method of preserving miniature copies of documents on thin metal
plates as novel and useful.
I claim the idea of taking large copies from same as novel and useful.
I claim generally the mechanical and scientific methods herein before described.
as novel and useful substitute for the system of and registration hitherto in use 5
by manuscript and printing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Arthur Dillon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
THOMAS ARTHUR DILLON. (L.S.)