Improvements in Indexes for Documents or the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1897
1000
·
0714
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Indexes for Documents or the like.
I, JOSEPH HILLEBRAND, of 37, Clarendon Square, in the County of London,
Cabinet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention consists of improvements in indexes for documents on file or for
ledgers or other like purposes where such indexes are on the sheet system, the
superposed sheets being partially cut away along one edge so as to leave a small
surface of every sheet exposed, and my said improvements are intended to facilitate
manipulation of the index for quick and easy reference, being applicable to the
trays of filing cabinets or the like, or for transfer boxes or cases, letter files, folios,
ledgers and analogous purposes. For convenience, I will describe my invention
herein as applied to a box or transfer case, such as is used for containing inter-
leaved letters or documents in alphabetical or other desired order.
According to one present form of my invention, may provide a strip of wood,
cardboard, or in any other manner produce a ridge underneath the index sheets
a short instance from and parallel with the graduated exposed surfaces, leaving
a clear space below the latter. The effect of this is to enable the finger of the
18 desired
operator to be easily inserted behind the particular sheets it
to raise, for, instead of often tearing or bending up the edges or accidentally
opening the index at the wrong place, the finger will now, with slight pressure
upon any part of the graduated edge, separate the sheets of the index at that
particular place, the latter responding to the touch of the operator immediately.
As an alternative manner of carrying out my invention, I may dispense with
the strip or ridge aforesaid, and may cut and arrange the edges of the index
sheets so that the exposed surfaces may face in the reverse direction away from
the operator, the upper sheet of all, however, being furnished along its outer
edge with an indicator made up in sections agreeing in position and order with
the series of gradations, which, being on the reverse side, are not in view. If
the finger be now placed behind the group of index sheets at any desired point,
and then raised or pulled forward, the index will thereby become separated or
opened at the particular denomination appearing thereon. It may be desirable
in some cases that a strip, for keeping the edge of the index sheets slightly
raised, be employed, but in many cases it will be sufficient to provide that the
bottom of the box or case does not extend under the graduated edge of the index,
or similar means be provided for enabling the finger or fingers to be easily inserted
below the same.

page_text: Improvements in Indexes for Documents or the like.
b
I, JOSEPH HILLEBRAND, of 37, Clarendon Square, in the County of London,
Cabinet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
My invention consists of improvements in indexes for documents on file or for
ledgers or other like purposes where such indexes are on the sheet system, the
superposed sheets being partially cut away along one edge so as to leave a small
surface of every sheet exposed, and my said improvements are intended to facilitate
manipulation of the index for quick and easy reference, being applicable to the
trays of filing cabinets or the like, or for transfer cases or boxes, letter files, folios,
ledgers and analogous purposes.
T
For convenience, I have shown upon the accompanying sheet of drawings, a
few forms in which my invention may be carried into practice, Figures 1 and 2.
being perspective views of the index portion of a transfer case or book, Figures 3,
4, and 5 sections of three different forms, and Figures 6 and 7 sections of the edge
of a book in which the principle of my invention is applied in a slightly varied
form.
According to one form of my present invention, I may provide a 'strip a of
wood, cardboard, or in any other manner produce a ridge underneath the index
sheets bb a short distance from and parallel with the graduated exposed sur-
faces, (lettered A, B, C, &c.) leaving a clear space c below the latter, see Figure 1.
The effect of this is to enable the finger of the operator to be easily inserted behind
the particular sheets it is desired to raise. For, instead of often tearing or bend-
ing up the edges or accidentally opening the index at the wrong place, the finger
will now, with slight pressure upon any part of the graduated edge, separate the
sheets of the index at that particular place, for instance at the sheet bearing the
letter E in Figure 2, the latter responding to the touch of the operator imme
diately.
As an alternative manner of carrying out my invention, when applied to a trans-
fer box or case,
may dispense with the ridge or strip a aforesaid, and may cut
and arrange the edges of the index sheets so that the exposed surfaces may face
in the reverse direction away from the operator, the upper sheet of all, however,
being furnished along its outer edge with an indicator made up in sections agree-
ing in position and order with the series of gradations, which, being on the reverse
side, are not in view. If the finger be now placed behind the group of index
sheets at any desired point, and then raised or pulled forward, the index will
thereby become separated or opened at the particular denomination appearing
thereon. It may be desirable in some cases that a strip for keeping the edge of
the index sheets slightly raised, be employed, but in many cases it will be suffi-
cient to provide that the bottom of the transfer box or case does not extend under
the graduated edge of the index, or similar means be provided for enabling the
finger or fingers to be easily inserted below the same.
Figure 3 shows a section of the form of my invention already described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 4 is shown in section a cover or base d
of slightly wedge shape, excepting at the edge overhung by the graduated edges
of the index sheets, where it is reduced in thickness, leaving normally a clear
space below the edge of said index sheets. According to Figure 5, the strip a
may be extended so as to fill up the whole of the slightly wedge shaped space
beneath the main body of the index sheets. In Figures 6 and 7, I show two
manners of cutting the edges of the leaves of a book, in such wise that a clear

page_text: space is left beneath the graduated index portion, the remaining pages of the
book constituting the " ridge" and supplanting the strip a above mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In an index consisting of superposed sheets with partially cut away or
graduated edge, the manner of enabling the said edge to overhang a clear space,
thereby enabling the sheets of the index to be readily separated at any desired
point substantially as herein before described.
2. As an alternative manner of obtaining the result mentioned in Claim 1, the
manner of reversing the position of the index sheets and furnishing the upper
sheet with an indicator made up in sections agreeing in position and order with
the series of gradations of the index sheets, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The improvements in indexes for documents or the like, substantially as
hereinbefore described.