A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND PRESENTING CARDS AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR DISTRIBUTION
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Willmer Pocock, of Craven Street, in the
City of Westminster, Architect, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND PRESENTING CARDS AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR
DISTRIBUTION."
Sealed the 26th July 1867, and dated the 29th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Willmer Pocock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th January 1867.
I, WILLIAM WILLMER POCOCK, of Craven Street, in the City of West-
minster, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND PRESENTING CARDS AND
OTHER ARTICLES FOR DISTRIBUTION," to be as follows:-
The object of this apparatus is to hold a number of business cards or other
articles in such manner that one card shall always be presented, so that it
may easily be removed by hand and another card immediately presented.
The apparatus consists of a pair of discs set one on each end of a roller,
the inner face of each disc having a series of holders or clips consisting
preferably of two thin plates extending from the outer periphery of the disc
towards the centre. The distance of the two discs is equal to or a little more

page_text: than the width of the cards to be held. Within the roller I fit a spring,
which on being wound up will have a tendency to make the roller and discs
revolve. The discs and roller are fitted in a semi-cylindrical or other con-
venient shaped case; the upper surface of the case has a deep wedged-shaped
recess extending to about half an inch more or less from each side of the case;
behind this recess is a slot extending entirely across the case, or nearly so.
The ends of the recess and the front are formed of plates of the same material
as the case, while the back of the recess is always formed by one of the cards.
The operation is as follows:-To insert the cards the roller is gradually
rotated by means of a button or handle outside, so as to wind up the spring,
and as it rotates cards are successively placed through the slot into the holders
before described. When the apparatus is left to itself the spring tending to
move the roller and discs in the contrary direction will bring the card last
inserted against the front face of the slot, which forms a stop and prevents the
parts moving further. In this position the face of the card is visible in the
recess, and when this card has been taken out through the slot the spring
moves the parts until the next card comes against the stop or front face of the
slot, and so on until all the cards are removed. Sometimes I dispense with
the disc and form the holders of wire or other clips extending radially or
otherwise from the periphery of the roller, and in this case I slot the front
plate of the recess if necessary to allow the empty clips to pass. Instead of
a spring any other suitable contrivance may be used to move the holders
and cards.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Willmer Pocock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAMI
WILLMER POCOCK, of Craven Street, in the City of Westminster, Architect,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Willmer Pocock, Her special licence that I, the said
William Willmer Pocock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said William Willmer Pocock, my executors, admini-
strators, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AND
PRESENTING CARDS AND OTHER ARTICLES FOR DISTRIBUTION," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Willmer Pocock, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly 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 William Willmer Pocock, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
The object of this apparatus is to hold a number of business cards or other.
articles in such manner that one card shall always be presented, so that it
may easily be removed by hand and another immediately presented.
Figure 1, Plate 1, of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation, Figure 2
a horizontal section on the line M, N, of Figure 3; Figure 3 is a vertical
section, and Figure 4 an end elevation of an apparatus for presenting cards
constructed according to my Invention.
The apparatus consists of a pair of discs D, D, set one on each end of a
roller R, the inner face of each disc having a series of holders or clips H, H,
consisting preferably of two thin plates, as shewn, extending from the outer
periphery of the disc. D towards the centre. The distance of the two
discs D, D, is equal to or a little more than the width of the cards to be
held. Within the roller R I fit a spring S, which on being wound up will
have a tendency to make the roller R and discs D, D, revolve; the discs and
roller are fitted in a semi-cylindrical or other convenient shaped case C; the
upper surface of the case has a deep wedge-shaped recess E extending to
about half an inch more or less from each side of the case; behind this recess
The ends of the
is a slot A extending entirely across the case or nearly so.
recess E and the front are formed of plates of the same material as the case,

page_text: while the back of the recess is always formed by one of the cards. The
operation is as follows:-To insert the cards the roller R is gradually rotated
by means of a button or handle B outside, so as to wind up the spring S, and
as it rotates cards are successively placed through the slot A into the
bolders H, H, before described. When the apparatus is left to itself the
spring S tending to move the roller R and discs D, D, in the contrary
direction will bring the card last inserted against the front face of the slot A,
which forms a stop and prevents the parts moving further; in this position
the face of the card is visible in the recess E, and when this card has been
taken out through the slot A the spring S moves the parts until the next card
comes againt the stop or front face of the slot A, and so on until all the cards
are removed. Sometimes I dispense with the discs and form the holders of
wire or other material extending radially or otherwise from the periphery of
the roller, and in this case I slot the front plate of the recess if necessary to
allow the empty holders to pass. Instead of a spring any other suitable
contrivance may be used to move the holders and cards.
Plate 2 represents a modification of my card presenter; Figure 1 being an
exterior view; Figure 2, a horizontal section; Figure 3, a vertical section;
and Figure 4, and end view. In this modification the case C is of a different
shape, and the roller instead of being hollow and fitted with a spring is made
solid and of a smaller size; I fit this roller near the bottom of the case as
shown. I also fit a second roller R, which I prefer should bave four or more
sides. Round these two rollers I fit an endless chain carrying clips or
holders H, H, for holding the cards. The case is formed with an opening E,
and with a slot as in the previous arrangement.
Figure 1, Plate 3, represents, half in section, another modified arrangement
of card presenter, and Figure 2 a similar view of the same taken at right
angles to Figure 1. D, D, are two discs connected by a ring R to form a
roller; S is a spring enclosed in the roller for the purpose of revolving the
discs as the cards are removed from the opening E; H, H, are the holders or
clips, and E is the opening. The spring is wound up by means of the
button B.
The action of filling the holders in this arrangement is the same as in the
apparatus first herein-before described.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the new or
improved apparatus for holding and presenting cards and other articles for
distribution, constructed and acting substantially as described and represented

page_text: in Plate 1 of the accompanying Drawings, and the modifications of the same,
as herein-before described and represented in Plates 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Willmer Pocock, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WM. WILLMER POCOCK. (L.S.)