IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK-BINDING TO FACILITATE THE FINDING OF PLACES IN BOOKS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John George Perry, of No. 12, Westbourne
Street, Hyde Park Gardens, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BOOK-BINDING TO FACILITATE THE FINDING OF PLACES IN BOOKS.":
Sealed the 13th, April 1853, and dated the 16th February 1853."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John George'
Perry at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his'
Petition, on the 16th February 1853.
I, JOHN GEORGE PERRY, of 12, Westbourne Street, Hyde Park.
Gardens, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for:
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK-BINDING, TO FACILITATE THE FINDING OF PLACES IN
Books," to be as follows:-
This Invention is peculiarly applicable to directories and other
large books in which the information or matter contained is divided
into sections, or occupies distinct parts of the book, and consists of
cutting away the edges of the pages so as to produce recesses to.
allow of the thumb being. placed on a particular page, and thus.
to ensure the book being opened at that page. The recesses so

page_text: made may be colored, and the edges of the leaves are printed or
lettered to show the parts of a book where the different subjects or
matters are to be found.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John George Perry in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 16th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN GEORGE PERRY, of No. 12, Westbourne Street, Hyde Park
Gardens, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John George Perry,
Her special licence that I, the said John George Perry, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John George Perry, 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, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK-BINDING, TO FACI-
LITATE THE FINDING OF PLACES IN Books," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John George Perry, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John George Perry; do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and
. .

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is
to say):
:
My Invention consists of certain means of facilitating the finding
of the information or matters contained in books; and in order
that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by me..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing represents a Bible cut and lettered according to
my Invention, and it will be seen that there is a number of recesses
cut in the edges of the leaves, and that the contents of each portion
of the book are indicated by lettering; hence by placing the point
of the thumb in any one of the recesses the book may be opened at
the desired page.
The Bible has been selected for the Drawing as an example of a
class of books to which my Invention is applicable, but it is also
applicable, and is in like manner to be applied to directories, dic-
tionaries, calendars, and in general to books of reference, and others
having chapters, sections, parts, or other subdivisions. The recesses
are represented in the Drawing of an angular form, but their form
may be curved or otherwise varied according to the judgment
of the workman. The recesses may be cut in either direction,
and on the fore edge, the top edge, or the bottom edge of the
book. The recesses admit also of being coloured or gilt in addi-
tion to their being distinguished by letters, cyphers, or words
referring to the several subjects or matters treated of. I would,
however, remark that I do not claim as any part of my Invention
the lettering of the edges of a book to indicate the contents
of the parts thereof; unless in connection with recesses as above
described.
From the above description a book-binder, aided by the Drawing,
will readily understand the nature of my Invention so as to be
enabled to apply it to the various descriptions of books to which
it is applicable, and he will at once see the difference between this

page_text: node of facilitating the finding of places in books and those here-
tofore resorted to.
In witness whereof, I, the said John George Perry, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
JOHN G. PERRY. (L.s.)
Witness,
WILLIAM FREDERICK DE LA RUE,
110, Bunhill Row,
London.
.