Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Preserving, Inspecting, and Rearranging as desired Postage Stamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1900-Accepted, 4th Oct.. 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Preserving,
Inspecting, and Rearranging as desired Postage Stamps.
I, JOHN BUCHAN, of 22, Avenue Villas, Cricklewood, in the Parish of Hendon.
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Instead of the present postage albums wherein postage stamps are mounted
on leaves either bound or movable I employ a method and means whereby I am
able to afford greater facilities for preserving, inspecting and rearranging them
as desired either in chronological order, or in order of value, or by countries in
alphabetical order or in group arrangements, or in accordance with the character
of the designs on the stamps, while also affording facility for returning them
to any previous order without having to detach and remount the stamps.
"
35
For this purpose I provide a box with a lid or a drawer in a cabinet or safe
for receiving a number of cards upon the face of which I mount a postage stamp
or a pair or a block of several stamps. Each card bears the name of the
country on the back and has printed on the back the heads of particulars (which
are to be filled in in writing) respecting the country and date or year of issue
and the imprinted value of the stamp, its commercial value date of acquiring
it, name of seller of same, and any other useful particulars.
The cards may all be mounted or threaded on a protecting assembling rod
passing through a hole made in the lower part of the card; or the hole is con-
tinued into a slot down to the bottom. The lower part of the card is thickened
by embossing or by a strip of paper glued on along the lower part or bottom
edge, or around the hole or along the slot, by which means I counteract the
thickening effect of the stamp and ensure the convenient fan like opening or part-
ing of the upper ends of the cards, so that the stamps thereon can be readily
inspected. Supposing the cards are mounted on the rod according to their
geographical character in alphabetical order, and it be desired for instance to
arrange all the stamps relating to Great Britain and the British possessions in
one group and say in alphabetical order, then I can while pressing the cards
together remove them bodily from or with the threading rod, and having re-
arranged them in the desired group form I thread them on the rod again while
replacing them in the box. The rod is conveniently passed through both ends of
the box, and has a screwed head which enters a screw threaded socket or
nut fixed to one end of the box.
In order to hold the cards together and to guide and limit their spreading or
opening action I provide a wedge shaped block for the cards to lean against the
inclined side thereof; the base of this block may have a thin leaf extension
which enters beneath the bottom edges of some of the cards at that end.
Strips or a frame of paper may be glued round the space for receiving the
stamp or stamps in order to preserve the stamps from direct rubbing contact
with the adjoining card, or the same effect may be produced by plate sinking
or embossing.

page_text: Where it is desired to keep duplicates or stock of stamps unmounted I employ
an envelope having two side flaps and a flap at each end, all made by preference
of one piece of paper. Where one end flap meets the bottom end of the body
of the envelope it is curled round a strip of cardboard for stiffening or thickening
this end part, which is also suitable for the hole or slot that the aforesaid
assembling rod passes through. The stamp or stamps having been placed in
the envelope the lower flap is first folded down then the two side flaps and then the
upper flap which latter is then secured by a tag entering a slot in the stiffening
piece, or by a paper fastener; or by the aforesaid rod passing through it.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1899.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Preserving,
Inspecting, and Rearranging as desired Postage Stamps.
I, JOHN BUCHAN, of 22, Avenue Villas, Cricklewood, in the Parish of Hendon,
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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: -
Instead of the present postage stamp albums wherein postage stamps are
mounted on leaves either bound or loose I employ a method and means whereby
I am able to afford greater facilities for preserving, inspecting and rearranging
them as desired either in chronological order, or in order of value, or by
countries, in alphabetical order or in group arrangements, or in accordance with
the character of the designs on the stamps, while also affording facility for
returning them to any previous order without having to detach and remount
the stamp.
"
For this purpose I provide a box with a lid, or a tray, or a drawer in a
cabinet or fireproof safe, for receiving a number of cards upon the face of which
I mount a postage stamp or a pair or a
"block
of several stamps. These cards
are of peculiar construction and bear appropriate indications of the character of
the stamp or stamps mounted thereon, all as hereinafter described.
The cards are by preference mounted or threaded on a rod passing through a
hole or slot in the card, and are supported by a wedge shaped block against the
inclined side of which the cards lean.
I also provide an envelope of improved construction for keeping therein dupli-
cates or stock of stamps.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical longitudinal section of a
box for holding cards with stamps mounted thereon, Fig. 2 is a vertical longi-
tudinal section of a drawer for holding such cards; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side
view of the rod Fig. 2 upon which the cards are threaded. Figs. 4 and 5 are
face views of a card, Fig. 6a back view of a card, and Fig. 7 is a face view of
a card with a guide card behind it. Fig. 8 is a face view of a frameshaped
protecting card. Fig. 9 shews a piece of paper from which to form an envelope
and Fig. 10 a perspective view of the envelope being folded.
A Fig. 1 is a box which should be provided with a lid, and A Fig. 2 is a
drawer for a cabinet or safe. A number of cards B are placed therein, and
upon each card is mounted a postage stamp as shewn in Figs. 4 and 5, or a pair
or block of several stamps as shewn in Fig. 7. Each card bears on the back

page_text: as shewn in Fig. 6 the name of the country and has printed
thereon the headings of particulars (which as well as the country are to
be filled in in writing) respecting the country and date or year of issue, the
imprinted value of the stamp, its commercial value, date of acquiring it, name
of seller of same and any other useful particulars. These particulars are
arranged upside down for the sake of convenient inspection when placed in the
box. Guide cards H serve to separate the cards in groups according to geogra-
phical or other character.
The cards are shewn mounted or threaded on a protecting assembling rod C
which passes through a hole B¹ in the lower part of the card as
shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 8, or through a slot B2 as shewn
in Fig. 7. The rod C is passed from one end of the box to
the other as shewn in Fig. 1 being thickened and screw-threaded at one end
as shewn at C in Fig. 1 where a notch is formed in its end for the insertion
of a screw driver or a recess may be formed therein for a key. Or the rod need
not pass right to the back end of the box or drawer and may be formed with a
head as shewn at C2 in Figs. 2 and 3, said head being formed with a groove
between two flanges for the purpose of passing a bolt from a lock D
in between the flanges for locking it in position the key being in
the collector's position. To withdraw, replace or rearrange the cards, if the
latter are formed with a hole B1, it is necessary to screw the rod C back Fig. 1
or in the case of the arrangement Fig. 2 first to unlock the bolt head C2 and then
to withdraw it. Supposing the cards are mounted on the rod according to their
geographical character in alphabetical order, and it be desired for instance to
arrange all the stamps relating to the United Kingdom and the British posses-
sions in one group and say in alphabetical order then I can while pressing the
cards together withdraw the rod and remove them bodily from the box and
having rearranged them in the desired group form I replace them in the box
and insert the rod again. The guide cards H may conveniently be of various
colors answering to the various countries or groups of countries.
In order to hold the cards together and to guide and limit their spreading or
opening tendency I provide a wedge shaped block E for the cards to lean against
the inclined side thereof.
For the purpose of counteracting the local thickening effect of the stamp and
to ensure the convenient fan like opening or parting of the upper ends of the
cards so that the stamp can be readily inspected the lower part of the card. may
be thickened by embossing in suitable places say in each lower corner or by a
strip of paper glued on along the lower part or bottom edge as shewn at F
in Fig. 4 or along the hole or slot at F Fig. 5.
Strips or a. frame G of paper may be glued round the space for receiving
the stamp or stamps in order to preserve the stamps from direct rubbing contact
with the adjoining card or the same effect may be produced by plate sinking
or embossing. Or I employ a separate card I Fig. 8 having an opening J which
answers to the space occupied by the mounted stamp or stamps; this frame
serves to preserve the stamp from being rubbed.
When it is desired to keep duplicates or stock of unmounted stamps singly or
in bulk, I employ an envelope cut out from a piece of paper of the form shewn
in Fig. 9 having two side flaps K and K' and end flaps L and M.
Or instead of such entire piece I may use two pieces one plain parallel
piece of the whole length and of the width of L and M and one plain parallel
cross piece of the width of K and K.
Where the end flap L meets the bottom end N¹ of the body N of the envelope
it is folded or may be curled round a strip of cardboard for stiffening or thicken-
ing this end part which is also suitable for the hole B3 (or slot) (answering to
the hole 13 or slot B2 in the cards) for the aforesaid protecting rod C to
pass through. The stamp or stamps having been placed in the envelope the
lower flap L is first folded down, then the two side flaps K and K' and then

page_text: the upper flap M which latter is then inserted in the thickening piece N¹ and
secured by a tag entering the hole B in N¹ or by a paper fastener or by the
rod C. But the envelope may also be without such hole B3 and be used apart
from the box or drawer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) The mode of making up a collection of postage stamps or the like for
preserving and inspecting them and of rearranging them without having to
detach and remount the stamps comprising the application and use of a box
tray or drawer of cards to be placed therein said cards having on one side one
or more stamps mounted thereon and having on the other side headings for
particulars of said stamp printed thereon upside down of guide cards of different
colours for insertion between groups of the aforesaid stamp cards, the colours
indicating different countries or groups of same of a wedge piece for supporting
the cards, and by preference of a rod fitted in the box, tray or drawer and
passing through the lower part of the cards but adapted to be withdrawn at the
collectors wish when any of the stamp cards or guide cards are to be rearranged
or withdrawn or other cards inserted substantially as set forth.
(2) A card for receiving one or more postage stamps or the like, said card
having raised parts for protecting the stamp against rubbing or for counter-
acting the local thickening effect of the stamp or for both purposes substantially
as set forth, and the alternative described with reference to Fig. 8.
(3) The construction of protecting rod Figs. 2 and 3.
(4) An envelope for duplicates or stock of postage stamps or the like, said
envelope constructed substantially as set forth.
Dated this Fourth day of July 1900
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.