Improvements in Indexing or Cataloguing.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Indexing or Cataloguing.
I ARTHUR GILES of 107 Princes Street Edinburgh in the County of Midlothian
Scotland Publisher do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The use of coloured papers and printings, and the application of colours to the
edgings of papers, or other materials, together with the assignment of letters and
figures to the respective papers, printings, and colourings; all in such manner as to
represent various chromatic permutations in sequence; and syllables or numbers,
also and correspondingly falling into alphabetical or numerical sequence.
Hence a system of denominating coloured papers or articles, coloured printings,
and colourings, by letters or figures constituting a code of marks, of distinguishable
variety, having a defined order.
The letters form syllables representing the respective colour combinations; and
thus a method is obtained of marking, for sortation, dockets, articles, or tallies that
may be arranged either by colour or by syllabic nomenclature.
By the system the arrangement of colours may follow any order, and any variety
of colour may be introduced, with any letter of the alphabet assigned thereto,
provided the sequence be sufficiently well determined; but the code here given is
the one prescribed, either in its complete form or modified.
The chromatic code therefore properly signifies, and, for example prescribes,
seven colours of paper or material, seven coloured printings and seven coloured
edgings; and these are respectively represented by seven capital letters, seven
vowels and seven consonants, the permutations of which form syllables descriptive
of the respectively combined colours, and the distinctive markings either of single
leaves, or packets of leaves or articles.
The capital letters B-C-G-P-S-T-V-are used to denominate the paper
colours Buff C-ream G-reen P-ink S-almon T-urquoise and V-iolet.
The vowels a-e-i-o-u-y-and ow are respectively the first vowels in the
printing colours they represent, viz. bl-a-ck r-e-di-vy br-o-wn bl-u-e
yellow and the word sn-ow. And the consonants b-c-m-p-r-s-and :—
are in like manner, dominant consonants of the edge colours e-b-ony s-c-arlet
e-m-erald se-p-ia ce-r--ulean 5-affron and the word z-ero (equivalent to
white).
It follows that a syllable containing a capital, a vowel, and a consonant, represents
but one arrangement of three colours and vice versu that any single combination of
the colours has a corresponding syllable to represent it, so that by permutation of
colours, a code of 343 syllables or different denominating marks is obtained as
prescribed.
The code, so determined receives a further mutation by using as sub sequence to
each syllable a set of the 26 capital letters of the alphabet giving 8918 mutations;
and, sub sequenced to these, another set of the alphabet, in lower case, giving a
total of 231,868. If with these there be interposed the figure code, hereafter
described, up to one hundred an aggregate of more than 23 million different
denominators is obtained, any one of which is found by its edge markings,
particularised below, supplemented by its surface printed capitals and lower case
letters. Alternatively symbolic marks or edgings indicating sections or series
multiply the denominators ad infinitum.
When in
It is composed
The figure or vowel code is used alone, or in relation with the above.
relation it is applied to edgings on a different side or at either end.

page_text: of the vowel colourings following the same order as in the syllables, aud repre-
senting numbers up to a hundred and also beyond, a-e-i-o-u-standing
respectively for 1-2-3-4-5-and-y-(not being used by itself) adding five
to the figure following (as represented by the colour) while-ow-is only introduced
to represent a cipher when necessary to do so, with numbers above a hundred
(30, 40 &c. are formed to read twenty-ten, thirty-ten etc. that is to say
by 25 plus 5, 35 plus 5 or eyu iyu.
Whether used alone or in relation with the syllable code the vowel code (always
following the prescribed order of colours) is also represented in edge and surface
marking, by single lines for 1 to 5 and double lines for 6 to 10, or alternatively,
thin lines and thick lines respectively. In surface colouring the figure denominators
may be five coloured dots for 1 to 5 and five coloured dashes for 6 to 10 or five
coloured strokes and five coloured crosses.
When used by itself, or when numbers are the basis of classification, the vowel
code is conveniently extended to 700 by adopting the paper colours for the
respective hundreds.
In reading the figure code the letter S (standing for Saffron and thus the
corresponding consonant of the similar colour) may be substituted for-y—
(.e. esa for cya). [The vowel colours and the consonant colours respectively
correspond, though having different letters, but not so the paper colours.]
The chromatic code is used by a distributive arrangement of it over
(A) Pagination or Numbers.
(B) The Alphabet.
(C) Classes or Districts etc.
In extensive sortation, instead of the code following the last named arrange-
ment (C) primary classification is obtained by adopting symbolic marks, special
letterings, or figurings printed, stencilled, or stamped in one or various colours
within which the grouping follows according to (A.) or (B).
In codification of pages or numbers (A) the paper colours or capitals are
apportioned according to hundred or thousand pages; the printings or vowels
edgings or consonants and sub sequenced alphabets being respectively spread over
sections of fewer pages; columns, half or quarter pages or other parts thereof;
and individual entries.
In codification of alphabet lists (B) the prescribed seven colours, are apportioned
over sections of four letters to each four vowel colourings differentiating the
letters of each section, and the consonant coloured edgings further subdividing
these into groups of names, within which the figure code is applied, by numbering
individual names, or groups of names, with or without particular names specially
numbered.
The figure code is used by first preparing a list to which it is applicable, and
consecutively numbering the contents; and when there are several lists, by
determining characteristic symbol, size, or form of each. The Calendar requires
the code up to 12, the Alphabet up to 26, the English counties 52 Scotch
counties 33. Any kind of divisions eg. constituencies, parishes, authors, subjects,
professions, streets, regiments railways etc. being similarly treated.
;
In printing docket forms on sorted coloured papers, decided colours are used;
and the surface pips are printed at the upper right hand corner, to show a body of
colour. Below this the sub sequenced letters are printed; the capital set in one
space, the other below, two blank spaces being left for incidental references.
For convenience in printing 24 dockets in a sheet (sorted A. to Y each impression)
the Violet paper may be constituted an auxiliary for every 25th page, or for
pages 97 to 100, these being edge coloured in the middle to indicate the respective
paper divisions within which they fall, and being read with the paper capital at the
end and the liquid "1" introduced thús Val B Vel G.
In edge colouring, the leaves to be treated are fanned out, and the colour applied
with brush at the lower right hand corner. To facilitate reference the lower left
hand edges are also fanned out and coloured in correspondence to the printed pips.

page_text: There is thus visible at the lower edgings for readier reading (1) Colour of paper
(2) Printing and (3) Edging, supplying the syllable of the docket. The figure
code is conveniently applied in the same manner at the right hand end.
Should counterfoils be needed for separate preservation or reference on reaching
a certain arrangement, the references are printed in duplicate at the right hand, and
the edgings cover counterfoil and docket. The counterfoils thus contain paper,
pip edging, capital and lower case letters, and two (or more) blank spaces being the
whole references to the docket itself.
To aid the sortation of the sub sequenced capitals, the alphabet is divided in
three sections, the first having a bar or single stroke at each letter, the second
two bars, the third three bars and by dropping I or J and Z the divisions contain
eight letters each,
Where certain information has to be obtained for insertion under special headings,
in principal lists, minor billets, and tallies of a smaller kind are used, of similar or
of different shape, the chromatic code being separately applied to them as applicable
to the particular series following its own symbol. If they fall in with others of a
different series their relative order of precedence is indicated by a letter of the
alphabet on the upper left hand corner.
The Chromatic Syllable Code begins with Bab the initial syllable of the first
colour and ends with Voz the final syllable of the third colour or edging. The
Figure Code begins with a for 1 and ends with yoyo (or soso) for 99 and yoyo
(or sosu) for 100,
The tallies of the respective paper colours used in the system show on their face
pips, bands, wafers or dots, in the determined printings, and the required edgings;
also capitals and lower case letters where sub tallies are used.
When plain dockets of but one colour must be used the paper colours B-C-
G-P-S-T-V are indicated in the middle of the lower edge, the figure code
up to 26 representing at the top edge the sub sequence alphabet of capital letters.
The single dockets are then individualised by lower case vowels stamped in five
differently positioned places on the right side or end, these being the top, middle
and bottom, and two intermediate; first a's in the five respective places, then other
vowels following in order.
In lieu of surface coloured tallies, gummed wafers or labels of the respective
colours, and of oblong, circular, and square form to represent capitals, vowels, and
consonants are used; also composite syllable labels.
In the vowel series where-ow-is not used the-a-may represent bl-a-nk
(instead of bl-a--ck).
New or interpolated entries are marked by two red edgings occupying the 2nd
and 4th of the five places at the lower edgings, any other code markings following
the preceding docket.
The pip in dockets representing ow (or substituted a indicating bl-a-nk is
printed in outline only, or left out.
The annexed drawing illustrates the precise positions assigned to the respective
printings, colourings and stampings.
Fig. I represents an ordinary docket:
Fig. II a fanned out packet of dockets when one paper colour only is used:
Fig. 1 a minor billet of a single paper colour series:
Fig. IV a packet of the same turned over and fanned out for stamping on the
back.
P indicates the position of the pip of same colour of printing as docket, i the
pip edging corresponding thereto; m the colour edging, C the sub sequenced
capital letter, the lower case letter, vacant spaces, n positions where the two rel
edgings indicate new additional entries, S positions where colour edging is a
substitute for paper colour as in Figs. II and III, or when auxiliaries are edged
according to their paper divisions as in Fig. 1; figure code positions when
representative of subsequence capital letters, as in Fig. 11 or when reference is
made to another numbered arrangement in minor billets, as in Fig. III; a e the

page_text: five positions of the respective individualising vowels in lieu of lower case letters,
as in Fig. II, or in the individualising of minor billets in any given order;
O position of letter 'indicating order of precedence among other minor billets under
same sub heading, edgings applied, in varying combinations, to the respective
deuominations of minor billets.
Datadhir SanandI…..
ARTHUR GILES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Indexing or Cataloguing.
1 ARTHUR GILES of 107 Princes Street Edinburgh in the County of Midlothian,
Publisher do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention has for its immediate object the expeditions and more exact
compilation of directories catalogues, and similar works by the assignment of
letters, or figures, to colours, and the arrangement of these in sequence.
In order to secure this I use various coloured papers or materials and different
coloured printings and I apply a series of colours to the edges of these papers or
other materials.
Although I may use more colours, and in other order, I adopt those for which
convenient suggestive mnemonics are found, and such order as the letters or figures
assigned bring into alphabetical or numerical sequence, and constitute a chromatic
syllable, or a figure, code.
I arrange the papers for the syllable code thus B-uff C-ream Green,
Pink, Salmon 7-urquoise and Violet, and represent them by their
respective initial letters B. C. G. P. S. T. V. which constitute the paper scries and
capitals. The colour printings are bl-a-ck r-e--di-vy, br-o-wn bl-u--e
yellow and white called snow, which I represent by their respective vowels
a- ——--—ow and these are the printing or vowel scries. a may represent
bl-a-nk in lieu of black if ou be omitted. The edge colourings are similar and
follow the same order, but are named e-b-ony s-c-arlet c-m-erald
se-p-ia ce rulean and s-affron, and z-cro to indicate white. They are
represented by their respective dominant consonants b. e. m. p. r. s. 2. and are the
edge or consonant series."
The combination of any of the initials or capitals with any one of the vowels and
any one of the consonants forms a syllable, and, by the permutation of these
343 syllables each consisting of capital, vowel, and consonant are formed, and, in
alphabetical order, constitute a sequence. By such sequence, and the interposal of
a set of the alphabet in capital letters as a subsequence, and another set in lower
case as a further subsequence to each capital letter, a series of 231,868 denominating
markings is obtained, or of 197,568 if a set of only 24 capital letters be used and
only 24 lower case letters.
To bring into play the papers, printings and colourings so denominated, and their
respective letterings, I determine what sections they are respectively to represent,
and then, in the case of a directory, I apply the dockets on something like the
following plan.
To every hundred pages 1 apportion distinctive coloured papers and then dis-
tribute the printings to sections of the same, leaving the edge colourings to
particular pages, the alphabet in capital letters to columns or parts of a page, and
letting the lower case letters indicate individual entries. In this way any entry,
marked under the plan, can have but one place, into which it must fall in the
sortation of the contents of a directory, and that place may be designated by a
syllable and the particular capital and lower case letters of the alphabet that
appertain to it, and so be easily found by colour and reference letters.

page_text: When the entries do not exceed about a hundred in the page one capital letter
represents a quarter page, and, when any quarter contains less than 24 entries, the
last lower case letter is encircled to indicate a final onc. When there are more
than 24 entries in a quarter page more dockets are added with lower case
letters aa bb cc &c., the last being indicated.
The lower
To facilitate reference, and orderly placement of a docket, a pip is printed at the
upper right hand corner space, in the same colour as the printing of the docket,
and in the position marked P Fig. 1 in the drawing left with the Provisional
Specification this pip is also represented at the lower left hand edge by the edge
being correspondingly coloured as indicated by i, while the lower right hand edging
is coloured in correspondence with the consonant series as at m Fig. 1.
edge thus shows at a glance the paper colour, pip or printing, and the edging, and,
read by the letters assigned, gives capital, vowel, and consonant of the docket. In
edge colouring the leaves to be treated are fanned out and the colour applied with
stencil brush.
It is not necessary to represent the subsequenced capital and lower
case letters by coloured edgings.
Dockets containing new entries are marked by two half inch red edgings in the
second and fourth of the five places at the lower edges as indicated by a and a
Fig. I, their other markings following the preceding dockets, as ascertained from a
reference index to the code as applied to the work in hand.
The reference index gives the syllable for any new entry by showing what range
of titles or names the respective syllables comprise, and then also shows what
markings a required new docket should have, e.. supposing William Johnstone to
be a new entry the index having the names from Jae to Jon under the syllable Gup
the docket required for such new entry would be one of green paper, in blue
printing and with sepia edgings along with the new entry red edgings.
The dockets are printed 24 in the sheet, each sheet having a set of say 24 capital
letters in spaces below the pips, as at C Fig. 1., the lower case letters being added
by a second printing in the spaces below these as at /. For the second printing
the sheets are re-arranged in equal numbers of the various coloured papers and
pips into 24 sections and each section has all the dockets in each sheet printed with
its particular lower case letter. To aid the sortation of the capital letters / to //
have a single bar or stroke, thus, A-, / to two bars, thus, I, and R to Y three
bars, thus, RJ and Zare omitted.
Below these printed references two spaces and are left for any other markings
or memoranda; and for the purpose of registering any order into which the
dockets may fall, at any stage in the process of sortation, all the references are
duplicated on a counterfoil at the right hand end as shown in Fig. 1.-the consonant
coloured edging covering both docket and counterfoil.
In order that the pages may run in sets of 24, and so far correspond in every
hundred, the violet paper may be made an auxiliary to carry the dockets of the
four last pages in each hundred.
The paper colours, to which the violet is thus an auxiliary, are indicated on the
violet dockets by a one inch edging of corresponding colour, in the middle of the
lower edge, and the dockets are read with the paper colour capitals B. C. G. P. S. T.
as the case may be, at the end of the syllable, preceded by 7, to represent their
special right hand consonant edging called u-l-tramarine, thus, Val B, Vol G,
which syllables respectively represent violet paper, black pips, ultramarine
edges, bull paper division; and violet paper, brown pips, ultramarine edges, green
paper division.
The dockets are prepared in the following manner. The standing matter, to be
on all alike, is put into type according to the determined form of the docket.
From this 24 transfer ink impressions are obtained and these are so arranged on a
lithographic stone that the whole 24 may be printed at once on a given size of
sheet. A pip is then added to each in the upper right hand corner space as at P
in Fig. 1 and in the 24 spaces as at C are inserted the respective 24 capital
letters A to Y (J being omitted) with their single, double or treble bars annexed.

page_text: The stone being thus ready for the first printing, which is to give the respective
printed pips and capital letters, 196 sheets of each of the papers, buff, cream, green,
pink, salmon, turquoise and violet are printed off in black, and the same assortment
in each of the other colours of printing red ivy, brown, blue and yellow. To
represent the white the printing colour is preferably light blue with the pip in
outline.
When the whole of these 8232 sheets are thus printed off they are re-arranged
for printing the lower case letters into 24 parcels, each parcel containing 49 sheets
of every combination of paper and printing colours: these combinations being
seven to each coloured paper-that is to say there will be the seven different
printings on buff paper and also on cream, green, pink, salmon, turquoise, and violet
making 49 various combinations.
The second printing is effected by the printer so composing a skeleton form
that 24 of the same lower case letter may be printed on the 24 dockets of each
sheet in the space marked I and be also easily changed, during the printing of the
respective 24 parcels, from sets of one lower case letter to other sets, throughout
the alphabet. As there is no need to differentiate the colour of the lower case
letters the whole of the sheets in every parcel are passed through the press and
printed in black according to the various lower case letters assigned to the
respective parcels.
The 24 parcels respectively containing the 49 sheets of each of the various com-
binations, namely, the total 8232 sheets, are then re-sorted into bundles for cutting
the various dockets apart into such order that each packet of 24 dockets shall
contain only three of the same paper, colour of printing or pip, and capital letter,
and present a complete sub sequence of lower case letters. This operation consists in
sorting and subsorting the sheets, first according to their seven paper colours, then
according to their seven printing, or pip colours, and again according to their
respective lower case letters, after which they are collated into sets.
When the sheets leave the press, after the second printing, they are in the order
of the lower case letters, all sheets with the same letter being together, and their
colours following in the same relation. The collation of the sheets into colours is
thus methodically done either by arranging the 24 parcels in consecutive order and
collating each colour from parcel to parcel, or by distributing a single parcel at a
time into seven trays representing the paper colours.
In the same manner, in the further collation of the papers into groups of pip
colours, the sheets will be found to follow a certain recurring order, and, when
collated, will be found to contain clusters of seven sheets of the same paper, the
same pip and the same lower case letters.
The final sortation of the sheets, taking each of the groups in succession, is the
separation of the seven dockets of each cluster and the collation of them into
sequence according to their lower case letters a to y. This is accomplished by
placing apart the seven sheets printed y, as a foundation for each sequence,
laying those printed a upon them, and so on until all the sheets are again sorted,
and the sheet bearing lower case a is at the top of each package.
The sheets are now ready to be cut into separate dockets and this can only be
properly done by a bookbinder's cutting machine. Before cutting a sheet of brown
paper is placed between each bundle to separate the sets, and each set is banded
immediately on being cut..
To differentiate the dockets in their edgings the whole are arranged in seven
batches of seven sections each. Every batch represents one particular pip colour
on the various colours of paper and each section must contain one packet of every
combination of paper and pip colour.
In edge colouring, the dockets of a division are fanned out and laid in order
according to colour. All in the same division have their colourings applied with
stencil brush at the left hand corner of the lower edging, the colour corresponding
to the printing of the pip: pips in black having black edgings, those in red red
edgings, and so on. Those with outline pip are left plain.

page_text: The dockets are finally edge coloured at the right hand of the lower edge
according to their respective sections: these sections respectively requiring ebony,
scarlet, emerald, sepia, cerulean, saffron and white or blank edgings.
For the new entries I prepare a quantity of plain dockets, according to the
respective paper colours and syllabic edgings and marked with the half inch red
edgings as at a and a Fig. 1. These arrange conveniently in compartments, or
wallets, under their respective syllables.
Having in this manner made the dockets, with a view to a reissue of say a
directory, cut apart the names or entries in the directory, and affix them in the
upper half of the dockets, leaving the lower part for corrections.
To ensure accuracy in the attachment of these entries to their proper dockets,
the various lots, corresponding to the respective pages, are first place in wallets,
numbered according to the pages of the directory, with the syllable and capital
letter of their dockets; and these wallets are put into clips along with the
respective packets of dockets.
The entries after having been previously so far severed as to be easily detached
by the fingers are then in their due order moistened on spongin-piline-six or ten
at a time and transferred to their proper dockets, the first entry being on a
docket with lower case a and all dockets left over being removed.
When new entries are introduced I allot them to their respective positions
among other entries according to the index. When there are many of these, I
reserve all for placement in their respective positions at one time. In doing so I
first assort them according to their syllables, and when their exact places are found
then capital and lower case letters are added: these correspond to the letters of
the respective entries immediately preceding but have a figure 2, 3, 4, &c. as the
case may be added to the lower case ones, thus Johnstone Robert being Gu P Jf
Johnstone William will be Gup Mf 2 of a new entry.
It may be convenient not to write new entries on previously prepared syllable
paper but upon white paper. In this case the new entries are afterwards placed by
sorting and edge-colouring according to the index and after the plan as hereinafter
described for plain or unprinted dockets of one colour and as shown in Fig. II.
If, as in the case of a directory, sheets of entries are to be issued to other
persons for revision and these are to be made up according to say post offices,
streets, professions or the like a duplicate set of the entries is temporarily attached
to the dockets by their margin. The transference of these duplicates to sheets
is effected by moistening on spongin-piline, as before, a few at a time and affixing
them in the order of the dockets, as these may have been arranged for the sheets
of streets professions or the like.
When the second part of a directory is simply the transposition of the entries
in the first part, e.y. names of residences to the names of their occupants, I number,
within each letter of the alphabetical order of the second part, groups of names
of persons, giving a distinctive number to. any oft repeated one such as Brown,
Jones, or Scott. In the sortation of these special pigeon holes are provided for the
special names, while the rest are sub sorted and numbered, in one of the vacant
spaces Fig. I according to their groups. Every group is finally sorted according
to individual names and placed under syllabic tallies which guide to their due
arrangement. These tallies indicate what groups they respectively carry.
In compiling catalogues it may be desirable to follow the order of titles or
names and not that of pagination. For that purpose an alternative application of
the syllable code is its apportionment over the alphabet, instead of over pagination,
by assigning the respective papers to divisions of about four letters, buff paper
being assigned to A to D, cream to E to H and so on, differentiating the letters
by the printing colours A. EI NRV having black pips BF KO S W red pips
and so on, and sub dividing the names by the edge colourings of the consonant
series, e.g. Sab containing Sands to Scott Seb Seton to Small.
Upon the quantity of names to be treated depends the convenience of using the

page_text: whole of the code syllables, or only a selection. This applies whether the order
be according to pages or names. thus apportion the limited name code of six
papers four pips and four edgings respectively represented by B. C. G. P. S. T.
a. e. o. u and bcm p.
Each paper has four letters, which are differentiated by the
four printings or pips, and sub divisions of each letter are distinguished by the
four coloured edgings and the alphabets. The more extended name codes provide
for more minute sub divisions of alphabetical lists.
In extensive sortation primary classification is best obtained by adopting
symbolical markings, special letterings, or figurings, printed, stencilled, or stainped
in one or various colours, within which the grouping falls according to the syllable
code. Thus, where certain information has to be inserted under special headings
in principal lists, I adopt minor billets, and give each series a symbolical left end
edging to differentiate it as d d in Fig. III. These edgings are single colourings,
or combinations of two or more. The tallies for the minor billets have corre-
sponding edgings, and also surface markings to denominate their series. When
different series fall under the same special headings, their order of precedence is
indicated by a letter of the alphabet, on the upper left hand corner, as at O
Fig. 111.
All minor billets must be coloured in their lower edgings according to the same
syllable code of their principal lists, and, if it be necessary to mark their relative
order within the code, lower case vowels are stamped in five differently positioned
places on the back behind the right hand end as in Fig. IV. If such minor billets
have to be compared with other standing lists their order in these lists is signified
by the figure code applied at the right hand ends, as at ƒ, f; f; ƒ Fig. III.
When the entries to be treated are few, and there are only six or seven different
kinds or classes these may be respectively indicated by the paper colours, and
further sub divisions may follow the vowel and consonant colourings.
The chromatic code is thus used to indicate entries according to (a) Pagination
or numbers, (b) Alphabetical order of lists, (c) Classes. It is also used to represent
figures and numbers by the vowel colourings alone, and combinations of the vowel
colourings and, according to this form or figure code, may be applied apart from
the syllable code, or in relation to it.
The figure code consists of the vowel colourings, following same order as in
the syllable code, and may conveniently indicate numbers up to 100.
The figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are represented by bl-a-ck, r-e-d, ivy br―ow-n,
blue while yellow signifies that 5 is added to the following figure and thus,
in combination with the other colours, represents 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Twenty thirty etc.
are made up as if read ten + ten, twenty ten etc. The vowels of the code are
thus the same as those in the syllable code namely a ei o u and y and they follow
the same order with the corresponding colours. For euphonious reading instead of
using y representing yellow S representing saffron the sixtli corresponding consonant
colour may be substituted, and thus 99 may be read sosi instead of yoyi. When
numbers alone are the basis of classification the figure code is conveniently
extended to 700 by the adoption of the coloured papers.
In applying the figure code to the edgings of paper 1 adopt patches of the
various colours to represent the respective figures. When coloured pencils are
used 1 to 5 may be represented by single lines, and 6 to 10 by double lines
(without the interposal of yellow) or thin and thick lines respectively. Where the
markings are on the surface and not on the edges the figure denominators may
be (a) solid pips, (b) dots, or (c) strokes for 1 to 5 and (a*) circles, (*) dashes,
or (ex) crosses for 6 to 10, (ax) being used with (a) (x) with (b) (ex) with c
and all following the order of the respective five vowel colours.
When it is desired to distinguish the dockets appertaining to the respective
items or class in a list the contents of the list, consecutively numbered, may be
represented either on the edges of dockets or on their surface by the figure code.
The months of the calendar may thus be represented by the figure code markings

page_text: up to 12 and the letters of the alphabet up to 26. In like manner counties, con-
stituencies, parishes, authors, subjects, professions, streets, regiments, railways, may
be indicated by numbers being assigned to them.
In using the figure code in relation to the syllable code I apply it to the upper
edge of dockets as at in Fig. II, or at the right hand end of minor billets/fƒ ƒ
Fig. III.
When the dockets are not printed and plain dockets of only one colour
represented by Fig. I are made I use colourings in the middle of the lower edge
as shewn by S in Fig. 1 & II to represent the different series of papers, and I read
these by the consonants of the paper colours B. C. G. P. S. T. V. as if the whole
dockets were of the ascribed colour. then apply the figure code up to 24
(or 26) at the top edges fff Fig. II to indicate the subsequence alphabet of capital
letters, and by lower case vowels, stamped in five differently positioned places, I
individualise single dockets. These vowels are placed at the top, middle, bottom,
and two intermediate positions, on the right hand end; first five a's as seen in
Fig. II in the five respective places, then other vowels following in order.
When the full syllable code is used, and the dockets are printed on coloured
papers, the figure code up to 100, applied at their top edges, by multiplying the
power of permutation, will increase the denominators to more than twenty million,
while the introduction of minor billets, or dockets of different form or size, with
symbolic surface marks, or variously coloured edges to indicate sections or series,
may further multiply the denominators ad infinitum.
Throughout the whole chromatic code I use indicators or tallies of the same
size as the dockets or minor billets, showing the colours, and denotive markings
of the dockets, with the syllables printed or stamped thereon. These indicators,
covered with the respective papers, show on their face pips or bands to represent
the printings, and have the respective edgings; also, capital and lower case letters,
in the case of sub tallies. I also use gummed labels of the respective colours, and
of oblong, circular and square form to denote capitals or paper colours, vowels or
printed pips, and consonants or edgings respectively; and these I may affix to
cardboard or paper of any colour. I likewise use composite syllable labels, for
affixing to any material, inade up in sets according to the code, or in varying
quantities for all syllables.
The pip in dockets representing ow or when a represcuts bl-a-nk is printed in
outline only.
The full chromatic syllable code begins with Bab and ends with Vowz, but in
the omission of one or more capitals, vowels, or consonants the number of syllables
will vary. The figure code begins with a for 1 and ends with yoyu (or sosu)
for 99 and yuyu (or susu) for 100. When hundreds however are differentiated by
the colour papers the paper capitals precede the vowels in reading. Thus Gyoyu
would mean 299 if G is to represent the third hundred.
Referring to the drawings, left with the Provisional Specification, I have
therein shown the precise position assigned to the respective printings, colourings,
and stampings.
Fig. I represents an ordinary docket.
Fig. Il a fanned out packet of dockets when one paper colour only is used.
Fig. III a minor billet of a single paper colour series.
Fig. IV a packet of the same turned over and fanned out for stamping on
back.
The position of the pip, of the same colour of printing as dockets, is indicated
in Fig. I by P. is the pip or vowel edging corresponding thereto, m the coloured
consonant edging, C the subsequenced capital letter, I the lower case letter v vacant
spaces, and n shows positions where the two half inch red edgings indicate new
additional entries.
S is where coloured inch edgings are applied to represent particular coloured
paper dockets or to denote relation to coloured paper divisions, as for auxiliary
12

page_text: dockets (see Fig. I) or when white dockets are designed to stand for fully coloured
dockets, as in Fig. II.
in Fig. I show where the figure code is applied in white dockets to
represent subsequence capital letters and ffffin Fig. III its place in minor
billets where reference is necessary to other standing lists. ae in Fig.
indicate
the five positions of the respective individualising vowels used in white dockets in
lieu of lower case letters, or where, as in Fig. IV, reference is made to some given
order of the minor billets.
O is the position for any letter indicating the order of precedence among other
minor billets, d edgings applied, in various combinations, to differentiate the
respective series of minor billets..
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. A combination whereby coloured papers, or colours, and the assignment
thereto of letters, or figures, according to a defined arrangement, forms a code of
denominating marks.
2. An improved plan of indicating, or numbering, papers or articles, by
chromatic markings on their edges, or surface, which may be read by their
chromatic relation, or by syllabic ninemonics.
3. An improved method of compiling the data of a directory, or catalogue, and
of substituting mechanical for skilled labour.
4. I claim to manufacture dockets, billets, tallies, indicators, or labels, having
the special printings and chromatic markings, stencillings, or stampings of the
code, in any shape, size, or of any material, substantially as herein described.
Dated this First day of September 1891.
ARTHUR GILES,
107, Princes Street, Edinburgh.