Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved index for letter-books.
Hitherto it has been usual to make indices of this sort in what is known as
the cabinet form, in which the only clue to the desired letter is the name of
the writer.
My improvement consists in combining an alphabetical arrangement of the
names of the writers, which, as I have said; the chief feature of letter-book
indices now in common use, with an arrangement of the letters in the order of
their dates and a statement of the subject matter of each letter, whereby my index
presents three varieties of information in a compact form, and permits the use of
three clues in the search for any matter in the letter book, vizt the name of the
writer; the date; and the subject matter of the letter; so that even if any two of
these are forgotten, the letter can still be readily found.
In the accompanying drawing, illustrating my invention, the index is represented
in its usual form, covering two pages of the book.
It will be observed that I have shown vertical columns headed by letters of
the alphabet, a column headed "page," one headed "date," and another headed
"subject." The central vertical column headed "page" contains printed Figures
from one up, indicating pages of the book. It will be observed that each of these
Figures stands between horizontal rulings, and that there is therefore a horizontal
subdivision or section of the paper extending entirely across the two pages of the
index for each page of the letter book. As each letter is written and recorded in
the book, I enter the name of the writer in the rectangle at the intersection of the
horizontal section of the index bearing the number of the page on which the letter
is recorded and the vertical section or column, headed by the first letter of the
name; 1 enter the date of the letter in the same horizontal section under tlie column
n

page_text: heading "date" and under the heading "subject" I enter a brief statement of
the subject matter of the letter. It is evident that with an index constructed and
filled up in this manner, knowledge of either the subject matter, the date, or the
name of the writer of any letter will suffice to enable it to be readily found.
As an additional aid in the use of the index and to facilitate search when the
date or approximate date of the letters only, is known, I propose to affix tabs to
each leaf or to each second or third leaf, as convenient, on the "subject" column
side, placing on the tab the date of the horizontal section corresponding to it, as
indicated in the drawing..
While I have described the Figures in the column headed "page" as printed, the
spaces in that column may be left blank and the figures filled in by the book-keeper
when making the entries.
My index is capable of being used for letters received as well as for letters sent
with little or no change. If such letters are fixed for preservation to the pages of
a book, the number in the column headed "page" will indicate the page of the
book on which the letter is placed.
If the letters are filed in other ways, as by placing them in boxes or on wires,
they may be numbered in their order; and in that case the numbers in the vertical
column will indicate the number assigned to each letter and that column should be
beaded "number of letter."
5
In cases where the letters are short and more than one is contained on a page of
the letter book, the proper number of separate entries may be made in the single
line appropriated to the page; and to facilitate the separation of two such entries
I propose to have the index ruled with faint central lines in the horizontal sections.
These lines may extend entirely across the face of the index or may be confined to
the column headed "subject."
When the letter extends over several pages of the letter book several lines of
the index will be appropriated to it and brackets used.
While I have shown 25 lines in the drawing upon one page, any convenient
number may be so entered; similar successive pages should be added until the
number of horizontal sections equals the number of pages in the letter book.
It will be observed that several of the least common of the letters of the alphabet
are grooped together in single vertical columns. Greater compactness is thus
secured without materially detracting from the merit of the index. The index
may, however, be printed with a seperate column for each letter of the alphabet.
Modifications of the construction shown which may be useful are, the use of two
columns headed "page" or "number of letter" on the right and left hand sides of
the double pages respectively, instead of at the fold of the double pages as shown,
and which might render the indexing and reference a little more convenient; the
addition of a column adjoining the subject column for containing reference to
other letters on the same subject or for noting dates of answers; the reduction
of the proportionate width of the alphabet columns and a corresponding increase of
the width of the subject column.
An advantage of my construction to which I have not hitherto adverted is that
the requisite size of the index for any given book may be determined accurately
beforehand, avoiding the necessity accompanying the manufacture of the form of
index now in common use, of providing frequently much more paper than is
actually needed for some of the letters of the index in order to provide against the
chance of an insufficient amount for any letter.
To enable my index to be used either according to the plan which I have
heretofore described, or like an ordinary index, in which all the names commencing
with the same letter. are grouped on several pages, a single page, or part of a
page, I propose to print on the tab which I have described for the purpose of
showing dates, the letters of the alphabet successively in their order. In the
drawing I have shown the letter A printed upon the tab affixed to the sheet.
Each successive sheet of the Index will carry on its tab another letter or group of
lotters until the alphabet is exhausted. These letters would give the pages of the

page_text: Index an alphabetical arrangement which could be followed if desired and the Index
used in the ordinary way. Purchasers will thus be enabled to take Letter Books
provided with my Index with the assurance that if for any reason they find that
they prefer the ordinary form, they can use my Index as such; while if they prefer
to take advantage of my improvements they will have them at hand. It will
generally be found most convenient to have the dates and letters printed on both
sides of the tab.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A Letter-book Index having vertical columns headed by letters of the
alphabet, and horizontal sections numbered consecutively from one up, the said
numbers indicating the page of the book upon which the letters indexed in the
horizontal section are to be found, substantially as described and shown.
Second. A Letter-book Index having vertical columns headed by letters of the
alphabet, horizontal sections numbered consecutively, and provided also with a
vertical column for recording dates in consecutive order, substantially as described
and shown.
Third. A Letter-book Index made substantially as described, and having the tabs
bearing the dates and letters of the alphabet singly or in groups, whereby it is
possible to use my Index, either according to the improvements suggested in the
specification, or as an ordinary index in which names are entered on successive
pages or parts of pages according to their initial letter.
T11° AL
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.