AN IMPROVED MODE OR MODES, METHOD OR METHODS, OF SECURING, COMBINING, AND PRESERVING PRINTED, WRITTEN, OR PLAIN PAPERS, PRINTS, DRAWINGS, MUSIC, OR OTHER SIMILAR MATTERS, SO AS TO BE READILY ACCESSIBLE, EASILY REFERRED TO, AND CAPABLE OF BEING TAKEN ASUNDER AND REPLACED AT ANY TIME WITH FACILITY
Year: 1832

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WILLIAM DURRANT, of Brewer Street, Somers Town, in the Parish of Saint
Pancras, and County of Middlesex, Smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of October, in the third year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
William Durrant, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James William Durrant, my exors, adiñors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James William Durrant, my exors, adñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OR MODES, METHOD
OR METHODS, OF SECURING, COMBINING, AND PRESERVING PRINTED, WRITTEN, OR
PLAIN PAPERS, PRINTS, DRAWINGS, MUSIC, OR OTHER SIMILAR MATTERS, SO AS TO BE
READILY ACCESSIBLE, EASILY REFERRED TO, AND CAPABLE OF BEING TAKEN ASUNDER
AND REPLACED AT ANY TIME WITH FACILITY;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said James William Durrant, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court.
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date

page_text: .
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James William Durrant, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):-
:-
In the said Drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 a back view, Fig. 3 a
side or edge view, and Fig. 4 an end or bottom view, of a combination of two
metal parallel bars A and B; two pairs of cross bars or cross pieces C, C, and
D, D; two screwed loops E, E, and a metal rod or wire F, having a right-handed
and a left-handed screw formed upon it, G'and H, and also a metal thumb
piece or handle I to turn the rod by, and the power or leverage of which said
handle can be increased when necessary by placing the key J upon it, and
which said key is shewn in a bottom and side view in Figs. 5 and 6. The
cross bars or cross pieces C, C, and D, D, are connected, by riveting or other-
wise, to the parallel bars A and B, at K, K, K, K, &c., so as to allow them
freedom of motion, in the manner to be hereafter described; the opposite ends
of the longer cross bars D, D, &c., resting upon the opposite parallel bars A
and B, whilst the shorter cross bars C, C, are united with them in their middle
parts by the stems of the screwed loops E, E, passing through holes made in the
cross bars to receive them, and afterwards being secured by riveting or otherwise,
so as also to allow them freedom of motion. The cross bars C, C, and D, D, are
however fastened together by means of the stems of the screwed loops E, E,
as above mentioned, previous to riveting them to the parallel bars A, B; and,
also the right and left threaded screws are inserted into the screwed loops E, E,
the screw H being also inserted into its screwed loop E, before the thumb piece;
or handle I is firmly affixed upon the end of the rod F, by soldering, riveting, or
otherwise. The cross bars C, C, and D, D, being then riveted to the parallel
bars A and B, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, on turning the handle I either
way the parallel bars will be caused to separate from or to approach towards
each other, as may be the case, by the various angular positions given to the
cross bars C, C, and D, D, by the right and left threaded screws G and H
causing the screwed loops E, E, to approach to or to recede from each other.
This effect is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, where the parallel bars A. and B.
have been brought nearer to each other by the action of the screws G and H
upon the screwed loops E, E, and the cross bars C, C, and D, D, the altered.
positions of the latter being also shewn by the dotted lines. On continuing. to

page_text: turn the handle I the parallel bars A and B may at length be brought into
close contact with each other, or nearly so, and will securely hold fast any,
papers or other similar matters placed between them; and upon turning the
handle the contrary way, the bars A and B will again open or recede from.
each other, and the papers or other similar matters placed between them may.
be removed, or others be placed in their stead. Fig. 7 is an edge or side view:
of one of the long cross bars D, and Fig. 8 a top view of it, the parts at L, L,
being thickened or made to project below the other part, in order to free that
part from friction or rubbing in action; and Fig. 9 is an edge view, and Fig. 10,
a top view, of one of the short cross bars C, one end of which M is made.
thicker than the other part of it, as shown in Fig. 9, to allow the longer: cross
bar D to pass underneath it, as shewn in Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a front view of one
of the screwed loops E, with its stem N, prepared for riveting or uniting the
cross bars, as shewn in Fig. 4.
Fig. 12 is another construction or combination of the several parts, differing,
from that above described in having only one screw upon the rod F at G, and
one screwed loop E, the other screw and loop being changed for a swivel O.
I do not, however, recommend this alteration as preferable to, or even so good.
as, the construction before described, as the screwed rod F is not kept in its,
place as in the other construction, but upon turning it rises or falls or projects
beyond the end of the portfolio..
Fig. 13 is an end or top view of the parts first described as united to a
portfolio by means of screws and washers at P, P, the screws passing through.
the portfolio and entering into screwed holes made in the bars A and B, the:
bars A and B being represented as extended, and holding a quantity of sheets,
of paper Q between them, and as secured firmly by turning the screwed rod
by means of its thumb, piece or. handle I. R, R, are parts of the stiff
boards or sides of the portfolio, and S its flexible back.
Fig: 14 represents the bars A and B as nearly brought into contact, and
holding only a few leaves of paper Q between them.
Fig. 15 represents another mode or method of carrying my said Invention.
into effect,, in which the side bars A and B, and the long cross bars D, D, are
employed, without using the short ones as in the above-described methods.
In this case, however, one of the side bars A must be made hollow, as shewn
in the end view, Fig. 16, to receive the rod F with its right and left
screws G, H, and screwed loops E, E, upon it as shewn separately in Fig. 17;
and two slits T, T, must be made in the hollow side bar A to allow the webs and
stems formed upon the screwed loops E, E, to pass through, as shewn in

page_text: Figs. 15 and 16, and upon which said stems one end of each of the cross
bars D, D, are to be affixed, by riveting or otherwise, their other ends being
riveted to the side bar B, ass hewn in those Figures. The rod F must be
prevented from moving endways, the handle I being in contact with the bar A,
and a stop or button U affixed on the other end. The dotted lines in Fig. 15
shew the side bars A and B as being brought nearly into contact by turning
the screwed rod F.
Fig. 18 represents in section two side bars A and B as being formed of
hollow metal cylindrical tubes; and Figs. 19 and 20 represent two other
sectional of forms side bars A and B, made solid.
Having thus shewn and described several different methods of carrying my
said Invention into effect, I hereby declare that I do not mean or intend
thereby to limit myself to the employment of any particular material or
materials, but to employ any which are fit and proper for my purpose..
Neither do I intend to limit or confine myself to any particular size or
scale, but to vary the several parts composing it as the occasions may
require. Nor do I mean to confine myself to the methods herein shewn
and described, but to avail myself of any other mode by which the two
parallel bars A and B can be made to approach to or to recede from each
other by means of cross bars, when actuated by turning one or two screws
at the same time, formed upon a metal rod F, as it is obvious that different
modifications in the forms and proportions of the different parts may be
made, without varying their effects, as herein described. Neither do I claim
as my Invention the confining papers and similar matters by parallel bars,
unless such bars are opened and shut according to the constructions respec-
tively herein-before described, or according to some construction coming within
the principle on which such constructions before described have been made;
which principle I consider myself to have laid down in this latter part of my
Specification. Nor do I claim the separate and distinct parts used in such
constructions, but only the combination and application thereof, after the
manner herein stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James William Durrant, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the third year
of the reign of our Sovereign Lord William the Fourth, and in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three.
JAMES WILLIAM (L.s.) DURRANT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1833, the aforesaid James William Durrant came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.