AN IMPROVEMENT IN BOOK INDEXES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hilary Nicholas Nissen, of Mark Lane, in the City
of London, Stationer and Printer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN BOOK INDEXES."
Sealed the 25th November 1859, and dated the 27th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hilary Nicholas Nissen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th May 1859.
I, HILARY NICHOLAS NISSEN, of Mark Lane, in the City of London,
Stationer and Printer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN BOOK INDEXES," to be as follows:-
Hitherto in making book indexes it has been usual for the alphabet or
numerals, signs, words, figures, letters, or other indications to appear at the
side only. Now my Invention consists in placing the alphabet or other like
indications and making the letters or indications appear at top or bottom as
well as at the side. By this arrangement, when the index is open at any
particular letter or indication, any preceding letter or indication may be turned
to without first closing the index as formerly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hilary Nicholas Nissen in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HILARY
NICHOLAS NISSEN, of Mark Lane, in the City of London, Stationer and Printer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Hilary Nicholas Nissen, Her special licence that I, the said Hilary
Nicholas Nissen, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Hilary Nicholas Nissen, 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN BOOK INDEXES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Hilary Nicholas Nissen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their. hands and seals, 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 Hilary Nicholas Nissen, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
Indexes have hitherto been placed at the side of the leaf or book requiring
or containing an index, and in consequence of having been always at the side
have compelled the turning over or closing the leaves of the index (when open
at any particular part) before the whole index could again be presented to
view, the necessity for such closing or previous turning over of the leaves of the
index always existing when any preceding part of the index was required for
reference. My Invention obviates such heretofore existing necessity for turn-
ing over or closing the index when references to preceding parts of an index
are required, and consists in cutting or placing along the top or bottom end, or
both top and bottom ends of the leaves or book of which the index may be

page_text: composed, another index running either to the right hand or to the left hand.
Thus reference may be made to all or any preceding as well as succeeding
parts of such index or book without first turning back the whole or any part.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim cutting, printing,
marking, or otherwise denoting an index, either of letters, figures, words, signs,
or any other marks, along the top or bottom end or both top and bottom
ends of the leaf or leaves of any index, in addition to the index at the side as
heretofore, so as to produce a double index presenting at every opening of such
index the whole of the preceding as well as the succeeding letters, figures,
words, signs, or other marks required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hilary Nicholas Nissen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
HILARY NICHOLAS NISSEN. (L.S.)