Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
A communication from abroad by WILLIAM A. COOKE, Junior, of Brooklyn, in the
State of New York, United States of America, Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means of indexing and classifying loose papers such as
bills and letters, and particulary to interleaving indexes which are composed of
disconnected sheets of paper which are arranged for attachment to a suitable device
on or in which the papers are filed in their proper places between the index leaves.
The present invention relates to an interleaving index adapted to be used in con-
nection with temporary files for papers composed of fixed wires or needles and
movable arched wires which connect with the fixed wires and form arches which
may be opened to admit the placing of papers on the file or to remove papers
therefrom, and also for the transfer of papers from the fixed to the movable wires.
The index leaves used in connection with such files are transferred from one wire to
the other whenever papers are to be examined, filed, indexed or removed, and therefore
to find the proper paper or place for filing, readily and easily, it is essential that the
index letters on the index leaves should be so placed as to be visible and readily
accessible in any position that the papers may occupy on the filing wires.
The objects of this invention, are, First, to arrange the index so that the leaves
carrying the index letters shall be of equal length and width; Second, to make the
letters on the index leaves readable and accessible when the leaves are on the
transfer wires of paper-files and in an inverted position with respect to the tablet
or board to which the filing wires are connected; Third, to enable the index leaves
to be raised and transferred from the fixed to the movable wires of a paper file
and back again from opposite sides or edges.

page_text: The index leaves are formed of unbound sheets of paper of proper size and
preferably heavy enough to be lifted by one edge without bending. Each leaf is
separate and distinct from the other and they are all of the same length and width
so that when laid together in proper position, the edges of the paper lie flush with
each other. For the purpose of connecting the index leaves with the file wires, they
have on one edge, perforations which receive the said wires, and thus the said leaves
are strung on the filing wires and as they run freely on the said wires they are
transferable from the fixed wires to the movable or transfer wires and back again
with perfect facility.
The index letters or other titles of classes are divided into two parts or groups. One
part or group is connected with or applied to the edges of the leaves on one side, and
the other part to the edges of the leaves on the opposite side. The two groups or
parts it is preferred shall comprise an equal number of letters or titles and thus
include an equal number of index leaves. Between the leaves which carry the index
letters or other titles and form the main divisions of the classes, may be inserted
other leaves for sub-divisions indicated by vowels or other sub-titles.
The index letters are preferably printed or otherwise marked on tags, slips or
pieces of muslin which are pasted to the index leaves and project outward from the
side edges of the leaves.
Where the indexing is by the letters of the alphabet, the alphabet is divided
into two parts, one part comprising the first thirteen letters, these are applied to
the first thirteen leaves of the index successively--each letter the width of its slip
further down the edge of its leaf, whereby the letter is clearly exposed. The other
half of the alphabet is applied to the opposite edges of the remaining leaves.
Furthermore as one of the principle uses of this index is in connection with
temporary paper files such as have been already referred to, and in which the leaves
are reversed when transferred from the fixed wires to the movable wires, the divisions
or letters are arranged to be read as easily when the papers and index are on the
transfer or movable wire and reversed as when in their right position. For this
purpose, the letters or other class titles are placed on the back of the tag as well
as on the front and in an inverted position relatively to the title on the front, so
that when a leaf is turned over from the fixed wire to the transfer wire, the letter
or other title is readable in the usual manner.
To facilitate turning the papers back when it is desired to find and expose the
papers under a certain title when on the movable wire, the letter or title placed on the
back of the slip or tag is next in order below to the letter on the right side. The
advantage of this arises from the fact that in this kind of index, the papers are filed
above the leaf carrying their letter or title. Hence when the leaf is transferred all
the papers are raised by the leaf when lifted, and transferred with it.
Dated this 20th day of June 1887.

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil
Engineer 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 :-
The invention relates to means of indexing and classifying disconnected papers, and
particularly to interleaving indexes which are composed of disconnected leaves of
paper, arranged to be attached to a suitable device on or in which the papers are filed
in their proper places between the index leaves. The present invention relates to an
interleaving index adapted to be used in connection with temporary paper files, com-
posed of fixed wires or needles, and movable arched wires which connect with the
fixed wires, and form arches, which may be opened to admit papers on the file, or to
remove them therefrom, and for the transfer of papers from the fixed wires to the
movable wires.
The leaves of indexes used in connection with such files, are transferred from one
wire to the other whenever papers are to be examined, filed and indexed, or removed,
and therefore to find the proper place readily and easily, it is essential that the index
letters should be so placed on the leaves, as to be perfectly visible and accessible in
whatever position the file may be placed.
The objects of the invention are, first, to arrange the index so that the leaves may
be of equal length and width, second, to make the index letters readable and
accessible when the leaves are on the transfer wires of paper files, and in an inverted
position; third, to enable the index leaves to be raised and transferred from opposite
sides or edges.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents the improved index applied to a letter file.
Figure 2 a perspective view of the index leaves in the position they occupy when
on the fixed wires of the file.

page_text: Figure 3 a similar view with the leaves reversed and in the position they occupy
on the transfer wires of the file.
Referring to the drawings:-the letter file illustrated by Figure 1, which is
employed to exemplify the mode of applying and using this index, is of the con-
struction described in the specification of Letters Patent for "Improvements in files
for letters, etcetera" dated June 22, 1887, No. 8,906, and it consists of a tablet A,
fixed wires or needles 2, 2, and movable arched transfer or keeper wires 9 all of
which are fully described in the said specification. Primarily the index hereafter
described is intended to be used in connection with said files and also with "Improve-
ments in transferring paper files and binders for papers" which forms the subject of
Letters Patent No. 8,904, dated June 22, 1887. But it is obvious that it may be used
with files and binders of other construction.
The index leaves 22 are arranged for binding in the said file and binder by
providing their binding edges with perforations 23 through which the fixed wires or
needles 2 are passed and thereby they are strung on the file wires in proper order
and prevented from becoming disarranged. Thus connected with the file, the index
leaves can be transferred from the fixed wires to the transfer wires as indicated by
the dotted lines in Figure 1.
The index letters, characters, or other heads or designations of classes are divided
into two parts or groups 24, 24". Those of the former group are arranged along the
edges of the leaves on the left hand side thereof, and those of the latter group on the
right hand side. Each group or division it is preferred shall comprise an equal
number of separate leaves, but adjoining indexed leaves may include any number of
subdivisions or classes arranged in any order that convenience or taste may dictate, or
render necessary. An alphabetical classification is illustrated. In this the group or
division 24 comprises the letters "A" to "K," and the group or division 24ª, the
letters "L" to "&." The two groups or divisions being composed of an equal
number of leaves, group 24 taking ten alternate leaves counting from the top, and
group 24ª the remaining ten. Blank leaves may be interposed between the indexed
Icaves and voweled or otherwise marked with heads or subdivisions.
As one of the principal uses of this index is in connection with the temporary
files shown in Figure 1, it is important that the divisions should be read as
easily when the papers and index are on the transfer wires as when upon the fixed
wires. Furthermore, both the reverse and obverse indexing should be arranged so
that the papers under cach letter are always in the same relative position to the leaf
carrying the letter. Thus, if the papers under the letter A are below the leaf carrying
the letter A, in the obverse index, they must also be below the leaf carrying the
letter A in the reverse index. For instance the letter A appears on the obverse side
of one index leaf, and on the reverse side of the next index leaf.
This arrange-
ment is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, and by the reversed representation of
the index in Figure 3. As will be seen by reference to those figures, when the leaves
are transferred, the letter appears in right position for reading, and on the leaf next
in order. Thus the back of A is blank (since it being the initial letter, there are
no papers above it in the obverse position) on the back of B is L, on the back
of is M and so on. Similarly A appears on the back of L, B on the back of M
and so on, while Z & appear on the back of a leaf which is blank on the obverse
side, since there are no papers below it in the obverse position.
This arrangement brings the first letter of the division 24" into division 24 when
the leaves are reversed, and on the other hand the first leter of division 24
into 24ª.
The index letters are printed on narrow strips of paper or muslin, which are pasted
to the edges of the index leaves at regular intervals from the top edges of the leaves
so that the strips form a regular gradation from the last letter to the first in each
part, and each letter is fully exposed. This is the preferred mode of making the
index, but the leaves may be formed with projections arranged like the strips, if
desired.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the 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 :-
An index consisting of a series of leaves bound together on one edge and having
index characters on the edges that are at right angles to the bound edges, and on
both sides of each leaf, the index character on one side of the leaf being in a
reversed position with respect to the character on the opposite side, so that when
the leaves are turned in either direction all the characters are in sight and in
proper position for reading.