The Combination of a Mirror (or Looking Glass) with a Menu (or Bill-of-fare).
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th J n., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Apr., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Combination of a Mirror (or Looking Glass) with a Menu (or
Bill-of-fare).
1 SAMUEL STRINGER BATE of The Limes, Stoney gate Road Leicester, Solicitor
(not in active practice) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
A combination of mirror (or looking-glass), for use at table, with a menu (or
bill-of fare) effected by the insertion of looking-glass into a frame or holder for the
menu-card, if the menu be written (or printed) on card or paper; or if the menu be
written upon porcelain or glass (so prepared as to receive. writing) then by the
insertion of looking-glass into such porcelain or glass & securing of the same into a
rabbet or groove or by means of a beading or cement or otherwise.
Dated this fourth day of April One thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.
14th A 1988)

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Combination of a Mirror (or Looking-glass) with a Menu (or
Bill-of-fare).
I, SAMUEL STRINGER BATE of The Limes, Stoneygate Road Leicester, Solicitor
(not in active practice) 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:-
Purpose of Invention :--
To enable ladies and gentlemen to privily consult a mirror at the dinner
table &c.
Processes by which attainable
1. Affix with solder, cement or otherwise a piece of looking-glass, highly
polished tin, or other reflector (in a metal, or other, casing, "rabbet or rim) upon
the usual mènu-stand, to which add also (when desired) flower & candle-holders, to
perfect the combination for use & ornament.
"
"
,,
2. Affix and secure with cement or otherwise-looking-glass, or other reflector,
upon part of a porcelain, glass, or opal plate (or insert it into a recess in same,
"pressed," burned with acid, "ground or hollowed out) and ". obscure, or roughen
other part of the plate, by any of the usual methods, so that the menu may be written
thereon, with lead-pencil or otherwise.
3. Prepare, by "obscuring," or otherwise, part of a plate of looking-glass, or other
reflector, so that the mènu may be written thereon, and leave other part clear for the
mirror.
4. Convert part of a plate of clear glass into a mirror by silvering the back, or
otherwise; & obscure" other part with acid, or roughen with sand, so that the menu
may be written thereon.
"
""
or
"cut" with a "
5. Grind
punty," or otherwise, thro' part of a plate of
"flashed opal glass," until the transparent surface of the glass beneath the opal
"flashing" be disclosed; polish same, & convert into a mirror, by silvering the back, or
otherwise, & protecting the same with enamel, or otherwise; then obscure," or
roughen, other part of the plate (as above) so that the mènu may be written thereon-
"Bevel" & "silver" the edges, if desired.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is a Patent for the following features of novelty :-
I. The novel addition of the mirror to the mènu, by each of the above five
processes.
II. The novel form of mènu set forth in the last three processes, whereby a result
is obtained which, to the best of my knowledge & belief, is wholly new, namely, that

page_text: one & the same plate is rendered available, in itself, both as a mirror & as a mènu,
which is not possible with any form of mènu hitherto in use, whether cardboard,
porcelain, or opal, no part of which can be rendered transparent so as to serve for a
mirror.
III. The addition of candle-holders to the mènu-stand, which makes the combi-
nation of a mirror with a mènu more effective, as an ornament, &c., from the reflection
of the light therein.
As witness my hand, to this complete Specification, written on two sheets (the
stamped form being the first) this Third day of January 1889.