AN IMPROVED INDEX, OR BOOK AND PAPER MARKER
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Swann Woodcock, of Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
INDEX, OR BOOK AND PAPER MARKER."-A communication from Josce
Johnson.
Sealed the 16th April 1859, and dated the 20th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Swann Woodcock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th December 1858.
I, THOMAS SWANN WOODCOCK, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED INDEX,
OR BOOK AND PAPER MARKER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so forming the extremities of a thin strip of metal
(bent together at or near its centre, so as to cause one of its bent parts to
overlap the other) as to enable the terminating portion of one to point as an
index or marker, while the other extends at an acute angle more or less there-
from in such manner as to form an index or marker, which is easily attached.
to a sheet of paper, parchment, or such like substances, and capable of being
raised or lowered over the same, and retained at any desired point, to indicate
a line, letter, figure, or place.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Swann Woodcock in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SWANN WOODCOCк, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Swann Woodcock, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Swann Woodcock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Swann Woodcock, 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 IMPROVED INDEX, OR BOOK AND PAPER MARKER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I; the said Thomas Swann Woodcock, 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 per-
formed, 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 Thomas Swann Woodcock, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:―
My Invention consists in an improved index or marker for indicating par-
ticular lines, spots, or passages in books, manuscrips, and other papers, parch-
ments, and things, and the following is a full and clear description of the
same, referring to the annexed Drawings, which are of full size, and represent
such an index or marker as I consider most suitable for general use,
Figure 1 represents the flat plate from which the index clasp is formed
.before being bent at the middle to embrace a book or other leaf; Figure 2 is
a view of the same when bent; Figure 3 represents the index, clasp, or marker

page_text: applied to a leaf; Figure 4 is section of ditto. Similar letters in the. Figures
refer to corresponding parts.
This Invention consists in so forming the extremities of a thin strip of metal
(bent together at or near its centre, so as to cause one of its bent parts to
overlap the other) as to enable the terminating portion of one to point as an
indicator or marker, while the other extends at an acute angle more or less
therefrom in such a manner as to form an index or marker, which is easily
attached to the edge of a sheet of paper, parchment, or such like substances,
and capable of being raised and lowered over the same, and retained at any
desired point, to indicate a spot, line, letter, figure, passage, or place.
To enable others to make and use my Invention, I will proceed to describe
its construction and operation.
This index or marker A is formed of a thin flat strip of brass or other metal,
cut at one of its ends in the form of a human hand and wrist, with the three
lower fingers and thumb closed, and the first finger B distended and pointing
at or near a horizontal line, and cut at the opposite end in the form of a
human foot C, distended from its natural position to the ancle and leg, so as
to form an obtuse angle more or less therewith. The metal strip with these
configurations, or others, such as a hand and heart, a head and tail of a fish,
the stems and leaves of plants, flowers, feathers, arrows, or other analagous
forms, which produce any distinguishing configuration, forming the pointer B
at one end, and an acute more or less angular termination C at the other is
bent together at or near its centre, so as to cause one of its ends to lay flat
upon the other, and the lower edge of the finger B and sole C of the foot to
be brought in such relation to each other as to form an acute angle therewith.
so as to admit the edge of the sheet of paper between them.
When it is desired to attach this index clasp to the edge of a sheet of paper,
parchment, or such like substance, the clasp is slightly turned with its edge
inclined toward a vertical position, thus receiving the paper between the finger
and the foot, which, because of the angle formed between them, allows the
clasp readily to catch the leaf, and the clasp is then slightly turned, so as to
cause one side of the edge of the sheet to press against the finger portion B,
and the opposite side to press against the foot portion C, and in this manner
to open the extremities of the index clasp, and enable them to be pressed
inward until the edge of the sheet of paper between them comes flush with
the bent portion of the index clamp. The ends of the index clasp or marker
are elastic and embrace the sheet to which they are thus attached with the
required force to retain the index or marker at any desired point on the edgo
of the sheet, but not so much as would prevent it being moved freely up and

page_text: down by the forefinger and thumb, so as to bring the finger pointer at any line
on the page to indicate a line, figure, or letter to which future reference may
be required.
:
What I claim as new, and desire to secure by my Letters Patent, is the
clasp A, of any convenient size, made of one piece of metal, with the angle
between its points for receiving the leaf while the clasp is applied in a vertical
position, or nearly so, and opening to receive the leaf as it is pressed against
its edge, and firmly grasping the leaf when applied as herein-before described
and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I havo hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh
day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-nine.
THOS. S. WOODCOCK. (L.S.)
.
THOS. S. WOODCOCK. (L.S.)