Improvements relating to Ball or Dance Programmes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1891,
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Ball or Dance Programmes.
I, JOHN WILLIAM HUNTER, of 34 Trebovir Road, Earls Court in the County
of Middlesex, Marine and Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to ball or dance programmes, and is intended to provide a
simple and useful device for recording dance engagements with very great facility,
and whereby such misunderstandings as are incident to the use of the ordinary ball
programme are entirely obviated.
According to this invention I provide within or upon any suitable holding or
retaining device, a series of cards, labels, cheques or the like. One such holder or
retaining device is intended for the use of any one individual, and the cards, labels,
cheques or the like in or upon the said holder have recorded upon them in any
suitable manner the name or other distinctive indication of the user, and each
card, label, cheque or the like of a series is provided with a record or other
indication appropriated to one of the several dances to which the series is
applicable.
According to this invention the cards, labels, or cheques and the holding or
retaining devices provided for use upon any one occasion are so arranged that a
card, label, or cheque removed from one holder or retainer may be readily received
and retained in or upon any of the other holders or retainers. This is an
important feature of my invention and is provided in order that by the mutual
exchange of the cards labels or cheques for the various dance engagements, each of
the parties to those engagements may issue a record of each engagement as it is
made, together with a record of the issuer's name or with any other distinctive
personal indication, and may obtain from their prospective partners and retain a
record of the engagements made and also of the name or other distinctive indication
of the persons with whom such engagements have been entered into. The following
portions of the present Specification describe several ways in which my said invention
may be carried into practice.
In or upon a disc or sheet of card, celluloid, ivory or other suitable material and
opposite to the numbers or the names and numbers of the various dances, which are
recorded thereupon in any suitable manner, I provide, according to the present
invention a series of cuts slits or grooves. I provide also a series of cards or
labels of any suitable material and adapted to be received and retained by the said
cuts slits, or grooves and which may be readily removed therefrom or replaced
therein.
Or as an alternative I provide an arrangement analogous to that employed in
photograph albums the said arrangement comprising according to my present
invention two sheets of card or other suitable material arranged so that one of the
said sheets forms a backing or support for the other, which is provided with a series
of openings opposite to which openings the numbers or the names and numbers of
the dances are recorded. The said two sheets are secured together in such a
manner that cards or labels of any suitable material may be readily inserted
between them or removed therefrom, from the exterior; or one sheet of any
suitable material may be provided with suitably-formed grooves adapted to receive
the said cards or labels. In either case the said cards or labels when in place are
retained in positions in which they will be visible through openings provided in the
said sheet or in one of the said two sheets, the openings in the single sheet being on
the opposite side to the grooves thereupon. Or I provide upon a suitable support
of an ornamental nature, a series of metal or other clips which have numerals upon

page_text: them, are arranged in numerical order, and are adapted to receive and retain cards
or labels of the kind hereinbefore referred to. The said clips permit of the ready
withdrawal of cards therefrom and of their equally ready replacement therein.
The said clips readily lend themselves to the arrangement of the programme in the
similitude of a book or fan for example.
One of the devices constructed according to this invention may have the form of
a book a portion of each leaf of which is readily removable, as in a cheque book for
example, with the difference that according to the present invention the said
removable portion of each leaf is gumined so that it may be readily secured in place
in another book or the said books are so arranged that the said removable portions
may be otherwise readily secured in similar books, in the place of like vouchers for
which they are exchanged.
The cards or labels designed for insertion as aforesaid in the places provided for
them in any one programme are intended according to the present invention to be
of such a length as to project beyond the edge of the body of the programme and
to have upon them the numbers or the numbers and names of the various dances
and the name, or if desired, the monogram or armorial bearing or a special tint
or other distinctive indication belonging or appropriated to the holder of the said
programme.
It is intended as herein before mentioned, that the users of programmes arranged
as hereinbefore described, should when entering into an engagement for any dance,
transfer to each other from their respective programmes the card or label appro-
priated to that particular dance. Or a double series of removable cards or labels
may be provided one of which said series contains the names of the dances and is
inserted into suitable clips, or into suitable receptacles in a sheet of suitable material
opposite such of the numbers permanently marked upon the said clips or sheet as
are allotted to the said dances; the other set is inserted in suitable receptacles
arranged opposite or attached to those containing the first named series. The cards
or labels of the said second series are provided with the numbers or with the
numbers and names of the dances and also with the information of the nature
herein before indicated enabling the person issuing any of the said cards or labels to
be readily identified. Where such a duplicate series is employed cards or labels
from the second series only would be exchanged as described. The card or label
received by either partner should be placed in the space or station previously
occupied by the card or label for which it has been exchanged as aforesaid. By
this arrangement the use of lead pencils is obviated, the confusion of conflicting
engagements is prevented, and if the name of the holder be printed upon the
removable cards or labels as is preferable, mistakes as to names, a further source
of embarrassment, are obviated. Preferably the cards or labels in ladies' pro-
grammes should by their colour be clearly distinguished from those used by
gentlemen.
Where the said cards or labels project beyond the edges of the programme the
said projections are preferably scored through or creased so that the recipient of
one of the said cards or labels may tear off or bend the projecting end under the body
of the programme, thus obtaining a ready indication of the dances for which the user
of the programme is engaged, as compared with the disengaged dances, for which
the ends of the labels will remain projecting. Or as a means of obtaining similar
information suitable indications on the cards or slips and on the programme may, by
suitably adjusting the said cards or slips, be brought into proximity with each other
to show that the user is engaged for the particular dances to which the slips in
question are appropriated.
The size configuration and ornamentation of programmes constructed according
to this invention, or of any of the parts thereof may be varied in any way which
may be deemed desirable, and the programmes may be made of a single sheet of
material folded or otherwise, or of two or more of such sheets joined together in any
suitable manner, for example, the programme may be arranged so that it may be
suited for use as a fan, its configuration in this case being arranged accordingly.
c

page_text: Loops tasselled cords, metal holders or other suitable means may be provided for
the attachment of the programme to the
person.
Dated this 28th day of September 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Ball or Dance Programmes.
I JOHN WILLIAM HUNTER of 34 Trebovir Road Earls Court in the County of
Middlesex Marine & Electrical 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 :-
This invention relates to ball or dance programmes, and is intended to provide a
simple and useful device for recording dance engagements with very great facility,
and whereby such misunderstandings as are incident to the use of the ordinary ball
programme are entirely obviated.
According to this invention I provide within or upon any suitable holding or
retaining device, a series of cards labels cheques or the like.
One such holder or retaining device is intended for the use of any one individual
and the cards labels cheques or the like of a series is provided with a record or
other indication appropriated to one of the several dances to which the series is
applicable.
According to this invention the cards labels or cheques and the holding or
retaining devices provided for use upon any one occasion are so arranged that a
card label or cheque removed from one holder or retainer may be readily received
and retained in or upon any of the other holders or retainers.
This is an important feature of my invention and is provided in order that by the
mutual exchange of the cards labels or cheques for the various dance engagements
each of the parties to those engagements may issue a record of each engagement as
it is made, together with a record of the issuer's name or with any other distinctive
personal indication and may obtain from their prospective partners and retain a
record of the engagement made and also of the naine or other distinctive indication
of the persons with whom such engagements have been entered into, thus enabling
the issuer of any of the said cards or labels to be readily identified.
The following portions of the present Specification describe several ways in which
the said invention may be carried into practice.
In or upon a disc or sheet of card celluloid, ivory or other suitable material and
opposite to the numbers or the names and numbers of the various dances, which are
recorded thereupon in any suitable manner, I provide according to the present
invention a series of cuts slits or grooves. I provide also a series of cards or
labels of any suitable material and adapted to be received and retained by the said
cuts slits or grooves and which may be readily removed therefrom or replaced
therein.
Or as an alternative I provide an arrangement analogous to that employed in
photograph albums, see Fig. I. A the said arrangement comprising according to my
present invention two sheets of card or other suitable material arranged so that one
of the said sheets forms a backing or support for the other Fig. II. A which is
provided with a series of openings Fig. 1. C opposite to which openings the
numbers or the names and numbers of the dances are recorded. Through these
openings Fig. I. C the cards labels or cheques will be seen and upon which cards
labels or cheques, the numbers corresponding to numbers of the dances together
with the owner's name will be written or printed.
The said two sheets are secured together in such a manner that cards or
labels Fig. I. B of any suitable material may be readily inserted between them or

page_text: removed therefrom or from the exterior of one sheet of any suitable material may
be provided with suitably formed grooves adapted to receive the said cards or
labels.
In either case the said cards or labels Fig. I. B when in place are retained in
positions in which they will be visible through openings C provided in the said
sheet or in one of the said two sheets, the openings in the single sheet being on the
opposite side to the grooves thereupon.
Or I provide upon a suitable support of an ornamental nature Fig. III. a séries
of metal or other clips A which have numerals upon them are arranged in numerical
order and are adapted to receive and retain cards or labels Fig. III. C of the kind
hereinbefore referred to. The said clips permit of the ready withdrawal of cards
therefrom and of their equally ready replacement therein. The said clips readily
lend themselves to the arrangement of the programme in the similitude of a book
or fan for example.
One of the devices constructed according to this invention may have the form of
a book, a portion of cach leaf of which is readily removable, as in a cheque book for
example with the difference that according to the present invention the said
removable portion of each leaf is gummed so that it may be readily secured in place
in another book or the said books are so arranged that the said removable portions
may be otherwise readily secured in similar books in the place of like vouchers for
which they are exchanged.
By the foregoing arrangement the use of lead pencils can be dispensed with,
especially at the time of making engagements the confusion of conflicting
engagements is prevented and if the name of the holder be printed upon the
removable cards or labels mistakes as to names a further source of embarrassment
are obviated. Preferably the cards or labels in ladies' programmes should by their
colour be clearly distinguished from those used by gentlemen.
The size, configuration and ornamentation of programmes constructed according
to this invention or of any of the parts thereof may be varied in any way which may
be deemed desirable and the programmes may be made of a single sheet of material
folded or otherwise or of two or more of such sheets joined together
in any
suitable
manner, for example the programme may be arranged so that it may be suited
for use as a fan its configuration in this case being arranged accordingly. Loops
tasselled cords metal holders or other suitable means may be provided for the
attachment of the programme to the person.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
A ball or dance programme with slits slots or grooves for the reception of
removable cards or labels as herein before described.
A ball or dance programme with gummed removable leaves or labels as herein-
before described.
JOHN WILLIAM HUNTER,
34, Trebovir Road, London, S.W.