US166284A

US166284A - Improvement in indexes

Info

Publication number: US166284A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1875-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1892-08-03

Description

Indexes,

Patented Aug. 3,1875.

Ivo-.166284.

Wfcesses. Ziff/M zmelzo 7".

NOGHAPHER, WASHINGTON D C ".Ptms, worum UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

MELVIN N. LovEtL, 0E ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN INDEXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,284, dated August 3, 1875; application filed DecemberA 1, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN N. LovELL, of Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Index, of which the following is a specification:

Myinvention consists in constructing a book for daily entries, records, or references with such an arrangement of marginal indexes thatthe page or pages designated for any day of any month can be referred to at once; also, the combination of the above named with other indexes, which point out the headings of the various subjects-matter recorded or to be recorded or contained Within the daily record; and, also, the combination of the monthly and diurnal indexes above named With a marginal index, Which points out ayearly calendar or almanac, or a series of yearly calendars or a perpetual calendar, a table of memorable days, a table of church days, or similar subjectpmatter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing by a single gure, Which is a perspective view of a book constructed accordin g to my invention.

.The following is a full, clear, and exact description of my mode of constructingV and arranging a book for the purposes designated; and While in my description I shall follour the plan of arrangement shown in the drawings, it should be stated that the arrangement of Y parts may be varied Without changing the 0bject ailned at by me.

My book is divided into three sections: First, is a section devoted to calendars, almanacs, tables of memorable days, church days, and like subject-matter, and also to miscellaneous matters, such as Wages-tables, interesttables, postage-tables, distance and difference of time, &c. All of these various subjects-V matter are indicated by amarginalindex, Which I locate across the upper end of the pages.

The second section of my book is devoted to daily referenceV or record, and isdivided into twelve sub-sections,l to represent the twelve months of the year. Each of these sub-sections are divided into spaces of greater or less degree, as may be desired, to represent the several days of 'the month, and each of these spaces is represented by a numeral on the margin, thus forming a "numerical marginal index to the day-spaces. Each of the subsections or monthly sections is indicated by an abbreviation ofthe month it represents on the and by the name of the month printed across the top of the page. not mentioned.

The third sectionof my book is a common alphabetical index, in which it is intended to enter abstracts or headings of matters recorded in the daily record, and the dates of such entries.

The objects attained by my mode of construction are as follows:

By the use of the marginal monthly and diurnal indexes, the space devoted to any day in the year can be turned to at once. to find the space devoted to the 4th day of July, by means of the monthly index, open the book to July, and then, by means of the numerical index, open the sub-section to the page with 4 on its margin.

By not printing the name of the day of the Week on the daily spaces, and by the combination of the daily spaces with a series of cal endars, or a perpetual calendar, the daily spaces may be used for any year, or for a series of years. This arrangement is especially useful where it 'is 4desirable to compare the subject-matter recorded on the same day of the year for a series of years, as, for example, Weather reports or trade statistics or reports, Snc.; and this arrangement is further useful in that the same book may be used year after year until full; and, further, in that by its use publishers or dealers in diaries or journals will never have an unsalable stock of goods on hand because of being out of date.

By the combination of the monthly and diurnal indexes With a common alphabetical index another useful feature is attained, for headings or abstracts of events recorded may thus be indexed, which adapts my book to varied uses, such as stock-books for merchants and manufacturers, bills payable, and receiv- The day of the Week is Thus,

able book, &c. By showing its use as a stockbook it is easy to discover its utility in other matters. Supposing it to he used by a hard- Ware merchant, in the alphabetical index he enter as headings the names of various stock., as knives in K, screws in 8, Wire in W37 Now suppose that on December 10 the merchant orders a quantity of screws, he will Write out his order in the space designated December 10, and in the alphabetical index he will, under the heading screws,7 enter the date Dec. 10. Afterward, if he desires to ascertain when he ordered screws last, he will 100k at the heading` Screws,77 and he will find any given entry can instantly be found, substantially as descri, ed, as and for the purposes specified.

MELVIN N. LOVELL. Witnesses:

JN0. K. HALLocK, J oHN L. RAPPLE.