US356334A - Index-book - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(Model.)

I. ROSEWATER.

INDEX BOOK.

No. 356,334. Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

IN V'EJV' TOR $7M,-

Attorneys WITNESSES f O61 (Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2..

P. ROSEWATER. I INDEX BOOK.

No. 356,334. Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

N PEKEns, Phum-Limn m her, Wnhingkon, D. C.

WITNESSES o6 .of the covcrs-or there may be only one strip UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ROSEVVATER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

INDEX- BOOK.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,334, dated January 18, 1887.

Application tiled September 12, 189

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK ROSEWATER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Index-Books; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact-description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view ofan open book provided with my strip and tabs. Fig. 2 is also a perspective view of a closed book provided with ailexible strip along the cover, and Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications.

The same letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to index-books, and has for its object to provide such a device as shall be simple, effective, and reliable.

\Vith these ends iuview the invention consists in thcimproved construction and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsA represents a book in which the desired records are to be'kcpt, and which may be of any desired size.

B represents the strips, of which there may be twoone upon the inner side of each one on one side. These strips are provided with vertical columns of suitable characters, the first of which is preferably of figures from 0 to 100, to indicate the pages of the book. The second column has the characters that occur on the first hundred pages; the third column the characters that occur on the second hutr dred pages, and so on for as many hundreds of pages as there are in the book.

The edges of the leaves are provided with tabs 0, which represent each separate page,or any number of pages, it so desired, as every fifth one, up to one hundred, when another set of tabs are used commencing at the top and extending to the bottom, as is done with the first row. There are as many rows of tabs as 5. Serial No. 176,936; (Model) there are hundreds of pages in the book. Each row of tabs is made to indicate the particular hundred which it represents or opens to when in use. This can be done by having the first row plain, the second row stamped with one horizontal line, and the third row with two horizontal lines, and so on for each row of tabs; or the tabs can be of different colors,each color representing a different hundred of pages, or they may have numerals stamped on the part that projects beyond the edges of the leaves.

The top of each page is provided with a character or characters which indicate what it is desired toput on that page. These characters correspond with the characters upon the strips on the cover of the book. When it is desired to find a given page, the desired charactors are sought for. in the parallel columns on the strip, the number ofthe column noted, and the corresponding row of tabs opened at the particular tab which corresponds with the position the said character occupies in the column, as the characters in the columns are arranged to correspond with the tabs, consecutively, from the top of the page to the bottom. The first character in each of the columns corresponds with the first tab of the diii'erent rows of tabs, the second characters with the second tabs of the rows of tabs, and so on to the botopen at'page 200, at the top of which appear the characters Mi to M0. The tab on the opposite page has two stripes across it, thus indicating that it is in the second hundred of pages. The first character in the third column at the left is Mi, thuscorresponding with the character on the open page. The corresponding figures in the page or figure column, which column is not counted in do ciding the rows of tabs from the number of columns are thus indicating that the character is on either one of those pages of that particular hundred, while the first character in the corresponding column at the right-hand side is Mo, and the figures in thefigure-col- O umn are 5, thus indicating that whatever commences with that character will be found upon those pages of that particular hundred. The same will be found true of all the other characters and pages.

To find the desired page the above process would be reversed-that is, the character first found in its appropriate column, and then the page from that.

In the above-mentioned figure it will be no ticed that part of the last row of tabs are marked with columns and the other with figures, which only illustrates the modification spoken of above. It will be seen how easily they could be of different colors.

Sometimes it is desirable to only use one of the strips, which can be placed on the cover the same as where the two are used, and the other cover cut off even with the edges of the leaves. When this is done, the top cover, or the one without the strip, can besupplied with a flexible strip, I), along its outer edge, the use of which is to enable the book to be opened the more readily at the desired page, as the flexible strip will readily yield sufflcieutlyto enable the leaves to beturned up, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that this flexible strip can he used without the tabs and index-strip, it'desired, or witheither of them separate. I do not confine myself to any particular width for the strip, but make it of awidth corresponding with the size of the book.

In connection with the index-strip and tabs, I sometimes use a cut-in indexthat is, one in which the leaves are cut away along their edges-showing the character which is on the leaf that is underneath them, as is shown in Fig. 3; or the margin of each leaf may be provided with a row of characters down its entire margin, the characters corresponding with the characters on the index-strip at the edges of the leaves. I prefer to make these tabs very short, so that they are not so liable to be torn off the leaves in turning from one page to another, as the fingers readily pass under the particular leaf, and the weight of pages is borne by the pages themselves.

Another manner of using the index-strip is shown in Fig. 4, in which the stripis made of such a width that when it is folded, as shown in the figure, it will be just wide enough for the outer margin, E, to fold over the top leaf and be secured in place by the top cover. This method makes a protector for the edges of the leaves and tabs out of the strip, and makes a more convenient book than the one shown in Fig. 2, in which the strip is secured to the projecting edge of the cover.

In special cases only one row of characters need be used with several rows of tabs, as where several indexes are combined in one.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, my invention will be understood without further description. It will be seen that by its use the matter of indexing is rendered very effielent and reliable, and so simple as to be easily understood.

I show in my present application an indeXed book having attached upon the opening edges of the leaves tabs arranged in oblique series or rows lengthwise or up and down the book, which series or rows represent generic subdivisions or groupings of pages, and having also upon the inside edge of the back of the book a series of subdivisions or markings representing the pagings between the rows of tabs, and placed opposite the tabs which they represent. I would have it understood, however, that I do not claim this subject-matter in this patent, as I have embodied such a claim in a separate subsequent application, filed September 11, 18S6, Serial No. 213,838.

I am aware that strips have been used inindexing in which the characters referred to the pages through numerals, but I do not claim such construction, broadly; but

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In an indexbook, the combination, with the edges of the cover, of an index-strip secured thereto, said strip being provided with a vertical column of figures and two or more vertical columns of characters, and two or more rows of tabs secured to the edges of the leaves of said book, the column of figures in dicating all the pages of the book and each row of characters indicating only the pages within its corresponding row of tabs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an index-book, the combination, with the edges of the cover, of an index-strip secured thereto, said strip being provided with a vertical column of figures and two or more vertical columns of characters, and two or more rows of tabs secured to the outer edges of said book, the column of figures indicating all the pages of the book and each row of characters indicating only the pages within its corresponding row of tabs, each row of said tabs being provided with a suitable distinguishing character, and the tops of said leaves being provided with characters corresponding with the characters on the said index-strips, substantially as and for the pun pose set forth.

3. In an indezebook, the combination, with the edge of one of the covers and an index; strip secured thereto, of a flexible strip secured to the outer edge of the other cover, saidsecond cover being narrower than the leaves of the book and the flexible strip extending to and being even with the outer edges of the leaves, as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK ROSEWATEB.

Witnesses:

JOHN Bostonr, FRANK STETKA.

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