US461787A - Montgomery h - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

M. H. WATSON.

INDEX.

No. 461,787. Patented Oct. 20, 1891.

?@ Co. 0- lmlextox) euls GRANTOR GRANTEE- GRANTBt.

1N VENT 0R WITNESSES.

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H JT ATTORNEK UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MONTGOMERY H. WATSON, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHNSON & \VATSON, OF SAME PLACE.

INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 461,787, dated. October 20, 1891.

Application filed December 1 3, 1886. Serial No. 221,463. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- Y

Be it known that I, MONTGOMERY H. WAT- sON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and 5 State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement'in General Indexes; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in to the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain i1nprovoments in indexes.

This index is for use in connection with books in which are recorded the names of individuals and facts or transactions, as an entry in the order-book of a court or a deed in the record-book of a recorder. The index is entirely distinct from and forms no part of such books, but is used in connection with such books.

The invention consists of the peculiarities hereinafter described, and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which likeref- 3o erence-letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 represents my index -book opened out at page 91 and arranged upon the doublepage system, and Fig. 2 a similar view arranged upon the single-page system.

The letter A designates a blank-book composed of any required number of pages. In making up the book for sale and use each volume is designated by a letter of the alphabet, and each volume is complete in it- 40 self-that is to say, my general index composes a volume-and the volumes are designatedA, B, O, D, E, F, G, H, and so on,there being one for each letter'in the alphabet, and one extra for Mo, making twenty-seven in all to complete the set. All surnames commencing with A are written in index A,

all sur names with B are written in index B,

and so on through the alphabet. These volumes of the index, besides having the designating-letter of the alphabet on the outside thereof, as on the back, preferably also have the same designating-letter on each page, so as to avoid the necessity of closing the book and looking at the back to determine which volume it is that is lying open. The main body of each page is headed with such designations as relate to the particular uses of the index and is ruled to agree with such uses. In the example shown in the present exemplification of the invention the headings are Granto'r, Grantee, VOL, and Page. Beneath each of these designations is a column in which to write the appropriate matter, such matter having reference to corresponding matter written or copied at large in the books of records as a judgment-docket used in a court or a record-book used in a recorders office. At some suitable place across each page, preferably near the top thereof-I provide anumberof spaces, as shown in Fig. 1. There are as many of these spaces upon each page as there are letters of the alphabet, with one space extra for Me, or there are as many of these spaces on each page as it is desired to place letters of the alphabet upon such page. In Fig. 1 the spaces are divided into two groups, there being a group for each page, the page in efiect being, properly speaking, a double page, since the right-hand half and the left-hand half both bear the same page-number. This is called double-paging. In Fig. 2 the paging is single-paging. Referring again to said spaces it will be observed that in each Ihave placed a letter of the alphabet and M0- in the extra space. It will also be observed that in each space there are one or more figures. These figures refer to the numbers on the pages of this index volume. These letters so appearing in said spaces stand for the initial of the Christian names of all the parties whose names are written in the columns of this index-book.

Now let it be supposed that a deed is recorded in some record-book in Perry county, Ohio, in the name of Martin Henderson. The party searching for such deed will go and take down index volume H. This index volume contains a reference to all of the surnames commencing with H in any and all of the record-books in said ofiice. Opening index volume H the searcher, knowing that the deed is in the name of Martin Honderson, runs his eye along the alphabetical table at the head of the page until he comes to M. This letter M stands for the initial in the Christian name of Henderson. About or associated with this letter M is number 135. It matters not which of the pages in the index volume H thesearcher may have opened the volume, for, as already stated, on each page of the index volume there appears this alphabetical table of the initials of Christian names. Let it be supposed that the searcher opened index volume H at page 91, being the page shown in Fig. 1. On such page he willobscrve M 135. Thus he will know that on page 135 of said index volume H, or on some page between 135 and 144 he will find Martin Henderson. He then turns to page 135 of this index volume H and runs his eye down the Grantor column until he arrives at his mans name. Thus it will be understood that by the use of my index of Christian-name initials and associated numbers the name of any particular person can be found in the index volume. Having found such name in the index volume, the volume and page of the record-book will be found written in ink in the appropriate column opposite the particular name in question. Thus it will also be understood that no matter at what page of the index volume one may open it, he will always find a ready and accurate means of reference to the particular page on which will be found the name he is searching for. It will also be understood that the medium through which he is able to trace and locate a particular name in the index is through the initialof the Christian name and the associated page number of the index volume.

This index is used instead of the old form of index composed of the letters of the alphabet put in series down the edge of pages successively cut away to expose the letters on the succeeding pages. In some cases it is common to provide each page with a tag or projection, on which is printed a letter of the alphabet, such tags being in series, one on each page, and the letters beingprogessively indicated on the tags. Among the objections to this old plan are the following: First, the tags or that part of the pages on which the letters are printed are constantly tearing off; second, to find a name with such old plan of index one has to open the book at the particular page where the first letter of the surname projects out, instead of being allowed to open the book at any place, as with my index. It will be observed by inspecting the page-numbers associated with the initial letters of the Christian names that a more or less number of pages is devoted to each of such initials. For instance, the pages set aside for surnames whose Christian names begin with A are from 1 to 1S,inclusive, of the index volume. The pages set aside for B are 19 to 24, inclusive, for C 25 to 34,

inclusive, and for M 135 to 143, inclusive. This matter is governed by the frequency of names commencing with certain letters-as, for instance, eleven pages are set aside for and thirty-one for J.

In Fig. 1 the right-hand page is broken away to show Martin Henderson on the remote page numbered 135 and also broken away to show the number 135 on the corner of such remote page.

I would have it understood that besides being aware of the old form of index hereinbefore referred to I am further aware that it has been proposed to make an index-table composed, essentially, of a number of intersecting columns, some running horizontally and some vertically. In the horizontal columns are placed the initial and one or more letters of the surname, and in the vertical columns are placed the initial of the Christian name, while at the place of intersection of said columns are placed numbers, one number indicating a page and the othera section of a page. Such tables are placed, as by being pasted or otherwise secured, in a book containing a list of names, and by reference to the numbers found at the place of intersection of the columns of surname-initials and Christian-name initials the page whereon occurs a certain name in the list of names can be found. This device, however, difiers from mine both in arrangement and in the manner of using it. In the case of this old device the user must always go to the table in whatever part of the book, usually on the inside of the back or on a fly-page, and there undertake to trace along the proper horizontal column and along the proper vertical column until he reaches the intersecting point, and then undertake to select from the place of intersection the proper number, all the time running the risk of getting out of the proper column and running the risk of selecting some one of the numerous numbers adjacent to and all around the numbers at.

the place of intersection. In my case, however the index-book may be opened anywhere, each page bearing the particular index, the arrangement of which is such as to take up but a small space and not interfere with the other use of the remainder of the page. In my case, too, no intersecting columns are employed, no surname-initials are placed in columns, while the page-number is near to the initial of the Christian name with which it belongs.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, an index book or volume consisting of numbered pages suitably ruled, headed, and numbered, and of a table composed of the letters of the alphabet appearing on said pages, such letters representing the initials of Christian names, and a figure or figures associated with each of said initial letters and corresponding with a page or pages in said book, the book being designated by a letter of the alphabet.

2. As a new article of manufacture, the herein-described index book or volume, the same being designated by a letter of the alphabet and consisting of a suitable number of pages consecutively numbered, one or more pages of such book being devoted to Christian names commencing with a certain letter of the alphabet and each page being suitably headed and ruled, and a table on each page

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