The present invention relates to manual sheet separation systems of the type which use notches in the sheets' edges to facilitate the consecutive separation and turning of the sheets of a publication, card file, loose leaf stack and similar items consisting of three or more stacked flexible sheets, hereafter referred to as a `stack of sheets`.
Prior art relating to methods of sheet separation discloses the use by Adams of notches cut in the sheets' edges along a common side of each sheet, therebeing a complete off-set between notches of adjacent sheets, so that a person either moves their thumb laterally back and forth between notches for sheet separation or alternately uses a thumb and finger on adjacent notches.
Prior art also discloses the use by Kitcat of notch markers consisting of inked divider lines drawn across the front edges of a stack of sheets to separate the rows of notches along the front edges of the publication, these divider lines are difficult to see when only a few sheets are stacked together.
Other known methods of notch marking use markers adjacent to the sheets' edges at points where the mark is under the notched-out area of the sheet that overlays it. This method permits markers on adjacent sheets to be seen at the same time, and is not suitable for consecutive sheet separation purposes.