EP0058681A1 - Loose-leaf binder - Google Patents

Abstract

A loose-leaf binder (1) comprises two covers (2, 3) and an intermediate spine (4); a series of arched or finger elements (14, 16, 18) attached to each blanket (2, 3) can swing up and out and together span the back in a common arched alignment. Some of these elements are mounted in pairs (16, 19) (17, 18) so as to telescopically engage, and a locking mechanism (26, 40) is provided to keep the elements in alignment.

Description

Loose-leaf Binder THIS INVENTION relates to loose-leaf binders and more particularly to a loose-leaf binder which has leaf-holding elements or fingers associated with its covers instead of with its spine as in known loose-leaf binders. Loose-leaf binders fall generally into two categories, namely the so-called 'ring binders' and the so-called 'peg binders ' .

A typical ring binder has two covers, a back and a front, that is to say, joined by a spine bearing two to four rings each of which is made in two parts. These rings are spring-biased so as to be able to be selectively maintained in either an open or a closed position. The capacity of a ring finder as described above is limited and when it is 'full' leaves are difficult to remove and replace. Another kind of ring binder is known as a 'lever arch' binder. These binders have metal arches which may be opened and closed by a lever or handle. This kind of binder has a surprising number of working parts and is thus relatively expensive; it is also bulky and so requires a quite large storage space for the number of leaves it will contain.

In relation to peg binders, when they are 'full', the leaves will not lie flat, thus making reading difficult.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by the provision of a loose-leaf binder comprising a pair of cover portions hingedly connected to an intermediate spine portion; a first plurality of aligned arcuate leaf-holding elements extending in spaced-apart array laterally from a first rod mounted for rotation adjacent the inner longitudinal edge of a first of said cover portions; a second plurality of co-operating arcuate leaf-holding elements extending in spaced-apart array laterally from a second rod mounted for rotation adjacent the inner longitudinal edge of a second of said cover portions; the leaf-holding elements of the first plurality co-operating with corresponding leaf-holding elements of the second plurality so as to thereby together span said spine portion in common arcuate alignment when releasable locking means is operative and said binder is open or closed or is at any position intermediate thereof; said pair of cover portions and said spine portion able to rest in the same horizontal plane when the binder is open. In a preferred embodiment the leaf-holding elements are maintained in common arcuate alignment by means of arcuate telescoping elements which may or may not themselves be leaf-holding elements. Such telescoping elements may nevertheless serve as leaf-holding elements or, in an alternative embodiment, may sαrve simply as "arc-controllers" in which case they will normally be located at the extremities of said rods away from and out of contact with the loose leaves. It will be understood that when arc controllers are utilised, all of the leaf-holding elements may be non-telescoping arcuate elements. Conversely, it will be similarly understood that where arc controllers are not employed, at least one pair of leaf-holding elements will be arcuate telescoping elements.

In order that the reader may gain a better understanding of the present invention, hereinafter will be described certain embodiments thereof, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of a loose- leaf binder according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a half-section of the mating ends of two leaf- holding elements, elevation;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding plan;

Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of a second arrangement of leaf-holding elements; Fig. 5 is a third arrangement; Fig. 6 is a fourth arrangement;

Fig. 7 is a fragmented exploded view of a preferred locking mechanism; Fig. 8 illustrates a further kind of locking mechanism; Fig. 9 shows a variation of Fig. 8; Fig.10 shows a full loose-leaf binder according to the present invention; Fig.11 shows the full binder opened;

Fig.12 showsa section of the locking plate and detent 60; and Fig.13 shows a side-on view of the alternative embodi ment of outer leaf-holding element which is capable of partial telescopic engagement with inner leaf- holding element by "sideways-on" movement of one or other of said leaf-holding elements. In Fig. 1 is to be seen, fragmentedly, a loose-leaf binder according to the present invention, generally referenced 1 and which is comprised of a pair of cover portions 2 and 3 hingedly connected to an intermediate spine portion 4. Cover portions 2 and 3 may conventionally be made from the usual thick board and be self-hinged to the spine portion, that is to say, covers and spine bent from a blank, but the preferred construction is for the covers to be attached to covers-attachment strips 5 and 6 as by rivetting. Cover-attachment strips 5 and 6 are hingedly connected, as at 7, to certain components which go to make up spine portion 4, as will be described later.

Each cover 2, 3 or, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, cover-attachment strip 5, 6, has mounted for rotation upon it a rod 8, 9, journalled respectively in saddles 10, 11, 12, 13 which also serve to attach the rods to the covers. Each rod 8, 9 has on it a number of what best may be termed "leaf-holding elements", as 14 and 15, which extend far enough towards each other to span at least half the width of spine portion 4 as clearly illustrated by this centre pair 14 and 15 which will be seen to overlap. At one end of each rod 8, 9, or at least adjacent its end, there is a similar element, 16 and 17 respectively, and at the other end is a tubular element, 18 and 19 respectively, into the open, free end of which is a co-operating element, 17 and 16 respectively, may enter in a telescoping engagement.

All the leaf-holding elements are similarly arcuate and, when engaged, the telescoping pairs of elements 16/19 and 17/18 together span spine portion 4 along a common arc.

The reader will now realise that the two sets of leaf-holding elements may be swung outwardly, out of contact with each other, to allow suitably perforated leaves to be removed from, or inserted in, the loose-leaf binder 1. Furthermore, the act of opening the binder will tend, to cause telescoping elements to begin to disengage, the better to enable the leaves to have the room to lie flat, while not allowing complete disengagement of the mating elements by virtue of the length of 'overlap' between the pairs. This advantage is gained through the mounting of the elements on the covers of the binder instead of on the spine as might be considered more usual in the light of all known ring binders.

In order to prevent accidental misalignment from their common arc of the leaf-holding elements, a locking means is provided, generally referenced 20. Locking means 20 will later be fully described.

At this point, it is observed that certain practical difficulties are encountered in locating an effective lock on or about arcuate telescoping leaf-holding elements themselves; that as a result resort may be made to two alternative locking means. A preferred locking means is operable to selectively increase or decrease the distance between said first and second rods so as to permit when said distance is maximum, said elements to pivot upwardly from their common arcs and, when said distance is minimum, said elements to be maintained in their common arcuate alignment by said telescopic engagement

In an alternative locking means each rod is provided with at least one locking element adjacent an end of said rod, the free end of said locking element being capable of being held, below a position selected in relation to said spine portion, by element-holding means, above which position said free end is unable to rise until said element-holding means is removed so as to permit said elements to pivot upwardly from their common arcs. It is not necessary that such locking element be arcuate or telescoping provided at least one pair of leaf-holding elements are arcuate telescoping elements. An illustration of one such alternative locking means is shown in Fig. 8.

A problem encountered with telescoping arcuate leaf- holding elements is that paper travel over the joint of the respective telescoping elements tends to be obstructed, that is when a loose leaf is moved from the inner element to and along the outer element due to the fact that the leading edge of the outer element tends to catch and/or hold the periphery of the hole in the leaf, especially on the upper and lower surface of the outer element.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate an effective solution; the open end of each outer element is cut away to define, when viewed side-on, a slope on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof and extending from adjacent the centre-line back to said upper and lower surfaces respectively, to thereby facilitate passage of a loose leaf from inner to outer leaf-holding elements.

In a modification of the binder (not shown) the rods may be inset in grooves in the covers instead of being journalled on them and in such a construction the region at which each element joins its associated rod may well be made not arcuate but linear for a short distance from the rod to prevent pinching or squeezing of the leaves between the filing elements and the cover portions when the binder is fully open or approaching tfeat position.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show some possible variations in the arrangement of the various leaf-holding elements. Fig.4 shows telescoping pairs of elements at the top and bottom of the binder and six non-telescoping elements intermediate the top and bottom; eight-hole leaves are required for this embodiment which is particularly suitable for leaves that are valuable or of expensive paper.

Fig.5 is a simplified arrangement of two telescoping element pairs to take two-hole leaves while Fig.6 represents a binder having a central telescoping pair of elements flanked by two non-telescoping elements on either side. Although Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show elements of circular cross-section, needless to say any suitable cross-section may be employed. Also, the required holes in the leaves may be of any suitable shape, elongated holes in the form of round-ended slots are preferred Fig. 7 is a fragmented, exploded view of a preferred locking means. In this embodiment the spine portion comprises a first hinge plate 22 to which is hinged a first cover-attachment strip 23. It should be understood that in the completed binder, cover-attachment strip 23 will carry an element-bearing rod - see Fig. 1 - as also will cover-attachment plate 24 hinged to the second hinge plate 25. "Sandwiched" between these two hinge plates is a captive locking plate 26 raoveable between an inserted position and a retracted position Towards each end of plate 22 is a hole, as 27, and a laterally aligned slot, as 28; similarly, each end of plate 25 has a hole, as 29, and a slot, as 30. Towards the end of lockiag plate 26 there is a pair of slots, as 31, 32, which diverge at an acute angle as shown with respect to the end edge of locking plate 26. At the other , unillustrated end of locking plate 26 is a similar pair of slots diverging in the same direction as slots 31, 32; that is to say, with respect to the illustrated end of locking plate 26. An operating tongue or tab 33 extends at right angles to locking plate 26 and hinge plate 25 has a corresponding bight 34 in which tongue 33 can be accommodated when the telescoping elements are in mating relationship.

At the close-spaced ends of each pair of slots 31, 32, one corresponding slot of each pair of said slots 31, 32 may be extended outwardly to provide one detent slot 60 per pair of slots 31, 32, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in Fig.12 (in relation to diverging slots only) . These prevent hinge plates 22,25 from being inadvertently moved apart - as by sudden impact or tension - when the elements are matingly locked together.

Hinge plates 22 and 25, and locking plate 26 are connected together by pins or studs 35 and 36. Pin 35 has one end fixed in hole 29 and is slidable in slot 28, while pin 36 has one end fixed in hole 27 and is slidable in slot 30. Heads or the like on the slot ends of the pins prevent their being released from their captivity. Pins 35 and 36 extend through diverging slots 31 and 32 respectively so that all three plates are closely superposed and, of course, the same condition will hold for the six slots and two holes in the ends of the plates not shown in Fig. 7.

As will now have become clear, sliding locking plate 26 out from between the two hinge plates 22 and 24, to the limit of its permitted travel, by grasping tongue 33 and pulling locking plate 26 out, will cause the two hinge plates 22 and 25 to move apart laterally due to the camming function of the diverging slots. When the hinge plates have reached the limit of their outward travel the telescopingly-engaged pair or pairs of leaf-holding elements will disengage, whereupon the elements may be swung outwardly and upwardly to thus allow suitable perforated leaves to be removed from, or inserted in, the binder. In a further modification which is not illustrated, two hinge plates generally as previously described may be caused to move laterally apart by manipulation of such as operating rods or strips attached to the outside side edge of one or both hinge plates and extending transversely across one or both of the inside surfaces of the covers.

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of the locking mechanism in which a locking slide 40 is slidably accomodated in a spine portion 41 of a loose-leaf binder equipped with rods, such as 42, upon which are laterally mounted locking elements as exemplified by 43. The free end of locking slide 40 is bent first upwardly and then inwardly to provide a locking flange 44. As can be seen, when locking slide 40 is fully inserted into spine portion 41 in the direction of arrow A, locking flange 44 will overlie a locking element such as 43, or a telescoping pair of elements, when in the spine-spanning position, thus preventing excessive pivotal rotation of each rod and thus preventing disengagement of the filing elements from the common arc. When locking slide 40 is fully retracted, that is to say, pulled out of spine portion 41, the arcuate elements are freed so as to be swung outwardly about the axis of rotation of the associated rod so that leaves may not be removed or inserted.

Fig. 9 shows the spine of a loose-leaf binder according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 8 but with the element- carrying rods absent for the sake of clarity. Here two locking slides 50 and 51 are housed in a spine portion 52, being anchored therein by the slot-and-peg arrangements 53 and 54. Each of the flanges 55 and 56 of locking slides 50 and 51 respectively may be used equally well to operate the locking mechanism, as slides 50 and 51 are mechanically linked by rods 57 and 58 and pivoted arm 59; thus, operation of one of the locking slides results in a corresponding movement of the other locking slide.

Figs . 10 and 11 show a loose-leaf binder of a size and format suitable for binding a large number of leaves; Fig.11 particularly showing how the arcuate configuration of the leaf-holding elements permits the leaves to lie flat or substantially so having regard to the thickness of the leaves. While the above description has been generally couched in terms of metal elements, hinge- and locking-plates and cover attachment strips, suitable plastics materials are nevertheless contemplated and, indeed, a construction can be envisaged in which plastics cover-attachment shoulders may be connected to a plastics spine portion by what are known as self-hinges. The cover-attachment shoulders may each have a longitudinal groove in its side edge to receive a marginal portion of a cover, the element-carrying rods being, as before, mounted rotatably on the said shoulders.

In addition, it is considered that it is within the spirit of the invention for the element-carrying rods to be capable, not only of rotational movement, but also of longitudinal movement. In such a case one or both rods mounted on the covers of a loose-leaf binder may slide in a saddle or the like so that the leaf-holding elements meet, not by moving along a common arc, but "sideways on". To this end, the side of one arcuate element may be cut away to receive the end of another element of lesser diameter, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the attached Fig. 13. These two mating elements, by their "overlap", are "locked" by the act of telescopic engagement. It is also considered that it is within the spirit of the invention for each arcuate element to consist cif two joined linear sections which, together, span said spine portion when releasable locking means is operative and said binder is open or approaching that position.

Claims

1. A loose-leaf binder (1) comprising a pair of cover portions (2,3) hingedly connected to an intermediate spine portion (4) ; characterised in that there is provided a first plurality of aligned arcuate leaf-holding elements (14,16,18) extending in spaced-apart array laterally from a first rod (8) mounted for rotation adjacent the inner longitudinal edge of a first of said cover portions (2) ; a second plurality of arcuate leaf-holding elements (15,17,19) extending in spaced- apart array laterally from a second rod (9) mounted for rotation adjacent the inner longitudinal edge of a second of said cover portions (3) ; the leaf-holding element of said first^ plurality (14,16,18) co-operating with corresponding leaf-holding elements of said second plurality (15,17,19) so as to thereby together span said spine portion (4) in common arcuate alignment when releasable locking means (20) is operative and s"aid binder (1) is open or closed or is at any position intermediate thereof; said pair of cover portions (2,3) and said spine portion (4) able to rest in the same horizontal plane when the binder (1) is open.

2. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein when releasable locking means (20) is operative and said binder (1) is open or closed or is at any position intermediate thereof, said leaf-holding elements (14,16,18 and 15,17,19) are maintained in common arcuate alignment by at least one element (16,18) extending laterally from said first rod (8) and capable of telescopingly engaging with a respect ive co-operating element (19,17) extending laterally from said second rod (9) so as to thereby together span said spine portion (4) .

3. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein when releasable locking means (20) is operative and said binder (1) is open or closed or at any position intermediate thereof, said leaf-holding elements (14,16,18 and 15,17,19) are maintained in common arcuate alignment by at least one of said leaf-holding elements of the first plurality (18) being capable of telescopingly engaging with a respective co-operating element (17) of the second plurality so as to thereby together span said spine portion (4) .

4. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said locking means (20) is operable to selectively increase or decrease the distance between said first rod (8) and said second rod (9) so as to permit, when said distance is maximum, said elements (14,16,18; 15,17,19) to pivot upwardly from their common arc and, when said distance is minimum, to be maintained in their common arcuate alignment by telescopic engagement of one or more of said elements (17,18) (16,19) .

5. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said spine portion (4) includes a first hinge plate (22) to a longitudinal edge of which a cover-attachment strip (23) is hingedly connected and upon which said first rod (8) is mounted; a second hinge plate (25), adapted to overlie said first hinge plate (22), and to a longitudinal edge of which a second cover-attachment strip

(24) is hingedly connected and upon which said second rod

(9) is mounted; and a captive locking plate (26), moveable between an inserted position and a retracted position and disposed between said two hinge plates (22,25) so as to overlie one (22) and underlie the other (25) while said locking plate is in the inserted position; each said hinge plate (22,

25) having a hole (27,29) and a laterally aligned slot (28,

30) towards each end thereof, the slots (28,30) being parallel to the end edges of the hinge plate (22,25); and said locking plate (26) having, towards each end thereof a co-acting pair of corresponding slots (31,32), the first corresponding slot (31) of each said pair being parallel to the longitudinal edge of the spine portion and the second corresponding slot (32) of each said pair diverging at an acute angle with respect to the first pair (31), the close-spaced ends of said co-acting pair of corresponding slots (31,32) being at the end thereof nearest the end of said hinge plates (22,25) where said locking plate (26) slides in and out; said two hinge plates (22,25) and said locking plate (26) being connected by pins (35,36) affixed in said holes (27,29) and slidable in said slots (28, 30), said two hinge plates (22,25) being caused to move laterally apart when said locking plate (26) is slidingly moved partly out from between said hinge plates (22,25) into the retracted position, so as to permit said elements (14,16,18; 15,17,19) to pivot upwardly from their common arc; at the close-spaced ends of each pair of said co-acting pair of slots (31,32) each of the said first corresponding slots (31) or each of the said second corresponding slots (32) are extended outwardly, to the same extent, towards the nearest edge of said locking plate (26) to provide at least one detent slot (60) per pair of slots (31,32).

6. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein each rod (e.g. 42) is provided with at least one locking element (43) adjacent the end of said rod (42) , the free end of said locking element (43) being capable of being held, below a position selected in relation to said spine portion (41) by element-holding means (44), above which position said free end is unable to rise until said element-holding means (44) is removed so as to permit said elements (14,16,18; 15,17,19) to pivot upwardly from their common arc.

7. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said spine portion (41) is adapted to accommodate at least one captive locking slide (40) moveable between an inserted position and a retracted position and slidably insertable into an end of said spine portion (41) , the free end of said locking slide (40) being formed into said element-holding means (44) which, when said locking slide (40) is fully inserted into said spine portion (41), overlies said free end of said locking element (43) when it is in the spine-spanning position but which, when the locking slide (40) is fully retracted from said spine portion (41), permits said elements (14,16,18; 15,17,19) to pivot upwardly from their common arc.

8. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in Claim 7, wherein there is a said locking slide (50,51) in each end of said spine portion (52 ), said two locking slides (50,51) being mechanically linked (57,58,59) so that operation of one said locking slide results in a corresponding movement of the other locking slide.

9. The loose-leaf binder as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 8, wherein the open end of each outer telescoping arcuate element (18,19) is cut away to define, when viewed side-on, a slope on both upper and lower surfaces thereof and extending from adjacent the centre-line back to said upper and lower surfaces respectively (21), to thereby facilitate passage of a loose leaf from inner (16,17) to outer (18,19) arcuate elements.

10. A loose-leaf binder as claimed in Claims 2 and 3 wherein each outer telescoping element (18,19) is partly cut away at one side of its free end and in which one of said rods (8,9) is able to slide vertically between an engaged position and a disengaged position, to permit, when the binder (1) is open, the end of each inner element (16,17) to be disengaged from its corresponding outer element (18,19) and vice versa.

11. A loose-leaf binder leaf, characterised in that said leaf is perforated to receive arcuate elements of a loose- leaf binder (1) as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims.