GB1564220A - Loose-leaf binder - Google Patents

Description

(54) LOOSE-LEAF BINDER (71) I, BRIAN DAVID FULLER, a British subject of 22, Grosvenor Road, Wanstead, London Ell. 2EP. do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to binders and more particularly to loose-leaf binders.

Loose-leaf note books have, in the past, comprised an outer envelope which forms a protective cover for the inside pages which are attached to the cover by means of a split-ring binding fastened inside the cover.

According to the present invention a loose-leaf binder includes two or more split-rings mounted on, and held in fixed spaced-apart relationship with one another by, an elongate tubular sheath, and front and rear cover leaves mounted in conventional fashion on the split-rings by means of apertures in the cover leaves.

By this arrangement a loose-leaf binder can be provided without the normal, relatively expensive, outer envelope-type cover, and the tubular sheath can provide a housing for a pencil. Loose leaves will normally be provided with the binder although these could be hand made by the purchaser.

Preferably, the tubular sheath is formed by a tube, for example of synthetic plastics material, having one closed end and one open end, and the split rings are formed from hinged ring binders, one half of each being inserted through the sleeve to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve. The hinged rings will preferably have a diameter larger than that of the tube so that it is possible to arrange for the rings to pass through the tube in such a way that a considerable space lies within the hinged ring outside the tube, for receiving the loose-leaves. Furthermore, the other half of the ring which passes through the tube can be arranged to lie closely adjacent that part of the tube wall which lies outside the ring so that a space exists inside the ring between the ring and the tube wall.Flexibility in the tube will enable a pencil to be inserted within the tube, and held there until required, by its being squeezed between the side of the tube and the ring binder.

Alternatively, the split rings may be provided by flexible plastics rings the ends of which locate, as a snap fit, into apertures in the sleeve. A pencil can then be gripped between the wall of the sleeve and the ends of the rings, projecting into the sleeve.

Preferably, the pencil will include a resilient sleeve fastened to one end and it may be the sleeve itself which is gripped between the ring and the tube. If the sleeve is a push fit over the end of the pencil then when the pencil becomes too short to write with the pencil can be removed from the sleeve and a fresh one inserted.

The sleeve can be arranged to carry a rubber, and one way in which this may be done is to fasten one half of a press-stud to the sleeve and to arrange for the other half of a press-stud to be fastened to the rubber.

In some cases it may be preferable to use two fastenings if the rubber is particularly large.

Two examples of a loose-leaf binder according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a first binder; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line II - II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a second binder; and, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line IV - IV in Figure 3.

The first binder has a plastics tube 1 of about 7 cm in length and 1l/2 cm internal diameter. The lower end of the tube is closed by a cap 2 and the upper end is open.

Adjacent either end of the tube 1 a steel hinged ring binder 3 is fastened to the tube, one half of each hinged ring passing twice through the tube at parts 4 and 5 so that the major portion of the tube lies within the ring. On the two rings 3 are mounted, in conventional fashion, front 6 and rear 7 cover leaves, the apertures 8 through which are reinforced by eyelets 9 to prevent them being torn away from the tube 1. Inside, the loose leaves 10 of the note book can be taken out and replaced as desired.

Within the tube there is held a short pencil 11 by means of a flexible plastics sleeve 12 pushed over the end of the pencil 11. The arrangement of the rings 3 on the tube 1 and the diameter of the plastics sleeve 12 on the pencil 11 are such that when the pencil 11 is inserted within the tube 1 the uppermost ring 3 and the opposing tube wall grip the sleeve resiliently to retain it, and therefore the pencil, in the tube.

On top of the sleeve 12 is mounted a small plate 13 to which one half 14 of a press-stud 15 is attached.

The other half 16 of the press-stud 15 is attached to a rubber 17 so that the rubber can be attached and detached from the pencil in order to fix the second half 16 of the press-stud 15 to the rubber 17 the second half of the stud 15 includes a corkscrewshaped or helical pin (not shown) attached to the back of the press-stud half, the pins being screwed into the rubber.

Depending on the use for which the note book is required so the leaves, including the outer protective leaves can be of various sizes and the corners may be rounded to ease insertion into a pocket.

The second example is substantially similar to the first but the tube 1 has a rounded closed lower end 2, and the split-rings are provided by loops 3 of polythene provided with annular detent grooves at each end to enable the ends of the rings to snap resilient lv into the apertures in the tube. The pencil and sleeve is held between the ends of the rings and the opposing wall of the tube or by the sleeve being a sliding interference fit within the tube.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A loose-leaf binder including two or more split-rings mounted on. and held in fixed spaced-apart relationship with one another by, an elongate tubular sheath, and front and rear cover leaves mounted in conventional fashion on the split-rings by means of apertures in the cover leaves.

2. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a plastics tube.

3. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the split rings are formed from hinged ring binders, one half of each ring being inserted through the sleeve to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve.

4. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the split rings each comprise a flexible plastics ring, the ends of which locate, as a snap fit, into apertures in the sleeve.

5. A loose-leaf binder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further including a pencil releasably held within the sleeve.

6. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. closed by a cap 2 and the upper end is open. Adjacent either end of the tube 1 a steel hinged ring binder 3 is fastened to the tube, one half of each hinged ring passing twice through the tube at parts 4 and 5 so that the major portion of the tube lies within the ring. On the two rings 3 are mounted, in conventional fashion, front 6 and rear 7 cover leaves, the apertures 8 through which are reinforced by eyelets 9 to prevent them being torn away from the tube 1. Inside, the loose leaves 10 of the note book can be taken out and replaced as desired. Within the tube there is held a short pencil 11 by means of a flexible plastics sleeve 12 pushed over the end of the pencil 11. The arrangement of the rings 3 on the tube 1 and the diameter of the plastics sleeve 12 on the pencil 11 are such that when the pencil 11 is inserted within the tube 1 the uppermost ring 3 and the opposing tube wall grip the sleeve resiliently to retain it, and therefore the pencil, in the tube. On top of the sleeve 12 is mounted a small plate 13 to which one half 14 of a press-stud 15 is attached. The other half 16 of the press-stud 15 is attached to a rubber 17 so that the rubber can be attached and detached from the pencil in order to fix the second half 16 of the press-stud 15 to the rubber 17 the second half of the stud 15 includes a corkscrewshaped or helical pin (not shown) attached to the back of the press-stud half, the pins being screwed into the rubber. Depending on the use for which the note book is required so the leaves, including the outer protective leaves can be of various sizes and the corners may be rounded to ease insertion into a pocket. The second example is substantially similar to the first but the tube 1 has a rounded closed lower end 2, and the split-rings are provided by loops 3 of polythene provided with annular detent grooves at each end to enable the ends of the rings to snap resilient lv into the apertures in the tube. The pencil and sleeve is held between the ends of the rings and the opposing wall of the tube or by the sleeve being a sliding interference fit within the tube. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A loose-leaf binder including two or more split-rings mounted on. and held in fixed spaced-apart relationship with one another by, an elongate tubular sheath, and front and rear cover leaves mounted in conventional fashion on the split-rings by means of apertures in the cover leaves.

2. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a plastics tube.

3. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the split rings are formed from hinged ring binders, one half of each ring being inserted through the sleeve to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve.

4. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the split rings each comprise a flexible plastics ring, the ends of which locate, as a snap fit, into apertures in the sleeve.

5. A loose-leaf binder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further including a pencil releasably held within the sleeve.

6. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.