GB1565384A

GB1565384A - Loose leaf compressor

Info

Publication number: GB1565384A
Application number: GB4965176A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BROADHURST C
Current assignee: BROADHURST C
Priority date: 1976-11-29
Filing date: 1976-11-29
Publication date: 1980-04-23

Description

(54) LOOSE LEAF COMPRESSOR (71) 1, CHARLES JOHN BROADHURST of Botley Road, Oxford, a British subject 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 compressors for holding loose leaves in a firmly bundled condition in loose leaf binders. Conventionally, loose leaves are provided with two or more perforations which are spaced apart by what has become a substantially standard spacing, the perforations being disposed near the lefthand edge of each leaf.Loose leaf files exist, having members which extend through the perforations in the loose leaves, the members being engaged by a clamping bar which acts as a compressor for the stack of perforated loose leaves, thereby holding the stack firmly against a rear cover of the file.

It is known for the said members to be in the form of posts or openable metal rings or in the form of flexible laces, which may be of elastomeric material, sometimes with textile braiding thereon.

It is an object of the invention to provide a compressor suitable for being used with metal rings and also with flexible laces.

The invention consists in a compressor for a stack of loose leaves which are each provided with two or more perforations, the compressor comprising an elongate plate-like member made of a relatively rigid material having a degree of resilient yieldability, the plate-like member having two or more openings therein in the form of apertures each with a first region of a given transverse dimension and a further region of lesser transverse dimension with the walls of said apertures tapering between said first and further regions, the compressor being adapted to be engaged over laces or over metal binder rngs or ports extending through the perforations in the loose leaves, with the walls of the first aperture regions providing a clearance relative to the laces or rings or posts and the tapering walls providing a gripping engagement with the laces or rings or posts whereby, when the laces or rings or posts are disposed in the first aperture regions, the compressor and the loose leaves are free for movement on the laces or rings or posts, whereas when the laces or rings or posts are disposed in or towards the further aperture regions, the laces or rings or posts are grippingly engaged and the compressor is not free for movement on the laces or rings or posts and can thus exert a compressive action on the stack of loose leaves, the further aperture region of each said opening communicating with an edge of the plate-like member by way of a slot whereby to define a cantilever tongue bordered by said edge and by a wall of said slot and by a wall of the respective opening, the tongue providing additional resilient yieldability for facilitating use of the compressor with binder rings or posts.

In order to make the invention clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of example and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a compressor of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a binder ring fitment with which the compressor of Fig. 1 can be used.

The compressor 1 is intended for use with perforated loose leaves each having two perforations. Such loose leaves are disposed in a loose leaf binder as a stack of leaves and the compressor of the invention is intended to hold the leaves of the stack in a firmly bundled condition. The perforations in the loose leaves are spaced apart by what has become a substantially standard spacing, and the loose leaf binder has laces or posts which extend through the perforations in the stack of loose leaves, or has a binder ring fitment, the ring arms of which extend through the perforations in the stack of loose leaves. The binder and the loose leaves do not form part of the invention and are not illustrated. A known binder ring fitment is illustrated in Fig. 2, however, for facilitating the description of the compressor of the invention.

The compressor 1 is in the form of a platelike member made of plastics material which is relatively rigid but which has a degree of resilient yieldability. The compressor 1 has two spaced-apart openings 2, each having an aperture region 3 and a further aperture region 4 with the walls 5 of the said opening tapering between the said first and further regions. The taper may be along a straight line or along a curve (as shown in Fig. 1), or may be such that the opening becomes parallel-sided as the aperture region 4 is reached.

The first region 3 of each opening 2 is circular and is of a diameter such as to provide a clearance relative to a ring arm 7 of the binder ring fitment 8 whereas the further aperaure region 4 is narrow enough to provide a gripping engagement with the ring arm 7. Thus, when the ring arm 7 is disposed in the aperture region 3, the compressor 1 and the loose leaves normally clamped by it are free for movement on the ring arm 7, whereas when by movement of the compressor 1 in its own plane, the ring arm 7 is disposed in the further aperture region 4, the compressor 1 is not free for movement on the ring arm 7 and can.

thus exert a compressive action on the stack of loose leaves. Manual pushing on the compressor 1 will urge the compressor 1 into firm compressing engagement with the stack of loose leaves.

Depending on the extent of narrowness of the further aperture region 4 and the degree of taper between the regions 3 and 4, the compressor 1 will need to be moved, in its own plane, by a greater or lesser amount before the abovementioned gripping action occurs, and any wear taking place at the tapering walls 5 during the lifetime of the compressor can be taken into account simply by moving the compressor further until the gripping action occurs. To minimise such wear, however, slots 9 are provided which extend between the further aperture regions 4 and an edge 10 of the compressor. Thus, for each opening 2, a cantilever tongue 11 is formed which is bordered by the said edge 10, by a wall 12 of the respective slot 9 and by one of the walls 5 of the respective opening 2.The cantilever tongues 11 provide resilient yieldability additional to that provided by elastic compression of the material of the compressor 1 as the ring arms 7 move from the aperture regions 3 towards the aperture regions 4.

When the compressor 1 is used not with the known binder ring fitment 8 of Fig. 2, but with the abovementioned known laces (which may be end regions of a single lace) the first region 3 of each opening 2 of the compressor 1 provides a clearance relative to the lace, whereas the further aperture region 4 is narrow enough to provide a gripping engagement with the lace. Thus, when the lace is disposed in the aperture region 3, the compressor 1 and the loose leaves are free for movement on the lace, whereas when the lace is disposed in the further aperture region 4, the compressor 1 is not free for movement on the lace and can thus exert a compressive action on the stack of loose leaves.

The laces are of resiliently compressible material. For example, they may be of fabric braided rubber or other elastomeric material or may be textile or other laces braided with an elastomeric material.

When the compressor 1 is used with laces, the resilient tongues 11 do not have any effect, or have only a small effect, owing to the compressibility of the laces predominating.

Although no difficulty is occasioned in attaching the compressor 1 to the laces by passing the ends of the laces through the openings 2 of the compressor 1, it has been found convenient in some cases to make the slots 9 with a width substantially the same as or preferably slightly less than the width of the aperture regions 4. The compressor 1 can then be engaged on the laces by pushing the laces laterally through the slots 9, taking advantage of the compressibility of the laces.

To assist this, the regions where the slots 9 open at the edge 10 of the compressor 1 are preferably outwardly tapered as shown by reference numeral 13 in Fig. 1.

As indicated above, the compressor can also be used with known binders having posts instead of rings, the action of the tongues 11 being the same as described for use with rings.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A compressor for a stack of loose leaves which are each provided with two or more perforations, the compressor comprising an elongate plate-like member made of a relatively rigid material having a degree of resilient yieldability, the plate-like mem ber having two or more openings therein in the form of apertures each with a first region of a given transverse dimension and a further region of lesser transverse dimension with the walls of said apertures tapering between said first and further regions, the compressor being adapted to be engaged over laces or over metal binder rings or posts extending through the per

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the stack of loose leaves, or has a binder ring fitment, the ring arms of which extend through the perforations in the stack of loose leaves. The binder and the loose leaves do not form part of the invention and are not illustrated. A known binder ring fitment is illustrated in Fig. 2, however, for facilitating the description of the compressor of the invention. The compressor 1 is in the form of a platelike member made of plastics material which is relatively rigid but which has a degree of resilient yieldability. The compressor 1 has two spaced-apart openings 2, each having an aperture region 3 and a further aperture region 4 with the walls 5 of the said opening tapering between the said first and further regions. The taper may be along a straight line or along a curve (as shown in Fig. 1), or may be such that the opening becomes parallel-sided as the aperture region 4 is reached. The first region 3 of each opening 2 is circular and is of a diameter such as to provide a clearance relative to a ring arm 7 of the binder ring fitment 8 whereas the further aperaure region 4 is narrow enough to provide a gripping engagement with the ring arm 7. Thus, when the ring arm 7 is disposed in the aperture region 3, the compressor 1 and the loose leaves normally clamped by it are free for movement on the ring arm 7, whereas when by movement of the compressor 1 in its own plane, the ring arm 7 is disposed in the further aperture region 4, the compressor 1 is not free for movement on the ring arm 7 and can. thus exert a compressive action on the stack of loose leaves. Manual pushing on the compressor 1 will urge the compressor 1 into firm compressing engagement with the stack of loose leaves. Depending on the extent of narrowness of the further aperture region 4 and the degree of taper between the regions 3 and 4, the compressor 1 will need to be moved, in its own plane, by a greater or lesser amount before the abovementioned gripping action occurs, and any wear taking place at the tapering walls 5 during the lifetime of the compressor can be taken into account simply by moving the compressor further until the gripping action occurs. To minimise such wear, however, slots 9 are provided which extend between the further aperture regions 4 and an edge 10 of the compressor. Thus, for each opening 2, a cantilever tongue 11 is formed which is bordered by the said edge 10, by a wall 12 of the respective slot 9 and by one of the walls 5 of the respective opening 2.The cantilever tongues 11 provide resilient yieldability additional to that provided by elastic compression of the material of the compressor 1 as the ring arms 7 move from the aperture regions 3 towards the aperture regions 4. When the compressor 1 is used not with the known binder ring fitment 8 of Fig. 2, but with the abovementioned known laces (which may be end regions of a single lace) the first region 3 of each opening 2 of the compressor 1 provides a clearance relative to the lace, whereas the further aperture region 4 is narrow enough to provide a gripping engagement with the lace. Thus, when the lace is disposed in the aperture region 3, the compressor 1 and the loose leaves are free for movement on the lace, whereas when the lace is disposed in the further aperture region 4, the compressor 1 is not free for movement on the lace and can thus exert a compressive action on the stack of loose leaves. The laces are of resiliently compressible material. For example, they may be of fabric braided rubber or other elastomeric material or may be textile or other laces braided with an elastomeric material. When the compressor 1 is used with laces, the resilient tongues 11 do not have any effect, or have only a small effect, owing to the compressibility of the laces predominating. Although no difficulty is occasioned in attaching the compressor 1 to the laces by passing the ends of the laces through the openings 2 of the compressor 1, it has been found convenient in some cases to make the slots 9 with a width substantially the same as or preferably slightly less than the width of the aperture regions 4. The compressor 1 can then be engaged on the laces by pushing the laces laterally through the slots 9, taking advantage of the compressibility of the laces. To assist this, the regions where the slots 9 open at the edge 10 of the compressor 1 are preferably outwardly tapered as shown by reference numeral 13 in Fig. 1. As indicated above, the compressor can also be used with known binders having posts instead of rings, the action of the tongues 11 being the same as described for use with rings. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A compressor for a stack of loose leaves which are each provided with two or more perforations, the compressor comprising an elongate plate-like member made of a relatively rigid material having a degree of resilient yieldability, the plate-like mem ber having two or more openings therein in the form of apertures each with a first region of a given transverse dimension and a further region of lesser transverse dimension with the walls of said apertures tapering between said first and further regions, the compressor being adapted to be engaged over laces or over metal binder rings or posts extending through the per

forations in the loose leaves, with the walls of the first aperture regions providing a clearance relative to the laces or rings or posts and the tapering walls providing a gripping engagement with the laces or rings or posts whereby, when the laces or rings or posts are disposed in the first aperture regions, the compressor and the loose leaves are free for movement on the laces or rings or posts whereas, when the laces or rings or posts are disposed in or towards the further aperture regions, the laces or rings or posts are grippingly engaged and the compressor is not free for movement on the laces or rings or posts and can thus exert a compressive action on the stack of loose leaves, the further aperture region of each opening communicating with an edge of the platelike member by way of a slot whereby to define a cantilever tongue bordered by said edge and by a wall of said slot and by a wall of the respective opening, the tongue providing additional resilient yieldability for facilitating use of the compressor with binder rings or posts.

2. A compressor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each first aperture region is a circular hole and each further aperture region is a narrower slot radially extending from the hole, in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like member.

3. A compressor as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the slot by which each further aperture region communicates with the said edge of the plate-like member has substantially the same width as the transverse dimension of the further aperture region, the slot enabling lateral passage of the lace therethrough into the further aperture region.

4. A compressor for a stack of loose leaves, as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.