GB2025850A

GB2025850A - Improvements in or Relating to Suspension Files

Info

Publication number: GB2025850A
Application number: GB7925221A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: COLEMAN Ltd F
Current assignee: COLEMAN Ltd F
Priority date: 1978-07-21
Filing date: 1979-07-19
Publication date: 1980-01-30
Also published as: GB2025850B

Abstract

A suspension file is formed by folding a cardboard blank into two rectangular portions and edges (3) of the blank are turned over to define channels (4) in which rods (5) are received. The rod ends protrude from the channels (4) and are fitted with plastics runners (6) which include tongues (10, 11) which resiliently grip the cardboard blank (1). The runner (6) also includes a lug (12) which defines with the tongues (10, 11), a slot to receive the suspension bar of a filing cabinet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements In or Relating to Suspension Files This invention relates to suspension files.

Suspension files for filing cabinets are well known and typically consist of a folded piece of card to which metal support strips are crimped along the card edges remote from the fold. The metal support strips extend beyond the edges of the card and are provided with cut out slots which define runners to fit over suspension bars in a filing cabinet. A disadvantage of such known suspension files is that a specially designed machine tool is required to form and crimp the metal strips to the card edges which undesirably increases the investment required to manufacture such files.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension file which can be manufactured without the need for such complex machine tools.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a suspension file comprising a folded blank of card or the like of which edges thereof are turned over to define channels, elongate struts received in the channels, the ends of the struts extending out of the channels beyond the perimeter of the blank, and runners of plastics material fitted on the ends of the struts, the runners each including a body portion having therein an opening which receives one of the ends of the struts, first and second tongues extending from the body portion and receiving therebetween in resilient engagement therewith a portion of the turned over edge of said blank, and a lug extending from said body portion in such a manner as to define with said tongues a slot to fit over a suspension bar of a filing cabinet.

The runners can be push-fitted onto the struts thereby simplyfying manufacture of the suspension file.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a suspension file in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the suspension file showing one of the runners in detail, and Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of the runner.

The suspension file shown in the drawings consists of a rectangular card or like fibre board blank 1 folded at a line 2 to form two congruent rectangular portions 1 a, 1 b. The edges 3 of the blank which lie parallel to the fold line 2 are turned over and are desirably glued to define channels 4 in which are received support struts 5 shown in dotted outline. The struts 5 consist of circular section metal rods and the ends of rods 5 protrude from the channels 4 beyond the perimeter of the blank. The rod ends are fitted with runners 6 that consist of moulded plastics members which are push fitted onto the ends of the rods. The runners 6 are adapted to fit over a suspension bar in a filing cabinet so as to suspend the file in the cabinet; one such suspension bar 7 is illustrated schematically in Figure 1.

One of the runners 6 is shown in detail in Figure 2 and consists of a generally tubular body portion 8 which is formed with a longitudinal slit 9 extending along a major portion of the length of the body portion. At one end of the body portion, two coextensive parallel tongues 10, 11 formed on opposite sides of the slit, extend transversely of the body portion. At the other end of the body portion, there is formed a lug 1 2 which extends in the same general direction as the tongues 10, 11.

The lug 12 and the tongues 10, 11 define with the body portion 8 a generally U-shaped groove adapted to fit over the suspension bar 7 as shown in Figure 1.

The runner 6 is of such a shape and configuration that it can be push-fitted onto the end of the rod 4 such that the tongues 10, 11 ride up onto the turned over edge of the cardboard blank.

The fitting of the runner 6 causes the tongues 10, 11 to be urged apart from one another and the resiliently deformable nature of the moulded plastics material from which the runner 6 is made is so selected that the tongues grip tightly against the cardboard and hold the runner 6 in place. The arrangement of the tongues also holds the turned over edge 3 of the blank 1 in position around the rod.

If desired, the turned over edges 3 may be glued to the blank and the runners 6 may be further secured in positions by means of a drop of glue placed on the rod end.

Another form of the runner is shown in Figure 3, in which like parts to those shown in Figures 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals but with the suffix a. Thus the runner 6a has a body portion 8a formed at one end with a lug 1 2a and at the other end with tongues 1 Oa, 11 a. The tongues 1 0a, 1 a include upstanding flanges 13, 14 which resiliently grip the turned over edges of the blank 1. The gap between the flanges tapers so as to be narrowest at the end remotest from the lug 1 2a so as to embed the flanges resiliently into the card of the blank 1 and resist removal of the runner from the card. The runner 6a also includes a tapered edge 1 5 on the tongues 1 3a, 1 4a and the body portion 8a to aid in insertion of the runner onto the rod end.

The described suspension file has the advantage that it can be assembled without the need for complex machine tools to install the runners since the runners 6 merely need to be push fitted onto the rods 5. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the other manufacturing steps required to fold and bend the cardboard blank 1 and fit the rods 4 are all very simple and that thus all the manufacturing steps could be performed manually if desired.

Also, the described suspension file has the advantage that compared with the prior art file aforementioned, the amount of metal used is reduced substantially thereby reducing costs.

Furthermore, the described file is of an attractive appearance.

Claims

1. A suspension file comprising a folded blank of card or the like of which edges thereof are turned over to define channels, elongate struts received in the channels, the ends of the struts extending out of the channels beyond the perimeter of the blank, and runners of plastics material fitted on the ends of the struts, the runners each including a body portion having therein an opening which receives one of the ends of the struts, first and second tongues extending from the body portion and receiving therebetween in resilient engagement therewith a portion of the turned over edge of said blank, and a lug extending from said body portion in such a manner as to define with said tongues a slot to fit over a suspension bar of a filing cabinet.

2. A suspension file according to claim 1 wherein said struts comprise circular section rods.

3. A suspension file according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the turned over edges are glued to the blank.

4. A suspension file according to any preceding claim wherein the ends of said tongues remotest from the body portion include upstanding flanges which engage the turned over edges of the blank.

5. A suspension file according to claim 4 wherein the gap between said flanges tapers so as to be narrowest at the end thereof remotest from said lug.

6. A suspension file according to any preceding claim including a slit running longitudinally of said body portion into the said opening.

7. A suspension file according to any preceding claim wherein the runners are glued in position.

8. A suspension file according to any preceding claim wherein said blank comprises a rectangular portion of cardboard folded along a line so as to form two congruent rectangular portions with said channels formed on the edges of said portions which run parallel to said fold line.

9. A method of fabricating a suspension file as claimed in claim 1, comprising turning over the edges of the blank to form said channels, arranging the struts so as to be present in said channels with the strut ends extending beyond the perimeter of the blank, and push-fitting said runners on the ends of the struts such that the tongues thereof resiliently engage the turned over edges of the blank.

10. A suspension file substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A runner for a suspension file, substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.