GB2126165A

GB2126165A - Compressor for loose-leaf files

Info

Publication number: GB2126165A
Application number: GB08221564A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles John Broadhurst
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-07-26
Filing date: 1982-07-26
Publication date: 1984-03-21

Abstract

A compressor member for a loose-leaf file comprising an elongate portion having two holes spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between binding punch- holes in the sheets to be retained in the file and spiral end portions (6) acting as gripping members for a lace used to retain the sheets in the file. The spirals (6) may be formed at the end of a spring member (3) which can have a central portion spaced from a compressor plate (1) and used to locate releasably the compressor plate (1) in the file. The spirals (6) may form integral extensions of the plate (1), see Fig. 4, or the spring (3) may itself form the compressor member, (Fig. 2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Loose-leaf files and compressor members therefor The invention relates to loose-leaf files and to sheet clamping or compressor members therefor.

For many years there has existed a need for a loose-leaf file in which the sheets are held by a lace which passes through holes at the left hand margin region of the sheets, the end regions of the lace being secured by spring members which are mounted on a narrow wing member provided at the spine region of the file, the spring members being of spiral-like form, the end regions of the lace being secured by being engaged between convolutions of the said spring members.

The above said need has been satisfied by the loose-leaf file which has been sold under the trademark LOXON by Hunt and Broadhurst Limited. However, the manufacture of the components for the LOXON file is complicated, and the assembly of the components is difficult.

Also, the LOXON file does not meet the presentday requirement for a file which can be used also with a loose compressor plate for the sheets rather than with a permanently attached wing member.

The invention consists in a compressor member for a loose-leaf file, said member comprising an elongate plate having two holes spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between binding punch-holes in the sheets to be retained in the file, a spring member being provided which has an intermediate portion extending substantially parallel to the length of the plate and spaced from an edge of said plate, and end portions which extend from the plate, in a direction away from the upper surface of said plate, at or near the said holes, the end portions being of spiral-like form whereby to act as gripping members for a lace used in known manner to retain the sheets in the file.

The spring member may be secured to the plate by eyelets or tubular rivets which pass through the holes in the plate, the eyelets or tubular rivets serving for passage of the lace through the plate.

In one form of the compressor member the spring member is disposed at what, in use, is the upper surface of the plate. In an alternative form of the compressor member the end portions of the spring member extend from the upper surface of said plate, with the intermediate portion, and transition regions between the intermediate portion and said end portions, being disposed at the lower surface of said plate, the spring members extending through the holes in the plate.

In another embodiment of the compressor member, the plate is a laminated or moulded plastics structure, with transition portions of the spring member, between the said intermediate portion and the said end portions thereof, being embedded in the said plastics structure and thereby securely retained.

It will be appreciated that if care is taken in the choice of the spring material, the compressor member may be constituted entirely by the spring, without any plate as such being necessary.

Accordingly, the invention also consists in a compressor member for a loose-leaf file, said member being in the form of a spring member which has an intermediate portion and two end portions, the end portions being of spiral-like form, the spiral centres of which are spaced apart by a distance coresponding to the distance between binding punch-holes in the sheets to be retained in the file, the spiral-like end portions acting as gripping members for a lace used in known manner to retain the sheets in the file.

The invention also consists in a compressor member for a loose-leaf file, said member comprising an elongate plate having two holes spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between binding punch-holes in the sheets to be retained in the file, the plate being a moulded plastics structure having a mounting portion extending parallel to the body of the plate and spaced from an edge of said plate, the plate having two lace-retaining formations which extend from a surface of the plate at or near the said holes, the lace-retaining formations being of spiral-like form whereby to act as gripping members for a lace used in known manner to retain the sheets in the file.

The invention also extends to a loose-leaf file having a compressor member as specified in any of the definitions of the invention given above, the compressor member being engaged at its said intermediate portion or at said mounting portion by a retaining member mounted on the file, so that the compressor member forms a hingedly movable wing member of the file.

In one embodiment of the file the retaining member is of a length substantially equal to the length of the said intermediate portion or said mounting portion. In another embodiment of the file two or more said retaining members are provided, which engage the said intermediate portion or said mounting portion at spaced intervals. In either case, preferably the retaining member or each such member is of spring material, enabling the compressor member to be removed and used as an unretained compressor for the sheets.

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 plan view of a compressor member of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a spring member of the compressor member;Fig. 2 also shows the form of spring member suitable for use as a compressor member entirely by itself; Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, but showing an alternative disposition of the spring member; Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a further embodiment of the compressor member of the invention; Fig. 5 is an illustration of a flat file fitted with the compressor member of Fig. 1, the compressor member forming an attached sheet-clamping wing; Fig. 6 illustrates a retaining member by which the compressor member is retained in the file; and Fig. 7 illustrates a modified retaining member.

The kind of flat file in which loose-leaf sheets are retained by a lace, with the lace end-regions secured by being wound into spiral spring laceclamping formations is well known and will not be described here. Such files are sold under the trademark LOXON by Hunt and Broadhurst Limited, of Oxford.

The compressor member of Fig. 1 comprises an elongate plate 1, preferably of plastics material having two holes and through which the sheetretaining lace (not shown) can pass.

The compressor member has a spring member 3 which has an intermediate portion 4, two transition portions 5 and two end portions 6. The intermediate portion 4 extends parallel to the length of the plate 1 and spaced from an edge thereof so as to provide a gap 7.

The transition portions 5 lie against the lower surface of the plate 1, the end portions 3 being threaded up through the holes 2 and protruding from the upper surface of the plate 1 in the form of spiral-like formations. The spring member 3 is fixed to the plate 1 by tubular rivets or eyelets 8 which pass through the holes 2, the tubular rivets serving for passage of the lace through the plate.

In use, the compressor member is pressed onto a stack of loose leaves in a file, and the lace ends are wound into the spiral like formations so as to be grippingly retained. Reference to "lace ends" herein is intended to mean the parts of the lace which are gripped, even though the lace may be longer than necessary.

In a modified construction, shown in Fig. 2, the spring member has its transition portions 5 lying against the upper surface of the plate 1.

In a further modified construction (not shown), the plate is a laminated or moulded plastics structure, with the transition portions of the spring member being embedded in the plastics structure and thereby securely retained. In such a construction, the tubular rivets can be dispensed with, although they may be provided if tubular guides for the lace are desired.

In yet another modified construction, shown in Fig. 4, the compressor member comprises an elongate plate 11 having a mounting portion 14 extending parallel to the length thereof, and spaced from an edge thereof so as to provide a gap 17. The plate 11 has two holes 12 and laceretaining formations 1 6 extending from the upper surface of the plate 11 at or near the holes 12. The formations 1 6 are of spiral-like form and function in the same way as the spring end portions 6 in the embodiment of Fig. 1.

The plate 11, the mounting portion 14 and the lace-retaining formations 1 6 are a one-piece plastics moulding.

The compressor member of any of the embodiments described above, can be used as a loose compressor member in a flat file (or even for a bundle of sheets without a file at all). When used as a loose compressor member, it is retained by virtue of the sheet-retaining lace being gripped in the spiral spring formations.

Use of the compressor member in a flat file is illustrated in Fig. 5. The compressor member overlies a stack of sheets 21 which lie on a rear cover 22 of the flat file 23. A sheet-retaining lace 24 is used, the ends of which extend up through holes in the sheets and pass through the holes 2 in the plate 1 of the compressor member, the lace ends being wound into the spiral spring formations 3 of the compressor member and thereby retained.

The compressor member is mountedin the file 23 in the form of a "wing", by a retaining member 25 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the left hand cover 26 of the file 23. The retaining member 25 can be seen more clearly in Fig. 6. It is in the form of a spring plate one edge region 26 of which is folded over so as to define a channel for receiving and retaining the intermediate portion 4 of the spring member 3 of the compressor member (or receiving the mounting portion 14 of the Fig. 4 embodiment). The retaining member 25 thus hingedly mounts the compressor member but allows it to be detached when desired.

Instead of a single retaining member 25, two or more smaller retaining members 35, such as illustrated in Fig. 7 may be used.

Claims

1. A compressor member for a loose-leaf file, said member comprising an elongate plate having two holes spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between binding punch-holes in the sheets to be retained in the file, a spring member being provided which has an intermediate portion extending substantially parallel to the length of the plate and spaced from an edge of said plate, and end portions which extend from the plate, in a direction away from the upper surface of said plate, at or near the said holes, the end portions being of spiral-like form whereby to act as gripping members for a lace used in known manner to retain the sheets in the file.

2. A compressor member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring member is secured to the plate by eyelets or tubular rivets which pass through the holes in the plate, the eyelets or tubular rivets serving for passage of the lace through the plate.

3. A compressor member as claimed in claim 2,.

wherein the spring member is disposed at what, in use, is the upper surface of the plate.

4. A compressor member as claimed in claim 2, wherein the end portions of the spring member extend from the upper surface of said plate, with the intermediate portion, and transition regions between the intermediate portion and said end portions, being disposed at the lower surface of said plate, the spring members extending through the holes in the plate.

5. A compressor member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate is a laminated or moulded plastics structure, with transition portions of the spring member, between the said intermediate portion and the said end portions thereof, being embedded in the said plastics structure and thereby securely retained.

6. A compressor member for a loose-leaf file, said member comprising an elongate plate having two holes spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between binding punch-holes in the sheets to be retained in the file, the plate being a moulded plastics structure having a mounting portion extending parallel to the body of the plate and spaced from an edge of said plate, the plate having two lace-retaining formations which extend from a surface of the plate at or near the said holes, the lace-retaining formations being of spiral-like form whereby to act as gripping members for a lace used in known manner to retain the sheets in the file.

7. A loose-leaf file having a compressor member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, the compressor member being engaged at its said intermediate portion or at said mounting portion by a retaining member mounted on the file, so that the compressor member forms a hingedly movable wing member of the file.

8. A loose-leaf file as claimed in claim 7, wherein the retaining member is of a length substantially equal to the length of the said intermediate portion or said mounting portion.

9. A loose-leaf file as claimed in claim 7, wherein two or more said retaining members are provided, which engage the said intermediate portion or said mounting portion at spaced intervals.

10. A loose-leaf file as claimed in claim 7,8 or 9 wherein the retaining member or each such member is of spring material, enabling the compressor member to be removed and used as an unretained compressor for the sheets.

1 1. A compressor member for a loose-leaf file, said member being in the form of a spring member which has an intermediate portion and two end portions, the end portions being of spiral-like form, the spiral centres of which are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between binding punch-holes in the sheets to be retained in the file, the spiral-like end portions acting as gripping members for a lace used in known manner to retain the sheets in the file.