GB2158141A

GB2158141A - Gripping devices for holding elements suspended therefrom

Info

Publication number: GB2158141A
Application number: GB08501662A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Richard Jones
Original assignee: Inoventors Ltd
Current assignee: Inoventors Ltd
Priority date: 1984-05-04
Filing date: 1985-01-23
Publication date: 1985-11-06
Also published as: GB8411545D0; GB2158141B; GB8501662D0

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a gripping device (12) for sheets (10) of paper, card or small implements. The device comprises a downwardly open channel section having a base (14) with one vertical side wall (15) to attach to a surface and one inwardly inclined side wall (16). A resilient flap (24) has a base (23) mounted on the inside of wall (15) and extends across the channel mouth to bear on the inner side of wall (16) to trap an edge of a sheet against the wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to gripping devices for holding elements suspended therefrom This invention relates to gripping devices for receiving and holding elements suspended therefrom. Such elements may comprise any generally flat member or element but in particular sheets of paper, card, plastics or the like.

This invention provides provides a device for holding an element suspended therefrom comprising an elongate socket to receive a marginal part of an element and an elongate resilient member extending lengthwise within the socket and bearing against one side of the socket to receive and trap said marginal part against said side of the socket.

The resilient member may comprise a base mounted in the socket and an upstanding resilient leg extending from the base to bear on said side of the socket and, more specifically the base of the resilient member may be so mounted in the socket that the leg is bowed by engagement with said side of the socket to trap said marginal part of an element against the side of the socket.

In the latter arrangement the leg may be Lshaped in cross-section, the base of the L forming the base of the resilient member and the upright of the L forming the resilint leg of the member.

The base of the resilient member may lie against the other side of the socket and means are provided in the socket for holding the base against said other side.

Further the means for holding the base of the resilient member against said other side of the socket may comprise an intermediate wall extending partway across the socket parallel to said other side to receive the base member between the wall and said other side of the socker and an upstanding abutment on said other side of the socket at the open end thereof.

In any of the above arrangements the socket may comprise a base and an upstanding pair of convergent side walls with a gap between the edges of the side walls remote from the base to receive the marginal part of the component to be gripped, the inner face of one of the side walls forming said one side of the socket and the inner face of the other side wall forming the other side of the socket.

Also in any of the above arrangements said one face of the socket may have a selfadhesive strip extending lengthwise of the socket to adhere the socket to a further surface.

Furthermore a board may be provided having an elongate recess to receive and hold the socket of the paper grip.

The following is a description of some specific embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an elongate paper grip and sheet of paper held therein; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the paper grip embodied in a board to support the sheet held in the grip; and, Figures 3 and 4 illustrate further embodiments.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a sheet of paper or card 10 which is suspended generally vertically along its upper edge part 11 by an elongate paper grip indicated at 12.

The grip comprises a rigid transparent PVC or aluminium extruded socket indicated generally at 1 3 comprising a horizontally extending base wall 14 having along one edge a vertically downwardly extending side wall 1 5 and along the opposite edge a downwardly angled side wall 1 6 which converges with the side wall 1 5 to leave a gap indicated at 1 7 between the lower edges thereof to receive the upper edge 11 of a sheet of paper or card as described below.

The outer face 1 8 of the side wall 1 5 of the socket has a double sided adhesive strip or pad 1 9 thereon to adhere the side wall to a face of a wall, board or other support surface on which the paper grip is to be mounted.

The lower edge of the side wall 1 5 is formed with a laterally extending abutment 20 extending partway across the socket opening 1 7. The base 1 4 of the socket is formed with a douwardly extending intermediate partition wall 21 parallel to and spaced from the side wall 15.

An L-shaped flexible extrusion of neoprene rubber or other resilient plastics 22 is mounted in the socket with the base 23 of the resilient extrusion trapped against the side wall 15 by the partition wall 21 and abutment 20. The upright 24 of the L extends across the socket and is "bowed" to bear against the inside face of the angled side wall 1 6 so that the leg is resiliently biased against the side wall.

The lower edge of the side wall 1 6 of the socket is chamfered inwardly of the socket as indicated at 25 to form a tapering throat to receive the upper edge of a sheet of paper or card 10 fed through the opening into the socket to guide the edge of the sheet between the resilient leg 24 of the extrusion 22 and the side wall 1 6 of the socket. The sheet of paper or card forces the leg 24 of the resilient extrusion away from the side wall 1 6 as the sheet is pressed upwardly into the socket and the resilience in the leg traps and holds the upper edge of the sheet against the side wall 16.

As indicated above, both the socket and resilient member of the paper grip are formed by extrusion and can readily be cut to any suitable length required to suit the particular use to which the grip is to be put. For example a long piece of socket may be provided to receive the whole of an edge of a sheet of paper or card, or short lengths of socket may be mounted at spaced locations to receive the edge of a sheet of paper at different locations along the edge.

Figure 2 shows a virtually identical socket 1 2 in which the adhesive strip 1 9 is omitted and the socket is embodied in a moulded plastics (e.g.vacuum formed from ASS or glass reinforced plastics) backing board 26 formed with a V-shaped recess 27 to receive the base and side 1 5 of the socket with the opening 1 7 of the socket facing downwardly over the surface of the board. The board has a moulded ridge 28 against which the lower edge of the side wall 1 5 of the socket bears to hold the socket in the recess so that the socket is a "snap fit" in the recess.

Glazing (not shown) may also be provided for the board to protect any sheet of paper or card mounted on the board.

Reference is now made to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings which illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. Like parts to those of the previously described embodiments have been allotted the same reference numerals. The extruded socket 1 3 in the embodiment of Figure 3 is an inverted parallel sided U-shaped channel having a base 40, a rear wall 1 5 and a front wall 16. The rear wall 1 5 projects downwardly somewhat further than the front wall 1 6 and the projecting part of the rear wall is formed with an integral obliquely extending channel 30 which faces generally across the mouth of and into the socket.A resilient flap 31 has an integral base part 31a which seats in the channel 30 and the flap extends across the mouth of the socket and along the inner side of the front wall 1 6 almost to the base 14 of the socket.

The channel 30 is ao angled that the flap is held in curved or "bowed" form to bear resiliently against the inner side of the front wall to trap the head 11 of a sheet of paper or card 10 against the inside of the front wall to support the piece of paper or card suspended from the socket.

The outer side of the rear wall 1 5 of the socket may have a double sided adhesive layer 32 bonded thereto to adhere the socket to the surface of a notice board or suitable backing board or the socket may be built into a backing board as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 illustrates a backing board 35 having an integral recess 36 in which socket 1 2 is mounted. A bevelled corner 37 is formed between the lower side of the recess and lower part of the board 35 to provide a clear entry for inserting the head of a sheet of paper in the socket. The socket is otherwise identical to that described with reference to Figure 3. The socket may be bonded into the recess or the recess may be formed so that the walls have to be sprung apart to receive the socket so that the natural resilience of the backing board clamps the socket in the recess.

Although the above described embodiments are concerned with gripping devices specifically intended for gripping sheets of paper or card, the devices illustrated are equally suitable for gripping a whole range of elements which are thin enough to be engaged in the channels of the devices including keys, combs etc. The devices therefore have very general appliacation in providing a temporary gripping device for folding components suspended therefrom.

Claims

1. A gripping device for receiving and holding a component comprising an elongate socket to receive an edge of a sheet and an elongate resilient member extending lengthwise within the socket and bearing against one side of the socket to receive and trap a marginal part of a component against said side of the socket.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resilient member comprises a base mounted in the socket and an upstanding resilient leg extending from the base to bear on said side of the socket.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the base of the resilient member is so mounted in the socket that the leg is "bowed" by engagement with said side of the socket to trap a marginal part of a component against the side of the socket.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the leg is L-shaped in cross-section, the base of the L forming the base of the resilient member and the upright of the L forming the resilint leg of the member.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base of the resilient member lies against the other side of the socket and means are provided in the socket for holding the base against said other side.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the means for holding the base of the resilient member against said other side of the socket comprise an intermediate wall extending partway across the socket parallel to said other side to receive the base member between the wall and said other side of the socket and an upstanding abutment on said other side of the socket at the open end thereof.

7. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the socket comprises a base and an upstanding pair of convergent side walls with a gap between the edges of the side walls remote from the base to receive a marginal part of a component to be gripped, the inner face of one of the side walls forming said one side of the socket and the inner face of the other side wall forming the other side of the socket.

8. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the socket comprises a plastics or aluminium extrusion.

9. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the resilient memer comprises a rubber or resilient plastics extrusion.

1 0. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein one outer face of the socket has a self-adhesive strip extending lengthwise of the socket to adhere the socket to a further surface.

11. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein a board is provided having an elongate recess to receive and hold the socket of the gripping device.

1 2. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the recess in the board is shaped so that the socket is a "snap" fit in the recess.

1 3. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the elongate resilient member has a base part mounted in a channel formed on said one side of the socket adjacent to the mouth of the socket to support the resilient member extending across the mouth of the socket and along the other side thereof towards the bottom of the socket.

14. A device as claimed in claim 22 wherein the channel is angled obliquely away from said one wall of the socket on which it is formed to face into and across the socket.

1 5. A device as claimed in claim 1 3 or claim 1 4 said one side of the socket projects beyond the other side of the socket and said channel is formed on the projecting part of the side to hold the resilient member extending across the mouth of the socket.

1 6. A gripping device substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A board including a gripping device substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A gripping device substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A board including a gripping device substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.