GB2198692A

GB2198692A - Articles of stationery with index tabs

Info

Publication number: GB2198692A
Application number: GB08628790A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles John Broadhurst
Original assignee: Hunt & Broadhurst Ltd
Current assignee: Hunt & Broadhurst Ltd
Priority date: 1986-12-02
Filing date: 1986-12-02
Publication date: 1988-06-22
Also published as: GB8628790D0

Abstract

An article of stationery having a flat sheet-like main body portion which has a rectangular region defined on three sides by cuts, scores or perforations 6, 7, 8 and on the other side by a fold line 9, said region constituting an index tab for the article of stationery when said region is separated from the main body portion of the article at the said three sides and folded sharply at said fold line, there being means e.g. a slot 10 for retaining the tab 5 in the said sharply folded condition, the position of the said region in relation to an edge 11 of the main body portion being such that the tab protrudes beyond said edge when in said sharply folded condition. <IMAGE>

Description

ARTICLES OF STATIONERY WITH INDEX TABS The invention relates to articles of stationery having index tabs.

Vertical filing systems customarily use index tabs which are fixed to folders so as to project above the general level of the upper edges of the folders when the folders are disposed vertically in a filing cabinet drawer or the like. Usually, the tabs are clip-on arrangements, which are relatively expensive and which sometimes require specially reinforced or configured edge regions on the folders to which they are to be clipped.

It is an object of the invention to provide an article of stationery adapted to be configured with a protruding index tab in a simple and inexpensive manner.

The term "article of stationery" as used herein is intended to embrace record cards, dividing sheets or other leaves in.loose-leaf or other books or in refills for such books, and folders of the conventional type as well as folders provided with pocket formations and cover flaps for the pocket formations, and also folders one or both covers of which have suspension bars by which the folders are supported when in storage.

The invention consists in an article of stationery having a generally flat sheet-like main body portion which has a generally rectangular region defined on three sides by cuts, scores or perforations, and on the other side by a fold line, said region constituting an index tab for the article of stationery when said region is separated from the main body portion of the article at the said three sides and folded sharply at said fold line, there being means for retaining the tab in the said sharply folded condition, the position of the said region in relation to an edge of the main body portion being such that the tab protrudes beyond said edge when in said sharply folded condition.

Preferably, the retaining means are provided by a slit, or by a row of perforations capable of forming a slit when the material between the perforations of the row is fractured, the split serving for passage therethrough of the tab.

Advantageously, the slit or the row of perforations is parallel to said edge of the main body portion, and spaced from said edge by approximately half the distance between the said edge and the fold line.

The article of stationery may be a pocket file, in which case preferably the said edge is an edge defined by a fold line between the main body of the pocket file and a cover flap for the pocket formation of the file.

The article of stationery may be a suspension file, in which case preferably the said edge is an edge defined by a suspension bar fixed to a cover of the file, the said slit or row of perforations being contiguous with an edge of the suspension bar.

Advantageously, a plurality of the said generally rectangular portions are provided, selective use of which enables the establishment of an index tab at a desired point along the length of the article of stationery.

The article of stationery need not be a folder or a file. It can be any sheet-like stationery article. In its simplest form, the article of stationery is a record card or a dividing sheet.

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 illustrates a simple folder suitable for use in a vertical filing system; Fig 2 illustrates a pocket-file also suitable for use in a vertical filing system; Fig 3 is a view similar to Fig 1, showing two different arrangements of index tab provided in accordance with the invention; FIg 4 is a view similar to Fig 2, showing an arrangement of an index tab provided in accordance with the invention and also showing the way in which provision can be made for such an index tab, even if not used; Fig 5 is a view similar to Fig 3, showing five possible positions for establishment of an index tab adjacent a top edge of a manilla type folder;; Fig 6 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig 5, showing an alternative way of folding the index tab; Fig 7 is a view similar to Fig 4, showing five possible positions for the establishment of an index tab adjacent a fold line of a cover flap of a pocket file; Fig 8 is a view illustrating application of the invention to a folder having a suspension bar; Fig 9 is a fragmentary view, to a larger scale than the other figures, showing a region of a folder, suitable for forming an index tab; and Fig 10 is a view similar to Fig 9, showing a modified arrangement in which an additional fold line is provided.

The folder of Fig 1 has a front cover 2 and a rear cover 3, joined together by a fold line 4. As is customary, the rear cover 3 is deeper, by 15mm for example, than the front cover 1.

The rear cover 3 of the folder 1 is provided with an index tab 5 as shown in Fig 3. Two such index tabs are shown, so as to illustrate two different ways in which the index tab can be disposed.

In either case, the index tab 5 is constituted by a region of the cover 3 of the folder, said region being defined on three sides by cuts 6, 7, and 8 and on its fourth side by a fold line 9. In Fig 3 the index tab 5 has already been sharply folded at the fold line 9.

Parallel to the fold line 9 there is a slit 10 through which the index tab 5 is passed, so as to be retained in its sharply folded condition. As desired by the user, the tab can be folded rearwardly from the rear cover of the folder and then passed through the slit 10 so as to emerge to the inner side of the rear cover, or the tab can be folded inwardly from the rear cover of the folder and then passed through the slit 10 so as to emerge to the outer side of the rear cover of the folder, these two possibilities being illustrated in Fig 3. In either case, the dimension of the tab in the transverse direction of the folder, that is to say the distance between the line of cut 7 and the fold line 9, is such that the tab protrudes beyond the edge 11 of the rear cover 3 of the folder when the tab is passed through the slit 10.

The index tab arrangement for a pocket-type file, shown in Figs 2, 3 and 4, is similar to that described with reference to Fig 3, the only difference being that the edge 11 of the folder is the fold line between the body portion of the folder and a cover flap 12 for the file pocket 13, and the slit 10 is coincident with the edge 11.

It will be understood that instead of the lines of cut 6, 7 and 8, and the slit 10, regions of perforation may be provided, such regions being shown in Fig 4 and identified by numerals 6', 7', 8' and 10'. When a folder is required without an index tab, the perforated regions are left untouched. When a folder with an index tab is required, the material of the folder is broken at the perforations, thus resulting in the index tab and the slit through which is can be passed.

Although folders may be provided with a single prepared region suitable for forming a single index tab, preferably a plurality of regions are provided, spaced along the length of the folder, as shown for three different types of folder in Figs 5, 7 and 8. Normally, one such region would be selected and an index tab established, leaving the other regions intact.

Fig 5 shows the index tab 5 folded rearwardly from the rear cover 3 of the folder and then inwardly through the slit 10. Fig 6 shows an alternative folding arrangement in which the index tab is folded inwardly from the rear cover 3 and then outwardly through the slit 10.

Fig 8 shows a suspension folder. Here, the slits 10, or the equivalent perforation regions 10' are contiguous with an edge of a suspension bar 15.

Fig 9 shows an index-tab-forming region of a folder to a larger scale than the other figures. Here, the region of perforation 7' has a section 14 which is not perforated, thus enabling the remainder of the perforation to be more intense without there being the risk of accidental damage at an unwanted tab-forming-region during normal use of the folder.

Fig 10 shows a modified form of the tab region of Fig 9, in which the perforation region 7' is also interrupted by a section 14 which is not perforated but which can nevertheless be broken through when forming the tab.

Also, an additional fold line or crease 16 is provided, which makes it easier to thread the tab through the slit 10 without unnatural distortion of the tab.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An article of stationery having a generally flat sheet-like main body portion which has a generally rectangular region defined on three sides by cuts, scores or perforations, and on the other side by a fold line, said region constituting an index tab for the article of stationery when said region is separated from the main body portion of the article at the said three sides and folded sharply at said fold line, there being means for retaining the tab in the said sharply folded condition, the position of the said region in relation to an edge of the main body portion being such that the tab protrudes beyond said edge when in said sharply folded condition.

2. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining means are provided by a slit, or by a row of perforations capable of forming a slit when the material between the perforations of the row is fractured, the slit serving for passage therethrough of the tab.

3. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slit or the row of perforations is parallel to said edge of the main body portion, and spaced from said edge by approximately half the distance between the said edge and the fold line.

4. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the article is a record card or a dividing sheet for use in a loose leaf book or other book or for provision in a refill for such a book.

5. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the article is a pocket file.

6. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 5 when combined with claim 3, wherein the said edge is an edge defined by a fold line between the main body of the pocket file and a cover flap for the pocket formation of the file.

7. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 2, wherein the article is a suspension file having a suspension bar fixed to a cover of the file, the said slit or row of perforations being contiguous with an edge of the suspension bar.

8. An article of stationery as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, where in the article is a simple folder having front and back covers but no pocket or cover flap, the said edge being an edge of one of the covers remote from the spine of the folder.

9. An article of stationery as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a plurality of the index-tabforming regions are provided, selection of one of which enables establishment of an index tab at a desired point along the length of the article.