GB2234468A

GB2234468A - Ring binder sheet retainer

Info

Publication number: GB2234468A
Application number: GB9007754A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Alan Slack
Original assignee: DIRECTION CPM Ltd
Current assignee: DIRECTION CPM Ltd
Priority date: 1989-08-02
Filing date: 1990-04-05
Publication date: 1991-02-06
Also published as: GB8917664D0; GB9007754D0

Abstract

A device for retaining sheets in a ring binder comprises a strip (11) having apertures (14-17) for receiving the binding rings. The strip also includes a slot (12) for engaging the fold of folded sheets. The slot can be open at one end for receiving the sheet material. <IMAGE>

Description

SHEET RETENTION This invention relates to a method of, a device for, and a binder for sheet retention. It is concerned with providing for the retention of sheet material in a binder while enabling the sheet material to be readily located or viewed in andlor recovered from the binder.

It is known to retain sheet material (whether in the form of a single sheet or a set of sheets in the form, say, of a magazine or catalogue) in a loose leaf binder by piercing the sheet material with a hole or plurality of holes laid out in a sequence to correspond with a sequence of rings secured to, or forming, an internal spine of the binder. The rings are opened to enable the hole or holes of each sheet to be located over and then threaded onto a corresponding open ring. The ring or rings are then closed to retain the sheet. Amongst other problems this arrangement obliges the sheet material to be pierced close to its edge at a weak region of the sheet with the likelihood of the sheet being torn off one or more of the ring unless gently handled.In addition all the sheets to be retained need to be pierced and even when pierced close to the edge printed sheet material is likely to have information on its pages defaced by the holes. Once a significant amount of sheet material has been retained in a given binder the parts of the sheet in the vicinity of the rings are closely compressed and it becomes difficult to open the binder sufficiently to view adjacent sheets in their entirety. Attempts to alleviate this compression by opening the rings to free sheets of interest frequently results in creasing, if not actual tearing, of partially retained sheets.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of retaining sheet material in a binder having a plurality of anchorages laid out on a first pattern comprising: locating and retaining on an intermediate member the sheet material to be retained; providing a plurality of complementary anchorages on the intermediate member laid out on a second pattern to correspond with the first pattern; and presenting the plurality of anchorages to the complementary anchorages and causing them to engage so as to retain the intermediate member, and any sheet retained thereby, in a predetermined position within the binder.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for retaining sheets in a binder comprising an intermediate member in the form of a strip having: a first portion providing a slot for sheet material retention by the member on a longitudinal retaining axis; and a second portion comprising a plurality of apertures laid out on a longitudinal binding axis substantially parallel to the retaining axis; the apertures being adapted for engagement with complementary retaining means, such as rings, mounted on a binder.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a binder for sheet material comprising at least one intermediate member according to the second aspect of the present invention together with a housing having a spine incorporating complementary retaining means such as rings adapted to demountably retain the plurality of anchorages of the intermediate member.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing of an intermediate member for use in retaining sheet material within a binder cover.

The drawing shows a strip 11 of plastics material (in this case polypropylene) about 3 mm thick. The strip 11 has a first portion providing a continuously bounded slot 12 having a longitudinal retaining axis 13. The strip Ii has a second portion comprising a plurality of complementary anchorages, in this case holes 14-17 laid out at regular pitch P on a longitudinal binding axis 18 substantially parallel to the retaining axis 13.

The strip 11 is used to retain monthly publications of A4 size in a conventional ring binder which has four anchorages, in this cases openable rings, spaced along the spine of the binder at a pitch P corresponding to that of the holes 14-17. To ensure that the strip 11 lies readily within a conventional binder while having the capacity to retain a reasonable size of monthly publication the dimensions are as follows. Overall length 310mm, overall width 30mm, slot 12 has a width of 5mm, pitch P is 80mm.

In use the magazine to be bound is opened and one side edge is inserted into slot 12. The magazine is then drawn through the slot until its central fold lies in the slot 12 aligned with the binding axis 18 and the magazine is then closed. The rings of the binder to be used are then opened and the combined magazine and strip placed in the binder so as to locate each hole 14-17 over, and thereafter enter each hole on, a corresponding ring on the spine of the binder. The rings are then closed to retain the strip 11 and the magazine in place in the binder.

It will be apparent that by utilising a combination of spine and magazine in this way a number of advantages are obtained as against the direct retention of the magazine on the openable rings by way of punching holes in the magazine. Firstly no expensive punch is required to pierce the magazine.

The magazine is not damaged in any way in the course of binding. When retained by the spine the magazine is readily opened at any page and the complete content of the page viewed. For the purposes of copying it should not be necessary to remove the magazine from the binder but even if this is necessary the magazinelstrip combination is readily removed and replaced.

The strip 11 is fabricated from a particular plastics material. Corresponding strips can be made from other plastics material, card, metal or wood. The strip 11 is shown pierced for a four ring binder but a hole array can be provided made up of any combination or pattern of holes and slots so as to enable a strip to fit a variety of binders having other ring layouts or other anchorages such as spiral binders the holes or slots being able to accommodate rings or spirals or whatever of circular or some other section.

Intermediate members according to the present invention of the general form of strip 11 can additionally incorporate indexing means so that the location of a particular strip in a set of such in a given binder can be readily identified.

The strips can also be used to carry printed or other display material by way of advertising or indexing.

While strip 11 is provided with a continuously bounded slot 12 another version of the strip according to the invention is provided with a closable entry to the slot, typically at on end, so that sheet material can be slid into the slot by way of the open entry which is thereafter clipped shut to retain the material and maintain the structural integrity of the strip.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A method of retaining sheet material in a binder having a plurality of anchorages laid out on a first pattern comprises:

1 locating and retaining on an intermediate member the sheet material to be retained;

2 providing a plurality of complementary anchorages on the intermediate member laid out on a second pattern to correspond with the first pattern; and

3 presenting the plurality of anchorages to the complementary anchorages and causing them to engage so as to retain the intermediate member, and any sheet retained thereby, in a predetermined position within the binder.

2 A device for retaining sheets in a binder comprising an intermediate member in the form of a strip having: a first portion providing a slot for sheet material retention by the member on a longitudinal retaining axis; and a second portion comprising a plurality of apertures laid out on a longitudinal binding axis substantially parallel to the retaining axis; the apertures being adapted for engagement with complementary retaining means, such as rings, mounted on a binder.

3 A binder for sheet material comprising at least one intermediate member as claimed in Claim 2 together with a housing having a spine incorporating complementary retaining means such as rings adapted to demountably retain the plurality of anchorages of the intermediate member.

4 A device for sheet retention as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.