US1200588A - Letter-file or the like. - Google Patents

Description

W. A. COK, R. LETTER FILE Ofi THE UKE.

APPUCATION mi@ Anza, m15.

atented Oct. 10,1916.

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INVENTOR 25%@ .fzm

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WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-Eliason THE LIKE.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed April 26, 1915. Serial No. 24,091.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM A. COOKE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing 'in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Files or the like, of which the following is a` specification.

This invention relates to letter files, temporary binders and other similar devices of the typein which prongs or like filing members are provided for receiving the papers filed. In this type of binder some means for perforating the papers is practically necessary. Binders of the character set forth in the Dow patents for instance Nos. 849,7 7 4 and 849,836 wherein the prongs are of easily bendable metal are not in themselves adapted to provide properly spaced perforations, because while the bases of the prongs are situated at a fixed distance apart, the points of the prongs are seldom maintained at the same distance and the prongs in themselves are so easily bent that they can not safely be relied upon to provide means for properly positioning the sheets if forced upon the prongs Without being previously perforated. It is desirable that the backs of the sheets should be evenly arranged and for this purpose it is important that the perforations which are formed therein should be evenly positioned withl relation to the back. It is desirable that the sheets should be symmetrically arranged in the binder with reference to their top and bottom edges, and that means should be provided to perforate the sheets so as to produce such arrangement, and that such means should be simple, inexpensive, not complicated and should furthermore be always attached to the binder or file so as to be in position for use whenever desired.

My invention aimsv to provide means which shall be attached to the file, shall be simple-and inexpensive to produce and impossible to get out of order for properly perforating the sheets before they are placed on the prongs so that the perforations are not only properly positioned with respect to the back of the sheet but likewise are symmetrically arranged Awith relation to the top and bottom of the sheet.

To this end my invention consists in providing the cover of the file or binder with an aperture and with means which will indicate the position of such aperture when the paper is in place over the same and in associating with suoli aperture a gage for indicating the position of the side of the sheet together with a gage for indicating the position of the back ofthe sheet so that the sheet when in position to be perforated may be correctly positioned so that the perforation may be formed therein at the desired distance not only from the back but from the sides.

A desirable form in which my invention may be embodied is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken, of a letter file open illustrating a sheet of paper -just after the same has been punched. Fig.

2 is a section on the line 2 2 of the cover and perforating means. Fig. 3 is a similar sectionon the line B-Sg and Fig. 4 is the perforated sheet.

In the drawing I have illustrated a file of the type set forth in the patents to Dow above referred to, wherein are provided two covers A and B having a back C which is folded at its middle as shown at a to provide what is in effect a hinge for the covers.' Guards Z) c are provided, mounted on upper and lower flaps b1 01, the lower of which c carries a plurality of flexible prongs Z Z1 which are designed to pass through perfo-rations in the papers filed, and the upper of which is formed with slots e e1 which are designed to receive the prongs as the upper guard is moved into position over the rear edges of the papers. The prongs are then bent over by hand along the upper surface of the guard Z) as shown and clamps such as f f1 are swung rearwardly so that they pass over the tops of the bent prongs and hold the latter securely in place. This type of file is of very cheap construction, and has the advantage that its clamping mechanism takes up little room so that the total thickness of the binder is very little in excess of the combined thicknesses of the covers and the filed papers between them; This results in an important advantage in that the file requires a very small storage space when 'it contains few papers, and that such storage space is the practical minimum required for the bulk of papers inclosed in the ile. It is practically impossible in this type of ileto provide a perforating mechanism without neutralizing this important advantage. According to my invention, h0wever,1 provide this or any other type of file with a puncturing device, as distinguished from a perforating mechanism, which does not substantially increase the bulk of the file, which is extremely cheap and efficient, and which has the great advantage that it can never be lost or mislaid srl) that it is always at hand in use of the e.

The means provided according to my invention for perfor-ating the sheet and for gaging the position of such perforations with respect not only to the back of the sheet but to the side thereof as well are illustrated as operating in connection with the cover of the binder.

The cover A has a perforation E formed therein and when the sheet of paper is laid on the said cover a pencil or other perforating instrument may be passed through same and form the desired perforation in the sheet of paper. It is desirable that the perforations in the said sheets should be pro erly positioned with respect to the back of the sheet and accordingly the gage F provides means for positioning the back of the sheet.

An important feature of my invention is the provision of means for positioning the perforation in the sheet with respect to the top and bottom or as I have termed it sides thereof, and for this purpose I have provided a gage G which is perpendicular to gage F and serves to position the sheet with respect to the sides so that the perforation may be properly vformed therein. I have illustrated the cover as provided with but a single perforation. Usually the fastening means in binders of the character referred to are arranged in pairs. Therefore, the side gage G is distant from the perforation E one-half the distance between the said fastening means. By this means the sheet may be symmetrically folded as upon the line Z1, and the folded side of the sheet brought to position by means of the gage G and the back of the sheet brought to position by means of gage F whereupon two punctures will be formed in the sheet by the perforating instrument and the sheet when opened out as illustrated in Fig. 4 will be perforated at H H1 and these perforations will be properly spaced with respect to the back, top and bottom of the sheets and will insure that when the sheet is placed in the i'ile it will be symmetrically arranged with relation to the other sheets therein.

The form in which my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprisesfa strip I which is suitably secured to the cover and is perforated at z' so that when the said strip is in operative position the. perforation i will aline with the cover perforation E and the said strip I is attached tothe cover at J, the attachment as to abut against the stop J and the folded edge Z1 abuts 'against the stop K and in this position a pencil or other implement M is passed through the perforations z' and E as l indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Preferably the said stops will be integral with a boX like structure which is formed of thin sheet metal such as tin, or tinned iron, having a bottom plate N which is perforated and receives an eyelet 0 which passes through the perforation E in the cover and secures the said structure in place. The said structure furthermore has the strip I formed as a top plate and this is integral and is secured thereto by the back portion J. The end flange K is integral with the said structure and may be bent from either the back or top or bottom plates. It is illustrated as bent up from the bottom plate. The said boX provides a simple and convenient means of receiving the paper to be punctured and of holding the same during the puncturing and enabling the stops for gaging the sheet with respect to the positioning of the puncture to the back of the sheet and the sides or top and bottom thereof to be simply, compactly and economically provided. The projection caused by the boX is slight and does not affect the binder, particularly as when the binder is folded it does not lie over the guards but outside thereof. The device is not apt to get out of order or break and will last as long as the file.

I have illustrated the most desirable form of constructing my invention now known to me, but the same may be modified within the limits of the appended claims.

What I claim is zl. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like, comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a strip of material secured to said cover, and having an aperture, which when said strip is in operative position registers with the cover aperture a guide for the back edge of the sheet and a second guide adapted to gage an edge of the sheet located at right angles to said back edge and distant from said alined apertures a space equal to substantially half the distance between the fastening means whereby the hole is properly spaced from the back and from the top and bottom.

2. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like, comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therewith the bottom plate N y Sii Leed-58s through and strip of materialy secured to said cover, and having `.an aperture, which when said strlp 1sr in operative position registersI with the cover aperture and a 'stop for the side of the sheetv located a distance lfrom said alined apertures, substantially equal to one-halft'he distance between the fastening means whereby the sheet is gaged to properly space a pair of holes to be simultaneously formed therein from a folded side of said sheet.

3. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like, comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a strip of material secured to said cover and having an aperture adapted to register with the cover aperture, the back of the strip serving as a stop to correctly space the hole to be formed in the sheet from the back and a stop for the side of the sheet whereby the sheet is gaged to correctly space said hole from the side of the sheet.

4. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the likecomprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a boX secured to said cover having a top portion with an aperture registering with the cover aperture, an end flange and a back flange, said flanges serving to position the sheet to be punched from the side and back thereof.

5. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a boX formed of thin sheet metal with a bottom portion secured to said cover, a portion bent up and then bent parallel with the cover to form a top portion, said top plate having an aperture adapted to register with the cover aperture, an end flange on saidboX, said end flange and the connection between the top and bottom portions serving as stops to position the sheet to be punched from the side and back thereof.

6. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a boX formed of thin sheet metal with a bottom portion secured to said cover by an eyelet passing through a perforation in said bottom portion and the cover perforation, a portion bent up and then bent parallel with the cover to form a top portion, said top plate having an aperture adapted to register with the cover aperture, an end flange on said box, said end flange and the connection between the top and bottom portions serving as stops to position the sheet to be punched from the side and back thereof.

7. A binder or file for sheets of paper and the like comprising fastening means for the sheets, a cover having an aperture therethrough and a box formed of thin sheet metal having a perforated bottom plate sev 'cover, artopf pla-te formedintegral with the bottonin plate having perforation regi'stei'ing with said eyelet and an integralend flange, said flange and the connection between thev vtop andl bottom plates serving as stop f to position the sheet to be punched fomthe side `and back thereof.

8: A file or'. theulike .having fastening asas adapted a' pass thrugh therrer' at applurality of points and having a cover forming a support for a paper sheet to' be perfoated, the cover having an aperture therein adapted to lie under the paper when in position, a strip adapted to lie above the paper when in position and having an aperture adapted to 'register with the cover aperture and to permit the paper to be perforated by an instrument passing through both said perforations means for positioning the paper with relation to the back of the sheet and a gage for positioning the paper with respect to the side of the sheet.

9. A file or the like having fastening means adapted to pass through the paper at a plurality of points and having a cover forming a support for a paper sheet to be perforated, the cover having an aperture therein adapted to lie under the paper when in position, a sheet metal structure extending crosswise of the cover and comprising correspondingly perforated top and bottom plates connected at their sides and an end flange, an eyelet passing through the perforations in the cover and bottom plate, said top and bottom plates adapted to receive a folded sheet and the connections between the plates and the end flange forming stops for positioning a sheet inserted between said plates with relation to the back and side edges, and said perforation and eyelet adapted to receive a pencil or the like to perforate said sheet.

10. A file or the like having fastening means adapted to pass through the paper at two points and having a cover forming a support for a paper sheet to be perforated, the cover having an aperture therein adapted to lie under'. the paper when in position, means for indicating the position of the aperture when the paper is in position to be perforated, a gage for positioning the back of the sheet with respect to such aperture and a gage for positioning the side of the sheet with respect to said aperture, said side gage being located a distance from such aperture equal to one-half the distance between the fastening means.

11. A file or the like having fastening means adapted to pass through the paper at two points and having a cover forming a support for a paper sheet to be perforated, the cover having an aperture therein adapted to lie under the paper when in position,

a sheet metal box having perforated top and bottom plates connected at their sides and provided With an end flange, said perforations being in alinelnent and said structure being secured to the Cover by an-eyelet passing through a perforation in the bottom plate and the Cover perforation, the end flange being ASituated a distance from the eyelet equalpto one-half of the distance between the fastening means whereby the connection between the top and bottom plates and the end flange serves respectively as means for positioning the back and sides of the sheetwhen in position to be perforated.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed l 5 my name in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patents,

Y Washington, D. C.

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