US1336584A - Arrangement for letter-files and the like - Google Patents

Description

S. RINGER.

ARRANGEMENT FOR LETTER FILES AND THE LIKE.

0 2. 9 1T H BM m E Awv d2 6 M 6 t m APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1917- 1,336,584.

INVENTOI? 1% 4 TTOH/VEV S. RINGER.

ARRANGEMENT FOR LETTER FlLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1917.

1,336,584. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR StiREN RINGER, 0F COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

AIRCRANGEMENT FOR LETTER-FILES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed March 26, 1917. Serial No. 157,390.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SoREN RINGER, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at No. 39 Vesterbrogade, city of Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Arrangements for Letter-Files and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention consists of an arrangement for filing letters, cards, papers and the like, and consists of a set of folders, which are placed one behind the other in appointed order.

The primary object of the invention is automatically to indicate when one or more of the folders, or partitions, have been removed or are missing from the complete set. Other objectsand advantages of the invention will appear from the following descrip tion taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention. I

Each folder is provided with one or more protruding tabs, to which the necessary filing indicia are afiixed'. Besides these filing indicia, corresponding indicator signs are aflixed to the tabs, which in appearance, design, color, or in any other manner are in striking contrast with the filing .indicia.

When for instance the H folder is removed from the complete file, the indicator sign on the following folder will at once be-' come noticeable, it being impossible to hide the indicator sign unless the H folder is replaced in its proper place.

The separate letter files consist of double leaved folders ,eachforming a container for filed matter, and it is necessary that there be a tab on each leaf of each folder, because, should the tab be missing from theback leaf, theindicator sign on the following folder will at once become visible when a thick accumulation of filed matter causes separation of the two leaves.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a blank folder, double leaved with tabs on both covers.

Fig. 2 represents a similar folder on which H is the filing index and G the indicator sign on a background contrasting with the material from which the folder is made.

Fig. 3 represents a folder similar to that of Fig. 1 on which 88 is the filing index and 87 the indicator sign on a background from which cator sign both appearing on the front tab.

F ig.- 6 illustrates a folder and tabs similar to those of Fig. 5, but with the back tab offset to the left of the front one the filin index appearing on the back taband the indicator sign on the front one.

The arrangement of the present invention contemplates that the folders of a set shall be placed one directly behind the other in a drawer, box or other holder (not shown) which, in the ordinary and Well known manner maintains their upper edges at a common level and their side edges in a common vertical plane at each side'of the set.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 reference letter a is applied to the front leaf of the double leaved folder or document container the-rein shown, I) denoting the back wall. The filing indicia, H in Fig. 2 and 88 in Fig. 3, are respectively designated by c and d, and the indicator signs, G in Fig. 2 and 87 in Fig. 3, by f and 9. At e is shown a background colorcontrasting with the material of which the folder is made.

A ta'b, projecting preferably upwardl from the upper edge of each leaf of eac folder, is provided, the front tab in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 carrying at its left the index character and, at a position to the right of said index character, the indicator sigrn f .or g as the case may be. Proceeding front to rear of the set, the tabs of each folder are offset to the left of those of the preceding folder sufliciently to expose the index character ofthe rear folder but not so far as to make the indicator sign normally visible. The indicator sign of each folder is so placed on the tab as to stand directly behind and so be normally hidden by the tabs of the preceding folder. Obviously, by removal of any folder, the indicator sign of the succeeding folder is exposed, the latter being made prominent over the general appearance of the whole set of folders by its striking contrast to the preceding. and succeeding index characters and the material on which they are placed. The back leaf of the folder is in every instance provided with a tab which covers the indicator sign on the front leaf of the succeeding folder. Very frequently a thick mass of letters or other matter to be filed is placed in one of the folders thereby separating the front and back leaves a considerable distance. Inasmuch as the back leaf'of one folder is juxtaposed to the front leaf of the succeeding folder, such separation of the leaves of the forward folder would place the tab on the front leaf of the forward folder sofar from the front leaf of the succeeding folder that the indi cator sign on that succeeding folder would be exposed were it not for the tab provided on the back leaf of the forward folder, this latter tab being held closely against the front leaf of the rear folder to hide its indicator sign.

Obviously the present invention could be carried ,out by "the use of tabs projecting from one side of the leaf or even from the bottom thereof, but in ordinary practice the tabs will project upwardly from the upper edge of each folder. Instead of letters or numerals, complete words, such as: Sunday, Monday, etc., or January, February, etc., or Akron, Albany, etc., or-any other series of division characters may be used on the folders, either as filing indicia or indicator signs. The indicator sign can also be represented by designs, colors, or the like. The invention can also be applied to letter files and the like consisting of more than two leaves open i or closed in the form of letter cases, letter b(I)OkS, envelop files, card index files, and the li re.

In Figs. 4 and '6 are illustrated double leavcd folders differing from those in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, in that the tab of the back leaf projects to the left of the tab of the front leaf and carries the filing index, which in this instance happens to be the letter H. In Figs. 4 and 6 the short tab of the front leaf carries the indicator sign.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate tabs attachable to the filing leaves, it being one of the advantages of the present invention that by means of such attachable tabs the ordinary type of filing leaves may be improved by the simple addition of properly prepared tabs so that without departure from the physical characteristics of a given filing system such system may be provided with the advantageous features herein disclosed. As illustrated in Fig. 5 the front and back leaves of the folder may be provided with coinciding attachable tabs, the tab of the front leaf bearing both the index character and the indicator sign, the tab of the rear leaf being blank;- or the tab of the rear leaf may be offset to one side of the front leaf tab as in Fig. 6 in which position it will normally cover the indicator sign on the front leaf next behind it. Obviously the attachable tabs illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 might be attached to single leaf filing partitions.

It is further pointed out that many modifications may be made as regards both the constructions and dimensions of the several parts of the device herein illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A file, comprising a set of expansible consecutively'indexed file containers having each a front and back wall, and tabs protruding one from each :of said walls,the tab on the front wall of each folder being provided with an exposed index character and an indicator sign normally covered by the tab on the back wall of the preceding folder.

2. A file, com rising a set of expansible consecutively in exed filing containers having each a front and back wall, coinciding tabs protruding one from each of said walls, the when the front'wall of each folder being provided with an exposed index character and an indicator sign normally covered by the tab on the back wall of the preceding folder, the tab on the rear wall of each folder being so positioned that by itsremoval from the set the indicator sign of the folder next behind it is exposed.

SOREN RINGER. Witnesses:

NELLIE M. FAILEY, MORRISON -T. HANKINS.

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