US1933762A - Paper fastener - Google Patents

Description

0. A. ROSS PAPER FASTENER Nov. 7, 1933.

Filed Nov. 21, 1932 "'IIIIHIIIHHf INVENTOR. QM

Patented Nov. 7, 1933 PAPER FASTENER Oscar A. Ross, New York, N. Y.

Application November 21, 1932 Serial No. 643,774

22 Claims.

This invention refers to paper fasteners and more particularly to that class of fasteners for clamping together a number of superimposed sheets of perforated paper such as correspondence.

One object of this invention is to provide a fastener of this character which is of improved and economical construction and which will give highly satisfactory service in use.

Another object is to furnish a paper fastener wherein the parts for holding the sheet together in proper position may be firmly locked in closed or operative position so as to prevent accidental release of such parts and resultant misalignment or disarrangement of the papers held thereby.

Another object is to provide novel forms of locking members for paper fasteners capable of being locked and unlocked by the operator manipulating said fasteners.

Another object is to provide a novel form of stop for locking members which are slidable on keepers of paper fasteners for limiting the movement of said locking members within predetermined limits of travel.

Another object is to provide peculiar forms of keepers for paper fasteners wherein the looking members slidable thereon are arranged to be locked against movement relative with the keeper plate.

Another object is to provide peculiar forms of keepers for paper fasteners having slidable locking members thereon wherein the keeper plate and the locking members are locked together against relative movement.

Another object is to furnish peculiar forms of keepers for paper fasteners having slidable locking members thereon, the keeper plate having mating portions arranged to co-operate with mating portions on the locking members for locking said members against movement relatively to the keeper plate.

Another object is to furnish a novel form of keeper for paper fasteners wherein rails provided for supporting slidable locking members also act to re-enforce the keeper plate.

Another object is to furnish an improved paper fastener which is of compartively small height 50 or thickness whereby the space in filing cabinets or the like is economized. 7

Another object is to furnish a novel form of reenforcement for keepers of a paper fastener without increasing the thickness of the paper fastener.

Another object is to furnish a paper fastener base from rolled strip having rolled edges wherein the base portion of said base may be made wider than the fingers Without shearing the edges of said fingers and thereby prevent cutting of the fingers of file operators when manipulating said fasteners.

Another object is to furnish a novel form of kee er for paper fasteners wherein the ends of the keeper plate receiving the fingers therethrough are re-enforced around the orifice receiving said fingers and thereby provide a more rigid plate member.

Another object is to furnish a novel and improved construction and arrangement for supporting locking members of paper fasteners, whereby the keeper supporting the same may be made of comparatively small height or thickness without any resulting interference with the free movement of such locking members on the keepers when paper sheets are to be addedor removed from the files secured by said fastener.

Another object is to furnish a novel form of paper fastener wherein locking members slidably supported by the keepers of said fastener are arranged to be frictionally locked onto the keeper plate dependently and independently of the'fingers of the base member.

Another object is to furnish novel forms of locking members having locking portions arranged to lockingly engage locking portions on .keeper plates of paper fasteners.

Another object is to furnish novel forms of resilient locking members normally resiliently lockingly engaging keeper plates of paper fasteners. 7

Another object is to furnish a novel form of keeper plate for paper fasteners, the plate being formed from a rolled edge metal strip of comparatively narrow width, the mid-portion of the strip being slitted and. the half portions on each side of said slit being spread laterally and re-enforced, said re-enforcement also providing rails upon which locking members are slidably mounted. 1

Another object is to furnish novel means for limiting the sliding movement of locking members on keeper plates of paper fasteners.

Another object is to furnish novel forms of paper fasteners wherein locking members slidable on the keeper plates of the keepers of said fasteners are arranged to be matingly locked to said keeper plates dependently and independently of the fingers of the base member of said fasteners. 7

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the invention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had 'to the accompanying drawing, wherein several embodiments of the invention are illustrated and wherein;

Figure 1 is a perspective enlarged view of one embodiment of the invention. showing a complots fastener, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a partially formed blank of the base member there-' of, and Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmental views of said base member showing methods of re-enforcement thereof, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental view of a modified form of keeper, and Fig. 6 is a super-enlarged sectional View of the same, and Fig. 7 'is an enlarged fragmental view of anothe' modified form of keeper, and Fig. 8 is a super-enlarged view of the same, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective View of still another modified form of keeper, and Fig. 10 is a super-enlarged sectional view of the same, and Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of still another modified form of keeper, and Fig. 12 is a super-enlarged sectional view of the locking member slidable thereon, and Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the keeper shown in Fig. 1, and Fig- 14 is a super-enlarged sectional view of the same.

and Fig. 15 is a perspective fragmental view of a modified form of keeper plate for paper fastener keepers.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 13 and 14, the base member 1, is formed from a rolled edge strip 2 of uniform width shown in Fig. 2, the mid-portion 3 being slit and the half portions 4 and 5 being spaced and also re-enforced by re-enforcing ribs as 6 or '7 to form the base portion of said base member, the end portions, or fingers 8 being bent upwardly and arranged to pass through'the orifices 9 of keeper plate 10 slidably supporting locking members 11 to form a complete keeper member 12, said locking member being arranged to slide over the free ends of fingers 8 after the bending downwardly thereof betweenrails 18.

Locking members 11 are formed with bridge portion 13 having raised actuating boss 14 and channel shoe portions 15 at each end thereof, the lower flange of said shoe portions having a serrated or corrugated mating locking portion 16 arranged to matingly engage the mating serrations or corrugations 17 formed on the under side of rails 18.- In this form-of keeper the normal resilient upward movement of fingers 8 after bending downwardly thereof, acts to urge locking members 11 upwardly whereby the serrated por tions'lfiare constrained'to inatingly engage the serrations 17 thereby locking said locking members againstsliding movement on said rails 18. 'For removing the keeper 12, it is only necessary to depress said locking members downwardly to disengage the serrated portions 16 from the serrations 17 whereupon said locking members may be readily slid on said rails for locking or unlocking said fingers.

Referring to the modified form of keeper 20 shown by Figs. 6' and 7, the keeper plate 21 thereof is formed with serrations or corrugations '22 on the 'upper face of the base portion 28 of said plate member. Locking members 27 are formed with bridge portion 24 having channel or shoe portions 25-at each end thereof arranged to slide on rail portions 26 of keeper plate 21. Downwardly extending locking portions 28 are formed from the bridge portion, thelowerends thereof having serrated or corrugated portions 29 arranged to matingly normally engage the serrations 22 of keeper plate 21. In this form of keeper the flange portions 250, normally frictionally engage the underside of rails 25 thereby normally urging the serrated portions 29 into engagement with the serrations 22, however due to the resiliency of the shoe portions 25, looking members 20 may be manually slid on he rails 26 by manually forcing said members along said rails, this movement being continually resisted as the serrated portions 29 move upwardly and downwardly in traveling over serrations 22. The locking members 20 are therefore positively .locked at any position on rails 26 when not each end thereof, said shoe portions having ser- 1 rated, or corrugated edge portions 34 arranged to normally matingly engage the serrations 17 or" keeper plate 12. The upper flange portion 35 of shoe portions 33 normally frictionally engage the upper face of rails 18 and at the sametime the serrated portions 34 normally engage the serrations 1'7, the resilient upward movement of fingers 8 after bending downwardly also acting to assist in said mating engagement, and thereby prevent the sliding of said locking mem-- bers on said rails. To move said locking mem bers the center portion of the bridge portions is manually depressed downwardly whereupon the shoe portions 33 are bodily rotated around an axis or pivot 36, said rotation acting to disengage the serrated portions 34 from serrations 17 whereby said locking members may be freely slid on rails 18 for looking or unlocking fingers'8.

Referring to the modified form of keeper 413 shown inFigs. 9 and 10, the rails 42 of keeper plate 41 are provided with notches or recesses 43'which may be adjacent or spaced arranged to matingly receive the inwardly extending male looking projections 44 formed on channel or shoe portions 45 of the'resilient locking member the bridge portion 47 of which is normally resiliently arched upwardly for urging said locking projections 44 into said recesses 43, said resiliently upwardly arching being assisted by the resilient upward movement of fingers 8 looked under said locking members, in this manner normally preventing a sliding movement of said locking members on rails 42. To move said locking members the center portion of bridge portion 47 is depressed downwardly manually thereby constraining the shoe portions 45 outwardly from said rails 42 in this manner withdrawing locking proj eotions 44 from the recesses 43 sufficiently to permit free movement of said locking memberv over said rails for the locking and unlocking fingers 8.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12 showing modified form of keeper 50, comprising keeper plate 51 having serrations or corrugations 52 formed onthe upper face of rails 53, said serrati ns are arranged to matingly engage the serrati -s or corrugations 54 on resilient locking fingers 55 formed from the body of bridge portions 55 of locking members 57, said locking members hei 3: slidable on rails 53. Looking members 57 also comprise channel or shoe portions 58 formed at the ends of the bridge portions 56 and ar ranged to slide on rails 53. The resilient 54 normally effect mating engagement of the CIl serrations 54 with the serrations 52 and also normally effect frictional engagement of flange portion 59 with the under side of rails 53 independently of the resilient action of fingers 8, the locking members being normally locked'in position at any portion of rails 53. To move said locking members for looking or unlocking fingers 8 said members are manually urged along said rails, the locking fingers 54 rising and falling as they pass over the serrations 52 of rails 53.

All the keeper plates of the various modified "forms of keepers are provided with upwardly extending locking projections 19 for limiting the extreme movement of the locking members independently of the limiting thereof by the various locking means between said keeper plate and locking members for locking said locking members at predetermined and variable locked positions.

Whereas in my copending applications Serial Number 643,773, filed November 21, 1932, now Patent 1,908,644, dated May 9, 1933, the locking members are shown as arranged to matingly lockingly engage the fingers of the base member, in the present application said looking members are arranged to mating lockingly engage the keeper plate.

The various keeper plates shown in the modified forms of keepers, except as shown modified, are similar in form to the keeper shown in Fig. 1. Said plates are provided with upwardly extending projections 19 for limiting the movement of the various locking members on said rails.

Referring to Fig. 15 showing a modified form of keeper plate formed from a strip of metal of uniform width, preferably of the same width as the width of the metal strip forming the clamping member 1, the mid-portion of said strip is slitted and the half portions 71 are spread laterally as shown to form a space therebetween, similarly as described in the forming of clamping member 1, the adjacent ends of half portions 71 being integrally joined and joining an end portion of the strip having a width equal to the width of the strip from which the keeper plate is formed as indicated by the end portion 74, said end portion having been bent over at 72 after the orifice 73 has been formed therein, said orifice being preferably formed by perforating the strip and thereafter spreading the portions thereof at the sides of said perforation, the orifices 73 being arranged to receive the fingers 8, it being understood that the opposite end of keeper plate 70 is formed similarly to the end shown. The half portions 71 are formed with rail portions 75 and re-enforcing, or wall portions 76. With serrations as 17 provided on the under side of said rail portions, the locking members 11 or 31 may be mounted on said rails, and when serrations as 22 and 52 are provided on the upper side of said rails and wall portions, locking members, as 25 and 57 may be mounted on said rails, and with notches, as 43 formed on the edges of said rails 75, the locking member 46 may be slidably mounted on said rails. Said rail portions 75 may be provided with limiting projections as 19 for limiting the movement of said locking members.

It is also to be understood that in Fig. 1, only one end portion of a complete paper fastener is shown and that the other end thereof is similarly formed to the end shown.

Whereas the modified form of keeper shown in -Fig s. 9 and 10 are shown with looking projections 44 arranged to engage the recesses 43, said projections and recesses may be omitted and the frictional engagement of the shoe portions 45 with the rails 48 may act as the locking means for locking the locking member 46 onto the keepor plate 41, said frictional engagement being effected by the upward urging of the resilient bridge portion 47.

What I claim is:

1, In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly over the keeper, locking portions on the keeper, locking members slidable on the keeper over the fingers, and locking portions on the locking members arranged to engage the locking portions of the keeper during the sliding of the locking members on the keeper over the fingers.

2. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly over the keeper, and locking members slidable on the keeper, the locking members and the keeper having mating locking portions adapted to be brought into mating engagement upon the sliding of the locking members'over the fingers and along the keeper.

3. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly over the keeper, locking members slidably mounted on the keeper arranged to slide over the fingers after the bending downwardly thereof over the keeper, arresting means formed on the keeper, and arresting means formed on the locking members co-operating with the arresting means on the keeper for positioning the locking members at predetermined and variable stationary positions between the ends of the keeper,

4. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly over the keeper, locking portions on the keeper, and locking members slidable on the keeper having locking portions arranged to lockingly engage the locking portions on the keeper, the locking portions on the keeper extending longitudinally thereof a greater distance than the width of the locking members.

5. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly for engagement with the keeper, and locking members slidable on the keeper, the locking members and the keeper having correlated locking portions adapted to be brought into locking engagement upon the sliding of the locking members on the keeper, the locking engagement of the locking portions being dependent upon resilient movement of the fingers after the bending downwardly thereof with respect to the keeper.

6. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being'adapted to be bent downwardly for engagement with the keeper, and locking members slidable on the keeper having resilient portions, the locking members and the keeper having correlated looking portions adapted to be brought into locking engagement upon the sliding of the locking members on the keeper, the locking engagement of the locking portions being dependent upon normal resilient deflection of the resilient portion of the locking members.

7. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly for engagement with the keeper, locking portions on the keeper, and locking members having locking portions arranged to lockingly engage the locking portions on the keeper, the locking portions on the keeper extending longitudinally thereof a greater distance than the Width of the locking members.

8. In a paper fastener, a clamping member having spaced fingers, a keeper associated with the clamping member, the fingers being adapted to be bent downwardly for engagement with the keeper, and locking members slidable on the keeper, the locking members and the keeper having correlated locking portions adapted to be brought into locking engagement upon the sliding of the locking members on the keeper, the locking portions being normally engaged during the sliding of the locking members.

9. A keeper for paper fasteners comprising, a keeper plate having spaced rails thereon, looking members slidable on the rails, locking means formed on the rails, and locking means formed on the locking members co-operating with the locking means on the rails for positioning the locking members at predetermined and variable stationary positions on the rails.

10. A keeper for paper fasteners comprising, a keeper plate having spaced rails, locking portions formed on the rails, locking members slidable on the rails having locking portions normally engaging the locking portions on the rails, and resilient means on the locking mem ber normally effecting locking engagement of the keeper locking portion with the locking member locking portions arranged to unlock the locking portions upon manual deflection of the resilient means.

11. A keeper for paper fasteners comprising, a keeper plate having spaced rails thereon, looking means formed on the keeper plate, looking members slidable on the rails having looking portions thereon, the locking means on the locking portion normally engaging the locking means on the keeper plate during the sliding of the locking members on the rails.

12. A keeper for paper fasteners comprising, a keeper plate having spaced rails thereon, locking means on the keeper plate, locking members slidable on the rails having locking portions, the locking means formed on the looking portions engaging the locking means on the keeper plate, the locking means on the keeper plate extending longitudinally thereon for a greater distance than the width of the locking members.

13, A keeper for paper fasteners comprising, a keeper plate having spaced, rails thereon, serrations formed along the rails, locking members slidable on the rails, and serrations formed on the locking members arranged to matingly engage the serrations on the rails for positioning the looking members at predetermined and vari able stationary positions on the keeper plate.

14. A keeper for paper fasteners comprising,

a keeper plate having spaced rails thereon, corrugations formed along the rails, locking members slidable on the rails, and cornugations formed on the locking members arranged to matingly engage the corrugations of the rails for positioning the locking members at predetermined and variable stationary positions on the keeper plate.

15. A keeper for paper fasteners comprising, a keeper plate having spaced rails thereon, mating means formed along the rails between the ends of the keeper plate, locking members slidable on the rails having shoe portions, and mating means formed on the shoe portions arranged to matingly engage the mating means on the rails.

16. In a clamping member for paper fasteners including a keeper, spaced finger portions for receiving the keeper, and a base portion comprising spaced elongated mid-portions and converging end portions having the inner ends thereof joined to the ends of the elongated portions and the outer ends thereof joined to the inner ends of the fingers.-

17. In a clamping member for paper fasteners including a keeper, spaced finger portions for receiving the keeper and a base portion comprising spaced elongated connecting portions having the ends thereof joined to the inner ends of the finger portions, the elongated connecting portions being positioned solely within the space between the fingers.

18. The method of forming clamping members for paper fasteners from a strip of metal of uniform width, the member having a mid-base portion integrally joined to the inner ends of finger portions which involves, slitting the midbase portion longitudinally thereof and laterally spreading the half portions each side .of the slit to form the base portion of the clamping member.

19. In a keeper for paper fasteners, a plate member having spaced rail portions, locking members having shoe portions slidably engaging the rail portions, and a resiliently deflectable bridge portion connecting the shoe portions normally effecting locking engagement therebetween and the rail portions, the deflection of the bridge portion acting to unlock the shoe portions from the rail portions for sliding the locking members thereover.

20. A locking member for keepers for paper fasteners comprising, a bridge portion having shoe portions formed at each end thereof, the

shoe portions having a flange portion, and locking means formed on the free edge of the flange portions.

21. In a keeper for paper fasteners including clamping member as a part thereof, a keeper plate comprising spaced elongated mild-portions and plate end portions joined to the ends of the mid-portions, the plate end portions having perforations for receiving the fingers of the clamping member.

22. In a keeper for paper fasteners including a clamping member as a part thereof, a keeper plate comprising spaced elongated mid-portions, plate end portions joined to the ends of the elongated mid-portions, and perforations in the end portions for receiving the fingers of the clamping member.

OSCAR A. ROSS.

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