US2052887A - Paper clip - Google Patents

Description

l Sept. 1, 1936. A J' LEW|5 v2,052,887

PAPER CLIP Filed DeG. 24, 1934 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. l, 1936 PAPER CLIP Arthur J. Lewis, Stratford, Conn., assignor to The Autoyre Company, Watertown, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 24, 1934, Serial No. '759,023

'l Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clips, and has particular relation to clips for securing together a plurality of sheets of paper or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip of the kind indicated and which is capable of maintaining a good grip on a small number of sheets of thin paper and which will also, without causing a set in the wire of the clip, securely grip together a large number of sheets of paper.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such Variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the improved clip;

Fig. 2 is an edge View side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l but showing the clip as used in securing together sheets of paper;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional YView taken substantially along the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a slightly modiiied construction; and y Fig. 7 is an edge view looking from the right in Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawing and at rst particularly to Figs. 1 through 5 the improved clip is shown as formed from a single length of wire and comprising a generally triangular shaped looking from the lower frame IB and a tongue II within the frame. Thev frame I!! includes a closed roundedlower end or nose I2 and d iverging sides I3 and I4. At the upper ends of the sides I3 and Ill the wire is carried inwardly providing arms I5 and I5 extending toward one another and connected with the frame sides I3 and I4 respectively by the bends I1.

The arms I5 and IS are of the same or substantially the same length and by bends I8 are connnected with parallel depending members I9 and whichmembers comprise portions of the tongue II and extend in the direction of the rounded lower end I2 of the frame. Each of the depending tongue members I9 and 2li at its lower end carries a small loop 2l and the loops of the respective members comprise upwardly directed extensions 22 connected with the respective members by'bends 23 which are preferably rounded as shown so that each loop has a closed rounded lower end. The two end portions of the single (Cl. ,Z4-261) length of wire from which the clip is formed are at the upper ends of the extensions 22, and these end portions designated 24 and 25 respectively are bent inwardly and extend toward one another and toward the depending members I9 and 20 and are connected with the extensions 22 by corners or bends 26. The portions 22 are preferably closely adjacent and substantially parallel to side portions I3 and Ill to give a good grip on thin paper or a small number of sheets, as well as give a good grip on a larger stack of papers as indicated at 8 and 9 in Fig. 5.

When applying the clip the tongue Il may be engaged by a thumb and pressed out of the frame to either side thereof or when the rounded lower end I2 of the frame is placed against the upper side of one of the sheets which are to be connected together, and by moving the clip onto the sheets or moving the sheets into the clip the clip 20 will be positioned with its frame at one side of the sheets and its tongue at the other side thereof as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 wherein the clip is sho'wn in place on two sheets of paper or other material A. With the clip in place the arms I5 and I6 extend in a direction diagonally across the edges of the connected sheets. The bends I1 connecting the arms with the sides I3 and lil of the frame act more or less as fulcrums when the tongue is pressed to either side of the frame.

Therefore, as the tongue is pressed out of the frame the depending members I9 and 20 of the tongue rock or turn outwardly relative to one another, with the result that the small loops 2I at the lower ends of such members are turned to direct the extensions 22 toward the frame as suggested in Fig. 5, and to particularly bring their bends or shoulders 26 against the sheets A being secure. Additionally, as the tongue is forced through the frame the lower end of the tongue moves the greatest distance and the upper portions 24 and 25, and particularly the corner portions 26 of its small loops, are tilted inwardly and tend to dig into or form a sharp bend in the sheets as shown in Fig. 4 at 26a to increase resistance to removal of the clip from the papers.

It will be noted that the extensions 22 forming portions of the small loops 2|, are arranged relatively close to the sides I3 and I4 of the frame IB, and it will therefore be apparent that the clip will securely grip even a small number of thin sheets of paper. The arms I5 and I6 are relatively long and the clip may, therefore, be used on a relatively thick stack of papers without causing a set in the wire.

The thicker the pad of paper to which the clip is applied the further the tongue will be forced out of the frame and the more the tongue will be inclined to cause the upper portions 24 and 25, and particularly the shoulders 26 of its small loops to dig into or form a sharp bend in the paper as shown in Fig. Ll, and thus increase the grip on the paper and increase its resistance to removal of the clip therefrom. Also, the thicker pad of paper results in additional fulcruming of the arms l5 and i6 about the bends Il, so that the depending members i9 and 2l! of the tongue are v rocked or turned to a greater degree relatively so as to cant or turn the small loops inwardly as suggested in Fig. 5 to force their portions 22, and particularly their shoulders or` 4bends 25, against the paper. Since the tongue can be bent out of the frame in either direction should it be set by bending to one side it may be used to make a good grip by bending it in the opposite direction. l In Figs. 6 and '7 the shape of the frame is slightly modied but the structure of the tongue is the same as that previously described, and the tongue has the same reference characters `applied thereto as in Figs. 1 through 5. In the-modied construction the frame is generally designated 2l and includes sides 28 and 29 the lower portions 33 and 3l of which are Vinclined and connected by a rounded lower end 32. The sides of the frame are bent at 33 and their upper portions 3&1 and 35 extend substantially parallel whereby the clip is somewhat rectangular. The portions 3B and 3l correspond to the lower portions of the sides i3 and ld of the rst form and have the same relation to the tongue and the portions 22 thereof. Arms 35 and 3l are connected with the upper portionk of the frame sides by bends 38 corresponding with the bends il of Fig. 1 and said armsextend toward one another and by the bends 39, corresponding with theibends i8 of Fig. 1, are connected with the depending members i9 and 20 of the tongue l l. n

This modied construction has the same advantages as the structure of Fig. 1 insofar that the clip may be easily applied, that thetongue may be displaced to either side of the frame, and that the small loops of the tongue, and particularly the bends or cornersZS of said loops will tend to dig into or form .sharp bends in thepapers as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. However, since the arms E@ and 3l of the modified construction are shorter than the arms l5 and i6 of Fig. 1 the tongueof the modied construction can not be forced laterally out of the frame as great a distance without causing a set in the wire as can that of the rst form; Therefore, the constructio-n of Figs. 6 and 'kfor a similar size of clipis not adapted for the securing together of the she-ets of such a thick pad as is the construction ofr Figs. 1 through 5. p

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. A clip formed from a length of wire comprising a frame having a base and sides connected in a lower rounded end, and an inner tongue com- Y prising two centrally located depending members each including a low-er rounded end and an outer upwardly directed extension closely adjacent and substantially parallel with the adjacent` side member and having its end bent and directed toward its depending member to provide a corner adjacenty a side of the frame spaced amaterial distance from the base so as to; be movable out of the rplane of the frame.

2. A clip formed froma length of wire-comprising a frame including a base and sides connected at their lower ends, an inner tongue comprising two centrally located depending members, and a substantially closed loop at the outer side of and carried by the lower end portion of each of said members and said loops being spaced a material distancefrom" the base so asto be movable out of the plane of the frame. v

j '3. A clip formed from a length of wire comprising a frame including sides connected at their lower ends, an inner tongue comprising two centrally located dep-ending members, a substantial.- ly closed loop at the outer side of and carried by theflower end portion of each of said members, arms connecting the upper ends of said members with the sides of the frame, and said fra-me, members and loops arranged in the same plane with the loops spaced a material .distance from the arms so as to be movable out of .the plane. of the frame. y

4. A clip comprising a wire bent to provide'` a. rounded lower end and upwardly and outwardly inclined sides, said wire bent at the upper ends of the sides to provide inturned arms extending toward one another, saidwire bent downwardly at the inner ends of said arms to provide parallel members extendingv toward said rounded end, and the ends of the wire at the lower ends of'said parallel members extending outwardly and upwardly substantially parallel to the sid-es fora short distance and then bent in toward the downwardly extending `members at a material distance from said arms so Yas to grip papers in the clipat a dis'tancefrom the edges thereof.v Y

5. A clip formed from a Vlength of wire comprising a frame includingn a'rounded lowerend and upwardly and outwardly inclined sides, arms one another from the upper ends of said sides, a pair of independent members depending one from the inner end of each of said arms, and a loop at the outer side of land Ycarried by the lower end portion of each of said members and spaced a material distance from the arms so as to be movable out of the plane of the frame.

6l A clip formed from a length of wire comprising a frame including anrounded lower end and upwardly and outwardly inclined sides, `a tongue within theframe andV comprising a pair of parallel independent depending membersv extending toward saidround-ed end, and a lloop at the out-er side of the lower end portion ofeach of said members and each comprising an upwardly directed extension close to and substantially parallel with a side and anY inwardly directed lportion at the upper end of the extension and extending toward the depending members, said inwardly directed portion being spaced a material distance from the base of the frame so as to grippapers in the clip at a distance from their edges.

7. A clip comprising a wire bent to provide a lower end and upwardly extending sides, said wire bent at the upper ends of the sides to provide inturned arms extending toward one another, said wire bentdownwardlyat the -inner ends of'said arms to provide substantially parallel members extending toward said rounded end, and the ends of the wire at the lower-ends of said members extendingY outwardly `and upwardly for a short distance and then bent in towardthe downwardly extending members and spaced a material distance from said arms so as to grip papers in the clip at a-distance fromtheir edges. -Y

v ARTHUR J. LEWIS.

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