US2081372A

US2081372A - Loose leaf notebook binder

Info

Publication number: US2081372A
Application number: US37564A
Authority: US
Inventors: James M Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-08-23
Filing date: 1935-08-23
Publication date: 1937-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1954-05-25

Description

May 25, 1937. v THOMAS 2,081,372

LOOSE LEAF NOTEBOOK BINDER Filed Augl. 23, 1935 Fatentci Ma 25" UNITED STATES PATEWT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to binders.

An object of the invention is the provision of loose leaf note book a binder for loose leaf note books in which the the ring sections are displaced relatively to each other and so spread apart for the reception of the loose leaves, one half of said sections then being evencloser to the topmember to receive new leaves and the other half of the sections standing so high that the leaves already held thereon will not shift out of place. 7

A further object of the invention is the provision of a binder for loose-leaf note books'in which a plurality of rings are employed for retaining the loose leaves in position with the rings" being split and adapted to be opened after being rocked or revolved to a predetermined position so that the opening of the split rings will not cause shifting of theleaves already retained by the rings, a shaft being employed having a cam for causing opening of the split rings and being pivoted along a line which approximates the centers of the rings so that when the rings are revolved the axis of revolution will be at the center of the rings, the free ends of the split rings by such rocking movement being properly positioned with respect to the outermost leaves so that new leaves may be placed thereon but in substantial alignment with previously placed leaves.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it' is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the loose-leafbinder constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the binder, I

Figure 3 is a plan view with parts broken away showing the rings in closed position,

Figure 4 is a plan View similar to that shown in Fig. 3 showing the rings in open position,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section, taken along the line 66 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I ll generally designates a casement or housing of a binder for enclosing the mechanism for controlling the operation of the split rings which retain the loose leaves in position. The housing has a curved bottom portion H, a fiat top I2, and offset portions l3 and M which rise above the top l2 and are substantially V-shaped. End walls [5 and i6 conform to the contour of the opposite ends of the curved bottom II and the V-shaped members I3 and M.

A shaft, generally designated by the numeral 20, has a crank portion 20 which is provided with a return bent portion 2| forming a cam. The shaft has right angular portions 22 forming part of the crank and forming connecting links between the shaft proper and the crank 20*. The sections, designated by the

numerals

23 and 24 of the shaft 20, are mounted in bearings 25 which are secured to the offset portions I3 and M of the housing Ill. The portion 24 is provided with a crank arm 26 whereby the

portions

23 and 24 may be rotated on a horizontal axis while the crank 20* will be rocked along the curved bottom ll of the housing.

A'rod 36 is mounted in bearings 3! which are free of the curved bottom ll of the housing and adapted to move over said curved bottom. This rod has at each of its opposite ends a section 32 of a ring, generally designated by the numeral 33. The sections 32 of the rings 33 are adapted to be moved outwardly from a vertical plane passing through the shaft 20'.

A second rod 34 is also mounted in the bearings 3| and is in close association not only with the rod 30 but with the crank 26*. The opposite ends of the rod 34 are provided with supplementary sections 35 of the rings 33. The free end of the section 32 of the split ring 33 is provided with a V-shaped portion 36 adapted to engage within a complementarily formed V-shaped notch 31 of the section 35 of each of the rings 33 so that when the ring is closed a substantially smooth round surface will be provided.

The rod 30 is provided with an upstanding offset portion 40 and this oifset portion is provided with-a lateral offset portion 41 adapted to receive the free end of the cam member 2| of the crank 20*. The rod 34 is also provided with a similarly formed upstanding offset portion 42 which has a lateral offset portion 43 which cooperates with the lateral offset portion 4| to provide a pocket in which the upper free end of the cam 2| is wholly received.

A resilient wire forming a spring, generally designated by the numeral 45, has its free ends bent around the offset portion 40, as shown at 46. This spring wire is carried beneath the

offset portions

40 and 42 at one side of the lateral portions 4| and 43, then brought upwardly and extended along the outer face of the offset portion 42 above the lateral portion 43, then downwardly and be neath the

offset portions

40 and 42 at the opposite side of the lateral portions 4| and 43. This spring member 45 tends at all times to maintain the

upstanding portions

40 and 42, respectively, of the

rods

36 and 34 in contact with each other with the free end of the cam 2| located in the pocket formed by the lateral offset portions 4| and 43.

The operation of my device is as follows: Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the rings 33 in closed position. When it is desired to add loose leaves to the binder the lever 26 is rocked until the free ends of the sections of the rings approach the ends 56 of the slots 5| formed in the top member l2 of the housing H1. The lever 26 is then pulled outwardly from the housing for reciprocating the shaft 20 and likewise the crank 2|] to the right in Fig. 4 whereby the cam 2| will leave the pocket between the lateral portions 4| and 43 and the cam will ride between the previously contacted inner edges of the horizontally disposed

offset portions

40 and 42 whereby the rods or

shafts

30 and 34 will be rocked, causing the rings 33 to split. Thus the free ends 36 of the sections 32 of the rings will be moved adjacent the ends 50 of the slots 5| while the free or notched ends 31 of the sections 35 will move in the opposite direction. By this means it is possible to apply new loose leaves to the binder.

Before leaves are added the lever 26 is rocked only sufficiently to cause the free ends 36 of the rings 33 to be moved in close proximity to the outermost loose leaves previously supported by the rings.

It will be seen by this construction that each time that it is desired to apply loose leaves to the binder that the lever 26 isrocked to cause rotation of the shaft 20 and the crank 2|] and the lever is also reciprocated to cause shifting of the cam 2| for opening the rings.

The sections of the ring when rotated together about the axis of shaft 20 will move through a curved path which will not in any way disturb the loose leaves which have been previously applied.

The shaft 20 has its rocking axis in a horizontal line which passes substantially through the axes of the rings 33 and this construction provides for the rotation of the rings bodily around a horizontal axis whereby when the sections of the rings are moved apart they will not shift or displace the loose leaves already retained on the ring.

I claim:

1. A loose leaf binder comprising a housing, a shaft in the housing, means for rockably and slidably mounting said shaft, said shaft having a crank, a cam on the crank, a pair of ring-operating rods in close association with the crank, means for retaining said rods in such association, offset portions on the rods, a resilient means for holding said offset portions in engagement, said offset portions having a space therebetween to receive the cam, split rings, each comprising one section secured to one end of a respective rod, and another section connected to the adjacent end of the other rod, means whereby the shaft may be slidably reciprocated for forcing the cam between the offset portions for rocking the rods and moving the sections of the rings away from each other, said means being operable whereby the shaft and crank may be rocked for varying the position of the free ends of the sections of the split rings.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising a housing, a shaft in the housing, means for rockably and slidably mounting said shaft, said shaft having a crank, a cam on the crank, a pair of ringoperating rods in close association with the crank, means for retaining said rods in such association, offset portions on the rods, a resilient means for holding said offset portions in engagement, said offset portions having a space therebetween to receive the cam, split rings, each comprising one section secured to one end of a respective rod, and another section connected to the adjacent end of the other rod, means whereby the shaft may be slidably reciprocated for forcing the cam between the offset portions for rocking the rods and moving the sections of the rings away from each other, said means being operable whereby the shaft and crank may be rocked for varying the position of the free ends of the sections of the split rings, said shaft being disposed substantially in a line which passes through the axes of the rings.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising a base member having bearings, a shaft rockably and reciprocably mounted in the bearings and provided with a crank which crank is adapted to be moved through an arc of a circle when the shaft is rocked, means whereby the shaft may be rocked and reciprocated, a pair of rods rockably supported by the crank and provided with projections normally in contact with each other, a split section of a ring secured to one rod, a complementary split section of the ring secured to the other rod, the splits in the ring sections being varied in position relatively to the base member when said shaft is rocked, a cam carried by the crank and adapted to be moved between the projections when the shaft is reciprocated for moving the projections apart and for rocking the rods in opposite directions so that the sections of the ring will be moved apart.

4. A loose leaf binder comprising a base member having bearings, a shaft rockably and reciprocably mounted in the bearings and provided with a crank which crank is adapted to be moved through an arc of a circle when the shaft is rocked, means whereby the shaft may be rocked and reciprocated, a pair of rods' rockably supported by the crank and provided with projections normally in contact with each other, a split section of a ring secured to one rod, a complementary split section. of the ring secured t0 the other rod, a cam carried by the crank and adapted to be moved between the projections when the shaft is reciprocated for moving the projections apart and for rocking the rods in opposite directions so that the sections of the ring will be moved apart, the axis of the shaft being approximately in line with the axis of the ring so that when the crank is rocked the ring will move in a circular path.

5. A loose leaf binder comprising a base member having bearings, a shaft rockably and slidably mounted in the bearings and provided with a crank, a pair of rods rockably mounted on the crank, rings formed of semi-circular sections, a section of each ring secured to one rod, the other sections being secured to the other rod, means by which to rock the shaft and crank thus to move said sections relatively to the base member, said means also being used to slide the shaft and. crank, and means on the crank adapted when the crank is slid to cause rocking of the rods in opposite directions for moving the sections of all rings apart.

6. A loose leaf binder comprising a base member having bearings, a shaft rockably and slidably mounted in the bearings and provided with a crank, a pair of rods rockably mounted on the crank, rings formed of semi-circular sections, a section of each ring secured toone rod, the other sections being secured to the other rod, means on the crank adapted when the crank is slid to cause rocking of the rods in opposite directions for moving the sections of each ring apart, whereby the shaft and crank may be reciprocated'and the shaft rocked, said shaft being in a line which passes substantially through the axes of the rings, the rocking of the shaft causing the crank to revolve the rings around the axis of said shaft.

7. A loose leaf binder comprising a hollow housing having a slotted top, axially alined split rings protruding through the slots from inside of the housing, each ring consisting of two sections, a ring-carrying device capable of operation according to twomotions, one motion turning the rings on their common axis to bring the splits near to the top, the other motion separating the ring sections, the lowest sections then being in position to receive new leaves and the highest sections retaining the leaves already em- JAMES M. THOMAS.