US2260929A - Loose-leaf binder - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 28, 1941. E. J. BLOORE LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Filed June 21, 1940 CHE-E. 14 15 17161z1 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Ernest J. Bloore, Brampton, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to Copeland Chatterson 'LimitetL' Brampton; Ontario, Canada Application June 21,1940, SerialNo. 341, 43

In Canada June 28, 1939 1 8 Claims. (Cl. 129-17) This invention relates to loose-leaf binders of the type in which co-operative sets of curved prongs-are respectively mounted on hinged back sections, one set of prongs being displaceable relative to the other set for leaf-shifting pur-,- poses, and the principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of adjustable mounting for one set of prongs which will provide an extended range of shift within accurately predetermined limits and to devise a simple form of control mechanism for this purpose which may be easily manipulated.

The principal feature of the invention resides in'the' novel manner of mounting one set of curved prongs on a member which is slidably;

mounted on the respective back section and in the provision of a manually controllable latch means having staged positions of adjustment which controls the range of sliding adjustmentv the'hinged back sections illustrating the adjustable mounting of the one'set of prongs and the controlling latch mechanism associated therewith and arranged in the normal position.

' Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the latch mechanism-moved to a first position of adjustment with the adjustable set of prongs moved longitudinally to the limit permitted by the adjusted positionofthe latch mechanism.

Figure'4 is a side elevational view of one of the back sections broken away in part showing the latch mechanism in normal position.

Figure 5-is'a fragmentary plan view taken in the hinge region of the binder illustrating in full lines the normal relation of the respective sets of prongs and showing in broken lines two optional positions of adjustment of'the adjustableset of prongs.

- Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of one of theback sections illustrating a modified form of locking means for the adjustable latch mechanism.

In binders of this type it has previously been proposed to so hinge the respective back sections of the binder'that' these sections were capable of relative longitudinal displacement in orderthat the respective sets of prongs, which were rigidly mounted on their respective back sections, could be offset sufficient to effect the shifting of'the leaves. I i

The; present invention has been devised to eliminate the necessity of providing a loose hinge connection and to obviate the necessity for relative shifting of the respective back sections and covers and to not only provide a more extensive range of adjustment but to ensure the accurate relative positioning of the sets of prongs in any of a plurality of adjusted positions.

Referring to the illustrated form of the present invention, the back sections 1 and 2 are hinged together at 3 in such a mannerthat the respective sections are retained against relative axial sliding displacement.

, One set of prongs 4 are rigidly secured to a flat metal bar 5 which in turn is slidably mounted on the back section I within the limits per-' mitted by the slots 6 and pins 'L- Strips of spring metal 8 are preferably inserted between the bar 5 and back [as a frictional retaining means or to take up any-looseness. 1

Mounted on the bar 5 and adjustable therewith is 'a'stopmembert presenting a series of steppedstop-abutments "L H and I2, and the outer; end of the member Sis turned laterally and provided with a co-operative series of notches lll'fll', and I2 which are disposed in ment and terminates in a thumb piece I5 con-' veniently accessible at the end of the back section beyond the member 9. The member [3 carries a stop projection l6 which is adapted to se.

lectively-engage the stop abutments II), II and I2 in accordance with the position to which the arm l3 has been adjusted by the thumb piece IS.

The outer end of the 'arm' l3 adjacent the thumb piece I5 is adapted to be selectively positioned in either of the notches III, II and I2 which in turn determines the relation of the stopabutment IE to the stop abutments [0, II and I2 respectively. 1

,Thus in the position shown in Figure 2, the arml3 being in the notch Ill, the stop abutment l6' will co-operate with the stop I0 to lock the bar B-and consequently the set of prongs 4 in their normal position with'the pins 1 engaging one end of the slots 6 so that longitudinal displacement of the prongs is thus positively prevented in either direction.

By simply placing the arm I3 in engagement with the next adjacent notch II the stop abutment It will be moved out of line of the stop I and will be positioned for stop engagement with the stop II so that the bar may be moved longitudinally by the thumb piece 5' until stops II and I6 engage. This effects the shift displacement of the set of prongs 4 relative to the cooperative set of prongs 4' rigidly mounted on the back section 2.

If a further range of shifting is desired the arm I3 is disengaged from the notch II and placed in the notch I2 which brings the stop I6 into co-operative relation with the stop I2, permitting a further definite displacement of the bar 5 and prongs 4 and arresting these in accurate predetermined relation to the prongs 4'.

In order to retain the latch arm I3 in the various notches III, II or I2 a bowed spring member I1 is flexibly anchored at I4 and engages the arm I3 in resilient pressure contact and is adapted to swing with the arm I3 about the mounting I4.

Referring to the showing in Figure 5 the various positions to which the set of prongs 4 may be adjusted in relation to the set of prongs 4 is clearly shown and these positions may be briefly identified in relation to the latch mechanism as follows.

With the notch I0 engaged by the arm I3 and stop abutments III and I6 in engagement the prongs 4 will be locked in the normal full line position shown in Figure 5. With the arm I3 engaged in notch II' and stop abutments II and I6 engaging, the set of prongs 4 will be arrested in the first dotted line position shown at a representing a range of shift adjustment corresponding to the distance between two adjacent perforations I8 of the leaves I9.

If a shift equal to the distance between three perforations I8 is desired this is achieved by placing the arm I3 in the notch I2 which brings the stop It into co-operative relation with the stop I2 to provide a further definite distance of shift of the bar 5 and prongs 4.

With the prongs 4 in either of the positions a or b it may be desirable to definitely lock the bar 5 against return sliding movement until the desiredtransfer is made, and this may be accomplished in any suitable manner, and as an example I have shown in the modification of Figure 6 the provision of locking notches II" and I2" which are adapted to co-operate with the bottom of the notches I I and I2 respectively so that in either position in conjunction with the respective stop abutments II, I2 and I6 the bar 5may be positively locked against shifting from the position to which it is temporarily adjusted.

The operating parts of the latch mechanism are preferably enclosed within a metal housing 20, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Any suitable form of means may be provided for releasably retaining the hinged back section in relatively adjusted angular relation or in locked position, and a suitable means for this purpose is indicated at 2I and 22 which forms no part of the present invention, but which may be briefly referred to as comprising toothed interengageable members, the member 2| being rigid with the back section I while the member 22 is mounted for sliding displacement to effect engagement or disengagement with the member 2I under the control of the release member 23.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A loose leaf binder having in combination,

binder back sections connected for relative swinging displacement only, a group of prongs mounted on one back section, a bar slidably mounted on the other back section, a group of prongs mounted on said slidable bar, a series of stop abutments carried by said slidably mounted bar and offset from each other transversely of the direction of sliding displacement of said bar, a stop abutment displaceably mounted on said respective back section for selective co-operation with said series of stop abutments, and means for selectively positioning said displaceable stop abutment in a direction transversely of the direction of sliding displacement of said bar to limit said sliding displacement.

2. A loose leaf binder having in combination. binder back sections connected for relative swinging displacement only, a group of prongs mounted on one back section, a bar slidably mounted on the other back section, a group of prongs mounted on said slidable bar, a series of stop abutments carried by said slidably mounted bar, a stop abutment displaceably mounted on said respective back section for selective cooperation with said series of stop abutments, means for selectively positioning said displaceable stop abutment to limit the sliding displacement of said bar, the latter means including a lever-like member on which the displaceable stop abutment is mounted, and means presenting a plurality of notches for selective locking engagement with the lever.

3. A loose leaf binder as claimed in claim 2 in which said lever-like member is provided with looking notches for secondary locking engagement with said last-mentioned notched means.

4. A loose leaf binder as claimed in claim 2 in which said series of stop abutments is disposed in stepped progression spaced longitudinally of the slidable bar and said notches are spaced in the direction in which said abutments are stepped.

5. A loose leaf binder as claimed in claim 2 in which said lever is mounted for both rocking and pivotal adjustment and the same is resiliently urged to engage the notches.

6. In a loose leaf binder having binder back sections connected for relative swinging displacement only, and permanent sets of prongs, one set being rigidly mounted on one back section and the other being slidably mounted on the other back section, adjustable latch means interposed between the adjustable set of prongs and the respective back section for arresting said latter set of prongs in predetermined adjusted relations to the other set of prongs, means cooperatively associated with said latch means for positively locking said slidably mounted set of prongs in each adjusted position against sliding displacement in either direction irrespective of the amount of pressure applied thereto in either shift direction, said adjustable latch means including a series of stop abutments spaced in the direction of shift and offset from each other in a transverse plane, a stop abutment adjustable transversely in said plane for selective co-operation with said series of stop abutments, and means for selectively positioning said adjustable stop abutment in said transverse plane to arrest said adjustable set of prongs in definite relation to the other set of prongs.

'7. In a loose leaf binder having binder back sections connected for relative swinging displacement only, and permanent sets of prongs, one set being rigidly mounted on one back section and the other being slidably mounted on the other back section, adjustable means for positively arresting said latter set of prongs in a plurality of adjusted positions relative to the fixed set of prongs on the other section, including a stop member adjustable transversely of the direction of sliding displacement of the one set of prongs to a plurality of difierent stop positions, and stop means associated with said slidable set of prongs selectively engageable with 10

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