US2564082A - Sales book holder - Google Patents

Description

Aug. '14, 1951 B." K. SLONNEGER 2,564,082

SALES BOOK HOLDER Filed April 28, 1949 INVENTOR BRUCE K. SLONNEGER HIS ATTORNEY L LMz/W' Patented Aug. 14, 1951 SALES BOOK HOLDER Bruce K. S-lonneger, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application April 28, 1949, Serial N 0. 99,099

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a sheet holder adapted to receive a plurality, or a pile of superimposed, individually removable sheets, such as sales slips and the like, and relates to improvements in the type of sheet holders shown in pending application of Bruce K. Slonneger, Serial Number 69,389, now Patent #2,526,091, granted October 17, 1950.

One object of the invention is to provide a sheet holder of a simple, efficient construction, which can be produced at a relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet holder having a compartment for receiving unused sheets, and a closure which, when opened, provides access to the unused sheets, and said closure thereafter provides a writing table for making entries on the unused sheets, with a sliding drawer compartment for receiving used sheets after said entries had been made thereon.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

Of said drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a sheet holder, partly broken away, and shows a storage compartment and a storage drawer in open position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view taken through the sheet holder, and shows the storage compartment and storage drawer in open position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the holder, showing the storage compartment and the storage drawer in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the storage drawer.

General description The drawings herein illustrate the invention as particularly adapted for use with sales slips or sales books, but it is to be understood that the holder may take various forms and may be used with sheets of various kinds, and the word sheet being herein used includes either a onepiece sheet or a multiple sheet unit comprising upper and lower parts which may be detached one from the other.

\ having a bottom wall 28, side walls 2 i, and a rear The holder comprises a bottom member, a sliding closure movably supported on the bottom member, and a sheet supporting member which is supported between the closure and bottom member, and arranged to divide the space between the bottom member and the closure into an upper compartment to receive and support unused sheets, and a space for the reception of a storage drawer which is slidably supported on the bottom member. The slidable drawer provides a compartment to receive and store used sheets or copies.

Detailed description In the particular arrangement shown, the bottom member comprises a shallow receptacle end wall 233. The front end of the shallow receptacle is open to receive a sliding drawer, in the manner hereinafter described. The receptacle is preferably formed from a single sheet of metal, drawn or otherwise formed to the desired shape. Th rear and side walls in the present instance are substantially the same height. The top member constitutes a movable closure for the receptacle and preferably comprises a flat sheet 24 slidably supported onthe side walls 2| of the receptacle, as by providing the closure with inturned end portions 25, extending sidewise, which embrace and are slidable on out turned flanges 25 at the upper edges of the side walls 2!. In the present instance the closure 24 is provided at its rear end with a downwardly extending curved end wall 21.

A sheet supporting member, which is interposed between the bottom wall 2d of the receptacle and the top member, or closure 24, is adapted to receive and support a pile of super-imposed sheets 30a, and that end portion of the supporting structure adjacent the open end of the'shallow receptacle is biased upwardly but is held normally in its depressed position by the closure 24. When the closure is retracted, or moved to its open position, the upwardly biased portion of the supporting member moves upwardly out of the receptacle a slight extent. The supporting member may take various forms. Preferably it comprises a sheet 23 of resilient material, the

H rear end of which is held against vertical movement and the forward portion is biased upwardly.

pose the rear end portion of the sheet 28 is formed upwardly and then downwardly to* form a U-shaped structure 29, adapted to fit over the upper portion of the rear wall 23 and to fit snugly about the same, thus holding the rear end of the supporting member against movement. At its forward end the sheet 28 is provided with a rearwardly extending member, which overhangs the forward end portion of the pile of sheets 30a on the supporting member. In the arrangement shown, the forward end portion of the sheet 28 is bent upwardly, as shown at 30, and then rearwardly to provide a lip 3|, which is spaced vertically from the adjacent portion of the sheet 28. In the present instance there is mounted on the lip 3| a U-shaped element 32, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear, and this U-shaped element forms a part of the overhanging member which serves to limit the upward movement of the forward end portion of the pile of sheets 30a. The overhanging member rests on the outturned flanges 25 of the receptacle to limit the downward movement of the sheet 23 at the front end, thus providing space beneath the sheet for the hereinafter described storage drawer for storing the used sheets.

For the purpose of moving the front end portion of the pile of sheets toward the overhanging member and holding the same against displacement, there is mounted on the sheet 28 a sheet retaining device having an upward biased part arranged below and engaging the end portion of the pile of sheets. In the arrangement herein shown, this retaining device comprises a sheet of resilient material 33, preferably of a length and breadth somewhat less than the length and breadth of the sheet 28, and the forward portion of the retaining member is rigidly secured to the sheet 28, preferably approximately midway between the ends thereof, as by spotwelding. The retaining member extends forwardly and upwardly from its line of connection with the supporting member 28, with its forward end below the overhanging member 32, and this forward position is biased upwardly engaging the end portion of the pile of sheets with sufficient pressure to firmly grip the same and prevent the accidental displacement of the sheets, but to permit the sheets to be individually withdrawn. However, it is preferable to provide means for positively preventing the longitudinal displacement of the pile of sheets 38a, and for this purpose a bar 68 is secured to an intermediate part of the sheet 28, and has at its rear end an upwardly extending part 8| to engage the rear end of the pile of sheets.

The upwardly biased portion 33 of the sheet supporting structure 28 is retained in its depressed position by the closure 24 when in closed position. When the closure is in its forward or fully closed position, the position of the forward end thereof may extend either below or above the overhanging member 3|32, and when the closure extends below the overhanging member, the end portion of the pile of sheets is depressed against the lower surface of the closure, as shown in Fig. 3. When the closure is moved from its closed position to its open position the free or main portion of the uppermost sheet of the pile of sheets may be separated from the next lower sheet and elevated above the level of the closure to permit the latter to be moved forwardly beneath the same, and thus provide a writing support for the sheet. Usually a sales slip comprises two parts and a transfer medium is interposed between the two parts so that the record written on the proper part will. also appear on the lower part.

In some instances it is desired to employ a separate transfer medium or carbon sheet, and the purpose of the Ushaped member 32 is to provide means for attaching the end portion of the carbon sheet to the sheet supporting member so that it may be inserted between the two parts of each sheet unit as the units are successively withdrawn from the receptacle for use.

To attach the carbon sheet to the supporting member the U-shaped member is removed from the lip 3 I, the end of the carbon sheet is inserted between the two parts of the U-shaped member and folded about the rear edge of the lower part thereof and the U-shaped member is then re placed on the lip 3|, thus causing the inserted portion of the carbon sheet to be gripped firmly between the U-shaped member and the lip and to extend forwardly in line with the lower surface of the overhanging member. Normally when the holder is not in use, the carbon sheet will be within the receptacle above the pile of sheets and below the closure. When the closure is moved to its open position the carbon sheet and the free portion of the uppermost sheet of the pile are withdrawn and the closure is then moved forwardly in supporting relation to the withdrawn sheet and the carbon sheet inserted between the upper and lower parts of the sheet. The end portion of the closure is moved beneath the overhanging member 32 and between the end portions of the withdrawn sheet and the next lower sheet, and the carbon sheet extends forwardly in a straight line and is free from bend or buckle.

When the entry has been made on the withdrawn sheet, the latter is removed as a whole from the retaining devices and the end portion of the withdrawn sheet having no contact with the next lower sheet, the removal of that has no tendency to displace the lower sheet. The lower part, or copy, of the record sheet is detached and inserted into the storage drawer to be hereinafter described.

It is desirable that the closure 24 may be completely removable from the receptacle. It is also desirable that means be provided to prevent the accidental complete removal of the closure 24. In the present instance the closure is provided adjacent the lower forward end, with one or more downwardly extending projections 35, such, as small depressions, which form stops. The ver tical length of these projections is such that they may move over the upper edge of the rear end wall 23 and over the U-shaped part 29 of the supporting structure by slightly flexing the closure after the depressions 35 engage with said lJ-shaped part 29, which normally arrests the closure when the depressions 35 come in contact therewith.

If entries are to be made at the lower end of the slip the closure 24 provides a hand rest by moving it only a slight distance toward its closed position, as shown, for example, in Fig. 1. The novel features of the structure described above is claimed in the cc-pending application of Bruce K. Slonneger, Serial No. 69,389, filed January 5, 1949.

The sheet holder is provided with a sliding storage drawer for used tickets. This drawer may be formed of a single sheet of metal, comprising a bottom 48, and two side walls 4|. The forward end of the drawer is formed upwardly and downwardly to form a reinforced end wall 42,

into the loop portion of the bottom of the drawer,

and also to frictionally maintain the drawer in position against accidental removal. The drawer is of sufficient width to provide a sliding fit between the side walls 2| of the sheet holder. The side walls 4| of the sliding drawer extend upwardly so as to be on a level with the side walls 2| of the sheet holder, and the sheet support 28 is of a width to fit between the side walls 4| of the drawer. The inwardly formed extension 44 'is spaced from the side walls 4| of the drawer a sufficient distance to permit the drawer to be inserted adjacent the side edges of the sheet support 28.

When it is desired to insert a used slip into the drawer, the operator grasps the reinforced forward end 42 of the drawer and slides the drawer forwardly and thereafter inserts the slip into the drawer below the extension 44 of the drawer, as shown in Fig. 2. When the drawer is removed from the holder for the purpose of removing the slips, the extension 40 expands to provide easier removal of the sheets therefrom.

To provide ameans to prevent accidental removal of the drawer from the holder, the drawer is provided with stops in the form of small depressions 45 near the rear end of the side walls 4|, which come in contact with upturned end wall 30 when slid forwardly. The drawer can be removed from the holder by flexing the side walls 4| sufliciently to cause the depressions 45 to clear the end wall 30.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sheet holder of the type comprising a bottom member, a top member slidably connected to said bottom member for movement relatively thereto, and a sheet supporting member supported between and spaced from said bottom member and said top member, and biased away from said bottom member, in combination with a slidable storage drawer slidably mounted between said biased sheet supporting member and said bottom member, and an extension formed on one end of said drawer extending into the drawer and biased away from the drawer to engage said biased sheet supporting member when the drawer is in closed position, in which position said extension is forced toward the bottom of the drawer by the biased sheet-supporting member.

2. In a sheet holder of the type comprising 88 a bottom member, side walls formed on said bot tom member, a top member slidable on said side walls, relatively to the bottom member, and a sheet supporting member supported by said side walls between the top member and the bottom member, and biased away from said bottom member, in combination with a drawer mounted on said bottom member and being free to slide thereon, and an extension formed on the rear end of the drawer, said extension being substantially the same in width as the width of the biased sheet supporting member, and being formed to extend into and toward the front of the drawer, said extension biased upwardly to engage the bottom of the biased sheet supporting member to form a guide to guide sheets into the drawer and said extension being forced toward the bottom of the drawer to frictionally maintain the drawer in position.

3. In a sheet holder of the type comprising a bottom member, side walls formed on said bottom member, a top member slidable on said side walls relatively to the bottom member, and a sheet supporting member supported by said walls between the top member and the bottom member, and biased away from said bottom member, in combination with a drawer mounted on said bottom member and being free to slide thereon, and an inwardly and upwardly extending friction device formed on the bottom of the drawer and biased to frictionally engage the underside of the sheet supporting member to prevent accidental removal of the drawer from the holder.

4. In a sheet holder of the type comprising a bottom member, side walls formed on the bottom member, a top member slidable on said side walls relative to the bottom member, and a sheet supporting member supported by the side walls between the top member and the bottom member, and biased away from said bottom member, in combination with a drawer freely slidable on said bottom member and an inwardly and upwardly extending fiexible device formed on the drawer and being biased to frictionally engage the under side of the sheet supporting member to prevent accidental removal of the drawer from the holder, said device also formed to guide new sheets into the drawer.

BRUCE K. SLONNEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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