US2633848A

US2633848A - Pocketed file folder

Info

Publication number: US2633848A
Application number: US292961A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arnold W Voss; Robert M Trachte
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-06-11
Filing date: 1952-06-11
Publication date: 1953-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 1970-04-07

Description

April 1953 A. w. voss El'AL 2,633,848

POCKETED FILE FOLDER Original File d June 13, 1947 iiliiiiin llllllll? II'IIII I INVENTORS Patented Apr. 7, 1953 POCKETED FILE FOLDER Arnold W. Voss and Robert M. Trachte, Madison, Wis.

,Continuation of application Serial No. 754,348, June 13, 1947. This application June 11, 1952,

Serial No. 292,961

7 Claims.

The invention relates to means for facilitatin the filing of paper articles such as cards, checks, vouchers and the like and has for its principal object the provision of an improved pocketed file folder of simple and inexpensive construction and adapted to contain an assortment of such articles as those mentioned above, and this application is a continuation of our application Serial No. 754,348, filed June 13, 1947, now abandoned. I

An important object of the invention is to provide a file folder including a pair of sheets arranged in back to back relationship and secured together along their marginal edges, the portions of the sheets within the marginal edges being provided with a plurality of openings communieating with the area between the proximate surfaces of the sheet, and the sheets being secured together along certain portions of the openings to provide a plurality of pockets to which access may be had through the openings. It is another object of the invention to'arrange a plurality of such combined sheets in a folder and to associate with such folder a plurality of article-carrying fiaps or envelopes, whereby the pockets may contain filed checks, and the flaps may contain related check stubs. Other objects of the invention are: to provide the folder of relatively few sheet elements advantageously secured together and formed to accomplish the foregoing objects; to provide a folder that is light-weight and compact when folded, the flaps or envelopes being contained within the opposed sheets or leaves of the folder; and to construct the flaps with such dimensions that the flaps may lie within the closed folder Without substantial overlap of one flap on the other.

The foregoing and other objects will appear as the disclosure is more fully made in the following detailed description and accompanying sheet of drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a face View of the folder in its opened position, the folded positions of the flaps being indicated in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of one of the pocket-forming sheets shown before assembly into the folder; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the folder shown in substantially closed position.

The disclosure herein is of a preferred embodiment of the invention and reference to the parts thereof as being of a certain size or shape, or reference to other details of the construction, should be taken as illustrative and not limiting.

The folder preferably comprises a generally rectangular backing member 10 hinged along a section centered on and diagrammatically represented by a line H between opposed lon sides of such folder. Although the fold section is represented by the line H, such section exceeds line width as illustrated in Fig. 4, and in fact may comprise spaced parallel creases along which the parts at the opposite sides of the fold section are swingable in book cover fashion. The backing member is formed of relatively stiff sheet material and may be of any suitable construction such as cardboard, paper, paperboard, binding board, impregnated fabric or the like. The

" backing member is divided by the hinge line H into first and second opposed leaves or pages [2 and [3. It will be understood, of course, that the pages or leaves may be separate elements joined together by flexible means to provide a hinge along the line I I. The hinge provides for folding and unfolding of the leaves to closed and open position in book fashion.

Each of the leaves has superimposed thereon a generally rectangular sheet [4. Since these sheets may be identical, only one will be described, the details of one being applicable to the construction of the other. The sheet I4 is secured at its marginal edges to the upper or inner surface of the page or leaf l2. The securing means may include adhesive, stapling, stitching, or any other suitable means. The portion of the sheets 14 within the marginal edges thereof is unsecured, except as will hereinafter appear, so that there is a generally rectangular area or space between the proximate surfaces of the back to back sheet and leaf.

The sheet I4 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings in the form of relatively long narrow slots l5. The formation of the slots I5 leaves a plurality of intervening sheet sections l 6, the opposite end portions I I of which remain integral with the sheet in proximity to the secured marginal edges thereof. The openings or slots I5 and intervening sheet sections l6 are alternately arranged; in other Words, each intervening sheet section is bordered on opposed side edges thereof by a slot. Prior to assembly of the sheet M on either the leaf I2 or 13, the sheet is provided with a plurality of slits [8, the end portions of which are joined by short cuts or slits 19 (Fig. 3). In the preferred form of the invention herein illustrated, the cuts or slits I8 and I9 are formed on three sides of a long narrow rectangle, the other side of the rectangle being delineated by a line of folding, shown at 3 in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The area of the small rectangle just described is represented by a sheet portion 2|, which portion is displaced or folded inwardly and bent back over its proximate integral sheet section IS. The relationship between the folded or displaced portion 2! and the sheet I4 and proximate leaf i2 is shown in Fig. 2. The folded under portion 2| provides along one side edge of each intervening sheet section It a portion of double thickness. The portion 2| is secured to the upper or inner surface of the leaf and the double thickness of this portion spaces each intervening sheet section outwardly from the inner or upper surface of the leaf. The remainder of the intervening sheet section remainsfree or unsecured with respect to the leaf. It

will thus be seen that the construction thus far described provides a plurality of pockets each of which is defined by the intervening sheet section, its integral end portions I1 and the secured fo lded under portion 2!. In'the preferred form of the invention disclosed the pockets are arranged vertically one above the other. The top of the first or upper pocket opens along the top or upper opening I 5 and access to this pocket may be had'through the opening and the spaced relation between the upper edge of the intervening sheetse'ction 1B and the leaf [2 by virtue of the outward spacing thereof by the folded-under I portion 2!. In the case of the last or bottom pocket. the bottom of the pocket is provided by thepr'oximate marginal edge portion of the sheet that is secured to the leaf. The double thickness along the bottom edge of each intervening sheet section it tends to impart to the sections a slightly arcuate shape so that access to the pockets through the openings I 5 may be easily gained. The pockets may thus readily receive flat articles such as cards, checks, vouchers or the like. The pockets may or may not bear identifying indicia to further augment the'adaptability of the folder as a filing device.

A still further feature of the invention is the provision'of additional article-carrying means in conjunction with the pocketed sheets just described. In the form of the invention shown here, each additional means is represented by a flap o'r envelope '2 2. Each flap is of generally rectangular shape and is hinged along one of its long edges to the folder and'is adapted to be contained within the folder when the folder is closed. One flap is associated in hinged relationship with the inside surface of the backing member H} substantially along the hinge line I1 and the other flap is associated in hinged rela tionship to the backing member along a marginal edge thereof apart from the hinge H.

The construction shown in thedrawings represents a preferred type of flap or envelope and the manner of associating the same with the backing member. As shown in Fig. 3, wherein an unassembled blank is illustrated, the sheet [4 includes integrally at one edge thereof a secondary sheet-section '23. This section 'in its entirety may be folded with respect to the sheet i4 along the fold lines 2 1 and 25. The

lines

24 and 25 could Well be coincident but are spaced apart to increase the capacity of the flap or envelope 22. The section 23 is foldable along a line 26 which divides the section 23 into inner and outer halves 2i and 28. The portion 2? includes integral tabs 22, each of which-is foldable along a fold line 30 normal'to the fold line 26. The flap 22 is formed by folding of the portion '28 back upon the portionZ! along theline 26. The tabs 29 arefo1ded over the ends of the portion 28 and are secured thereto, as by adhesive stapling, stitching or other suitable means. The portion 28 is provided with an arcuate notch 3| to facilitate the insertion and removal of articles into and out of the flap 22.

When the assembled sheet 14 is mounted on the left-hand leaf or page 12, the hinge 2425 between the sheet proper and the flap 22 lies substantially along the hinge I 2 between the opposed pages or leaves l2 and [3. The flap 22 may be folded to the left, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, or to the right as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1. When the assembled sheet is mounted on the right-hand page or leaf I3, the hinge line 24--25 lies substantially along the extreme righthand marginal edge of the leaf. The flap may be unfolded to the extended position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 or may .be folded inwardly to lie on top of the sheet portion M as shown in dotdash lines in Fig. 1.

The dimensions of and relationship between the flaps 22 are such that the flaps may be contained within the closed folder without substantial overlap of onefiap with respect to the other. In the disclosure based on a preferred form of the invention, the short dimension of each flap 22 is substantially half the width of the sheet l4. As shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, wherein both flaps 22 are folded on top of the right-hand sheet i i, the free unhinged edges of the flaps lie in close proximity to each other. The result is that there is no increased bulk to the folder when closed.

A preferred use of the filing device just described is in connection with the filing of checks and check stubs. It will be noted that there are six pockets on each page of the folder, a total of twelve to represent the twelve months in a year. Each pocket may contain cancelled checks for a particular month. The flaps or envelopes 22 may contain the related check stubs. It is preferred that the pockets are sufficiently shallow so that the upper portions of the checks may extend therefrom.

It will also be noted that the displaced portion2'l that is folded back from the formation of the opening i5 is relatively narrow so that it occupies only a relatively small proportion of the area at the bottom of the pocket, thus affording to the pocket greatest capacity and flexibility consistent with the provision of a neat and compact filing device. A further advantage of the construction disclosed is the provision of the the sheets 14 as duplicates so that special sheets need not be provided'for right or left-hand pages or leaves of the foldable backing member. In this" connection 'a further advantage is achieved in the provision of the'fiaps as integral elements of thesheets. The entire construction is inex pensive and lends itself readilyto modern'production methods. The finished product is neat, compact and highly useful and even when full lies relatively fiat and possesses none of the bulkiness characteristic of filing devices heretofore known.

Other advantages of the pocketed file folder willundoubtedlyoccurto those skilled in the art, as will various modifications and alterations in the preferred 'form of the invention illustrated. It should be understood, of course, that such modifications and alterations may be made with-' out departure from the underlying principles of the invention.

What-is claimed is:

1. A file folder, comprising: a cover structure including unarticulated front and back sections hingedly connected at contiguous inner edges and each section having an inner face which is disposed substantially coplanar with such face of the other section when the cover structure is open and which inner faces are disposed in opposed parallelism when the cover structure is closed; a sheet having a slotted pocket-forming portion attached flatwise to the inner face of one of said cover structure sections and cooperating with said one section to form pocket means accessible through the slots of said sheet, said slots extending transversely with reference to the inner edge of the one back section, said sheet including holding means in the form of a pocket-forming flap integrally and swingably connected with an outer edge of the slotted portion extending in contiguous parallelism with the outer edge of said one cover structure section, said pocket-forming flap being swingable to and from a position wherein it lies flatly upon a portion only of the slotted sheet portion; and a second holding means in the form of a pocket-forming flap hingedly connected with an inner face of the cover structure adjacently to and at a section extending length- Wise of the inner edges of said front and back cover structure sections, and the second pocketforming flap being adapted to lie upon another portion of the slotted sheet portion without concurrently lying upon any substantial part of the portion occupied by the first pocket-forming flap.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the hinged connection of the second pocketforming flap is upon the inner face of the other cover structure section.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein there is a second sheet essentially identical with the first sheet and having its slotted pocketforming portion attached flatwise to the inner face of the other cover structure section, wherein the second pocket-forming flap is that integral with the second sheet and depends from an inner edge of the second sheet adjacently to the inner edge of said other cover structure section.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein said pocket-forming flaps project transversely of their hinged connections with their slotted sheet portions a combined distance not exceeding but substantially equal to the distance between the inner and outer edges of the sheet having the flap projecting from its outer edge.

5. A file folder, comprising: a cover structure including inarticulated front and back sections hingedly connected at contiguous inner edges and each section having an opposite outer edge and an inner face which is disposed substantially coplanar with such face of the other section when the cover structure is open and which inner faces are disposed in opposed parallelism when the cover structure is closed, each of saidi'sections also having an upper edge and a lower='edge; pocket-forming sheet means assembled with the inner face of one of the cover structure sections to form pocket means flatly thereon and providing access opening means for such pocket means extending substantially between the inner and outer edges of such section, part of said opening means being near the upper edge of the cover section and part of said opening means being near the lower edge of such section; holding means in the form of a pocket-forming V flap hingedly connected with one of said cover sections at a portion extending in contiguous parallelism with its outer edge and substantially coextensive with such edge, said pocket-forming flap being swingable to and from a position wherein it lies flatly against a portion only of the pocket means when the cover structure is closed; and a second holding means in the form of a pocket-forming flap hingedly connected with an inner face of the cover structure adjacently to and at a section extending lengthwise of and substantially coextensive with the inner edges of said front and back cover structure sections, and the second pocketforming flap being adapted to lie against another portion of the pocket means without concurrently lying upon the portion occupied by the first pocket-forming flat.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein said pocket-forming flaps extend toward one another while lying against the pocket means and extend from their hinged connections a combined distance not exceeding but substantially equal to the distance between such hinged connections while the folder is closed.

'7. A file folder, comprising: a cover structure including inarticulated front and back sections hingedly connected at contiguous inner edges and each section having an opposite outer edge and an inner face which is disposed substantially coplanar with such face of the other section when the cover structure is open and which inner faces are disposed in opposed parallelism when the cover structure is closed, each of said sections also having an upper edge and a lower edge; pocketforming sheet means assembled with the inner faces of said sections to form a series of pockets flatly on each thereof having laterally-spaced respective access openings extending substantially between the inner and outer edges of their respective said sections, part of the openings on each cover section being near the upper edge thereof and part of said openings being near the lower edge thereof; holding means in the form of a pocket-forming flap hingedly connected with one of the cover sections at a portion extending in contiguous parallelism with its outer edge, said flap being substantially coextensive with such edge and swingable about its hinged connection to and from a position wherein it lies flatly upon a portion only of the pocket means of the one section; and a second pocket-forming flap hingedly connected with the inner face of the other cover section at a portion extending in contiguous parallelism with its inner edge, said second flap being substantially coextensive with such inner edge and swingable about its hinged connection to alternately lie upon portions of the pocket means of said sections, and said flaps extending from their hinged connections a combined distance not exceeding but substantially equal to the distance between such hinged connections while the folder is closed.

ARNOLD W. VOSS. ROBERT M. TRACHTE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 665,256 McCombs Jan. 1, 1901 1,329,910 Lambert Feb. 3, 1920 1,683,996 Snow Sept. 11, 1928 ,631 Osborn May 24, 1932