US2709439A - Loose leaf ring binder elements - Google Patents

Description

May 31, 1955 F. s. SCHADE 2,709,439

LOOSE LEAF RING BINDER ELEMENTS Filed April 1, 1953 IIZtlIIl FIG.2' \4 n i 7 6 I L V J MB 5 l7 I- \W \H FIC5.3

6 ai ll lZ D 3 9 9 INVENTOR FRANK STAN LEY SCHADE AT TO R NEYS 2,769,439 LOOSE LEAF RiNG BINDER ELEMENTS Application April 1, 1953, Serial No. 346,240 1 (Ilaim. (Ci. 129-24) This invention relates to loose leaf ring binding mechanisms and more particularly to an element for use with a series of like elements to provide with a simple cover member an inexpensive type of semi-permanent binder.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, easily handled and attractive ring binder assembly comparable in cost to the common pamphlet, folder, or booklet types of loose leaf bound structures. In making up prior folders of the type here concerned with a small stack of loose leaf pages having perforations punched in the binding margin thereof and enclosed between relatively thin paper or paper composition covers the ordinary types of paper fasteners are usually employed. Among these are the common prong types of paper fastener which hold the pages between a fastener head and the spreading prong ends, and the well known Acco fastener types provided with spaced prongs and having a prong lock compressor plate to secure the pages together. Such folders are commonly used for a great variety of business and other purposes, such as reference or analysis reports, personalized insurance solicitation or other record keeping material of a semi-permanent nature. Generally, the material is bound together so that separate pages may be removed or inserted as circumstances may arise. With the ordinary types of paper fasteners the removal or insertion of pages is relatively cumbersome, not only because of the nature of the fastener itself, but also because the binding portions of the covers are most often interfolded so as to conceal the fasteners at the binding margin thereof.

Accordingly an object of this invention is to obtain the advantages of the ring binder type of fastener in an inexpensive folder of this nature. The many advantages of the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof as disclosed by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cover member with side and back portions spread out and the new binder ring ele ments secured to the inside wall of one of the side panels;

Fig. 2 is a top plan on an enlarged scale of one of the ring elements;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the element;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the outer end of the element;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the inner end thereof; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the element mounted on the cover member with the latter shown in section.

In Fig. l a cover member is designated by the numeral 1 with side panels at 2 and a back portion at 3 separated from the side panels by fold lines in the material thereof as indicated. The cover 1 may be of paper or fabric composition or other suitable material and is preferably of a flexible character. It is also preferably of relatively thin cover stock suitable for pamphlet folder purposes and is generally somewhat stiffer than the loose leaf pages designed for use therewith.

The new ring binder elements are indicated at 4, a plurality of the elements, as the three shown by Fig. 1, being attached in spaced relation to a cover side panel 2 adjaatet cent the fold line between the panel and back portion 3. As indicated by Fig. 6, the elements are most conveniently positioned at the inner marginal portion of a side panel to enable the back portion to lie adjacent one end of the elements and the other side panel to overlie the arched ring member and the loose leaf pages at 5 threaded on the ring members.

The elements 4 comprise a plate support 6 and an arched ring wire element 7 pivotally hinged at its inner end to one end of the plate and at its outer end provided with a tip extending as at 8 for releasable engagement at the other end of the plate in ring closed position. The arched rings are disengaged by the forceable upward lifting of the tip 8 to free the outer end of the arched ring and permit the mounting of loose leaf pages thereon. From Figs. 1 and 6 it will be seen that the tips 8 of the rings may be most conveniently flipped upwardly by the tip of a users fingers and with the arched tops of the ring swung back to lie in open condition against the back portion 3 of the cover, the ring tips 8 will lie in aligned position for easily removing or inserting the loose leaf pages on the ring wires. The wires are then snapped back into the closed position shown by finger or thumb pressure on the top of the arch to engage the tips 8 as will be described. Thus, a pack of several loose leaf pages desired for binding between covers may be readily and easily manipulated into position for assembly.

The element is attached to the body of the cover material as best shown by Fig. 6. The plate 6 is preferably a rectangular fiat metal plate having a pair of prongs 9 struck from the body of the plate centrally at each side thereof as at ltl (Fig. 2). At the base of each prong and extending towards the adjacent end of the plate is a por tion 11 raised above the surface of the plate. The prongs 9 are adapted to pierce the material of the cover panel 2 and be bent upwardly against the recess provided at the underside of the portions 11 with the adjacent material of the cover pinched therebetween. Thus the prongs are recessed in the outer surface of the cover and will not protrude to scratch a desk or table surface on which the binder may be placed and used.

The inner end of the arched ring wire 7 is formed with an angled hinge pintle portion 12 turned substantially at right angles to the plane of the arched ring, the portion 12. being received in a sleeve at 13 of an upwardly and reversely rolled extension at one side of the plate end. The sleeved hinge portion 13 is spaced at said end from an upwardly arched extension 14 at the opposite side of the plate end. The adjacent side edges of the two extensions form a recess as at 15 (Fig. 2) for the pivotal movement of the inner end portion of the wire arch in the opening and closing movements thereof. The inner side edge of extension 14 holds the pintle 12 positioned against removal from the sleeve (see Fig. 5

Preferably as shown by Figs. 4 and 5 the arched ring 7 is slightly angled from the recess at 15 upwardly and arcuately towards the diagonally opposite side extension at 16 at the opposite end of the plate 6 and so as to tension the outer free end portion of the wire in a direction towards the angled path at the inner end of a locking slot 17 formed between the extension at 16 and an extension 13 at the other side of said plate end. Spaced extensions 16 and 18 are upwardly turned at said end of the plate as at right angles thereto to form a slotted locking plate. The slot 17 (Fig. 4) at its top section is angled in the direction of the end extension 18 opposite the sleeve 13 and in the lower section reversely angled toward the end extension 16, that is, in the direction of the forces of tension inherent in the arched wire 7.

Thus, as seen by the enlarged view of Fig. 4, the position of tip 8 in entering the slot 17 at the top thereof is one in which the wire is under a slight tension to resist the downward angled thrust in said top slot section and under a greater tension at the intersection of the top and bottom angled sections. The tip is shown by dotted line in each of these positions and it will be noted that the tip is thus positively snapped into the slot finding its wayto the bottom thereof when downwardly pushed past the intersection of the angled sections. On removal of the tip the passage thereof out of the slot is assisted by the tension of the Wire when the tip is upwardly directed past said intersection. A positive snap lock movement thus occurs in latching or unlatching the arched ring for closed or open condition.

It is to be noted that Figs. 2 to 6 are views of an actual embodiment enlarged to approximately double size for purposes of clarity. Figs. 1 and 6 is preferably designed to accommodate a relatively small stack of loose leaf pages of approximately standard letter size. The height of the arched ring above the plate in ring closed position may, if desired, be only high enough to accommodate the thickness of a particular stack of pages which it is designed to carry.

It should be noted also that the device as disclosed herein has a further specific advantage and convenience in the simplicity of its construction, the one piece plate support being formed at its inner end with a closed eye portion as the rolled sleeve extension 13 and spaced therefrom at said end with an open eye as the upwardly arched extension 14. As set forth above, the extension 1 3 provides an arched abutment to retain the pintle 12 Within its bearing sleeve. The undersurface of the arched extension 14 is substantially in axial alignment with the sleeve 13. In assembling the two parts together it will be seen (see Figs. 3 and 5) that the pintle 12 may be readily inserted into the sleeve 13 by initially placing the pintle under the arch of the ex- (I tension 14 with the inner ring portion held downwardly projecting beyond the free edge of the extension 14, and then sliding the pintle laterally and axially into the sleeve 13. When the. pintle is fully encased in the sleeve the inner portion of the arched ring is in registration with the recess 15 and may be pivotally swung upwardly and forwardly to enter the recess for the assembled position ready for attachment to a cover member. In attaching the device to a cover I have found in practice that prongs 9 are convenient to use. Other suitable means as rivets or eyelets may also be used.

In use the binder assembly as in What is claimed is:

A loose leaf ring binder element adapted for attachment with like elements to a cover member for mounting loose leaf sheets on said cover member, said element comprising a support and an arched ring member pivotally mounted at its inner end to one end of the support with the other end of said ring member adapted for releasable engagcment with the other end of said support, said support being in the form of a plate with the end for pivotally carrying said ring provided with spaced upwardly raised extensions, the recess between said extensions being centrally of said plate end with one or" said extensions being rolled back on said plate and forming a sleeve for pivotally mounting said ring member, said arched ring member having at its inner end a hinge pintlc portion extending laterally of the plane of said arched ring and substantially perpendicular thereto with said lateral pintie portion being received in the axial opening of said sleeved extension of the plate, said arched ring extending upwardly from said plate end from the recess between said extensions and adapted to swing its outer end toward and away from the opposite end of the plate, said opposite plate end having spaced extensions upwardly raised trom said plate surface, the adjacent sides of said extensions being centrally of the plate with the opening between the same forming a slot angled laterally of said end in one direction at the top of the extensions and in a reverse direction in the lower section thereof, said ring element being provided with a tip extension slidably engageable in said angled slot with said tip extending beyond said plate extensions at the bottom of the slotfor finger manipulation of the tip to disengage said ring member, said slot at the intersection of the reversely directed portions thereof receiving said tip end of the ring element in laterally stressed condition of the element with said element at said intermediate location being biased in the direction of said slotted portions.

References titted in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS l,44l,873 Moore Jan. 9, 1923 1,729,563 Bohrer Sept. 24, 1929 2,22l,63l Bunnell Nov. 12, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 790,027 France 1935 975,626 France 1950

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