US2876021A - Spring action desk pad holder - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1959 J. POT'I 'S v v 2,876,021 SPRING ACTION DESK PAD HOLDER v Filed June 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 3, 1959 J. POTTS 2, 6,

SPRING ACTION DESK PAD HOLDER Filed June 20, 1956 k2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent SPRING ACTION DESK PAD HOLDER Jolm Potts, Chicago,

pany, Chicago, 11].,

Application June 20, 1956, Serial No. 592,634 4 Claims. (Cl. 281-15) Ill., assignor to Wilson-Jones Coma corporation of Massachusetts This invention relates to a spring action desk pad holder, and is particularly concerned with means .for

vmaintaining a compressor plate in contact with the uppermost sheet of a pad or stack of sheets mounted in a holder and from which individual sheets may be removed from time to time.

The pad holder is designed primarily for calendar pads, but may be used advantageously with memorandum pads or other similar stacks of sheets where the uppermost sheets are torn off and discarded. A compressor plate if desired. The compressor plate is also easily removable so that the uppermost sheet may be removed in its entirety, if desired, instead of being torn across adjacent its top edge.

' The chiefobject of this invention is to provide means for holding a stack or pad of sheets under spring pressure at all times regardless of the height of the stack or pad. The structure by means of which the above and other objects and advantages are attained will be described in detail in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pad the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pad holder with the pad removed;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the pad holder;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the structure for holding the pad under spring pressure;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the compressor plate adapted to fit over the upper edge of the pad; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

The pad holder comprises a base 2, a compressor plate 3, and spring pressed mechanism for urging the compressor plate towards the base and thereby exerting pressure on a pad or stack of sheet 4 positioned on the base and having the compressor plate lying across the upper edge of the uppermost sheet.

The base 2 is preferably molded of any suitable plastic, although it could be formed from sheet metal, or cast from some light metal, such as aluminum. The base is provided at its lower end with a trough 5 for holding a pencil or the like. A recess 6, formed by :1 depending cylindrical flange 7, is provided at each sideof the base adjacent the trough 5. A cushioning pad 8, of rubber or any suitable composition, fits snugly into each of 'the recesses 6 to space the lower edge of the holder from the surface of the desk.

holder embodying compressor plate against the sheets. Flange 9 is pro- ,vided with integral reinforcing ribs 12. The underside of base 2 has a plurality of integral ribs 13 depending therefrom to reinforce the base. The upper surface of the base is depressed, as indicated at 14, to facilitate positioning of the sheets 4. The sheets are provided adjacent their upper edge with two apertures 15 which register with apertures 16 in the depressed area of the base when the sheets are positioned in said depressed area.

The compressor plate 3 is preferably made of plastic to match the base, but may be made of metal. The upper surface of the compressor plate may be decorated in any desired manner as, for instance, by advertising material of the donor, if the pad holder is to be given away for advertising purposes. The compressor plate has a depending flange 17 adapted to abut the upper edges of the uppermost sheets, and apair of flanges 18 adapted to abut the sides of said sheets. A pair of posts 19 extending through keyhole slots 20 in the compressor plate have enlarged heads 21 adapted to pass through the enlarged portions of the key hole slots. The enlarged heads 21 permit removal of the compressor plate when they are in registration with the enlarged portions'of the slots 20 and prevent such removal when they are in registration with the small portions of the slots. The lower ends of the posts 19 whichsare threaded, as indicated at 22, are adapted to pass freely through apertures 16. I

A tubular boss 23 depends from the underside of base 2 in registration with each aperture 16; Only one of these will be described since the structure isduplicated at the other side of the pad holder. The inner diameter of boss 23 is larger than the diameter of aperture 16 so as to loosely receive the upper end' of a tubular sleeve 24 provided with a vertical bore 25 threaded to engage the threaded end 22 of post 19. Sleeve 24 is provided with an external annular shoulder 26, and a retaining nut 27 threaded on the lower end of boss 23 has an annular horizontal flange 28 extending inwardly far enough to form a stop adapted to engage shoulder 26 when sleeve 24 is in its lowermost position, and thereby prevent separation of sleeve 24 from boss 23.

The sleeve-24 serves as a supporting leg for the base, and its lower end is counterbored, as indicated at 29, to receive a cushioning pad 30 similar to the pad 8. The upper end of sleeve 24 is recessed, as indicated at 31, to provide a seat for a compressionv spring 32. The other end of spring 32 bears against the underside of base 2 to exert a constant force urging base 2 upwardly, thereby holding the sheets under compression between p1ate'3 and base 2.

In order to position a pad 4 in the holder both posts 19 are unscrewed from the bores 25 of sleeves 24. Springs 32 will then force base 2 upwardly until flanges 28 abut shoulders 26. After pad 4 is positioned in the depressed area 14 the compressor plate 3 is placed on the upper edge of the uppermost sheet of pad 4 and sheets. When flanges 28 abut shoulders 26 so that further upward movementof the base is impossible, the

postsv 19, maybe :screwed downwardly-1 into :bores 25 to movewompressonplate- 3downwardly towards the base to maintain the compression. 4

Although ,I have,:described a. preferred embodiment v.; of the invention in considerable'detail,:itlwill be-*undertsloodethat the description thereof is intended "to be illustrative,

rather. thantsrestrictive as many details may be ,modifiedor. changed without departing from- -the spirit onscope of, theinvention; Accordingly,- I do-not desire ,1 tobe restricted to theexact structure described,

except as limited by the appended claims. ;Iclaim: 1,. a 8

, 1. A. pad holderl-cdmp rising ta base,:a :pluralityof sheets positioned on said base, a compressor plate-overspring; between. said base and said sleeve, said spring being, effective to move said base and sheets upwardly relative to said post-,andsleeve to maintain stacks of sheets of varying heights under'compression. 1 I

;A pad holder comprisingtasbasea tubular boss 4, depending from the underside-of-said' base, a sleeve havi ng one-end fitting loosely within said tubular boss, at ,retainingnut secured to the lowermost end of said boss, ,-said nut having an aperture of less diameter than the diameter of the end of the sleeve fitting within said boss, said .nut thereby preventing separation of said sleeve tf rom said base, a post extending throughsaid base into ..,thr eaded engagement with said sleeve, and a spring be- ,of; sheets; compressed :between .said base end of said post willz-be maintained under compression plate,

. tween said ,sleeveiandsaid. base to -urge said base upwardly relative to said sleeve and post, whereby a stack and: the upper as, the height ,ofsuch stack. is changed.

3, A pad holder comprising a base,--acompressor a plurality of sheets interposed between said plate and said base, a pair of posts extending through said compressor plate, sheets" and base, a sleeve in threaded engagement with each post, said sleeves being movable in a substantially vertical direction relative to said base,

an exterior annular shoulder on each of said sleeves, a

pair of retaining nuts "secured to said base and engageable with each 'of said" shoulders to prevent separation of said sleeves and said base, and a spring between each of 'said' s'leeves Ia nd'sa'id-base to urge said base'towards 10 said c'ompres'sorplate to compress varying numbers of sheets ,g-therebetween. j j

4. A pad holder comprising a base for supporting a plurality of sheets, 'a'boss" depending from the underside of said base, said boss having a vertical bore, a retaining nut secured to the lowermost end portion of said boss, said retaining nut having a horizontal flange extending inwardlybeyond the outer edge of said vertical bore, a sleeve having an upper end portionpositioned within' said bore, said' u'pper end portion of said sleeve haVlI1 g"a'Il external shoulder'positioned'within said bore, saidsleeve havinga threaded" verticalbore, a 'slieet' fetaining post extending through said base, a s tack'of sheets mounted thereon; s'aid fpost being threaded into saidlast mentioned bore;ia compressor plate adaptedto be'heldagains't the upper end'ofsaid'post by" sheets --mounted"on said basejan'd a compression sprin g'fin't'ersaid base anda'por'tion posed between 'the' underside of" ofsaid sleeve, said springjurging'said baseup'wardly --r'elative to said sleeveand'sheetretaining post'tofl in.

go' tain' a stack of sheets" on "said basefundercompression *assaid stack is diminished in thickness; until the flange engages the external shoulder on said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kemp Nov. 18, I930 1,782,985 Clark Nov. 25, 1930 40 2,185,151 Kemp Dec. 26, 1939

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