US2893144A

US2893144A - Index tabs

Info

Publication number: US2893144A
Application number: US392286A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter F Cunningham
Original assignee: Superior Tabbies Inc
Current assignee: Superior Tabbies Inc
Priority date: 1953-11-16
Filing date: 1953-11-16
Publication date: 1959-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1976-07-07

Description

-w. F. CUNNINGHAM 2,893,144

INDEX TABS July 7, 1959 Filed Nov. 16, 1953 mmvrox Walierlf' Cunm'rg/zanz BY 0 M we;

fliiys United States Patent INDEX TABS Walter Cunningham, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Superior Tabbies, Inc., Chicago, Ill., an Illinois corporation Application November 16, 1953, Serial No. 392,286

Claims. (Cl. 40-23) This invention relates to improvements in index tabs.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved tab construction which enables the tab to be readily affixed to the edge of a sheet of a bound volume without the use of added moisture or adhesive and without heating or pressing and without danger of causing wrinkles in the sheet at the region of attachment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an index tab construction having wings or flaps formed of selfadhering sheet material which not only secures filler members in place in the tab, but provides the means whereby the wings of the tab are readily secured to opposed portions of the sheet on which the tab is mounted.

In the preparation of index tabs on the margins of sheets of a publication, such as catalogs, bound reports, etc., in some instances the sheets after printing are so cut as to form integral tabs before the sheets are assembled and bound into volume form. This operation is not only wasteful of paper, but the cutting of the sheets to arrange the tabs in properly staggered relation is time consuming and therefore costly. Where tabs which are non-integral with the sheets have been affixed to bound publications, such operations also have been time consuming and expensive since generally such tabs require either the application of adhesive or moisture during the process of aflixation as well as heating and/or pressing thereafter. By means of the present improvements the tabs can be afiixed to the edges of the proper sheets of a publication without the employment of specially skilled artisans since the tabs are self-adhering to the applied sheets. The adhering wings of the tabs which engage the sheets are transparent and hence can be of a size to provide adequate strength without obscuring portions of printed matter which may be covered by the wings and the actual afiixation of the tabs can be performed without use of special equipment or apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the present improve ments will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tab embodying the present improvements shown in afiixed relation on a paper sheet, such as of a bound catalog, or the like.

' Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of a strip of such tabs.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically the steps in the manufacture and the relationship of the parts of the tabs as they are assembled into a strip of tabs, ready for use upon severance from the strip.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a roll of the tabs, which roll may be placed in a suitable dispenser or holder for the convenience of the person applying the tabs.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational View of a tab of the type shown in Figs. 14, inclusive, and affixed to a sheet.

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of a tab of similar construction, but adapted for receiving a separate or nonintegral index indicia bearing insert.

Fig. 7 is a broken perspective view of a strip of tabs of the form shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a end elevational view of a tab of the type shown in Figs. 6 and 7 affixed to a sheet.

Referring to Fig. 2 which illustrates a portion of a strip consisting of three index tabs each designated generally by the numeral 10, it will be seen that the tabs have a common strip 11 and that each tab 10 is composed of a longitudinal portion 12 of the base strip 11 and in addition two

sections

13 and 14 disposed in parallel relation each on one side of the median line of the strip 11. The spacing between

sections

13 and 14 of each tab is suflicient to enable folding of the two longitudinal halves of the tabs without unduly stressing the central portion of the strip material as the

sections

13 and 14 move into face-to-face contact as the tab is folded to the relation shown into Fig. 1. Such spacing apart of the

sections

13 and 14 along the longitudinal center line of the strip 11 is dependent generally on the thickness of the material of the

sections

13 and 14. In the form of the tabs shown in Fig. 2 before they are separated upon severance crosswise of the strip along the lines indicated at 15 in said figure, the upper surface of the strip 11 as viewed in said figure is of a pressure-sensitive adhesive character and by this characteristic of the surface it secures the

sections

13 and 14 in position. The bottom or opposed surface of the strip 11 is non-adhesive. The material of which the strip 11 is composed is a wellknown transparent sheet material, one form of which is sold as Scotch tape, but as stated, said strip 11 has adhesive characteristics on one side or surface only.

The

sections

13 and 14 shown in Fig. 2 may likewise be formed of originally transparent but non-adhesive cellulose material somewhat thicker than the material of the strip 11. The

sections

13 and 14 may be formed, if desired, of a non-transparent paper stock material such as cardboard. Thus with the strip 11 of relatively thin transparent cellulosic or like material of .003 inch thickness, for example, the material of

sections

13 and 15 might well be of approximately .0075 inch in thickness, for example, to give adequate stiffness to the portion of the applied tab which projects beyond the edge of a bound sheet. The

sections

13 and 14, when in position on the adhesive side of the strip 11, leave uncovered the lateral or wing portions 16 of the adhesive surface of the strip for securing the several tabs, after the same has been severed from the strip, to the edges of sheets of the catalog for indexing purposes. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the

sections

13 and 14 bear suitable indicia for indexing purposes, the indicia being letters, abbreviations, or the like, depending on the character of the publication to which they are applied in use.

In forming a strip of connected tabs of the character suggested in Fig. 2, a strip 11 of transparent cellulose material having one adhesive surface may be fed from a roll 17 thereof, over a roller 18, thence between dies 19 which punch openings 20 therein and then rolled into roll form, if desired. The strips of

material

21 and 22 of which the

sections

13 and 14 are formed are fed from a roll 23 of such strips of a single wider strip may be fed from its source and slitted longitudinally concurrently with the feeding action. The two strips, suitably spaced apart pass under a companion roll 24 which presses the

strips

21, 22 firmly into adherent contact with the adhesive upper surface of the strip 11. In passing between the dies 19, openings 20 are formed in the composite strip, which openings are suitably spaced along the composite strip to provide tabs of the desired length. The cut-outs or openings 20 formed by the dies sever the

strips

21, 22 into the

sections

13 and 14 which, however,

are retained in position by the unsevered longitudinal portions of the strip 11.

The

sections

13 and 14 bear indicia which is visible through the transparent material of the strip 11 as suggested in Fig. 1. The imprinting of the indicia on the

strips

21, 22 will usually correspond to that required for a particular job, although tabs bearing indicia for general use may be made; Such imprinting of the indicia on the

strips

21, 22 is effected prior to the assembly of the parts in tab forming relation. If the

strips

21 and 22 are of paper, merely printing the indicia thereon in suitably spaced relation and in repeated cycles may be sufficient, although the paper strips may be coated also to provide a desired color background for the imprinted indicia. If the

sections

13 and 14 are originally of transparent material, such surface coloring is required to render the strips opaque and thus prevent visual interference of the indicia borne by the sections when the tabs are in use as shown in Fig. 1.

The composite strips of tabs made as above described preferably are sold in roll form as indicated in Fig. 4, the tape being wound upon a spool 25. The completed strips of tabs may, however, be sold in lengths, if desired, rather than in roll form.

A roll 25 of a strip of tabs, such as shown in Fig. 4 may be placed in a suitable dispenser (not shown) and in affixing the tabs in place as shown in Fig. 1, the material of the roll is fed forwardly and severed from. the strip. The severence occurs transversely of the strip, as along the dotted lines 15 shown in Fig. 2. The operator then attaches one adhesive margin of a tab to one side of the sheet after locating the edge of the

respective section

13 or 14 against the edge of the sheet. The tab is then folded along its center line as indicated in Fig. 5 and the other adhesive wing portion is adhesively attached to the opposite side of the sheet.

When so attached the transparent wing sections 16 of the tab may in some instances overlie printed matter on either side of the sheet, but since the strip 11 is transparent, the printing is clearly visible through the strip. The indicia on the

sections

13 and 14 is likewise clearly visible and the tab is neat, firmly attached and soil resistant.

In the use of a suitable dispenser for the tab rolls as mentioned, the openings 20 in the tab strip may be utilized by dispenser mechanism in advancing the tab strip a predetermined distance during each dispensing operation.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 is similar to the form above described except that the composite strip 26 shown in Fig. 7 has no spaced openings defining tab lengths, but the strip may be cut, with scissors if desired, into the lengths required. The tab strip 26, shown in Fig. 7, comprises a transparent base strip 28 with adhesive of the pressure-sensitive type on one surface only.. To that surface is attached two spaced

apart filler strips

29 and 30. The

filler strips

29 and 30 also are of transparent material and thicker than the base strip 28. They are spaced apart along the center line of the base strip to provide a hinge construction as in the preceding form as shown in Fig. 7. Such composite tab strips, as shown in Fig. 7, may be cut with scissors or the like to the length desired by the user and attached .to sheets of a publication as above described. Thereafter an insert 31 of cardboard, paper, or other suitable opaque material, bearing the desired indicia on opposed sides, which may be typed, printed, or in longhand, is inserted in the pocket or space between the adjacent faces of the

sections

29, 30 of the affixed tab as shown in Figs. 6 and 8.

In both forms of the tab construction above described the

base strips

11 and 28 are of transparent material having one surface only thereof bearing pressure-sensitive adhesive. Suchsurface adhesively secures the filler sections thereto in spaced relation relative to the center line slid into position in the pockets or spaces between the contacting non-adherent surfaces of the

sections

29, 30.

It will be apparent that composite tab strips of the types shown may be formed into rolls if desired for merchandising purposes or sold in unrolled lengths. When in the form of rolls, the exposed adhesive wing sections of a base strip may tend to adhere to adjacent convolutions of the roll, but since the contact of the adhesive portions is only with the non-adhesive side of the same strip, such tendency to adhere presents no problem in unwinding the roll by hand or by means of a suitable dispenser. In the afiixation of a tab of either described form to a sheet, the filler member of the first affixed half of the tab constitutes, in effect, a gauge or stop as the longitudinal edge of the filler is brought against the edge of the sheet before the adhesive wing portion is brought into adhesive contact with the sheet. The fillers so used thus enable the tabs to be affixed with uniformity to the pages of a publication.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent that various changes in the details of the illustrated structure may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A strip index tab construction adapted to be dispensed in roll form comprising a base member of transparent sheet material having pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface, and a pair of filler members adhesively attached to the base member on said surface by the adhesive thereof, said filler members being parallel and spaced apart along the longitudinal center line of the base to define therebetween a hinge section of a width enabling the base member to be folded freely for swinging the filler members in face-to-face contact upon removal from the strip, said base member being of a width extending laterally beyond the filler members to provide wings for attachment by the adhesive thereof to opposed surfaces of a marginal portion of a sheet, said filler members carrying index indicia visible through the transparent material of the base member, and said base and filler members having centrally disposed openings spaced along the strip between adjacent said indicia to define the lengths of separable tabs.

2. An index tab construction providing a rollable strip of a plurality of separable tabs, comprising a base member of transparent sheet material having pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface, and a pair of filler members adhesively attached to the base member on said surface by the adhesive thereof, said filler members being parallel and spaced apart along the longitudinal center line of the base to define therebetween a hinge section of a width enabling, the base member to be folded freely for swinging the filler members in face-to face contact upon removal from the strip, said base and filler members hav-' ing centrally disposed openings spaced along the strip to define the lengths. of said separable tabs, said base member being of a width extending laterally beyond the fi-ller members to provide wings for attachment by the adhesive thereof to opposed surfaces of a marginal portion of a sheet, and said filler members being provided with index indicia visible from opposed sides of each separated and attached tab through the transparent material of the base member.

3. A fiat index tab construction comprising a base member of transparent sheet material having pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface, and a pair of filler members adhesively attached to the base member on said surface by the adhesive thereof, said filler members being parallel and spaced apart along the longitudinal center line of the base to define therebetween a hinge section of a width enabling the base member to be folded freely for swinging the filler members into face-to-face contact, said base member being of a width extending laterally beyond the filler members to provide wings for attachment by the adhesive thereof to opposed surfaces of a marginal portion of a sheet, said members being provided with index indicia on the sides thereof visible through the transparent material of said base member.

4. A flat index tab construction comprising a base member of transparent sheet material having pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface, and a pair of filler members adhesively attached to the base member on said surface by the adhesive thereof, said filler members being parallel and spaced apart along the longitudinal center line of the base to define therebetween a hinge section of a width enabling the base member to be folded (freely for swinging the filler members into face-to-face contact, said base member being of a width extending laterally beyond the filler members to provide wings for attachment by the adhesive thereof to opposed surfaces of a marginal portion of a sheet.

5. A flexible flat index tab construction comprises a base member of transparent sheet material having pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface, and a pair of filler members adhesively attached to the base member on said surface by the adhesive thereof, said filler members being parallel and spaced from each other laterally of the base member a distance approximately equal to the sum of the thicknesses of said filler members, said base member being of a width extending laterally beyond the filler members to provide wings for attachment by the adhesive thereof to opposed surfaces of a marginal portion of a sheet, whereby such spacing of said filler members faci1itates folding of the tab to effect such attachment to a sheet, avoids bulkiness, and assures flexibility.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,416,529 Turner May 16, 1922 1,437,773 Phalen Dec. 5, 1922 1,785,780 Maish Dec. 23, 1930 2,303,346 Flood Dec. 1, 1942 2,541,791 Taylor Feb. 13, 1951 2,649,796 Zalkind Aug. 25, 1953