US296235A

US296235A - Alfred k sill

Info

Publication number: US296235A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1901-04-01

Description

(No Model.)

A. N. SILL.

V V BLOITER. N o. 296,235. V Patented Apr. 1,1884.

UNITED STATES Parent @FFECE.

ALFRED N. SILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

'BLOTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,285, dated April 1, 1884.

Application filed April 14, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED N. SILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsy1vania,have invented Improvernents in Blotters, of which the follow; ing is a specification.

My invention consists of an improved handled blotting-pad with a flexible blotting-surface, as more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of my improved blotting pad and the manner of using the same 5 Fig. 2, a longitudinal section Figs. 3'and 4, enlarged sectional views of the spring-clamps, Fig. 3 showing a clamp open, and Fig. showing the opposite clamp closed; Fig.5,alongitudinal section of amodified form of blotter, and Fig. 6 a sectional view illustrating another modification.

A is a curved spring-plate of sheet metal of suitable dimensions, and to the concave back of this plate is secured with yielding connections, as hereinafter described, a handle, 13, whereby the blotter may be conveniently manipulated.

To the convex side of the plate are applied a series of sheets, D, of blotting-paper, out to the proper size and placed one above the other to form the blotting-surface. These blottingsheets are held in place by spring-clamps E- one secured to each end of the plate Aas illustrated more fully in the enlarged views, Figs. 3 and 4. Each end of the plate A is bent backward to form a hook, a, with which engages the hooked end I) of the cla1np-plate, a portion, d, of the latter bearing against the edge of the plate A, and, being of spring sheet metal, it maintains the two hooks a b in proper engagement with each other. The clamping-plates E, thus hung to the plate A, can be adjusted to either the open position shown in. Fig. 3, to allow the blotting-sheets to be put in place, or to the closed position shown in Fig. 4, to retain the ends of the sheets, and the spring-clamps will be self-retaining, in either of the positions, against accidental displacement. I prefer to make the clamping-plates of about the same width as the plates A, and I provide each with a handle, f, to facilitate the opening and closing of the clamp, and for convenience I prefer to form this handle by striking or bending up a portion of the plate E itself, as illustrated in Fig. 1. No joints, pins, or other expensive fittings are required in hanging the plates E to the plate A, one plate being simply slipped laterally onto the other in such a position that the hooks a lien gage with each other, this engagement of the hooks, in connection with the bearing on the end of the plate, being the only fastening required, so that the blotter can be very economically constructed, and possesses the necessary qualities of strength and freedom from liability to get out of order.

As I have above stated, the handle B is connected to the elastic plate A with a yielding connection, so that when the blotter is pressed down onto the surface to be blotted the springplate A is at liberty to straighten itself out over the said surface, as shown in Fig. 1. This yielding connect-ion of the handle with the plate A may be provided at one or both ends of the handle. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the handle B is arch-shaped, and on each-end is formed a T-head,b,adapted to grooves a 0n the plate, formed by bending up sheet-metal strips secured to the plate. The lower ends of these grooves are open, to permit the insertion of the T-heads on the handlewhen the spring-plate is flattened out. The upper ends of the grooves or slots are closed, and preferably provided with rubber pads h. If preferred the grooves of may be formed by cutting a longitudinal slot in each end of the plate and bending the portion of 85 the metal out from the slot to form a guard, a, to protect the blotting-paper from the T-head on the handle B, as shown in Fig. 5, in which the handle is of a somewhat difierent form from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; or, if desired, the slot for the T-head may be formed in a bent strip secured to the plate A, instead of in the plate A itself. I

Instead of forming T-heads on the handle adapted to grooves in or on the plate, a pro jection or pin, 1", on the plate may be adapted to an opening ineach end of the handle, as indicated in Fig. 6.

The handle may have a yielding connection with the plate at one end, the other being fixed; but I prefer to have both ends free.

By connecting the handle to the plate, as

described,the ends of the plate are unconfined, and it is at liberty to flatten out, as indicated in Fig. 1, when pressureis applied to the handle, so that the rocking movement usually employed with blotters of this class is unnecessary.

Instead of using spring-clamps at each end of the plate A,a hook or permanent clamp may be used at one end of the plate, in connection with a spring-clamp at the other; but I prefer the use of two spring-clamps.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the curved elastic plate A, carrying the blotting-surface, with a handle, B, having a longitudinally-yielding connection with said plate, whereby on pressing the handle downward the plate A is at liberty to flatten out, as set forth.

2. The combination of an elastic plate, A, carrying the blotting-surface, and provided at one or each end with a-slot or groove, with a handle, B, having a T-head adapted to said slot or groove, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a handle and plate, A, with a blotting-surface, and spring-clamps at each end of the plate A, as specified.

4. The combination of a plate, A, having a hooked end, a, with aplate, E, having a hook, I), and bearing d, substantially as set forth.

5. Theeombination of a sheet-metal plate, A, having a hooked end, a, with the plate E, having a hook, b, and adapted to be applied to the hooked end of the plate A laterally, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ALFRED N. SILL.

WVitnesses:

HARRY L. ASHENFELTER, HUBERT HowsoN.