US2991522A

US2991522A - Manifold set separating device

Info

Publication number: US2991522A
Application number: US712510A
Authority: US
Inventors: Zalkind Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-01-31
Filing date: 1958-01-31
Publication date: 1961-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1978-07-11

Description

July 11, 1961 J. ZALKIND MANIFOLD SET SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 51, 1958 a m P 2e INVENTOR. J0 SEP/l znua/va,

United States Patent 2,991,522 MANIFOLD SET SEPARATING DEVICE Joseph Zalkind, 22 W. 22nd St., New York, N.Y. I

Filed Jan. 351, 1958, Ser. No. 712,510

8 Claims. (Cl. 24- 66).

This invention relates to devices for removing carbons interleaved between the writing sheets of manifold sets, and more particularly to small, readily portable devices for accomplishing that purpose.

It is an object of the invention to provide a small and economical device in the nature of an ofiice appliance which can be conveniently kept stored in a desk drawer when not in use and which is provided with means for effectively gripping the stub of a manifold set and holding it securely while the opposite free margin of the set is pulled by hand in order to separate the leaves of the carbons held in the stub.

It is another object of the invention to provide a small device which can be easily manufactured and which will be of rugged structure and having a minimum of moving parts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the kind described which can be easily operated by fem-ale ofiice personnel with a minimum of physical effort.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a manifold set separating device capable of producing a shingling effect when thick manifold sets are separated, by merely placing the free margins of the manifold set between the gripping elements of the device and manually pulling on the stub.

Briefly, my invention comprises a base of box-like structure for housing -a bell crank lever actuatable by a manually depressible button wherein the lever carries round headed rubber engaging pegs. In co-action with the pegs which constitute the male member of a jaw, a female jaw member is provided into which the pegs protrude whereby the margin of a manifold set is compressed and firmly gripped between the pegs and the groove or depression which forms the female element of the jaw. The coacting surfaces of the plurality of pegs the stub ends of the sets may be placed between the jaw elements. However, it is of advantage to grip the free ends in the jaw and apply tension by manual gripping of the stub margin since this avoids tearing away pieces of the sheets due to uneven finger pressure.

My invention now be described in greater detail in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device.

FIG. .2 is an elevation showing the position of a manifold set and the male jaw element in dotted lines, when in gripping condition.

. FIG. 3 is a section through 3-3 ofF-IG. 1 showing 'a manifold set in position ready to be gripped with the jawelements separated.

' FIG. 4 is 'a section through 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the jaw elements closed and gripping a manifold set, with a shingling effect; and

FIG. 6 is a section through 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention comprises a base 10 which can be conveniently fabricated of sheet 2,991,522 Patented July 11, 1961 metal having slanted sides as shown in FIG. 2 and providing a top surface 12 on which can be rested a manifold set 14 or a plurality of sets, depending on thickness of individual sets, as indicated in the dash lines in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5. Base 10 has heightened sides to form a support and housing for a metal cast element 20 which may be fastened as by bolts or screws 24 to the heightened sides of the base as indicated on FIG. 2. The bottom of the base may be closed by a bottom closure plate 26 if desired, which may be fastened in any suitable way. The element 20 constitutes a bell crank support for the bell crank 30, carried pivotally on a pin 34, which may be of cast metal and having a pair of ears 38 through which pin 34 passm rotatively, the pin being supported in a pair of depending lugs 42 all as shown in FIG. 6 where the simplicity of construction is clearly illustrated. A spring 45 is wound around pin '34 and has one end bearing against the bell crank and another end bearing against the bell crank support as shown in FIG. 3 so that the bell crank is biased to a downward position, as shown. The bell crank carries a plurality of spaced, aligned studs 48 which are tapered as shown and which carry a plurality of round headed rubber buttons 52 force fitted and frictionally held on respective studs 48. The outer end of the support casting 20 is formed with a continuous concave groove such as the trapezoidal shaped groove 56, which groove can accommodate the row of rubber button elements 52 when the bell crank is swung counterclockwise to closed position, as shown in FIG. 5. A pair of ears such as 60 are formed integral with the bell crank 30 and will be understood to be spaced apart a distance suitable to accommodate the diameter of the shank 63 of a knob or button 66 which rises upwardly out of the housing element 20 through an oversized bore 69. The lower end of the shank 63 is pivotally connected as by a pin 72 to the ears 60. Thus, it will be apparent that the shank 63 has suflicient play within the bore '69 so that pressure on button 66 will permit the shank to go into the housing 20 and force the bell crank 30 into counterclockwise rotation. No binding will occur with this construction due to the fact that bore 69 is made suitably oversized.

As noted in FIG. 3, a manifold set 14 is placed on the surface 12 with either the top or bottom margin of the set between the open jaw element consisting of the groove 56 and the spherically headed rubber jaw elements 52. It will be apparent that when the button 66 is pressed'as by the palm of an operators hand, bell crank 30 rocks and the elements 52 press the margin of the manifold set into the groove 56 to effect a very secure gripping if the manifold set is thin, for example, just one or two sheet-s. The stub end may be thus gripped between the jaws. However, if the manifold set has several sheets it is then preferable to have the free marginal ends gripped between the jaws and due to the co-acting shapes of the spherical buttons 52 and the tapered sides of the groove 56, a shingling eifect as indicated in FIG. 5 is produced. Such shingling effect is of considerable advantage as is well known in separating manifold sets since the pull on the stub end, not shown, is then exerted on the sheets one at a time instead of all the sheets simultaneously and thus separation of each sheet along its perforate line of attachment with the stub is more easily accomplished. I

Having thus described my invention I am aware that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not seek to be limited to the precise illustrations herein given except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon which to rest a manifold set; a stationary jaw element above said panel, a movable, co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, said jaw elements being normally spaced apart to permit insertion therebetween of a manifold set, manual means for actuating said movable jaw element upwardly beyond the plane of the panel to engage a manifold set against said stationary jaw element, said panel being foreshortened to permit motion of said movable jaw element above the plane thereof, whereby a manifold set may be rested on said panel with a margin thereof disposed intermediate the spaced jaws and whereby said movable jaw may be actuated to grip said margin between said jaws.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said stationary jaw element having a trapezoidal trough therein and the other of said jaw elements comprising a plurality of pegs having compressible surface elements disposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margin into the trough of the co-acting jaw element.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 1, and resilient means whereby said movable jaw element is biased away from said stationary jaw element.

4. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon which to rest a manifold set; a stationary jaw element above said panel, a movable, co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, said jaw elements being normally spaced apart to permit insertion therebet-ween of a manifold set, manual means for actuating said movable jaw element upwardly beyond the plane of the panel to engage a manifold set against said stationary jaw element, said panel being foreshortened to permit motion of said movable jaw element above the plane thereof, whereby a manifold set maybe rested on said panel with a margin thereof disposed intermediate the spaced jaws and whereby said movable jaw may be actuated to grip said margin between said jaws, means rockably supporting said movable jaw element and said manual means comprising a plunger reciprocal vertically and co-acting with said rockable jaw element for rocking said jaw element into gripping engagement, said means also comprising a bell crank lever, and a housing, said lever being pivoted to said housing, there being a bore in said housing, said plunger having a slidable and loose fit in said bore and being pivotally connected to said bell crank lever.

5. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon which to rest a manifold set, a jaw element above said panel and a co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, one of said jaw elements being movable and manual means for moving said one jaw element toward said other jaw element, said panel being disposed to support a manifold set in a plane intermediate said separated jaw elements with a margin of said manifold set disposed therebetween and in a position to be gripped thereby, means rockably supporting said movable jaw element and a plunger generally reciprocal on a vertical axis co-acting with said rockable jaw element for rocking said rockable jaw element into gripping engagement, one of said jawelements having a trapezoidal trough therein and the other of said j-aw elements comprising a plurality of pegs haw'ng compressible surface elements disposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margin into the trough of the co-acting jaw element.

6. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon which to rest a manifold set, a jaw element above said panel and a co acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, one of said jaw 4 elements being movable and manual means for moving said one jaw element toward said other jaw element, said panel being disposed to support a manifold set in a plane intermediate said separated jaw elements with a margin of said manifold set disposedtherebetween and in a position to be gripped thereby, one of said jaw elements having a trapezoidal trough therein and the other of said jaw elements comprising a plurality of pegs having compressible surface elements disposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margin into the trough of the co-acting jaw element, and means whereby said movable jaw element is biased away from said co-acting jaw element, said co-acting jaw element being relatively stationary.

7. In a device of the class described, a base having a stationary panel upon which to rest a manifold set, said base supporting a jaw element above said panel and a co-acting jaw element supported by said base normally disposed below the plane of said panel, one of said jaw elements being movable and manual means for moving said one jaw element toward said other jaw element, said panel being disposed to support a manifold set in a plane intermediate said separated jaw elements with a margin of said manifold set disposed therebetween and in a position to be gripped thereby, one of said jaw elements having a trapezoidal trough therein and the other of said jaw elements comprising a plurality of pegs having compressible surface elements movable into said trough and disposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margin into the trough of the coacting jaw elements, said compressible surface elements comprising rubber caps of rounded configuration carried by respective pegs.

8. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon which to rest a manifold set, a stationary jaw element above said panel and a movable, co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, said movable jaw element being actuatable upwardly beyond the panel plane, and manual means for actuating said movable jaw element, said panel being foreshortened to permit motion of said movable jaw element beyond the plane thereof, said panel being disposed to support a manifold set in a plane intermediate the separated jaw elements with a margin of said manifold set disposed therebetween and in a position to be gripped thereby, means rockably supporting said movable jaw element, and said manual means comprising a plunger reciprocal vertically and co-acting with said rockable jaw element for rocking said rockable jaw element into gripping engagement with a manifold set resting on said panel so as to grip said manifold set between itself and said stationary jaw element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,421 Caldwell Nov. 26, 1901 898,460 Gray Sept. 15, 1908 953,631 Medendrop Mar. 29, 1910 1,229,730 Edwards June 12, 1917 1,871,719 Meader Aug. 16, 1932 2,061,878 Niemann Nov. 24, 1936 2,145,224 Huppert Jan. 24, 1939 2,519,969 Ketcham Aug. 22, 1950 2,579,835 Lather Dec. 25, 1951 2,660,628 Kilgen Nov. 24, 1953 2,673,612 Zalkind Mar. 30, 1954 2,791,447 Bresler May 7, 1957