US3016045A - Combined desk pad and information panels - Google Patents

Description

C. ROBINSON Jan. 9, 1962 COMBINED DESK PAD AND INFORMATION PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1958 INVENTOR. (fiarlerfia'msan.

Jan. 9, 1962 CFROBINSON 3,016,045

COMBINED DESK PAD AND INFORMATION PANELS Filed June 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. tfiarkskfimsm.

United States Patent "ice 3,016,045 COMBINED DESK PAD AND INFORMATION PANELS Charles Robinson, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Allan E. Jordan & Associates, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed June 2, 1958, Ser. No. 739,167

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 12024) This invention relates to a combined desk pad and information folder and, more particularly, relates to a desk pad which is adapted for supporting a desk blotter and which is of such construction as to provide integral information folders or panels along the sides of the pad which also serve to hold the blotter in place.

The conventional desk pad has diagonal corner webs or pockets for receiving and holding the four corner portions of a desk blotter. As such, the pockets are useful solely for retaining the blotter in place. However, there is a great need on the part of most ofiice workers, particularly salesmen, to have readily accessible information of various types. In some instances such information is placed on slips of papers slid underneath the pad or perhaps in the corner pockets. However, the latter presents an unsightly appearance and is not satisfactory.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel desk or table pad of such construction that. it may be useful for storing information, such as charts, tables and similar material often referred to and for keeping such information normally concealed but readily accessible by the mere pivotal movement of portions of the pad.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a desk pad with foldable side panels which may have contained, underneath the panels, information of various types so that such information is made readily available by merely pivotally opening the panels.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more apparent from a study of the following de-- scription taken along with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a desk pad and information folder embodying the principles of the present invention and wherein the panels are shown in the closed or normal position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 except that the side panels are shown in the open position to permit viewing or reading of the information contained underneath the panel;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view of one of the corner sections of the pad shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of combined desk pad and information folder;

. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a still further modified type of desk pad and information folder which is foldable centrally so as to make it readily portable, and

FIG. 6 is a view of the pad shown in FIG. 5 but showing the pad in folded condition.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, numeral 1 denotes a desk pad backing of any suitable material, such as stiff cardboard which is integral with side flaps or panels 2 and 3 which are pivotally movable about pivots, such as 1a, in order to allow easy opening and closing of the side panels.

FIG. 3 more clearly shows the pivotal construction 3,016,045 Patented Ian. 9, 1962 between the backing of the pad 1 and the panel 2, which comprises essentially a flexible portion 1a of reduced thickness made of leather, plastic or paper which is sufliciently stiff so as to have a tendency to automatically return the panels 2 and 3 to normal position as shown in FIG. 1 when lifted to the position shown in FIG. 2 and released. On the backing portion of the pad 1 there may be printed or attached thereon, such as by glueing or otherwise, any suitable information, such as a calendar 4. The backing 1 may be either covered over by a desk blotter, or not, as desired. When using the desk pad with a blotter, such blotter would extend throughout the entire width of the backing pad 1 and would be held in place by the springiness of the side panels 2. and 3.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, there is provided underneath the side panel portions 2 and 3', information of any desired type, for example, charts, graphs, maps, statutes, pictures, schedules, price lists, scales, and the like to which access is frequently needed. This information may be placed both underneath the panels 2 and 3 themselves, and underneath the portions 5 and 7 of pad or backing 1 which is covered over by the panels. The side panels 2 and 3 may be surfaced by leather or plastic or any other desirable decorative material.

In many situations, such as when the pad is used on a desk or table in a hotel room for advertising purposes, the blotter may be omitted and a calendar or advertising may be exposed.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the desk pad and information panels comprising essentially a desk pad having the conventional corner pockets 11. However, in accordance with the present invention, the desk pad 10 is made wider than normal so as to provide extensions, such as 14, which are covered over by foldab le panels 12 and 13. Thus it will be readily seen that after the blotter (not shown) is inserted in the corner pockets 11, the side panels 12 and 13 are free to be pivoted to the open position whereby information thereunder may be readily seen and used.

Since the side panels extend along the entire height of the pad, they provide a substantial surface for frictionally holding the blotter (not shown) in place.

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of desk pad and information folder wherein the side panels, such as 17 and 18, are made wide by extending them throughout one half of the width of the desk pad, and wherein the base or backing sheet 15 and 16 is provided with a central pivotal portion 19, similar to pivot 1a, whereby the desk pad may be folded in the manner shown'in FIG. 6 and thus may be made readily portable so that it may be carried in a brief case. This is particularly suitable for salesmen who wish to carry information of various kinds that may be spread open to prospective purchasers.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a desk or table pad which is suitable not only for retaining a desk blotter in place, by means of hinged side panels, but which contains information underneath the side panels which is readily available to the user by merely pivoting the side panels to the open position when desired; furthergreater area for storing a greater amount of information which is normally concealed.

, While I have illustrated and described several specific embodiments -ofmy invention, it will be understood that these are by Way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claim.

I claim: A combined desk pad and information folder, comprising a backing of hard cardboard having a pair of freely pivotal, stifi side panels extending along the entire height of the pad and across a small fraction of the width thereof and which are integrally secured to said backing solely by a flexible strip portion of reduced thickness, the ends of said side panels being free of connection with said backing board, said panels constituting the sole pocket-forming means in conjunction with said backing, and printed matter contained ,underneath'said side panels, said flexible strip portion of reduced thickness being sufficiently stiff so as to automatically return said panels to ftheir folded position when lifted and released, whereby 4 V the side panels will normally conceal said printed matter until pivotally moved to the open position, in combination with a blotter completely covering said backing and held thereto solely by the spring action of said side panels resulting from said stiffness of said flexible strip portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain June 9, 1927

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