US3138283A - Filing device - Google Patents

Description

D. M. PEEBLE'S FILING DEVICE June 23, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1961 FIG.

FLG.4.

" INVEN'TOR 2' DAVID M. PEEBLES BY 6 W W/-- ATTORNEY June 23, 1964 D. M. PEEBLES 3,138,283

FILING DEVICE Filed June 25, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet 2 38 FIG. 5. 45 47 I l I l l l I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,138,283 FILING DEVE CE David Meade Peeules, 2912 (Iortland Place NW., ilashington, DE. Filed June 23, 1961, Ser. No. 119,694- 1 Claim. (Cl. 226-22) This invention relates to filing racks or trays and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide filing racks or trays adapted to be used alone or in conjunction with storage boxes or filing cabinet drawers for the orderly storage of papers, files or documents.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filing device characterized by the fact that it may be fabricated substantially from a unitary blank of sheet metal or the like, economically and by modern production methods.

Another object is to provide a filing device having a permanent number of filing compartments and interchangeable partition means to form auxiliary compartments without altering the basic structure of the device or interfering with its general utility.

Still another object is to provide a filing device of the type mentioned which meets a need not previously satisfied by the prior art and which is versatile in its usage, sturdy and durable and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a plan View of a blank employed in the fabrication of a filing device according to a first simplified embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the completed filing device,

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the same,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the completed filing device illustrating optional use of the same in conjunction with a well-known type of storage box,

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a blank employed for making a modified form of filing device according to the invention,

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the completed filing device made from the blank of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is an end elevation of the same,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the same also showing optional interchangeable partition means for use with the filing device to provide auxiliary filing compartments,

FIGURE 9 is an exploded, partly diagrammatic, perspective view of modified optional partition means and an anchoring plate therefor for use with the filing device shown in FIGURES 6S, the latter being shown in phantom lines, 7

FIGURE 10 is a plan View of a modified form of anchoring plate for the optional partition means,

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of partition means for use with the anchoring plate of FIGURE 10 and the filing device of FIGURES 6-8, 1 7

FIGURE 12 is a plan view of a unitary blank employed in the making of a further modified form of filing device according to the invention,

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the device made from the blank shown in FIGURE 12'.

In the drawings, wherein for thepurpose ofv illustration are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1 through 4,'wherein the numeral 20 designates generally a one piece fiat elongated rectangular blank formed of sheet metal, or the like, and.

from which the entire filing device is made.

The blank 29 is cut by a stamping process or the like ice to provide therein an innermost spaced pair of solid rectangular leaves 21, an intermediate pair of leaves 22and an outer or endmost pair of leaves 23, all integral with the flat blank 20 as shown in FIGURE 1. The inner pair of leaves 21 are bendable upon transverse bending lines 24- near the longitudinal center of the blank and parallel and spaced apart, as shown, and extending between the ends of the U-shaped cuts 25 which define the margins of the leaves 21. The intermediate and endmost leaves. 22 and 23 are bendable upon similar transverse bending lines 26 and 27. All of the bending lines 24, 26 and 27 may be formed by scoring the blank 20 or by perforating, partially perforating or indenting the blank in known ways along the several bending lines. The bending lines 25 for the leaves 22 extend between the U-shaped cuts 25and similar although larger U-shaped cuts 28 which define the margins of the intermediate leaves 22 in the blank. The bending lines 27 extend between the sides of the cuts 28 and the longitudinal edges of the blank 20, as shown. As is apparent from an inspection of FIGURE l, the U-shaped cuts 25 and 28 interfit in a symmetrical mannerwith respect to the longitudinal center of the blank and the exterior margins thereof, so that the several bendableleaves 21, 22 and 23 are symmetrically formed and disposed in the blank, as shown. The lengths of all of the leaves 21, 22 and 23 measured from their bending lines 24, 26 and 27 toward the ends of the blank are equal, but the transverse widths of the several leaves are symmetrically unequal as clearly shown. The endmost leaves 23. span the full width of the blank 2%, while the leaves 22 and 21 span successively lesser portions of the total width of the blank. The generally I-shaped area 29 of the blank Zll defined by the longitudinal edges 30, the bending lines 24, 26 and 27 and portions of the cuts. 25 and 28 constitutes the bottom Wall of the completed filing device shown in FIGURES 2-4 and presently to bedescribed.

' With reference to FIGURES 24, in the completing ot the filing rack or tray, the several leaves 21, 22'and 23 are bent upwardly upon the lines 24, 26 and 27 until they are disposed at right angles to the area 29 of the blank. The now upstanding leaves 21, 22 and 23 integral With the bottom wall 2?, FIGURE '2, constitute the several divider or partition'walls of the filing device, the latter containing the several transverse top opening filing or storage compartmentsGI, 32, 33, 34 and 35 formed between adjacent pairs of the partition walls as shown in the drawings. As clearly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the upward bending of the leaves 21, 22 and 23in the'completed device forms relatively large openings 36 and 37 in the endmost and intermediate upstanding partition Walls, whereas the innermost partition walls 21 have no openings. These openings 36 and 37 also extend through the bottom wall of the completed article as shown in FIGURE 4, and the openings are defined by the previously described cuts 25 and 28' of the blank 24), as should be obvious. In the completed article, the tops of the several partition walls areall disposed at the same elevation and the bottom wall of the I device is flat. The deviceis entirely unitary or one piece construction and requires no fastener elements, attaching parts or, adjuncts of any form whatsoever. The edgesof the blank 20 and the marginal edges of the upstanding partition walls and the edges of the openings 36.,and" 37 are smooth and free of burrs and the like. The device canof course be painted or decorated in any desired man ner or. plated with metal. It may be used conveniently and alone as a desk filing rack or tray for. papers and files of various sorts. As depicted in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the device may be placed in a conventional file storage box or in a filing cabinet drawer to provide convenient file divider meanstherein. The filing device. of

FIGURES 1-4 is capable of a variety-of useful applications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

In FIGURES through 11, there is shown certain refinements and modifications of the invention which render the filing device more versatile.

Referring first to FIGURES 5 through 8, the numeral 38 designates a blank formed of sheet metal or the like basically similar to the previously-described blank 20. An inner pair of symmetrically located rectangular leaves 39 formed by U-shaped cuts 40 are provided symmetrically in the blank 38 and bendable at their inner ends upon transverse bending lines 41, similar to those previously described. End portions 42 of the blank 38 are similarly bendable upon transverse bending lines 43, as shown. The I-shaped area 44 of the blank 38 outlined by the bending lines 41 and 43, portions of the cuts 40, and the longitudinal edges 45 constitutes the bottom wall of the completed filing device shown in FIGURES 6-8, as in the previously-described embodiment of the invention.

Additionally, for purposes soon to become apparent, the central area of the blank 38 between folding lines 41 is provided with a plurality of narrow transverse equidistantly spaced parallel slots 46 of'equal length, whose opposite ends are disposed just outwardly of the sides of cuts 40 and somewhat inwardly of the blank edges 45. The blank is further provided along the sides of the cuts 40 with similarly spaced short notches 47 having their outer ends in longitudinal alignment with the ends of the slots 46.

With reference to FIGURES 6 through 8, the leaves 39 and 42 are bent upwardly on the bending lines 41 and 43 to complete the formation of the basic filing unit in the same manner previously described in the previous embodiment. The device shown in FIGURES 6 through 8 embodies three upwardly opening storage compartments 48, 49 and 50, as shown. The filing device as thus far described is basically similar to the device shown in FIGURES 1-4, and may be used in the same manner above described for the prior form of the invention.

However, in FIGURE 8, there is illustrated an auxiliary partition wall 51 engageable through selected pairs of the notches 47, as shown, to provide auxiliary or supplemental storage compartments between the adjacent fixed partition walls 39 and 42. The auxiliary partition wall 51 has an integral bottom horizontal flange 53 for engagement below the bottom wall 44 when the partition L wall 51 is slid upwardly into place. The weight of the main storage device embodying the bottom wall 44 is sulficient to stabilize the auxiliary partition wall 51 in assembly, as when the filing device is resting upon a desk or table or within a box, and no separate fasteners for the partition wall 51 are required. Obviously, one or more of the auxiliary partition walls 51 may be employed within the notches 47 at either or both ends of the basic filing tray or device. If preferred, one or more of the auxiliary partition walls 51 may be inserted upwardly through the central slots 46 to provide additional optional storage compartments. The auxiliary partition walls 51 need not be employed at all if preferred.

FIGURE 8 also shows a modified type of U-shaped double partition wall 54 which may be employed along with one or more of the partition walls 51 or separately therefrom. The U-shaped partition wall 54 is engageable upwardly through any selected pair of the slots 46 with its bottom bight portion 55 underlying the main bottom wall 44 in assembly and stabilized by the weight of the same. The double auxiliary partition wall 54 is also adapted to engage within selected adjacent pairs of the notches 47, if preferred. The heights of the elements 51 and 54 in assembly are preferably equal to the heights of the upstanding fixed partition walls 39 and 42, and the widths of the elements 51 and 54 are such that their vertical edges will engage snugly but slidably within the ends of the slots 46 and notches 47.

Another small optional variation in the embodiment of FIGURES 5 through 8 resides in the provision of some- At. what increased areas 56 of metal in the blank 38, and corresponding modification of the shape of the cuts 40 along lines 56' to somewhat strengthen the main bottom wall 44 near its opposite ends as shown in FIGURE 8. This also results in modifying the shape of the partition walls 39 as shown at 57 in FIGURE 8. If this small modification of the invention is utilized, both end portions of the blank 38 are modified in the manner shown and described at 56 and 56. The feature is entirely optional and unnecessary to the successful fabrication of the device but its use does render the device somewhat stronger at its weakest points.

In FIGURE 9, there is depicted a further refinement of the structure shown in FIGURES 5-8. The basic or main filing device shown in full lines in FIGURE 8 is shown somewhat diagrammatically in broken lines in FIGURE 9 and certain details are omitted for the sake of simplicity. A fiat rectangular anchoring plate 53 or stabilizer formed of Masonite, plastics material, wood or sheet metal is provided, and has a plurality of narrow equidistantly spaced transverse slots 59 formed therethrough, as shown. Auxiliary L-shaped partition walls 60 similar to the partition walls 51 are provided for engagement upwardly through selected ones of the slot 59 with their bottom flanges 61 engageable with the lower face of the plate 58 in assembly. The endmost slots 59 of the plate 58 and a pair of intermediate slots are adapted to receive the fixed partition walls 42 and 39 upwardly therethrough in assembly, and the plate 58 then rests fiatwise upon the main bottom wall 44 of the main filing device with the auxiliary partition walls 60 adequately stabilized by the plate 58. Partition walls 60 are freely adjustable by selecting different ones of the slots 59 of plate 58. Any desired number of the auxiliary partition walls 60 may be employed with the plate 58 to make additional storage compartments between the fixed storage compartments 48, 49 and 50 of the main filing device.

In FIGURES l0 and 11, there is shown a modification of the stabilizing plate 58, designated by the numeral 62, for coaction with a modified type of L-shaped partition wall 63. The plate 62 has only one pair of transverse slots 64 to receive the upstanding fixed partition walls 39 of the main filing device. A series of relatively short slots 65 are formed in the longitudinal edges of the plate 62 to receive the upstanding arms 66 of auxiliary partition wall 63, the latter having a lower flange 67 sim ilar to the flange 61 of auxiliary partition wall 60. The plate 62 and one or more of the elements 63 is employed with the main filing unit shown in broken lines in FIG- URE 9 in generally the same manner shown therein and described above in connection with the elements 58 and 60. That is to say, the modified plate 62 telescopes over the two intermediate elements 39 and rests upon the main bottom wall 44. The flange 67 of element 63 is sandwiched between the bottom wall 44 and the plate 62, and the arms 65 engage through selected pairs of the edge slots 65 during use of the device.

In FIGURES 12 and 13, there is shown a further embodiment of the invention for producing a tray-like filing unit 68 with fixed partition walls and storage compartments as illustrated in FIGURE 13. For making the unit 68, there is initially provided a flat blank 69 shown in FIGURE 12. including a central I-shaped area 70 to form the bottom wall of the unit 68 upon completion of the latter. The area 70 is defined by longitudinal bending lines 71 and transverse bending lines 72 and 73 in the blank 69. Opposed U-shaped cuts 74 in the blank delineate a single pair of leaves 75, which when bent upwardly at right angles to the area 70, define the intermediate pair of partition walls in the unit 68. End extensions 76 on the blank 69 when bent upwardly upon the bending line 73 constitute the end walls of the filing unit 68 as shown in FIGURE 13. Side narrow rectangular extensions 77 on the blank 69 make the shallow side walls of the unit 68, as shown, when bent upwardly upon the bending line 71.

In view of the foregoing descriptions, it is believed unnecessary to further describe the construction, fabrication or mode of use of the tray-like filing unit 68 having in the form shown three separate file or paper storage compartments bounded by the walls 77 at the longitudinal sides of the unit. The filing device shown in FIGURE 13 is of one piece construction and has the advantage that the papers or files cannot slip from the sides of the storage compartments even where the device is used outside of a box, such as the box shown in FIGURE 4.

As shown in FIGURE 13, the side walls 77 of unit 68 are spaced laterally from the partition walls '75 a substantial distance, whereby the files of considerable width may be accommodated upon the bottom wall 7 it within, the several compartments of the unit. For example, regular legal size files or letter size files may be placed within the unit 68, and the latter may be used alone or inside of a storage box or filing cabinet drawer as preferred. The openings in the lower portions of the end walls 76, FIG- URE 13 serve conveniently as handle openings for lifting the unit 68.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various chmges in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A filing unit comprising an initially flat elongated substantially rectangular bendable stiif sheet material blank, said blank provided in each of its opposite end portions with at least a pair of interfitting U-shaped cuts having sides parallel to the longitudinal edges of the blank and ends substantially at right angles to said longitudinal edges, the cuts in said end portions of the blank being equidistantly spaced from the ends of the blank and the opposite sides thereof and from the longitudinal center of the blank, the cuts in one end portion of the blank being opposed and in longitudinal alignment with the cuts in the other end portion of the blank and having their ends arranged outermost on the blank, the cuts in said end portions being of substantially identical configuration, at least one cut in each end portion of the blank disposed partially within the confines of another cut in said end portion symmetrically therewith, said blank having spaced parallel transverse bending lines at the inner ends of said cuts and extending inwardly from the sides of said cuts at right angles to said sides, said bending lines terminating inwardly of the longitudinal edges of said blank and lying with said cuts entirely within the confines of said blank,- said blank having an additional pair of spaced parallel transverse bending lines longitudinally outwardly of the aforementioned bending lines and extending between the longitudinal edges of said blank and the sides of the outermost cuts in each end portion of the blank, the last-named bending lines intersecting the sides of said outermost cuts intermediate the ends of said sides and being spaced equidistantly from the ends of said blank, all of said bending lines in each end portion of the blank being equidistantly spaced apart longitudinally of the blank and all of said U-shaped cuts being of substantially equal length longitudinally of the blank and the distances between the second-named bending lines and the ends of the blank being equal and equal to the lengths of said cuts, upward bending of the portions of the blank within the confines of said cuts on the first-mentioned bending lines produces on said blank end portions plural upstanding partition walls substantially at right angles to the blank and being of equal height and upward bending of the outermost end portions of the blank on the second-named bending lines produces on the blank upstanding end walls of equal height to said partition walls and spaced equidistantly outwardly therefrom, said end walls being wider than the partition walls and extending for the full width of the blank and said partition walls being progressively narrower toward the longitudinal center of the blank, the remainder of the blank then forming a fiat tray base at the bottoms of said partition and end walls at right angles to and integral therewith and said end walls and nextinnermost partition walls then having through openings defined by said cuts and the innermost partition walls being imperforate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,002 Bisler Feb. 6, 1906 1,725,702 Cubberley Aug. 20, 1929 2,409,793 Punte Oct. 22, 1946 2,598,492 Boes May 27, 1952 2,696,356 Baumann Dec. 7, 1954 2,964,230 Nemoede Dec. 13, 1960 V FOREIGN PATENTS 38,302 France Feb. 3, 1931 (Addition to No. 686,735) 559,905 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1944

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