US3172325A - Perforating device - Google Patents

Description

March 9, 1965 s. c. WERNHAM ETAL 3,172,325

PERFORATING DEVICE Filed 001'.. 2, 1965 1N ENTORS. f m faam/M L aidu United States Patent 3,172,325 PERFGRATING DEVICE Spencer C. Wernham and .lames C. Hendricks, Marengo, lli., assignors to McGill Metal Products Company, Marengo, Ill., a corporation of illinois Filed Oct. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 313,238 7 Claims. (Cl. 83-599) This invention relates to devices for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders and more particularly to an improved construction for such a device adap ed to be carried in a ring binder.

Under certain circumstances it is advantageous to have a perforating device such as a paper punch, which is capable of being carried -in a ring binder so that papers may be punched immediately for insertion in the ring binder. In addition to being more convenient, such a device prevents the loss of important papers since they may be punched and installed in the binder immediately. This is especially helpful to students, salesmen and other persons who move from place to place and for whom a conventional punch would be too cumbersome to carry.

It is almost essential that the punch itself be constructed out of metal for accurate long lasting punching. On the other hand, metal is expensive and may be too heavy for convenient portability. It is proposed hereby to use metal for the punch itself, and to secure the punch to a molded plastic supporting and carrying member. It is, however, quite diflcult to secure metal to plastic and the additional cost including increased labor tends to malte such a construction impractical.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved construction of a device for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders.

Another object of the invention is to provide a low cost, lightweight perforating device which may be carried in a ring binder.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a perforating device including a punch constructed of metal and a plastic carrying member to which the punch is secured in a manner to permit easy assembly.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a metal punch formed of elongated side hinged members secured to a plastic carrying member by a deformable portion projecting into a recess on the carrying member.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of an integral corner gauge on a plastic carrying member for a metal punch.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a metal punch including hinged members secured to a plastic carrying member by a permanently deformable portion, and by the hinge which projects into a recess in a portion of the carrying member.

A further feature of the invention is the provision, in a perforating device as described, of positioning projections on the carrying member mating with openings in the lower plate of the punch.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a perforating device, constructed in accordance with the invention, being used in a ring binder;

FIG. 2 is atop plan view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a partial section view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 2.

In accordance with the invention, a device for perforating sheets for insertion in a ring binder includes a hinged metal punch having upper and lower plates. The lower plate contains one or more upwardly extending punch 3,172,325 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 ICC projections which mate with corresponding openings in the upper plate of the punch, when the upper plate is lowered to perforate sheets inserted therebetween. The punch is mounted on a substantially flat supporting and carrying member With the lower plate of the punch disposed flat against a surface of the carrying member. The rear of the carrying member contains a raised portion having a recess therein for accommodating the side hinge connecting the upper and lower plates of the punch. This limits upward displacement of the hinge. Mounting ears extend from the rear portion of the carrying member for securing the same in a ring binder.

The front of the carrying member includes a shoulder adjacent the front edge of the lower plate of the punch. One or more recesses are provided in the shoulder and a corresponding opening for each recess is punched in the lower metal plate of the punch such that a small deformable strip is left adjacent the recesses in the shoulders. When the punch is placed on the carrying member, these deformable strips are moved into the recesses to secure the punch to the carrying member. The lower plate of the punch is also provided with one or more openings therein which mate with raised bosses on thencarrying member to secure the punch against lateral displacement.

Referring now to FIG. l, a device constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in use. The perforating device is held in a ring binder 11 by means of a pair of attaching ears. A sheet 13 may be inserted in the punch and aligned with the corner gauge as will be explained. The punch is then closed to perforate the sheet 13 in the desired manner, and the sheet may then be mounted in ring binder 11.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, the metal punch of the invention is constructed of two metal plates 15 and 17 coupled by a hinge 19. Upper plate 15 has a projecting rim 21 to render the same rigid, and to facilitate the application of pressure to upper plate 15 during the punching operation. The device shown in the drawings is intended for use in connection with a three ring binder and has three punch projections 23, 25 and 27 thereon. Qpenings 29, 31 and 33 in upper plate 15 mate with the corresponding punch projections 23, 25 and 27 to cooperate therewith and perforate a sheet inserted therebetween as the top plate 15 is closed over bottom plate 17.

The metal punch is mounted on a plastic carrier which includes a base 35. A plurality of strengthening ribs 37 are provided intermediate the ends of base 35 and afford rigidity thereto. Base portion 35 includes a flat top upon which the bottom plate i7 of the punch is disposed. The punch projections 23, 25 and 27 are secured to bottom plate 17 by staked projections 36. Recesses 3S are provided in base 35 to accommodate projections 36. A plurality of raised bosses 39 on base portion 35 cooperate with corresponding openings in lower plate 17 to locate the punch on the carrying member and to secure the punch against lateral movement with respect to the carrying member.

The lcarrying member includes a rear shoulder 41 which is molded with a recess 43 therein. Recess .13 receives hinge 19 of the punch to secure vt-he salme against upward movement with respect to the carrying member. Shoul der d1 also contains two mounting ears 45 which are provided with openings 47 therein for mounting -in a three ring binder as shown in FIG. l.

The lower end of the carrier rnember includes a corner gauge 49 with which the sheets to be punched may be aligned -for accurate placement :in the punch. Thi-s is also shown in FIG. l.

The carrier member includes a front shoulder 51 adjacent the leading edge of lower plate i7. A pair of recesses 53 and 55 are provided in shoulder 51, and openings 57 and 59 are provided in lower plate 17 adjacent recesses 53 and S5 respectively. Openings 57 and 59 `are suiciently close to the leading edge of lower plate l7 to leave narrow deformable bands 6l and 63 respectively along the leading edge. These bands may be deformed into ,the respective under cuts 53 and 55 to secure lower plate 17 against the `base 35 of the carrier member. Mounting the punch in the carrier member is accomplished merely by fitting the ylower plate over the` locating bosses 39, with the hinge 19 extending intoV recess 43 of shoulder 41, and then deforming the strips 61 and 63 respectively into recesses 53 and 55 to secure the punch to the carrier member. Y

When the perforating device is lmounted in a three ring binder` as shown in FIG. 1, sheets may be perforated by a simple `sequence of steps. The extension 21 of upper plate is grasped and the upper plate raised. The sheet which it is desired to punch is inserted between plates 17 and 15 and the lower corner is aligned in corner gauge 49. The top plate l5 is `moved toward lower plate i7V and as punch projections 23, 25 and 27 pass into openings 29, 3l and 33 respectively, the paper will be perforated. Top plate 15 may then be raised and the sheet removed.

It may therefore be seen ythat the invention comprises an improved con-struction -for a device for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders. The perforating device itself is adapted to be carried in such a binder. The construction provides a device wherein a metal punch is securely mounted in a plastic carrying member. The results is a lightweight, low cost, compact and durable unit which may be carried in the ring binder itself.

We claim:

l. A device for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders, including in combination, a metal punch having upper and lower plates with perforating means thereon and hinge means joining said upper and lower plates, a substantially fiat carrying member for said punch comprised of a rigid material of substantially less density than metal, said lower plate of said punch being disposed flat against a surface of said carrying member, a rst mounting portion extending above the level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating said hinge means, and a second mounting portion extending above the level of said lower plate and having a recess therein, said Ilower plate having a portion thereon deformable to project into the recess in said second mounting poration, whereby said metal punch may be secured `to said carrying member after placement thereon by deforming said deyformable portion.

2. A device for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders, including in combination, a metal punch having upper and lower plates with perforating means thereon and hinge means joining said upper and lower plates, a substantially flat plastic carrying :member for said punch, said -lower plate of said punch being disposed llat against the surface of said carrying member, a first mounting portion extending `above the level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating said hinge means, and a second mounting portion extending above the level of said lower plate and having a recess therein, said lower plate having an opening therein rendering a portion of said lower plate deformable to project into the recess in said second mounting portion, whereby said metal punch may be secured to said plastic carrying member after placement thereon by deforming said deformable portion.

3. A device for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders, including in combination, an elongated metal punch having upper and lower plates with perforating means thereon and hinge means joining said upper and lower plates along the greater dimension thereof, a substantially flat plastic carrying member for said punch, said lower plate of said punch being disposed at against a surface of said carrying member, means on said carrying member engaging said lower plate to prevent lateral ,displacement thereof with respect to said carrying member, a hinge housing integral with said carrying member and extending above the level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating said hinge means to prevent upward displacement thereof relative to `said 'carrying member, and a second mounting portion extending above the level of said lower plate and having a plurality of recesses therein, said lower plate having a plurality of openings therein adjacent respective ones of said recesses in said lmounting portion, said openings each leaving a deformable lstrip between it and the edge of said lower plate adjacent said mounting portion to project into the corresponding recess in said mounting portion when deformed, Iwhereby said Imetal. punch may be secured to said plastic carrying member after piacement thereon by deforming said deformable strips.

4. A device Ifor perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders, including in combination, a metal punch having elongated upper and lower plates, said lower plate having a plurality of punch projections thereon and said upper plate having a plurality of corresponding punch openings therein for perforating sheets inserted therebetween, hinge means joining said upper and lower .plates along the greater dimension thereof, a plastic carrying member for said punch having a substantially flat -surface thereon, said lower plate of said punch being disposed at against said surface of said carrying member, a first mount-ing portion extending above the level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating said hinge means, and a second mounting portion extending above the level of said lower plate and having a recess therein, said lower plate having a portion thereon deforma-ble to project into the recess in said second mounting portion, whereby said metal punch may be secured tto said carrying member after placement thereon by deforming said deformable portion.

5. A device for perforating sheets for insertion in ring binders, including in combination, a metal punch having elongated upper and lower plates, said lower plate having a plurality of punch projections thereon and said upper plate having a plurality of corresponding punch openings therein for perforating sheets inserted therebetween, -hinge means joining said upper and lower plates along the greater dimension thereof, a plastic carrying member for said punch having a substantially fiat surface thereon, said lower plate of said punch being disposed flat against said surface of said carrying member, means integral with said carrying member for aligning sheets with said plurality of punch projections, a first mounting portion extending above the level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating said hinge means, and a second mounting portion extending above the level ofv said lower plate and having a recess therein, said lower plate having an opening therein rendering a portion of said lower plate permanently deformable to project into the recess in said second mounting portion, whereby said metal punch may be secured to said plastic carrying mem'- ber after placement thereon by deforming said deformable portion.

6. A device for perforating sheet material including in combination, a metal punch having upper and lower plates with perforating means thereon `and hinge means joining said upper and lower plates, and a substantially hat carrying member for said punch comprised of a rigid material of substantially less density than metal, said lower plate of said punch being disposed flat against a surface of said carrying member, said carrying member having a portion extending above the level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating 'said hinge means, said lower plate having a deformable portion cooperating with a portion of said carrying member for securing said lower plate to said llat carrying member, said lower plate being held in place flat against said surface of said carrying member with said upper plate being pivotal with respect Ythereto for perforating the sheet material.

7. A device for perforating sheet material `for insertion 5 in a ring binder including in combination, a metal punch having elongated upper and lower plates, said lower plate having a punch projection thereon and said upper plate having ya corresponding punch opening therein for perforating said sheet material inserted therebetween, hinge means joining said upper and lower plates along the greater dimension thereof, and a substantially flat plastic carrying member for said punch having a at surface, said lower plate of said punch Lbeing disposed against said flat surface of said carrying member, said lower plate having a deformable portion cooperating with a portion of said carrying `member -for ysecuring said lower plate to said carrying Imember, said `carrying member having a hinge housing portion extending above the'level of said hinge means and having a recess therein accommodating said hinge means to prevent upward displacement thereof relative to `said carrying member, said carrying member having a mounting ear with an opening therein for mounting `the device in a ring binder.

No references cited.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE FOR PERFORATING SHEETS FOR INSERTION IN RING BINDERS, INCLUDING IN COMBINATION, A METAL PUNCH HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PLATES WITH PERFORATING MEANS THEREON AND HINGE MEANS JOINING SAID UPPER AND LOWER PLATES, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CARRYING MEMBER FOR SAID PUNCH COMPRISED OF A RIGID MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY LESS DENSITY THAN METAL, SAID LOWER PLATE OF SAID PUNCH BEING DISPOSED FLAT AGAINST A SURFACE OF SAID CARRYING MEMBER, A FIRST MOUNTING PORTION EXTENDING ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID HINGE MEANS AND HAVING A RECESS THEREIN ACCOMMODATING SAID HINGE

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