US987944A - Bill-file. - Google Patents

Description

J. E. BENJAMIN.

BILL FILE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 00T. 12, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

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J. E. BENJAMIN.

-BILL FILE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 12, 1909.

Patented Mar.28, 1911'.

UNITE STAT JOSEPH E. BENJAMIN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL REGISTER COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

BILL-FILE.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Divided and this application led October Serial No. 522,283.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. BENJAMIN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bill-Files, which improvement is fully Set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bill tiles of that class which are in book form, and it has for its objects among others to improve this style of bill files and to provide a simple, yet easily operated and eflicient bill file having means for receiving and holding the slips; also novel means including locking devices for each slip-pocket for holding the slips from falling out; further I provide novel means for removably holding the name card over the pocket, and also holders or guards, whereby I dispense with the employment of springs, to facilitate the insert-ion of the cards with one hand.

I provide ball bearings for the hinges, and aim at such other improvements in the details of construction as shall tend to make the device in its entirety most desirable and capable of serving the purposes for which it is designed.

I further aim to facilitate the manufacture and increase the usefulness of the device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

This application is filed as a division of my application filed January 11, 1909, Serial No. 471,7 62, patented January 18, 1910, No. 947,051.

rlhe invention, in what I at the present time consider its preferable form of embodiment, is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a view of the bill tile thrown open. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail with portions broken away, showing the tile closed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the ball bearing hinge. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail through a portion of a leaf, showing the looped portions of the wire holder. Fig. 5 is a detail in plan, on an enlarged scale, showing portions of two leaves and their hinge connections. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing a portion of one of the leaves.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a preferably tubular member which constitutes the means about which the hinges of the leaves are mounted for movement, and also the means for receiving a spindle or other support when it is desired to so mount the bill tile that it may be revolved about said spindle as a center. Such mounting and spindle are not herein shown vas they form no part of the present invention but are covered by separate applications.

2 are the leaves, of suitable material, preferably thin metal, and each leaf is supported near its top and bottom edges by hinge members 3 which have portions 4 secured in any suitable manner, as by rivets or the like, to the adjacent edges of the leaves and at the other end provided with circular portions 5 which loosely embrace the tubular mem ber. Between each two adjacent circular portions 5 is arranged a washer 6 sleeved upon the tubular member 1 and having a series of openings therethrough in which are disposed the balls 7 which project in opposite directions therefrom, so as to engage adjacent faces of the two adjacent portions 5 to constitute a ball bearing for the hinges of the leaves, as will be clearly seen from Figs. 3 and 5, the balls being omitted from the latter figure except at the top to indicate that in some instances such ball bearings may be dispensed with without materially aecting the successful operation of the other parts of the device.

IThe hinges of t-he leaves are arranged as seen best in Figs. 1 and 5, being alternated, that is, the top hinge of the one leaf is the uppermost of the upper hinges, while the lower hinge thereof is the uppermost of the lower hinges, so that the top and bottom hinges of each leaf are the same distance apart, whereby more equal distribution of the strain is provided and the hinges are so disposed as to be entirely out of the path of and free from any liability of any interference one with the other.

8 are the covers of the book. They are hinged in a manner similar to the leaves eX- cept in the hinge members 9 of the covers are outermost or beyond those of the leaves, as seen best in Fig. 1.

Upon the member 1 are collars or sleeves 10, as seen best in Figs. 1 and 5, which serve to confine between them the hinge members of the leaves and covers and the washers and balls constituting the ball bearings for the hinges. These collars may be atlixed on the member 1 in any suitable manner.

In order to hold the covers in their closed condition and to provide for the automatic locking thereof in such closed position, any suitable means may be provided. In 'the present instance I have shown as attached to one of the covers, practically at its mid height, as seen best in Fig. 1, one member 11 of a catch or clasp which hasthe right angled portion 12 secured to the cover by any suitable means, as the bolts and nuts 13, as shown in Fig. 2, the free end of said member 11 terminating in a head member 141e which is substantially arrow-shaped, as seen clearly in said Fig. 2. At a correspondingly mid position of the height of the edge of the opposite cover l aflix the cooperating member of the clasp or catch. This, as shown best in Fig. 2, comprises the parallel portions 15 and 1G and these are held thereto, that is, to the cover which they embrace, by any suitable means, in this instance shown as secured by means of the bolts and nuts 17. The two members of this portion extend parallel with each other for a distance as seen at 18, being soldered or otherwise secured together, and thek free ends thereof are branched as seen at 19, the extremities being rolled or curled as seen at 20, and the adjacent portions converging and possessing sutlicient resiliency to normally keep the adjacent faces thereof in Contact with each other, but yielding readily when the arrow head end 14 of the member 11 is forced in between the rolled portions 20 as the tile is closed, thus automatically locking the covers in closed position, but permitting of ready separation by a slight pull upon one or the other of the covers when it is desired to open the file.

As shown in Fig. 2, the edges of the leaves may be strengthened by turning over the edge of the metal', as seen at 21, although the feature of thus strengthening may sometimes be dispensed with.

Upon each face of each leaf are provided means for holding the sales slips and the name cards over each pocket holding such slips. As seen in Fig. 1 each leaf is arranged for siX pockets and siX slips upon each face thereof.

22 are flanged strips secured in any suitable manner, as by rivets or the like 23, being arranged in pairs, in number corresponding to the number of pockets to be formed, in this instance six, three above and three below, and in the ribbed portions 24: of these strips, which are made hollow, are inserted the upper ends of the guard wires 25, the said ribs being cut away as at 26 for this purpose. These guard wires are preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 5, their lower ends being passed through openings in the leaves and there retained in any suitable manner, said lower ends being bent to form the looped portions 27 as seen in the detail Fig. 4t to form a support for the lower edge of the sales slip 28 as is also clearly illustrated in said ligure. The guard wires on opposite faces of the leaves have their ends passed through adjacent openings, or it may be through the same openings in the leaf. These guard wires for the slips, two for each pocket, are practically stationary and avoid the employment of springs, as in prior constructions, and permit the ready insertion of the slips which may be readily inserted at any time with one hand.

1tis to be understood that the pockets are formed by the flanged strips 22, arranged in pairs, and the guard wires 25, one end of each of the latter being attached to a strip 22 and the other end passed through the leaf, as seen in Fig. 4.

In order to hold or lock the upper ends of the slips in position I have provided a simple construction, such as is shown in Fig. G, and at the upper left hand corner of Fig. 1. lt comprises a bail-like device 29, the cross portion of which is adapted to extend across between the two strips 22 and bear upon the upper portion of the sales slips therein. lts ends are suitably journaled, as at 30, in the ribs 24 of the strips 22, one end being extended as shown at 31 and provided with an eye or loop 32 which is engaged with the upper end 33 of the wire 234-. which is disposed between the ribs 24e of the adjacent strip 22, its lower end being provided with a handled portion 35 having a forwardly extending member 3G to receive the thumb or linger. As seen in Fig. 6 this locking device is in its closed position. `When it is desired to remove the sales slips in said pocket or to insert another, pressure upward on the thumb piece 36 turns the bail upon its pivots land throws it up out of engagement with the sales slips so that the pocket is ready for the reception of another slip or for the removal of those in said pocket.

It is desirable to removably hold a name card over each pocket holding the slips. In Fig. 1 l have shown a simple and convenient method for thus holding the cards.

ln said view, 37 are clips stamped out from 3 the body of the leaf and bent in opposite directions, beneath which the name card 38 can be easily slipped endwise, which card will be securely held by said clips and yet easily removed when desired.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

lVhat is claimed as new is l. In a bill le, a leaf having flanged strips, guard wires having one end engaged in said strips, and the other end engaged in the leaf, and a pivotally mounted clamping device mounted in said strips.

2. In a bill file, a leaf having flanged strips, guard wires having one end engaged in said strips and the other end engaged in the leaf, and a pivotally mounted clamping device mounted in said strips and having an operating arm disposed between the flanges of one of the strips.

3. In a bill file, a leaf, a strip thereon bearing a hollow flange, and a guard wire having one end removably held within said flange and its other end engaging an opening in the leaf.

il. In a bill file, a leaf, flanged strips on the leaf, guard wires on each leaf between said flanged strips with their upper ends fixed to the said flanged strips and their lower ends passed through openings in the leaf and bent to form looped portions upon opposite sides of the leaf.

5. In a bill file, a leaf, guard wires on said leaf with their lower ends passed through openings in the leaf and bent to form looped portions upon opposite sides of the leaf, and flanged strips on said leaf with ribbed portions cut-away and the upper ends of said guard wires inserted in said ribbed portions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of September, 1909, in the presence of ltwo subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH E. BENJAMIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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