Abstract:
A billfold file for storing currency bills in a billfold, the file being attached or unattached thereto, for quick, accurate filing. A master plate adapted to bend with the billfold and having left and right retainers off-set from one side thereof and providing edges around which the inwardly turned ends of a plurality of parallel panels are disposed, the panels being semi-rigid and adapted to be disposed with broad bill engaging central portions arranged in parallelism with the master plate for receiving currency bills therebetween, the panels bearing bill denomination indicia.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Errors commonly occur when persons in a hurry make change involving currency bills stored in their billfold. In addition to hurrying there are many distractions that tend to cause mistakes to be made. This problem is particularly great for those people who do business from their billfold all day long because of many dozens of transactions. 
     I had first thought it might be substantially impossible to design a billfold file so that it would be stiff enough and strong enough to hold its position in the billfold with constant use and yet have parts that are thin enough so as not to swell out a billfold making it so thick that the file would not be accepted by users but I have found by long experiment that it is possible to have the parts of such a file made of materials and of thicknesses, spacings and shapes that can accomplish the answer to those problems and to provide a compact, effective billfold file for durability and long use and separating the different bills of different denominations effectively so they can be easily and quickly found behind index tabs, which latter are disposed within the outlines of the billfold so that they will not be damaged during use. 
     The problem of a billfold file suitable for billfolds of the one fold type is particularly a problem because in a one fold billfold there is a folding that occurs right at the center which is the only place where on can effectively attach such a file to the billfold in cases where attachment is desired. Attachment is not necessary in all cases as I have found that friction alone will hold a file in place very well. 
     A fixing of panels together is one way of making a unitary billfold file, but this will not work in a single fold billfold because the only place where panels can be attached together is at the center of a panel lengthwise which is the exact place where bending is desired whereby attachment of panels together at that place would not work. 
     Consequently, I engaged in long research and developement and conceived the idea of having a billfold file in which the panels are loosely secured to a master plate and are not secured together at the center lengthwise of the panels at all. With my new concept of this invention they are free to move with respect to each other as the billfold is opened and closed, unbent and bent. 
     The new concept involves having a master plate to which the panels are loosely secured but in a manner such that they stay in place with ends bent around the retainer edges of retainer portions of a master plate which are offset from the remainder of the master plate itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A billfold file for storing currency bills in a billfold, the file having a master plate adapted to bend with the billfold and substantially filling the billfold, the master plate having left and right retainers off-set from one side of the master plate, the retainers having retainer edges off-set inwardly from the ends of the master plate, and a plurality of parallel panels disposed one inside the other, each panel having a substantially U-shaped end portion, extending around the retainer edge so that each panel is provided with a right and left positioning end portion disposed in lapping relationship with the retainer, which provides a retainer edge, each panel being free to move with respect to other panels somewhat, as the billfold containing the file is bent and unbent, closed and open. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a frontal elevation of a billfold containing the billfold file of this invention with most of the forward or inner side of the billfold broken away and the remainder of the billfold shown in dotted lines. The boundaries of an area occupied by grooves being diagrammatically illustrated by dotted lines. 
     FIG. 2 is a frontal elevation of the master plate portion of the billfold file of this invention as it would be seen from its forward side such as would face the inner side of a billfold, the boundaries of an area occupied by grooves extending transversely of the master plate being diagrammatically illustrated in dotted lines, other dotted lines indicating the general position diagrammatically of two areas occupied by glue on the outer or rearward side of the master plate on preferably either the right or the left side of the center lengthwise of the master plate. The glue and the grooves are both disposed on the outer or rearward side of the master plate. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2, generally, although the section is extended so as to extend into the area occupied by the grooves mentioned in connection with FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of one of the panels of the billfold file. 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view made diagrammatically of one end of a master plate used to illustrate how both ends are made, the view being a bottom plan view of the left end of the master plate of FIG. 2, but shown with the left end of panels assembled thereon, the remainder of the panels and master plate not being shown. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A billfold and billfold file assembly is generally indicated at 10 in FIG. 1, and comprises a billfold file generally indicated at 12 for receiving currency bills, not shown. 
     The file 12 is disposed inside a billfold 14. The billfold file 12 comprises a master plate 20, the master plate being formed of semi-rigid bendable material of sufficient rigidity as to maintain itself upright when disposed inside the billfold 14 and during times when the billfold is held with its open side 26 upward with the master plate 20 and the entire file 12 disposed between the forward side 32 and the rearward side 34 of the billfold 14. 
     The master plate 20 is formed of a thin sheet of material which is preferably of the kind called &#34;living plastic&#34; and identified as PRO-FAX 6723 which is a semirigid polypropylene of a thickness of between 0.30 and 0.20 inch. 
     The invention further comprises left and right retainers 40 attached to the master plate 20, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each retainer 40 is offset from the master plate 20 a distance of approximately 0.130 inch, as indicated by the arrow 42 in FIG. 3. The retainers 40 have left and right retainer edges 44 and 46 respectively which extend transversely to the left to right elongation of the master plate 20. 
     A plurality of substantially parallel panels 50 are seen best in FIG. 5 in total. The panels 50 are each formed of flexible material, preferably the thermoplastic material called &#34;PROFAX&#34; SB-184 flexible polypropylene. Each of the panels 50 can be of the same thickness, preferably 0.010 thickness as the others. The panels 50 fit one lapping the other at successively greater distances from the master plate 20, as best seen in FIG. 5 and with each panel having a left and right positioning end portion 72. 
     The panels are sufficiently rigid as to tend to remain with their central bill-engaging portions 74 disposed substantially in vertical planes, respectively, during times when a billfold containing the file 12 is held in unfolded position with its open end upward. 
     The bill-engaging portions 74 of the panels 50 are each of a size for totally receiving thereagainst a conventional currency bill, such as the one-dollar bill, for example, disposed in parallelism with the respective bill-engaging portion 74. 
     Each of the panels 50 has its left and right positioning end portions disposed in parallelism with respective left or right positioning end portions 72 of the respective bill-engaging portion 74 of the same panel. Each of the panels 50 has a left and right end interconnecting portion 76, best seen in FIG. 4, respectively connecting the respective bill-engaging portion 74 with the respective left and right positioning end portions 72 thereof. 
     The positioning end portions 72 are disposed on the master plate 20 side of the off-set retainers 40, respectively, as best seen in FIG. 5, in which a left end retaininer 40 is shown. 
     Each retainer 40 is connected to the central portion 92 of the master plate by an inclined connector 90 which is of one piece with respect to the retainer 40, and the remainder of the master plate 20. The inclined connectors 90 extend from the off-set retainers 40 inwardly toward the planar central portion 92 of the masterplate where they join with a inner surrounding portion 84, which latter is one of four portions which surround each retainer and inclined connector 90, such surrounding portions being parts of a surrounding section 80, seen in FIG. 2, and such portions being end portions 82, inner portions 84, upper surrounding portions 86 and lower surrounding portions 88. 
     Each retainer 40 and its inclined connector 90 are both connected substantially entirely along the upper and lower edges of each retainer 40 and its connector 90 to the master plate. 
     The retainer-surrounding sections 80 are substantially planar and disposed in the smae plane with the central portion 92 of a master plate. 
     Each inclined connector 90 joins the central portion 92 of the master plate along a line 94, seen in FIG. 5, the line 94 extending transversely to the length of the master plate. 
     In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 a strip of glue is seen at 130 extending between edges 132 thereof, which extend in parallelism transversely of the length of the master plate 20, the glue area 130 being on the rearward or outer side of the billfold 14, such outward side being seen at 32 in FIG. 3, the outer side of the master plate 20 being that side thereof which is opposite to the side on which the retainers 40 are disposed, the said opposite side being recognizable in FIG. 3 by scoring of the central section 92 of the master plate with a plurality of vertical grooves equi-distantly spaced apart and extending between lines 122 see in FIG. 2. 
     The glue 130 extends a lesser distance as measured lengthwise of the billfold than is the area occupied by the grooves 120, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     The thickness of the master plate 20 at each groove 120 of FIG. 3 in 0.10 inch. The grooves are preferably 1/8 inch apart and extend between the lines 122 of FIG. 2, which are 1 inch apart. The purpose of the grooves 120 is to cause the master plate 20 to be very easy to bend at its center so as to bend with the billfold and thereby work in an excellent fashion with a billfold of the type having a single central fold midway between the lines 132 of FIG. 2 and parallel thereto. 
     It is to be understood that the glue 130 is optional, since it has been found that the billfold file will stay in place in a billfold from friction alone. The glue 130 does, however, serve to attach the billfold file 12 permanently to a billfold by attachment to the inner side to the rearward or outer side 32 of the billfold. 
     Each of the panels 50 are sufficiently stiff to hold the shapes above described, and shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, even though they are very thin and scarcely increase the thickness of a total billfold assembly at all. They are also so flexible as to be very easily bent as the billfold is folded. 
     Each panel 50 has an index tab 300 on its upper edge receiving thereon a numerical indicia 310, indicating the denomination of currency bills intended to be disposed in storage behind the particular panel 50 on which a given indicia is printed. Each tab is off-set with respect to other tabs of the other panels, as best seen in FIG. 1, so that all tabs are visible at once. The indicia 310 on each tab face the inner or forward side 34 of the billfold. The total size of the master plate 12 is such as to be completely received within the outlines of the billfold 14, and the tabs 300 are so constructed as not to project beyond the outlines of the master plate 20 when the master plate 20 is looked at in side elevation. 
     I have discovered that when the left and right positioning end portions 72 of each panel 50 extend back upon and lap the remainder of the panel a distance of 1 inch that that is sufficient for causing the panels to stay in place during use. For that reason each retainer 40 is preferably 1 inch in width as measured lengthwise of the master plate and the total distance from a retainer edge 44 or 46 to the inner end of a respective connector 90 at the line 92 of FIG. 3 is 21/2 inches in effective models. 
     The distance between retainer edges 44 and 46 in successful models has been 71/2 inches and the total length of the master plate 81/2 inches with the vertical height of a retainer 40 being 2 3/8 inches and the total vertical height of the master plate being 3 1/8 inches. The length of the innermost one of the panels 50, which latter is the panel bearing the indicia 1 for indicating one-dollar bills is 71/2 inches in length plus 0.020, so as to be slightly longer than the distance between the retainer edges 44 and 46. 
     It will be understood that dimensions can vary, however, and that billfolds are of different sizes. In some countries currency is of different sizes. 
     The billfold file 12 of this invention can be used with single fold billfolds or two fold billfolds, all within the principles set forth herein, although some dimensional changes would be needed to fit some of the billfolds, particularly some of two fold billfolds. 
     It is to be particularly observed that each of the panels 50 is slightly longer than the next innermost panel 50, and that the spacing of the positioning end portion 72 of each panel with respect to the planar bill-engaging portion 74 of the panel is a greater spacing proportionally for each panel than is the spacing for any panel disposed inwardly of a given panel so as to achieve the overlapping configuration shown in FIG. 5. 
     The billfold 14 has its inner and outer panels 34 and 32 connected together around the bottom and end edges thereof in the usual manner found in billfolds with the upper edges thereof spaced apart for access. 
     The master plate can be of different thicknesses than described, for example, it could be 0.015 inch also in thickness, particularly when the plastic used has stiffener in it to make it 50% more stiff, even though the basic material is the same as described. 
     Contrary to anything stated previously glue is not used at the very center between the ends of the master plate, but is instead used, if used at all, in areas disposed alongside the center where there is no bending such as along the lines 132, but in general, not between the lines 132 of FIG. 2. This is in the case of the single fold billfold gluing. Where the billfold is of the double fold type, it is important that there be two scored areas extending transversely of the length of the master plate, one at each place of bending of the billfold. 
     For a two fold billfold use, then the master plate should be designed with its inclined connector portions 90 meeting the general plane of the master plate along the line 92 of FIG. 3 on dimensions such that the line 92 is 1/4 inch farther toward the respective outer edge of the end of the billfold which is adjacent. In gluing a tri-fold billfold to a master plate the glue can be placed any where except at a bend. It is best to glue only one side of the master plate to a bill fold.