Abstract:
Divider means for dividing a set of pages, especially but not exclusively in a binder, into groups of pages. The divider means comprise a single sheet of material which is cut into a plurality of divider portions of the sheet, each extending from a common connecting portion of the sheet.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to divider means for dividing a set of pages, especially but not exclusively in a binder, into groups of pages. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hitherto, such divider means for a loose-leaf folder with a ring binding mechanism have comprised a set of separate sheets, each having holes punched through them along an intended inner edge thereof to enable them to be secured to the mechanism, and a tab along an opposite edge to protrude beyond the adjacent edges of the pages held in the folder. This enables a selected group of pages within the folder to be quickly accessed simply by grasping the relevant tab and lifting it along with the divider, of which it forms a part. 
     A disadvantage of such divider means is the relative expense, especially bearing in mind that each sheet needs to be relatively strong and therefore thick so that it will not wear too quickly with frequent use. It is also less easy to have such divider means retained in the folder regardless of whether all the sheets are in use or not. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to obviate one or more of these disadvantages. 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to divider means for dividing a set of pages, especially but not exclusively in a binder, into groups of pages, comprising a single sheet of material which is cut into a plurality of divider portions of the sheet, each extending from a common connecting portion of the sheet. 
     Advantageously, to reduce wastage of sheet material, divider portions may be contiguous, severed from one another by a single cut which terminates in the sheet at one side of the common connecting portion. 
     Preferably, the divider portions comprise a plurality of strips or fingers. This provides an efficient use of the sheet material. 
     The common connection portion may be provided with holes at opposite ends thereof to enable rivets of a binder mechanism to be inserted therethrough. Alternatively, recesses may be formed in the boundary of the common connection portion of the sheet to accommodate such rivets whilst enabling a part of the common connecting portion of the sheet to be inserted between a binding mechanism and a folder to which it is already attached. 
     Alternatively, the common connecting portion may be provided with holes through which respective ring portions of the rings of a binding mechanism can be threaded. 
     Alternatively, the common connecting portion of the sheet can be provided with slots to enable respective unopened rings of a ring binding mechanism to be inserted therethrough. 
     Score or crease lines may be formed in the sheet to facilitate folding over of one or more of the dividing portions. The score or crease lines may be in the proximal ends of the divider portions. Alternatively, they may be located in the common connecting portion adjacent to the divider portions. 
     The present invention extends to a binder comprising a folder, a binding mechanism secured thereto, and divider means for dividing a set of pages held in the binding mechanism when the binder is in use into groups of pages, the divider means comprising a single sheet of material which is cut into a plurality of divider portions of the sheet, each extending from a common connecting portion of the sheet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Examples of divider means made in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a first such example; 
     FIG. 2 shows a plan view of an open folder provided with a ring binder mechanism, with a common connection portion of the divider means shown in FIG. 1 sandwiched between the mechanism and the folder; 
     FIG. 3 shows a further plan view of the open folder shown in FIG. 2 with pages held by the ring binding mechanism; and three divider portions of the dividing means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 folded over and inserted between adjacent pages; 
     FIG. 4 shows an end view of the folder shown in FIG. 3 after it has been closed; 
     FIGS. 5,  6  and  7  show top right-hand corner portions of modified forms of divider means; 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show respective upper left-hand corners of further modified forms of divider means; and 
     FIG. 10 shows a bottom end view of a folder with a ring binding mechanism, and a divider means as shown in FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The divider means  10  shown in FIG. 1 comprises a sheet of thin polypropylene of a thickness of about 300 μm, a width slightly less than that of A4 paper and a height substantially the same as that of A4 paper. A plurality of cuts  12  extend inwardly from the left-hand side of the sheet as shown in FIG. 1, horizontally towards the right-hand side of the sheet, but terminate before reaching that edge to leave a margin of the sheet constituting a common connecting portion  14  thereof. The series of cuts  12  are uniformly spaced apart to define strips or fingers  16 . Four of the cuts  12  and also labelled  18  have a significant width greater than the cross-section of the ring of a ring binding mechanism. In the divider means illustrated in FIG. 1, there are four such gaps  18  intended to be in registration with four rings respectively of a ring binding mechanism when the divider means are in use. 
     Otherwise, adjacent strips or fingers  16  are contiguous with one another being severed only by the relevant cut  12 . 
     The distal ends  20  of the stips or fingers  16  are rounded. 
     Score or crease lines  22  extend across the fingers all the way from the top of the divider means  10  to the bottom thereof running parallel to the common connecting portion  14 , to enable each strip or finger  16  to be folded over independently of the others. 
     The sheet is provided with two holes  24  close to the upper and lower right-hand corners of the sheet respectively. These are rivet holes. Alternatively, the top and bottom right-hand corners of the sheet can be cut off by cuts shaped as indicated by the broken lines  26 . Each of these provides a recess  28  in the edge of the sheet material which can accommodate rivets of a ring binder mechanism already secured to a folder. 
     When in use, the divider means shown in FIG. 1 has its common connecting portion  14  sandwiched between a ring binder mechanism  30  and the spine  32  of a folder  34  to which the ring binder  30  is riveted by rivets  36 . These pass through the holes  24  in the divider means  10 . When a multiplicity of pages  38  each having holes  40  punched therein to enable the pages to be fastened in the ring binder mechanism  30 , these pages  38  may be divided into groups of pages by the divider means  10 . Pages  38  intended to be above a given strip or finger  16  are removed, and then that strip or finger  16  is folded over from the left-hand side of the folder as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 on to the pages  38  on the right-hand side as shown in FIG. 3, the removed pages  38  then being re-secured on top of the strip or finger  16 . In FIG. 3, two further strips or fingers  16  have been folded over in this way to divide the pages in the folder into four groups altogether. As is evident from FIG. 3, the end  20  of the strips or fingers  16  protrude beyond the outer edges of the pages  38 . This enables the relevant group of pages  38  to be accessed simply by lifting the appropriate end  20 . 
     Alternatively, each strip or finger  16  may be threaded in between two adjacent pages  38  at the desired position in the stack, without removing any pages from the ring binding mechanism. 
     The end view shown in FIG. 4 is the lower end of the folder shown in FIG. 3 after the latter has been closed. It can be seen from this that the folder can be opened and any number of the sheets  38  turned over from one side of the folder to the other without being obstructed in any way by the strips or fingers  16 . 
     As is evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, the gaps  18  are generally located in registration with the rings  42  of the binding mechanism  30 . 
     In a modified form of divider means shown in FIG. 5, the common connecting portion  14  is wider, and the score or crease lines  22  are located on the common connecting portion adjacent to the ends of the cuts  12 . This enables all of the strips or fingers  16  to be folded over, selective ones being placed between the pages held in the folder. 
     In the modification shown in FIG. 6, each strip or finger  16  is L-shaped so that the rounded ends  20  thereof are located along an upper edge of the divider means  10 . 
     In FIG. 7, the gaps  18  are omitted, and each divider  16  which would, when folded over, engage a ring of the ring binder mechanism, is provided with a slot  44  to enable the ring to pass therethrough. 
     In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 8, slots  46  are provided in the common connecting portion  14  to enable the divider means to be attached to the ring binder mechanism by inserting the unopened rings through the holes  46  respectively. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, circular holes  48  are provided adjacent to the end of each gap  18 , and open slots  50  are cut in from the adjacent side of the sheet towards each hole  48  and in registration therewith. Each ring may then have one of its ring portions threaded through the hole  48  and the other passing through the slot  50 . When this embodiment of the invention is in use, it takes the form shown in FIG.  10 . It will be seen that the common connecting portion  14  has its free edge adjacent to the cover flap  52  of the folder  34 . Each divider portion then extends from a position adjacent to the rear flap  54  of the folder  34  inwardly to a position within the ring region defined by the rings  42  of the ring binder mechanism  30  and then in between the pages  38 , at the inner edges thereof so that the ends  20  of the strips or fingers  16  protrude outwardly beyond the outer ends of the pages  38 . 
     The thickness of the divider means  10  may be from 150 μm to 1,000 μm thick, whether it is made of polypropylene or rigid or flexible polyvinyl chloride. Alternatively, it may be made of laminated card with a thickness of about 400 μm. 
     The divider means  10  may be secured to the ring binding mechanism and/or the folder, alternatively, by gluing, welding or with its own rivets, or via a further strip of material or a pocket. 
     The strips or fingers  16  may be all the same length, or of varying length on the same divider means  10 . 
     More than one divider means  10  may be secured to the same binder, each dividing means  10  having strips or fingers  16  of the same or of different length. 
     The divider means  10  may be used with binding mechanisms other than ring binding mechanisms, and indeed may even comprise simply a book-mark. 
     The divider means  10  may be designed as a universal fit for any binding mechanism.