Abstract:
A device for binding the marginal edge of materials is provided which takes the form of a continuous section of resilient material. The section of the device includes a pair of legs on which the closing force can be released to allow the acceptance of the materials, a spline around which the legs pivot to close over the edge of the materials to hold them securely by the material engaging ends of the legs when the closing force is engaged and a latch to lock the legs closed. In certain embodiments one leg is fixed and the other leg pivots to accept the materials and to close over the edge of the materials.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a binding and gripping unit for the edge of material and more particularly to improved binding unit that provides clamping pressure after a stack of material has been inserted into the binding unit which clamping pressure can be released to allow the removal of the stack of material without damage. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Some prior proposed devices for binding sheet materials have required that each sheet be perforated adjacent to one edge margin. If sheets are to be added, deleted or rearranged, the existing sheets must be removed from the device and then reinserted onto the device. Often the perforations in the sheets become torn with the result that a sheet may fall out of the assembled stack. 
     Other prior devices for binding sheet materials required that the stack of sheets be forced in between the clamping members to grip the inserted stack of papers and hold the sheets bound at the edge. Often this same resiliency causes the clamping members to damage the sheets as they are forced in between the clamping members. As the resiliency must be weak enough to allow the stack to be inserted, it is often weak enough to allow the stack to become dislodged during normal shuffling of the document. 
     Certain prior art structures have attempted to alleviate this condition. One such device as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,521 shows an adjustable binding unit that allows the gripping edges to be adjusted to accomodate a larger stack of materials. But the material must still be wedged between the gripping edges with the same magnitude of force that will hold the material resulting in damage to the material if the force is great or scattering of the material if the force is insufficient to hold the material during normal use. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 586,937, 2,282,565, and 2,869,210 show binding units that open to accept loose-leaf materials without perforations but are designed for heavy duty applications to display materials and none are proven to be completely satisfactory for the binding of small reports. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,665,563 and 3,698,043 show other binding units that are light weight and open to accept loose-leaf materials but are designed to be used in a plurality of units to prepare materials for display. Unless the units are tied together they will cause portions of the materials to be folded under with resulting damage to the loose-leaf materials. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a binding unit for loose-leaf sheets which opens to accept the stack of sheets and then closes around one edge of the stack. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide the distinct advantages that the invention does not require perforations in the sheets to hold the sheets securely nor does the invention require that the sheets be forced between the retaining means. Thus, the sheets can be inserted, taken out, rearranged and inserted without damage from the retaining means. 
     The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, by providing a binding unit that has two legs joined together near one end of the legs. The other end of the legs is free and can be pivotely opened to accept the edge of the materials. The free ends are then closed around an edge of a stack of material to clampingly secure the stacked material together. A latch is provided to hold the binding unit in the closed position. The binding unit can be unlatched and the free ends opened to allow the removal of the stack of material without damage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The above and other embodiments of the present invention may be more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar elements throughout and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a binding unit according to the present invention in the open position thereof; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention in the open position thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention in the open position thereof; 
     FIG. 4a is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4b is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing it in the closed position thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a binding unit utilized to bind one edge of a stack of loose-leaf sheets; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a short section of a binding unit utilized to hold a stack of loose-leaf sheets. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 the binding unit 1 consists of two legs 2 each hinged to a spline 3 by a ball 4 and socket 5 joint. The ball 4 is made an integral part of the leg 2 being attached to the leg 2 by the stand off 19 and allows the leg 2 to pivot around the end of the spline 3. The spline 3 has a socket 5 formed to accept the ball 4 and allow movement of the ball 4 and stand off 19 such that the legs will open and close to their operational limits by this spline hinge without restriction from the spline 3. The free edges 20 of the legs 2 are formed with material engaging end portions 23. 
     As can be seen from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the members 6 and 9 that provide the moving means to open and close the legs 2 are of preselected length and are attached at the remote ends of the legs 2. The shorter member 6 is hinged to the end of one leg 2 by a ball 7 and socket 8 joint. The ball 7 is made an integral part of the shorter member 6 being attached by the stand off 21 to allow the shorter member 6 to pivot around the end of the leg 2. A socket 8 is formed in the end of the leg 2 such that the shorter member 6 can be opened and closed. The longer member 9 is hinged to the end of the other leg 2 by means of a ball 10 and socket 11 joint with the ball 10 made an integral part of the longer member 9 being attached by the stand off 22. The socket 11 is formed in the end of the leg 2 such that the longer member 9 can be opened and closed. The shorter member 6 is attached to the longer member 9 by hinge 12 which is shaped to allow the longer member 9 to close over the shorter member 6. The hinge 12 is placed along the longer member 9 such that when the longer member 9 is closed over and become positioned adjacent to the shorter member 6 the legs 2 are pivoted around the spline 3 to the closed position shown in FIG. 2 with the material engaging end portions 23 forced together to hold loose-leaf sheet materials. 
     The end of the shorter member 6 is terminated in a catch 14. The end of the longer member 9 is terminated in a latch 13 which is placed so that when the longer member 9 is closed over the shorter member 6, the latch 13 engages the catch 14 to hold the members 6 and 9 closed. 
     The latch 13 is formed with a first manipulation on pad 24 to facilitate the opening and closing of the latch 13. A second manipulation pad 44 as shown in FIG. 1 may be formed as part of a leg 2 to provide a fingerhold to steady the binding unit while closing or opening the latch 13. The second manipulation pad 44 may be placed on the leg 2 and constructed to be of a height such that when the binding unit 1 holding a stack of material is set flat, the edges of the latch 13 and second manipulation pad 44 allow the binding unit 1 to lie in the same plane as the stack of material. 
     As the longer member 9 is opened, the ends of the legs 2 attached to members 6 and 9 are drawn closer together. This movement forces the legs 2 to pivot around the spline 3 so that the free edges 20 are opened to release any retained material and allow another stack of material to be placed between the legs 2 to be clampingly retained when the members 6 and 9 are closed. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment, generally designated 25, which is generally similar to the binding unit 1. Each leg 2 is joined to one end of the spline 3 by a flexible web 15 serving as a hinge. The shorter member 6 is joined to one leg 2 by a flexible web 16. The longer member 9 is joined to the other leg 2 by a flexible web 17. A catch 18 is formed as an integral part of the leg 2 attached to the shorter member 6. The latch 13 engages the catch 18 when the longer member 9 is closed over the shorter member 6. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment, generally designated 26, which is generally similar to the binding unit 1. The legs 2 pivot around the spline 3. In FIG. 4, the legs 2 converge toward each other from the remote end to the free edges 20. In FIG. 4a, as shown in binding unit 80, the legs 2 converge toward each other from the spline 3 to the remote end and from the spline 3 to the free edges 20. In FIG. 4b, as shown in binding unit 82, the legs 2 are generally parallel from the remote end to the spline 3, thence converge toward each other to the free edges 20. Each leg 2 is attached to a forcing member 28 by a flexible web 30. The other end of each forcing member 28 is attached to a wedge 29 by a flexible web 31. A keeper 27 is formed as an integral part of the spline 3 and positioned to receive the wedge 29. When the wedge 29 is inserted into the keeper 27, the forcing members 28 spread the remote ends of the legs 2 causing the legs 2 to pivot around the spline 3 so that the free edges 20 close and the material engaging end portions 23 can clampingly engage a stack of loose-leaf materials. The top of the wedge 29 extends to form a fourth manipulation pad 32 so that the wedge 29 can be easily removed from the keeper 27 to open the free edges 20 of the legs 2. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 show still other embodiments, generally designated 42 and 43, of the binding unit 1. 
     FIG. 6 shows one leg 2 joined to the spline 3 by a flexible web 33 so that the leg 2 can pivot around the spline 3. The other leg is rigidly attached to the spline 3. A keeper 37 is made an integral part of the rigid leg 2. 
     A first clamping member 34 is rigidly attached to the remote end of the pivotal leg. The first clamping member 34 is attached to a second clamping member 35 by a flexible web 36. A wedge 38 is formed as an integral part of the second clamping member 35 and positioned so that as the wedge 38 is inserted into the keeper 37 one end 39 of the second clamping member 35 will act as a fulcrum, the shape of the second clamping member 35 being curved as shown in FIG. 6 so that the second clamping member 35 will pivot around the fulcrum and import a force through the first clamping member 34 to pivotal leg 2, thereby providing pivotal movement of the pivotal leg 2 around the spline 3 to the closed position causing the material engaging end portions 23 to be clampingly secured on the edge of a stack of loose-leaf materials. 
     A third manipulation pad 40 is formed as an integral part of the second clamping member 35 to facilitate the removal of the wedge 38 from the keeper 37 which opens the free edges 20 of the embodiment 42 to release any secured material and allow another stack of material to be placed between the legs 2 to be held by the embodiment 42. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of the embodiment 42 shown in FIG. 6. The operation of the modified embodiment 43 is similar to that of the embodiment 42 except that the clamping member 35 is joined to the non-pivotal leg 2 by a flexible web 41 to facilitate the alignment of the wedge 38 with the keeper 37 while closing the modified embodiment 43. 
     Certain of the embodiments are shown to have the free edges 20 apart when the opening and closing means is open. This state is not necessary and for certain uses such as binding a small number of loose-leaf sheets it may be preferred to have the free edges touching when the opening and closing means is open so that additional clamping force can be generated by the closing of the opening and closing means to more securely hold a thin stack of materials. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8 shows in perspective a stack of loose-leaf sheets temporarily bound together at one edge by means of the binding unit. The strip depicted is not intended to represent any specific embodiment, but rather depicts a manner in which strips of the binding unit are utilized. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9 shows in perspective a stack of loose-leaf sheets temporarily held together along a portion of an edge by a means of a length of the binding unit. The length depicted is not intended to represent any specific embodiment or size, but rather depicts a manner in which less than full edge lengths of the binding unit are utilized to temporarily clip loose-leaf materials. 
     It will be appreciated that the cooperative interaction between the latch 13 and catch 14, respectively, of FIGS. 1 and 2, the latch 13, and catch 18, respectively, of FIG. 3, the wedge 29 and keeper 27, respectively, of FIGS. 4, 4a, and 4b, and the wedge 38 and keeper 37, respectively, of FIGS. 6 and 7, all comprise latch means for selectively maintaining the moving means of each embodiment in a latched position. The latch 13, keeper 27, and keeper 37, comprise the female members of the catch means according to the principles of the present invention. The catch 14, catch 18, wedge 29, and wedge 38 comprise the male members of the catch means according to the principles of the present invention. The male members of the latch means according to the principles of the present invention, are releasably securable in the female members to provide the latch means in the latched position thereof. 
     Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description as shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.