Abstract:
A clasp for use in fastening loose sheets of paper together in a binder and like usages having three pins for entry in holes in the papers and other items to be fastened together, thereby effecting a triple fastening.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to clasps, more particularly to clasps of the type such as used, for example, with a binder for fastening loose sheets of paper together in the binder, or with a backing for fastening loose sheets of paper on the backing, or on a leaf of a file folder, etc.  
           [0002]    The invention is especially concerned with a clasp of the type comprising multiple sheet metal bars for binding loose sheets of paper (or the like) in a binder on a cover of the binder, or on a backing, or on a leaf of a file folder, or for binding a leaf of papers per se, or like usage.  
           [0003]    The invention involves what may be regarded as an improvement on a dual-pin clasp predecessor.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a clasp of the type above described having improved fastening or binding capability; the provision of such a clasp adapted for manufacture of sheet metal in quantity production; and the provision of such a clasp for sale in compact form and of convenient applicability by the user.  
           [0005]    In general, a clasp of this invention comprises multiple elongate sheet metal bars. A first bar has a plurality of pin-receiving holes therein, one adjacent one end thereof, one adjacent the other end, and at least one intermediate the ends. A second bar has a length corresponding generally to the distance measured lengthwise of the first bar between one of the holes adjacent one end thereof and one of the at least one intermediate holes in the first bar, and a plurality of bendable sheet metal pins thereon, one having a bendable junction therewith at one end thereof, one having a bendable junction therewith at the other end thereof. The pins are bendable at the junctions to a hole-entry position generally at right angles to the second bar for extending through holes in items to be bound together and thence through the holes in the first bar. Portions of the pins extending through the holes are bendable over on the first bar, the latter having pin holders positionable thereon in pin-freeing position enabling the pins to be bent at the junctions to the said hole-entry position and a pin-holding position, for initially holding the pins bent over at the junctions on the first bar and for holding said portions bent over on the first bar after their entry through the holes in said items and the first bar.  
           [0006]    In one preferred form of the present invention, a clasp of this invention comprises a first and a second elongate sheet metal bar. The first bar has a plurality of pin-receiving holes therein, one adjacent one end thereof, one adjacent the other end, and at least one intermediate the ends. The second bar has a length corresponding generally to the distance measured lengthwise of the first bar between the holes in the first bar, and a plurality of bendable sheet metal pins thereon, one having a bendable junction therewith at one end thereof, one having a bendable junction therewith at the other end thereof, and at least one having a bendable junction therewith intermediate the ends thereof. The pins are bendable at the junctions to a hole-entry position generally at right angles to the second bar for extending through holes in items to be bound together and thence through the holes in the first bar. Portions of the pins extending through the holes are bendable over on the first bar, the latter having pin holders positionable thereon in pin-freeing position enabling the pins to be bent at the junctions to the said hole-entry position and a pin-holding position, for initially holding the pins bent over at the junctions on the first bar and for holding said portions bent over on the first bar after their entry through the holes in said items and the first bar.  
           [0007]    In another preferred form of the present invention, there is a first elongate sheet metal bar having a plurality of pin-receiving holes therein, one adjacent one end of the first bar, one adjacent the other end of the first bar, and one substantially in the middle of the first bar; two second bars each having a length approximately one-half of the length of the first bar and each having a bendable sheet metal pin at each end thereof; said pins being bendable at their junctions with the second bars to a hole-entry position generally at right angles to the second bar for extending through holes in items to be bound together and thence through the holes in the first bar, portions of the pins extending through the holes being bendable over on the first bar; the first bar having pin holders positionable thereon in pin-freeing position enabling the pins to be bent at the junctions to the said hole-entry position and pin-holding position for initially holding the pins bent over at the junctions on the first bar and for holding said portions bent over on the first bar after their entry through the holes in said items and the first bar.  
           [0008]    Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective of a first embodiment of a clasp of the invention, showing the two bars of the clasp disassembled with the lowermost-shown bar prepared for assembly with items to be bound;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the uppermost bar of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a view in plan of the clasp with the bars assembled;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspectives illustrating stages in the use of the clasp with a binder;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective showing the individual parts of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7A is a perspective of the clasp with the bars thereof assembled and the pins thereof bent over as initially supplied in compact form (e.g. for sale);  
         [0016]    FIGS.  8 - 14 A are views similar to FIGS.  1 - 7 A, respectively, showing a modification;  
         [0017]    FIGS.  15 - 28  are views illustrating seven different versions of the securement of the center pin to the lowermost bar; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 29 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0019]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    First referring to FIGS.  1 - 4 ,  7  and  7 A, a first embodiment of a clasp of this invention, designated  1  in its entirety, is shown to comprise first and second elongate sheet metal bars  3  and  5 , the first showing as the uppermost of the two bars in FIGS. 1 and 7, the second as the lowermost bar. Each of these bars is typically of sheet tin plated steel of 0.012 gauge (i.e. 0.3 mm thick), bar  3  typically being about 9⅜ inches (24 centimeters) long and {fraction (9/16)} inch (one centimeter) wide overall bar  5  being somewhat shorter and of the same width overall. The dimensions may be other than described without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0021]    The first bar  3  has a plurality of pin-receiving holes therein, one designated  7  adjacent one end  9  of the bar  3 , one designated  11  adjacent the other end  13  of the bar  3 , and at least one such as indicated at  15  intermediate the ends of the bar  3 . The second bar  5  has a length corresponding generally to the distance measured lengthwise of bar  3  between the holes  7 ,  11  adjacent the ends of bar  3 . The second bar  5  has a plurality of bendable sheet metal pins thereon (generally the same sheet metal as the bars), one designated  17  having a bendable junction  19  with bar  5  at the end  21  of the bar  5 , one designated  23  having a bendable junction  25  with bar  5  at the other end  27  of bar  5 , and at least one such as indicated at  29  having a bendable junction  31  with bar  5  intermediate the ends of bar  5 . It is to be understood that, in use, the pins  17 ,  23 ,  29  are bendable other than at the junctions  19 ,  25 ,  31  in conformance with the height of the stack of paper held by the clasp  1 .  
         [0022]    The pins  17 ,  23 ,  29  are bendable at the junctions  19 ,  25 ,  31  to a position for entry in holes of a bundle of items to be bound together (as will be described) and in the holes  7 ,  11 ,  15  in bar  3 , denoted their hole-entry position, in which they extend generally at right angles to bar  5 , as shown in FIG. 1. Portions of the pins extending through the holes in said items and through holes  7 ,  11 ,  15  of the bar  3  are bendable over on the bar  3 . The latter has a plurality of pin holders such as indicated at  33  positionable thereon in a pin-freeing position (as will be described) enabling the pins to be bent at the junctions  19 ,  25 ,  31  to the stated hole-entry position (of FIG. 1) and a pin-holding position (such as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7A) for initially holding the pins bent over on bar  3  at the junctions and for holding the aforesaid portions bent over on bar  3  after entry of the pins through the holes in the aforesaid items and the holes  7 ,  11 ,  15 . The pin holders are slidable on bar  3  between their pin-holding and pin-freeing positions as will be subsequently more fully described.  
         [0023]    The first bar  3  comprises an elongate sheet metal channel, e.g. of 0.012 gauge tin plated steel, having a web  35  and flanges  37 , with lips  39  extending laterally outward from the edges of the flanges. The holes  15  in bar  3  are in the web  35  thereof. The second bar  5  also comprises a sheet metal channel, of the same sheet metal as bar  3 , having a web  41  and flanges  43  with lips  45  extending laterally outward from the edges of the flanges. The bars are dimensioned (in transverse cross-section) for bar  3  to nest in bar  5  (being so shown in FIG. 7A). Each of the pin holders  33  comprises a narrow band of sheet metal slidable on the lips  39  of the bar  3 , the ends of each band being bent around the lips as indicated at  47 .  
         [0024]    The pins  17 ,  23  extending from the ends of the bar  5  are integral extensions of the bar  5  (more precisely extensions of web  41  of the bar  5 ). The pin  29  comprises a strip of sheet metal somewhat narrower than web  41  fastened at one end thereof to the bar  5  (more precisely to the web  41 ). Pin  29  is shown as fastened to bar  5  generally at the center of length of bar  5  (i.e., midway between pins  17  and  23 ). Each pin has its distal end tapered to be pointed, as indicated at  49 .  
         [0025]    The clasp  1  is supplied in an initial format (FIG. 7A) wherein bar channel  3  lies on the second bar channel  5 , more precisely wherein bar or channel  3  is nested in the second bar or channel  5 , the pins  17 ,  29 ,  23  extend through the holes  7 ,  15 ,  11 , portions  17   a ,  29   a ,  23   a  of the pins which extend past the holes being bent over on the bar  3  (more precisely on the web  35 ), the pin holders  33  being slid along the bar  3  to an out-of-the-way position permitting this, and the bent-over portions are held down by sliding the pin holders to pin-holding positions over the pins such as shown in FIG. 7A. For use, the pin holders are slid to a pin-freeing position, and the pins are bent up to the positions in which they appear in FIG. 1, bars  3  and  5  being separated.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 shows the pins  17 ,  29 ,  23  extending up through holes  51  in the back cover  53  of a binder  55  (bar  5  being underneath the back cover  53 ). A bundle of papers (not shown) having holes for receiving the pins is applied to the pins and held down on the back cover by applying the bar  3  to the pins, bending over the portions of the pins extending above the bundle on the bundle, and sliding the pin holders to pin-holding position as shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0027]    FIGS.  8 - 14 A, correspond to FIGS.  1 - 7 A, respectively, illustrating a modification wherein bar  3 A has in-turned lips  39 A instead of the out-turned lips  39  and the pin holders comprise knurled bands  33 A of sheet metal held captive by the lips  39 A slidable along bar  3 A. Aside from reference characters  3 A,  33 A and  39 A, the same reference numbers are used in FIGS.  8 - 14 A as in FIGS.  1 - 7 A for the corresponding parts.  
         [0028]    In the clasp  1  as shown in FIGS. 1, 7,  15  and  16 , the intermediate (center) pin  29  is fastened to the bar  5  (more precisely to the web  41  of the bar or channel  5 ) by having a foot  57  bent to extend at an angle (more precisely at right angles) thereto extending under a strap  59  struck up from the web extending transversely thereof. As shown in FIG. 16, part  57   a  of the foot occupies the opening resulting from striking the strap up out of the web  41  and the distal part  57   b  of the foot overlies the web  41 .  
         [0029]    Alternatively, the foot may be flat as indicated at  61  in FIGS. 17 and 18 and spot-welded as indicated at  63  to the web. Or flat as indicated at  65  in FIGS.  19 - 22  and riveted in place on web  41  either by a rivet  67  struck from the web  41  (FIGS. 19 and 20) or by a separate rivet  69  (FIGS. 21 and 22). Or by being short and flat as indicated at  71  and extending under a strap  73  struck up from the web  41  and its distal end bent back as indicated at  75  over the strap  73  (FIGS. 23 and 24). Or flat as indicated at  77  in FIGS. 25 and 26 and held down on web  41  by tabs  79  constituted by bent-over segments of the sides of the bar. Or flat as indicated at  81  in FIGS. 27 and 28 and having holes  83  receiving tabs  85  struck from the web and bent over on the foot.  
         [0030]    Any one of the arrangements above described for fastening pin  29  to the bar  5  may be used for fastening the pin  29  to the bar  3 A.  
         [0031]    The alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 29 utilizes the bar  3 A of the prior embodiment although it is to be understood that bar  3  could also be utilized. In this embodiment there are two bars  5 A and  5 B of identical construction and length equal to substantially half the length of bar  3 A. Bar  5 A has pins  17 A and  23 A and bar  5 B has pins  17 B and  23 B, which are identical to pins  17  and  23  of bar  5 . In this embodiment pins  23 A and  17 B are both inserted in hole  15  of bar  3 A and can be bent outwardly away from each other and secured by pin holders  33 A.  
         [0032]    When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.  
         [0033]    In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.  
         [0034]    As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.