Improvements in Paper Files.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
Improvements in Paper Files.
I, CLARENCE ERNEST MOUNTFORD, of 46-50, Queen Street, in the City of Ottawa,
in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, Die Sinker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention which will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed in connection
with the accompanying drawing relates to devices for filing letters and other
papers.
The object of my invention is a paper file of simple construction that can be
cheaply produced and is effective in use.
Fig. 1 is a top view of my improved file, partly in section, the file board not being
shown and showing the arches closed and part of the casing broken away.
Fig. 2 is a similar top view, showing the arches open.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on line 3-3, showing part of the file
board.
Fig. 4 is a top view of the base plate.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the casing containing the mechanism.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the arch joint, and
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the spring.
A base plate, A, of sheet metal, as seen Figs 3 and 4, is stamped with two raised
cusps or facings, a, perforated for the fixed impaling pins in front and with more
spacious dimples, a, perforated to form bearings for the movable arch wires; also with
a ridge, a¹, extending between the facings a and ridges a³ a³, extending from said
facings rearwardly towards the dimples a¹. Slots or perforations a, are also stamped
to receive lugs provided on the casing; perforations, a³, to receive screws, 88,
Figs. 1 and 2, for securing the plate on the file board, B, (Fig. 3) and at the upper or
rear edge a large perforation, a³, is made in an extension or projection of the plate to
serve as a hanger.
The impaling pins, CC, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are tubular secured at the foot in the
recesses or the raised facings a by solder and made rigid with the base plate. The
upper end, c, of each is bevelled off from the top outwardly, and laterally, thus
practically forming a point and the face of the bevel cut presenting a groove adapted
to receive the tongue of the arch wire point.
D D, Fig. 3, are the movable arch wires, their upper parts curved in a semicircle
with points, d, directed downwardly to meet the points c of the impaling pins and said
points d are each formed with a tongue which is adapted to enter the bevel face c of
the tubular pin, thus forming a tongue and groove joint when closed, as shown
in Fig. 6. The lower end, d¹, Fig. 3, of the main shank of each is finished off in a
suitable way to bear upon the file board B, countersunk for the purpose, projecting
slightly through the perforation in the dimple a¹ of the base. Immediately above the
bearing in the dimple each wire is bent to form a return-crank, du, the crank being
preferably in the plane of the arch, but directed rearwardly on one wire and forwardly
on the other, i.e. in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2. A link, E, connects

page_text: the two cranks, its bearing having the same distance between its centres as the
distance between the centres of the wires and adapted, while pushing one crank and
drawing the other, to press the points of the arches against the points of the impaling
pins. This link, about midway of its length, has an angularly pointed rearwardly
projecting, nose, e, which bears against a similar nose, f, forming part of a spring, F, 5
pressing against it. The spring F is formed of a flat strip with the nose f bent in it
and a groove on the face of the nose to receive the edges of the nose e of the link and
the shanks diverging from each side of the nose so as to form a bow, with its ends f¹
abutting on the rear side of the casing G.
The casing G (Fig. 5) is a flat box covering in the spring F link E and cranks d¹¹, 1
the front and rear sides being formed with lugs, g', adapted to be inserted in the
slots at of the plate A and clinched on the back, as shown in Fig. 3. This casing is
also formed on its upper face with raised and perforated cusps or facings g" registering
with the dimples a¹, adapted to form bearings for the arch wires just above the
cranks. One of the sides, g³, of this casing also forms a stop for the end of the 1
link E to limit its traverse and the action of the arch wires.
It will be noted that the arch wires, D adapted to make a partial rotation on their
centre always move in opposite directions, owing to the opposite position of their
cranks, ; and that they move in unison, owing to their cranks being linked together.
Thus, supposing the arch to be closed, as in Fig. 1, if one of the arch wires is pressed
sideways at or near the points d, its crank causes the link E to be drawn or pushed
-according to which arch is being manipulated-so that its nose e presses against the
side of the nosef of the spring, thus depressing the latter until the point of the nose e
passes the point of the nose f, when the action is reversed and the spring by its
reaction propels the link in its course until its end abuts against the side g³ of the
casing. The link in its traverse was bound to turn the other arch wire in the opposite
direction by moving its crank in the same direction as the other and when the link
was at the end of its traverse both arches were open, as shown in Fig. 2. When open
or closed, the spring acting on one side or the other of the nose of the link, maintains
those positions until sufficient initial movement is imparted to one of the arch wires 3
to cause the points of the noses to pass each other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a paper file, the combination with a file board of a base plate stiffened with
raised ridges and provided with perforations for the impaling pins and arch
wires contained respectively in cusps and dimples and provided with slots adapted
for the reception of the lugs of a casing, tubular impaling pins rigidly secured to
said plate and being bevel pointed laterally and outwardly, arch wires journaled in
the base plate and casing and having bevelled and tongued points adapted to
engage the points of the impaling pins, cranks between said bearings in opposite
directions, a link connecting said cranks and provided with an angular nose, a spring
provided with a similar nose and adapted to press on the nose of said link and a
casing covering said spring link and branks and forming bearings for the wires
abutments for the spring and a stop for the link and secured to the plate by means
of lugs passing through slots and clinched on the back, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a paper file, the combination with a file board, of a stamped sheet-metal
base-plate formed with perforated cusps for the impaling pins, perforated dimples
forming bearings for the ends of the arch wires and affording room for the lower
crank arms in said wires, stiffening ridges extending between the cusps and from
them towards but not to the dimples, slots to receive the lugs of a casing,
perforations for screws securing it to the file board and a perforation in a projection
at the upper or rear edge to form a hanger, substantially as set forth.
3. In a paper file, the combination of a stamped sheet-metal base-plate having
perforated cusps and dimples for the reception of the impaling pins and arch wires

page_text: respectively, perforations near said dimples to receive lugs, a box casing covering
said dimples and having perforated cusps registering with said dimples and cusps
forming in the interior of said box-casing recesses to accommodate the crank arms
of the arch wires, and lugs on its sides adapted to pass into said slots in the plate
and be clinched at the back, substantially as set forth.
4. In a paper file, the combination with a box-casing adapted to be secured to a
base-plate and perforated to form bearings for two wires two arch wires inserted in
said bearings and formed near the foot with return cranks in opposite directions, a
link connecting said cranks and provided with an angularly pointed nose and a flat
bow spring having an angularly pointed nose formed therein adapted to bear on the
sides of the nose on the link and the ends of said spring abutting on the side of
said casing and pressing with its nose on the nose of the link, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 15th day of Santambar An 1900
CLARENCE ERNEST MOUNTFORD,
By his Agents, A. & B. Harvey.