AN IMPROVED FILE, OR APPARATUS FOR HOLDING OR BINDING PAPERS, DOCUMENTS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Phineas Lawrence, of Farringdon Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for an Invention of AN IMPROVED FILE, OR APPARATUS
FOR HOLDING OR BINDING PAPERS, DOCUMENTS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES,
Communicated to him from abroad by William R Clough, of Newark,
New Jersey, in the United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Phineas Lawrence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st August 1882.
PHINEAS LAWRENCE, of Farringdon Strect, in the City of London, Merchant,
AN IMPROVED FILE, OR APPARATUS FOR HOLDING OR BINDING PAPERS, DOCUMENTS,
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES. Communicated to me from abroad by William R.
Clough, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United States of America,
This Invention relates to an improved file, or apparatus for holding or binding
papers, documents, and other like articles, requiring to be frequently referred to,
and it consists of a base or plate provided with a wire clamp, forming a flat frame
of rectangular, or other suitable shape, said clamp being constructed, by preference.
of a single piece of wire, and attached to the base or plate at one side only, by
means of radial arms (forming part of the clamp or frame) which govern the
capacity of the apparatus, and operate in various ways to effect the desired move-
ments. The wire clamp being connected to the base, or plate, at one side only, as
before stated, its other three sides are left free for the introduction of the articles
to be held.
The clamp itself may also be used as a bolding device independent of the base or
nlate

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Phineas Lawrence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th February 1883.
PHINEAS LAWRENCE, of Farringdon Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
AN IMPROVED FILE OR APPARATUS FOR HOLDING OR BINDING PAPERS DOCUMENTS
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES. Communicated to me from abroad by William R
Clough, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United States of America,
This invention relates to an improved file or apparatus for holding or binding
papers, documents, and other like articles requiring to be frequently referred to,
and it consists of a base or plate provided with a wire clamp forming a flat fraine
of rectangular, or other suitable shape, said clamp being constructed, by
preference, of a single piece of wire and attached to the plate at one side only, by
means of radial arms, (forming part of the clamp or frame) which govern the
capacity of the apparatus and operate in various ways to effect the desired move-
ments. The wire clamp being connected to the base or plate at one side only, as
before stated, its other three sides are left free for the introduction of the articles to
be held.
The clamp itself may also be used as a holding device independent of the base or
plate.
The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings hereto
attached.
I prefer to construct the clamp from a single piece of wire, but do not limit
myself to that form, since it is possible to construct the device by making the
members of separate parts and afterwards uniting them to form the desired clamp.
The drawing represents a clamp as made from a single piece of wire which is bent
to form the flat frame b, b, open at one side, and the arms a a, connected with the
flat frame b, b, by the radial arms d, d, which, when in a state of rest, lie in about the
same plane with the flat frame b b. The arms a, a, are inserted in apertures at one
side of the base x, but they may be secured thereto in any other convenient
manner. The frame b, b, sets flat upon the base x, and is held in that position at
one side only, as shewn, the radial arms d d being the counection between the
frame b, b, and the base. The material to be held may be inserted beneath the
frame b, b, at either of its free sides, and the capacity of the device will be governed
by the length of the arms d, d. The clamping parts are adapted to maintain their
parallelism with, and lie flat upon the surface of the matter held. The frame b, b,
when used alone has a tension downwards on the matter held, by reason of the
flexibility of the radial arms c, d, and the torsion or twist in its (the frame's) side,
produced by the radial movement of the arms d, d, and when attached to a base the
clamping power is increased by the bow tension of the frame b, b springing outward
at its open side. When it is desired to still farther increase the elasticity and
clamping power of the clamp or frame such parts of it as are subjected to torsional
strain may be wholly or in part formed into a spiral spring, and this can be done
without changing the form or construction of the device in any material respect.
When the frame b, b is elevated to permit the introduction of the matter to be held,
the arms d, d, move radially from a horizontal towards a vertical position and the
open side of the flat frame b, b, is thus caused to contract. The section t, of the
frame b, b, will have a tendency to bow downwards from the action of the spring in
the frame, and when such section t, is straight and unbroken, and is allowed to
overhang the edge of the article held, then this tendency to bow downwards is of
advantage as it serves as a side guard opposite to the radial arms.
This same

page_text: function is also useful when the section t, is provided with a tongue m, to lie in
same plane with the flat frame b b, as the same strain which before caused the
straight line to bow down over the edge of the matter now concentrates itself in
the tongue m, which in case of binding or holding papers or documents is very
desirable to keep the central portions of such matter well clamped down. It will
be observed when the clamp is attached to a base that the contracting and
expanding properties of the open side of the frame b b permit and facilitates the
radial movement of the arms d, d, and vice versa.
As stated, the clamp may be used without the base, and when thus employed the
matter to be held will be inserted between the arms a, a, and the flat frame b, b; in
which condition it will be held by the torsion in its sides, in a similar manner as
when attached to a base. Virtually, the base when used occupies the place of the
arms a, a.
In a frame of rectangular shape the torsion springs from the two opposite sides,
but in a frame of a bow-shape or triangular form the torsion would extend
throughout the entire frame to a greater or less extent. But whatever may be
the contour of the frame b, b, the expansion of its open side exerts a force outwardly
against the radial arms d, d, and acts to clasp the parts against the matter to be
held. It is true also that when the side of the flat frame b, b, at section t, is elevated,
a torsional strain will be created in the arms & d, which returns that side to a flat
position when set free.
While I prefer to construct the flat frame b, b, into a rectangular shape I do not
confine myself to that shape, as it is obvious that almost any other shape would
afford substantially the means and functions of operation. Any one possessing
ordinary skill in the art of bending wire will readily understand how to construct
the device without further description.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same may be carried into effect, I declare that I claim,
First. The improved tile or apparatus for holding or binding documents and
other like articles, having its parts arranged, combined and operating substantially
as herein described, and as illustrated.
Second. The flat frame b, b, and t, connected with a base x, by the radial arms d, d,
projecting from the open side of said flat frame, substantially as set forth and for
the purpose described.
Third. The flat frame b, b, and t, connected with the parts a, a, by the radial
arms d, d, projecting from the open side of said frame, substantially as set forth and
for the purpose described.
In witness whereof I the said Phineas Lawrence have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twentysixth day of February in the year 1883.