Im- PROVEMENTS IN FILES OR HOLDERS FOR PAPERS, LETTERS, BAGS, AND OTHER. SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Baldwin, junior, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Paper Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN FILES OR HOLDERS FOR PAPERS, LETTERS, BAGS, AND OTHER.
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 17th December 1858, and dated the 21st October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Baldwin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1858.
I, JAMES BALDWIN, junior, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Paper Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILES OR HOLDERS POR PAPERS, LETTERS, BAGS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention is intended to form a small and useful instrument for hanging
up papers and bags, and is one mainly adapted for the use of shopkeepers,
who require papers and bags in a position handy for use, and easily available.
For their purpose I provide a brass or metal plate to attach to a shelf or rail
of wood at any convenient position at the back of a counter or elsewhere by
means of screws. At the foot of this plate is fixed a long needle point to
receive the papers or bags, and which point is stuck through the papers or
bags. At the top of the brass plate is attached a spring, tightened to the
plate by means of a small set screw and collar, the opposite end of the spring

page_text: is forked or provided with a padded shield to cover and protect the point of
the needle, upon which the papers or bags are pierced; this spring thus
serves to keep the papers or bags upon the needle until required for use. The
detaching of a single paper or bag is easily effected, as a slight pull serves to
displace the foot of the spring for a moment, and the paper or bag baving
passed the spring resumes its action. The set screw and collar at the top of
the spring are for the purpose of loosening the spring slightly, so as to admit of
its being turned partially round and out of the way, whilst a fresh stock of
papers or bags are pierced upon the needle. In place of the spring already
named I substitute for some purposes a metal arm hinged to the upper part
of the back plate, and furnished at its lower extremity with a balance weight,
so that when a paper or bag has been pulled off, the weight causes the arm to
resume its former position, holding the rest firmly on. This weight
This weight may also
form the shield to protect the point of the needle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Baldwin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BALDWIN, junior, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Paper Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Baldwin, junior, Her special license that I, the said James
Baldwin, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Baldwin, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FILES OR HOLDERS FOR PAPERS, LETTERS, BAGS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Baldwin, junior, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Baldwin, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention is intended to form a small and useful instrument for hanging
up papers and bags, and is one mainly adapted for the use of shopkeepers, who
require papers and bags in a position handy for use and easily available. For
this purpose I provide a brass or metal plate to attach to a shelf or rail of
wood at any convenient position at the back of a counter or elsewhere by
means of screws. At the foot of this plate is affixed a long needle point to
receive the papers or bags, and which point is struck through the papers or bags.
At the top of the brass plate is attached a spring, tightened to the plate by means
of a small set screw and collar, the opposite end of the spring may be forked,
or it may be furnished with a padded shield or cap, or the end of the spring.
itself may be turned up to form a protection for the point upon which the
papers or bags are pierced; the spring thus serves to keep such papers or
bags upon the needle until required for use. The detaching of a single paper
or bag is easily effected, as a slight pull serves to displace the foot of the
spring for a moment, and the paper or bag having passed, the spring resumes
its action. The set screw and collar at the top of the spring are for the
purpose of loosening the spring slightly so as to admit of its being turned
partially round and out of the way, whilst a fresh stock of papers or bags are
pierced upon the needle. In place of the spring already named, I substitute
for some purposes a metal arm hinged to the upper part of the back plate,
and furnished at its lower extremity with a balance weight, so that when a
paper or bag has been pulled off, the weight causes the arm to resume its
former position, holding the rest firmly on. This weight may also form the
shield to protect the point of the needle.
(A), Figure 1, is the back plate, at the foot of which is securely rivetted
the needle (B); (C) is the spring turned up as at (D) to form a protective
cover to the point, the spring is prevented from striking the point of the
needle by the formation of the bend (E), which is furnished at that part with
a small nick or hollow (F), catching on the needle at a spot rather above the
point; (G) is the set screw, by turning which the spring may be removed
from bearing on the needle into a position at right angles if required to the
back plate (A), this allows for the necessity of renewing the supply of paper or

page_text: bags upon the needle, after which the spring is brought back to its original
place and the set screw tightened. As a paper or bag is required, it is to be
sharply snatched off the needle point. The spring will allow it to pass
without tearing, but the rest will be kept in place, consequently there is no
danger of tearing out the corners of papers or bags, as by the system now in
use, and the trouble of tying them up or stringing them together is avoided.
Figure 2 represents a modification of the instrument already described. An
arm (A) hinged at its upper end to the back plate, and. furnished with a
balance ball (B), taking the place of the spring in Figure 1. Figure 3 is
another form, in which the spring is placed at the back of the upper end of
the arm, and Figure 4 shewing the position of a spring between the back
plate and the arm. Figures 6 and 7 represent another form of needle, shaped
like a knife blade for the thicker portion of its length, for the purpose of
enabling a person more readily to detach larger papers or bags without dis-
turbing the smaller ones, which may be nearer the point of the needle. By
this plan the larger paper or bag would have to be pulled over the knife edge,
and thus cut its way off.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to these precise details, but that which I claim is the
several improvements in files or holders for papers, letters, bags, and other
similar articles, or any mere modification of the same improvements as herein
more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Baldwin, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES DALDWIN, JUNK. (L.B.)