Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1887
Complete Left, 19th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 25th May, 1888
I, FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE, of Redlynch Villa, South Street, Reading, in
the County of Berks, Mechanical Draughtsman do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to clips or holders for letters or other papers or documents.
With letter-clips as heretofore usually constructed, considerable inconvenience and
waste of time are occasioned by reason of the fact that in order to insert one or more
letters therein, it is necessary to release all the letters previously inserted, and
therefore the latter have to be held by hand to prevent their escape from the clip.
Now the object of my said invention is to obviate such inconvenience and loss of
time by providing a letter-clip which can be opened for the insertion of a letter or
letters without releasing any that may have been previously inserted.
I accomplish this object by the use of means whereby, before the main clip can be
opened, any letters or other papers that may be contained in the apparatus will be tightly
held or gripped and thus supported during the insertion of other letters or papers.
My said invention is conveniently and advantageously carried into practice in the
following manner, that is to say :-The main clip is connected by a hinge-joint to a
plate or bracket formed on, or attached to the base-plate and is acted upon by a
spring or springs in the ordinary or any suitable manner. A lever is pivotted to this clip
and is arranged to act, through the medium of a pin or rod passing through the
main clip, upon an additional or supplementary clip also connected by a hinge-joint
to the aforesaid plate or bracket. The supplementary clip is acted upon by a spring,
which tends to hold its free end away from the aforesaid base-plate. Therefore, when
the main clip is in its closed position, the supplementary clip does not grip the letters
or papers. When, however, the said lever is depressed, the said supplementary clip is
first caused to grip the letters or papers and the main clip then opened to permit
the insertion of other letters or papers. Moreover when the said lever is released, the
main clip closes before the supplementary clip is opened.
To prevent the thrusting of the letters or papers too far into the clip I sometimes
provide suitable stops formed on, or attached to the base-plate.

page_text: The main clip is preferably provided on its underside with a projecting piece of
metal or other suitable material for holding down the inner edges of the letters or
papers to enable the supplementary clip to pass over the said edges in its upward
movement, so that it may engage therewith in its next downward movement.
To withdraw the letters or papers from the apparatus it is only necessary to exert
greater pressure on the said lever than is required to effect the opening of the
main clip and to continue the movement of the said lever after the main clip has
been opened. In this manner both clips may be opened and the letters or papers
thus released.
I wish it understood that the construction of the apparatus above described may be
somewhat modified without departing from the nature of my invention; and that I
do not confine myself to the employment of the said additional or supplementary clip,
as I may find it convenient to use other means for preventing the escape of letters
from the apparatus during the insertion of other letters therein.
Dated thin 15th down T11007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Letter-clips.
I, FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE, of Redlynch Villa, South Street, Reading, in' the
County of Berks, Mechanical Draughtsman, 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 relates to clips or holders for letters or other papers or documents.
With letter-clips as heretofore usually constructed, considerable inconvenience and
waste of time are occasioned by reason of the fact that, in order to insert one or
more letters therein, it is necessary to release all the letters previously inserted, and
therefore the latter have to be held by hand to prevent their escape from the clip:
Now the object of my said invention is to obviate such inconvenience and loss
of time by providing a letter-clip which can be opened for the insertion of a letter
or letters without releasing any that may have been previously inserted.
I accomplish this object by the use of means whereby, before the main clip can be
opened, any letters or other papers that may be contained in the apparatus will be
tightly held or gripped and thus supported during the insertion of other letters or
papers.
In the accompanying drawing 1 have shown how my said invention can be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one form of my improved clip.
Figure 2 is a plan, the main clip and some other parts being removed.
Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the working parts in a different position.
Figure 4 is a side elevation showing a slight modification of my apparatus herein-
after described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the main clip; B is the base plate.
The main clip A is connected by a hinge-joint a to a plate or bracket 6 formed on,
or attached to, the base-plate B, and is acted upon by a spring c. A lever dis pivoted
at d to the clip A and is arranged to act, through the medium of a pin or rod e
passing through a sleeve e¹ upon the said main clip A, upon an additional or supple-
mentary clip, also connected by a hinge-joint g to the aforesaid plate or bracket b.
The supplementary clip f is acted upon by a spring h, which tends to hold its free end
away from the base-plate B. Therefore, when the main clip A is in its closed position,
the supplementary clip does not grip the letters or papers. When, however, the
lever d is depressed, the said supplementary clip f is first caused to grip the letters
or papers and the main clip A is then opened to permit the insertion of other letters
or papers. Moreover, when the said lever d is released, the main clip A closes before
the supplementary clipfis opened.
To prevent the thrusting of the letters or papers too far into the clip I provide
suitabie stops i formed on, or attached to the base plate B,

page_text: The main clip A is preferably provided on its underside with a projecting piece j
of metal or other suitable material for holding down the inner edges of the letters
or papers to enable the supplementary clip f to pass over the said edges in its upward
movement, so that it may engage therewith in its next downward movement.
The base-plate B is moreover sometimes provided with a hole k for hanging up the
clip or holder when required.
To withdraw the letters or papers from the apparatus, it is only necessary to exert
greater pressure on the said lever d than is required to effect the opening of the
main clip A and to continue the movement of the said lever after the said main clip
has been opened. In this manner both the clips A and ƒ may be opened and the
letters or papers thus released.
:
Figure 4 is a modification wherein the supplementary clip fis pivoted at f¹ to lugs 61
on the base plate B. The extremity of the said supplementary clip is bent or
curved so as to form a spring f. The lever d is in this instance pivoted at f³ to the
supplementary clip fand passes through a slot in the main clip A. The lever d
is moreover provided with an extension d'. The main clip A is also pivoted to the
lugs and is maintained normally in a closed position by a spring c¹, and the
supplementary clip f is normally retained in an open position by the bent or curved
portion of the same, forming the spring. Upon pressing down the lever d, the
extension d bears against the main clip A, and raises the same, and at the same
time the supplementary clip f is caused to descend and grip the letters, papers or
other documents in the clip or holder.
Although I have hereinbefore described convenient and advantageous means of
carrying my said invention into practice, it is obvious that I can somewhat modify
the construction of my apparatus without however departing in any way from the
nature of my said invention. For instance I can employ other means in place of the
herein before described additional or supplementary clip for preventing the escape of
letters from the apparatus during the insertion of other letters therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A letter-clip wherein provision is made for preventing the escape of letters
therefrom during the insertion of other letters therein, as above specified.
Second. A clip or holder for letters or other papers or documents, comprising a
main clip, and a supplementary clip, substantially as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Third. The arrangement of the supplementary clip in combination with the main
clip in such a manner that both of them can be opened simultaneously when desired,
by force applied to the said main clip, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The improved clip or holder for letters or other papers or documents con-
sisting of the parts constructed and combined substantially as described with reference
to either of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 19th day of April 1888.
Dated this 19th day of April 1888.
FRANCIS ERNEST BLACKMORE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.