Improvements in and connected with Cabinets for Filing Papers, Letters, Accounts, Samples, and such like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
Improvements in and connected with Cabinets for Filing Papers,
Letters, Accounts, Samples, and such like.
I, PETER WORDEN PECKHAM, of 286 Byars Road, Hillhead, Glasgow, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to cabinets in which papers, letters, accounts, samples and
such like can be filed by merely suspending below or to shelving or to the hack or
front and the sides and doors of the cabinet the different papers by means of hooks
or catches of any desired form.
In the case of papers they are secured together and indexed in a manner similar
to the "Shannon" system. In my invention however there is no necessity for the
expensive drawers and files used in the "Shannon " system.
The invention can be carried out in various ways and in a more or less expen-ive
manner to suit the taste of the customer.
Under one arrangement the cabinet is constructed with a series of shelves and is
made with plain sides and top or it may be made with ornamented top and sides.
The spaces between the shelves can, if desired, be capable of being closed by means
of hinged flaps, doors, or shutters. The hinged flaps, if used, inay be capable of
being extended like the leaf of a table so as to form a counter or rest. Secured on
hooks or nails or such like inserted in the undersides of the shelves or the sides of
the cabinet or both are metal files, hooks, or catches holding the papers. Metal files
are preferably used and they are fitted in such manner as to be easily removed and
again inserted in place.
Under another arrangement the cabinet may take the form of a box provided with
a hinged lid and divided or not either partially or wholly into compartments by means
of vertical and (or) horizontal partitions or vertical partitions alone.
Under another arrangement the cabinet may be fitted with a base provided or not
with a counter or ledge on top. This base may have drawers fitted in it in which
papers or other articles can be stored. The base can be closed in by means of doors,
shutters or a hinged or folding leaf secured to the counter.
The front of the cabinet, when not provided with doors, can be closed dust proof
by means of a rising and falling shutter or blind preferably made of cloth and
provided with cross slats which at their ends work in grooves cut in the sides of the
cabinet. This sereen or blind may be used in any place where it is desired to raise
or lower a screen with rapidity.
Instead of using the rising and lowering screen aforesaid one or more swinging
screens may be used which can be supported by hinged brackets or arms.
If desired the cabinet may be made with storage spaces or drawers above and
shelving below and be closed by means of hanging curtains or such like.
Any of the shelves may be made wholly or partly of metal or wood and the com-
partinents can be lined with tin or other material. Each shelf can be closed by one
or more metal or other shutters.
I prefer for hanging the papers, etc. the form of file known as "Peckham's special
paper file."

page_text: Folded documents may be manipulated on any of the shelves and a band or bands
of india rubber or equivalent be fitted across the front of any shelf to prevent the
documents falling out.
If desired the shelves may be provided with notches or grooves fitted with spring
catches so arranged that the files or hooks with the papers secured thereto merely
require to be pushed into the grooves in order to be caught by the spring catches and
held in place, and likewise, when it is desired to withdraw the papers, all that is
necessary is to merely pull the files out of the grooves or notches.
Dated this 16th day of November 1896.
1. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
Improvements in and connected with Cabinets for Filing Papers,
Letters, Accounts, Samples, and such like.
I, PETER WORDEN PECKHAM, of 286 Byars Road, Hillhead, Glasgow, 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:-
This invention relates to cabinets in which papers, letters, accounts, samples, and
such like can be filed by merely suspending below or to shelving or to the back or
front and the sides and doors of the cabinet the different papers by means of hooks or
catches of any desired form.
In the case of papers they are or may be secured together and indexed in a
manner similar to the "Shannon" system. In my invention however there is no
necessity for the expensive drawers and files used in the "Shannon" system.
The invention can be carried out in various ways and in a more or less expensive:
manner to suit the taste of the customer.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended three explanatory sheets of drawings which show, by way of example,
different methods of carrying my invention into effect or practice.
Fig. 1 shows one form of cabinet on which papers can be filed in accordance with
my system.
Fig. 2 shows a cabinet closed.
Fig. 3 shows a small cabinet.
Fig. 4 shows another form of cabinet.
Fig. 5 shows the method of filing the papers on hooks secured to strips or guide:
pieces.
Fig. 6 is a view of a guide piece with its hooks.
Fig. 7 shows a method of filing papers in a drawer or on a shelf.
Fig. 8 shows a modification,
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated 4
indicate the same or similar parts.
In the arrangement shown at Fig. 1 the cabinet is constructed with a series of
shelves a and is made with plain sides and top or if preferred with ornamented sides
and top. Secured below each shelf or if preferred only some of the shelves (as shown)
are a number of guide strips b each of which has a hook c secured to it. On each 4
hook can be hung one of "Peckhams special paper files" d with papers therein, or
any other kind of file or holder or catch with papers. The guide strips b are preferably
secured in place by screws. Figs. 5 and 6 show clearly how the guide strips with
their hooks are arranged.
Usually the cabinet is only sufficiently deep as shown at Fig. 1, to permit of but a 5

page_text: single file being hung on each guide strip, although, if so desired, the cabinet can be
made deeper so as to hold two or more files one behind the other In this latter
case two or more hooks, as shown at Fig. 6, would be fitted to each guide strip b. It
is not necessary to fix guide strips at the extreme ends of each shelf as hooks c¹ can
be inserted in the sides of the cabinet as shown at Fig. 5. The sides serve as guides
when slipping the files on to the hooks el.
The guide strips b with their hooks are preferably placed about 3 inches from one
another.
The cabinet can be, as shown, provided with a base e having a counter or ledge el
at top. This base may be divided into compartments f in which fit drawers g for the
reception of papers or other articles. Fig. 7 shows the drawer removed from the
space of the base e (Fig. 1); as will be seen the drawer has an open side and
the folded papers or documents are arranged side by side being retained in place by
means of a (or more than one) band of india rubber g', or equivalent, fitted across the
open side. This same method can be adopted when filing documents on a shelf.
If desired the cabinet may be made with storage spaces or pigeon holes; or drawers
above and shelving below.
As shown in this Figure 1 and also in Figure 2 the shelves, when doors are not.
provided, can be closed against dust by means of a rising and falling shutter or
blind A preferably made of cloth and provided with cross stiffening slats i (see dotted
lines Fig. 2) which, at their ends, work in grooves cut in the sides of the cabinet or
in guides secured to the cabinet. This form of screen or blind can be used, where
desirable, for any form of cabinet.
Fig. 1 shows a pole with hook for catching in the eye k of the screen or blind
and pulling it down.
As shown at Fig. 8 grooves b¹ may be cut in the undersides of the shelves and be
fitted with catches or hooks from which the paper files and papers can be suspended.
The sides of the grooves serve as guides when inserting the files in order to hang
them upon the hooks.
If desired instead of hooks, spring or other catches of any suitable and well known
form may be employed.
As shown at Fig. 2 the cabinet may be with a continuous series of shelves closed
by the vertically moving screen or blind h. The screen when closed can be locked
at the bottom by means of a lock l.
Instead of using the vertically moving screen aforesaid one or more swinging
screens may be used which can be supported by hinged brackets or arms and be
capable of opening and closing like doors."
Fig. 3 illustrates a method of closing up each shelf by means of a hinged lid or
flap m which can be moved downwards so as to form a ledge or table for placing the
papers on when inspecting them. When in its lowered position the hinged flap can
be supported by arms n, chains, or any other well known equivalent devices.
llinged flaps, when used for closing any or all of the shelves, can be made to
extend like the leaf of a table so as to form a counter or rest.
Fig. 4 shows a method of closing up the shelves by means of sliding shutters o.
These shutters, which are made of wood or other material, are capable of sliding in
grooves made in the top front edge pl of one shelf and in the bottom front edge p2
of the next shelf iminediately above it. The sliding shutters can, when unlocked, be
moved freely from side to side so as to give access to any part of the space between
the shelving. In order to lock up the whole series of shutters o closing the space
between any two shelves the end shutters are provided with locks by means of which
they can be locket to the body of the cabinet and so lock the remainder of the
shutters in place. Whilst the shutters can be removed from the grooves at the left
or locking side, when the end shutters are unlocked, they are prevented, by means of
a stop piece, from being moved or taken out of the grooves at the right hand or non-
locking side. When the shutters are locked the whole of the files with their papers
are locked in.
In order to facilitate the movement of the shutters in their grooves they (the

page_text: shutters) may be shod with metal or be provided with metal strips at their upper
and lower ends.
The top part q and base of Fig. 4 have shelves and are closed by the usual
doors.
Instead of using hooks any suitable and well known equivalent devices may be
used for suspending the files.
The invention can be adapted to any form of cabinet or such like for filing papers
or documents or for storing samples or goods where it is necessary to give ready access
to the articles and at the same time protect thein from dust.
For the purpose of readily finding papers filed, the front edges of the shelves could
be made to hold labels designating the name of the papers on each paper file lung
up under the shelving; or letters of the alphabet may be used instead of labels; or
names, letters or numerals or other indexing arrangements may be printed upon
removable cards said cards being capable of being attached to the front of the shelves
or of slipping into holders at the front of the shelves. These removable cards can
also have printed or written upon them the names of the papers upon each file.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I consider
novel and desire to claim is :-
1. The system of filing papers, letters, accounts and such like wherein the papers
or the like are attached to files or holders and these files or holders are hung up upon
hooks or their equivalent attached to the shelves of a cabinet or equivalent receptacle,
substantially as herein before set forth.
2. A cabinet having shelving in which papers, &c., are filed by hanging them upon
hooks or their equivalent under the shelving, said cabinet being closed by means of
a vertically moving screen or by means of shutters (o) or their equivalent, substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.
3. Guide strips or their equivalent having hooks or the like from which files with
papers can be suspended substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 16th day of August 1897.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.