Improved Method of Keeping Letters and other Documents, and the Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Keeping Letters and other Documents, and the
Apparatus therefor.
THOMAS BOWATER VERNON, of Hanbury, Manor Road, Wallington, Surrey,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention is essentially an improved method of keeping letters and other
documents so that they can be easily put away, referred to, or taken out as required..
To effect my object I arrange the documents in alphabetical or other desired order
in a drawer or other receptacle with movable division pieces indicating the order.
The documents are supported in preference by a wedge shaped body sliding in
grooves or on projections of the sides of the drawer so that the weight of the
documents tends to hold the said wedge fast, but the wedge is easily moved either
way by pressure applied parallel to the grooves. The documents may be supported
by any other similar contrivance. I thus dispense with all cumbersome apparatus
for holding together the documents and there is no need with my invention to
unlock or otherwise loosen the documents in order to be able to refer to or take
them out.
11
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Keeping Letters and other Documents, and the
Apparatus therefor.
THOMAS BOWATER VERNON, of Hanbury Manor Road, Wallington, Surrey,
Gentleman 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 is essentially an improved method of keeping letters and other
documents so that they can be easily put away, referred to, or taken out as required.
To effect my object I arrange the documents in alphabetical or other desired order
in a drawer or other receptacle with movable division pieces indicating the order.
The documents are supported in preference by a wedge shaped body sliding in
grooves or on projections on the sides of the drawers so that the weight of the
documents tends to hold the said wedge fast, but the wedge is easily moved either
way by pressure applied parallel to the grooves. The documents may be supported
by any other similar contrivance. I thus dispense with all cumbersome apparatus
for holding together the documents and there is no need with my invention to
unlock or otherwise loosen the documents in order to be able to refer to or take
them out.
To show more clearly how my invention is carried out, I furnish drawings in
which corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters throughout.
Fig. 1 is front elevation of sliding piece.
Fig. 2 is side elevation of same.
Fig. 3 is view of part of box or drawer showing grooves in sides for sliding piece
to run in.
To the body of sliding piece A is
projecting at either end so as to run
liding piece A is inclined backwards.
attached a wedge shaped piece or pieces B
in grooves C of drawer or box so that the
In this position of sliding piece the weight

page_text: of documents tends to hold it fast, but pressure applied at lower part of sliding piece
will easily move it in either direction as required.
Fig. 4 is front elevation of sliding piece A with oblique grooves D instead of
projections.
Fig. 5 is side elevation of same.
Fig. 6 is view of box or drawer showing projections for sliding piece to run on.
In Figs. 4-6 the oblique grooves D on sliding piece A cause the required
sloping position of sliding piece A when moving on projections E of drawer.
I find that an angle of 15° with the vertical is a suitable position for sliding
piece. A to hold fast, but I do not limit myself to this angle.
Fig. 7 is front elevation of box with modified sliding piece A in position.
Fig. 8 is view of sliding piece A showing T-shaped or other projection beneath
and wedge shaped piece B which in this case runs along the bottom or false bottom
of box.
The T-shaped or other projection F at bottom of sliding piece A runs in cavity
or groove at bottom of box. More than one T-shaped piece can be used. A
good way of employing this modification is to place a false bottom G in the box as
shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 10 shows a modification where the sliding piece A with oblique orifices K
runs on rods J.
In all the ways shown the weight of the documents tends to hold fast the sliding
piece A, and therefore the employment of any locking or clamping apparatus is
unnecessary. But as pressure applied to the lower part of the sliding piece A
will move it easily, any document can be easily taken out for reference without
disturbing the order of the rest of the documents. Any suitable means may be
employed of indicating the arrangements of the documents. It is obvious that no
re-arrangement is required by the use of my method whatever the increase in the
number of the documents may be.
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
claim is
1. A method of securing documents in any required order and of facilitating
reference to the same by the use of a sliding piece which is automatically held fast
by the weight of the documents but can be easily moved when pressure is applied
in a different place substantially as described.
2. The sliding piece A as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for the purpose specified.
3. The sliding piece A as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for the purpose specified.
4. The contrivance shown in Fig. 10 for the purpose specified.
5. The sliding piece as shown in Figs. 7-9 for the purpose specified.
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicant.