AN IMPROVED FILE FOR HOLDING LETTERS AND OTHER PAPERS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Downie, of Chicago, in the United States of
America, now of 20, Barbican, London, E.C., and William Frederick Lotz,
also of 20, Barbican aforesaid, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED FILE
FOR HOLDING LETTERS AND OTHER PAPERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Downie and William
Frederick Lotz at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th
November 1880.
WILLIAM DOWNIE, of Chicago, in the United States of America, now of
20, Barbican, London, E.C., and WILLIAM FREDERICK LOTZ, also of 20, Barbican
aforesaid. "AN IMPROVED FILE FOR HOLDING LETTERS AND OTHER PAPERS."
This Invention relates to a file for holding letters, invoices, and the like papers,
in such a way as to facilitate the removal and replacement of a paper when
desirable, and the insertion of a paper or papers amongst those already on the file
without removing the latter from the file, or in any way damaging them.
We provide a metal base with a top which may be arranged to move upon slides
of a triangular or dovetailed shape, and from which springs one or a pair of vertical
solid metal wires arched over towards the front, and pointed as hereinafter described.
This base carries one or a pair of vertical solid wires, which are in the same vertical
plane or planes with the arched wires before mentioned. They all are pointed in
such a way as to secure perfect continuity of surface when they are in contact.
We move the sliding top carrying the arched wires from or towards the front wire
or wires by a rod, which may be a flat bar or a wire lying along the board of the
file and attached to the sliding top, and kept in position by a fastening, which may
be in the form of a staple or other equivalent device, or by one or more projections
cast upon or inserted in either or both sides of the top. To make the top slide
rectilinearily we provide it with studs moving in grooves or slots formed in the
base, and proper contact between the sliding top and the base is secured and
regulated by means of a spring and the aforesaid studs, which studs may be

page_text: threaded at the onds to screw into the sliding top and travel freely in the slots in
the base, and are formed with heads sufficiently large to prevent the top being
detached from the base or getting out of position. We do not confine ourselves to
the slots in the base, as we may use slots in the top and make the studs fast to the
base. The top is fastened to a board of suitable material, size, and shape in any 5
convenient way. To permit of the file being hung upon a hook or nail, we
provide a projection with a hole of suitable size in the back or outer end of the
base.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Downie and William Frederick Lotz in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th May 1881.
WILLIAM DOWNIE, of Chicago, in the United States of America, now of
20, Barbican, London, E.C., and WILLIAM FREDERICK LOTZ, also of 20, Barbican
aforesaid. "AN IMPROVED FILE FOR HOLDING LETTERS AND OTHER PAPERS."
Our Invention relates to a file for holding letters, invoices, and the like papers, in
such a way as to facilitate the removal or replacement of a paper when desirable,
and the insertion of a paper or papers amongst those already filed, without
removing the latter or any of them from the file, or in any wise damaging them.
We provide a metal base, either wrought, cast, or stamped, fixed in any
convenient way to the ordinary tablet, which may be of wood or other suitable
material, and of any suitable size and shape. There slides upon this base a hollow
metal top wrought, cast, or stamped. To facilitate the sliding motion and to
keep the sliding top in the direction proper for the subject of our Invention, we
form upon the base a metal slide or metal slides of a dove-tailed shape, and in
the under side of said top we form grooves to work upon said slide or slides.
In said slide or slides we form a slot or slots, and in that part or those parts of the
base immediately under said slide or slides we form a corresponding slot or slots.
From the under side of the base we pass a binding-screw or binding-screws made to
travel freely in said slot or slots, and having its end or their ends screwed into the
said top. The diameter of the head or heads of said screw or screws is larger than
the width of the aforesaid slot or slots respectively. By this arrangement the said
top is prevented from being detached from the said base, or getting out of position.
When our improved filo is made with only one slide, we fasten to a stud formed
upon the under side of the said top and in each of the upper corners thereof,
immediately under the vertical arched metal wires hereinafter described, a coiled
wire spring, and when said file is made with two slides we fix a bar-spring between
them. We interpose said respective springs between the aforesaid base and top
for the purpose of improving and regulating the sliding action of the latter. From
said top springs a solid metal vertical wire or a pair of solid metal vertical wires,
which are respectively arched over towards the front and pointed, as hereinafter