Improvements in Letter Cases, Portfolios, and other similar Articles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Cases, Portfolios, and other similar
Articles.
I, ALFRED ERNEST ARTHUR RAY, of 33 Hugo Road, Tufnell Park, N. in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct letter cases, portfolios, or similar
articles, in such manner that the covers or sides of the apparatus will securely grip
the papers placed therein, over their whole surface, whether it contains a small or
large number of papers.
I attain the said object by the following means.
Two thin metal plates are provided to form the covers of the apparatus, and
these plates are preferably made of skeleton form to save weight. One of the said
plates is formed of steel and is stamped out with two or more projections on the
back edge, which are bent round to form spring tubes. A small spiral spring is
affixed within each of the said tubes, the outer end of each spring being riveted to
the tube, while the inner end is affixed to a small bar, having its ends bent at right
angles and projecting outside the ends of the tube.
The other cover is affixed to the said projecting ends of the bars.
The apparatus can be covered with leather, cloth, paper, or other desired
material in the usual manner.
The covers are pressed together by means of the spiral springs, while the spring
tubes open or close to accommodate a greater or less bulk of papers. By means of
this combination of spiral springs and spring tubes, the covers are enabled always
to shut parallel upon the enclosed papers, irrespective of their number or thickness,
provided that the opening capacity of the tubes in each particular instance is not
exceeded.
As a modification the back of the apparatus may consist of a strip of metal to
which, two, three or more tubes of thin steel or other suitable elastic material are
affixed.
Each tube is slotted throughout its length on the side opposite that to which the
aforesaid strip is affixed. Two small spiral springs are affixed within each tube,
the outer end of each such spring being riveted to the tube, while the inner end is
affixed to a small bar having its ends bent at right angles and projecting outside
the ends of the tube, as before described.
Two thin metal plates are provided to form the covers of the apparatus,
preferably of skeleton form, as before mentioned. One such plate is affixed to the
projecting ends aforesaid of the bars of one set of springs, while the other is
affixed to the projecting ends of the bars of the other set.
As a further modification, one of the covers may be stamped out of thin sheet
steel with projecting pieces, which can be so bent round and coiled up as to form
not only the spring tubes, but also their contained spiral springs in one piece.
My invention is specially applicable to pocket, letter, or paper cases, but it is
also suitable for portfolios or any other articles intended to receive and securely
retain papers, or drawings of any description.
Dated this 10th day of November 1892.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Cases, Portfolios, and other similar
Articles.
I, ALFRED ERNEST ARTHUR RAY, late of 33 Hugo Road, Tufnell Park, N.
but now. of 18 Lady Somerset Road, Kentish Town, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, 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:-
The object of my invention is to construct letter cases, portfolios, or similar
articles, in such manner that the covers or sides of the apparatus will securely grip
the papers placed therein, over their whole surface, whether it contains a small or
large number of papers.
In the accompanying five sheets of drawings, which form part of this
Specification;
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a letter case with one spring cover, empty and
closed, constructed in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2, is a cross-section-through A A in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a similar cross-section, shewing the case open..
Fig. 4, is a cross-section shewing the case filled with papers and closed.
Fig. 5, is a perspective view of one of the frames of the case.
Fig. 6, is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of one of the springs employed
in the construction of the case.
Fig. 7, is a part of the cross-section Fig. 2, shewn to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 8, is a plan of one of the frames of the case, shewing a modified method of
construction.
Fig. 9, is an end elevation of the same.
Fig. 10, is a perspective view of a letter case with two spring covers, empty and
closed, constructed in accordance with my invention, and
Fig. 11, is a perspective view of the spring back of same, with the covers and
other parts removed.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, I employ two thin metal plates B, C, to form the
covers of the apparatus, these plates are preferably made as skeleton frames, Fig. 5,
in order to save weight. The plate B is made of steel and is stamped out with two,
three, or more projections on the back edge, which are afterwards bent round, and
if necessary hardened and tempered, to form spring tubes D, the appearance of the
finished plate being best shewn in Fig. 5.
A small flat spiral spring E, is placed within each of the said tubes D, the outer
end of the spring being riveted, or otherwise securely affixed to the tube at F,
while its inner end is affixed to a small bar H, having its ends H' bent downwards
and then outwards at right angles to the central portion and projecting outside and
beyond the ends of the tube D.
The cover C, which has no spring tubes D, is soldered or otherwise securely
affixed to the ends H' of the bars H.
The apparatus may be covered with leather, cloth, paper, or other desired
material J, in the usual way. Slots K are formed in the said material to permit of
the movement of the bars H¹, and a portion of the ends of each tube D is cut away
leaving a shoulder d, to form a stop to limit the amount to which the cover may be
opened, and thus avoid overstraining the spiral springs E. In place of the spring
tubes D being made in one piece with the cover B, they may be formed separately
and attached thereto by rivets, or other suitable means, as indicated by dotted lines
in Fig. 5.
The covers are pressed together and grip the papers placed between them by
means of the spiral springs E, while the tubes D, which form a spring back to the

page_text: apparatus, open or close independently of the springs E to accommodate a greater
or less bulk of papers.
By means of this combination of spiral springs E and spring tubes D, the covers
are always enabled to shut parallel upon the enclosed papers, irrespective of their
number and thickness, provided that the opening capacity of the tubes D in each
particular instance is not exceeded.
In the modified mode of construction shewn in Figs. 8 and 9, the steel skeleton
frame plate B is formed with projecting strips D as before, but these strips are
extended in length into somewhat narrower pieces E. To the end of each said
piece E, a bar H is fixed, having bent ends H₁ as before described. The strip is
then bent back upon itself at about the line e, the narrow part E coiled round to
form a spiral spring, and the broad part D bent to form a spring tube, and the
whole is hardened and tempered. Fig. 9 represents the finished appearance of the
piece. The action is the same as before described, and the object of the modifica-
tion is merely to avoid the joint between the springs D and E.
In Figs. 10 and 11, a modification is shewn in which both covers B and C are
independent of the spring back tubes D, and are each provided with a set of spiral
springs E, attached to them in the manner before described. The tubes D are
affixed by any suitable means to a strip of metal L,. and are each of sufficient
internal capacity to contain a pair of springs E. The result of this mode of con-
struction is that both covers are movable with relation to the back of the apparatus,
which in some instances may be an advantage, while in the first described method
only one such cover is movable.
In either form of the apparatus, the spaces between the spring tubes D may be
filled up with sheet metal, cardboard, or other suitable material, bent or formed to
the same shape as the said tubes so that when the leather or other covering has
been applied, the back may present a uniform cylindrical appearance.
Where it is undesirable to use leather, or other material as a covering, the sides
can be formed of plates, embossed, chased, engraved, or otherwise ornamentally
treated.
In the case of an apparatus made in this manner, with a single moving side, the
back springs D must necessarily be constructed separately and attached to the
fixed side, as before described. The said springs may also be ornamentally treated
and the spaces between filled up in a manner to harmonise with the other parts.
In place of the spring back being formed in separate parts, it may be made in a
continuous piece, slots being provided where required for the arms H' to work
through, and instead of the springs E being of spiral, or clock form, as previously
described, they may be of helical pattern, if preferred.
In construction, the cylindrical spring back D, should have an equal, or very
slightly greater power than the combined spiral springs E, in order that it should
remain closed, when the movable side or sides are opened to receive or abstract
papers, the retention of which causes the sides to become distended, and owing to
the manner in which the spiral springs are fitted to the spring back, this distention
actuates this latter spring, which yields and opens and so ensures the sides keeping
parallel to each other and at the same time maintaining their grip on the
contents.
My invention is specially applicable to pocket books, letter or paper cases, but it
is also suitable for paper files for hanging or table use, and for portfolios or any
other articles intended to receive and securely retain papers or drawings of any
description.
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. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, the combination of a tubular
spring back, a cover attached to said back, and a cover attached to springs contained
within said back

page_text: 2. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, the combination of a tubular
spring back and covers attached to springs contained within said back.
3. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, the combination of a cover B,
tubular springs D integral with said cover, and forming a spring back, coiled
springs E, attached within said springs D and to a cover C, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, the combination of a cover B,
tubular springs D attached to said cover and forming a spring back, coiled
springs E attached within said springs D, and to a cover C, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
5. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, a cover B having projecting
strips D, E, the part D being bent to form the spring back and the part E being
coiled into a spring for attachment of a cover C, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
6. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, the combination of a spring
back D, coiled springs E within said back, bars H affixed to inner ends of said
springs E, having bent ends H' and a cover or covers affixed to said ends H¹,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. In a letter case, portfolio, or similar article, the combination of a strip L,
tubular springs D attached to said strip, coiled springs E attached within said
springs D and to covers B and C, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 10th day of August 1893.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2, Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.