THE BINDING AND FILING OF PAPERS, ETC
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Keenan at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1880.
WILLIAM KEENAN, of the City of Toronto, in the County of York, Canada.
"THE BINDING AND FILING OF PAPERS, ETC."
My Invention relates to improvements in binders for filing and protecting letters,
papers, pamphlets, and other loose materials.
According to my Invention the binder is so constructed that the papers may be
readily inserted and removed, and the binder set or retained in its open position
when its contents are under inspection. The binder consists of two outer side
boards or flaps and a back composed of two longitudinal parts and two or more
metallic frames, the whole covered by a strip of leather or other suitable material.
Two or more metallic frames of elliptical form are used in the binder, placed one
near each end of the cover and back, and when required one or more additional
ones placed at proper distances apart. Each of these frames is made of two parts
hinged together, one part having a cam, and the other a spring which bears upon
said cam when the two parts or members of the frame are pulled in a direction from
each other in spreading open the binder. The function of the cam and spring is to
keep the binder open when drawn apart. A barrel or wheel is placed on the
back of the binder having a spring which is attached at one end to the rim of the
barrel, and at the other end to a standard. This standard forms part of one of the
frames, and on it is the bearing for the wheel. A band (or, if preferred, a watch
spring) is attached to the rim of the barrel and to a lug on the other part of the
frame. Each frame is provided with a set screw, the object of which is to lock
the wheel by causing its point, as may be desired, to lodge in any one of a number
of small cavities in the periphery of the wheel, and thus after the binder has been
opened for the purpose of placing articles therein, and these articles have been so
placed therein, the tightening of these screws in the appropriate one of the cavities
locks or fastens the binder shut to the extent desired, and upon releasing the
several screws from such cavities the coiled springs are again free to act and to
operate automatically to close the binder upon any other papers which may be
inserted therein. A principal object of the wheel, spring, and screw, is the function
of locking the binder when shut by setting the points of the screws into the
appropriate cavities. A curved needle pointed prong is affixed to one of the parts

page_text: of each frame, and the other member of such frame has a corresponding cavity to
receive such prong. The papers to be filed are punctured and held and secured
upon the prongs, the frame being first opened against the force of the springs
sufficiently to withdraw the prongs from the cavities, and many papers_may, be
filed as the length of prongs will permit.
The elliptical form of the frames allows of long prongs, and with but a slight
curvature. Each member of the frames has a hinged piece by which it is secured
to the leaves or flaps of the cover.
By this construction it will be seen that no thread is used nor threading of
needles required; the flaps fit closely down on the papers, thus excluding dust and
keeping the papers clean, and the flaps will open wide and lie flat while the filed
papers can be easily referred to and read.
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