An Improved Bill, Invoice, or Letter File.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bill, Invoice, or Letter File.
I, FRANCIS JAMES CANDY, of Highfield, Fen Ditton, in the County of Cambridge,
Master of Arts, 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 a cheap and simple form of bill, invoice, or letter file.
The invention consists of an open wire frame fixed, hinged or pivoted to a back
plate or the like, which back plate is intended to be hung on a nail or otherwise
secured in a vertical position. The forward open ends of this wire frame are vertically
in a line and are sufficiently distant from each other to allow letters, invoices and
the like to be easily passed between them. The bottom end is sharpened or pointed
and forms the filing wire. The upper end or reference wire is provided with a
tube which slides easily thereover and normally, by the action of gravity, closes
down over the pointed end of the filing wire.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention, and Figures 2 and 3 shew it in use.
The wire frame A B C D E F is so made that the front open ends A B and E F
are vertically one above the other, and the length A B is greater than the distance A E..
In the drawings, I have shewn the frame of a square shape, but the top and bottom
bars B C and D E may be curved if desired. The straight side C D is loosely pivoted
or hinged or fastened in any suitable manner to the back plate G so that the frame
can be easily swivelled to the right or to the left when the said back plate is
hung upon a hook or nail or secured in any way to the wall or other place. The
tube H fits loosely on the end A B and is made of the same length for bridging
over the gap A F between the ends A B and E F and to allow it to be raised when
it is required to uncover the said gap. The tube is placed in position, before the wire
is bent to the required shape of the frame.
To file letters, bills or the like the tube H is lifted as shown in Figures 2 and 3,.
the letters, bills or the like are then placed in the gap A F and are pressed down
over the point F and passed on to the filing wire E D. The tube H is then released
and by its own weight falls down over the point F into the position shewn in
Figure 1. To take a bill or the like from the file, the bills etc. in front thereof are
The tube H is then raised and
passed over the tube H on to the reference file B C.
the required bill taken off the point F. The tube may be made slightly tapering or
conical to allow of the passage of the papers without tearing them.
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) The construction of a file for documents of all kinds, consisting of a wire-
frame loosely pivoted or hinged to a backplate G and provided with a tube H sliding
easily over the two open ends E F and A B of the filing and reference wires E D
and BC, and normally closing the gap between the same by the action of gravity
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: (2) In a file for documents of all kinds, the use of a gravity sliding tube for
closing over the ends of the filing and reference wires substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of November 1889.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention " Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.