Improvements in Paper Fasteners and Label Holders.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 1st day of August 1896.
Date of Application, 25th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Paper Fasteners and Label Holders.
°
I, SAMUEL LEAROYD, of 12 Coleman Street, in the City of London, and of
Huddersfield, in the County of York, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in paper fasteners and label holders of the
kind or class in which pins or points on one side of the fastener are intended to he
pressed through the papers and to be received in sockets or recesses in the other
side of the fastener. The objections to these fasteners as heretofore made are
amongst others (1) that there is no certainty that the papers are caught or pierced
by them, (2) that the pins of these fasteners are frequently bent down and
destroyed in binding the papers and articles together; (3) that the part which is
intended to pierce the papers is usually a small pin and not a tongue or wedge;
(4) that the fasteners can only be opened by the use of the finger nails which is
often injurious to the user; (5) that the fasteners are not suitable to be applied to
the corners of papers being the position in which the papers are ordinarily fastened;
(6) that these fasteners are objectionable to handle by reason of the points ;
(7) that the entire fastener is cut out of metal of uniform thickness; and (8) that
such fasteners are only adapted to fasten very few papers together.
By my invention I overcome these objections.
An important feature of my said invention is the construction whereby the
points for piercing the papers are made very strong and are thus not liable to be
bent in their passage through the papers, and at the same time the part of the
fastener which is to be bent when closing it upon the papers is made so that it can
be bent without difficulty..
For this purpose I by preference make my fasteners of varying thickness of
metal or material the portion from which the pin tongue or wedge is intended to
be cut being of greater thickness than the portion which is to be bent in folding
and closing the fastener upon the papers. In some cases I form the fasteners of
metal or other material of two thicknesses and in other cases of three thicknesses.
When I employ material having three different thicknesses I form or cut the pin
or tongue and the cup from the thicker parts and I make the middle portion from
the thinner part so as to allow of it being easily bent in closing upon the papers
whilst at the same time I secure a strong point or tongue which will resist any
pressure of the papers in closing. When I make my fasteners out of metal or
material having two thicknesses I form the cup or receptacle in the thin part and
the tongue or pin from the thicker part. Such fasteners can be conveniently cut
Pest

page_text: from sheet metal having thick and thin portions produced by rolling, or from strips
of metal so rolled that the part which forms the bend of the fasteners will be
thinner than the rest of the strip. I in some cases make the fasteners all of one
thickness of material and then I adopt a sufficiently thick gauge to allow of a strong
pin or tongue being formed or cut out. In such cases to secure ease in bending
the metal or material in closing I reduce the amount of metal at the bend by
removing the metal or material at sides of the bend, or by cutting holes or slots in
the metal or material at the bend, or by cutting grooves in it." I thus secure a
metal or material of strong and thick gauge and yet I secure an easy bend at the
point or line of bending and closing of the fastener.
I sometimes employ this method of ensuring ease in bending for the fasteners
made of different thicknesses of material.
Instead of pins such as those heretofore employed I prefer to use tongues
shaped like a chisel point with either plain or serrated edges. Sometimes I cut
the tongues out of the metal or material and at other times I form them
independently of the rest of the fastener and secure them thereto.
Such tongues
ensure the papers being pierced and also secure a very firm hold upon the papers.
When this form of cutter or piercer is used the entire papers are pierced
simultaneously with a jerk which at once assures the user that the whole papers
are pierced whereas with a sharp point as heretofore used there is no indication of
'it having passed or not passed through all of the papers. Sometimes I make
the tongues with parallel sides, sometimes with inclined sides, and with a sharp
point, or with a flat or rounded or hollowed extremity. Sometimes I make them
with barbed points.
I do not confine myself to the number of tongues to be used but I sometimes
use one and up to eight or more in number but I prefer to use three or more of
them and by preference two on one side and three on the other and I prefer they
should enter into cups or receptacles for them but this is not essential. I some-
times make my fasteners without any pin or tongue and fasten them by making
one side or end of them as a cutter lip, or holder to bend the. papers between such
cutter and the other side of the fastener.
I also so make my fasteners as to be easily applied to the corners of the papers
and not simply at the top side of them.
I accomplish this by various methods by one method I bend down the corners
of the papers and then bind my fasteners to the bent down corners. By another
method I make a gap or opening in the bend of the fastener to admit the corner
of the papers which corner may be cut off at pleasure, or retained.
I also so make my fasteners as to provide for the name of the user maker or dealer
being stamped or impressed upon them or any other matter that may be desired and
I preferably provide a plate or place for this purpose.
I do not confine myself to any kind of material but I use metal of all sorts,
celluloid, xylonite, vulcanite, cardboard, and all other suitable materials.
I sometimes make my improved fastener of triangular shape for application to
the corners of the papers..
In some instances I omit the recesses for the tongues and in such cases I allow
the tongues to bury themselves in the papers from both sides. When a large
number of tongues are used some on one side of the fastener and some on the other
side, care should be taken that the points are not opposite each other so that no
difficulty will be caused when the fastener is closed.
My improved paper fasteners can obviously be used as label holders or for any
other like purpose.
Dated this 28th day of December 1895.

page_text: Improvements in Paper Fasteners and Label Holders,
I, SAMUEL LEAROYD, of 12 Coleman Street, in the City of London, and of
Huddersfield, in the County of York, Solicitor, 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 relates to improvements in paper fasteners and label holders of
the kind or class in which pins or points on one side of the fastener are intended
to be pressed through the papers and to be received in sockets or recesses in the
other side of the fastener. The objections to these fasteners as heretofore made
are amongst others the following:-(1) There is no certainty that the papers are
caught or pierced by them; (2) the pins of these fasteners are frequently bent
and destroyed in binding the papers and articles together; (3) the part which
is intended to pierce the papers is usually a small pin and not a tongue or wedge ;
(4) the fasteners can only be opened with difficulty and by the use of the finger
nails which is often injurious to the user; (5) the fasteners are not suitable to
be applied to the corners of papers where they are ordinarily fastened; (6) these
fasteners are objectionable to handle by reason of the sharp points; (7) the
entire fastener is cut out of metal of uniform thickness; and (8) such fasteners
are only adapted to fasten very few papers together.
By my invention I overcome these objections.
An important feature of my said invention is the construction whereby the
points on the fastener for piercing the papers are made very strong and are thus
not liable to be bent in their passage through the papers, and at the same time
the part of the fastener which is to be bent when closing it upon the papers is
made so that it can be bent without difficulty.
For this purpose I by preference make my fasteners of unequal thickness of
metal or material the portion from which the pin tongue or wedge is intended to
be cut being of greater thickness than the portion which is to be bent in folding
and closing the fastener upon the papers. In some instances and with the same
object I cut away some of the metal at the point of bending.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a sheet of metal rolled so as to
have alternate thick and thin portions.
Figure 2 is a similar view of another piece of metal the thin portions of which
are relatively wider than those of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a strip of metal rolled so as to have a thick
and a thin portion.
The dotted lines in these figures indicate the outline of the fastener blanks to be
cut or stamped from sheet metal.
In Figure 1 the thin portions A of the sheet of metal form the central parts of
the fasteners, and the thick portions B of the sheet form the ends of the fasteners.
In Figure 2 the thin portions A of the sheet form the central part and one end of
each fastener, and the thicker portions form the other end of the fastener. The
latter description applies also to Figure 3 but in this case the width of the strip is
only equal to the length of the fastener blank whereas in Figure 2 and also in
Figure 1 the sheet is wide enough to form several rows of blanks.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a blank cut from the sheet shown in Figure 1,
and Figure 5 is a similar view of the blank after the pin or tongue has been formed
in it at one end and the recess at the other, but before it is bent at the middle.
Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 4 and 5 respectively but illustrate a

page_text: blank cut from the sheet shown in Figure 2 or the strip shown in Figure 3. The
blanks are narrower at the centre than at the ends to further facilitate the bending
of them, but this construction is not necessary nor do I claim it, and in Figures 8
and 9 I have shown two fasteners of uniform width throughout their length, but
otherwise having thick and thin portions as hereinabove described. The pin or
tongue C being formed out of a thick part of the sheet is very strong and not liable
to be bent in its passage through the papers. Moreover the central part of the
fastener being relatively thin can be bent with case so that the fastener can be
very readily closed and opened when desired. The pin or tongue can be made
with a needle point or with a chisel point, the latter being preferred. I prefer in
all cases that the edges of the pin or tongue be serrated to prevent the papers
from slipping off the tongue when once they have been pierced by the tongue.
I also prefer to so make the serrations that their corners are inclined backwards
away from the point of the tongue so as to offer minimum obstruction to the
forcing of the tongue through the papers and maximum obstruction to the
withdrawal of the tongue.
I in some cases make the fasteners all of one thickness of material and then
I adopt a sufficiently thick material to allow of a strong pin or tongue being formed
or cut out. In such cases to secure ease in bending the metal or material in closing
the fastener I reduce the amount of metal at the bend by removing the metal
or material at the sides of the bend, or by cutting holes or slots in the metal or
material at the bend, or by cutting grooves in it. I thus secure a metal or
material from which strong pins or tongues can be formed, and yet I secure easy
bending at the point or line where the bending and closing of the fastener
takes place.
In
Such fasteners developed are shown in plan in Figures 10 to 13, Figure 10
illustrating a fastener having one pin or tongue only, and Figures 11 to 13
illustrating fasteners having three pins or tongues U viz. two on one side and one
on the other.
In each fastener a recess D is provided opposite each pin to receive
the point thereof when the latter has been passed through the papers.
Figures 10 and 12 is shown a slot E at the point of flexure to facilitate the
bending, and in Figure 13 is shown one large round hole F while in Figure 11
are shown several smaller holes F. Figure 15 is a plan and Figure 16 is a side
view of a fastener, opened out flat or developed, having
a groove or furrow G
in it at the point of flexure to facilitate the bending.
I sometimes employ this method of ensuring ease in bending for the fasteners
made of unequal thicknesses of material.
Figure 17 for example is a perspective view of a fastener which is thicker at that
part of it where the pins are formed than at any other part, and which has a
number of holes F at the point of flexure to facilitate the bending.
Figure 18 illustrates one of my improved fasteners similar to that shewn in
Figure 13 applied to the turned down corners of papers. Figure 19 shews a
similar fastener applied to the corners of papers the said corners being allowed to
project through the central hole in the fastener. Figure 20 is a view similar to
Figure 19 but in which the corners of the papers receiving the fastener are cut off
after the fastener is applied.
In some instances I omit the recesses D for receiving and protecting the points
of the pins and in such instances I allow the tongues to bury themselves in the
papers from both sides of the fastener.
The pins or tongues (of my improved fasteners are as before stated preferably
shaped like a chisel point with serrated edges. Such tongues ensure the piercing
of the papers and also secure a very firm hold on the papers, and moreover they
pierce the papers with a jerk which at once assures the user that the whole of the
papers are pierced, whereas with a sharp needle point as heretofore used there is
no indication of its having passed or not passed through all of the papers.
Sometimes I form the tongues from the metal or material and at other times
I form them independently of the rest of the fastener and secure them thereto.

page_text: Sometimes I make the tongues with parallel sides, sometimes with inclined sides,.
and with a sharp point, or with a flat or rounded or hollowed extremity.
Sometimes I make them with barbed points.
I do not confine myself to the number of tongues to be used but I sometimes use
one or increase this number up to eight or more. I prefer however to use three or
more of them and generally two on one side and three on the other. I prefer that.
they should enter cups or receptacles provided for them as indicated in Figures 10
to 13, but this provision is not essential.
Figure 21 is a perspective view of a fastener having five pins or tongues C
viz. three on one side and two on the other: Holes Fare shown at the point of
flexure for the purpose hereinabove specified.. Figure 22 is a perspective view of
one of my improved fasteners having five pins on one side that interlock with four
pins on the other side as clearly shown, and having holes F at the point of flexure.
Figure 23 is a similar view of a fastener having oue pin C only. When the pin is
passed through the papers it is received in a hole C₁ provided in the opposite side:
of the fastener. The point of the pin is protected by a portion H of the fastener
which is folded back as clearly indicated, to cover the hole C. Figure 24 is a
slightly modified form of this fastener, the pin C in this instance having parallel
and serrated edges. Both of these fasteners are slotted at F to facilitate the
bending.
•
. I sometimes make. my fasteners with a long lip or holder at one edge to bend
the papers between such lip and the other side of the fastener which is channelled
or grooved to receive the said lip. A fastener of this type is shown in Figure 26.
J is the lip or flange formed by one edge of the fastener, and J₁ is the groove
or channel in the opposite side of the fastener to receive the lip. The papers are
held by introducing them between the two sides of the fastener and then pressing
the fastener and so, by means of the lip J, wedging the papers into the groove
or channel J¹.
I sometimes make my improved fasteners of triangular shape for application to
the corners of papers. Figure 27 is a front view, Figure 28 is a rear view and
Figure 29 is a side view of such a triangular shaped fastener as it appears when
folded on the papers.
The front of the fastener is formed by two wings K, K
united to the triangular shaped back K' of the fastener by narrow strips K, K² so
that the wings can be folded down and raised again with ease to allow of the ready
application and removal of the fastener. The points or tongues C, C are formed
on the back of the fastener and cups or recesses D may be provided in the wings K
to receive and protect the points.
Figures 30 and 31 are two perspective views from different points of view of
another fastener, each side of which is L-shaped. The two sides are united by
narrow strips K' at the corner. Figures 32 and 33 are perspective views of a
slightly modified form of this fastener, one side being an L shaped piece and the
other side a triangular plate K' united to the L-shaped piece by a narrow
strip K.
Figure 34 is a front view, Figure 35 is a rear view, and Figure 36 is an edge
view of another fastener consisting of a triangular plate K' on which the points C
are formed, and which is furnished with ears K to cover the points when the latter
are pushed through the papers.
°
In all cases where recesses are desired to protect the points, instead of a local
recess or cup I may make the metal arch shaped in section.
I also so make my fasteners as to provide for the name of the user, maker or
dealer being stamped or impressed upon them or any other matter that may be
desired and I preferably provide a plate or place for this purpose.
I do not confine myself to any kind of material but I use metal, celluloid,
xylonite, vulcanite, cardboard, and all other suitable materials.
My improved paper fasteners can obviously be used as label holders or for any
other like purpose.

page_text: 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 I make no
claim to cutting out a pin from a piece of metal to pass through papers, nor to the
insertion of an independent pin, nor to cups or recesses made in the metal to cover
the points of such pins, nor to the bending of a metal fastener around the edges of
papers all of which I know to be old, and further I wish it to be understood that I
am aware of the specifications of Crocker's Patents Nos. 8232 and 18073 A.D. 1894,
and of Herbert and Pullens Patent No. 7531 A.D. 1895, and I make no claim to
anything described and claimed therein, but what I claim is :-
1. A paper fastener or label holder in which the end or portion from which the
pin or tongue for piercing the papers 'is formed, is relatively thick, and the central
part and the other end or portion, or the central part only, is relatively thin,
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
2. A paper fastener or label holder of unequal thickness, and having some of
the metal or material removed at the point of flexure to facilitate the bending of
the fastener, substantially as described.
3. In a paper fastener or label holder the pins or tongues having serrated edges,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
4. A paper fastener constructed substantially as described with reference to
Figure 8 or to Figure 9 or to any one of Figures 10 to 13, or to Figures 15 and 16,
or to Figure 17 or to any one of Figures 21 to 24, Fig. 26, or to Figures 27 to 29, or
to Figures 30 and 31, or to Figures 32 and 33, or to Figures 34 to 36 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of February 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.