IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER CLIPS, BILL FILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR CLIPS OR SUSPENDERS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Stephen Perry, Benjamin
Joseph Barnard Mills, and Frederick Brampton at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st May
1868.
We, STEPHEN PERRY, of Red Lion Square, in the County of
Middlesex, and BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 35, South-
ampton Buildings, also in the County of Middlesex, and FREDERICK
BRAMPTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER
CLIPS, BILL FILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR CLIPS OR SUSPENDERS," to be as
follows:
The Invention has for its object improvements in letter clips, bill
files, and other similar clips or suspenders; and consists, firstly, in
improvements on the American wooden letter clip. For this purpose
instead of forming the hinge of wire, as has heretofore been the case,
we employ according to one arrangement hinges or connections formed
of plates of metal fixed by preference rigidly to one half of the clip,
whilst the other half of the clip is connected to each plate by a pin;
or if desired only one plate may be employed passed through slots in
the jaws of the clip and fixed thereto as above described.
Another arrangement consists in forming the wooden letter clip with
parts at or near the centre of one jaw passing into, between, or through

page_text: parts at or near the centre of the other jaw, a pin being passed through
such parts to connect them together; or if desired suitable projections
and recesses may be formed at one end of each jaw, combined with
which arrangement we sometimes employ a sheet metal spring fitting
round or clasping the end thereof; other suitable springs may however
be employed, and in some cases we employ two or more springs to
force the jaws together. By these means the different parts of the
clips are prevented from twisting upon each other, and facility is afforded
for making clips of any suitable width.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements upon screw letter
clips or suspenders. For this purpose we fix the screw into a disc
or plate as heretofore, but in addition to employing a nut we employ
a loose washer, disc, or plate between the screw nut and the articles
to be held, such loose disc, plate, or washer being connected to the other
disc or plate by a link or other suitable means; and in some cases we
connect a ring or hook to the clip to facilitate its suspension on a nail
or otherwise. This part of the Invention is also applicable to bill files,
the disc carrying the screw being fixed to the millboard or other back.
By these means when the nut is screwed up the bills, letters, or other
articles are prevented twisting by reason of their being held between
the millboard or other back and the loose disc, washer, or plate.
Another part of the Invention consists in the application of an ad-
justable hinge to letter clips, bill files, and other similar clips or
suspenders, the two jaws of the clip, file, or suspender being forced
together by a screw and nut. By these means the jaws of the clips
may within certain limits be maintained at the most suitable angle
for holding whatever may be the quantity of letters, bills, or other
articles held thereby.
The Invention also consists in forming letter clips, bill files, and
other similar clips or suspenders with a slot or opening in one jaw,
whilst to the other jaw we fix a screw or pin having a suitable head
fixed thereto. The head of the screw or pin is capable when in one
position of freely passing through the slot or opening, and then of
being turned round so as to hold the two jaws firmly together.