Year: 1888

page_text: We, LEWIS WYCHERLEY STONE and EYRE CROWE, Manufacturers, both of Gatteridge
Street, Banbury, in the County of Oxford, 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 :-
Our invention relates to letter-files and is designed to improve the construction
and increase the efficiency of the same.
Our said invention comprises various improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is vertical central section of one form of our improved letter-file enclosed
in a case or holder.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same removed from the said case or holder.
Figure 3 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 4 a perspective view showing another form or modification of our improved
letter-file.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, and
Figure 6 a plan, both drawn to an enlarged scale, showing an improved form of
spring for retaining in position the presser-arın hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a plan
Figure 8 a front elevation, and
Figure 9 a vertical central section, also drawn to an enlarged scale, showing
another form or modification of our spring for retaining the said presser-arm inposition.
Figure 10 is a front elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing a further
modification of our improved spring.
Figure 11 is a perspective view showing two of our improved letter-files enclosed
in cases and "nested
or piled one above another.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a case or holder for a letter-file, illustrating
another modification of our invention.
a is the box or drawer of the letter-file which is fitted in a case or holder b. c is
the index. d is a presser-arm for holding down the leaves of the said index and
preventing displacement of the letters or other documents. Each leaf of the index c
s provided with perforations c¹ near one of its edges.
e is a U-shaped rod which is pivoted at e* to a plate or bracket e' attached to the

page_text: front of the box or drawer a, and the two arms of which extend through the holes el
in the leaves of the index c. The said leaves are so placed upon the said rode that
they are all held together and lateral displacement thereof is prevented, but they are
free to move vertically so as to permit the insertion of letters or other documents
between them. The edge of each leaf of the index opposite that provided with the
holes is marked with a letter of the alphabet or other suitable sign or character. The
top of the plate or bracket e¹ is bent over at a right angle and is formed with recesses
or notches into which the arms of the U-shaped rod e are sprung, so that they
are held firmly in their vertical position but may be disengaged for the purpose
hereinafter specified.
Instead of the plate or bracket e', we sometimes use an eye, in which the U-shaped
rode is pivoted, and two hooks at the top for holding the said rod in its vertical
position. This eye and the hooks are firmly secured in the box a.
When the index is full and it is required to remove the same from the box or
drawer a for the purpose of binding them in book form, the arms of the U-shaped
rode are sprung out of their respective recesses or notches and pulled forward,
the index can then be removed bodily from the said rod and replaced by a new one.
In the letter-file shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the presser-arm d is pivoted to the
projecting spring arms f¹ of a three-armed plate which is secured to the bottom
of the box or drawer a. This device is more clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6.
The said presser-arm d is bent as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and is provided with
a cranked portion d' having arranged thereon a tube or sleeve to connect the two
free ends of the crank and keep them in line. Upon this tube or sleeve presses
the spring arm 2 of the plate thereby firmly holding the presser-arm & upon the
leaves of the index c. When it is desired to remove the presser-arm -from the
index so as to insert or remove a letter or other document, the upper bent portion
of the said presser-arm is pulled backward and then downward until the cranked
portion d' thereof engages with a hook f³ at the free end of the spring arm f*, as
shown in dotted lines in Figure 5.
It will be seen that the three-armed plate or spring fulfils two functions, viz. :-
when the presser-arm is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the said spring
holds it down upon the index c, and, when the said presser-arm is turned backward
and downward, it will be held in this position by the said spring, thus allowing perfect
freedom in the inanipulation of the index c.
The advantages of having the spring arm or presser-arm fixed on the bottom of
the tray instead of on one of the sides thereof as is usually the case, are that the said
presser-arm forms a guard to prevent the papers falling out at the back of the file. in
whatever position the file may be held, and, when a letter has been taken from the
file, the said presser-arm can be inserted in the place which the letter occupied, so
that the letter when done with can be quickly replaced in the exact position it formerly
occupied in the index.
The box or drawer a is provided in front with a suitable handle a¹ by which it may
be withdrawn from, or inserted in the case or holder b.
In the form or modification of our letter-file shown in Figures 3 and 4, the U-shaped
rod e, instead of being arranged upon the front of the box or drawer, as in Figures 1
and 2, is arranged substantially in the manner above described, upon the back thereof.
The front part a² of the box or drawer a is hinged to the bottom at a³. The presser-
arm d is secured by screws d* to the front part a² and is preferably formed integrally
with a spring catch adapted to hold the front part a² in its closed position as
hereinafter described. The front part a² is cut away at the bottom as shown in
Figure 4 and the aperture thus formed is closed, or partially closed by a plate g
secured by screws or otherwise to the bottom of the drawer a and provided with a
T-shaped hole g' through which the spring catch d² is adapted to pass when the part a
is turned upon its hinges to open the drawer a..
The turned up portion of the spring catch d' is made somewhat wider than the
spring part so that, when in its normal position, the edge of the said turned up portion
rests upon the edges of the plate at the narrow part of the hole g¹ and retains the fron

page_text: part a³ of the drawer in its closed position. When it is required to open the front of
the said drawer, a button & attached to the spring catch d² is pressed inward, thus
causing the bent up portion of the said spring catch to move into such a position that
it can pass freely through the hole g¹ in the plate g. The part a³ of the drawer can
then be swung into the position represented in dotted lines in Figure 3, leaving the
index free. In closing the drawer the bent up portion of the spring catch engages
with the edge of the hole g¹ thus extending the spring until it has passed through
the said hole, when it reacts and moves back over the narrow part of the hole g¹ and
thus retains the drawer closed as above described.
The presser-arm can, in this instance, also be used as a marker, that is to say,
when a letter or other document is taken from the drawer the said arm can be
inserted between the index leaves from which it was taken, thereby marking the
place to which the said document is to be returned.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show a modified form of presser-arm and spring. This spring h
is connected at each end with the presser-arm d, which has a cranked portion that
bears against the centre of the said spring. When the presser-arm is moved from
one to the other extremity of its movement, it forces the spring to assume the bow-
shape shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, and the spring then reacts and resumes its
normal shape.
We sometimes make the said spring as shown in Figure 10, so that its ends will
engage with the presser-arm near the cranked portion thereof.
"
"
To provide for enabling the cases or holders b to be nested or piled one above
another to form a cabinet, each case or holder is provided on its lower edge with a
flange or strip 1, Figure 11, which fits over the case below it and prevents the
displacement of the said cases. Or we use for this purpose corner pieces 62, Figure 12,
of metal or other suitable material secured to the bottom of each case and arranged
to fit over the top corners of the case below it.
The three-armed spring fabove described and shown in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6 of
the drawing and also the spring shown and described with reference to Figures 7, 8
and 9 or with reference to Figure 10 may be adapted for use with letter-files of any
other suitable construction, with or without an index, and may be placed in any other
position than that shown in the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we wish it understood
that we claim :-
ог
First A letter-file made in the form of a drawer and enclosed in a case or holder
so constructed that any desired number of the said letter-files may be "nested"
piled one above another, and provided with means for preventing lateral displacement
of the boxes or cases when thus piled, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second-The employment, in a letter-file, of an index-guide consisting of a
U-shaped rod or wire which is pivoted at its lower end and the free ends of which are
held so that they may be readily released, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third The combination, with the cranked presser-arm, of the three-armed plate,
on the two outer arms of which the said presser-arm is supported and the arms of
which act as springs, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth-The employment, in a letter-file, of a presser-arm so arranged that it
will serve for pressing upon the index and the papers therein, and also as a marker,
and can be moved into such a position that it will be kept clear of the said index,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fifth A letter-file wherein the front part of the box or drawer is connected by a
hinge-joint to the bottom thereof and is provided with a spring catch and has
attached thereto the presser-arm for holding down the index and the papers
therein, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Sixth-The employment, in a letter-file, of a catch provided with an operating
button situated beneath the drawer-pull or handle so that the catch can be disengaged
and the drawer opened by one hand, as above specified.

page_text: Seventh The combination of parts comprising the spring catch d provided with
the button d³, the plate g provided with a T-shaped hole through which the said catch,
when pressed inward, will pass, thus allowing the hinged part a² of the drawer a to
swing downward and permit access to the index, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
Eighth The combination, with a cranked presser-arm, of the plate-spring
substantially as described with reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9 or with reference to
Figure 10 of the drawing for the purpose specified.
Ninth The improved letter-file consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or with reference to
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing for the purposes specified.
Dated this 27th day of March 1888.
LEWIS WYCHERLEY STONE.
EYRE CROWE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.