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

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Perry, of Red Lion Square, in the
County of Middlesex, and Frederick Brampton, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTER CLIPS, BILL FILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR CLIPS OR SUSPENDERS."
Sealed the 25th September 1868, and dated the 26th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Perry and
Frederick Brampton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th March 1868.
WC, STEPHEN PERRY, of Red Lion Square, 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 an
improvement on the American wooden letter clip. For this purpose
instead of forming the hinge of wire, as has heretofore been the case, we
employ hinges or connections formed of plates of metal fixed rigidly to

page_text: one-half of the clip whilst the other half of the clip is connected to cach
plate by a pin, 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
adjustable 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:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stephen Perry and Frederick Brampton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th September 1868.

page_text: FREDERICK BRAMPTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
send greeting.
ง
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Stephen Perry and Frederick Brampton,
Her special licence that we, the said Stephen Perry and Frederick
Brampton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Stephen Perry and Frederick Brampton, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTER CLIPS, BILL FILES, AND OTHER SIMILAR CLIFS OR SUSPENDERS," upon.
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Stephen Perry and
Frederick Brampton, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar mouths next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Stephen Perry and Frederick
Brampton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is
to say:-
This 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 hinges or connections formed of plates of metal fixed rigidly
to one-half of the clip whilst the other half of the clip is connected
to each plate by a pin, and in some cases we employ two or more
springs to force the jaws together. By these means the different parts

page_text: 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.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in the application of an adjustable
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 consists, fourthly, 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.
And in order that our Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed aided by the accompanying
Drawings more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan of a wooden letter clip
having the first part of our Invention applied thereto. a, b, are the two
jaws, and c the spring as ordinarily employed in the common American
wooden letter clip; but according to this part of our Invention instead
of employing a coiled wire, hinge, or connection as heretofore, we employ
hinges or connections formed of plates d, d, fixed rigidly to one-half a
of the clip, whilst the other half 6 of the clip is connected to each of
the plates d, d, by a pin, as shown.
Figure 3 is a plan of a clip constructed as above described, but made
wider than usual, and provided with two springs c, c, as shown by the

page_text: dotted circles. These clips may each be provided with a hole e, as
shown by the dotted lines, in order to facilitate their being hung on a
nail or otherwise.
Figure 4 is a front view, and Figure 5 is a section of a screw letter
clip or suspender having the second part of our Invention applied
thereto. a is a screw which is fixed into a disc or plate b in the
ordinary manner, but in addition to employing a nut c as usual we
employ a loose washer, disc, or plate d, as shewn, the articles to be held
being placed between the two discs or plates 6 and d, and not over the
screw as heretofore; and in order to prevent the disc, plate, or washer d
from turning round with the articles to be held thereby, we connect
it to the disc or plate by a link e, as shown, or by other suitable
means, a spring f being employed to force the discs or plates b, d,
asunder when the screw nut c is slackened. This part of the Invention
is also applicable to bill files, the disc carrying the screw a being
fixed to the millboard or other back as will be well understood. 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 mill-
board or other back and the loose disc, washer, or plate.
Figure 6 is a front view, and Figure 7 is a sectional side view of
a bill file or letter clip having the third part of the Invention applied
thereto. a is the jaw to which the screws a¹ and a³ are fixed, the
loose or moveable jaw c being capable of moving to and fro upon such
screws. The screw a¹ is provided with a nut 6 for the purpose of
screwing the jaw c towards the jaw a, whilst the screw a³ is provided
with a nut d which is moved a greater or less distance from the jaw a
according to the quantity of papers or other articles to be held between
the jaws, the screw a² and nut d thus acting as an adjustable hinge or
fulcrum to the jaw c. A spring e acts to separate the two jaws from
each other, or if desired other suitable means may be employed. The
jaw a may be fixed to a millboard or other back f, as shown, or the
clip may be used as an ordinary letter clip or suspender if desired.
Figure 8 is a plan; Figure 9 is a side view; and Figure 10 is an end
view of a letter clip or suspender having the fourth part of our Invention
applied thereto. a, b, are the two jaws of the clip or suspender. To
the jaw a is connected a pin c having a head c¹ suitably formed when in
one possiton to pass through a hole or slot d formed in the jaw b, but
when it is desired to hold the jaws together the jaws are first pressed

page_text: together by the hand and then the head c¹ is turned into the position
shewn in the Drawings, thereby holding the jaws a, b, firmly together.
This part of our Invention is equally applicable to bill files as will be
readily understood..
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the mode
in which we carry the same into effect, we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown and
described so long as the peculiar character of our Invention be retained,
substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, wc, the said Stephen Perry and Frederick
Brampton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.