Improvements in File-cases or Cabinets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1890-Accepted. 12th Apr.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in File-cases or Cabinets.
A communication from abroad by THE OFFICE SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING ('o., of
Rochester, in the State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of letter and document files in which a series of
boxes or trays, removably mounted in a cabinet, is provided with followers or pressure
devices to hold the sheets against the bottom or end of the box.
The improvements relate more particularly to receptacles in the form of shallow
trays or drawers, but are also applicable, to some extent, to the narrow filo boxes in
which the folded papers stand on end.
The case or cabinet is of any appropriate form and construction. adapted to
receive file boxes or trays and to permit their ready insertion and removal at the
front.
The trays or receptacles may be modified in form in special cases, but ordinarily
and preferably consist of a bottom-board, having a raised wall across the rear side and
a similar wall from front to rear along the left side, and a board across the front, the
latter being of appropriate size and form to close the opening in the front of the
cabinet.
The bottom-board is commonly extended rearward beyond the end wall, and, on the
inside of the cabinet, a fixed plate is provided to maintain the tray in an inclined
position when it is extended beyond the cabinet to permit the inspection of its contents.
Any equivalent suspending or supporting device, of which several are known in the
art, may be employed.
Within each drawer a follower or pressure device is mounted, adapted to bear upon
and confine the sheets and also adapted to be released and turned upward and down-
ward to the left in order to permit of the sheets being turned upward for inspection
like the leaves of a book. In its preferred form, this follower consists of a piece of
strong elastic wire doubled or bent upon itself so as to present a large triangular
portion to bear upon the papers and two inwardly turned ends to embrace and ride
upon a vertical guide-plate, and fixed against the side wall of the tray which is grooved
vertically to afford space for the ends behind the guide.
Between the said ends and the outer end, the wire is bent upward to present the
shoulders which bear against the outer face of the guide-plate so that when the device
is pressed downward along the guide it will interlock firmly therewith, and thus hold
the outer end down with an elastic or spring pressure upon the contents of the tray.
The upper end of the guide and the end of the follower are shaped so that the follower
may be carried upward and turned outward, thus releasing the sheets and permitting
free inspection of the same. When thus elevated, the follower also serves as a support
to prevent the sheets from falling outward to an objectionable extent. The follower is
usually formed with projections which serve as a convenient means of grasping and
operating the same, but these are not necessary features.
It is to be observed that the outer or triangular end of the follower, which is bent
downward somewhat, bears upon the underlying sheets at widely separated points,
whereby they are held firmly in place so that the tray may be safely handled when
removed from the case without danger of the contents escaping. The follower may be
changed in construction provided there is no essential departure from the form and
node of action herein described.

page_text: Employed in the tray, may be a series of lettered or indexed sheets between which
the letters or other papers to be filed are loosely laid. These sheets are perforated
near one edge and slipped upon vertical posts or pins, the upper and lower ends of
which are continued and seated in perforated ears extending laterally from the upper
and lower ends of plates which are in turn held in place by the overlapping lips or
edges of plates fastened to the side of the tray. This construction permits the sheets,
together with the pins and the plates, to be lifted out of the box at will
whenever the contents are to be transfered to a storage box, or for other
reasons.
In order to ensure the more uniform distribution of the pressure upon the under-
lying sheets, and to prevent the top sheets from curling or bending upward at the
corners, it is proposed to provide the top sheet with elastic stiffening strips applied
diagonally across its upper surface. These strips may be fastened in any appropriate
manner, but they are usually secured by means of lips which are formed on corre-
sponding strips applied to the under side of the sheet, projected upward through the
same and closed inwardly over the top strips.
While it is preferred to attach the follower to the right or left side of the tray so
that it swings upward and downward in a plane parallel with the front of the cabinet,
it will of course be understood that, where special reasons demand it, the follower may
be attached to the front end of the tray and projected thence rearward, in which case
it will he turned upward from the cabinet when access to the papers is required.
Dated this 31st day of January 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in File-cases or Cabinets.
A communication from abroad by THE OFFICE SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING Co., of
Rochester, in the State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the sanie
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement --
This invention relates to that class of letter and document files in which a series of
boxes or trays, removably mounted in a cabinet, are provided with followers or pressure
devices to hold the sheets against the bottom or end of the box.
The improvements relate more particularly to receptacles in the form of shallow
trays or drawers, but are also applicable, to some extent, to the narrow file boxes in
which the folded papers stand on end.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet containing the improvements.
Figure 2 is a view of one of the trays in its preferred form.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pressure device.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line a-a.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line y-y.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail.
Figure 7 is a vertical section on the line -z, Figure 2.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the pressure sheet which may be employed.
Figure 9 is a cross-section through one corner of the same.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of devices for holding the index sheets.
In the drawings-
A, represents a case or cabinet, which may be of any appropriate form and
construction adapted to receive the file boxes or trays and to permit their ready
insertion and removal at the front.

page_text: B B represent the trays or receptacles, which may be modified in form in special
cases, but ordinarily and preferably consist, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, of a bottom-
board a, having a raised wall a', across the roar side, and a similar wall a² from
front to rear along the left side, and a board a³, across the front, the latter being of
appropriate size and form to close the opening in the front of the cabinet.
The bottom-board is commonly extended rearward beyond the end wall, as shown in
Figure 2, and, on the inside of the cabinet, a fixed plate a³, such as shown in dotted
lines in Figure 2, is provided, to maintain the tray in an inclined position when it
is extended beyond the cabinet to permit the inspection of its contents, as shown in
Figure 1. Any equivalent suspending or supporting device, of which several aro
known in the art, may be employed.
Within each drawer. a follower or pressure device C is mounted, adapted to bear
upon and confine the sheets, and also adapted to be released and turned upward and
downward to the left, as shown in Figure 1, in order to permit of the sheets being
turned upward for inspection, like the leaves of a book, shown at the left hand in
Figure 1. In its preferred form, shown in Figures 2 to 5, this follower consists of a
piece of strong elastic wire, doubled or bent upon itself, so as to present a large triangular
portion to bear upon the papers and two inwardly turned ends to embrace and
ride upon a vertical guide-plate C², which is made of the form shown in Figure 6, and
fixed against the side wall of the tray which is grooved vertically to afford space for
the ends C behind the guide.
Between the ends and the outer end, the wire is bent upward to present the
shoulders C³, which bear against the outer face of the guide-plate, so that, when the
device is pressed downward along the guide, it will interlock firmly therewith, and
thus hold the outer end down with an elastic or spring pressure upon the contents
of the tray. The upper end of the guide (and the end of the follower are shaped
so that the follower may be carried upward and turned outward, as shown in dotted
lines in Figure 2, and full lines in Figure 4, thus releasing the sheets and permitting
free inspection of the same. When thus elevated, the follower also serves as a support
to prevent the sheets from falling outward to an objectionable extent. The follower
is usually formed with the projections C4, which serve as a convenient means of
grasping and operating the same, but these are not necessary features.
It is to be observed that the outer or triangular and of the follower. which is
bent downward somewhat, bears upon the underlying sheets at widely separated points,
whereby they are held firmly in place, so that the tray may be safely handled when
removed from the case, without danger of the contents escaping. The follower may
be changed in construction provided there is no essential departure from the form and
mode of action herein described.
There is usually employed in the iray, a series of lettered or indexed sheets D,
between which the letters or other papers to he filed are loosely laid. These sheets D
are perforated near one edge, and slipped upon vertical posts or pins e, the upper
and lower ends of which are continued (see Figure 7) and seated in perforated ears e',
extending laterally from the upper and lower ends of plates e, which are, in turn,
held in place by the overlapping lips or edges of plates e, fastened to the side of the
tray. This construction permits the sheets, together with the pins e and the plates e³,
to be lifted out of the box at will whenever the contents are to be transferred to a
storage box, or for other reasons.
In order to insure the more uniform distribution of the pressure upon the under-
lying sheets and to prevent the top sheets from curling or bending upward at the
corners, it is proposed to provide the top sheet D with elastic stiffening strips d,
applied diagonally across its upper surface, as shown in Figure 8. These strips may
be fastened in any appropriate manner, but they are usually secured by means of lips d¹,
which are formed on corresponding strips applied to the under side of the sheet,
projected upward through the same and closed inwardly over the top strips, as shown
in Figures 8 and 9.
While it is preferred to attach the follower to the right or left side of the tray so
that it swings upward and downward in a plane parallel with the front of the cabinet,

page_text: it will, of course, be understood that where special reasons demand it, the follower
may be attached to the front end of the tray and projected thence rearward, in which
case it will be turned upward from the cabinet when access to the papers is
required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In combination with an enclosing case or cabinet, the forwardly sliding tray or
receptacle, having a front wall adapted to close the front opening in the cabinet,
and having at one side a guide provided with a follower or pressure device C, arranged
to turn upward after the tray is turned forward, in a plane at right angles to the
path in which the tray slides, substantially as described.
2. In a case or cabinet, a tray arranged to slide forward from the cabinet, a
sustaining or supporting device to maintain the tray when withdrawn, a vertical guide
at one side of said tray, and a follower or pressure device adapted to frictionally
engage said guide, and to turn in a plane at right angles to that in which the tray
slides, substantially as described.
3. In a file box, the combination of the box or tray, a guide-plate fixed thereto,
and a spring follower or pressure arm having one end adapted to embrace, slide upon,
and frictionally engage the guide, and the opposite end arranged to act upon the
contents of the box, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the box or tray, the guide-plate attached thereto, the
follower or pressure device having one end arranged to slide upon and engage the
guide, and the opposite end expanded laterally to bear upon the sheets or papers at
widely separated points, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a file-box, the combination of the box or tray, the guide attached thereto and
the spring follower or pressure device having one end arranged to slide upon and
frictionally engage the guide, and the opposite end expanded laterally and curved to
bear upon the sheets or papers at widely separated points, substantially as described.
6. In combination with the box or receptacle provided with grooves, the guide-plate
having the outwardly turned upper end, and the pressure device or follower having
the angular ends to engage the guide-plate whereby the follower may be locked
down in position or sustained in an upright position to maintain the upturned sheets,
substantially as described and shown.
7. The combination, in a file box, of a guide-plate and the follower or pressure
device consisting of a single piece of elastic wire bent upon itself to form the expanded
portion and secured together, said wire having its ends bent into angular form and
adapted to engage and slide upon the guide, substantially as described.
1 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.