Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
We, ADOLPH MYERS and LEOPOLD MYERS, both of the Firm of M. Myers & Son,
of Charlotte Street Steel Pen Works, Charlotte Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Pen Manufacturers, CHARLES HAY TRAISE BIKKER, of Herald Chambers, "Mar-
tineau Street, in the City of Birmingham, aforesaid, Merchant and Manufacturer,
and ALFRED AUGUSTUS WOODWARD, of Number 2, Gordon Road, Claygate, in the
County of Surrey, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: :-
This invention consists of the herein described improved letter clip for holding
together several letters or other papers and the said letter clip is constructed as
follows:
―
We provide two sheet metal plates suitably shaped to form the jaws of the clip
these plates being hinged together along one edge, the two plates making an
acute angle with each other the outer edges being bent inwardly and meeting to
form the gripping jaws. Each plate has two slots inclined towards each other the
slots in one plate corresponding with the slots in the other plate. A bow spring
formed preferably of a stout piece of spring wire is employed to open and close
the jaws and to press the jaws together the ends of this bow spring being arranged
to pass through the slots from one side of the clip to the other side of the same. On
the wires between the jaws are two collars and on the said wires outside the jaws
there are two washers the ends of the wires being rivetted over.
When the ends of the bow spring are squeezed towards each other they move
along the two inclined slots nearer to that part of the clip where the jaws are
hinged together and the collars on the wires between the jaws open the jaws apart
and when the spring is allowed to regain its normal position the ends of the wires
move outwardly along the slots nearer to the gripping edges so that the washers
on the ends of the wire close the jaws on to the papers which are placed between
them.
In a modification of this invention instead of employing the bow spring to
operate the jaws as above described, a spiral or other spring may be used to act
on two pins in the slots on which pins are the collars and washers above
referred to, the spring being arranged so that when compressed it causes the pins
to move along the slots to open the jaws as above described and when the spring
assumes its normal state it moves the pins along the slots in the opposite direction
and closes the jaws.
Dated this 14th day of No 1900

page_text: An improved Letter Onp.
We, ADOLPH MYERS and LEOPOLD MYERS, both of the Firm of M. Myers & Son,
of Charlotte Street Steel Pen Works, Charlotte Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Pen Manufacturers, CHARLES HAY TRAISE BIKKER, of Herald Chambers, Mar-
tineau Street, in the City of Birmingham, aforesaid, Merchant and Manufacturer,
and ALFRED AUGUSTUS WOODWARD, of No. 2, Gordon Road, Claygate, in the
County of Surrey, Commercial Traveller, 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 :-
This invention. consists of the herein described improved letter clip for holding
together several letters or other papers and the said letter clip is constructed as
we will describe by referring to the accompanying drawings on which Fig. 1
is a front view of a letter clip constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2
is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 shows the spring part of the said letter clip
separately; Fig. 4 is a front view and Fig. 5 is a side view of a modification of
this invention; and Fig. 6 is a plan of the letter clip shewn by Figs. 4 and 5.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
"
We will first describe the arrangement of our invention illustrated by Figs. 1,
2 and 8.
I
We provide two sheet metal plates A'A suitably shaped to form the jaws of
the clip, these plates being hinged together along one edge at the two plates
making an acute angle with each other the outer edges aa being bent inwardly
to meet when the clip is closed so as to form the gripping jaws. Each plate has
two slots marked respectively a³ a inclined towards each other the slots in the
plates A corresponding with the slots in the other plate A². The bow spring B,
preferably formed of a stout piece of wire, is emploved to open and close the
jaws A¹ A³ and to press them together. The ends 669 of this bow spring B are
arranged to pass through the slots o³ a from one side of the clip to the other aide
of the same. On the end parts 6162 of the wire spring between the jaws are two
collars C and on each of the said end parts outside the jaws there are two
washers the extreme ends of the wires 61 being rivetted over.
When the bow spring B is squeezed in the directions indicated by the arrows
in Fig. 1 so that the ends are moved towards each other, they move along the
two inclined slots a³ nearer to the hinged part al of the jaws so that the
collars C on the ends of the wire between the laws A' A open the jaws A¹ A²
apart as indicated by the full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. When the spring B is
allowed to expand and resume its normal position the ends 6168 of the spring B
move outwardly along the slots ³at nearer to the gripping jaws as a² as indicated
by the dotted lines in Fig. I so that the washers dd on the ends of the spring B
close the jaws A¹ A on to the papers which are placed between them.
In the modification of this invention illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 and 6, instead
of employing the bow spring B to operate the jaws A¹ A³ as above described, the
spiral spring E is used and arranged between the two pins F¹F in the slots a³ a
and on these pins F¹Fs are placed the collars C between the jaws and the
washers outside the jaws. The pins F1 F are by preference made of wire
each provided with a side projecting stem which take against the inside
of the spring E so as to prevent the pins F Fa becoming locked in the slots a³ a
and these wires are also by preference bent into loops f for convenience of pres-
ing the pins together between the thumb and finger. When the pins F¹ F² are

page_text: pressed towards each other in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4
and 6 the spring E is compressed and the pins F F moved along the slots a³a
to open the jaws A¹ A³ as above described and when the spring E assumes its
normal state as shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 it moves the pins F¹³ along the
slots as in the opposite direction that is towards the gripping edges a³ ³ of
the jaws and thus the pressure of the washers on the outside of the plates A¹ A*
closes them together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a letter clip the combination of two plates hinged together at an acute
angle so as to form gripping jaws said plates having slots inclined towards each
other, a bow spring with its ends engaging in said slots, collars on the ends of
the spring between the jaws and washers on the ends of the spring outside the
jaws said parts being so arranged that when the bow spring is compressed its
ends move towards each other along the inclines and cause the collars to open the
jaws, the releasing of the spring causing its ends to move farther apart along the
slots and close the jaws together, substantially as described and illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a letter clip the combination of two plates hinged together at an acute
angle so as to form gripping jaws said plates having slots inclined towards each
other, two pins engaging in said slots, collars on the pins between the jaws and
washers outside the same and a coiled wire spring between said pins, said parts
being so arranged that when the spring is compressed the pins move towards each
other along the inclines and cause the collars to open the jaws the releasing of the
spring causing the pins to move farther apart along the slots and close the jaws
together, substantially as described and illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.