Improvements in Letter Files.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Files.
I, HERBERT PRICE LAVENDER, 45 Sutton Road, Walsall, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows: :-
The construction of what is commonly known as a letter file in such a manner
that it can be closed down flat, the main object being that it can be packed closer.
My device consists of two curved wires similar in gauge and shape, and together
forming an arch similar to the ordinary letter file, but instead of fixing these wires
at their lower ends into the base of the file in the ordinary way, I bend them sharp
at right angles about one inch or more from the lower or straight ends in the same
direction as the upper or curved ends, so that when the curved ends are brought
together to form the said arch, the right angle ends are in line with and directed to
one another.
I insert the said right angle ends in a tube or sleeve, placing therein between the
right angle ends a spring, this spring tends to push the two wires outwards. I
form a metal base to hold these wires and tube in required position, with a raised
portion at each end which may be about half an inch high, the remainder being
conveniently flat, on one side of each raised portion which face each other is a
vertical groove of a size to admit the wires and distanced from each other the
width of the said arch.
The lower part of the said arch with its connecting tube and spring are pressed
in between the said raised portions and retained in their grooves & also held
firmly to the base by means of one or more clips placed-over the tube.
If the wires are then pressed together the right angle ends travel down the tube
sufficiently to liberate the sides of the arch from their grooves and allow of their
being closed down flat. Or by pressing sideways one of the wires it will spring
out of the retaining groove & leave the usually pointed end of the other wire
clear to admit of papers being filed thereon, the first wire may then be sprung back
into its groove and the arch again completed.
This device may be made in double arches.
Doted thin hi 1
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I, HERBERT PRICE LAVENDER, of 45 Sutton Road, Walsall, in the County of
35 Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
[Price 8d.1

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
°
This invention relates to the construction of letter files the principal object
being to enable them to be folded flat so that they will occupy less space in packing
than similar devices made in the manner which has hitherto been customary.
To effect this I attach two bent wires, forming the two portions of the usual
filing arch to the base plate in such a manner that they may be turned over singly
or together until the plane of the arch is parallel to the plane of the base plate.
To prevent their being so turned inadvertently when in use, they are normally
held in engagement with stops in such a manner that the plane of the arch is per-
pendicular to that of the base plate. This is effected by a spring the force of which
has to be overcome in order to fold either or both members of the arch.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a file according to this invention, with its cover
turned back, one of the filing arms or wires being indicated by dotted lines in the
position to which it is moved when papers are to be put on or taken off the com-
panion wire.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the file with its cover closed and both wires folded
down, so that the parts are in the position which they are intended to occupy when
stored; the compactness of the device when thus folded will be obvious from this
Figure.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of an alternative construction of a file according to
this invention.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is a base plate provided with a suspending ring A¹ and secured to the back B
of the file. B¹ is the cover of the file provided with a slot to clear the wires and
base plate as is customary. Two stout wire filing arms C and 1) so shaped as to
form the opposite halves of an arch are pivotted to the base plate A so as to be
capable of turning about an axis parallel with the base plate and close up to it,
the inner ends CD of the wires being bent at right angles as shown and received
within a metal tube E which contains a spring F placed in compression between
the ends C¹ D', so as to tend always to separate them. The tube E is itself held in
the desired position on the base plate A by clips A2 A3 formed upon the latter,
and two abutments A4 A5 limit the movement of the wires CD away from the
tube E. The abutments A4 A5 have grooves A6 therein so disposed as to receive
the inner ends of the arched portions of the wires and maintain them normally in
the position in which they are shown in full lines in Figure 1 that is to say
in the position at right angles to the base plate A.
If it be desired to remove a paper from the wire D, the wire C is first forced
towards the wire D and thus moved out of the groove A in the abutment A
against the resistance of the spring F within the tube E, after which it can be
readily turned to one side into the position in which it is indicated by dotted lines
in Fig. 1.
If the file is to be folded for stowage both the wires C and D are forced towards
each other, out of the grooves A6 in the abutments A4 A5 against the resistance of
the spring F, and can then be turned over approximately into the plane of the
base plate A as shown in Fig. 2 so as to lie quite flat upon the outside of the
cover B' which itself lies flat against the back B as shown.
The outer end of the arm C is recessed and partly cut away as at C² to permit the
separation of the arms C and D.
In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the upper arm consists of a plain flat
plate projecting at right angles from the base plate A on a level with the tip of
the lower arm which folds over side-ways, the upper arm folding down so as to lie
parallel with the base.
In this construction the tube E may be conveniently made shorter than in that
first described and its upper end closed to afford purchase for the spring F which
presses upon the end D¹ of the arm D as before.

page_text: In the place of the arm C a flat arm H is employed having a pivotal connection
with the base plate A at H¹ and a hollow or recess as at H2 for the reception of the
point D of the arm D).
The arm H may be caused to press upon the point 12 to safely retain the papers
filed, any suitable means being employed to effect this such as a flat spring.
Preferably, a coiled spring is placed upon the axis of the arm H, which may be so
arranged as to remain in the position shown in dotted lines when the arm D is
folded out of the way for packing.
Two or more arms or pairs of arms can be employed on the back, instead of the
single pair described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is: —
1. In a letter file the combination with a base or support A and filing arms
pivotally connected thereto of stops such as A4 A5 and a spring which normally
keeps the arms and stops engaged substantially as and for the purpose described or
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a letter file the combination with a base or support A and a stop such
as A of a filing arm such as C pivotted to the support and movable towards the
other arm to clear the stop and adapted to be swung aside or otherwise removed
to give access to the other arm substantially as and for the purpose described or
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a letter file the combination with a base or support A of filing arms such
as C and having angularly bent inner ends C¹ D' a tube such as E into which the
said arm-ends project, a spring within the tube and bearing upon the arm-ends
and stops such as A4 A5 on the support beyond the tube against which the arms
are pressed by the spring substantially as described or illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
4. In a letter file the combination with a base or support of a pair of grooved
abutments such as A4 A5 a tube such as E filing arms such as C D pivotted in the
tube and movable in the direction of its axis and means to keep the arms and
abutments in engagement substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete paper-
file substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 or in Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this Eighteenth day of September 1897.
HERBERT PRICE LAVENDER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.