Improvements in Letter and Bill Files.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter and Bill Files.
I, WILLIAM OTTERBEIN GOTTWALS, of the corner of O'Connor and Ann Streets,
in the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, in the Province of Ontario and
Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to increase the efficiency and durability of the part
commonly designated as "arch" by the manufacturer, but which includes the base
holding the arch and other wires, together with the mechanism for operating the
latter; also to simplify and reduce the cost of manufacturing.
Fig. 1 is a top view of the "arch," including the base holding the wires and
the mechanism operating the latter, one arch and receiving wire being broken off.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on line x x Fig. 1, showing the
receiving wires closed.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on line y y Fig. 1 showing the
receiving wires open.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line z z Fig. 1, being at a right angle to Figs. 2
and 3.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the receiving wire.
Fig. 6 is a separate view of the cover plate forming the cap for the receiving
wire journal and
Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the base plate.
The base, A, adapted to hold the transfer or arch wires rigidly and the front or
receiving wires movably, is stamped out of a piece of sheet metal; ridges or ribs to
accommodate the cross shanks of the wires and to stiffen the plate, being formed
thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 3 4 and 7. An upwardly projecting rib, a, near the
upper edge of the plate, forms a groove in the lower surface of the same, adapted
to hold the cross shank of the arch wire, a perforation being made at each end
thereof through which the upright shanks are passed. A groove, a', in the upper
surface near the lower or front edge of the plate, parallel to a, forms the lower half
of the bearing for the front or receiving wire. An upwardly projecting ridge, a",
is formed near each side edge of the plate, extending from the perforation at each
end of the ridge a to the corresponding end of the groove a', forming a parallelogram
marking the base of the wires, three sides of which are raised and one, the front,
depressed. Midway between the two ridges a", parallel to them and a little
distance apart, are formed two or more such, but downwardly projecting,
ridges, aa; the four ridges a" and a serving to stiffen the plate longitudinally,
the central ones to take the strain of the spring. A perforated extension or lug at
the upper edge of the plate forms an eye, a, adapted to project above the board or
backing to which the base is usually secured, and by which it may be hung up on a
hook or pin on the wall or other object. A couple of perforations, a³, are also
formed on the body of the plate through which screws or other fastenings may be
passed for securing it to the board or other backing.
The arches, B B, serving as transfer or back wires, are, for convenience in
manufacture, but not necessarily so, made out of one piece of wire bent to form a
central cross shank, b, and two uprights which have their ends curved forward and
downward, their points, 6 being bevelled downwardly and inwardly and grooved
on the face. The upright shanks are passed through the perforations at the ends of

page_text: the ridges a from below, so that the cross shank lies in the groove at the lower
surface of the plate, in which it is secured by solder or in some other suitable way,
a rearward or upward inclination being given to the upright shanks.
The front or receiving wires, C C, Fig. 5, are also and necessarily made of one
piece of wire, integrally or pieced, being hent to form a cross shank, c, and two
straight uprights, the ends or points, c', of which, when the wire is placed in
position, meet the points b' of the arches to form a smooth joint therewith, being
bevelled off downwardly and inwardly and provided with a tongue, so that the
points b¹¹ form a tongue and groove joint on bevelled faces fitting each other.
The cross shank c is placed in the groove a¹ and held therein by a cover plate or
cap, D, Fig. 6, provided at its lower surface with a groove, d¹, which forms au
upwardly projecting ridge having a roomy perforation at each end through which
the upright shanks pass and which plate is secured to the base by rivets, d", or in
some other suitable manner. The upward groove d¹ in the plate D and the
downward groove a¹ in the plate A thus form a journal bearing for the cross shank of
the receiving wire which is placed in such a relative position on the plate that when
the receiving wires are closed or locked they lean about as much upwardly or
rearwardly as they lean forwardly or downwardly when open, as shown in Figs. 2
and 3.
The receiving wires are held open or closed by means of a spring E and a
cam C', Figs. 23 and 5. The latter, consisting of a projecting ridge nib or bit,
is secured to the cross shank c of the receiving wire, perforations, a and do, to
accommodate it, being provided in the base A and cover plate D respectively. The
spring E, strengthened by a backing piece E¹, is secured by a bolt, Eu, passing
through a perforation in the base, over the two central ridges a", the point bearing
on the cam C being provided with a notch e which engages the edge of the cam
when the receiving wires are fully open, as in Fig. 3, and when the latter are
locked the part of the spring at the rear of the notch bears upon the edge
of the cam as a lever and tends to press the points c¹ against the points b' of
the arches. The notch e in the spring E engages the edge of the cam C¹, holds
the latter when the receiving wire is fully open and prevents the weight of paper
suspended on the latter from opening it further.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a letter and bill file, the combination of a stamped base A having raised
ridges a aa and groove a¹, a cap plate D secured to the upper face of said
base having a groove in the lower surface to correspond with the groove a¹
perforated at the ends and a perforation a³ in the centre, two arches B having
their cross shank secured in the upper groove formed by the ridge a so that the
upright shanks lean rearwardly or upwardly and having their points bevelled at the
front and grooved, receiving wires C formed in one piece with a cross shank c
journaled in the bearing formed by the grooves a¹ and d¹ between the base A and
cap D and having its points bevelled and tongued to fit the points of the arches,
a cam C' on said cross shank adapted to bear on a spring and engage a notch
therein and a double spring E El bolted to said base and adapted to bear with
its point on the said cam and to engage and lock the same by a notch e, substantially
as set forth.
2. The combination of a rectangular piece of stamped sheet metal A, a groove a
in the lower surface forming a raised ridge at the upper surface and having a
perforation at each end said groove forming a bed for the cross shank of the
arches, a groove a parallel to the groove a and forming part of a journal bearing
for the cross shank of the receiving wires, raised ridges a" extending from the
perforated ends of the ridge a to the ends of the groove a', central downward
ridges a extending from the ridge a to the groove a³ and a cap D secured to the
front edge of the base and having a groove d' in its lower surface corresponding to

page_text: the groove a' and forming therewith a journal bearing for the cross shank of the
receiving wire perforated in the centre, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a base A having a groove a¹ in the front or lower edge,
a cap plate D having a grooved' in its lower surface corresponding to said groove a¹
and perforated at the ends and in the centre which said cap is secured to said base
so that the two grooves form a journal bearing and the receiving wire C
having a cross shank c journaled in said bearing a d¹ and its upright shanks
projecting through the perforations at the ends of the groove d', substantially as set
forth.
4. The combination of a base A holding two arches rigidly and two receiving
wires movably, two arch wires B rigidly secured to said base so that the upright
shanks have an upward or rearward inclination, two receiving wires C formed in
one piece on a cross shank c journaled in a groove on said base and held in place
by a cap, and adapted to have a rocking motion in said journal, a cam C¹ on the
cross shank of said receiving wires adapted to be engaged by a spring E having
its point provided with a notch e adapted to engage said cam when the
receiving wire is open and to press upon it when the cam is disengaged from
the notch and force it rearwardly against the arches, substantially as set forth.
..
1004
WILLIAM O. GOTTWALS,
Per A. Harvey,
His Agent.