An Improved Revolving Paper File.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th May, 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Revolving Paper File.
We, RALPH EDWARD FERGUSON, of 143, Crosby Street, Akron, in tht County
of Summit, State of Ohio, United States of America, and RICHARD MASTERSON
CASWALL, of 175, South Howard, Akron aforesaid, Confectioner, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved revolving file
designed for use in stores and other large establishments for filing papers of various
kinds, such as cheques, bills, and memoranda, and which is simple and durable in
construction, securely holds the papers in the proper place and permits of con-
veniently examining the filed papers whenever desired.
The invention consists of a frame mounted to revolve on a central post and pro-
vided with superposed horizontal plates or discs and spring-pressed impaling pins or
rods hinged on one of the plates and adapted to engage with their free ends in
notches in the next disc above.
The revolving frame is constructed of a series of discs or plates arranged one
above the other and preferably circular in shape and rigidly connected with each
other by vertical bars or rods so that the said discs are held at equal distances
apart. Near the edge of each disc and on top of the same are arranged impaling
pins or rods placed at suitable distances apart and each of which is pivoted on a pin
secured in the respective disc or plate. The pivot end of each impaling pin or rod
extends into a recess cut radially in the respective disc or plate and the free end of
the impaling pin is adapted to engage in a notch formed in the under side and
partly in the edge of the next following disc above. Each impaling pin is pointed
at its free end so that the papers to be filed can be readily impaled upon it. From
the pivot end of each impaling pin extends an arm provided with two offsets adapted
to be engaged alternately by a spring secured to the under side of the respective
disc or plate on which the impaling pin is pivoted. When the free end of the
spring engages the one offset, then the impaling pin is held in a vertical position so
that its free end is shrouded in the notch of the disc above and consequently the
papers held on the said pin are locked in place. When the impaling pin
outward, the free end of the spring engages with the other offset so as to hold the
impaling pin in an inclined position to permit the operator to conveniently slip the
papers on the pin or to remove the papers if desired.
swung
On the top surface of the uppermost disc or plate is secured centrally a polygonal
plate, one side of which is adapted to be engaged at a time by the free end of a
spring secured to an arm fastened to the upper end of the central post. The spring
by engaging the polygonal plate serves to hold the revolving frame in the desired
position and at the same time permits the operator to conveniently turn the frame
whenever desired so as to bring the proper impaling pin containing the desired file
in front of the operator. The several impaling pins may be numbered or otherwise
marked so as to indicate certain kinds of like papers filed. Instead of using a base,
the post may be secured to a bracket attached to a wall if desired. It will be seen
that the operator by turning the frame can at any time conveniently move the
desired paper hung on one of the impaling pins in front of him so as to insert new
papers on that respective pin or to remove papers if desired.
1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Revolving Paper File.
We, RALPH EDWARD FERGUSON of 143, Crosby Street, Akron, in the County
of Summit, and State of Ohio, United States of America, and RICHARD
MASTERSON CASWALL of 175, South Howard Street, Akron aforesaid, Con-
fectioner, 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 this invention is to provide a new and improved revolving paper
file, designed for use in stores, etc., for filing papers of various kinds, such as cheques,
bills, sale slips, and memoranda, and which is simple and durable in construction,
securely holds the paper in the proper place and permits of conveniently examining
the filed papers whenever required.
The invention consists of a frame mounted to revolve and carrying impaling pins,
and also of certain parts and details and combinations of the same as will be described
hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved file, with parts in section.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section of part of the frame and one of the
impaling pins.
Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the same.
Figure 5 is a transverse section of a modified form of impaling pin.
Figure 6 is a front view of the same with parts in section.
Figure 7 is a sectional plan view of a modified form of the locking device for the
frame, and
Figure 8 is a side clevation, with parts in section, of a modified form of the
improvement.
The improved revolving paper file is provided with a suitably constructed base A
supporting a pin or post B engaging the hub C of a frame D mounted to turn on
the said pin B as a pivot. The frame D is provided with a series of rings E, E, E, 1E³,
and E, arranged one above the other and supported from the hub C by spokes F
preferably T-shaped in cross-section. The rings E, E', E³, E³, and E*, are located
at equal distances apart and each ring carries a series of impaling pins G extending
upward so that their pointed ends reach to the next ring above. Instead of the
rings E, E, etc., solid discs attached to the hub C may be employed. Each of the
impaling pins G is formed with a pivot G¹ extending at right angles to the pin and
mounted to turn in the vertical part F1 of the respective spoke F so that the pin G
can be swung outward or inward for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.
The lower end of each impaling pin G is engaged by the free end of a spring H
fastened to the vertical part F" of the corresponding spoke F, as is plainly indicated
in Figures 3 and 4, so that the impaling pin is held in proper position. The
impaling pins may be arranged in vertical alignment, as shewn in Figure 1, or one
set may be arranged alternately with the next following set above, as illustrated in
Figure 8.
In order to hold the impaling pin in either an innermost or outermost position
the free end of the spring H is formed with a V-shaped offset H' adapted to engage
the impaling pin at opposite sides so as to hold the same in place in either an
innermost or outermost position. The swinging motion of each impaling pin is
limited by the pin passing through a slot. I formed radially in the respective
ring E, E, E, E³, or E, the end H₁ of the spring locking the impaling pin at
either end of the slot I. The pointed end of each impaling pin G is adapted to

page_text: pass into the slot or recess J formed in the next following ring above, as will be
readily understood by reference to Figures 1 and 5; thus when the impaling pin G
is closed, its point is encased in the next ring above. As shewn in Figures 5 and 6,
cach impaling pin is formed at its pivot end with an arm G provided with two
offsets G³ and Gadapted to be engaged alternately by the free end of the spring H.
Thus when the free end of the spring H engages the offset G, as shewn in Figure 5,
then the impaling pin is held in a vertical position and its free end rests in the
recess or slot of the next ring above. Papers held on the said pin are then
locked in place between the two rings. When the impaling pin is swung outward
into an inclined position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5, it becomes locked
by the spring H in its open position, as above described with reference to
Figures 3 and 4, the impaling pin then resting in the outermost end of the
slot 1.
In the modified form shewn in Figures 5 and 6, the impaling pin when in its
outermost position is engaged at its offset G³ by the free end of the spring H and is
held and locked in an open position. When the impaling pin is in this position, it
permits the operator to conveniently slip the papers on the pin or to remove the
papers as desired. When this has been accomplished, the operator by pressing the
impaling pin inward swings said pin back to its normal locked position, as illustrated
in Figure I and described above."
In order to lock the frame D in place the hub Cis provided at its lower end with
a ratchet wheel K engaged by a spring pawl L fastened to the base A. Instead of
a ratchet wheel K, a star-shaped wheel may be employed, as illustrated in Figure 7.
It will be seen that by this device the frame D is held in the desired position and
at the same time permits of being conveniently turned, so as to bring the proper
impaling pin containing the desired file in front of the operator. It is understood
that the frame D may be provided with a larger or smaller number of rings and
impaling pins, according to the purpose for which the file is used. The several
impaling pins may be numbered or otherwise marked so as to indicate certain kinds
of papers filed.
Instead of using the base A, the post B may be secured to a bracket attached to
a wall if desired.
It will be seen that the operator by turning the frame D can at any time
conveniently move the desired paper hung on one of the impaling pins in front of
him, so as to insert new papers on that respective pin or to remove the papers
therefrom if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
1. A revolving file, comprising a frame mounted to turn and impaling pins
extending upward on the outside of the said frame the lower ends of the pins being
pivoted on the said frame, substantially as shewn and described.
2. A revolving paper file, comprising a frame mounted to revolve and provided
with rings or discs located one above the other, of impaling pins pivoted on the said
rings or discs and adapted to be swung into an outermost open or an innermost
closed position, substantially as shewn and described.
3. A revolving paper file, comprising a frame mounted to revolve and provided
with rings or discs located one above the other, of impaling pins pivoted at their
lower ends to the said rings or discs and extending when in a closed position between
two adjacent discs or rings, the said pins being adapted to swing in an outermost
open position, substantially as shewn and described.
4. In a revolving paper file, the combination, with a frame mounted to revolve
and provided with rings or discs located one above the other, of spring-pressed
impaling pins hinged on the said rings or discs and adapted to engage with
their free ends, recesses in the next following ring, substantially as shewn and
described.

page_text: 5. In a revolving paper file, the combination, with a frame mounted to revolve
and provided with horizontally extending rings arranged one above the other, of
impaling pins pivoted near the edges of the said rings and adapted to engage with
their free ends, recesses in the next following rings and springs pressing on the
pivoted ends of the said pins to hold the same in an innermost or outermost position,
substantially as shewn and described.
6. A revolving paper file, comprising a frame mounted to revolve and provided
with rings or discs located one above the other, of impaling pins pivoted at their
lower ends to the said rings or discs and extending when in a closed position
between two adjacent discs or rings, the said pins being adapted to swing in an
outermost open position, and a spring for each impaling pin to hold the latter in an
innermost closed, or an outermost open, position, substantially as shewn and
described.
7. A revolving paper file comprising a revoluble frame and impaling pins
arranged in sets on the said frame one set being located above the other and the
pins of one set arranged alternately with the pins of the next set, substantially as
shewn and described.
Dated this 15th day of May 1892.
R. E. FERGUSON,
R. M. CASWALL,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.