TRUVIDIONAL DIFICATION
Year: 1898

page_text: TRUVIDIONAL DIFICATION
Improvements in Portfolios, Letter Files and the like.
I, ARMIN KRAH, of 78, Alte Jacob-Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The closing device for portfolios, letter or paper files and the like with a
divided backing, which forms the subject of the present invention is characterized
by a particular form allowing of the backing-halves to be forced apart, as the
closing device is opened. Therefore, all that is necessary for opening the port-
folios or file is to exert a slight pressure with a finger upon the closing device
whereupon the papers or documents can be instantly withdrawn or inserted as
the case may be. The closing device moreover permits of the portfolio being
closed in a very simple manner seeing that, in order to effect the closing all
that is necessary, is to fold up the two covers of the portfolio or file.
The portfolio consists of two equal backing halves which are so connected
by one, two or more hinges, or in substitution for the hinges, by the outer coating
of leather, cloth or the like, that these two halves, when in closed position form
a uniform book-backing. The backing halves are preferably made of wood, the
outside being suitably covered with leather cloth or similar material, this latter
covering material being likewise used for fixing the lateral continuations and the
covers proper, so that the latter are easily movable on said continuations. On
the inner sides of these continuations sheet metal strips with threading wires
are fastened in the known manner, these treading wires being adapted to receive
the previously perforated papers or documents, which are slid on said wires.
For holding the backings halves together, when in the closed position a slide
is employed, which is screwed on the left backing half, so as to be displaceable
thereon in longitudinal direction. Pressure is exerted against the bent extremity
of the slide in order to open the portfolio. A spring is provided which has a
permanent tendency to return the slide to its initial position. The said slide is
provided with a nose, which grips behind the hook of a piece of metal screwed
on the right backing half, when the portfolio is in its closed position.
exerting a slight pressure upon the end of the slide the nose slides off the hook,
so that the two backing halves are no longer held together. As however the slide
is moved up, an oblique surface on its part strikes against a catch, forces the
latter back and thus forcibly moves the backing halves apart, so that not only
the closing device is opened, but also the backing halves are automatically
separated. As the portfolio is being closed, the lower edge of the hook slides
over the slightly oblique edge of the aforesaid metal piece and, on completely
closing the portfolio, again engages behind the right edge of said metal piece.
In order to permit of the backing halves being rapidly forced apart on opening
the closing device, springs are arranged between the backing halves. These
springs may be in the form of short spiral springs but which may, however, be
substituted by leaf springs, which should be located along the intermediate space
behind the two backing halves. The closing device above described however,
On

page_text: permits of such springs being dispensed with, seeing that the oblique surface of
the slide, as already mentioned, presses against the catch, thereby forcing the
backing open. But in addition to this arrangement, springs may of course
be used.
2
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Portfolios, Letter Files and the like.
I, ARMIN KRAH, of 78, Alte Jacob-Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
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 closing device for portfolios, letter or paper files and the like with a
divided backing, which forms the subject of the present invention is characterized
by a particular form allowing the backing-halves to be forced apart, as the
closing device is opened. Therefore, all that is necessary for opening the port-
folio or file is to exert a slight pressure with a finger upon the closing device
whereupon the papers or documents can be instantly withdrawn or inserted as
the case may be. The closing device moreover permits of the portfolio being
closed in a very simple manner, seeing that, in order to effect the closing all
that is necessary, is to fold up the two covers of the portfolio or file.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a cross section of the backing of the file closed.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the backing device the file being closed.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the backing device with the file fully opened.
Figure 4 is an end view of a modified arrangement.
Figure 5 is an elevation of this modified arrangement the file being shown
closed, and
Figure 6 is a similar view to the previous figure but with the file open.
The portfolio consists of two equal backing halves a and b, which are so con-
nected by one, two or more hinges c, or in substitution for the hinges, by the
outer coatinge of leather, cloth or the like, that these two halves, when in
closed position form a uniform book-backing. The backing halves are preferably
made of wood, the outside being suitably covered with leather cloth or similar
material e, this latter covering material being likewise used for fixing the
lateral continuations a¹¹ and the covers proper d, so that the latter are easily
movable on said continuations ab. On the inner sides of these continuations a¹¹
sheet metal strips with threading wires f are fastened in the known manner,
these threading wires being adapted to receive the previously perforated papers
or documents which are slid on said wires.
For holding the backing halves a and b together, when in the closed position
a slide is employed, which is screwed on the left backing half a, so as to be
displaceable thereon in longitudinal direction. Pressure is exerted against the
bent extremity of the slide in order to open the portfolio. A spring is
provided which has a permanent tendency to return the slide to its initial position,
as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The said slide is provided with a nose 22,
which grips behind the hook g of a piece g of metal screwed on the backing
half b, when the portfolio is in its closed position. On exerting a slight

page_text: pressure upon the end of the slide 1 the nose p² slides off the hook q¹, so that
the two backing halves a and b are no longer held together. As however the
slide p is moved up, an oblique surface on its part p³ strikes against a catch m,
forces the latter back and thus forcibly moves the backing half b away from a,
so that not only the closing device is opened, but also the backing halves are
automatically separated. As the portfolio is being closed, the lower edge 3 of
the hook slides over the slightly oblique edge q¹ of the aforesaid metal piece and,
on completely closing the portfolio, again engages behind the right edge q¹ of
said metal piece. In order to permit of the backing halves being rapidly forced
apart on opening the closing device, springs a are arranged between the backing
halves. In Figures 1 and 2 these springs are represented in the form of
short spiral springs, which may, however, be substituted by leaf springs, which
should be located along the intermediate space behind the two backing halves.
The closing device above described however, permits of such springs being dis-
pensed with, seeing that the oblique surface 3 of the slide, as already men-
tioned, presses against the catch m, thereby forcing the backing open. But in
addition to this arrangement, springs may of course be used.
The modification shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 differs from that shown in
Figures 1 to 3 only in that for opening the file a levers is depressed, such lever
oscillating on the pin and then by its arm s¹ depressing the slide p, Figure 5.
Thus this slide moves in an opposite direction to that of the one in Figures 1 to 3
and for this purpose the hook 22 is arranged to point in the opposite direction.
The remaining letters designate the same parts as in Figures 1 to 3 and there-
fore require no further explaining.
It should be mentioned that the levers by its inclined edge 3 Figure 6,
presses against a plate t provided with an incline t.
This causes the two parts of the backing when depressing s to be forced
apart similarly as at p and m Figure 5. Thus either the incline plate or the
inclined surfaces 23 m may be omitted because both serve to effect the same
purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A portfolio or letter file with bi-partite backing, characterized by a slide (p)
arranged upon the one backing half (a) and provided with an oblique surface (73)
and a nose (2), which latter, by gripping behind a hook (q) of the other back-
ing half (b), holds the file in its closed position, whilst, on moving the slide (p)
back, the nose (²) is released from the hook (g), the oblique surface (23) strikes
against a catch (m) of the backing half (b) and forces both backing halves apart,
so that the portfolio or file is opened, substantially as herein before described.
2. The modified arrangement of the file as claimed in Claim 1, in which the
depressing of a levers s¹ causes the slide provided with an inverted nose 22
to be moved and which lever may be provided with an inclined surface 3 adapted
to press against the inclined surface t¹ of a supplementary plate t each time the
levers is depressed substantially as herein before described.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.