An Improved Method of Binding or Filing Papers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10:h Apr., 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Binding or Filing Papers.
1
I, WILLIAM GIBBONS, of Princess Street Wolverhampton in the County of:
Stafford, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as..
follows:-
My object is to provide simple and expeditious means for filing and preserving:
papers, music, periodicals, or printed matter generally, and especially trade lists
issued in sections. It is in reference to these last that I will describe my invention
when its application to other varieties of printed matter will be obvious.
In issuing a trade list it frequently happens that it is impossible to prepare the
whole of the sections at once and that these are therefore circulated separately at
intervals.
There is thus great likelihood of some such sections being mislaid or lost, while
they cannot be filed, indexed, and preserved, without considerable trouble.
PL
According to my invention a book cover of a proper size for the purpose is
furnished on the inside at the back with a series of needles or wires arranged
vertically side by side and parallel to each other and the back of the cover. The
needles are retained in their position, which is within a short distance from the
inside of the back of the cover; by any suitable means which will secure them and
yet allow them to be easily removed when desired: For instance I may hinge the..
needles at the top of the back of the cover, inside; and at the bottom of the back of
the cover, inside, provide a slotted receiver for the loose end of the needles, such.
slotted receiver having a movable cross pin in it capable of securing each needle in
its slot. Or I may use at the top and bottom of the back of the cover; inside, a short:
tube of any convenient section and fixed crossways to the cover by rivets or in any
convenient way.
The faces of these tubes, which are opposite to each other, are
provided with holes of a diameter to receive easily the needles aforesaid,.such
holes corresponding exactly in each tube. In order to insert a needle it is thus
only necessary to thread it into a hole in the tube at the top. and thena spring the
other end into the corresponding hole in the tube at the bottom. The needle is
then fixed in position by its projection at each end into the interior of the tubes.
It can be removed only, but quite easily, by forcibly springing it out.
Or may
employ any other device for securing the said needles in the position: indicated; my
object being to obtain a series of needles firmly fixed within a short distance of the
inside of the back of the cover, parallel to its plane and to each other: yet capable
of being removed at will:
When it is desired to fix inside a cover or binding. provided with needles (as
above described a section of a catalogue, a piece of music, or any printed matter
whatsoever consisting of a. complete double sheet or sheets; one of the needles is
removed and the sheet (or sheets) is placed open, in such a position that when the :
needle is replaced it will lie over the fold in the open sheet or sheets:r
2
"
The needle is then secured, thus. binding the sheet or sheets: between the needle
and the inside of the back of the cover. One section being thus..dealt with***
nother can be similarly inserted on the next needle. Thus one needle.iserves for .
one section and any section can be removed without disturbing the rest by first
emoving its needle...
i.

page_text: The capacity of the cover for binding purposes will depend upon the number of
needles employed, their distance apart, and the number of sheets retained by each
needle.
T
100
An Improved Method of Binding or Filing Papers.
I, WILLIAM GIBBONS, of Princess Street, Wolverhampton in the County of
Stafford, Printer, 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 has for its object simple and expeditious means for binding or
filing and preserving papers, music, periodicals, and printed matter generally.
According to my invention a cover or portfolio of the proper size for the
intended purpose is provided with mountings fixed at the inside of the back thereof
at top and bottom. The sides of the mountings which are towards one another
are open or are each formed with an opening or openings to admit the ends of
needles or other flexible wires or rods, and the ends of the open sides are closed to
prevent the ends of the wires from accidentally slipping out of the mountings.
Each needle is held, when in use, by its opposite ends being retained within the
corresponding mountings; and any folded paper, or papers folded together, such as
a section of a trade list, may be held by one of the needles, which passes for such
purpose along the inside of the fold of the paper or sheets of paper folded together.
A needle is fixed in place by first pushing one end into one of the mountings, and
then bending it to shorten the distance between the ends sufficiently to allow the
other end to be passed in front of the inner face of the other mounting, and then
allowing the needle to spring straight again and thus bring such latter end into the
corresponding mounting; and a needle is removed from the mounting by bending
it sufficiently to bring one end out of the corresponding mounting, and then with-
drawing its other end from the other mounting. Any folded paper, or papers
folded together, may thus be readily put in place and removed without disturbing
papers which may be retained by any of the other needles.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I have illustrated the
same, in the manner which I prefer to carry it out in practical form, by the
drawings herewith.
:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a binding or filing cover or portfolio shewn as
opened out and with a set of needles in place within the mountings. A portion
of the left-hand side of the case is shewn as cut away, for convenience of
illustration.
•
Figure 2 is a transverse section on line x x of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line yy of Figure 1.
...
Figure 4 is a corresponding section to Figure 3, but shews one of the needles
having its lower end properly inserted within a mounting and the needle itself bent
lengthways into a bow form as in the act of withdrawing the upper end from the
corresponding mounting.
Figure 5 is a corresponding section to Figure 3, but shews one of the needles
in its straight form with the upper end clear of the corresponding mounting, so
that the lower end can be withdrawn from the lower mounting, if desired.
Figure 6 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the lower ends of the needles
and of the lower mounting, and shews also a portion of the case to which the
mounting is fixed; and
Figure 7 is a section of Figure 6 taken on line ¹¹
Mountings A are fixed to the inside of the back B of the cover at the top and

page_text: bottom thereof, respectively. In the inner faces of these mountings, that is to say,
the faces which are towards one another, there are formed slotted openings a to-
receive the ends of the needles b; or, in l'eu of the slotted openings a, a number
of holes may be formed in the inner face of each mounting corresponding with the
number of needles which it is intended to use. Each needle is put into position by
first inserting one end thereof into the slot or one of the holes formed to receive it.
in one of the mountings; in the manner indicated by Figure 5, and is then bent in
the manner indicated by Figure 4 to allow its other end to be brought into position
to enter the slot or one of the holes in the other mounting, and is then allowed to.
spring straight again and thus enter such last mentioned end within the corre--
sponding mounting, as indicated by Figure 3. When a needle is to be used to.
retain a folded paper, or set of papers folded together, such is of course engaged.
therewith prior to the needle being engaged with both the mountings, conveniently
after one end of the needle has been engaged with one of the mountings and
before it is engaged with the other mounting.
It is preferred to make the mountings by bending them into the sectional shape.
shewn by Figure 3 out of a piece of sheet metal, such as sheet brass, leaving a
tubular portion c open at the ends and a projecting flange d by means of which the
mounting is riveted, by rivets e, to the back of the cover. The slotted opening a
(or a number of holes in lieu thereof, if preferred) is cut through the thickness of
that portion of the sheet metal which forms the inner face of the tubular
portion c, and the ends of the needles pass through such slot and into the hollow
of the tube. The needles should be of such length that they cannot be with--
drawn from the mountings without being first bent to clear their ends from one of
the mountings.
The outer sides of the slots a, or of the holes used in lieu thereof, are of course-
at such distance from the inside of the back B of the cover as will allow room for
those portions of the papers which are between the needles and the back when the
papers are retained by the needles.
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. The improved appliance or device for use in binding or filing papers, which
comprises a portfolio or rase having mountings fixed to the back thereof and
needles or wires, the mountings being adapted to receive and retain the ends of
the needles or wires, and the needles or wires being each independently
capable of ready and complete removal from the mountings, substantially as.
described.
2. An improved appliance or device for use in binding or filing papers, which
consists of a cover or portfolio having mountings fixed to the back thereof, and
formed with openings in their faces which are opposite to one another, in combina-
tion with needles or wires each of which is engaged with the mountings by first
inserting one end within the opening or an opening of one of such mountings, and
then inserting the opposite end within the opening, or an opening, of the other
mounting, substantially as described.
3. A novel appliance or device for use in binding or filing papers which consists.
of a cover or portfolio having mountings fixed to the back thereof, and formed
with openings in their faces which are opposite to one another, in combination with
needles or wires of such length that they cannot be engaged with both the
mountings or disengaged therefrom without bending them to shorten the effective
length between their ends, and of which each needle or wire is engaged with the
mountings by first inserting one end within the opening, or an opening, in the
inner face of one of the mountings and then bending it to enable the other end to
be inserted within the opening, or an opening, of the other mounting, and then
allowing it to spring back into a straight form and thus engage itself with such
last mentioned mounting, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The improved method of binding or filing papers according to which each
folded paper, or set of papers folded together, is fastened within a case or port-
folio by means of a needle or wire of which one end is inserted into an opening
formed in the inner face of a mounting which is itself attached to the case or
portfolio and of which the other end is inserted into an opening formed in the
corresponding face of another mounting fixed to the back of the case or portfolio,
the needle or wire being bent to shorten the effective distance between its ends to
enable its end to be inserted within the latter mounting and then allowed to spring
straight in order to securely engage itself with such latter mounting, each needle
or wire being independently capable of ready and complete removal from the
mountings, substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 9th day of April 1896.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.