AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING LETTERS, BILLS, AND OTHER PAPERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Silver, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING LETTERS, BILLS, AND OTHER PAPERS."-
A communication from L. H. Olmsted, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Silver at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th June 1869.
I, THOMAS SILVER, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "As
IMPROVED DEVICE FOR HOLDING LETTERS, BILLS, AND OTHER PAPERS," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a file or holder whereby a number of letters,
bills, and other papers may be secured in such a manner that any single
one of such letters or other papers may be taken out for reference and
returned without removing or displacing the others.

page_text: The said device consists of a flat base or back and a spring clip formed
by the extension of the ends of a spiral spring the said extended parts
being bent into the proper form and arranged upon the base or back in
such a manner that the spiral spring always tends to keep them in
contact with the base, so that any letters or other papers inserted
between the base and the clip will be securely held thereby.
The said base may be made of wood, metal, or other suitable material
and may be oblong, square, circular, or of any other desired form or
configuration. The clip which may be formed of brass, iron, or steel
wire is preferably made in one piece the spiral spring being first formed
upon a mandrel or other suitable implement and each ond then extended
in opposite directions and bent round and secured to the other end of
the spring. The spring is placed on the under side of the base, the ends
which form the clip being passed over the said base and lying on the
opposite ends thereof on its upper or front surface. I prefer to form the
base with an aperture through its centro for the spring to lie in, so that
the device may be conveniently placed on a table or desk. The base
may also he provided with holes or with hooks or rings whereby it
may be hung upon a wall or upon the side of the table or desk. If
desired a number of the spring clips may he placed upon the same base
or back, one overlapping the other, for the purpose of separating some of
the papers from the others and thereby increasing the facility of
reference to any of such papers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Silver in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th December 1869,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SILVER, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Civil Engineer, sond
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Silver, Her special

page_text: licence that I, the said Thomas Silver, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Silver, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
DEVICE FOR HOLDING LETTERS, BILLS, AND OTHER PAPERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Silver, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Silver; do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by-
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My Invention relates to a clip or holder whereby a number of letters,
bills, and other papers may be secured in such a manner that any single
one of such letters or other papers may be taken out for reference and
returned without removing or displacing the other papers.
The said device consists of a flat base or back piece and a spring bar
or pair of such bars formed by the extension of the ends of a spiral
spring, the said extended parts being bent into the proper form and
arranged upon the base or back in such a manner that the spiral spring
always tends to keep the bars in contact with the base, so that any
letters or other papers inserted between the base and the bars will be
securely held thereby.

page_text: form or configuration. The spring bars and spring b', which may be
formed of brass, iron, or steel wire, are preferably made in one piece, the
spiral spring & being first formed upon a mandril or other suitable
implement and the two ends then extended in opposite directions, each
end being bent into the form shown in Figure 1, and secured to the
other end of the spring. The spring is placed on the under side of the
base, the parts c, c', being formed with eyes or loops d, d', which are
fitted upon the parts & extending from the spring, and which form the
pivots or centres whereon the spring bars open and close. The ends b
which clip the papers are passed over the said base on the opposite ends
thereof, as shewn, crossing over its upper or front surface. I prefer to
form the base with a channel or groove a' through its centre for the
spring to lie in, so that the device may be conveniently placed on a
table or desk. The base a may also be provided with holes or with
hooks or rings whereby it may be hung upon a wall or upon the side
of a table or desk. If desired a number of the spring bars may be
placed upon the same base or back, one overlapping the other, so as to
form a number of clips for the purpose of separating some of the papers
from the others and thereby increasing the facility of reference to any
of such papers.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim,
the improved holding device, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Silver, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
THOMAS SILVER. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. GEDGE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.