Improvements in Letter Files.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Files.
I, WALTER HENRY MORDEN, residing at 161 Dowling Avenue in the City of
Toronto in the County of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, 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 devise a temporary letter file in which will be
combined cheapness of manufacture and simplicity of construction and operation;
and the invention consists essentially of a stationary bed plate to which are rigidly
affixed to or more arched receiving wires, and a sliding bed plate mounted on a
stationary bed plate to which are affixed the standards or upright receiving wires
and a rock shaft adapted to give a reciprocating movement to the sliding bed plate:
the whole device being constructed as hereinafter more fully set forth and more
particularly pointed out in the claims.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing the standards or upright
receiving wires closed upon the arched receiving wires.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same showing the standards or upright
receiving wires away from the arched receiving wires.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing the parts separated.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the under side of the apparatus.
Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the receiving wires.
Liko numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the Specification and
drawings.
The temporary letter file consists of a bed plate 1 of any suitable shape and size.
The bed plate is riveted, screwed or otherwise fastened to the board 2 at or near
one end 23, which hereinafter will be known as the top end of the board. To the
top end of the bed plate 1 are rigidly secured the arched receiving wires 3, and
formed in the bed plate 1 is a longitudinal slot 4. On the top of the bed plate 1
are formed two longitudinal ribs 5 parallel with the slot 4 and extending from the
base of the receiving wires toward the middle of the bed plate 1.
Mounted upon
the bed plate 1 is a sliding bed plate 6. To the sliding bed plate 6 are rigidly
secured the standards or vertical receiving wires 7, so located upon the plate 6
that their upper ends will be brought into engagement with the lower ends of the
arches 8 of the arched receiving wires 3. Connected to the under side of the
sliding bed plate 6 are two lugs 9 and 9b longitudinally opposite each other and
so arranged as to pass through the longitudinal slot 4. The lugs 9ª and 9b are so
located upon the under side of the plate 6 that when the upper ends of the standards
or vertical receiving wires 7 are engaged with the ends of the arches 8 the lug 9°
will be against the upper end of the longitudinal slot 4, whilst between the lug 9b
and the lower end of the longitudinal slot 4 will be a space of at least half an inch,
in order that the plate 6 can be slidden on the plate 1 to permit of a similar space
being formed between the upper ends of the standards or vertical receiving wires 7
and the lower ends of the arches 8. Located mediately between the lugs 9ª and 9°
are two pins or lugs 10° and 10 respectively with the sufficient clearance between
them to allow of the admission of the oranked portion 11 of the rock shaft 12.
The lugs 10 and 10% it might be stated are equal in depth to the depth of the
cranked portion 11 of the rock shaft 12, in order that the said lugs 10 and 10° will
hold the said cranked portion of the rock shaft at all parts of its semi-revolution.
The rock-shaft 12 is seated in a lateral groove 13 formed in the under side of the
plate 1 and arranged at right angles to the slot 4, and it might here be stated that
the rock shaft 12 extends to one side of the board 2, and at that end of the rook
L

page_text: shaft 12 is a small handle 13". Each of the lungs 98 and 9 is provided with an
enlarged head respectively 14 and 14 which overlap the edges of the longitudinal
slot 4. It is by means of the enlarged heads 14" and 14 that the sliding plate 6
is secured to the plate 1, or in other words, by means of these heads the plate 6 is
prevented from becoming separated from the plate 1. It will be noticed by
reference to the drawings that the edges of the longitudinal slot 4 are turned
downwards to form the small flanges 15 and 15, along which travel the enlarged
beads 14° and 14 of the lugs 93 and 9 respectively. The object of these Banges
is to enable the beads 14" and 14" to travel along the edges of the slot with greater
facility. It will be noticed by reference to the drawings that the standards or
vertical receiving wires 7 are made of one continuous piece of tubing bent sub-
stantially into the form shown in the drawings. The base 7" of the standards 7 is
located in a correspondingly shaped groove 16 formed in the plate 6, and the
vertical portions of the standards 7 pass through small openings made in the plate 6.
By making the standards in this manner and soldering their base in a groove in the
under side of the plate 6 they are more rigidly secured to the plate 6 than they
could be by any other menus. It will be noticed that the lower end or base of each
of the arched receiving wires 3 is L-shaped, and that the L-shaped portion of the
base is located in and soldered into grooves formed in the under side of the bed
plate 1, in order that the arched receiving wires will be as rigid as possible. The
object of the ribs 5 is to prevent the lateral displacement of the upper ends of the
sliding plate 6. In the operation of the device the rock shaft turns in its bearings
and the cranked portion of the rock shaft moves the sliding plate 6 longitudinally
on the plate 1 and in either direction, according to the direction of the movement
of the rock shaft; that is by turning the shaft in the direction indicated by arrows
in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cranked portion of the rock shaft will work against
the lug 10 and move the plate 6 to carry the standards or vertical receiving
wires 7 away from the ends of the arches 8 into the vertical position indicated in
Fig. 2 of the drawings, whilst if the rock shaft is turned in the opposite direction
or in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the cranked
portion of the rock shaft 12 will work against the lug 10° to move the plate 6
to carry the standards 7 to the ends of the arches 8 or into the position indicated
in Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what i claim is:
1. In a temporary letter file the combination of the arched receiving wires and
the standard receiving wires of a stationary bed plate, and a sliding bed plate
mounted and sliding upon the stationary bed plate, means for movably securing
together these plates, and means for moving the sliding plate upon the stationary
plate, the receiving wires secured to the said plates and moving therewith,
substantially as described.
2. In a temporary letter file the combination of a stationary plate 1, the arched
receiving wires secured to the stationary plate at or near one end thereof, a sliding
plate mounted upon the stationary plate and moving thereon, the standard receiving
wires secured to the sliding plate and moving therewith, a rock shaft secured to the
temporary letter filé, a crauk on the rock shaft, means for, securing the rock shaft
to the sliding plate, means for holding the sliding plate to the stationary plate,
substantially as described.
3. In a temporary letter file the combination of a stationary plate 1, arched
receiving wires 3 secured to the one end of the plate 1, each of said arched receiving
wires having an L-shaped base secured in a groove formed in the under side of the
plate 1, a sliding plate 6 mounted on the plate 1, standard receiving wires 7 secured
to the plate 6 and moving therewith, the standard 7 formed of one continuous piece
of tubing and secured in a groove in the under side of the plate 6 and passing
through a longitudinal slot 4 in the plate 1, an enlarged head 14ª and 14° respectively
for each of the lugs 9 and 9° overlapping the edges of the said slot and securing

page_text: the plate 6 to the plate 1, lugs 10 and 10 secured to the underside of the plate 6
and passing through the slot 4, a rock shaft 12 having a cranked portion 11 engaging
with the lugs 10 and 10° and adapted to move the said plate in either direction
when engaging with the said lugs, the said rock shaft extended to the edge of the
board having a handle formed at the said end and longitudinal ribs 5 formed' on the
plate and located one at either side of the said plate to prevent lateral displacement
of the said end of the plate 6 when moved to close the standard receiving wires,
substantially as described.
4. In a temporary letter file the combination of the stationary plate 1, arched
receiving wires 3 secured to the one end of the plate 1, a sliding plate 6, mounted
on the plate 1, standard receiving wires 7 secured to the plato 6 and moving there-
with, the lugs 9 and 9b secured to the under side of the plate 6 and passing through
the longitudinal slot 4 in the plate 1, an enlarged head for each of the lugs 9" and 9°
overlapping the edges of the said slot and movably securing the plate 6 to the
plate 1, lugs 10° and 10° secured to the under side of the plate 6 and passing
through the slot 4, a rock shaft 12 having a cranked portion 11 engaging with the
lugs 10 and 10b and adapted to move the plate 6 longitudinally the rock shaft
extended to the edge of the board 2, substantially as described.
5. In a temporary letter file the combination of the stationary plate 1, arched
receiving wires 3, secured to the one end of the plate 1, a sliding plate 6 mounted
on the plate 1, standard receiving wires 7 secured to the plate 6 and moving there-
with, the lugs 9" and 9 seoured to the under side of the plate 6 and passing through
the longitudinal slot in the plate 1, an enlarged head for each of the lugs 9" and 9"
overlapping the edges of the said slot and movably securing the plate 6 to the
plate 1, lugs 10 and 10 secured to the under side of the plate 6 and passing through
the slot 4, a rock shaft 12 having a cranked portion 11 engaging with the lugs 10"
and 10 and adapted to move the plate 6 longitudinally the rock shaft extended to
the edge of the board 2, longitudinal ribs 5 formed on the plate 1, and located at
either side of the said plate to preveut lateral displacement of the top end of the
plate 6 when moved to close the standard receiving wires, substantially as
described.
6. The temporary file hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dad in Wiftoonth day of Mo 1001
WALTER HENRY MORDEN.
G. F. Redfern & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.