Year: 1886

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67 Strand in. the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Alexander Bellemere Sherwood of Chicago, United States of
America, Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the class of files in which a base is provided toward its
upper end, with two parallel vertical receiving-wires and correspondingly placed
transfer-wires arched to cause their extremities to meet the tops of the receiving-
wires and serving the purpose of permitting the removal of filed papers covering a
particular paper to which reference is desired, without requiring the removed or
transferred papers to be withdrawn from the file.
Files of the foregoing description are also sometimes provided on the bases with
punching or puncturing devices; and I provide on my file a punching device of
improved construction.
In paper-files of the class named it is necessary in each separate instance of
filing, to remove or turn the arched transfer-wires from coincidence with the
receiving-wires, which is an objection, since with each separate use of the file two
distinct operations are required, one to turn the transfer-wires and the other to
adjust the paper & papers on the receiving-wires; and when puncturing of the
paper is resorted to, a third operation is incurred.
It is the principal object of my improvement to provide a filing-device wherein
the necessity of moving the arched transfer-wires, as above stated, shall be avoided,
thereby saving one operation and affording the consequent advantages of time-
saving and convenience. It is also my object to provide an improved form
of combined punching and gaging device, located in a most convenient position
with reference to the filing-wires, whereby the punching and filing devices may be
co-operative in their functions,

page_text: My invention consists in the general construction of my improved device; and
it also consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, all as
hereinafter more fully set forth.
In the drawings-
Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved file with a portion of the base broken
away;
Figure 2, a side elevation of the same, illustrating a function of a detail
indicated by dotted lines, and showing only a part of the base;
Figure 3, a broken sectional view of a detail;
Figure 4, a similar view of another detail; and
Figure 5, an enlarged sectional view taken on the perpendicular line 5 of
Figure 4.
A is the base, commonly and preferably comprising a flat polished hard-wood
board, provided with means for its suspension; shown, in Figure 1, in the form of a
hole, r, bored in the base near its upper edge.
On opposite sides of the center of the base, secured to the latter and extending
downward from its upper edge, are two plates, B and B³, each formed, for con-
venience, in two parts, x and c, as shown in Figure 2, one upon the other, the
top plate being bent, as shown, toward its upper end to provide a socket, q,
provided on its upper side with an opening, 2, elongated lengthwise of the base.
C and C are the receiving-wires, blunt at their upper extremities and secured
vertically in position a predetermined distance. apart on the base and in line,.
longitudinally of the base A, with the openings p in the sockets q. The sockets q
afford, each, a receptacle for a cylindrical head, q', fitting closely therein, and forming
the oscillatory base for a transfor-wire, D or D', secured at one end to the same
and extending through the respective opening p in the socket. The transfer-wires
⚫are arched, toward their upper ends, as shown, to bring their extremities coincident
with the tops of the receiving-wires; but they do not touch the latter, a per-
manent space o being left between the adjacent extremities when the receiving and
transfer-wires are in their normal relative positions, as illustrated by the full lines
in Figure 2.
Between the receiving and transfer-wires is a combined, punching and gaging
device, E, comprising tubular rods, n, secured upon the plates B: and B¹, one
immediately behind the wire C and the other in line with the first-named
immediately behind the wire C³, the lines formed by the two sets of wires C, n, D,
and C, n, D¹, being parallel. The rods n are notched at their upper ends, as
shown at m, Figures 4 and 5, to present puncturing points and cutting edges, and
a plug, l, inserted into each rod n, is beveled on its upper surface to extend in an
oblique direction across the interior of the rod and afford a stop. F is the gage,
comprising a strip, preferably of metal, bent on itself longitudinally to afford a
receptacle having parallel, or substantially parallel, sides and closed at the back,
and provided with openings, k, extending through both parallel sides and having a
diameter sufficiently large and being the proper distance apart to admit through
them simultaneously the tubular rods n. From the under side of each opening k,
and surrounding the latter, extends a short tube, n¹, to fit over a rod, n, and afford
a guide for the movement of the gage F, which movement is performed in a down-
ward direction, for. punching the paper, previous to adjusting it upon the receiving-
wire, against the resistance of coiled springs, h, surrounding the devices n n', which
springs operate, by their resilience, to return the gage to its normal position when
released.
The normal position of the gage F is, as shown in Figure 2, with its open side
in line with the space o, though slight deviation from this position does not
interfere with convenience in operating the device, which is performed in the
following manner.
The paper (or, if desired;-the spaces-o being sufficiently large, though not so
large as to impair the transfer-several sheets at a time) is passed through the
spaces o into the cage.F to strike the back of the samo for proper gaging, when

page_text: the gage
is depressed, causing the notched extremities m of the tubular-rods n to
puncture the paper and eventually to sever from it the surfaces between the
puncturing points, which severed parts are removed by the action upon the beveled
surfaces of the plugs 7, which tend to tilt them off, and, generally, of themselves
perform this function, though the primary object of the plugs is to prevent
clogging of the tubular-rods n with the small paper disks that are removed by the
punching operation.
After providing the openings in the paper, as aforesaid, the latter is drawn
slightly forward to bring the openings coincident with the receiving-wires, when
it drops upon the latter into position on the file. The punching operation is
preferred to merely puncturing, inasmuch as the latter leaves raised edges around
the openings in the papers, which prevent the desired orderly appearance of the
same when filed, and, obviously, lessen the capacity of the file.
It will thus be seen that the operation of filing papers with my device is rendered
convenient and' rapid, besides obviating the necessity of manipulating the transfer-
wires previous to the opération.
To remove the contents of the file (an operation of necessity whenever its
capacity is exhausted, to store the accumulated papers elsewhere in preparing the
device for further use) and, for convenience, to render possible the removal of all
the filed papers simultaneously instead of one sheet or several sheets at a time,
I make the transfer-wires D and D¹ movable in a backward direction," a distance
(limited by the elongated openings p) sufficient to bring the extremities in line
with the edge of the entrance to the gage, which permits the margins above the
springs in the papers to be withdrawn without obstruction. The manipulation as
aforesaid of the transfer-wires is performed without difficulty by simply pressing
against them, and the operation. requires performance so seldom, by comparison,
that it is not a source of inconvenience. Of course, on removal of the contents of
the file, the transfer-wires are, together or separately, readjusted to their normal
positions.
Two, each, of the receiving-wires and transfer-wires are usually employed, though
in files for certain purposes but one of each is required. With the last-named
construction of file, the combined punch and gaging device is single.
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. In a paper-file, the combination with the base A of a receiving-wire, and a
transfer-wire arched to coincide at its extremity with the receiving-wire and
provide a permanent space, o, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a paper-file, the combination with the base A of a receiving-wire and a
movable transfer-wire arched to coincide, normally, at its extremity with the
receiving-wire and provide a permanent space, o, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. The combined punch and gage E, for a paper-file, comprising, in combination,
a tubular rod,`n, notched at one extremity to provide puncturing-points and
cutting-edges, a gage, F, provided with an opening, k, and a guide-tube, n', to fit
over the tubular rod, n, and a spring, h, upon tho parts n n¹, substantially as
described.
4. The combined punch and gage E, for a paper-file, comprising, in combination,
a tubular rod, n, notched at one extremity to provide puncturing-points and cutting-
edges, a beveled stop, l, within the rod n, a gage, F, provided with an opening, k,
and a guide-tube, n³, to fit over the tubular rod n, and a spring, h, surrounding the
parts n n², substantially as described.
5. In a paper-file, the combination with the base A of a receiving-wire, a
transfer-wiro arched to coincide at its extremity with the receiving-wire and
provide a permanent space, o, and a combined gage and punch, E, between the
receiving and transfer-wires, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: G. In a paper-file, the combination with the base A of two parallel receiving-
wires C and C₁, two transfer-wires D and D'arched to coincide at their extremities
with the adjacent receiving-wires and provide permanent spaces, o, and a combined
gage and punch, E, between the receiving and transfer-wires, comprising, in com-
bination, two parallel tubular rods, n, notched at adjacent extremities to provide
puncturing-points and cutting-edges, beveled plugs, l, within the rods n, a gage, F,
provided with openings, k, and guide-tubes, n¹, to fit over the tubular rods n and
maintain the openings & coincident with the said tubular rods, and spiral springs, h,
surrounding the parts n n³ and tending to maintain the gage F normally with the
entrance to the same coincident with the spaces o, substantially as described.