AN IMPROVED MUSIC, LETTER, OR PAPER FILE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William Wilson and Charles Dickie, both of 10,
Newman Street, in the County of Middlesex, Commission Merchants, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MUSIC, LETTER, OR PAPER FILE." Partly a
communication from abroad by Josiah Lewis Chapin, of the Boulevard de
Strasbourg, in the City of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William Wilson and
Charles Dickie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May
1879.
ROBERT WILLIAM WILSON and CHARLES DICKIE, both of 10, Newman Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Commission Merchants. "AN IMPROVED MUSIC, LETTER,
OR PAPER FILE." Partly a communication from abroad by Josiah Lewis Chapin,
of the Boulevard de Strasbourg, in the City of Paris, France.
"
This Invention consists of an improved letter, music, or paper file, which may
also be utilized as a permanent file or binder, and by the use of which letters or
papers may be readily referred to and removed, or may remain as at first filed,
ready secured for being packed or stowed away. To effect these results we prefer
to use for the file or binder metal pins, which may be made from wire of any
desired size or material, in general form or shape not dissimilar to the "safety" or
nursery" pins now in use, but with these essential modifications:-First. That
the point of the pin should be bent after passing the hook or catch. Second. That
the back or portion parallel to the pin itself. should for the purposes of this Inven-
tion be bent or corrugated into one or more outward U. or other shaped corru-
gations of sufficient depth to pass through a slit or slits in the back of a pasteboard
or other box or "
backing," such slit or slits being of sufficient length to permit
the aforesaid bent or corrugated portions of the file or binder only to pass through
them, leaving a space for the extremities of the back of the pin to brace or shoulder
against the back of the said box or "backing." The entire file or binder is held in
its position by passing one or more curved or bent springs or "catches" (or split

page_text: pins may be used) through or under the bent or corrugated portions of the back of
the pin as they protrude through the aforesaid box or backing, which in length
should approximately equal or be slightly in excess of the length of the letters or
papers which it is intended to file, while the breadth should approximately equal
the length of the pin or file itself. The bent springs or catches, as herein-before
described, may be dispensed with, and a handle formed of one or more pieces of
wire or other material may be employed in their place. In this case we prefer to
use a "loop," with one extremity so bent or curved that the wire of the back of
the corrugated pin will catch therein.
At or near the centre of the handle a ring or loop may be formed or attached in
order that the file may be hung upon a nail or hook.
It is evident that an index, alphabetical or otherwise, may be used in conjunction
with this Invention if considered desirable. The music, letters, or papers are filed
upon the straight portion of the pin, which when full may be removed from the
box or "backing" (by withdrawing the curved springs or catches, as herein before
named), and fresh pins or files inserted therein without disturbing the lett
papers filed thereon, the pins in this case forming a permanent file or binderers or
As a modification of this Invention, instead of filing the papers directly upon
the pins, we may use a wire looped at or near its centre, the wire being placed
within the folds of the paper, whilst the loop is passed through said folds, and forms
an eye" that may be placed upon the pin.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert William Wilson and Charles Dickie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st November 1879.
ROBERT WILLIAM WILSON and CHARLES DICKIE, both of 10, Newman Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Commission Merchants. "AN IMPROVED MUSIC, LETTER,
OR PAPER FILE." Partly a communication from abroad by Josiah Lewis Chapin,
of the Boulevard de Strasbourg, in the City of Paris, France.
"
This Invention consists of an improved letter, music, or paper file, which may
also be utilized as a permanent file or binder, and by the use of which letters or
papers may be readily referred to and removed, or may remain as at first filed,
ready secured for being packed or stowed away. To effect these results we prefer
to use for the file or binder metal pins, which may be made from wire of any
desired size or material, in general form or shape not dissimilar to the "safety" or
nursery" pins now in use, but with these essential modifications:--First. That
the point of the pin should be bent after passing the hook or catch. Second. That
the back or portion parallel to the pin itself should for the purposes of this Invention
be bent or corrugated into one or more outward U or other shaped corrugations
of sufficient depth to pass through a slit or slits in the back of a pasteboard or other
box or "backing," such slit or slits being of sufficient length to permit the aforesaid
bent or corrugated portions of the file or binder only to pass through them, leaving
a space for the extremities of the back of the pin to brace or shoulder against the
back of said box or "backing." The entire file or binder is held in its position by
passing one or more curved or bent springs or "catches" (or split pins may be
used) through or under the bent or corrugated portions of the back of the pin as
they protrude through the aforesaid box or backing, which in length should
approximately equal or be slightly in excess of the length of the letters or papers
which it is intended to file, while the breadth should approximately equal the length
of the pin or file itself.
The bent springs or catches, as here-in before described, may be dispensed with,
and a handle formed of one or more pieces of wire or other material may be
employed in their place. In this case we prefer to use a "loop," with one extremity
so bent or curved that, the wire at the back of the corrugated pin will catch
therein.
At or near the centre of the handle a ring or loop may be formed or attached in
order that the file may be hung upon a nail or hook. It is evident that an index,
alphabetical or otherwise, may be used in conjunction with this Invention if con-
sidered desirable.
The music, letters, or papers are filed upon the straight portion of the pin, which
when full may be removed from the box or "backing"(by withdrawing the curved
springs or catches, as herein before named), and fresh pins or files inserted therein
without disturbing the letters or papers filed thereon, the pins in this case forming
a permanent file or binder.
<
"As a modification of this Invention, instead of filing the papers directly upon
the pins, we may use a wire looped at or near the centre, the wire being placed
within the folds of the paper whilst the loop is passed through said folds and forms
an eye"
" that may be placed upon the piu. To better and more perfectly explain
the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which the same may be practically
employed, we refer to the annexed Drawings, which form part of this Specification,
and in which the same letters of reference represent corresponding portions of our
Invention throughout all the Figures thereof. Fig. 1 represents the general appear-
ance of the file or binder when fitted in an ordinary box or backing D, A, A, being
the metal pins made from wire of any suitable size, with the points bent over after

page_text: 33 86
passing the hook or catch, as is more clearly shown in Fig. II., which repre-
sents an end elevation of Fig. I., and shows the bent or corrugated portions upon
the back of the pin, which pass through a slit in the back of the pasteboard or
other box or backing, such slit being of sufficient length to permit only of the bent
or corrugated portions of the file or binder pin passing through it, leaving a space
for the extremities of the back of the pin "a," a," to brace or shoulder against
the box or backing, as shown, the entire file or binder being held in position by
means of bent springs or catches, of which two forms, B and C, are shown in
Fig. III., said Fig. representing in elevation the back of the box or backing. Instead
of the bent springs or catches a handle, see Fig. IV., formed of one or more pieces
of wire or other material, and fitted with a suitable ring or loop, may be
employed.
Fig. V. represents a file or binder (with the pin unbent after passing the hook),
upon which papers have been filed; Fig. VI. shows in end view the hooked portion
of the file or binder shown in Fig. V. This style of file is slightly cheaper to manu-
facture, but we do not consider it so desirable or finished as that shown in Figs. I.
and II.
Instead of filing the papers, music, or pamphlets directly upon the pins we may
use a wire looped at or near its centre, or with two loops, see Figs. VII. and VIII.,
the wire being placed within the folds of the paper or music, whilst the loops are
passed through said folds and form " eyes" that may be placed upon the pins, as is
shown in Fig. I. This form of filing we consider most preferable where there are
several thicknesses of paper (as in music or pamphlets), as owing to the greater
bearing surface of the wire there is less likelyhood of tearing or detaching the music
or pamphlets whilst in use than if the same had been filed directly upon the pin
itself.
It is evident that when one file or binder is full it may be removed from the box
or backing by disengaging the bent springs or catches B, C, and a fresh file or binder
inserted. The original one may thus be made to form a permanent file, upon which
the papers may be left.
It is evident that various modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit of our Invention; what therefore we claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is,―
The improved music, letter, or paper file constructed and formed substantially as
herein before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert William Wilson and Charles Dickie,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty first day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1879.
ROBERT WILLIAM WILSON. (L.S.)
CHARLES DICKIE.
(L.S.)