Year: 1888

page_text: I, LOUISA LAWRENCE of the City, County and State of New York, United States
of America, Gentlewoman, 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:-
My invention relates to that class of letter files in which impaling and transfer wires
are employed and in which one or the other of said wires are moveable, and has for
its main obiect to provide a simple, cheap, durable and efficient letter file. To these
main ends and objects my invention consists in the features of construction and
combinations of devices hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out
in the appended claims.
In the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part thereof,
Figure 1, is a top view of a letter file embodying my invention, the board upon
which it is mounted being broken away to economize in space upon the sheet.
Figure 2, is a longitudinal vertical section thereof taken at the line a, a, of
Figure 1.
Figure 3, is a top view of a modification of my invention.
In the several views the same parts will be found designated by the same numerals
of reference.
2 represents the base-board or tablet which may be of any desired shape, construction,
or length.
The puncturing or impaling wires are designated by the nuineral 3, and the transfer
wires by the numeral 4.
Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, 5 designates a base-plate,
preferably of metal, to which the straight puncturing or impaling wires 3 are secured,
said base-plate being fastened to the board 2, by means of screws 6, or otherwise.
Said base plate is formed or provided with a lateral extension 7, to the extremity of
which is vertically pivoted, as at 8, an arm or lever 9, upon which the hook-shaped
transfer wires 4 are rigidly secured. A spring or friction catch 10, fastened
to the bed-plate by screws 11, is adapted to hold the lever 9 in its closed position,
and the transfer-wires in engagment with the impaling-wires.
The lever 9 is preferably elongated as at 12, to extend beyond the line of the wires
when closed, and in practise I add enough to the length of the lever to extend it just
over one of the side edges 13 of the board.
The object of thus lengthening the lever is to enable the same to be worked with
greater facility and from a point remote from the wires where the papers on file are not
apt to be in the way or interfere.

page_text: In operation, the letters, or other papers to be filed are placed upon wires 3, while
the lever and the transfer wires are swung rearwardly (as indicated by the dotted lines
at Figure 1). To close the file, either for the purpose of retaining the letters in
place upon the wires 3, or to enable the removal of some letter below the top of the
pile, the lever is vibrated forwardly into the position shown in full lines in Figures 1
and 2, and the two sets of wires are thus brought together or into alignment. If it
be desired to displace any letter beneath the top, the letters above it are transferred to
the wires 4, the lever with such transferred letters swung backwardly about
the pivot 8, and the desired letter then raised above the points of the impaling-wires;
after which the file may be re-closed and the transferred letters shifted over on the
impaling-wires again.
Referring now particularly to Figure 3, it will be observed that instead of employing
the plate 5, a narrow cross-bar 5", is made use of in which the impaling-wires 3 are
secured. The lever 9, it will be observed, is hent and is shorter in this instance, and
is vertically pivoted at 8, nearer the center of the board and upon the latter; so also
it will be noticed that the catch 10 is secured upon the board in lieu of upon a base-
plate, as 5. The operation of the file shown at Figure 3 is substantially the same as
that of the file shown at the other Figures. So far as the main feature of my
invention is concerned, the cross-bar 5° may be dispensed with and the impaling wires
secured to the board direct. It will be understood moreover that in lieu of having
the transfer wires mounted upon the lever and moveable, the puncturing wires may
be secured thereupon and the transfer wires arranged fixedly or immoveably, the
gist of my invention resting in having the moveable wires (whether puncturing or
transferring) secured upon a lever or arm that is pivoted vertically at one end
exteriorly of the wires and adapted to vibrate in a plane parallel with that occupied
by the board or tablet.
This improvement may be used in a file having only one transfer wire and one
puncturing wire, as well as in the duplex file shown.
If deemed expedient or desirable, a stop or catch similar to that marked 10, or
of other construction, may be employed to keep the lever in an open position when
it is desired to have the wires apart, as illustrated by the dotted lines at Figures 1
and 3.
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. In a letter file, an arm having one or more wires affixed thereto, pivoted
vertically at or near one end and adapted to vibrate in a plane parallel with the board
or tablet.
2. In a letter file, an arm having one or more wires affixed thereto, pivoted vertically
at or near one end to vibrate as set forth and provided at its other end with a handle
or extension.
3. In a letter file, the combination of an arm having one or more wires affixed
thereto, pivoted vertically at or near one end to vibrate as set forth, and a catch or
retaining device to keep said lever in its closed position.
4. In a letter file, the combination of the base-plate 5, the duplex puncturing wires,
the arm 9 pivoted vertically at or near one end beyond said wires, to vibrate as set
forth, and having affixed thereto the duplex transfer wires.
Dated this 24th day of February 1888.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.