Letters and the like.
Year: 1885

page_text: Letters and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Iust. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by William A. Cooke
Junior, of New York City County and State in the United States of America
Inventor) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to receptacles for the filing and classification of letters,
invoices, bills and other papers, memoranda etcetera; and particularly to that class
of receptacles wherein the leaves or partitions which separate and indicate the class
are placed in a box or case.
Heretofore the leaves or partitions have been connected by one edge with the
box or case by rods passed through holes in the leaves or partitions, and having
their ends fastened in the sides of the box; or by a dovetailed piece of metal, or a
hook attached to the middle of the leaf and engaging a groove or bar in the back
of the case; or by rods or wires attached to the edge of the leaf and held in grooves
in the ends of the box. These several constructions are defective and therefore
objectionable; The first, because the rods take up considerable of the width of the
leaves and the insertion of the papers is in a measure obstructed: in the other
constructions the attachments thicken the rear edges of the partitions and thereby
when the papers are inserted the back of the file is thickened to the width of the
back of the case before the capacity of the file is exhausted. In the case of the
middle attachment the leaves or partitions do not lie flat and they are apt to twist
when lifted and in consequence the papers become displaced. With the projections
when the partitions are lifted pressure on the middle thereof and the weight of the
paper contents bend the back edges of the partitions and the projections are
thereby drawn out of the grooves and the partitions disconnected from the case.
37

page_text: The object of this invention is to connect the leaves or partitions with the case
so that they will be held squarely in place, to avoid unduly thickening the back or
connected edges of the partitions, to arrange the partitions so that the connections
will slide freely up and down, and to prevent the partitions from becoming dis-
connected from the case.
The file case or box has a hinged side and front by means of which it is opened.
The leaves or partitions have on their free edges, index letters or class titles as may
be desired. On the rear edges at top and bottom are fixed hooks. The hooks are
made preferably from sheet metal by stamping them out, as thereby they can be
made thin and avoid increasing the thickness of the partitions materially on the
rear edges. But they may be made of wire if desired. The hooks may be formed
on the ends of narrow fat strips of metal of the same length as the leaves or
partitions, and attached to the same by fastening them under the turned over rear
edge of the partitions. Another and preferred mode consists in forming the hooks
on the end of a right angular plate, which is fastened to the corner of the leaf or
partition either by pasting it under the turned over rear edge of the partition
which is the cheapest mode, or by riveting, when pasted in the right angular form
of the plate prevents it from pulling out. The hook is in one piece with the plate,
being stamped out of sheet metal. The hooks may however be formed and con-
nected with the partitions in various other ways. Suitable devices are connected
with the back of the case to engage the hooks. The engaging device consists of
plates of tin or other sheet metal parallel to the back and a sufficient distance from
the back to allow play or motion to the hook between the plate and the back.
The plates are also fixed a short distance from the ends or top and bottom of the
box or case to allow play for the hooks at these points. The said plates are
fastened by bending the ends at right angles and inserting and fastening them
between the edges of the back plate, and the sides of the case. The plates can be
fastened by nails or other means A single plate may be used if preferred extend-
ing along the back with its ends a short distance from the top and bottom of the
case, or rods or staples shaped like plates, may be substituted for the said plates.
Hooks engage the outside edges of plates, and slide freely up and down when the
leaves or partitions are raised and dropped.
The above described connections afford a secure fastening between the leaves or
partitions and the case, allowing the former perfect freedom of motion so far as
opening them for the insertion of papers, but holding them squarely in place, pre-
venting them from twisting, and when raised or opened the weight of the contents
of the file draws the hooks more firmly against the connecting devices and it is
impossible for the leaves or partitions to break connection with the case. Further-
more the papers can be inserted far enough for their inner edges to lie evenly with
the connected edges of the partitions or leaves, and there is consequently less
liability of their slipping out when the file is turned up edgewise.
The hinged side and front of the case are fastened together, when the case is
closed by a lock, composed of a plate attached to the side having a projecting lip
which engages a second lip on a plate attached to the front.

page_text: Paper Receptacles for the Finng and ClassIIIC&TION O
Letters and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by William A. Cooke
Junior, of New York City County and State in the United States of America,
Inventor) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to receptacles for the filing and classification of letters;
invoices, bills and other papers, memoranda, etcetera, and particularly to that class
of receptacles wherein the leaves or partitions which separate and indicate the
class are placed in a box or case.
Heretofore the leaves or partitions have been connected by one edge with the
box or case by rods passed through holes in the leaves or partitions, and having
their ends fastened in the sides of the box; or by a dovetailed piece of metal, or a
hook attached to the middle of the leaf and engaging a groove or bar in the back
of the case; or, by rods or wiros attached to the edge of the leaf and held in
grooves in the ends of the box. These several constructions are defective and
therefore objectionable. The first because the rods take up considerable of the
width of the leaves and the insertion of the papers is in a measure obstructed; in
the other constructions the attachments thicken the rear edges of the partitions
and thereby when the papers are inserted the back of the file is thickened to the
width of the back of the case before the capacity of the file is exhausted. In the
case of the middle attachment the leaves or partitions do not lie flat and they are
apt to twist when lifted and in consequence the papers become displaced. With
the projections when the partitions are lifted pressure on the middle thereof and
the weight of the paper contents bend the back edges of the partitious and the
projections are thereby drawn out of the grooves and the partitions disconnected
froin the case.
The object of this invention is to connect the leaves or partitions with the case
so that they will be held squarely in place, to avoid unduly thickening the back
or connected edges of the partitions, to arrange the partitions so that the con-
nections will slide freely up and down, and to prevent the partitions from becoming
disconnected from the case.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 represents the file and its case in perspective.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the file and case taken on line x x of.
Figure 1.
itional and

page_text: Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the devices which connect the partitions
with the back of the case.
Figure 3 is a modification of the connecting hooks.
Figure 4 represents the fastening by which the hinged front and side of the file
case are held together.
Referring to the drawings, A is the file case or box having hinged side a, and
front b, by means of which the file box or case is opened. B represents the leaves
or partitions having on their free edges index letters or class titles as may be
desired.
On the rear edges at top and bottom are fixed hooks d, d. The hooks are made
preferably from sheet metal, by stamping them out, as thereby they can be made
thin and avoid increasing the thickness of the partitions materially on the rear
edges. But they may be made of wire if desired. The hooks may be formed on
the ends of narrow flat strips of metal of the same length as the leaves or partitions,
and attached to the same by fastening them under the turned over rear edge of
the partitions, as shown in Figure 3. Another and preferred mode is that shown
in Figures 2 and 3, consisting in forming the hooks on the end of a right angular
plate e, which is fastened to the corner of the leaf or partition either by pasting it
under the turned over rear edge of the partition which is the cheapest mode; or
by riveting when pasted in the right angular form of the plate prevents it from
pulling out. The hook d, is in one piece with the plate, being stamped out of
sheet metal. The hooks may however be formed and connected with the partitions
in various other ways. Suitable devices are connected with the back of the case
to engage the hooks. As represented, the engaging device consists of plates D, D,
of tin or other sheet metal parallel to the back, and a sufficient distance from the
back to allow play or motion to the hook between the plate and the back. The
plates are also fixed a short distance from the ends or top and bottom of the box
or case to allow play for the hooks at these points.. The plates D, are fastened by
bending the ends at right angles and inserting and fastening them between the
edges of the back plate f, and the sides of the case, as shown in Figure 2. The
plates can be fastened by nails or other means. A single plate D, may be used if
preferred, extending along the back with its ends a short distance from the top and
bottom of the case; or rods or staples shaped like plates D, may be substituted for
the said plates. The hooks d engage the outside edges of plates D, D, and slide
freely up and down when the leaves or partitions are raised and dropped.
The above described connections afford a secure fastening between the leaves or
partitions and the case, allowing the former perfect freedom of motion so far as
opening them for the insertion of papers, but holding them squarely in place,
preventing them from twisting, and when raised or opened the weight of the
contents of the file draws the hooks more firmly against the connecting devices
and it is impossible for the leaves or partitions to break connection with the case.
Furthermore the papers can be inserted far enough for their inner edges to lie
evenly with the connected edges of the partitions or leaves, and there is con-
sequently less liability of their slipping out when the file is turned up edgewise.
The hinged side and front of the case are fastened together, when the case is
closed by a lock E, composed of a plate attached to the side having a projecting
lip g, which engages a lip g², on a plate attached to the front, as shown in
Figure 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a file for letters, etcetera, the combination of the leaves or partitions,
hooks d, d, connected therewith, the case or box, and attachments to the back of
the case which engage the hook, substantially as specified.

page_text: 2. The combination of the leaves or partitions, the hooks d, d, attached thereto,
and the case having the plates D, attached to the back thereof, in position to
engage the hooks d, d, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of the leaves or partitions, the hooks d, d, the plates D, the
back plate f, of the case, and the case or box A, substantially as specified.
4. The hook d, and right angular plate e, in combination with the partitions or
leaves, substantially as specified.