Improvements in Letter Files.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Letter Files.
I, ARMIN KRAH. of No. 78 Alte Jacobs-Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Manuiacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is a modification of the device described in the Specification of
prior Letters Patent No. 13,899 dated July 20th 1895, and especially relates to the
sheet metal pieces indicated therein, with flanges or projections for holding the
wires in the closed position of the file. These sheet metal pieces have the dis-
advantage, that a pressure, although slight, must be applied to open the file, which
disadvantage can be avoided by an arrangement, whereby the said sheet metal
pieces are not made elastic as heretofore but are arranged rotatably around their
lower extremity; a device may be combined with the above by which the file can
be at once automatically opened.
According to the present invention, instead of the two sheet metal pieces, referred
to in the aforesaid patent, only one sheet metal piece is provided, in order that the
whole arrangement may be simplified; this sheet metal piece is provided at the
front extremity of the retaining wires and bears against the hinged wires. In place
of the grooves, provided in the sheet metal pieces formerly used, two deep incisions
or recesses are provided, in which the hinged wires are located and held fast. The
sheet metal piece moreover is bent inwardly so as to form approximately a right
angle, at that place where it is narrowest. From the incisions or recesses the sheet
metal piece increases in width and forms the two flanges or projections which, as
will be hereinafter described, serve to separate the receiving wires from one another.
when the file is being opened.
The sheet metal piece is at the base rotatable around a small pivot pin located in
two turned up flanges or projections of the sheet metal base. A spiral spring is
provided to permanently force the sheet metal piece toward the interior of the
file. To the sheet metal piece is connected a lever or handle for operating it.
Preferably the lever or handle and sheet metal piece are made integral with each
other. The handle or lever does not project beyond the lower edge of the file, and
so does not form any hindrance to the opening of the latter.
The operation of this arrangement will be readily understood.
When the front extremity of the lever is depressed by the finger, the sheet metal
piece is caused to turn around its axis or pivot and the flanges or projections on
each side thereof are caused to slightly force apart the hinged wires and conse-
quently also the receiving wires; the papers then slide down upon the receiving
wires and become separated at the place where they were previously opened. On
now releasing the lever, which had before been depressed, the exterior edges of the
Hanges or projections of the sheet inetal piece enter between the semi-opened hinged
vires and force them and the receiving wires entirely apart, thus fully opening
he file.
If therefore any document or paper is required to be removed from or inserted
nto the file, the latter is opened at the desired place, and the extremity of the
ever is depressed by the finger, whereupon the file is instantly thrown half open.

page_text: If then the lever is again released, the portfolio opens entirely, so that any
document can be easily removed from or a fresh one slid down upon the receiving
wires.
In order to close the file, the covers are folded down toward each other in the
same way as previously.
Instead of utilizing the rotary movement of the sheet metal piece, other equivalent
contrivances for instance a thrust-rod may be employed, to achieve the same purpose.
In this instance the axis is located slightly higher than is the case in the arrange-
ment first described, so that, a link arranged in addition below, has sufficient play
to act upon the thrust-rod, which is turned up to form a hook. On moving the rod
forward, the sheet metal member will be actuated in a similar way to that above
described. Such mechanisms may be easily modified.
Dated this 28th day of March 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Letter Files.
I, ARMIN KRAH, of No. 78 Alte Jacobs-Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention is a modification of the device described in the Specification of
prior Letters Patent No. 13,899 dated July 20th 1895 and especially relates to the
sheet metal pieces indicated therein, with flanges or projections for holding the
wires in the closed position of the file. These sheet metal pieces have the dis-
advantage, that a pressure, although slight, must be applied to open the file which
disadvantage can be avoided by an arrangement whereby the said sheet metal
pieces are not made elastic as heretofore but are arranged rotatably around their
lower extremity; a device may be combined with the above by which the file can
be at once automatically opened.
This invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figures 1 to 3 represent the device in front elevation side elevation and plan
respectively partly in section, while
Figures 4 and 5 represent a modification thereof.
Figures 3 and 5 have been shown on a larger scale for the sake of clearness.
According to the present invention instead of the two sheet metal pieces s referred
to in the aforesaid patent only one sheet metal piece is provided in order that the
whole arrangement may be simplified; this sheet metal piece is provided at the
front extremity of the retaining wires a c d and bee and bears against the hinged
wires c c. In place of the grooves provided in the sheet metal pieces formerly
used, two deep incisions or recesses (Figures 1 and 3) are provided, in which
the hinged wires c are located and held fast. The sheet metal piece moreover
is bent inwardly, so as to form approximately a right angle, at that place where it
is narrowest, that is to say about the (imaginary) line connecting the two incisions s³.
From the incisions or recesses s³, the sheet metal piece increases in width and
forms the two flanges or projections ss2, which, as will be hereinafter described,
serve to separate the receiving wires from one another, when the file is being
opened.
The sheet metal piece is at the base rotatable around a small pivot pin p
located in two turned up flanges or projections p" of the sheet metal base.

page_text: A spiral spring g is provided to permanently force the sheet metal pieces toward
the interior of the file. To the sheet metal piece is connected a lever or handle u
for operating it. Preferably the lever or handle and sheet metal piece are made
integral with each other. The handle or lever u does not project beyond the lower
edge of the file, and so does not form any hindrance to the opening of the
latter.
The operation of this arrangement will be readily understood.
с
When the front extremity of the lever is depressed by the finger in the direction
of the arrow, Figure 2, the sheet metal piece is caused to turn around its axis or
pivot p and the flanges or projections son each side thereof are caused to slightly
force apart the hinged wires cc and consequently also the receiving wires a b; the
papers then slide down upon the receiving wires and become separated at the place,
where they were previously opened. On now releasing the lever u which had
before been depressed, the exterior edges of the flanges or projections of the
sheet metal piece enter between the semi-opened hinged wires c cand force them and
the receiving wires a b entirely apart, thus fully opening the file.
If therefore any document or paper is required to be removed from or inserted
into the file, the latter is opened at the desired place, and the extremity of the
lever u is depressed by the finger, whereupon the file is instantly thrown half open.
If then the lever a is again released, the portfolio opens entirely so that any
document can be easily removed from or a fresh one slid down upon the receiving
wires.
In order to close the file, the covers m m are folded down toward each other in
the same way as previously.
In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, instead of utilizing the rotary
movement of the sheet metal piece, other equivalent contrivances for instance a
thrust-rod may be employed to achieve the same purpose. In this instance the
axis is located slightly higher than is the case in the arrangement described
with reference to Figures 1 to 3, so that, a link arranged in addition, below, has
sufficient play to act upon the thrust-rod u which is turned up at ul so as to
form a hook and is acted on by a spring q¹ Figure 5. On moving the rod forward
in the direction of the arrow, the sheet metal member will be actuated in a similar
way to that above described. Such mechanisms may be easily modified.
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 the device described in the Specification of prior Letters Patent No. 13,899
of July 20th 1895 the replacement of elastic sheet metal pieces ss by rotary sheet
metal pieces, which pivot around a bottom axis and by whose curves s¹ and the
wire pieces c c with the receiving wires a bare forced apart.
2. The modified form of device in which the lever u (Figures 1 to 3) is
replaced by a thrust rod or device u¹ (Figures 4 and 5) for moving the sheet metal
piece 8.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.