IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDERS OR FILES FOR LETTERS, BILIS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: PICAL OF ECIFICATION.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDERS OR FILES FOR LETTERS, BILIS
OR SIMILAR ARTICLES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to binders or files for papers or the like wherein a plate
carrying a series of pins for holding the papers is employed, this plate being
adapted to be connected to a suitable back.
The object of this invention is to provide a binder or file of this class which
shall be more certain in its action, and more convenient in use than those heretofore
constructed.
In binders or files of this class, as ordinarily constructed, the replacement of the
plate carrying the pins, and hereinafter termed the holder plate, by another, is an
operation which necessitates the employment of a screw-driver for the removal and
replacement of the screws used for securing the said holder plate to the back.
In order to obviate this inconvenience I einploy, with the holder-plate, screws,
the heads of which are provided with rings; and, as it is desirable that the screws
for fastening the said holder-plate should not be completely withdrawn when the
latter is to be fixed to the back, I dispense with the boles usually formed in the
(lange or extension from the back to which the holder plate is secured, and form,
in lieu thereof, slots which extend to the edge of the said flange. By this means
the operation of fixing the holder-plate in position consists simply in loosening the
screws so far that they will admit the flange of the back between the holder plate
and the heads of the said screws, and then passing the said screws into the slots
formed in the said flange, the screws being subsequently tightened.
This method of attaching the holder plate may be applied to paper files of
various descriptions.
The mechanism I have adopted for operating the perforating and retaining plate
comprises an arrangement of levers.
One of these levers is pivotted to the back and impinges against a roller on a
perforating plate, so that when the said lever is operated it will raise the said
[Price 6d.]

page_text: perforating plate above the holding pins. Pivotted to the first lever is a second
lever which is adapted to impinge against a stud on the first lever when the latter
is operated.
Supposing the apparatus is in its normal position, in order to operate it the
second lever is raised whereby its lower end comes into contact with the stud on
the first lever and raises the latter.
In this movement one extremity of the first lever impinges against the roller on
the perforating plate so that the latter is moved nearly over the entire width of
the back, against the pressure of two springs having curved ends and acting upon
two studs secured to the perforating plate and sliding in slots formed in the said
back. The said springs serve to press the perforating plate onto the papers upon
the holding pins.
When the second lever is operated an extension on the first lever lifts a locking
spring having a slot, and enters the same. The perforating plate is thus held in a
raised position.
The papers being inserted between the perforating plate and the pins, the second
lever is turned upon its pivot until a projection formed on it raises the said slotted
locking spring and thus liberates the extension of the first lever which had entered
into the slot of the locking spring as described. The said springs then suddenly
force the perforating and retaining plate over the pins so that a paper placed
between the same and the perforating plate will be forced onto the pins.
If the papers are too numerous or offer too much resistance for the points or
pins to pierce them, the action of the springs of the mechanism can be assisted by
pressing upon extensions at the ends of the perforating plate. In the ordinary
paper files actuated by a lever the aforesaid small roller on the perforating plate
is not used, thus friction is created which I obviate entirely in the improved file.
I make the slotted locking spring and the extension of the lever which enters
the slot in the same preferably of tempered steel so that these parts are not worn
to such an extent that after the mechanism has been used for a certain period of
time the said extension will not enter the slot in the spring.

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDERS OR FILES FOR LETTERS, BILLS,
OR SIMILAR ARTICLES" 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 binders or files for letters, bills or similar articles, and
comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 shews the mechanism for perforating the papers and retaining the same
upon the pins, the said mechanism being shewn in the retaining position.
Figure 2 is a view shewing the mechanism in position to allow papers to be
placed upon and removed from the pins.
Figure 3 is an end view of the said mechanism.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views of details.
In binders or files of the class shewn as ordinarily constructed, the replacement
of the plate carrying the pins p, and hereinafter termed the holder plate, by
another, is an operation which necessitates the employment of a screw-driver for
the removal and replacement of the screws used for securing the said holder-plate
to the back P.
In order to obviate this inconvenience I employ with the holder-plate X,
screws (Figures 3 and 4) the heads of which are provided with rings a or
the like.
As it is desirable that the screws should not be completely withdrawn when
the said holder plate is to be fixed to the back, I dispense with the holes usually
formed in the flange or extension A from the back to which the holder plate is
secured, and form, in lieu thereof, slots f which extend to the edge of the said
flange as shown in Figure 4. By this means the operation of fixing the holder-
plate in position consists simply in placing the plate X, which carries the pins p,
upon the plate A, the screws having previously been unscrewed so far that they
will admit the flange A between the holder plate and the heads of the said screws;
the said screws are then inserted into the slots f formed in the said flange, the
screws being subsequently tightened.
This method of attaching the holder plate may be applied to paper-files of various
descriptions.
The mechanism for operating the perforating and retaining plate A¹ comprises
two levers L, C. The lever C is pivotted to the back at O and, impinges against a
stud or roller E connected with the perforating plate A' as hereinafter described so
that when the said lever is operated, it will raise the said perforating plate above
the pins p. The lever L is pivotted to the lever C at Q, and is adapted to impinge
with its lower end m against a stud G on the lever C. Supposing the apparatus is
in its retaining position, in order to operate it as shewn in Figure 1, the handle B
of the lever L is grasped and the latter is raised, whereby its end m comes into
contact with the stud G on the lever C and raises the latter. In this movement
the extremity D of the lever C impinges against the stud or roller E, so that the

page_text: Intter is moved nearly over the entire width of the back against the pressure of
two retaining springs T T' acting upon two studs H H secured to the perforating
plate and sliding in slots R R¹ formed in the said back. The said springs serve to
press the perforating plate onto the papers upon the holding pins and force the
papers upon the file.
The connection between the perforating plate A¹ and the roller E is established
through the medium of the plate F bent as shewn in Figure 6 and attached to the
studs H to which the said perforating plate is also attached.
The end T of each spring, T T' which is in the form of a spiral, is alightly bent
so as to fit upon the bolt of a stud H whilst the other ends T' abut against the
ends of the box forming the back and enclosing the mechanism When the lever L
is operated and occupies the position L' (Figure 2) the extension I of the lever C
lifts a locking spring K in which a slot kis formed as shown in Figure 5 and
passes into this slot. By this means the perforating plate is held above the top
of the pins pas shown in Figure 3, so that papers can be readily removed there-
from. To file a paper it is inserted between the plate A' and the pins p; the,
lever L is then moved from the position L' to the position L" whereby the
projection n formed on it raises the spring K and sets the extension I of the
lever C free. The springs T which were bent during the upward motion of
the plate A¹ now suddenly react, whereby the papers to be filed are forced upon
the pins and compressed between the plate A¹ and the plate X X which carries
the said pins.
If the papers are too numerous or offer too much resistance for the points or pins
to pierce them, the action of the springs T T¹ can be assisted by pressing upon
extensions at the ends of the perforating plate A¹. In the paper files hereinbefore
constructed actuated by a lever, the sinall roller E is not used, thus friction is
created which I obviate entirely in the improved file. Moreover, in the ordinary
construction the ends T of the springs T, T¹ enter holes in the parts f fl of the
blade F, which as a means of guiding the latter, is defective.
I make the slotted locking spring K and the end I of the lever C which enters
the slot in the same preferably of tempered steel, so that these parts are not worn
to such an extent that after the mechanism has been used for a time the said
extension I will not enter the slot k in the spring.
By reason of the described improvements in the construction of paper-files in
general and especially of those actuated by a lever, the operation is rendered much
simpler, easier and safer than heretofore.
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
First. In a paper-file, the employment, in order to apply the holder plate, of
screws whose beads are provided with rings or the like so as to avoid the use of a
screw-driver, and which are adapted to enter slots in the flange to which the holder
plate is to be attached, thereby obviating the necessity of entirely removing the
said screws from the holder plate in order to fix the latter.
Second. In a paper-file having a lever, the employment of studs upon the bolts
of which the slightly bent extremities of retaining springs act.
Third. In a paper-file having a lever, the employment of a roller,
the lifting lever acts.
upon which
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.