IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FILES FOR LETTERS; BILLS OR OTHER PAPERS
Year: 1884

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 AND RELATING TO FILES FOR LETTERS;
BILLS OR OTHER PAPERS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an improved file for letters, bills or
other papers and a case therefor, adapted to be more conveniently used than those
now in use, and occupying less space; and it comprises the improvements
hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a letter file and case therefor constructed
according to this Invention.
.
Figure 2 is an end view of the case showing it turned up against a wall.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the case.
Figure, 4 is a top view of the improved file drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is a section on the line x x Figure 4.
"..
Figure 6 is a section of a portion of the file drawn to,an enlarged scale..
Similar. letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I construct a file; by securing to a
suitable base a (which is preferably a flat strip of paste-board or card-board) a
series of leaves or sheets 6 of paper or other suitable flexible material, each sheet.
being attached at one edge to the base a and free at the other. The sheets 6 are.
of substantially uniform width, and are attached, to the base a at points succes-
sively, farther, from a given, end of the latter, the said points being separated byí
intervening.spaces, so that such leaf occupies a different- lateral position from the
others. The sheets all lie substantially, parallel with the base, and partially over-}
lap each other, the free edge of each sheet projecting: beyond the, sheet above as
shown in Figures 4 and 5, the leaves being thus arranged in a diagonal series.
It

page_text: will be seen that the space or crevice between each sheet and the one above it,
constitutes a pocket or receptacle adapted to receive one or more loose sheets of
paper. The peculiar arrangement of the sheets above described enables the said
pockets to be conveniently found and opened, the projecting portion of each leaf
being suitably marked or printed to distinguish the pocket, of which the said
sheet forms the bottom, from the other pockets. The arrangement of the sheets
enables the file to receive a greater number of letters than it could if the leaves
were arranged in a vertical series as in ordinary book form, because a letter intér-
posed between any two leaves does not increase the thickness of the entire file or
series of leaves. It is obvious, therefore, that a given number of letters interposed
between the leaves will not increase the thickness of the file so much as the same
number interposed between leaves, arranged in book-form. In securing the
leaves b to the base a I prefer to bend back a portion b¹ of each leaf and cement
the under side of the said portion to the base, as shown in Figure 6, the bend in
the leaf connecting the portion 61 to the body of the leaf, constituting a flexible
connection which permits the leaf to accomodate itself to the accumulation of
letters placed under it. The file thus constructed is especially adapted to be
placed in an elongated shallow box or case h such as is shown in Figures 1, 2
and 3, the bases a being placed on the bottom of said box and preferably secured
by clamping strips r detachably secured to the bottom of the box. I prefer to
make the, said box of sufficient size to receive two or more files, and. provide it.
with a cover smaller than the external area of the box and adapted to bear
directly upon the files contained therein, and keep the leaves of the said files in
place. The cover is connected to the box by pivots i, i, and to accomodate the
cover to the increasing thickness of the files as the accumulation of letters increases,
I provide a series of orifices j, j, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, adapted to hold the
said pivots at different heights from the bottom of the box. The cover of the box
therefore serves to hold the leaves of a number of files and the necessity for
providing each file with a spring or other holding-down device to press its leaves
together is obviated.
The box may be utilized as the top of a table or, as I prefer, may be pivotted
at h² to a wall or other vertical support m, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
When thus supported, jointed or flexible braces n, n are employed to support the
box in a horizontal or slightly inclined position, when it is in use, as shown in
Figure 1. When the box is in this position, and the cover is closed, it is adapted
for use as a desk, When the box is not in use it may be turned upwardly out of
the way and held by a catch o, as shown in Figure. 2, the cover bearing against the
files in the box preventing the contents of said files from being displaced. The
box is provided on the inner surface of its front side with a plate p having a series
of notches, each adapted to receive a sliding bolt or catch q on the forward edge
. of the cover.
The series of notches enables the cover to be fastened at different
distances from the bottom of the box.
To distinguish the different files from each other I provide each file with one
or more letters of the alphabet which are the initial letters of the writers of the
communications to be placed in the said files. For example the first file may have
on its cover the initial letters A, B, as shown in Figure. 4.
To distinguish the different pockets of the file I provide the projecting edges of
the leaves or sheets with the letters of the alphabet as shown in Figure. 4, each
leaf having one letter, or, if desired, two or more letters. which do not recur
frequently may be placed on one leaf. Each section or file preferably contains
26 leaves besides the upper leaf. The described index enables the user to file bis
papers by selecting any given letter in the name of the writer of the paper after.
the first letter and putting the paper in the pocket having the letter selected.
For example, take a communication written by a person named Adams. Suppose
the selected letters to be the third one of the name viz. "a," the operator puts
the paper in the pocket lettered "A" in the file or section marked A. If the
naine were Brown the paper would be put in the pocket lettered "O" of the

page_text: section marked B. I have found by practice that by this system papers can be
filed much more rapidly than by any other with which I am acquainted.
"
Each file may be provided with extra or special pockets in addition to those
which are lettered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. A file composed of a base extending across the pockets, and superposed
leaves of substantially uniform width secured at their inner edges to the said base
at points successively farther from a given side thereof, so as to form a series of
overlapping pockets, substantially as described.
Second. A file composed of a flat base, and a series of leaves or sheets of
substantially uniform width, each having a portion 61 secured at its underside
to the base, and bent over to form pockets substantially as described, whereby a
flexible connection between the base and each leaf is afforded, as set forth.
Third. The combination of a box or case having vertical series of orifices jj
near its back, and a vertical series of notches at its front, one or more files,
constructed substantially as described, enclosed in the said box, and a cover
adapted to enter the box and provided with pivots ii adapted to enter either
of the orifices j, and a catch adapted to enter either of said notches, as set forth
Fourth. The combination of the box or case h, one or more files enclosed in the
said box, a vertical support to which the said box is hinged, jointed braces n n
connecting the said support with the outer portion of the case, and adapted to
support the latter in a position substantially at right angles with the support, and
to permit the box to be turned upwardly against the support, a fastening device o,
adapted to hold the box when it is turned upwardly, and a cover h¹ hinged to the
said box and adapted to bear upon, and hold, the files therein when the box is
turned upwardly, as set forth.
T
1001