Improvements in Filing Cabinets for Papers.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Filing Cabinets for Papers.
I, PAUL JOSEPH SCHLICHT, of the City of Rochester in the State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILING CABINETS FOR PAPERS and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-,
The improvements herein set forth relate to cabinets or cases for containing
papers or documents which it is desired to preserve, of that class which are
provided with a series of open compartments or receptacles adapted to receive and
hold a series of removable filing-receptacles or files each adapted for holding a
number of papers or documents in a manner to admit of the convenient inspection
thereof.
A filing cabinet embodying my invention comprises as its principal parts a case
or cabinet, divided by suitable horizontal and vertical partitions into a series of
receptacles or compartments, and a series of paper-holding files adapted for insertion
in the compartments of the cabinet, each of said files consisting of a flat bottom or
base-board provided with a vertical front-piece at one end or margin, adapted to
close the front opening of the compartment when the file is inserted therein, and
a paper holding device attached to the top surface of the base-board at or near its
rear, or one of its side, margins, whereby the papers held upon or attached to the
base-board by the paper bolding devices may be inspected when the file is drawn
from the cabinet, without turning said file around, or reversing its position for the
purpose of such inspection.
The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawing, in which;
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing-cabinet adapted for holding a number
of files, showing one of the latter removed from its place, and another partially
drawn out.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a single file as it appears when removed from.
the cabinet, the paper holding device in this figure and in Figure, 1 being shown as
located at the inner or rear margin of the base-board of the file.
Figure 3 is a similar perspective view of a single file illustrating the paper-
holding device attached to the base-board at one of the side margins of the latter.

page_text: Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken vertically through the cabinet,
illustrating stops or guide-pieces upon the side-walls of the compartments thereof
for sustaining the files when the latter are partially drawn out.
Figure 5 is a sectional view through one of the said stops or guide-pieces, and
the parts of the cabinet and file adjacent thereto, taken upon line x-x of
Figure 4.
As illustrated in the said drawings;
A indicates a cabinet or filing case which is divided by suitable vertical and
horizontal strips or partitions a a¹ into a series of separate receptacles or com-
partiments, and B B are a series of files each consisting of a flat base-board C, a
vertical front-piece D attached to the front edge of the said base-board at right
angles thereto, and a paper holding device, indicated as a whole by E, attached to
the top surface of the base-board at or near its rear or one of its side edges. The
base-board C is, preferably made of the same width as the compartment of the
cabinet so that it may freely enter the latter, and the front-piece D is adapted to
fit into and close the outer end or opening of the compartment when the file is
inserted to its full depth; the principal purpose of the said front-piece being to
exclude dust from the said compartment and to give a finished appearance to the
front of the cabinet when the files are in place therein. The front-piece D is
desirably provided with a knob or handle d for drawing the file from the cabinet
and said front-piece may also be provided with a frame d¹ to receive a card
indicating the contents of the file. Braces or brackets d' d' are desirably secured
to the base-board and front-piece to aid in sustaining the latter in its vertical
position, but the means for rigidly attaching the said front-piece to the base-board
and other details of construction of the parts, may be varied in practice as
convenience may dictate.
The particular paper holding device herein shown in figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises
two vertical parallel receiving wires E¹ E¹ rigidly secured in the base-board C and
two arched transfer wires F F rotatably mounted in a base-plate G attached to the
base-board, the free ends of the arched transfer wires being arranged to meet the
ends of the wires E¹ E¹ so that said wires E¹ E' and F, F together form two
equal arches located in parallel planes, adapted to be opened and closed by a rotary
movement of the wires F F in the base-plate G by which movement the said
wires F F may be swung laterally away from, or towards the wires E' E¹ The
ends of the wires F F are preferably arranged to swing outwardly away from the
receiving wires E¹ E¹ in opening the arches, devices being provided connecting
the lower ends of the said wires F F within the base-plate G so constructed
that when one of said wires F is turned, the other will also be turned to the same
extent in the opposite direction. The receiving and transfer wires arranged as
described, operate in a well known manner to enable a portion of the papers held
upon the receiving wires to be thrown backwardly upon the transfer wires and the
arches opened to permit additional papers to be inserted between those upon the
file at any place desired, or to permit the removal from between the papers upon
the file of any paper or papers which it is desired to take therefrom.
In carrying out the main features of my invention, other means than the
particular holding device above described may be employed for securing the papers
upon the base-board and instead of paper holding devices engaging the edges of
the papers, a series of index sheets may be employed to hold in place and separate
the papers placed between them, in a well known manner. A series of index
sheets H are shown as held upon the wires E¹ E¹ which index sheets may be
employed either to separate papers which are themselves held upon the wires, or
to separate and also hold in place papers which are not engaged with the said
wires.
In some cases two receiving wires E¹ E¹ may be employed without the transfer
wires, as shown in figure 4, in which case transfer tubes or other similar well
known devices may be used to receive a portion of the papers from said wires
when it is desired to remove a paper from or insert it into the file.

page_text: The location of the paper holding devices at the rear or inner end or at one side.
of the base-board has the obvious advantage of enabling the papers in the file to
be readily inspected when the file is drawn from the cabinet without requiring the
file to be turned around or reversed in position for this purpose Papers or letters,
may be placed upon the base-board of the file constructed as above set forth either
with their side edges or top margins engaged with the paper holding device, said
papers or letters obviously being in either case located in position convenient for.
inspection when the file is drawn out of the cabinet. In the use of the 'files
constructed as above described said files may be withdrawn entirely from the
cabinet and placed upon the flat surface in inspecting the papers; or, when taking
a. paper from or placing one on the file, the file may be drawn outwardly and
supported at its front end by the hand with its rear end resting within the com-
partment. When the arched transfer wires F F are used, and the paper holding.
device is located at one side of the file as shown in figure 3 the papers may be
removed from and placed on the file and a particular paper thereon readily
inspected while the file is sustained at its rear end within the compartment, by
throwing the papers above the one that it is desired to inspect, remove, or insert,
backwardly upon the arched transfer wires so as to allow them to hang at the side
base-board..
of the
As shown in figures 4 and 5 a side-wall of each of the compartments is provided
with an L shaped bent metal guide-piece I located near the front face of the
cabinet, and adapted to engage the upper surface of the side margin of the base-
board when the latter is inserted within the compartment, the said guide-piece
obviously serving to sustain the file in an approximately horizontal position when
the latter is drawn partially out of the compartment so as to enable the contents
of the file to be examined, or papers thereon inserted or removed without taking
the file entirely from the cabinet. Horizontal strips secured upon the sides of the
compartments, as indicated in dotted lines at I¹ in Figure 4, will obviously serve
the same purpose as the metal guide-pieces I above described and said metal guide-
pieces, or the strips when the latter are used, may be located at one or both sides
of the compartments.
When the brackets d' are employed in connection with the guide-pieces I, or
strips I', said brackets will of course be set inwardly from the side-margin of the
base-board a sufficient distance to prevent interference with the said guide-pieces
or strips.
The employment of the construction in the paper holding devices in which the
latter are located upon one side of the file and are provided with arched transfer
wires, is of advantage in connection with a cabinet provided with guide-pieces I
or strips for the reason that in removing papers from or placing them upon the
file, by the use of said transfer wires, the portion of the papers shifted to the
transfer wires may be allowed to hang at the side of the file, and thereby permit
the convenient insertion and removal of papers while the file is sustained by the
said guide-pieces or strips within the opening of the compartment.
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 ;
1-The combination, with a filing case or cabinet provided with a series of open
compartments for removable files, of a series of files each comprising a base-board
provided with a vertical front-piece D.at its outer end adapted to close the front
opening of the compartment occupied thereby, and a paper holding device located
upon the said base-board at or near its rear or side margin, substantially as
described.
2:―The combination, with a filing case or cabinet provided with a series of open
compartments for removable files, of a series of files each comprising a base-board
provided with a vertical front-piece D at its outer end adapted to close the front
opening of the compartment occupied thereby and one or more receiving-wires,

page_text: ás E¹, located upon the said base-board at or near its rear or side margin, sub-
stantially as described.
3: The combination, with a filing case or cabinet provided with a series of open
compartments for removable files, of a series of files each comprising a base-board
provided with a vertical front-piece D at its outer end adapted to close the front
opening of the compartment occupied thereby, and a paper holding device located
upon the said base-board at or near its rear or side margin, said paper holding
device comprising one or more stationary receiving-wires and one or more arched
and movable transfer-wires, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4-The combination, with a filing case or cabinet provided with a series of open
compartments, of a series of files each comprising a base-board provided with a
vertical front piece D at its outer end, and a paper holding device located upon the
base-board at or near its side or rear margin, a side wall of each of the said com-
partments being provided with a guide-piece engaging one of the side margins of
the base-board and operating to sustain the file when the latter is drawn partially
from the compartment, substantially as described.