IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIPS OR HOLDERS FOR THE FILING OF PAPERS AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1885

page_text: for other like Purposes.
I, JOHN SHORT DOWNING of Commercial Street, Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIPS OR HOLDERS FOR THE FILING OF PAPERS AND FOR OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My invention relates to clips or holders for the filing of papers and the like; and
consists essentially of a clip pressed home by a coiled spring, enclosed within the
bracket support, to which the said clip is jointed. In this form of clip or holder,
there is no means for retaining or holding open the clip, during the time papers
are being inserted under the gripping edge.
Now my invention relates to means whereby the said clip is retained open, while
papers are being inserted or introduced over the said gripping edge.
By my invention, considerable advantage is obtained, inasmuch as a person only
has to press the back of the clip, when it is automatically held in its open position,
and released by simply pressing the holding expedient.
The clip proper consists of a bent metal plate, elongated at its front part, which
front part constitutes the gripping edge under which papers or other objects are
held. This front part is curved or bent downwards so that the edge shall lie in
the same plane as the objects to be gripped-The body or back part is somewhat
rectangular in form with an eye or hanging loop disposed near its extreme end;
and within the middle of the body of the clip, a square piercing or hole is made
through which a spring holder or retainer passes.
This spring retainer consists of a piece of strip steel free at its upper end, and
fixed at its lower end preferably to the knuckle bracket upon which the clip is
jointed and turns; and near the upper end of this spring, a shoulder or detent is
formed, which constitutes a ledge on which the clip rests when open. The extreme
end of this spring forms a thumb piece or presser for releasing the said clip. The
spring is so disposed with respect to the front edge of the hole in the clip, that it
presses forward, in order to automatically move in position when free to do so.
The joint of the clip is formed by bending downwards opposite ears from the
sides of the metal of the clip, and passing a centre pin through them and the

page_text: knuckle bracket, so as to form a joint upon which the clip turns. This joint
centre is disposed in a plane behind the spring holder which retains open the clip.
A coiled spring is situated within the barrel of the knuckle bracket, one being
fixed to the bracket, and the other end being free and resting upon the underside
of the top of the clip.
When the clip or holder is in use, or when papers-and the like are required to be
placed under the gripping edge, the back or loop part is pressed by the thumb or
finger, thereby opening or turning the clip upon its joint centre, and on the clip
being thus fully opened, the shoulder of the spring retainer, snaps under the metal
of the clip presented in front of the hole or piercing, and so holding the clip in its
raised position.
To liberate the clip, press back the spring retainer which forces the shoulder
from under the clip, which latter is released and falls by the force of the coiled
spring enclosed within the knuckle case.
Instead of the spring retainer as described, a hanging jointed catch may be used
instend; the catch being so hung, that the shoulder when the clip is raised, comes
under the solid metal and so holds it up.

page_text: Improvements in Cups or olders for the
for other like Purposes.
I JOHN SHORT DOWNING of Commercial Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIPS OR HOLDERS FOR THE FILING OF PAPERS AND FOR
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to clips or holders for the filing of papers and the like, and
consists essentially of a clip pressed home by a coiled spring enclosed within a
bracket support, to which the said clip is jointed. In this form of clip or holder,
there is no means for retaining or holding open the clip during the time papers are
being inserted under the gripping edge.
Now my invention relates to means whereby the said clip is retained open,
while papers are being inserted or introduced under the said gripping edge.
By my invention, considerable advantage is obtained, inasmuch as a person only
has to press the back of the clip when it is automatically held in its position, and
released by simply pressing the holding expedient.
The clip proper consists of a bent metal plate, elongated at its front part, which
front part constitutes the gripping edge under which papers or other objects are
held-This front part is curved or bent downwards so that the edge shall lie in the
samo plane as the objects to be gripped-The body or back part is somewhat
rectangular in form with an eye or hanging loop disposed near its extreme end;
and within the middle of the body of the clip, a square piercing or hole is made
through which a spring holder or retainer passes.
This spring retainer consists of a piece of strip steel free at its upper end, and
fixed at its lower end, preferably to the knuckle bracket upon which the clip is
jointed and turns; and near the upper end of this spring, a shoulder or detent is
formed, which constitutes a ledge on which the clip rests when open--The extreme
end of this spring forms a thumb piece or presser for releasing the said clip-The
spring is so disposed with respect to the front edge of the hole in the clip, that it
presses forward, in order to automatically move in position when free to do so.
The joint of the clip is formed by bending downwards opposite ears from the
sides of the metal of the clip, and passing a centre pin through them and the
knuckle bracket, so as to form a joint upon which the clip turns-This joint
centre is disposed in a plane behind the spring holder which retains open the clip.
A coiled spring is situated within the barrel of the knuckle bracket, one end
being fixed to the bracket, and the other end being free and resting upon the
underside of the top of the clip.
When the clip or holder is in use, or when papers and the like are required to
be placed under the gripping edge, the back or loop part is pressed by the thumb
or finger, thereby opening or turning the clip upon its joint centre, and on the clip
being thus fully opened, the shoulder of the spring retainer snaps under the metal
of the clip presented in front of the hole or piercing, and so holding the clip in its
raised position.

page_text: To liberate the clip, press back the spring retainer which forces the shoulder
from under the clip, which latter is released and falls by the force of the coiled
spring enclosed within the knuckle case.
Instead of the spring retainer as described, a hanging jointed catch may be used
instead; the catch being so hung, that the shoulder when the clip is raised, comes
under the solid metal and so holds it up.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan a clip or holder for the 'filing of papers, made
according to my invention, and which said clip is in its acting or gripping position.
Figure 2 is the same with the clip plate raised and held in its elevated position by
an automatic stop catch, and when in this position, papers can be conveniently
placed in position for filing, without the necessity of holding the clip plate up
during the operation. Figure 3 is a back elevation of the same, and figure 4 is a
front elevation with the clip plate raised. Figure 5 is a transverse section on the
dotted lines A B figure 1, and figure 6 is a section on the dotted lines C, D
figure 2-Figure 7 is the catch or fastener arrangement separately, shown in
elevation and plan-Figure 8 is a transverse section of a modification of the said
clip, in which a jointed catch is employed instead of a spring, for keeping the clip
plate in an elevated position.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the Drawing,
a is the clip plate with a gripping edge a broadened out or extended to an
extent equal or nearly equal to the breadth of the papers to be gripped or held;
and to the back or body part of this said clip, joint or bracket, ears a³ depend,
which form the joints upon which the clip turns-b b are pivot centres carried on
opposite sides of the bracket c, wherein a coiled or pressure spring d is confined-
The said bracket c has base flanges c³ for attaching the clip to the pad or base
board e.
"
.
The pivot centres b are formed by a length of wire extending from end to end of
the bracket, and around which said wire or axis, the coiled spring & encircles, the
free ends of which press respectively upon the underside of the back of the clip,
and upon the inside of the framing of the enclosing bracket; the former is
marked d, while the latter is marked d³-Thus on the turning of the clip upon
the pivot centres b, the coils of the spring are compressed by the extended end d
taking its bearing under the clip-f is a spring catch or holder working and
extending through the hole or piercing a*, formed in the middle of the body of the
clip, and which said catch or spring retainer consists of a piece of sheet steel, free
at its upper end, and fixed at its lower to the bracket c, and near the said upper
end which forms a pressure or thumb piece, a shoulder ƒ³ is formed, and upon this 4
shoulder the clip rests in its open position as represented at figures 2 and 6; the
thumb or pressure part is marked ƒ³.
In using the clip, that is when papers are required to be filed or placed in
position under the gripping edge, depress the back part a³ so as to open the clip to
its fullest extent, when the spring catch or holder automatically prevents its return, 4
by the shoulder part f* coming under the solid of the metal of the clip in front of
the gap or opening a' through which the fastener passes, thereby holding the clip
in its open or raised position; so that the spring catch fastener f is made self
acting, by springing or yielding towards the front of the clip, which makes the
shoulder f snap thereunder on the hole a coming above it.
In figure 8 the fastener for holding up the clip, is made in the form of a jointed
arm tending to fall in the direction of the arrow; so that on the clip being fully
opened, the arm will fall forward, with the shoulder under the solid metal, when
the said clip is held or suspended in its open position.
5
a is the clip, a is the gripping edge, a is the gap hole through which the 5
lever passes, and which said lever is jointed at f. The other parts are marked
with corresponding letters with respect to the other figures,

page_text: After the papers have been arranged, it is only necessary to press upon the
end of the catch f, when the shoulder f³ is removed from its holding position
which liberates the clip and allows it to automatically pass into the gripping
position as represented in figures 1 and 5, by the force of the coiled spring d.
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. The construction and combination of the parts of spring clips or holders
for the filing of papers and the like, herein described and illustrated in figures 1
to 6 both inclusive of the Drawings; that is to say, an automatic spring clip
consisting of a clip plate (with an extended gripping edge) hinged to an upright
bracket, wherein a coiled spring for operating the clip is enclosed, and which said
clip is held in its raised or open position by an automatic spring catch or fastener,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described and set forth.
Secondly. Suspending and keeping open spring and other clips for the filing of
papers and the like, by means of a tongue like spring catch or fastener f, with
shoulder f, so that on the gripping edge of a clip being fully opened or raised, the
fastener automatically presses or falls in position, with the shoulder under the solid
of the clip, thereby holding the said clip open, substantially as described and set
forth in figures 1 to 7 both inclusive; also the modification as described and set
forth in figure 8.