Improvements in Document File Holders.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM LUMLEY, of Chicago, Illinois,
United States of America.]
Improvements in Document File Holders.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to improvements in file-holders in which the follower or
compressing-board is supported and guided upon side rails and may be locked or
rigidly secured in any adjusted position. In this class of device, so far as I am
aware, it has been customary to have the locking devices co-operate with or gain
support from the bottom of the file-holder which proves objectionable in practice,
because the bottom soon becomes roughened and disfigured under the pressure to
which the locking devices are subjected, besides furnishing but an insecure support
for the locking devices, which frequently slip thereon, releasing the follower, and
thereby endangering the dislodgment or loss of the documents in the file.
The prime object of this invention is to have the follower wholly supported,
guided, and locked upon the side rails of the holder, whereby is avoided the
necessity for utilizing the bottom of the holder as a support for the locking
devices.
Another object is to have locking devices of such a character that they will serve
as a guide and support for the follower, whereby simplicity, effectiveness, and
economy will be combined in the maximum degree.
The improved file holder comprises an end board a bottom guide-rails, and a
follower of any desirable dimensions and configuration usual in devices of this class.
To the back of the follower extending transversely across the centre thereof, is a
metallic inner bar projecting beyond the side edges of the follower, where it
terminates in a pair of fixed jaws arranged to engage the under side of the guide-
rail, being slightly curved or hook-shaped for the purpose of preventing lateral
movement of the follower and the disengagement of the locking device, of which
these jaws form a part, from the guide rail. Lying parallel with and upon the
inner bar is an outer bar the ends of which also project beyond the side edges
of the follower and terminate in downwardly-turned curved jaws corresponding
with the jaws on the inner bar but engaging the side rails on the top side thereof.
This outer bar is movably secured to the inner bar by means of the screws
working through elongated slots in the said outer bar the screws serving as a
guide for the bar and also to limit its movement relative to the inner bar.
The jaws on the inner bar denominate the "fixed" jaws and the jaws on the
outer bar the "movable" jaws between which two sets of jaws the guide-rails are
clamped, so as to lock the follower in any adjusted position this movement being
accomplished by means of a rotatable cam pivotally secured to the fixed inner
bar at the centre of length thereof, with its edge engaging a suitable socket or
bearing-surface upon the edge of the outer bar the cam for convenience of mani-
pulation being provided with a lateral thumb-piece by means of which the cam
may be rotated upon its pivot in moving the jaws toward and away from each other.
In practice the gravity of the follower will cause the jaws to separate when
otherwise uncontrolled by the cam, moving downward and carrying the fixed jaws
away from the underside of the guide-rails, the movable jaws by reason of their
slotted connection with the fixed jaws permitting this action, and at the same time
serving as a support for suspending the follower upon the guide-rail.

page_text: The fixed and movable jaws conjointly serve as a guide for the follower in its
movements back and forth, while at the same time furnishing a ready means for
locking the follower in any adjusted position.
While the locking devices just described are the preferred form, obviously
they may be of different construction and operation without departing from the
spirit of my invention. For instance the movable jaws may be formed upon the
ends of levers to the fixed bar with their free ends opposing a push-piece also
pivotally secured to the bar and operated by a rotatable cam which may be turned
by a suitable thumb-piece to simultaneously depress the free ends of the levers so
as to cause the movable jaws thereon to grip the guide rails, and thus secure the
follower in any adjusted position.
The essential feature of my invention is locking the follower directly to the side
rails, as distinguished from locking it through the medium of devices depending
upon the bottom of the file-holder for their support, and whether the locking
devices also subserve the purpose of a guide and support for the follower is immaterial
so far as relates to the broad idea of my invention, for obviously the locking-jaws
or their equivalent might be separate from the guide and either one or both jaws
be movable.
In conclusion I may state that I do not desire to limit myself to the exact details
of construction herein described, nor to the relative arrangement of the fixed and
movable jaws for obviously the inner bar may be dispensed with and the fixed jaw
as well as the other operative parts of my device, be secured directly to the follower
and various other modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit
of my invention.
Dated this 8th day of June 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Document File Holders.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to improvements in file-holders in which the follower
or compressing-broad is supported and guided upon side rails and may be locked or
rigidly secured in any adjusted position. In this class of device so far as I am
aware, it has been customary to have the locking devices co-operate with or gain
support from the bottom of the file-holder, which proves objectionable in practice
because the bottom soon becomes roughened and disfigured under the pressure to
which the locking devices are subjected, besides furnishing but an insecure support
for the locking devices, which frequently slip thereon, releasing the follower, and
thereby endangering the dislodgment or loss of the documents in the file.
The prime object of this invention is to have the follower wholly supported,
guided, and locked upon the side rails of the holder, whereby the necessity for
utilizing the bottom of the holder as a support for the locking devices is avoided.
Another object is to have locking devices of such a character that they will
serve as a guide and support for the follower, whereby simplicity, effectiveness, and
economy will be combined in the maximum degree.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a file-holder embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof, more clearly showing the
construction of one form of the locking devices, and

page_text: Figure 3 a detail section showing another form of lock device.
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
A indicates the end board; B the bottom; C the guide rails, and D the follower
of any desirable dimensions and configuration usual in devices of this class.
To the back of the follower, extending transversely across the centre thereof, is
a metallic bar E projecting beyond the side edges of the follower, where it
terminates in a pair of jaws F, arranged to engage the under side of the guide-rail,
being slightly curved or hook-shaped for the purpose of preventing lateral move-
ment of the follower and the disengagement of the locking device, of which these
jaws form a part, from the guide-rail. Lying parallel with and upon the bar E
is another bar G, the ends of which also project beyond the side edges of the
follower and terminate in downwardly-turned curved jaws H, corresponding with
the jaws F, but engaging the side rails on the top side thereof. This bar G is
movably secured to the bar E by means of the screws I working through elongated
slots J in the bar G, the screws serving as a guide for the bar and also to limit its
movement relative to the bar E.
The jaws F I denominate the "fixed" jaws and the jaws H the "movable"
jaws, between which two sets of jaws the guide-rails are clamped, so as to lock the
follower in any adjusted position, this movement being accomplished by means of
a rotatable cam K, pivotally secured to the fixed bar E at the centre of its length,
with its edge engaging a suitable socket or bearing-surface upon the edge of the
bar G, the cam for convenience of manipulation being provided with a lateral
thumb-piece L, by means of which the cam may be rotated upon its pivot M in
moving the jaws toward and away from each other.
In practice the gravity of the follower will cause the jaws to separate when
otherwise uncontrolled by the cam, moving downward and carrying the fixed
jaws F away from the under side of the guide-rails as illustrated by the dotted
line in Figure 2, the movable jaws H by reason of their slotted connection with the
fixed jaws F permitting this action, and at the same time serving as a support for
Buspending the follower upon the guide-rail.
The fixed and movable jaws conjointly serve as a guide for the follower in its
movements back and forth, while at the same time furnishing a ready means for
locking the follower in any desired position.
While the locking devices above described are of the preferred form,
obviously they may be of different construction and operation without departing
from the spirit of my invention. For instance as illustrated in Figure 3 the
movable jaws F may be formed upon the ends of levers a pivoted at 6 to the fixed
bar E with their free ends opposing a push-piece c, also pivotally secured to the
bar E and operated by a rotatable cam d, which may be turned by a suitable
thumb-piece (not shown) to simultaneously depress the free ends of the levers, so
as to cause the movable jaws thereon to grip the guide-rails, and thus secure the
follower in any adjusted position.
The essential feature of my invention is locking the follower directly to the side
rails, as distinguished from locking it through the medium of devices depending
upon the bottom of the file-holder for their support, and whether the locking
devices also subserve the purpose of a guide and support for the follower is
immaterial so far as relates to the broad idea of my invention, for obviously the
locking-jaws or their equivalent might be separate from the guide and either one
or both jaws be movable.
In conclusion I may state that I do not desire to limit myself to the exact
details of construction herein shown and described, nor to the relative arrange-
ment of the fixed and movable jaws, for obviously the bar E may be dispensed
with and the fixed jaws F', as well as the other operative parts of my device, be
secured directly to the follower, and various other modifications may be adopted
without departing from the spirit of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, 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 file-holder, the combination, with the guide-rails and the follower, of
fixed jaws, and movable jaws between which the said rails are clamped, and means
for operating said movable jaws, substantially as described.
Second. In a file-holder, the combination, with the guide-rails and the follower,
of the fixed jaws and the movable jaws secured to the follower and the cam for
operating said movable jaws, substantially as described.
Third. In the file-holder, the combination with the guide-rails and the follower,
of the fixed and movable jaws secured to the follower and a rotatable cam for
operating said movable jaws, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a file-holder, the combination, with the guide-rails, and the follower,
of the bars E and G, provided respectively, with the jaws F and H, the slotted
connection I, J between said bars, the rotatable cam K, and thumb-piece L,
substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of October 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant