Improvement in Letter Files.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
Improvement in Letter Files.
I GEORGE ALBERT BAKER of South Bend in the County of Saint Joseph and
State of Indiana, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER FILES and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained'
in and by the following statement :-
My invention is an improvement in letter files and trough I have shown it.
in connection with the ordinary form of box receptacle I do not limit myself
to this connection as it may be used in other situations with equally good.
effect.
The invention includes a simple device for holding in position the alphabetically
arranged sheets between which the letters are to be inserted, this device being
capable of removal from the receptacle in which it is placed so as to permit it and
its contents to be filed away when it has become filled with letters. Instead of
being used in connection with the series of sheets between which the letters may be
inserted it may be used in connection with memorandum tablets or ledgers sheets
or anything of like character where it is desired to provide a temporary binder or
holder which may be removed from its temporary position and filed away with the
leaves or letters confined thereby without requiring any re-arrangement of said
leaves or letters.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown the invention applied to a letter
file.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the file with the upper hinged leaf*
open.
Figure 2 is a detail view of the holding wire in the form of a rectangle, this
view showing also the spring for holding the upper side of the rectangle in
place and a groove in the bottom of the box for holding the lower edge of the
rectangle.
Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the means for releasing the upper edge of
the wire from its holding spring.
In these drawings A represents the letter box or file which is in the ordinary
form of an imitation book with its upper cover hinged to open outwardly and with
a hinged front piece on its edge. A series of leaves with letter tabs properly
arranged are shown at a, it being understood that these leaves are representative
of anything which may be held by my improved holding device. These leaves are
perforated on their back edges as shown at b and the leaves are held together by a
wire frame in the form of a rectangle, the vertical parts of which pass through the
perforations and serve to support the leaves. In the bottom of the box or case a
groove is formed as at c of a length equal to or slightly exceeding the length of
the frame D. which is preferably formed of wire; the lower side of the frame fits
into this groove which is of a depth equal to about the diameter of the wire of the
frame so that it is below or flush with the surface. The groove may be pro-
tected from enlargement by abrasion by a metal strip attached to the bottom of the
box surrounding the groove as at d, this strip having an opening corresponding to
the groove.
In order to hold the upper horizontal part of the frame I have provided a
spring C which may be of ordinary clock spring metal or of any suitable material,
and this is preferably attached as shown to one end of the rear wall of the box, its
free end extending upwardly and towards the front, being curved, its extreme front
end being formed into a hook which bears against the under face of the top piece e,
and this hook f engages with the upper horizontal part of the frame D and holds

page_text: it in position. Thus I provide two vertical standards which allow the leaves of
the binder to move freely up and down and at the same time the whole may be
easily removed and filed away so as to permit the receptacle or box to be used
again and again for the accumulation of letters or the like.
It will be seen that the lower part of the frame is held in the groove in the box
while the upper part is held by the hooked end of the spring, and it is only
necessary to release the upper horizontal portion from the hook of the spring in
order to permit the frame and papers held thereby to be removed. This release
can be effected by inserting the hand beneath the fixed part of the cover, but this
is not practicable when the box is filled, so I have formed an opening through the
fixed part of the cover, as at E which is directly in line with the holding spring
and by inserting the end of a pencil or anything pointed into this opening the point
comes in contact with the spring and a slight pressure downward will release the
wire frame from contact therewith which will permit the frame and the contents to
be removed together and filed away.
The rectangular frame as before stated is formed of wire. The ends of this
wire after being passed through the openings in the leaves is brought together so
as to abut as shown at 25. This frame having the upper and lower long sides
between the vertical portions passing through the leaves, forms a permanent means
of holding the leaves together and this permits the leaves being taken out without
danger of any of them falling away from the others. This is desirable in handling
the leaves and when the spaces between the leaves have become filled with letters
the whole series of leaves may be removed from the case and filed away, the wire
frame serving to bind them together permanently and a new series of leaves can
often be placed in the box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In combination with the box, a series of leaves, a wire frame having vertical
sides, passing through the series of leaves and horizontal sides extending along the
upper and lower sides of said series between the vertical sides to bind them
together, the means for holding the upper part of said frame removably to the
casing and the groove extending across the box to receive the lower part of the
frame, substantially as described.
2. In combination, the box, the series of leaves, the rectangular frame binding
said leaves together, the groove extending across the box for receiving the lower
side of the said frame and the catch acting upwardly within the box for engaging
the under side of the upper part of the frame, the said box having an opening
through its upper side above the spring catch, substantially as described.
Dated
2-13 M-- 1900
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.