CA1099174A - Self-tapping plastic part for document holders and the like - Google Patents
Self-tapping plastic part for document holders and the likeInfo
- Publication number
- CA1099174A CA1099174A CA282,657A CA282657A CA1099174A CA 1099174 A CA1099174 A CA 1099174A CA 282657 A CA282657 A CA 282657A CA 1099174 A CA1099174 A CA 1099174A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- hole
- post
- section
- holder
- posts
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
- B42F—SHEETS TEMPORARILY ATTACHED TOGETHER; FILING APPLIANCES; FILE CARDS; INDEXING
- B42F15/00—Suspended filing appliances
- B42F15/0011—Suspended filing appliances for sheets, stacks of temporarily bound sheets
- B42F15/0052—Suspended filing appliances for sheets, stacks of temporarily bound sheets for suspending stacks of temporarily bound sheets
- B42F15/0058—Suspended filing appliances for sheets, stacks of temporarily bound sheets for suspending stacks of temporarily bound sheets with fixed suspension means
Landscapes
- Sheet Holders (AREA)
- Connection Of Plates (AREA)
- Perforating, Stamping-Out Or Severing By Means Other Than Cutting (AREA)
- Supports Or Holders For Household Use (AREA)
- Hooks, Suction Cups, And Attachment By Adhesive Means (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A channel-shaped holder for sheet-form materials is provided wherein self-tapping plastic supporting posts threaded into selected holes of the channel wall sections are adapted to support sheet-form materials having different perforation spacings.
A channel-shaped holder for sheet-form materials is provided wherein self-tapping plastic supporting posts threaded into selected holes of the channel wall sections are adapted to support sheet-form materials having different perforation spacings.
Description
The present inven-tion relates in general to new and improved holders Eor sheet-form materials, in particular to holders for sheet-form documents that are removably supported in hanging relationship on posts engaging correspond-ing performations spaced along one edge of -the documents.
Holders for sheet~form documents or similar materials are well ]cnown in the art.
It is further known to support such documents in hanging relationship from supporting posts in channel-shaped holders wherein the channel may constitute a rigid performed structurel or where it is formed by wall sections pivotably movable with respect to each other that may be locked into a rigid channel-shaped configuration.
Examples of such sheet-form document holders appear in U.S. Patent No. 3,980,360, as well as in U.S. Patent No. 4,056,296 which corresponds to Canadian Patent No. 1,058,473 all assigned to the assignee of the present application.
The document holders described and illustrated in the aforesaid patents employ spaced posts that engage correspondingly spaced performations along the edge of the aforesaid shee-t-form materials to support the latter in a hanging position. The supporting posts may be integral with one side of the channel-shaped holder or they may be separate and removable. Holders that have integrally fixed posts lack the flexibility to accept documents in which the spacing of the performations is different from the spacing of the posts. This is not the case where the ~l~g91~7~
posts are removable and may be inserted into selected holes of the document holder. In the latter case Eastening means must be provided to assure that the posts are securely retained in place after being inserted :into the holder.
Further, to facilitate the rap:id insertion or removal of documents, the posts must engage the holder in a manner permitting easy withdrawal from the latter. Finally, the posts must always be perpendicular to at least one wall of the document holder to facilitate the aforesaid document removal and insertion and to prevent the enlargement of the post-receiving perforations or other damage to the documents.
The foregoing conditions must be reconciled with the requirements for economy which make it desirable to pre-form the holder as well as the removable posts by convenient processes such as molding of a plastic material. The molded posts must have sufficient strength to carry a sheaf of documents in their hanging position, or while the holder is temporarily open and the posts are supported at one end only.
Prior art document holders for sheet-form materials have not been responsive to these different and, in part, mutually conflicting requirements. Where plastic supporting posts are employed in channel-shaped document holders of the type under discussion here, they are usually integral with, i.e. part of, the holder itself. Thus, they lack the requisite versatility to accommodate sheet-form materials having different perforation spacings.
Where removable posts are employed in prior art apparatus, the resulting structure often lacks the requisite rigidity to assure 917~
that the posts remain perpendicular to the holder at all times. If these posts are of the snap-in type, special tools for the insertion and withdrawal of the posts may be necessary.
Further, an undue amount of force may be required to remove the posts or the locking connection of the posts to the holder may not be reliable. If threaded posts are used that engage pre-threaded holes in the document holder, it poses the problem of economically providing internally threaded holes as part of the molding operation of the holder, or as a subse~uent manufacturing operation.
In some arrangements, e.g. in the holder described in the aforesaid U.S. Patent No. 3,980,360, the posts are never completely removed when sheet-form materials are inserted or taken out. During such an operation the posts are withdrawn from one wall section only and are loosely retained in the opposite wall section pending the removal or the addition of documents.
It frequently happens during such an operation that one or more posts are dislodged from their withdrawn position by the inadvertent action of the operator. Where that occurs, the dislodged post effectively blocks the channel and interferes with the ongoing insertion or removal of the documents.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved document holder which is not subject to the foregoing disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an irnproved holder for _~_ ~9~ 4 sheet-form materials which may be econom.ical.ly manu:Eactured and which permlts the ready removal and insertion of materials by an operator withou-t -the requirement Eor special tools.
Thus by one aspect oE this invention there is provid-ed a plastic holder of the type adapted to form an elongate channel for retaining sheet-form materials, comprising:
opposite first and second channel wall sections including oppositely positioned first and second holes respectively form-ing hole pairs spaced along the length of said channel;
a plurality of removable posts adapted to engage selected hole pairs to bridge said channel, said posts being Eurther adapted to support a plurality of sheet-form materials engaged through correspondingly spaced perforations located near one edge of each sheet;
each of said posts being formed of a plastic and includ-ing a head adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head and having a uniform major diameter; and a shank section terminating said post and havin~ a uniform outside diameter adapted to clear said first hole~
said tapping section being adapted to cut a thread in the interior of said first hole of the selected hole pair to removahly fasten said post in said first wall section;
whereby said head is posit~oned within said first hole ~nd the free end of said shank section is positioned in said second hole of said selected hole pair when said post is fully inserted in said channel-form holder.
By another aspect of this invention there is provided a self-tapping supporting post formed of plastic and adapted to engage a supporting structure having a flexural elastic modulus less than that of said post, comprising:
a head adapted -to accept a driving too;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head having a uniform major diameter and a predetermined axial length, said tapping section being capable of çutting a thread in a preform-ed hole of said supporting structure adapted to removably fasten said post therein; and a shank section having a substantially uniform outside diameter termina-ting said post, said post being adapted when fastened to said supporting structure to support sheet form articles suspended from said shank section.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a document holder which incorporates the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the holder of Fig. 1 in its closed position;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 illustrates an exploded, cross-sectional view of an open document holder and a support post.
With reference now to the drawings, Fig.
1 illustrates in perspective view a channel-shaped holder 2 which incorporates the present invention, together with sheet-form documents 10 supported in hanging relationship on the holder. While the invention is not so limited, the holder shown is of the type wherein a pair of wall sections ~ and 6 are connected by means of a hinge section 8 which permits the wall sections to pivot relative to each other.
The documents 10 are supported on a plurality of support posts 12 that engage selected ones of a series of holes 14.
The holder is shown in locked position in Fig. 1. Wall sections 4 and 6 are capable of closing and locking on each other to form a channel closed at both ends. The closed channel form is best shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 3. A pair of slide buttons 16 is adapted to be moved to one side to unlock the holder. This permits the wall sections to be pivoted away from one another about hinge section 8 so as to free the posts 12 to release documents supported thereon or to accept new ones.
When in use, document holder 2 is adapted to rest on a pair of support rods that engage a pair of ~-shaped channels 18 at each end of the holder. Alternatively, a suitable support rod may engage a round channel 20 of the holder to support the latter in place, while a suitable surface above the left hand portion of hinge 8 prevents rotation about the axis of channel 20. ~he support rods and the aforesaid surface have been omitted from Fig. 1 for the sake of clarity.
Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the holder illustrated in Fig. 1, documents 10 being omitted to show the interior construction of the holder. With wall sections 4 and 6 in the closed position, corresponding portions of the wall sections are in contact with each other as shown. As best illustrated in Fig.
3, support posts 12 bridge the channel defined by the closed wall sections, each post engaging a hole 13 in wall section 4 and a hole 14 in wall section 6, respectively. The constructional details of holes 13 and 14 are best illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the post is shown separate from the holder~ Hole 13, which is initially formed without screw threads, extends through a boss 22 formed on the inside surface 24 of wall section 4. Hole 13 further mates with a counterbore 32 that opens onto a larger counterbore 30. The latter in turn opens onto the outside surface 34 of wall section 4. A
flat annular shoulder 36 is formed between counterbores 30 and 32. Hole 14 extends through a boss 26 formed on the inside surface 28 of wall section 6 and terminates in a countersunk opening 38 facing boss 22.
The document holder is illustrated in its open position in Fig. 4. Wall section 4 is assumed stationary, while wall sec-tion 6 is seen to pivot around the axis defined by hinge section 8. Post 12, which is shown separately, includes a flat pan head 42 which is adapted to seat in counterbore 30 so as to be flush ~99~q~
with, or below, the outside surface 34 of wall section 4. The underside 43 of head 42 is flat and contacts the aforesaid flat shoulder 36 to assure the perpendicularity of post 12 when the latter i5 fully inserted into hole 13. Head 42 further includes a slot or kerf 44 adapted to accept a screw driver or similar driving tool.
Post 12 further includes a threaded tapping section adjacent head 42. The tapping section has a uniform major diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of counterbore 32, but greater than the inside diameter oE
hole 13. The length of the tapping section is chosen so that it does not protrude beyond hole 13 when post 12 is fully inserted therein.
Tapping section 46 is followed by a shank section 48 which terminates in a rounded free end. Shank section 48 has an outside diameter adapted to clear hole 13 when post 12 is inserted into the closed holder and to mate in a close sliding fit with hole 14. The length of the shank section is chosen such that, by the time tapping section 46 enters counterbore 32, the free end of the shank section is positioned within hole 14 by an amount sufficient to constrain post 12 in a position normal to both wall sections of the holder. At the point when post 12 is fully inserted into wall section 4, the free end of shank section 48 is either flush with or short of the outside surface 40 of wall section 6.
In a preferred embodiment, the holder is molded from polypropylene, e.g., from a talc-filled polypropylene material having a flexural elastic modulus in the range of 3-6~5 x 10 p.s.i.
The posts may be molded from nylon, e.g., from . ~
~ - 8 -~i99~
a glass-filled nylon material having a flexural elastic modulus of the order of 13 x 105 p. 9 . i . T~le aforesaid moduli define the property of the molded plastic in each case, which allows cold forming and flow. The glass-filled nylon posts, being molded of a s-tronger plastic than the holder, have a higher flexural elastic modulus.
In operation, the shee-t-form documents that are to be supported in the holder are examined to determine the location of their perforations. If the holder is used for the first time for a particular document perforation spacing, posts 12 are inserted into appropriate ones of holes 13, selected to be in alignment wi-th the perforations of the sheet-form materials held by the closed document holder. The operator inserting the post is initially guided by counterbore 32. Thereafter, the insertion of the free shank end into hole 14, together with the action of counterbore 32, assures that the post is positioned normal to wall section 4 and that the subsequent thread cutting operation is carried out wi-th the post in the latter position.
Under the urging of an ordinary screw driver in slot 44, tapping section 46 (whose flexural elastic modulus exceeds that of the holder), then cuts a thread into the interior surface of hole 13. The action continues until the underside 43 of pan head 42 seats firmly on shoulder 36 of counterbore 30. The contact between surfaces 43 and 36 further assures that, when post 12 is fully inserted, shank section 48 will extend from boss 22 at right angles to wall section 4.
Once post 12 is screw-fastened to wall ~; ~
. .~, ~ .
10~9~74, section 4, it provides the rigidity and strength of an integral post, while retaining the capability of rapid removal to accommodate different types of documents. Thus, if the document holder is to be used for documents having perforations with a different spacing, one or more of posts 12 may be withdrawn from their respective holes 13 by unscrewing. I'he withdrawn posts are ready for re-use to tap threads into other holes that correspond to the new perforation spacing. At some future point in time when it is desired to use the original perforation spacing, the posts may again be used by screwing them into the previously threaded holes 13.
With the support posts 12 fastened in position in wall section 4, documents may be inserted or withdrawn by the operator by opening the holder. As pointed out above, this is done by sliding buttons 16 to one side to unlatch the two wall sections from each other. After the desired documents are added or removed from posts 12, the holder is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the countersunk opening 38 serves to guide the free end of shank section 48 (shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4), as wall section 6 pivots to the right while the holder is closing.
While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a particular document holder, it will be clear that it is applicable to holders of different types, e.g., holders having various configurations, as well as holders capable of supporting different types of sheet-form materials.
Different types of plastic materials may be employed for the holder as well as for the supporting posts. Further, various substitutions, modifications and changes may be effected, which clearly fall within the intended scope of the invention.
The present invention repxesents an important advance in the art by providing a holder for sheet-form materials together with novel self-threading supporting posts, both of which may be readily and economically manufactured by well known molding techniques or the like.
The invention thus solves many of the problems of prior art document holders which lack the requisite versatility, or the requisite rigidity and strength that assure that the posts are perpendicular, or which fail to provide ease and economy of manufacture.
From the foregoing discussion, it will be apparent that numerous modifications will now occur to those skilled in the art which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Holders for sheet~form documents or similar materials are well ]cnown in the art.
It is further known to support such documents in hanging relationship from supporting posts in channel-shaped holders wherein the channel may constitute a rigid performed structurel or where it is formed by wall sections pivotably movable with respect to each other that may be locked into a rigid channel-shaped configuration.
Examples of such sheet-form document holders appear in U.S. Patent No. 3,980,360, as well as in U.S. Patent No. 4,056,296 which corresponds to Canadian Patent No. 1,058,473 all assigned to the assignee of the present application.
The document holders described and illustrated in the aforesaid patents employ spaced posts that engage correspondingly spaced performations along the edge of the aforesaid shee-t-form materials to support the latter in a hanging position. The supporting posts may be integral with one side of the channel-shaped holder or they may be separate and removable. Holders that have integrally fixed posts lack the flexibility to accept documents in which the spacing of the performations is different from the spacing of the posts. This is not the case where the ~l~g91~7~
posts are removable and may be inserted into selected holes of the document holder. In the latter case Eastening means must be provided to assure that the posts are securely retained in place after being inserted :into the holder.
Further, to facilitate the rap:id insertion or removal of documents, the posts must engage the holder in a manner permitting easy withdrawal from the latter. Finally, the posts must always be perpendicular to at least one wall of the document holder to facilitate the aforesaid document removal and insertion and to prevent the enlargement of the post-receiving perforations or other damage to the documents.
The foregoing conditions must be reconciled with the requirements for economy which make it desirable to pre-form the holder as well as the removable posts by convenient processes such as molding of a plastic material. The molded posts must have sufficient strength to carry a sheaf of documents in their hanging position, or while the holder is temporarily open and the posts are supported at one end only.
Prior art document holders for sheet-form materials have not been responsive to these different and, in part, mutually conflicting requirements. Where plastic supporting posts are employed in channel-shaped document holders of the type under discussion here, they are usually integral with, i.e. part of, the holder itself. Thus, they lack the requisite versatility to accommodate sheet-form materials having different perforation spacings.
Where removable posts are employed in prior art apparatus, the resulting structure often lacks the requisite rigidity to assure 917~
that the posts remain perpendicular to the holder at all times. If these posts are of the snap-in type, special tools for the insertion and withdrawal of the posts may be necessary.
Further, an undue amount of force may be required to remove the posts or the locking connection of the posts to the holder may not be reliable. If threaded posts are used that engage pre-threaded holes in the document holder, it poses the problem of economically providing internally threaded holes as part of the molding operation of the holder, or as a subse~uent manufacturing operation.
In some arrangements, e.g. in the holder described in the aforesaid U.S. Patent No. 3,980,360, the posts are never completely removed when sheet-form materials are inserted or taken out. During such an operation the posts are withdrawn from one wall section only and are loosely retained in the opposite wall section pending the removal or the addition of documents.
It frequently happens during such an operation that one or more posts are dislodged from their withdrawn position by the inadvertent action of the operator. Where that occurs, the dislodged post effectively blocks the channel and interferes with the ongoing insertion or removal of the documents.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved document holder which is not subject to the foregoing disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an irnproved holder for _~_ ~9~ 4 sheet-form materials which may be econom.ical.ly manu:Eactured and which permlts the ready removal and insertion of materials by an operator withou-t -the requirement Eor special tools.
Thus by one aspect oE this invention there is provid-ed a plastic holder of the type adapted to form an elongate channel for retaining sheet-form materials, comprising:
opposite first and second channel wall sections including oppositely positioned first and second holes respectively form-ing hole pairs spaced along the length of said channel;
a plurality of removable posts adapted to engage selected hole pairs to bridge said channel, said posts being Eurther adapted to support a plurality of sheet-form materials engaged through correspondingly spaced perforations located near one edge of each sheet;
each of said posts being formed of a plastic and includ-ing a head adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head and having a uniform major diameter; and a shank section terminating said post and havin~ a uniform outside diameter adapted to clear said first hole~
said tapping section being adapted to cut a thread in the interior of said first hole of the selected hole pair to removahly fasten said post in said first wall section;
whereby said head is posit~oned within said first hole ~nd the free end of said shank section is positioned in said second hole of said selected hole pair when said post is fully inserted in said channel-form holder.
By another aspect of this invention there is provided a self-tapping supporting post formed of plastic and adapted to engage a supporting structure having a flexural elastic modulus less than that of said post, comprising:
a head adapted -to accept a driving too;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head having a uniform major diameter and a predetermined axial length, said tapping section being capable of çutting a thread in a preform-ed hole of said supporting structure adapted to removably fasten said post therein; and a shank section having a substantially uniform outside diameter termina-ting said post, said post being adapted when fastened to said supporting structure to support sheet form articles suspended from said shank section.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a document holder which incorporates the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the holder of Fig. 1 in its closed position;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 illustrates an exploded, cross-sectional view of an open document holder and a support post.
With reference now to the drawings, Fig.
1 illustrates in perspective view a channel-shaped holder 2 which incorporates the present invention, together with sheet-form documents 10 supported in hanging relationship on the holder. While the invention is not so limited, the holder shown is of the type wherein a pair of wall sections ~ and 6 are connected by means of a hinge section 8 which permits the wall sections to pivot relative to each other.
The documents 10 are supported on a plurality of support posts 12 that engage selected ones of a series of holes 14.
The holder is shown in locked position in Fig. 1. Wall sections 4 and 6 are capable of closing and locking on each other to form a channel closed at both ends. The closed channel form is best shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 3. A pair of slide buttons 16 is adapted to be moved to one side to unlock the holder. This permits the wall sections to be pivoted away from one another about hinge section 8 so as to free the posts 12 to release documents supported thereon or to accept new ones.
When in use, document holder 2 is adapted to rest on a pair of support rods that engage a pair of ~-shaped channels 18 at each end of the holder. Alternatively, a suitable support rod may engage a round channel 20 of the holder to support the latter in place, while a suitable surface above the left hand portion of hinge 8 prevents rotation about the axis of channel 20. ~he support rods and the aforesaid surface have been omitted from Fig. 1 for the sake of clarity.
Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the holder illustrated in Fig. 1, documents 10 being omitted to show the interior construction of the holder. With wall sections 4 and 6 in the closed position, corresponding portions of the wall sections are in contact with each other as shown. As best illustrated in Fig.
3, support posts 12 bridge the channel defined by the closed wall sections, each post engaging a hole 13 in wall section 4 and a hole 14 in wall section 6, respectively. The constructional details of holes 13 and 14 are best illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the post is shown separate from the holder~ Hole 13, which is initially formed without screw threads, extends through a boss 22 formed on the inside surface 24 of wall section 4. Hole 13 further mates with a counterbore 32 that opens onto a larger counterbore 30. The latter in turn opens onto the outside surface 34 of wall section 4. A
flat annular shoulder 36 is formed between counterbores 30 and 32. Hole 14 extends through a boss 26 formed on the inside surface 28 of wall section 6 and terminates in a countersunk opening 38 facing boss 22.
The document holder is illustrated in its open position in Fig. 4. Wall section 4 is assumed stationary, while wall sec-tion 6 is seen to pivot around the axis defined by hinge section 8. Post 12, which is shown separately, includes a flat pan head 42 which is adapted to seat in counterbore 30 so as to be flush ~99~q~
with, or below, the outside surface 34 of wall section 4. The underside 43 of head 42 is flat and contacts the aforesaid flat shoulder 36 to assure the perpendicularity of post 12 when the latter i5 fully inserted into hole 13. Head 42 further includes a slot or kerf 44 adapted to accept a screw driver or similar driving tool.
Post 12 further includes a threaded tapping section adjacent head 42. The tapping section has a uniform major diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of counterbore 32, but greater than the inside diameter oE
hole 13. The length of the tapping section is chosen so that it does not protrude beyond hole 13 when post 12 is fully inserted therein.
Tapping section 46 is followed by a shank section 48 which terminates in a rounded free end. Shank section 48 has an outside diameter adapted to clear hole 13 when post 12 is inserted into the closed holder and to mate in a close sliding fit with hole 14. The length of the shank section is chosen such that, by the time tapping section 46 enters counterbore 32, the free end of the shank section is positioned within hole 14 by an amount sufficient to constrain post 12 in a position normal to both wall sections of the holder. At the point when post 12 is fully inserted into wall section 4, the free end of shank section 48 is either flush with or short of the outside surface 40 of wall section 6.
In a preferred embodiment, the holder is molded from polypropylene, e.g., from a talc-filled polypropylene material having a flexural elastic modulus in the range of 3-6~5 x 10 p.s.i.
The posts may be molded from nylon, e.g., from . ~
~ - 8 -~i99~
a glass-filled nylon material having a flexural elastic modulus of the order of 13 x 105 p. 9 . i . T~le aforesaid moduli define the property of the molded plastic in each case, which allows cold forming and flow. The glass-filled nylon posts, being molded of a s-tronger plastic than the holder, have a higher flexural elastic modulus.
In operation, the shee-t-form documents that are to be supported in the holder are examined to determine the location of their perforations. If the holder is used for the first time for a particular document perforation spacing, posts 12 are inserted into appropriate ones of holes 13, selected to be in alignment wi-th the perforations of the sheet-form materials held by the closed document holder. The operator inserting the post is initially guided by counterbore 32. Thereafter, the insertion of the free shank end into hole 14, together with the action of counterbore 32, assures that the post is positioned normal to wall section 4 and that the subsequent thread cutting operation is carried out wi-th the post in the latter position.
Under the urging of an ordinary screw driver in slot 44, tapping section 46 (whose flexural elastic modulus exceeds that of the holder), then cuts a thread into the interior surface of hole 13. The action continues until the underside 43 of pan head 42 seats firmly on shoulder 36 of counterbore 30. The contact between surfaces 43 and 36 further assures that, when post 12 is fully inserted, shank section 48 will extend from boss 22 at right angles to wall section 4.
Once post 12 is screw-fastened to wall ~; ~
. .~, ~ .
10~9~74, section 4, it provides the rigidity and strength of an integral post, while retaining the capability of rapid removal to accommodate different types of documents. Thus, if the document holder is to be used for documents having perforations with a different spacing, one or more of posts 12 may be withdrawn from their respective holes 13 by unscrewing. I'he withdrawn posts are ready for re-use to tap threads into other holes that correspond to the new perforation spacing. At some future point in time when it is desired to use the original perforation spacing, the posts may again be used by screwing them into the previously threaded holes 13.
With the support posts 12 fastened in position in wall section 4, documents may be inserted or withdrawn by the operator by opening the holder. As pointed out above, this is done by sliding buttons 16 to one side to unlatch the two wall sections from each other. After the desired documents are added or removed from posts 12, the holder is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the countersunk opening 38 serves to guide the free end of shank section 48 (shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4), as wall section 6 pivots to the right while the holder is closing.
While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a particular document holder, it will be clear that it is applicable to holders of different types, e.g., holders having various configurations, as well as holders capable of supporting different types of sheet-form materials.
Different types of plastic materials may be employed for the holder as well as for the supporting posts. Further, various substitutions, modifications and changes may be effected, which clearly fall within the intended scope of the invention.
The present invention repxesents an important advance in the art by providing a holder for sheet-form materials together with novel self-threading supporting posts, both of which may be readily and economically manufactured by well known molding techniques or the like.
The invention thus solves many of the problems of prior art document holders which lack the requisite versatility, or the requisite rigidity and strength that assure that the posts are perpendicular, or which fail to provide ease and economy of manufacture.
From the foregoing discussion, it will be apparent that numerous modifications will now occur to those skilled in the art which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (14)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A plastic holder of the type adapted to form an elongate channel for retaining sheet-form materials, comprising;
opposite first and second channel wall sections including oppositely positioned first and second holes respectively forming hole pairs spaced along the length of said channel;
a plurality of removable posts adapted to engage selected hole pairs to bridge said channel, said posts being further adapted to support a plurality of sheet-form materials engaged through correspondingly spaced perforations located near one edge of each sheet;
each of said posts being formed of a plastic with a flexural elastic modulus greater than that of said holder, and including a head adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head and having a uniform major diameter less than the diameter of said head and a predetermined axial length; and a shank section terminating said post and having a uniform outside diameter adapted to clear said first hole;
said tapping section being adapted to cut a thread in the interior of said first hole of the selected hole pair to re-movably fasten said post in said first wall section;
whereby said head is positioned within said first hole and the free end of said shank section is positioned in said second hole of said selected hole pair when said post is fully inserted in said channel-form holder.
opposite first and second channel wall sections including oppositely positioned first and second holes respectively forming hole pairs spaced along the length of said channel;
a plurality of removable posts adapted to engage selected hole pairs to bridge said channel, said posts being further adapted to support a plurality of sheet-form materials engaged through correspondingly spaced perforations located near one edge of each sheet;
each of said posts being formed of a plastic with a flexural elastic modulus greater than that of said holder, and including a head adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head and having a uniform major diameter less than the diameter of said head and a predetermined axial length; and a shank section terminating said post and having a uniform outside diameter adapted to clear said first hole;
said tapping section being adapted to cut a thread in the interior of said first hole of the selected hole pair to re-movably fasten said post in said first wall section;
whereby said head is positioned within said first hole and the free end of said shank section is positioned in said second hole of said selected hole pair when said post is fully inserted in said channel-form holder.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said head exceeds that of said tapping section, and further wherein said first hole includes a counterbore at the outside surface of said first wall section dimensioned to receive said head therewithin, the underside of said head being adapted to seat on the shoulder of said counterbore to position the fully inserted post perpendicular to said first wall section.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said shank section terminates in a free end, and wherein said first hole includes a second counterbore positioned below said first-recited counterbore and shallower than the latter, said second counter-bore having an inside diameter slightly exceeding the major diameter of said threaded tapping section, the length of said shank section being chosen such that said free end is positioned in said second hole of said channel-form holder upon initiating the threading action of said first hole to guide said post in a direction perpendicular to said first wall section.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said post is made of nylon.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said holder is made of polypropylene.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said post is made of nylon and said holder is made of polypropylene.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second hole has a diameter adapted to accept said shank section in a sliding fit.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said holes extends through a boss formed on the inside surface of the corresponding wall section, each extended first hole exceeding the axial length of said tapping section, and each extended second hole including an enlarged end opening facing the oppositely positioned first hole in said channel and adapted to guide the free end of an entering post into said second hole.
9. A holder for sheet-form documents comprising first and second mutually hinged, plastic wall sections adapted to close on each other to form an elongate channel, said first and second wall sections including oppositely positioned first and second holes respectively spaced along the length of said channel, each of said holes extending through a boss formed on the inside surface of the corresponding wall section;
each first hole including a counterbore opening onto the outside surface of said first wall section;
each second hole including a countersunk opening facing the oppositely positioned first hole in said channel; and a plurality of self-tapping, pre-formed plastic supporting posts each adapted to be removably threaded into a selected one of said first holes, each of said posts having a flexural elastic modulus greater than that of said wall sections, each of said posts being further adapted to engage the corresponding second hole positioned opposite said selected first hole to bridge said channel, each of said posts including;
a flat head adapted to be positioned within said counterbore of said selected first hole when said post is fully inserted, the underside of said head in said fully inserted position seating on the shoulder of said counterbore to position said post at right angles to said first wall section, said head being further adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head, said tapping section having a uniform major diameter greater than that of said selected first hole;
and a shank section including a free end terminating said post, said shank section having an outside diameter adapted to clear said selected first hole and to mate with said correspond-ing second hole in a sliding fit, the countersunk opening of said corresponding second hole being adapted to guide said free end into said second hole;
whereby said channel-bridging supporting posts are adapted to removably engage perforations of said sheet-form documents in registry with said selected first holes.
each first hole including a counterbore opening onto the outside surface of said first wall section;
each second hole including a countersunk opening facing the oppositely positioned first hole in said channel; and a plurality of self-tapping, pre-formed plastic supporting posts each adapted to be removably threaded into a selected one of said first holes, each of said posts having a flexural elastic modulus greater than that of said wall sections, each of said posts being further adapted to engage the corresponding second hole positioned opposite said selected first hole to bridge said channel, each of said posts including;
a flat head adapted to be positioned within said counterbore of said selected first hole when said post is fully inserted, the underside of said head in said fully inserted position seating on the shoulder of said counterbore to position said post at right angles to said first wall section, said head being further adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head, said tapping section having a uniform major diameter greater than that of said selected first hole;
and a shank section including a free end terminating said post, said shank section having an outside diameter adapted to clear said selected first hole and to mate with said correspond-ing second hole in a sliding fit, the countersunk opening of said corresponding second hole being adapted to guide said free end into said second hole;
whereby said channel-bridging supporting posts are adapted to removably engage perforations of said sheet-form documents in registry with said selected first holes.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said support-ing posts is made of nylon.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said holder is made of polypropylene.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said support-ing posts is made of nylon and said holder is made of polypropy-lene.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the length of said shank section is chosen such that said free end is positioned in said corresponding second hole of said closed holder upon initiating the threading action of said corresponding first hole to guide said post in a direction perpendicular to said wall section.
14. A self-tapping rigid supporting post integrally molded of a plastic and adapted to engage a supporting structure having a flexural elastic modulus less than that of said post, comprising:
a head adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head having a uniform major diameter less than the diameter of said head and a predetermined axial length, said tapping section being capable of cutting a thread in a preformed hole of said supporting structure adapted to removably fasten said post therein, said predetermined length being less than the axial length of said hole; and a shank section terminating said post, said shank section having a substantially uniform outside diameter adapted to clear said hole;
said post being adapted when fastened to said supporting structure to support sheet form articles suspended from said shank section.
a head adapted to accept a driving tool;
a threaded tapping section adjacent said head having a uniform major diameter less than the diameter of said head and a predetermined axial length, said tapping section being capable of cutting a thread in a preformed hole of said supporting structure adapted to removably fasten said post therein, said predetermined length being less than the axial length of said hole; and a shank section terminating said post, said shank section having a substantially uniform outside diameter adapted to clear said hole;
said post being adapted when fastened to said supporting structure to support sheet form articles suspended from said shank section.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US74123776A | 1976-11-12 | 1976-11-12 | |
| US741,237 | 1976-11-12 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1099174A true CA1099174A (en) | 1981-04-14 |
Family
ID=24979900
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA282,657A Expired CA1099174A (en) | 1976-11-12 | 1977-07-13 | Self-tapping plastic part for document holders and the like |
Country Status (11)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPS6018558B2 (en) |
| BR (1) | BR7706262A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1099174A (en) |
| CH (1) | CH617622A5 (en) |
| DE (2) | DE2737128C2 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK152838C (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2370597A1 (en) |
| GB (2) | GB1555273A (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1083746B (en) |
| NL (1) | NL7708882A (en) |
| SE (1) | SE431731B (en) |
Families Citing this family (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4483637A (en) * | 1982-06-29 | 1984-11-20 | Moore Business Forms, Inc. | Binder for business forms |
| CA1237957A (en) * | 1983-06-20 | 1988-06-14 | Albert G. Ermanski | Suspendable filing container for programmers' documentation |
| US4657422A (en) * | 1986-06-26 | 1987-04-14 | Underwood Theodore A | Binder |
| JPH02111586U (en) * | 1989-02-23 | 1990-09-06 | ||
| JPH02246278A (en) * | 1989-03-20 | 1990-10-02 | Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> | Thin film field effect transistor |
| GB8923600D0 (en) * | 1989-10-19 | 1989-12-06 | L G C Projects | Hanging device |
| DE4321317A1 (en) * | 1993-06-26 | 1995-01-05 | Kurt Lorber | Device for combining punched papers into stacks |
| FR2913367A1 (en) * | 2007-03-09 | 2008-09-12 | Visu Ad Sarl | BINDING SYSTEM, ARTICLES EQUIPPED WITH SUCH A SYSTEM AND MACHINE FOR PERFORATION |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US667613A (en) * | 1900-01-02 | 1901-02-05 | William King Bowerman | Vending-machine. |
| US1357653A (en) * | 1919-04-05 | 1920-11-02 | Robert C Russell | Card-index |
| US2108153A (en) * | 1935-10-14 | 1938-02-15 | Wilson Jones Co | Loose leaf binder |
| LU40390A1 (en) * | 1960-07-26 | 1961-09-12 | ||
| US3285250A (en) * | 1965-02-24 | 1966-11-15 | Boorum & Pease Company | Loose leaf binder |
| GB1105275A (en) | 1965-11-23 | 1968-03-06 | Normalized Bolts Ltd | Screws |
| GB1367781A (en) * | 1972-09-15 | 1974-09-25 | Twinlock Ltd | Suspension folder |
| US3980360A (en) * | 1975-04-11 | 1976-09-14 | Barry Wright Corporation | Hangable holder for stationery materials |
| US4056296A (en) * | 1976-03-17 | 1977-11-01 | Wright Line Inc. | Document holder |
-
1977
- 1977-07-12 SE SE7708119A patent/SE431731B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1977-07-13 CA CA282,657A patent/CA1099174A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-07-25 CH CH918977A patent/CH617622A5/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1977-07-29 GB GB2762878A patent/GB1555273A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-07-29 GB GB3197277A patent/GB1555272A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-08-04 JP JP9306577A patent/JPS6018558B2/en not_active Expired
- 1977-08-11 NL NL7708882A patent/NL7708882A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1977-08-17 DE DE19772737128 patent/DE2737128C2/en not_active Expired
- 1977-08-17 DE DE19777725530 patent/DE7725530U1/en not_active Expired
- 1977-08-31 IT IT5083277A patent/IT1083746B/en active
- 1977-09-20 BR BR7706262A patent/BR7706262A/en unknown
- 1977-10-10 FR FR7730403A patent/FR2370597A1/en active Granted
- 1977-10-10 DK DK448277A patent/DK152838C/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CH617622A5 (en) | 1980-06-13 |
| DK152838C (en) | 1988-12-19 |
| JPS5363130A (en) | 1978-06-06 |
| IT1083746B (en) | 1985-05-25 |
| NL7708882A (en) | 1978-05-17 |
| JPS6018558B2 (en) | 1985-05-10 |
| FR2370597B1 (en) | 1983-12-09 |
| DK448277A (en) | 1978-05-13 |
| GB1555273A (en) | 1979-11-07 |
| DK152838B (en) | 1988-05-24 |
| GB1555272A (en) | 1979-11-07 |
| SE7708119L (en) | 1978-05-13 |
| DE2737128C2 (en) | 1986-08-21 |
| DE7725530U1 (en) | 1978-05-11 |
| BR7706262A (en) | 1978-08-15 |
| SE431731B (en) | 1984-02-27 |
| DE2737128A1 (en) | 1978-05-18 |
| FR2370597A1 (en) | 1978-06-09 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |