US1884059A - Leaf flipper - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1932. J. C 1 1,884,059

LEAF FLIPPER Filed March 30, 1932 Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A JOHN L. MCMILLAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 MCMILLAN BOOK COMPANY,

OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK LEVAF FLIPPER Application filedMarch 30, 1932. Serial No. 602,077.

This invention relates to improvements in leaf flippers for use with loose leaf binders and is particularly adapted to be used with loose leaf binders of the arcuate prong or split ring type.

In binders of the class having a plurality of spaced dividable prongs or rings, the leaves of the binder are provided with spaced 7 T apertures adjacent one edge which are adaptthrough them.

ed to receive the prongs or rings therethrough, such apertures usually being circular in shape and of a diameter slightly greater than that of the rings or prongs extending When the covers of the binder are moved to close the book, the leaves are moved by the covers around the rings or prongs and when the binder is opened, the leaves again move along the prongs by gravity in assuming a natural normal position. In order to protect the leaves, which are usually of thin flexible material, during the closing of the book and also to facilitate the movement of the leaves along the rings or prongs, certain devices composed of stiff material and commonly called leaf flippers are placed on the rings between the sheets and the covers and are moved by the covers during theclosing of the binder in much the same manner in which the sheets are moved.

Binders of this type usually have the prong-supporting and operating mechanism concealed beneath a metal cover plate and it is desirable that the inner longitudinal edge of the flippers are extended some distance beyond the prong-receiving apertures for the purpose of ridingupon the upper surface of the cover plate during the closing and opening of the binder for aiding the flippers in their movements along the rings or prongs.

This construction of the flippers has heretofore caused the inner longitudinal edges of of the coacting flippers to lie in overlapping relation when the book or binder is in the open position. The overlapping relation of the flippers is due in part to the length of the prong-receiving apertures'necessary to permit the free movement of the flippers along theprongs or rings duringthe opening and closing of the binder and partly to the fact the inner edge of the uppermost flipper to be moved into frictional engagement with the adjacent surface of the lowermost flipper during the initial movement of the closing a operation, which owing to the character of the material composing the flippers, offers a greater degree of resistance to the outward movement of the flippers than when the inner edges thereof travel over the smooth metal surface. of the cover, thereby causing the flippers to bind on the rings or prongs until the inner edges of the flippers have moved out of contact with each other, thus interfering with the free operation of the flippers and to that degree reducing the efliciency thereof.

The main object of this invention is to improve the efficacy of loose leaf flippers by providing the flippers with means for preventing the inner longitudinal edges thereof from assumingan overlapping relation when the binder is in the open position, and at the same time, provide ample means by which the flippers may be supported by the binder cover plate during the opening and closing operation of the binder. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a flipper of the above-mentioned class with a support for the leaves which will hold the leaves in such a position with reference to the prongs or rings during the opening and closing movements of the book that there will be no tendency of the leaves to bind on the prongs or rings.

Other objects and advantages relating to the form and relation of the parts of the structure of'the device'will more fully appear from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a perspective view of my novel leaf flipper partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view, partially broken away, of a binder in the open position, with my leaf flippers in operative position thereon.

as at '4 and 5. On the back member 1 is secureda loiwitudinall extendin s rin back a n b plate r having channels on its opposite edges for receiving therein respective longitudinall extendin to le plates 8 and 9 which have their outer edges seated in a respective channel and their inner longitudinal edges termmatmg in close relat1on and flexibly connected together by means of a plurality of double-headed buttons, one of which as 11,

is shown in Figure 3.

To each of the toggle plates 8 and 9 is Socured a plurality of, in this instance live, halfrings or prongs 14 and 15. respectively A curved cover or top plate 17 having channels 18 in its opposite longitudinal edges is placed in position on the spring'back plate 7 with the longitudinal edges of the spring back plate 7 registering in the channels 18. Opposed slots19 and 20 are formed in the top plate 17 to receive respective half rings 14 and 15therethrough and permitting the open:

ing and closing movements of these rings. a

- My novel leaf flipper 22 is preferably made of comparatively still material such as metal,

fibre, cardboard or the like, and consists of a substantially rectangular body portion 24 having a plurality of, in this instance live, elongated apertures 25 arranged in longitudinal spaced relation adjacent one longitudinal edge thereof and adapted to receive half-rings 1d and 15 therethrough.

Portions of the longitudinal edge of the body 24 adjacent the apertures 25 are bent upwardly at substantially right-angles to '7 the major portion ,of the body to form ledges 26 of suflieient height to support the inner longitudlnal edges of a desired number of sheets as S, Figure 3, and maintain the apertures S in the sheets in registration wlth a respective prong 14 or 15 when the binder is in the open position and thereby relieve that portion of the sheets adjacent the apertures of the strain or stress incident to maintaining the sheets on the prongs, and

1 thus eliminating to a marked degree, the liability of the sheets becoming mutilated or torn at these apertures. V

The elongated apertures 25 in the body of thefiipper are extended inwardly from the ledge portions 28 a sufficient distance to permit the ready entrance therethrough of the prongs 14 or 15 when the SAGGtS and binder are in the open position, withthe inner longitudinal edges of the sheets abuttingthe ledges In order that the flippers extend outwardly beyond the ledges to form supports 28 which terminate at such a distance from the'l'edges that when the flippers are in theopen position, the outer longitudinal edges thereof will lie, on the cover plate 17 substantially midway between the prongs l4: and 15.

In order that the supports 28 on the flippers associated with one cover may not extend over the support 28. on the flipper associated with the other cover of the binder, I have provided the outer longitudinal edges of these supporting members with upwardly extending abutting shoulders 29' which may be secured to the supports, or as shown,

formed integrally therewith by bending the edge portion outwardly at substantially rifght-angles to the remaining portion there- 0 As, the uppersurface of the cover plate 17 is curved transversely, as illustrated in Figure 3, with the highest portion at the center, it is obvious that thefmovement of the flippers will be assisted by the cover plate 17 as the inner longitudinal, edgesof' the. supports 28 travel over the downwardly inclined surface of the plate as the outer ends of the flippers are being elevated during the closing of the binder whichassistsin preventing the flippers gripping the, prongs during the closing operation. 7 I

, It may now be understood that I have provided a flipper which will not only protect the sheets by supporting and by'directing them in their movement, along the prongs during the closingof the binder, but which, owing to the particular construction thereof,

will themselves move with a maxi-mum degree of ease and freedom from, the open to the closed position, and although I have shownj and particularly described the preferred embodiment of this invention, I do not wish to be limited. to the exact constructionshown as various changes both in the form and the relation ofthe parts thereof may readily be made without departing from the spirit of this invention as. set forth in the appended claims. i

I claim:v

7 1. In a device ofthe class described, a body member having a plurality of apertures in spaced relation adjacent one-edge, said edge having shoulders extending from one face thereof in spaced relation with said apertures adapted to abut against similar shoulders on another flipper for preventing overlapping of adjacent portions of co-operating flippers.

2. In a device of the class described, a body member having a plurality of apertures in spaced relation adjacent one edge thereof, said edge having a plurality of spaced ledges in alignment with the apertures, and supporting members intermediate said ledges having their outer edges provided with shoulders adapted to abut against similar shoulders on another flipper for preventing overlapping of adjacent portions of co-operating flippers.

8. In a device of the class described in combination with a binder having a back member, opposed sets of prongs, means for mounting the prongs on the back member, of opposed flippers mounted on the prongs, each flipper comprising a body member having a plurality of apertures arranged in spaced relation adjacent one edge thereof for receiving respective prongs therethrough, said edge having shoulders normally positioned midway between said prongs when the binder is in the open position adapted to abut against those of the other flipper for preventing overlapping of adjacent portions of co-operating flippers.

4. Ina device of the class described in combination with a binder having a back member, opposed sets of prongs, means for mounting the prongs on the back member, of

opposed flippers carried on the prongs, each flipper having a plurality of apertures arranged in spaced relation adjacent one edge thereof for receiving prongs of one set, said edge having a plurality of spaced ledges in alignment with the apertures, and supporting members intermediate said ledges having their outer edges terminating substantially midway between said prongs and provided with shoulders extending from one face thereof adapted to abut against those of the other flipper for preventing overlapping of adj acent portions of co-operating flippers.

5. In a device of the class described in combination with a binder having a back member, opposed sets of prongs, means for mounting the prongs on the back members and a curved cover plate adapted to conceal the prong-mounting means, of opposed flippers mounted on said prongs each comprising a body member having a plurality of apertures arranged in spaced relation along one edge thereof adapted to receive said prongs, said edge having supporting extensions adapted to terminate substantially midway between the edges of said cover plate and having shoulders extending from one face thereof adapted to abut against those of the other flipper for preventing overlapping of adjacent portions of co-operating flippers.

6. In a device of the class described in combination with a binder having a back member, opposed sets of prongs, means for mounting the prongs on the back members and a curved cover plate adapted to conceal the prong-mounting means, of opposed flippers mounted on said prongs each comprising a body member having a plurality of apertures arranged in spaced relation along one edge thereof, said edge having a plurality of spaced ledges in alignment with the apertures, and supports intermediate said ledges adapted to terminate substantially midway between the edges of said cover plate when the binder is in the open position, and shoulders extending from one face of said supporting members adapted to abut against those of the other flipper for preventing overlapping of adjacent portions of co-operating flippers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21 day of March 1932.

JOHN L. MQMILLAN.

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