US2314532A - Paper fastener - Google Patents

Description

March 23, 1943. c. l. WAGNER' 2,314,532

PAPER. FASTENER Filed July 26, 1940 Patented Mar. 23,` 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER FASTENER Chester I. Wagner, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 26, 1940, Serial No. 347,576

7 Claims. v((371.724-153) This invention relates to a paper fastener and has special reference to a device for fastening papers such as letters, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, and similar articles in book form for ling or the like.

More particularly this invention relates to a paper fastener comprising a base having spaced ears, one at each end, and a prong for each end of the base, each of the prongs having an aperture adjacent one end'- thereof for detachably;- receiving cne of the ears to secure the prong re1-" atively to the base, with the free ends of the prongs being adapted to be inserted through 'I apertures in the paper to be fastened.

Itis also contemplated by the present invention to provide a compressor for cooperation with the base, the free end of each of the prongs being adapted to be bent inwardly toward each other over the compressor and the compressor having means comprising openings adjacent the ends thereof or at the end edges for cooperating withthe prongs for aiding inmaintaining an assembled. relation of the base and compressor.

In the usual paper fasteners of the type above described. the prongs thereof have been formed of sheetl metal and either integrally or detachably secured to the sheet metal base. Both the base and the prongs therefor have been stamped of sheet metal and burred edges are inescapable' in the stamping operation on the flat metal. Correspondents and file clerks, in the ,instance of handling sheet metal prongs of this type, together with the bases, have had to risk acquiring cut, scratched, or unsightly fingers from the usual burred edges thereof and danger of infection andv serious disablement has been an ever-present peril. The present invention contemplates the use of a prong for each end of the base, the

prong being flattened from wire stock. Such avr construction provides smooth edges and, aside from the use of smooth round wire prongs, is per;

haps the only practical manner of eliminating burred prongs and contributes a safety factor in the use of paper fasteners.

Individual prongs are formed from a continuous length of wire preferably of round cross section. In separating the wire to individual units of a desirable length, the parting tool may leave a burr at the end of the units resulting from the shearing cut. While each end of the prong attached to the base lies inside the base member and cannot scratch in handling by the hands nor can it catch on other les, the free end is exposed. Protection is afforded in handling by the provision of a cross rib adjacent each free end of thel prongs to deflect the ngers of file clerks and correspondents.

The use of a prong for each end of the base with the prong being detachably secured to the base in an extremely simple manner permits prongs to be quickly changed'so that prongs of one, two, or more inches capacity are insertable when and if more than a minimum amount of bulk is accumulated in one file. The practice of buying complete fasteners with attached prongs is of course generally wasteful and inconvenient and the use of the detachable prongs with a single and convenient method of attaching the prongs to the base affords a maximum of economy. The purchaser may stock a substantial number of bases, compressors, and prongs, with the proportional number of shorter prongs being greater than the number of longer prongs, whereafter it -Will be more convenientto file the papers to be fastened on the shorter prongs until the actual growth of some of the files may demand greater capacity when the prongsof more substantial length may be substituted, the bases and compressors being retained.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a paper fastener of the character hereinabove noted, in which each prong is easily and conveniently snapped on or detached from the base for purposes-cf interchangeability of prongs and of convenience in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide paper fastener of the type indicated above which` will afford a maximum of safety in the use thereof, thus eliminating danger of infection and serious disablement of the user.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter` be more particularly pointed out and for a more complete understanding of the characteristic features of this invention, reference may now be had to the following description when read together with the accompanying drawing, in which latter VFigure 1 is a plan elevational view of a paper fastener incorporating the features of this invention, the paper fastener being shown in use `in fastening papers vwhich latter are shown fragmentarily;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the fastener and compressor assembly prior to the locking of the prongs of the base in position over the com- Fig. 4. is a plan elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a base disclosing in detail the manner in which the prong shown partially in section is fastened to the base;

Fig. 5 is an underneath plan of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the prongs embodied in the above-described figures.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the paper fastener shown therein incorporating the features of this invention comprises a base IG having prongs II and I2 secured thereto, one for each end of the base, and a compressor I3 for co-operation with the prongs and base.

The base I0 is elongated and is preferably formed of thin sheet metal. Longitudinally extending embossments I4 and I5 are formed intermediate the width of the baseadjacent each end thereof, the inside walls of the embossments preferably being continuous and communicating with each other as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The material of the base III intermediate the embossments i4 and I5 may also be preferably embossed as at I6 for purposes of reinforcing the base and, although not necessary, may be desirable.

Each of the embossed portions I4 and I5 of the base I0 is provided with an ear II and I8, respectively, the ears being bent to form laterally extending pookets I9 and 2G. The ears I'I and IB are preferably cut and deformed from the mateterial of the base I@ within the embossed portions and one end of each of the embossed portions I4 and I5 has an opening 2i and 22, respectively.

Each of the prongs II and I2 are formed of a wire stock flattened into a thin strip comprising a main body portion 23, and offset portion 24 adjacent one end of the main body portion. The end opposite to the offset end is provided with a raised portion 25 for purposes which will hereinafter be more particularly pointed out. An aperture 26 is disposed at the juncture of the offset portion 24 with the main body portion 23, the aperture 2E providing a closed loop at one end of the prong. The free end of the prong is adapted to be inserted through apertures in the paper or articles to be fastened while the other looped end of the prong is secured to the base. In flattening the ordinary round wire, the edges of the flattened strip resulting therefrom are smooth and prevent snagging or jagging the iingers by contact therewith.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawing, the looped end of the prong is shown as being attached to the base, the loop formed by the apertured offset portion 24 being received in the laterally extending pocket I9 of the ear Il. The width of the ear is substantially the same as the aperture 26 of the prong and the offset portion is of such a height as to rest within the confines of the embossed portion of the base.

In order to assemble the prongs on the base, the free end of the prong II is inserted through the opening 2i whereafter the looped end is threaded into the laterally extending pocket I9, the free end of the ear being raised out of the opening from which it is cut to permit the apertured offset portion 24 forming the loop to pass therebeneath. After the looped end of the prong is engaged intothe laterally extending pocket I9, the ear I7 is bent down into the position within the embossment I4 as shown particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing if the resiliency of the metal does not function to perform the operation automatically. The extending free end of the prong II is thereafter bent upwardly at substantially right angles to the plane of the base within a notch 21 formed in an end edge of the base I0, a similar notch 28 being formed in the opposite end to receive therewithin the extending free end of the prong I2.

The compressor I3 is formed preferably of an elongated strip of sheet metal having longitudinally-extending guides along each side edge in the form preferably of a channel produced by forming flanges 29 and 3l] from material of the strip inwardly in a direction toward each other terminating in a spaced relation from each other and from the main body portion of the strip. A pair of latching members 3l and 32 slidably engage the channels formed by the bent-over flanges 29 and 3i), each of the latching members comprising a raised portion having laterally extending corrugations with side flanges 33 received in the channels.

The compressor is provided with openings 34 and 35 preferably of substantially rectangular area adjacent each end thereof for receiving the free extending ends of the prongs II and I2, respectively. The prongs are bent over in a direction toward each other against the compressor I3 after extending through the apertures 34 and 35. In order to maintain the relation of the bent-over ends of the prongs to the compressor, the slides 3l and 32 are moved over the prongs, the latter being` provided with the raised portions 25 for engaging the corrugations of the latching members to. provide an interlocking resilient engagementtherebetween. The raised portions 25 act also to deiiect the fingers of le clerks and correspondents from contact with any parting burrs on the free ends of the prongs during the handling stood that various modifications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and therefore the same is to be limited only by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A paper fastener comprising a base having inwardly extending ears o-ne at each end, and having an aperture adjacent the fixed outer end of each ear, a flat metal prong for each end of said base, each of said prongs being insertable through one of said base apertures and having an aperture extending through the body of the metal adjacent one end thereof for detachably receiving one of said ears to secure said prong relatively to said base, the free ends of said prongs being adapted to be inserted through apertures in the paper to be fastened.

2. A paper fastener comprising a base having inwardly extending spaced ears one at each end, and having an aperture adjacent the fixed outer end of each ear, a flat wire prong for each end of lsaid base, each of said prongs being insertable body portion and an oiset portion adjacent one.

end thereof, and an aperture at the juncture'of said offset portion for detachably receiving one of said ears to secure said prong relatively to said base, said main body portions of said prongs being adapted to be inserted through apertures in the paper to be fastened.

4. A paper fastener comprising an elongated base having spaced inwardly extending ears one at each end, a flat metal prong for each end of said base, each of said prongs having a main body portion and an offset portion adjacent one end thereof, said offset portion having an aperture extending through the body of the metal at the juncture of the offset portion with said main body portion to form a closed loop, said ears forming laterally extending pockets for receiving said loops for detachably securing said prong relatively to said base, the main body portions of said prongs being adapted to be inserted through apertures in the paper to be fastened.

5. A paper fastener comprising an elongated base having spaced inwardly extending ears one at each end, and an aperture adjacent each ear, a at metal prong for each end of said base, each of said prongs having a main body portion and an offset portion adjacent one end thereof, said oiset portion havinor an aperture extending through the body of the metal at the juncture thereof with said main body portion to form a closed loop, said ears having raised portions forming laterally extending pockets for receiving said loops for detachably securing said prong relatively to said base, the free ends of said prongs being adapted to be inserted through apertures adjacent said ears and thereafter through apertures in the paper to be fastened.

6. A paper fastener comprising an elongated base having spaced inwardly extending ears intermediate the ends thereof and a notch at each end edge, a at metal prong for each end of said base, a compressor, each of said prongs having a main body portion and an offset portion adjacent one end thereof, said offset portion having an aperture extending through the body of the metal at the juncture thereof with said main body portion to form a closed loop, said ears having raised portions forming laterally extending pockets for receiving said loops for detachably securing said prong relatively to said base, said base having an aperture between each of said notches and ears, the free ends of said prongs being adapted to be inserted through said base apertures and into said base notches, said prongs thereafter passing through apertures in the paper to be fastened and bent inwardly towards each other over said compressor.

7. A paper fastener wherein a base member is provided with means for selective locked attachment or ready removal of paper-penetrating prongs of varying lengths, comprising in combination a base member stamped from flat deformable sheet metal and embossed to provide a longitudinally rigid member having a central depression, said base member having prong-engaging and locking ears struck from the material thereof adjacent each end, portions of the base member beyond each of said ears being provided with prongadmitting apertures, prongs for each end of said base member, each of said prongs being formed from Wire of circular cross section compressed to form a at strap having smooth rounded edges, each prong including a main body portion and an offset locking portion adjacent o-ne end thereof, said offset locking portion having an aperture extending through the body of the wire at the juncture thereof with said main body portion t-o form a locking slot for said prong-engaging and locking ears, each of said prongs being separately insertable into locked relationship with said base member by Abodily passing the main body portion through one of the prong-admitting apertures therein, inserting the adjacent ear through the aperture in said olset portion, and deforming an intermediate part of the main body portion of said prong about the adjacent end of said base member.

t CHESTER I. WAGNER.

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