SHEET HOLDER

• US 3,752,504 A
• Filed: 09/20/1971
• Issued: 08/14/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Reynolds and Reynolds Company
• Original Assignee: Allen L. Dixon
• Inventors: Dixon, Allen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnall, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US05/181,798
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 282/29R,29A,29B 402/60,69,70 24/67.3,67.5,67.7 281/45R
• US Class Current: 462/79
• CPC Class Codes: B41L 3/02 with stationary clamping means for holding the manifolding assembly in registered position, e.g. resilient clamps for holding non-perforated sheets clamps for platens B41F1/36

Abstract

An improved sheet holder having a substantially rigid base plate and a clamping member hingedly connected to the base plate along one edge thereof for clamping engagement with one edge of a sheet for securely maintaining same in position adjacent the upper surface of the base plate. A substantially channel-shaped hinge member is fixedly secured to the base plate and extends into substantially parallel slots formed in the clamping member for permitting relative pivotal movement therebetween. A leaf spring is disposed between the legs of the hinge member and is positioned to resiliently urge the clamping member toward an open or closed position. The hinge assembly, including the spring, is substantially hidden by the clamping member, even when in the open position.

Claims

1. A holder adapted to releasably hold a small number of sheets having opening means along one edge thereof, comprising:

base means including a substantially rigid plate-like member adapted to have said sheets supported on the upper surface thereof, said base means also including an elongated base member disposed adjacent and fixedly connected to one edge of said plate-like member;

pin means fixedly secured to said base means adjacent said one edge of said plate-like member and projecting upwardly from said upper surface, said pin means being adapted to extend through the opening means formed in said sheets;

clamping means mounted on said base means for releasably holding said sheets in engagement with said pin means, said clamping means including an elongated clamping member disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to said base member;

hinge means connected between said clamping member and said base means for permitting said clamping member to be pivotally moved between (1) a closed position wherein the clamping member holds the sheets in engagement with the pin means and (2) an open position permitting the sheets to be removed from the pin means;

said clamping member having a substantially channel-shaped cross section which opens downwardly toward said upper surface and extends over said pin means when the clamping member is in said closed position, said clamping member including opposed and substantially parallel leg portions extending longitudinally thereof, one of said leg portions being connected to said hinge means, the other leg portion comprising the free edge of said Clamping member and having a deformable clamping strip secured thereto for clamping engagement with the sheets at a position directly adjacent said pin means when the clamping member is in said closed position, said clamping member also having a pair of closely adjacent but laterally spaced narrow slots formed in the free end of said one leg portion;

said hinge means including a substantially U-shaped hinge member having a center portion thereof fixedly connected to said base means and a pair of substantially parallel hinge plates disposed within planes substantially transverse to the elongated direction of said clamping member, said hinge plates being disposed within said slots, and said hinge means also including hinge pin means connected between said hinge plates and said one leg portion;

said hinge pin means including a first pin member disposed within a bore formed in said one leg portion, said first pin member extending across one of said slots, and one of said hinge plates having a slot formed therein and open to an edge thereof with said one hinge plate being adapted to extend into said one slot for hingedly connecting said clamping member to said base means while permitting disconnection therebetween without requiring removal of said first pin member from said clamping member, said hinge means also including a second pin member mounted on said one leg portion of said clamping member and extending across the other slot, said second pin member extending through an opening formed in the other hinge plate for preventing disconnection of said clamping member and said base member; and

over-center spring means including a plate-like leaf spring coacting between said clamping member and said base means for resiliently maintaining said clamping member in both said positions.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said leaf spring is of a cantilevered type and is disposed within the U-shaped hinge member between said pair of hinge plates.

3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein said leaf spring has one end thereof positioned directly adjacent the center portion of said U-shaped hinge member and fixedly interconnected to said base member, the other end of said leaf spring being free and being disposed in resilient engagement with the free end of said one leg portion of said clamping member.

4. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said base member has an elongated flange fixedly secured to the free edge thereof and projecting longitudinally of said base member, and said clamping member having an elongated flange projecting outwardly from the center portion thereof adjacent the junction with said one leg portion, said elongated flange being interconnected to said one leg portion by means of an undercut concave surface, said elongated flange on said clamping member functioning as a stop member and being disposed in abutting engagement with the upwardly directed flange on the edge of said base member when said clamping member is in said open position, the upwardly directed flange on said base member extending toward said one leg portion and being disposed in substantial engagement with said concave surface when said clamping member is in said open position.

5. A holder according to claim 1, further including a pair of removable plate-like cover members fixedly but removably secured to the opposite ends of said base member, said cover members being disposed directly adjacent the opposite ends of said clamping member and projecting upwardly to substantially close the opposite ends of the recess defined by the downwardly directed channel-shaped clamping member when the clamping member is in the closed position.

6. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the elongated base member and the elongated clamping member are both extruded from aluminum.

7. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the base member includes an upwardly projecting rib extending longitudinally thereof, said rib being disposed substantially midway between the opposite longItudinal edges of said base member, said base member further having an upwardly directed flange extending longitudinally along one edge thereof;

said hinge means including a pair of said U-shaped hinge members fixedly secuted to said base member adjacent the opposite ends thereof, said U-shaped hinge members being disposed in engagement with the upper surface of said base member in the region defined between said rib and said upwardly projecting flange; and

said plate-like member overlapping the upper surface of said base member with the edge of said plate-like member being disposed substantially in abutting engagement with said rib.

8. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said base means includes a resilient pad fixedly secured to the bottom surface of said plate-like member, and cover means hingedly connected to said base means along the longitudinal edge thereof opposite said clamping member, said cover means being swingably movable into a position wherein it overlies said plate-like member for substantially covering same.

9. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said first pin member comprises a hollow axially split spring pin.

10. A holder adapted to releasably hold a small number of sheets having opening means along one edge thereof, comprising:

base means including a substantially rigid plate-like member adapted to have said sheets supported on the upper surface thereof, said base means also including an elongated base member disposed adjacent and fixedly connected to one edge of said plate-like member;

clamping means mounted on said base means for releasably holding said sheets in engagement with said plate-like member, said clamping means including an elongated clamping member disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to said base member;

hinge means connected between said clamping member and said base means for permitting said clamping member to be pivotally moved between (1) a closed position wherein the clamping member holds the sheets in engagement with the plate-like member and (2) an open position permitting the sheets to be removed from the base means;

said clamping member having a substantially channel-shaped cross section which opens downwardly toward said upper surface when the clamping member is in said closed position, said clamping member including opposed and substantially parallel leg portions extending longitudinally thereof, one of said leg portions being connected to said hinge means, the other leg portion comprising the free edge of said clamping member and having a clamping strip for clamping engagement with the sheets when the clamping member is in said closed position, said clamping member also having a pair of closely adjacent but laterally spaced narrow slots formed in the free end of said one leg portion;

said hinge means including a substantially U-shaped hinge member having a center portion thereof fixedly connected to said base means and a pair of substantially parallel hinge plates disposed within planes substantially transverse to the elongated direction of said clamping member, said hinge plates being disposed within said slots, and said hinge means also including hinge pin means connected between said hinge plates and said one leg portion;

said hinge pin means including a first pin member disposed within a bore formed in said one leg portion, said first pin member extending across one of said slots, and one of said hinge plates having a slot formed therein and open to an edge thereof with said one hinge plate being adapted to extend into said one slot for hingedly connecting said clamping member to said base means while permitting disconnection therebetween without requiring removal of said first pin member from said clamping member, said hinge means also including a second pin member mounted on said one leg portion of said clamping member and extending across the other slot, said second pin member extending through an opening formed in the other hinge plate for preventing disconneCtion of said clamping member and said base member; and

over-center spring means including a plate-like leaf spring coacting between said clamping member and said base means for resiliently maintaining said clamping member in both said positions.