Stacked paper fastener

• US 7,207,740 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baggett R. Sherman
• Original Assignee: Baggett R. Sherman
• Inventors: Baggett, R. Sherman
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter; Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATTULA, PRADEEP CHOUDARY
• Application Number:
  US10/856,478
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 281/28, 281/15.1, 281/21.1, 281/27.3, 402/13, 402/14, 402/15, 402/17, 402/2, 402/5, 402/8, 402/49, 402/55, 402/60, 402/63, 402/64, 402/70, 402/71, 402/73, 402/80.R, 402/500, 402/502, 24/673, 24/675, 24/679, 24/671.1, 24/67.R, 249/01, D19/32, D19/33, D19/65
• US Class Current: 402/8
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 13/14 with clamping or locking means pressure bars B42F13/36

Abstract

A paper fastener has a base piece with a pair of prongs which may be passed through a pair of keyed slots in a top piece and latched to the top piece to hold stacked papers together. Two latching covers hingedly extend from ends of the top piece. The prongs are folded inwardly against the top piece and the latching covers are folded over the prongs, and the prongs and the latching covers are engaged on a top surface of the top piece. Second teeth on downward facing sides of the folded latching covers engage first teeth on upward facing surfaces of the folded prongs, thereby preventing the prongs from sliding back through the keyed slots. The base piece and the top piece are disconnected by first releasing the latching covers, and then releasing the prongs, so that the top piece can be easily removed to add more pages to a stack of papers or to disassemble the stack of papers.

Claims

1. A paper fastener comprising:

a base piece;

two prongs which are approximately orthogonally extending from the base piece, the prongs having first longitudinally spaced apart teeth; and

a top piece having a top surface, the top piece including top piece slots for providing passage of the prongs through the top piece, and vertically engaged locks including curved surfaces curving past center for retaining the prongs against the top surface,

wherein the prongs may be passed through holes in the paper, through the top piece slots in the top piece, and engaged into the locks, thereby sandwiching the paper between the base piece and the top piece.

2. The paper fastener of claim 1, wherein the vertically engaged locks further comprise a multiplicity of spaced apart vertically engaged locks.

3. The paper fastener of claim 1, wherein prongs include edges on each side of the first longitudinally spaced apart teeth, and wherein the first longitudinally spaced apart teeth are approximately even with or below the edges.

4. The paper fastener of claim 1, wherein the base piece includes two pairs of base piece slots, and wherein the prongs pass through one of each of said two pairs of base piece slots and said prongs include flanged bases opposite tapered ends, wherein the prongs are attachable to the base piece by inserting the tapered ends through the base piece slots in the base.

5. The paper fastener of claim 4, wherein the base piece keyed slots are Tee shaped keyed slots, and wherein the prongs include center sections between the tapered ends and the flanged bases, and wherein the center sections have a Tee shaped cross-section.

6. The paper fastener of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the top piece includes third teeth, and wherein when the prongs are retained by the vertically engaged locks, the first teeth on the prongs engage the third teeth on the top surface.

7. A method for holding a stack of papers, the method comprising:

sliding the papers over prongs, wherein the prongs are approximately orthogonally attached to a base piece;

sliding a top piece over the prongs;

folding the prongs inwardly against a top surface of the top piece;

retaining the prongs against the top surface using vertically engaged locks; and

folding latching covers over the prongs and retaining the latching covers against the prongs using second vertically engaged locks, wherein second spaced apart teeth on the latching covers engage first spaced apart teeth on the prongs.

8. A paper fastener comprising:

two prongs having outwardly facing longitudinally spaced apart teeth;

a base piece including base piece slots for attachment of the prongs to the base piece;

a top piece including;

a top surface;

at least two top piece slots for providing passage of the prongs through the top piece;

latching covers hingedly extend from ends of the top piece and including second longitudinally spaced apart teeth;

first vertically engaged locks for retaining the prongs against the top surface; and

second vertically engaged locks for retaining the latching covers against the prongs, wherein the second longitudinally spaced apart teeth engage the outwardly facing longitudinally spaced apart teeth thereby laterally coupling the prongs to the latching covers,

wherein the prongs may be passed through holes in the paper, though the top piece slots, and engaged into the locks, thereby sandwiching the paper between the base piece and the top piece.

9. The paper fastener of claim 8, wherein the first and the second vertically engaged locks include curved surfaces curving past center.

10. The paper fastener of claim 9, wherein the first and the second vertically engaged locks further comprise a multiplicity of spaced apart first and second vertically engaged locks.

11. The paper fastener of claim 10, wherein the outwardly facing longitudinally spaced apart teeth and the second longitudinally spaced apart teeth are saw tooth teeth.

12. The paper fastener of claim 10, wherein the latching covers are connected to the top piece by living hinges.

13. The paper fastener of claim 8, wherein the base piece slots comprise two pairs of base piece keyed slots, and wherein the prongs include flanged bases opposite tapered ends, wherein the prongs are attachable to the base by inserting the tapered ends through one of each of said two pairs of base piece keyed slots.

14. A paper fastener comprising:

a base piece;

two prongs which are approximately orthogonally extending from the base piece, the prongs having first longitudinally spaced apart teeth;

a top piece having a top surface, the top piece including top piece slots for providing passage of the prongs through the top piece and vertically engaged locks for retaining the prongs against the top surface;

latching covers extending from ends of the top piece, wherein the latching covers include second longitudinally spaced apart teeth;

second vertically engaged locks on the top surface of the top piece and wherein;

the latching covers are foldable over the top piece and engagable into the second vertically engaged locks; and

the second longitudinally spaced apart teeth cooperate with the first longitudinally spaced apart teeth to laterally retain the prongs;

when the prongs may be passed through the holes in the paper, through the top piece slots and the top piece and engaged into the locks, thereby sandwiching the paper between the base piece and the top piece.

15. The paper fastener of claim 14, wherein the second vertically engaged locks include curved surfaces curving past center.

16. The paper fastener of claim 14, wherein the first longitudinally spaced apart teeth and the second longitudinally spaced apart teeth are saw tooth teeth.

17. The paper fastener of claim 14, wherein the latching covers are connected to the top piece by living hinges.

18. The paper fastener of claim 14, wherein the latching covers are hingedly connected to the top piece by pivot pins.