US1730241A - Metal clip - Google Patents

Description

M. PORTER I 7 ,2

' METAL CLIP Filed March 2. 1927 2 ,1, I 4 ATTORNEY I INVENTOR Wang; a e M. @112: i

Patented Oct. l, 192% FLORENCE M. PORTER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON METAL CLIP Application filed March 2, 1927.

My invention relates to improvements in metal clips for use in connection with paper, cardboard and similar thin materials.

The objects of my invention are to provide a metal clip of simple and efficient construction which may be quickly and easily attached to any thin object, as to a piece of paper or cardboard, and which is adapted to have a tab removably insertedtherein in such a manner that said tab will project beyond the edge of the cardboard or paper so as to always be visible.

Further objects are to provide a clip of this nature that is made of a single piece of resilient metal, that has no movable parts, that is provided with means adapted to slip over and firmly grip the edge of a piece of cardboard or paper or other thin material and that has a portion which projects outwardly from the edge of the cardboard or paper and is provided with means wherein a separate tab of material may be removably held.

A further object is to provide a clip of this nature that is also adapted to serve as a hanger for the card or object to which the clip is secured.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective on-a relatively large scale of a clip constructed in accordance with my invention. f

Fig. 2, is a view in front elevation, on a smaller scale, of the same showingthe clip secured to the top edge of a sheet or card and showing a tab inthe tab holding part of the clip. 2

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation showing the clip attached to the side edge of a sheet or card.

- Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in cross section on broken line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the tongue of the clip provided with hook'means for hanging said clip up.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a modified form of clip having only one grippine arm.

Serial No. 172,048.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Inhandlmg groups or stacks of cards or papers which are placed in overlapping relation it is often of advantage to havetabs projecting from the edges of certain of said cards or papers, which tabs are visible and afford a quick and easy means for locating the cards or sheets to which they are secured. This is exemplified in card indexes and files of well known form in which the tabs are integral with the cards. I find that, for many uses, it is of advantage to have a marginal tab of this nature that is separable from the card or sheet, that is quickly and easily applied to said card or sheet or removed therefrom, that is adjustable relative to the edge of the card or sheet to any desired position, and that is adapted for the where a distinguishing tab may be used to advantage .on one or a group of cards or papers; as a replacement for tabs that have been torn off as price tab for marking goods; as a clip for securing a plurality of articles together and asa combined clip and hook for hanging articles as pictures, calendars, articles of merchandise in stores, cards in window displays and the like and for numerous other uses along this same line. Referring to the drawings, wherein I d1sclose a, preferred embodiment of my invention, 6 designates the body of the clip. The body is preferably a fiat piece of resilient metal of substantially rectangular shape before it is cut and bent. 7 and 8 are two resilient arms hereinafter termed grippmg members, that are formed by making four spaced apart parallel cuts inwardly from one end of the body portion 6 to a point approximately mid-way between the two ends and then bending the portions that he between each pair of cuts over onto the op positc end of the body substantially as shown.

The bent portion of the gripping members is arched as shown at 9 to afford greater resiliency, more room and a greater range of movement for the outer ends of the gripping members. The outer ends of gripping members are bent upwardly slightly to make it more easy to slip the same over the edges of cards or papers. Two openings 10 and 11 are preferably provided in the inner or gripping end of the clip directly opposite the respective gripping members 7 and 8,

tongue 12, which is the metal left between the two slots 13 that are formed when the gripping members are cut out and said tongue has a raised tab holding element-14L in its outer end preferably formed by punching or bending. The edges of the tab holding portion are bent inwardly as shown, to form channels 15 for the reception of a tab or tabs 16, which may be slipped in from the end or inserted from the front side. The outer end of the tab is retained by the raised element 14 and the other end of said tab may abut against the arched portions 9 .of the gripping members.

The channel'grooves 15 support the edges of the tab and the tongue 12 supports the middle of said tab. Portions of the tab are visible from the rear side through the slots 13 and if desired colored strips 17 may be inserted over said slots to afford a color inde as seen from this side. The clip is thus reversible, or capable of presenting useful information on both sides at the same time. If desired a transparent cover tab 18, as of celluloid, may be placed over the tab 16.

For convenience in this description I have herein termed the tab holding end as the outer end and the gripping end as the inner end of the clip. I r

In Figure 5 I have shown the tongue 12 of this clip as provided with a slot 20 preferably of substantially keyhole shape that is adaptedfor the reception of a hanger in the nature of a double hook 21 which may be used for hanging the clip from any support as a wire or cord 22 shown by dotted lines. The hook 21 is preferably formed of a piece of relatively thin flat metal. The clip may also be'hung on a nail or tack. If the head of the nail or tack is small enough the slot 20 may be passed over said'head in hanging the clip up. If the nail or tack head is larger than the big end of the slot 20 said nail. or tack may be driven through this slot. In Fig. 5 I further show the outer end of the tongue 12 as bent to form a hook 23 which may serve as a stop for the tab or tabs and also as a means by which the clip may be hungon a wire or cord.

This clip is cheap and simple in construction being formed of a single piece of metal cut and bent to a desired shape. It is totally free from moving parts. It may be very quickly and easily secured to a card or sheet of paper and will grip and hold the same very securely. It permits a tab or tabs to be very quickly and easily inserted therein or removed therefrom and is adapted for the reception of a tab of comparatively large size in proportion to the size of the clip. It leaves substantially the entire area of one side of the tab visible and holds the tab securely. enough to prevent the same from dropping out or becoming displaced accidentally. Furtheremore, be it noted that the clip is characterized by having one side fiat, whereby economy of space is provided, so that it may be applied to a large number of superim posed sheets or thin objects.

In Fig. 6, I show a form of my clip in which only one gripping member 24 is provided on the gripping end of the clip, said. gripping member being cut from the gripping end of the clip, leaving an opening 25 in direct registration with said member 24.

The clips may be made in various sizes to meet different requirements. I Having the 'two gripping members 7 and 8 manifestly provides a firm gripping clip which holds the same squarely upon the paper or card. However, manifestly, one of said members may be omitted where such firmness of gripping and such squareness of holding are not required.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose a preferred em bodiment of the invention but it will be undcrstood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes may be resorted to as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim: I I

1. A tab holding clip embodying asubstantially flat rectangular body portion, two integral gripping members out from the outer end of said body portion and bent over into close proximity to the inner endof the same, the openings left by the removal of said gripping members being substantially parallel and being spaced apart to leave a tongue therebetween a raised stop member formed at the outer end of said tongue, and tab receiving means on the outer end of said body portion.

2. A tab holding clip embodying a substantially fiat rectangular body portion, two integral gripping members out from the other end of said body portion and bent over into close proximity to the inner end of the same, the openings left by the removal of said gripping members being substantially parallel and being spaced apart to leave a tongue therebetween, a combined hook and stop member formed at the outer end of said tongue and tab receiving means on the outer end of said body portion.

3. A tab holding clip formed of a relatively flat rectangular piece of resilient metal having tWo slots extending from the outer end inwardly leaving tWo side strips and a medially disposed tongue, said tongue having a hole eX- tending therethrough, whereby a supporting means is provided for said clip, means forming tab receiving channels along the outer edges of said side strips and means at the inner end of said clip for gripping a thin object.

4. A clip embodying a tab holding end portion and a paper gripping end portion, said paper gripping portion having an opening therein and a resilient gripping member formed from said tab holding end portion, said member being bent back over said paper gripping port-ion and disposed to lie in said opening, said tab holding end portion having two laterally disposed strips, the edges of said strips being bent upwardly to form tab receiving channels.

5. A clip formed of a single piece of resilient metal, resilient gripping members cut from intermediate parts of one end portion of said metal piece and openings out from the other end portion, said gripping members being bent over and caused to lie in part Within the plane of said openings, both of said end portions lying in the same plane, and tab holding means disposed on said first mentioned end portion of said metal piece.

The foregoing specification signed at Seattle, Wash, this 24th da of February, 1927. FLORE CE M. PORTER.

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