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Title: Sheet lifter with punches for looseleaf book
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A sheet lifter for a looseleaf, ring binder book comprising a stiff elongated panel having a hinge line extending lengthwise thereof and dividing the panel into a main body portion and a flap portion, the main body portion having elongated openings adjacent the edge opposite the hinge line and being elongated in a direction at right angles to said edge for receiving the rings of a binder, the main body portion and flap portion normally lying in the same plane for functioning as a sheet lifter, and the main body portion being substantially wider than the flap portion in a direction at right angles to the hinge line, the flap portion being movable about the hinge line as an axis and into different angular positions up to substantially 180.degree. with respect to the main body portion and overlying said main body portion, a plurality of openings through the panel and along a line spaced from and parallel to the hinge line, punches connected with the panel along another line spaced from and parallel to the hinge line but on the other side of the hinge line from the line of openings, the line of openings and the line of punches being at the same distance from the hinge line, said elongated openings, said plurality of openings and said punches being in alignment in a direction at right angles to said hinge line so that the punches register with the respective openings when the flap portion is swung substantially 180.degree. into a position overlapping and adjacent to and substantially parallel with the main body portion and holes punched in a sheet will have the same spacing as the elongated openings, the punches fitting snugly into the respective openings for punching holes through a sheet disposed between the openings and the punches, the hinge line of the sheet lifter being stiff enough to hold the main body portion of the panel and the flap portion thereof in substantial alignment when no force is being applied to the flap portion to swing it angularly about the hinge line as an axis. 2. The structure described in claim 1 characterized by the flap portion, when swung up at an angle of approximately 90.degree. or more, with respect to the main body portion, being a stop against which an edge of a sheet of paper can be held in position with respect to the openings and punches for locating the openings punched in the sheet at a uniform spacing from the edge of the sheet. 3. The structure described in claim 1 characterized by the panel being made of one piece of sheet material and of less thickness at the hinge line. 4. The structure described in claim 1 characterized by rings of a looseleaf binder extending through said elongated openings in the main body portion of the panel, the width of the flap portion being less than the shortest distance from the hinge line to any of the rings when the rings are in contact with the ends of the elongated openings that are closest to the hinge line. 5. The structure described in claim 1 characterized by each of the punches being secured to the flap portion and having a head which is substantially cylindrical and that snugly fits into one of the openings in the main body portion of the panel, which openings serve as dies that cooperate with the punches, the openings being in position to overlie a back cover of a book in which the sheet lifter is connected with the binder rings and lies on the inside surface of a cover of the binder. 6. The structure described in claim 5 characterized by each of the punches being a rivet, each rivet having a stem portion of less diameter than the head so as to leave an annular shoulder where the stem joins the head, the shoulder contacting with the top surface of the flap portion, the stem extending through the panel and having its end remote from the head spread radially outward to contact the bottom surface of the flap portion of the panel to secure the rivet to the panel, the stem of the rivet being hollow from a location spaced from the rivet head by a distance less than the thickness of the panel, and the portion of the hollow stem beyond the bottom of the front portion of the panel being the part of the rivet that is spread radially outward to contact the bottom surface of the front portion of the panel. 7. The structure described in claim 1 characterized by the panel being made of plastic material with the openings through said plastic material free of any reinforcement around the circumferences of the openings, and said plastic material being hard enough for the punches to sever discs of paper from paper sheets sheared between the edges of the openings and the circumferences of the punches. Other info: Inventors: Cline, Robert C. (Saugerties, NY, US) Application Number: 572714 Filing Date: 1975-04-29 Publication_date: 1976-08-17 Assignee: F. L. Russell Corporation (Mount Marion, NY) Primary Class(es): 402/1 30/358, 402/4, 402/24 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Schnall, Jerome Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Hopgood, Calimafde |
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