Filing Case Having Removable, Expanding File

1. Field of the Invention

Filing cases, filing envelopes, expanding envelopes and filing systems comprising a fixed case and removable drawers or containers.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Expanding envelopes and accordion type cases are well known in the art and are manufactured from many different materials such as cardboard and laminated paper as well as lightweight metal and fabric or plastic. Expanding cases and envelopes are shown in very old U.S. Patents such as Tapley U.S. Pat. No. 213,852 in 1879, or Zoerb U.S. Pat. No. 909,734 of 1909. Such cases are essentially covers for expanding envelopes which remain inside and all co-act together. Other types of expansible or expanding files are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,489,730; 1,745,249 and 3,224,661 which are expansible files having covers or cases arranged in different fashions. However, none of these patents disclose a fixed case which can simulate a nice looking book and having a fixed compartment into which one or more expanding files have been collapsed and inserted so as to be concealed but for complete removal and detachment from the case.

The present invention has to do with a fixed case or container arranged to simulate a book which is placed on a shelf in the usual manner of any book. Of course, the case is hollow and has no pages and the inside front edge of the book which is opposite from the usual book spline is open to provide access to the inner compartment. An expanding file is inserted into the open compartment and the file is manufactured with dimensions to correspond with the space within the book. By providing separators or ledges within the compartment it is possible to have more than one expanding file of smaller size. This is especially useful for filing photographs, recipes, coupons, and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a combination of a case and expanding file which may be readily removed and inserted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a decorative and attractive case which may resemble a book to hold and conceal one or more expanding files that are easily removable and replaced.

An additional object of this invention resides in the simplicity of construction of the case which may be manufactured to accommodate existing sizes of expanding files whereby there is a selectivity of sizes of books and sizes of expanding files.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred form of the present invention as it would be found normally on a shelf.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but with one of the expanding envelopes partially inserted.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of one of the removable, expanding envelopes of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form wherein the back is closed by a flap.

In FIG. 1 the complete file system 10 comprises an outer case or container 12 which is manufactured to simulate an attractive book. Case 19 may be manufactured in any number of different sizes and shapes and relative dimensions as well as different materials and is readily made from paperboard or fiberboard covered with simulated leather material to cover the sides 14, the spline 16 and there are top and bottom edge enclosures 18 manufactured from paperboard or the like to simulate the pages of a book on each of the edges 18.

The interior of the case 10 is of fixed dimension and hollow to provide one or more compartments 20 which are separated by dividers or ledges 22 manufactured from wood, paper or the like of sufficient strength and rigidity to support the filing envelope 24 which is inserted into the space 26 inside the case 12.

Each expanding envelope 24 may be of one of many types of conventional construction such as fiberboard or treated paperboard panels 28 connected together by plastic or fabric webs 30 arranged in a corrugated fashion in the manner, for example, of the accordion filing envelopes shown in the patent set forth in the description of the prior art herein. Such accordion filing envelopes 24 may be manufactured in any size, shape or dimension as well as quality of construction ranging from very fine specially treated fiber or paperboard connected by cloth or plastic webs or gussets down to very cheap or inexpensive cardboard panels connected by inexpensive paper gussets. In the form of present device in FIG. 1, however, each filing envelope 28 is provided with a front flap or panel 32 connected along one edge 34 to the filing envelope 28 by means of tape forming gussets 35 or having been originally formed integrally with the back panel 28. The panel 32 functions as a closure flap which is inoperative when the expanding envelope 28 is out of the case 14 (in the manner shown in FIG. 3) but becomes operative (as shown in FIG. 2) upon the insertion of the expanding envelope 24 into the compartment 26 and the case 4 and (in the manner shown in FIG. 2) is folded in place between front and rear 14 to close the front edge of the simulated book case 10. To assist in this, a small latch 38 is provided comprising a folding tab member 40 carrying a small keeper or retainer 42 which is removably latched or positioned in place to hold the front flap 32 is position inside case 10 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the modified form shown in FIG. 4, the modified case 12' is the same as the case 12 except that a permanent flap 46 is attached by a hinge to the back edge 48 rather than part of the expanding envelope 24 corresponding to flap or panel 32. A latch 50 is provided.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, this is by way of illustration only and does not constitute the only form thereof as there are various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, revisions and departures which may be made in the form shown and described without avoiding the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.