claim: 1. In a loose leaf binder top and bottom 10 cover sections, t back section connecting the top and bottom cover sections, lonoitudinally extensible and contractible post; hingedly connected at each end to said top and'bottom cover sections, binding posts hingedly secured to the bottom cover section and extendino, tipivardlv therefrom to coopera-te with openings in ;heets inserted between the top and bottom cover sections a separate bar 1 20 adapted to overlie the inserted sheets having bindin,- posts depending downwardly therefrom to extend through other openings in the inserted sheets ,tnd cooperating ith said upstanding posts to secure the sheetws within 25 the cover, and means on sa-id separate bar for releasably interloelking said hinoed extensible and contractible posts th6re,@ith. 2. In a. loose leaf binder, top and bottom cover sections, a back section connectino, the 30 top and bottom sections, a series of sheets between said sections having edge pockets therein and a. pluralit-y of alining opeiaings therethrou(rh, screw-expansible posts hinoedly connected at each end to the top and tot35 tom cover sections and engageable in said edge pockets, binding posts hino-edly secured to the bottom cover section a@d extending iij)-,vardly therefrom into openino-s in the sheets, a separate locking bar arra-i@ged to be 40 @pplied over the inserted sheets having binding posts extendin- downwardly therefrom into other openings in the inserted sheets and cooperating with said upstanding posts to secure the inserted sheets within the 45 cover sections, with means on said separate bar for releasably securing said bar to said screw-expansible posts. 3. A loose leaf binder as defined by claim 2, in which the screw-expansible posts com50 prise male and female interthreadiner sections having perforated ends, and hin-e wires or pintles carriecl by the top and bottom cover sections adapted to hiiigedly eng,,ige said perforated ends. a5 4. In a loose leaf binder, top and bottom cover sections, a hiiioe pintle c,,trried by each of the cover sections, expaiidino, sci,ew posts coinprisino- male screw posts having perz7' forated ends receiving the hinge wire carried oo by one of the cover sectiolis, and female posts threiding thereon alid @aving swivelled heads with perforations through which the hinge -wire carried by the other cover section p,isses. the female post sections being freely 65 revoluble arotind their swivelled heads and on the male post sections to expand or contract the top and bottom cover. sections. 5. In a loose leaf binder, top and bottom cover sections, a back section connecting saicl top and bottom sections, sheets inserted be- 70 tween the top and bottom sections having a pltirdlit@. of alinin(r openings therein, screwexpansi le posts i-ndependent of said back section having their ends pivotally connected to the top and bottom sections and '5 positioned to clear the sheets, bindino- posts hin@edly attached to the bottom cover @ection a.nd extending upwardly into openings in the sheets, a separate locl@ing bar arranged to be applied over the inserted sheets having 50 binding posts depending therefrom into other openings in the sheets and cooperating with the bindintr posts upstanding from the bottom cover to"'secure the sheets within the covers, and means on said separate bar for 85 releasably securing said bar to the screwexpansible posts. 6. A loose leaf binder as defined by claim 5 havina its separate lockino, bar provided t' with poel@ets receiving the screw-expansible 90 posts and with plates slidably mounted thereon and formed to close said poelkets and retain the posts therein, -with locking springs cooperating with said plates releasably to hold theni in post-retainincy position. 95 7. In a loose leaf binde@ top and bottom cover sections, a back sectio'n connecting the top and bottom cover sections, a series of sheets between said sections having edge pockets therein and a plurality of alining 100 openin," therethrough, screw-expansible t each end to the s and en.aageable posts hin(yedly ection an7d ex- 105 tending upwardty therefrom into openings in the sheets, a. separate lockin- bir ai-ran(red to be applied over the inserted sheets, said bar comprising a stationary part having bindino, posts extending downwardly there- 110 from i@to other openino-,s in the sheets to cooperate with said upstanding posts to secure the inserted sheets within the cover sections, and a relatively movable part slidable thereon, each of said parts havino, notches therein 115 adapted to register with th@'sheet pockets to reeeive the screw-expansible posts therein, said movable part having fincrers arran (@red to close the bar notches to retain the screwexpansible posts within the sheet pockets. 12,J S. A loose leaf binder as defined by claim 7 b@ving its separate lockin(y bar 'provided with a latchin(r sprin(y cooperating with t@e movable part releasabl..y to lock it -in a fixed - position relatively to the stationary part. 123 9. In a loose leaf binder, top and bottom cover sections havin- recesses therein, screwexpansible posts hingedly connected at each end to the top and bottom cover sections for varying the distance between said top and 1 6' 0

bottom coter sectl'ons, a flexible back section having its ends seatino-, in said recesses in the top and bottom sections and arranged for adjustment conformab@y to the spacing of said sections, binding posts hingedly secured to the bottom cover section to upstand therefrom and extend throuoh openings in sheets inserted between said @over section, a separate locking bar arranaed to be applied over 10 said sheets having bii@-ding posts adapted to extend downwardly therefrom into other openings in the inserted sheets and cooperating with said upstanding binding posts to secure the inserted sheets within the top and 15 bottom cover sections, and means for releasably securing said bar to said screw-expansible posts. 10. In a loose leaf binder, rigid top and bottom cover sections, a flexible bac'k section 20 secured to and connecting the top and bottom cover sections, and screw-expansible and contractible posts hingedly connected at opposite ends to said top and bottom cover sections and arranged to be operated to move 25 said sections to increase or decrease the spacing therebetween. ii. In a loose leaf binder, rigid top and bottom cover sections. a flexible back section secured to and connecting the top and botSo tom cover sections, and screw-expansible and contractible posts hinoedly connected at opposite ends to said top and bottom cover sections and includin- a male screw post and a cooperating female screw post having a hin-- 35 ing end swivelled thereon to permit rotation of the female post on the male post to expand or contract the top and bottom cover sections. FRANK H. CRUMP. 40 45 50 55 60

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 8 2 7 "%' -0- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK H. CRUMP, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA LOOSE LEAF BINDER Application, filed March 5. My invention relates to loose leaf binders of the, type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,673,315, granted June 12, 1928, in which top and bottom cover sections are connected by straps permanently fixed to the bottom section and adjtistably secured to t top cover section by releasable means perm ting adjustment of the straps and conseq ntly of the spacing of the top and bottom cover sections to acconimodate y, ariance in the number of sheets inserted therebetween. The sheets, in this type of bin(:Iei-, have been hela betiveeii binding plates releasably secured to the straps and carrying binding posts ex;3 tendiiig in closed openings or perforations in the sheets. It is o of the ob'ects of the present invenne .1 tioii to provide a loose leaf binder of this geiieral type wliich eliminates the extensible 20 sti-aps and their releasab e adjustino-@ means in tli,e tol) cover, by utiliz ng in sub@t-itution, i-'-id extensible coiinect s of particularly advaiitaueous foriii hinge ly secured to the Z-- top and bottom cover sections, and to proVi(le improved and simplified means for holding the sheets between the top and bottoiii con-er sections and for releasably holdiii(, the exteiisil)le connectors in operative positinn ivheii adjijsted. These aild other objects and advantages ivill be more clearly apparent from the foldetailed (lescription which is to be i-ead ill conjunction -vvith the accompanying drawlncys forming part thereof, and in Nvh;ch: Fi,-tire I is a vieiv in elevation of one form of loose leaf I)iiider constructed in accord-ince witli the preseiit invention, the top and 1,,ottom c'over sections being outspread and 40 the leai,es omitted. Fifrtii-e 2 is a transverse sectional view taken Z, (-"-I the ll,.ie 2-2 of Fi-iire 1. Fi-iii-e @o is a fra-ii-lent,,try vertical section t', tlii-oii,-Ii one eiid of tlae binder with the top 4.-) I)otter(i cover sections closed. Fi,,itrc, 4 is a lon(ritli(linal transverse seet@on oii the line 4-zCof Ficytire 3 showinone of the slidincr postlatcliin plates on tli@sep9 arat-e top cl,,impincy bar. Fi-ure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of 1930. Serial No. 433,354. the screw-extensible post, taken on line 5-5 of Fioure 4. Fi@,;ure 6 is a perspective detail of one of the binding posts hinged to the, bottom cover section. 55 Fioure 7 is a perspective detail of one end of t]7e separate clampin-- bar with its postretaining slide and sprin@g latch. Fi(Ture 8 is a view in elevation of a second f orn@of loose leaf binder embodyino, the pres- do ent invention, the top and bottom cover sections being otitspread and the leaves omitted. Fi,-ure 9 is a vertical section throuoh one eiid of the binder with the top and gottom cover sections closed and with sheets mount- 65 ed on the binder posts. Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view through the closed binder sho-wing the pockets or recesses in the top and bottom cover sections and the ends of a flexible back sec- 70 tion inserted in said recesses and adjustably held therein. Figure 11 is a detail perspective view of the separate clamping bar with its sliding latch plate. 75 Fi,-ure 12 is a detail perspective view of the latching sprino, carried by the stationary part of the separate bar and cooperating -with the movable part releasably to hold it @90 in post-retainino, position. In the form o!f loose leaf binder shown in Figures 1-7, the top cover section 1, and the bottom cover section 2, are joined by a flexible back section 3, as in the usual binder. To the inner faces of the top and bottom 85 cover sections at their opposed inner edges, are sectired by riveting or otherwise, hin(re plates 4 and 5, respectively. The barrel t@ 6 of the hinge plate 5, attached to the bottom cover section, is cut away adjacent to the 90 top and bottom edges of the cover section to receive the hinge barrels 7 of plates 8, from which upstand b@nd, osts 9, as deing tailed in Fiaure 6. re era@ly, as shown, thes,B bindin@-- posts niay be formed of two 015 or niore interthreading sections for adjustment of their leno-th. The two plates 8,,with their bindin t are positioned adjacent 9 x OISO, S@,9 the upper an er ed es of the bottom cover section, with their binding posts up 100

2 1,827,4e2 standing therefrom. They are held and hingedly connected to the bottom cover section 2 by means of a hinoe pin or pintle 10, extending through their hinge barrels 7 and throucrh the h'noe barrel 6 of plate 5. The opposite ends ofthis pintle pin, or wire, extend bevond the opposite ends of the plate 5, and are headed; their extended portions serv10 in to hingedly mount one end of the pair o@ screw-extensible posts or connectors hingedly connected at their other ends to the plate 4 carried by the top cover section 1. This plate 4 is, as shown, provided with a continuous hin(ye barrel 11, through which Irl a pintle wire, or hinoe pin 12, extends, projecting bieyond the o@7posite ends of the barrel and being headed similarly to the hinge pintle 10. Traversino, the back 3 at its top and bot20 tom and beyond the area of leaves enclosed between the top and bottom sections, are a pair of screw-extensible posts or connectors best seen in Fiotires 3 and 5, ancl composed of a male section z @ormed as a threaded spindle 25 or shank 13, having an enlarged head 14 at one end bored at 15 to journal on the extended end of the hinge pintle 10, for example. A female sleeve section 16, internally threaded and enua--ino, the threaded shank 30 13 is formed with an outer end 17 swivelly mounted on the shank 18 of a hinoing head 19 bored to receive and journal on the opposed extended end of the hinge pintle 12 of the top cover section plate 4. With the fe35 male sleeve 16 freely revolvable upon the head 19 through its s-wivelled connection therewith, it may be rotated on the male stem 13 and cause either extension or contraction of the. overall len,-th of the connector, and I-'O consequently cause ex-tension or contraction of the opposed to and bottom cover sections to accommoTEate the spacing between these sections to di:fferent thicknesses of inserted leaves.- As wiR be seen from Figure 45 3, the screw-adjustable posts or connectors 13-19, at the opposite ends of the hinge pintles, elear the edges of the leaves inserted bet-%;een the cover sectioiis. The binder posts 9 extend upwardly 50 throtio@h alined openinas 20 in a series of leaves 21 shown in Figure 3. Cooperatino, with these posts 9 to retain the series of leaves between the top and bottom cover sections, is a separate bar 22 de55 si,-ned to overlay' the series o-'f leaves 21 in alinement with the plates 8 of the upstandin(, posts 9, and projecting beyond the top el and bottom edges of the leaves. This bar 22, at t-wo spaced points between the top and 00 bottom binder posts 9, is provided with similar but dependinbinding posts 23 which extend downwardly through other alininopeninas or Derforations 24 in the sheets, as @uggested in Fi re 3. These posts, extendgu 65 ino, from the opposite bot-tom and top faces Gf the series of inserted sheets, thus serve t'U retain these sheets between the top and bottom covers 1 and 2 of the binder. The screw-extensible end posts 13-19 are desi_oned to be releasably latched to the op- 70 posite ends of the separate bar 22. To this end, the outer edge of the bar 22 at its opposite ends is incut to form cormer recesses 23 as shown in Fi,-ure 7, into which the sleeves 16 of the posts are adapted to extend. In- 75 wardly of these ends, the opposite or inner edffe of the bar is formed with an elongated no'@tch 24 therein. Slidably mounted over the upper face of the bar 22 at each of its opposite ends for movement lonoitudinally there- 80 on is a latching plate 25 ha,@ing parallel elongated slots 26 therein through which upstand the shanks of headed studs 27 carried by the bar 22 and guiding the latching plite 25 for movement, longit,udinally the@eover. 85 The outer ends of these latching plates at their outer edffes are fo,rmed with bayonet slots 28 therein, as shown in Fi,-Lire 7, providing fin-ers 29 designed to close the outer edues of the post pockets formed by the ineut 1)0 edge recesses 23 at the elids of the bar 22. The locl@ing plates 25 are provided with suitable spring latchino, means releasab@y to hold them in a fixed-relation tG the bars 22; in this instance, in the position in which their c, 5 fin(,rers 29 close the post sockets and retain the posts in the end pockets in the bars 22. As shown in Fi,-ure 7, the inner edoes of the sliding latching plates 25 are fo;med with an elono-ated notch 30 (Figures 4 and 7) ter- I niinatii@- at its outer end in an upstanding abutme@t flange 31. A leaf spring 32 has one end 33 mounted upon the top@ face of the bar 22 at the inner end of its edole slot 24, this leaf spring exteiiding beneath the inner edo-e l@3 of thp, latching plate 25 and beiiig provided with an upwardly o:ffset shoulder 34 normally tending to spring up-vv,ardly in the notched edge 30 of the latch plate with the forward or outer end of the leaf spring-abutt-ing the flanoe 31 and preventing movement of the latch plate 25 from the post-reta'nin- position shown in Figures 4 and 7 unltii th'is end of the spring 32 is dep@essed to clear the latching plaie and permit its manually ef- I- 5 fected movement to release the post b@y sliding the retaining finger 29 outwardly from the exit end of the pocket 23. To remove, the separate clamping bar 22 tc, permit the insertion of additioilal sheets i 21, the latching plates 25 are reversely moved outwardly throu(Yh the described operatioii zn of their latching sprinos pern-iittin- the engaged ends of the ser@N'V-extensible posts to swing outwa-rdly from the pockets 23 with the top cover 1, wliereupon the separate bar 22 ma37 be bodily lifted from the series of sheets 21 for the removal or addition of sheets. When more sheets are added, the sleeves 16 of the exteiisible post may be ro-

1,827,462 3 tated to increase tb.e spacino- of the top and bottom sections, or should sl@eets be removed, the sleeve may be reversely moved to decrease the spaciiig correspondingly. In the form of the binder shown in Figures 8-12, the screwextensible posts are located between the top and bottom ed(,!es of the inserted sheets and seat in edffe poelcets or notches formed in the sheets instead of 10 clearing the edoes of the sheets as in the first form described,7and a flexible back section 41 is used with its ends inserted in pockets 42 in the top and bottom cover sections 43 and 44 respectively and adjustably secured therei5 in for accommodation of the back section to adjustments in this facing between the tol) and bottom cover sections. As in the first form described, hinge plates 45 and 46 are fixed to the inner edges of the 2o top and bottom cover sections 43 and 44 respectively, and extend longitudinally of their edges. The hinge plate 46, secured to the bottom cover section 44, is f orined -,vith a hinge barrel 47 extending for its full leno-tli ?,.r and cut away adjac6nt its opposite ends to hingedly connect thereto the hinge barrels 48 of plates 49 mountin(y upstanding binder posts 50. A suitable hinging wire oi.- pintle 51 extends through the barrels 47 and 48. 'o Substantially midway of its lenoth, the barrel 47 on plate 46 is further cut anvay to receive the hinoing ear 52 of an eloii@ra,'ed flat bar 53 which extends in the pocket 42 of the bottom cover section 44, and is provided with '5 a series of slots 54 therein, in one of ivhich the end of a hooked plate 55, fixed to the end of the back 41, is seated adjustably to fix this e-nd of the back in its pocket 42. At points between the central hinaincr ear 4o 52 and the outer binding posts 50, the pl,,tte of hino,e barrel 47 is fiirther cut away to seat the hinging heads 56 of the male shank of screiv-extensible posts. aenerically designated 57 and coi.-respondin- in cons"ruction to the 45 posts 13-19 of the first form of my invention. The hing;ng heads 58, at the opposite ends of these posts, are joiirnalled on the hinge pintle 59 extending through the barrel 60 of the hinge plate 45 fixed to the top rD cover section 43. The heads 58 seat in cutout portions in the barrel 60 positioned in opposition to the opposite lieads 56. The barrel 60 at a point opposite to the hinoing ear 52 of the back holding bar 53 is siinif irly .'3 ciit awav to receive the hingina ear 61 of an opposed flat bar 62 extendin(,y i@'o the pocket 42 in the 'Lol) covei- section witli i@s end as sho-,vn in Fioure 10 mountinthe outer eiid of a bonved sf)rincy 63, the inner end of whicli, zC,,3 as show-n at 64, Fia-ure 10, is held between the end ed(re of the back 41 and an offset 65 pla 66 secured to and extendin(r ou'-- on 'I te war(Ily from said edge. This offset is pi-ovi ded wlth ears 67 extending throucrh and t@ C5 overlying the ed,(,res of an elonuated slot 68 in the bar 62, as shown in Figure 10, so thatthe plate 62 and the outer anchored end of the bowed sprino, 63 will move in unison when the ]plate 45 and its top cover section 43 is moved througli the expansion or contraction 70 of the screw-extensible posts 57 with the back 41 niaintained and automatically adjusted by the tension of the spring to conform to variance in spacing of the top and bottom cover sections. 76 As in the first form of the binder, a separate clamping bar 69 overlies the top face of the series of sheets 70 inserted between the top and bottom covers, and is provided with depending binder posts 71 in spaced relation 80 apd between the extensible posts 57. The binder posts 50 extend upwardly from the bottom of the series of sheets TO through two series of alined openings therein, and the binder posts 71 extend downwardly from the Z$5 top of the series of sheets throu(Th o@--her series of openings so that the two sets of posts serve to retain bet-ween the top and bottom cover sections in assembled relation the series of slieets 70. 90 The extensible posts 57 in the operative assembly of the binder seat, as before stated, in notches in the inner vertical side edges of the series of sheets 70, one such notch beina indicated at 72 in Figure 9. The separate @1 bai, 69 has its outer edge notclied as at 73, Fi-ure 11, to aline with these notches and with the posts 57. Slidably mounted over the bar 69 by means of bar-carried studs 74 and elongated slots 75 therein, is a latching lot) plate 76 coextensive with and sliohtly greater in len-th thaii the underlying i@lampin- bar 69, and havin(r its outer ed(-e at points aliiiable --vith the notches or post poelie's 73 provided with bayonet slots 77 therein, provid- 105 ing poel@et-closin- fingers 78 which in one slid position of the plate 76, will close the outer edae of the pockets 73 and retain the posts 57 therein. Preferablv, the bar 69 adjacent one end, is slotted ab- shown at 79 in lio Figure 9, to receive a leaf 80 of a latching spring whose rear end 81 is anchored to the under face of the bar, and whose forivard end is 1)rovided ",ith an upturned lttehin(' flan-e 82, detailed iri Fi(,ure 12, and ad,,ipted ii5 to extend up into a transverse slo' 83 formed in the latchin(, I)Iate 76 releasably to lock it a-ainst movenient rel,,itive to the underlvii@g bar 69. The stiid 84, cai-i,ied by the outer end of the spi-in& extends upwardly 120 ,iiid otiL-,%vardly throu(,Yh a lon(yitudinal slot 85 fornied in the latching plate 66, and provides means for del)ressiii- the locking end 82 of the spring to clear the transverse notch 83 and to permit moveiiieiit of the latchin- 125 n plate 76 to i-elease the retained posts 57. Bo'h foi-ms of the loose leaf binder lierein described embody the same operative principles, and in essence the same operative structure, and wliile these described forilis rep- 130

4 1,827,462 resent preferable embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that they are intended as illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, and are subject to variation and modification to suit different condit-ions of manufacture and use in consonance with the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. I