US437399A - Writing-tablet - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. T. F. MAGDONNBLL. WRITING TABLET.

N0. 437,399. Pvented Sept BO, 1-890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- JOHN T. F. MACDONNELL, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

WRITING-TAB LET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,399, dated September 30, 1890. Application filed June 21, 1889. Serial No. 315,034. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. F. MACDON- I NELL, of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden folded sheets of paper instead of from single or half-sheets, as has been customary, thereby adapting the tablet for use by persons who prefer using a whole sheet to a half-sheet for letter-writing and other purposes, besides enabling the finer grades of letter and note papers to be put up in tablet form.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a writing-tablet having connected therewith means for holding a package of envelopes in convenient position for use, and without the use of a box for holding said envelopes, which would require to be opened and shut each time an envelope is needed.

To these ends my invention consists in the papeterie tabletconstructed as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are designated by like letters in the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan view of the tablet as the same is folded when not in use. Fig. 2is a side or edge View of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the tablet in position for use. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate diferent positions of the tablet, as herein after described.

It is a well-known fact that the use of paper put up in tablet form has heretofore been limited, for the reason that such tablets have been composed of single or half-sheets of paper, with a binding-strip extending along one or two sides thereof, whereas many persons, particularly for correspondence purposes, prefer to use a folded sheet of paper that is to say, a sheet folded vertically into two leaves, such as the ordinary sheet of note paper. Such persons have been compelled to keep their supply of paper in loose form, "whereby much of it becomes soiled before it is wanted for use, and are put to much inconvenience in the use of the loose sheets to securely hold them in a proper position 'to enable them to be written upon easily. With a View to meeting this demand I have devised the tablet shown in thedrawings, in which- I The letter a designates a stiff back or base, preferably composed of paper-board, and b a series of sheets of paper, each of which is folded to form two leaves, like the ordinary sheets of note-paper. Said folded sheets of paper are subjected to heavy pressure, being superposed upon the back a, and abinding-strip is then secured by means of adhesive material along the edge of said sheets at the foldline thereof, and to said back a, said bindingstrip being designated by the letter 0. A tablet is thus formed with the folded sheets of paper lying in their natural position for use. The edges of the sheets being entirely free, the uppermostleaf thereof can be turned to the left to expose the second and third pages of the sheet as conveniently as if the sheets were loose, and to facilitate such turning of the uppermost leaves I cut away the lower right-hand corner of said leaves, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and thereby obviate the liability of grasping both leaves of the sheet when it is desired to turn over the upper one simply. V The sheets can be readily detached from the tablet by either grasping both leaves of the sheet or the lower one merely, and reds fore no annoyance from this source is caused. I

The back and the underlying sheets of paper form a solid foundation for the uppermost sheet, and said sheet is rigidlyheld in its position, so that writing upon said sheet is rendered easy and agreeable.

It is very. desirable that means for holding a package of envelopes be combined with a writing-tablet, to the end that envelopes and paper may be kept together in a convenient position for use. Tablets have therefore been devised having connected therewith a box of the proper size and shape to receive-apackage of envelopes; but such a construction, besides materially adding to the bulkiness of the tablet, renders it necessary to open the box each time an envelope is required, to remove one of the envelopes, and then to again close the box, all of which consumes time. To secure this result and at the same time avoid the inconvenience incident to the use of .a box for holding the envelopes, I connect to the back a of the tablet loops composed of tapes or similar material, and preferably made elastic for surrounding and holding a package or any desired number of envelopes. I have herein shown said tapes in connection with an independent bottom piece d, of substantially the size and shape of the envelopes, which it is desired to use with the paper forming the tablet, and have shown three tapes, of which two, designated by the letters 6 e, are secured at one end to one end of the back a, and, extending transversely across the bottom piece, near each end of the latter, have their opposite ends secured to said bottom piece at the side of the latter farthest away from back a when the bottom piece occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. The third tape 6 is secured at one end to back a near the center of the latter, and at its opposite end to bottom piece d, at the side of the latter nearest to back a and midway between its ends, as shown in Fig. 5. The envelopes f being inserted beneath the tapes e upon bottom piece 01, it follows from the described arran gement of the tapes that said envelopes and bottom piece can be folded over upon the paper composing the tablet, as shown in Fig. 1, thus bringing the bottom piece uppermost, where it preserves the envelopes from being soiled or injured at all times, except when the tablet is actually in use. It follows, furthermore, that said envelopes and bottom piece can be folded from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which position the tablet is ready for use, and the envelopes, with their address side uppermost, are in a convenient position to be directed without removing the one written upon from beneath tapes 6; or, if preferred, it can be readily removed before writing the address thereon. Again, by turning over to the left all of the sheets of paper composing the tablet, as shown in Fig. 5, the envelopes and bottom piece can be folded from the position shown in said figure to that shown in Fig. 6, and then to that shown in Fig. 7, in which the envelopes lie with their address side uppermost and are held by the tape 6' simply in a still more convenient position for writing thereon than when in the position shown in Fig. 3.

By making the tapes elastic they will hold a single envelope as securely as an entire package.

It will be observed that when the envelopes occupy the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 they do not materially increase the'size :of the tablet, thus permittingthe latter to occupya very small space upon a desk or in a traveling trunk or bag.

The tablet thus constructed can be made and sold at a considerably less cost than would be possible if a box 1" or holding tlfe envelopes were employed.

While I prefer to arrange the holding-tapes as herein shown, I do not wish to limit myself to such arrangement, as it is obvious that many variations thereof can be made within the spirit of my invention. For example, the back a of the tablet could be extended a sufficient distance above the top of the sheets of paper to receive thereon the package of envelopes, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 7, and two tapes could be employed to hold the envelopes thereon; but as said extension would be incapable of being folded to reduce the size of the tablet when not in use the first-described construction is much to be preferred. By clipping the corners of the uppermost leaf of each sheet of paper I not only facilitate turning over said upper leaf, as previously described, but I thereby greatly facilitate detaching the sheets of paper from the tablet, as the user will always know that the next leaf below one of said clipped leaves will be the bottom leaf of a sheet, and the necessity of using care to avoid tearing off more than a single sheet is thereby avoided.

By the term tablet, as hereinused,I wish to be understood as including not only such writing-tablets as are usually provided with a covering and blotting-leaf in front of. the paper, but also such tablets or pads as are without such covering-leaf, as my invention is equally applicable to either form.

The tablet herein described, besides including both paper and envelopes in a compact form, is neat and attractive in appearance, and is adapted for use in connection withall of the finer grades of paper.

Particular attention is called to the fact that by employing tapes to hold the envelopes the edges of the envelopes are kept enposed of sheets of writing-paper independ- 'ently folded into leaves and connected: to-

gether by a binding-strip secured to one or more edges thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The writing-tablet herein described, consisting of a back having superposed thereon sheets of writing-paper separately folded into leaves, said back being provided with one or more tapes for receiving and holding envelopes, substantially as described.

3. The writing-tablet herein described, consisting of a rigid back and sheets of paper superposed upon said back, said back being provided at one end thereof with one or more loops of flexible material for receiving and holding envelopes, substantially as set forth, whereby saidloop's and the envelopes held therein can be folded over upon said back and superposed sheets of paper when the latter are not in use.

4. A writing-tablet consisting of a 'rigid back and sheets of paper superposed upon said back and connected therewith by means of a binding-strip extending along the edge thereof, a bottom piece for supporting a package of envelopes, means for detachably securing said envelopes to said bottom piece, and a flexible or hinge connection between said bottom piece and the back of the tablet, substantially as set forth.

5. The writing-tablet herein described, consisting of a rigid back, a series of sheets of paper folded into two leaves and superposed upon said back, a bottom piece of the proper size and shape to hold apackage of envelopes, and tapes connecting both sides of said bottom piece to said back, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a writing-tablet, the combination,with back 01,, of bottom piece f, tapes 6 e, secured at one end to said back at or near one end of the latter and at their opposite end to one side of said bottom piece, and tape 6', secured at one end to theopposite side of said bottom piece and at its opposite end to said back at or near the center of the latter, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN T. F. MACDONNELL.

Witnesses:

W. H. CHAPMAN, M. A. BUsBY.

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