US3374794A - Record holder - Google Patents

Description

M. Z. REED RECORD HOLDER March 26, 1968 Filed Dec. 6, 1965 INVENTOR. Mae/1y Z F550 3,374,794 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 United States Patent Office ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Phonograph record album includes a support element, respective plates perpendicularly aifixed near the OPPosite transverse ends of the element, a given plurality of parallel disposed openings provided in the plates, theopenings being disposed substantially perpendicularly to the element and progressively symmetrically decreasing in size from the outer to the'inner openings to provide an array of symmetrical bitrapezoidal configuration, corresponding ones of the openings in the upper and lower plates respectively being in registration, the corresponding openings receiving record containing sleeves therein, each of the sleeves including a pair of adjacent closed corners, and means insertable into the openings provided at each of the closed corners, each of the insertable means including a projecting tab for insertion into one of the openings to adapt a sleeve to be received into a pair of corresponding registered openings and an integral blank folded in half to define a pair of leaves, the projecting tab being aligned With the fold point of the blank, the sleeves having an open edge opposite the closed corners.

Specification This invention relates to phonograph record albums. More particularly, it relates to such improved albums wherein ease of handling and ease to examination and display of the sleeves contained therein are enabled.

In record albums comprising a plurality of sleeves for containing phonograph records therein, because of the thicknesses of the many sleeves with records contained therein, the ready leafing through of these sleeves to read the respective center labels on the records, the removing from and the inserting of records into their sleeves, and the placing of the album into an opened position has been quite diflicult. This is because known albums have been constructed so as not to permit adjacent leaves to lie fiat when the albums are opened. An album in which the sleeves would lie flat when the album is opened would enable facile handling and examination of the records in an album, particularly a voluminous one, in addition to enabling the appreciation of the attractive effect presented by decorative album sleeves.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a phonograph record album comprising a plurality of record containing sleeves in which the sleeves naturally lie flat when the album is in an open position.

For a better understanding of the invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing and its scope is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional view, partly cut away, of an illustrative embodiment of a record album constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention showing the binder structure with sleeves inserted therein;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 with the record sleeves omitted therefrom in the interests of clarity of exposition;

FIG. 3 is a three dimensional view, partly cut away of an other embodiment according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a three dimensional view record sleeve adaptor clamp for enabling a sleeve to be received within the album; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the horizontal and opened position.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown therein the binder structure of the album of the invention, the front and back covers having been omitted from these figures since the structure and function of the latter are obvious. t

The binder structure 10 comprises a supportelement 12, to the upper and lower ends of which there are afiixed flat plates 14 and 16 respectively. To provide additional support, a longitudinalbrace number 17 is aflixed to support 12 along the longitudinal center line of support element 12. V

Eachof plates 14 and 16 comprises a plurality of slots 18 and 20 respectively therethrough. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front to rear lengths of slots 18 and 20, respectively, are so chose whereby they progressively decrease in length from the outer'to the inner slots. Such decrease is symmetrical with respect to the front and rear ends of the slots wheerby, in plan view, the arrays of slots have substantially the configuration of a pair of like trapezoids joined to each other at their smaller parallel sides.

As is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, corresponding slots of slots 18 and 20 in upper and lower plates 14 and 16 respectively are disposed in registration, a pair of corresponding registered slots receiving one of record containing sleeves 22. Each of sleeves 22 is provided at their adjacent closed corners with a clamp 24 such as shown in FIG. 4. Each clamp 24 comprises an integral blank folded in half to define a pair of leaves 25 and 27 with a substantially cylindrical pin or tube tab 26 extending at the fold point. These clamps 24 are suitably atfixed to the appropriate corners of sleeves 22, the clamp at the upper corner being aflixed whereby the tab 26 of a clamp 24 is received in a slot 18 and the clamp at the lower corner being aflixed whereby the tab 26 of a clamp 24 is received in a slot 20.

With such arrangement, it is readily seen that the staggered size arrangement of slots 18 and 20 in plates 14 and 16 enables the record containing sleeves to readily assume a Hat stable position when the album is opened, such stable position being shown in FIG. 5.

In keeping with the materials normally used for such purposes, element 12 and member 17 may suitably comprise a strong board material, plates 14 and 16 may be of metal or other suitable strong rigid material, and sleeves 22 may comprise a sheet material such as strong paper and the like.

In FIG. 3, there is shown a variation according to the invention in which, instead of slots 18 and 20 in plates 14 and 16, there are provided therein in like configured and similarly arrayed channels 28 for receiving tabs 26 respectively. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the upper surface of plate 14 and the lower surface of plate 16 are solid and uninterrupted.

It is, of course, appreciated that sleeves 22 can readily be inserted into and removed from the slots or channels. Such insertion can be facilitated for example, by providing a hinge or like suitable means between the plates 14 and 20 and support element 12. Alternatively, if desired, the plates can be individually removable.

From the foregoing, it is seen that with the invention as described hereinabove, there is provided a phonograph record album which can retain a great plurality of record containing sleeves and wherein such sleeves 3 a naturally fall into a flat, stable position, no matter at what position the album is opened.

While there have been described what are considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed to cover'all such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to 'be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A phonograph record album comprising a support element, respective plates perpendicularly affixed near the opposite transverse ends of said element, a given plurality of parallel disposed openings provided in said plates, said openings 'being disposed'substantially perpendicularly to said element and progressively symmetrically decreasing in size from the outer to the inner openings to provide an array of symmetrical bitrapezoidal configuration, corresponding ones of said openings in said upper and lower plates respectively being in registration, said corresponding openings receiving record containing sleeves therein, each of said sleeves comprising a pair of adjacent closed corners, and means insertable into said open- -ings provided at each of said closed corners, each of said insertable means including a projecting tab for insertion into one of said openings to adapt a sleeve to be received into a pair of corresponding registered openings and an integral blank folded in half to define a pair of leaves, said projecting tab being aligned with the fold point of said blank, said sleeves having an open edge opposite said closed corners.

2. A phonograph record album as defined in claim 1 and further including a bracing member aflixed to said support element anddisposed between said upper and lower plates. I

3. A phonograph record album as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings are slots through said plates.

4. A phonograph record album as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings are channels in said plates.

7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,646,573" 10/1927 Buzza 40-102 1,838,489 12/1931 Kirshner 40-102 X 2,372,504 3/1945 Lindros 312-423 2,625,935 1/1953 Marano 129 20 2,914,870 12/1959 Parfett 40-102 FOREIGN PATENTS 547,471 8/19301Germany. V

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

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