Cutting – Tool or tool with support – Cutting couple type
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-01
2002-08-27
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
Tool or tool with support
Cutting couple type
C083S633000, C083S636000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06439093
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to oversized paper that is punched or otherwise cut so the paper can be stored in standard sized ring binders, and to paper punches and cutters that make it possible for oversized paper to be adapted for storage in ring binders that are smaller than the oversized paper.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Correspondence, reports and documents are most often printed on paper of so-called standard sizes, that is, on paper of sizes that have come to be commonly used in a given situation or in a given field. In the United States and some other countries, paper that measures 8½ by 11 inches is the standard size used by most businesses, most schools, and by many individuals. The 8½ by 11 inch paper is sometimes referred to as “letter sized” paper. Many file cabinets and many file binders, including ring binders, are sized to hold “letter sized” paper. However, in some other fields, law for example, larger sized paper is the standard. In law, standard sized paper measures 8½ by 13 inches or 8½ by 14 inches. Many legal documents, including pre-printed legal agreements, are printed on “legal sized” paper that is 8½ by 13 or 8½ by 14 inches. There are file cabinets and file binders sized to hold legal sized paper, and these are extensively used by those in fields where legal sized paper is the standard. Legal sized file cabinets and file binders are used less by those who use letter sized paper in the normal course of their affairs.
Sometimes those who use letter sized paper will also have a document or agreement that is printed on legal sized paper, and those who use the letter sized paper will want to file the oversized legal document along with their letter sized papers. This can be done in a non-bound file folder by merely folding the legal sized document so it fits in the non-bound file folder. However, if the letter sized papers are bound for example, in a letter sized “left side edge” ring binder, the folded legal paper will not fit within the letter sized binder unless the oversized legal paper is folded 90 degrees relative to the ring binder's edge, and then additional ring binder punch outs are punched through the left folded edge of the oversized legal paper. This solution works as long as the contents of the oversized legal paper under the “fold” do not have to be viewed. If they do, it is necessary for the viewer to open the rings on the ring binder, and take out from the ring binders at least the folded portion of the oversized legal document. This is not convenient.
Thus there is a need for an oversized sheet of paper that can be folded for storage in a smaller sized ring binder and further adapted in such a way as to provide a secure binding of the folded oversized sheet, and yet still allow access to the entire oversized sheet when it is unfolded, without opening the loose leaf binder rings. Furthermore, there is a need for users to be able to create the necessary punch outs and cutouts in oversized sheets of paper lacking such, so as to make oversized sheets conveniently storable in smaller sized ring binders. These punch outs and cutouts can be created by suitable paper punches or cutters, alone or in combination with punches that create standard punch outs for standard ring binders.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a sheet of paper that is oversize for the ring binder in which it is stored, yet can be folded to fit within the binder, and unfolded without the necessity of opening any of the binder rings.
Another object is to provide punch means that will make a cutout in an oversized sheet of paper not having the cutout invention.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fold line indicator on an oversized sheet of paper that indicates where the paper should be folded in order to utilize the properties of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention is an oversized sheet of paper having one or more punch outs for a standard sized ring binder and at least one cutout therein that allows the oversized paper to be bound in a standard sized ring binder when the oversized paper is folded at 90 degrees relative to binding edge, and further allows the oversized paper to be unfolded for viewing without releasing the ring binders of the standard sized ring binder.
In one form, the oversized paper of the invention has at least one punch out through which a ring on a standard ring binder can pass, and at least one cutout therein extending to the edge of the paper that will be bound within the ring binder. For example, when the oversized paper is legal sized paper measuring 8½ by 14 inches, and the storage binder is a 3-ring binder designed to store 8½ by 11 inch letter sized paper, the cutout of the present invention will be on the left lateral edge of the oversized paper.
According to the invention, the cutout(s) can be of any shape that allows the bound oversized paper, when folded 90 degrees relative to the binding edge, to lie relatively flat in the binder without interference or obstruction from the binder rings, and still be unfolded without opening the binder rings. Various possible shapes of cutouts are illustrated in
FIGS. 1
,
3
,
4
and
5
. In preferred form, the cutout will have a first cutout portion that allows a ring of a ring binder to pass through it without interference when it is in a folded position, and a second cutout portion that extends the cutout to the binding edge of the oversized paper. In a most preferred form, the first cutout portion will have a “standard” punch out that will partially encircle the binder ring(s), which would otherwise obstruct and prevent the folded oversized paper from lying flat in the binder. Also in a most preferred form, the second cutout portion will be a narrow neck extending from the rounded circular edges of the first portion of the cutout, to the binding edge of the paper, the neck having either straight or curvilinear parallel sides. In another preferred form, the narrow neck of the second cutout portion is flared at the paper edge, giving this cutout a keyhole shape. Other preferred forms include cutouts with divergent straight or curvilinear sides. By means of any of such cutouts, the oversized paper can be folded and bound in the standard sized binder, and still unfolded for viewing without opening the binder rings.
In another form, a portion of the corner of the oversized paper is removed (or perforated so it can be torn away by the user) so that when the oversized paper is folded 90 degrees relative to binding edge, the cutout allows the fold of the oversized paper to fit within the binder without touching the binding rings. For example, if the binder is a 3-ring binder for 8½ by 11 inch letter sized paper, and the paper is legal sized, measuring 8½ by 14 inches, a rectangular section is cutout from the lower left corner of the legal sized paper so that when the 8½ by 14 inch legal sized sheet is folded 90 degrees relative to the binding edge of the paper, and punched with a standard 3-hole punch, the legal sized paper can be folded and stored in the letter sized 3-ring binder and unfolded for viewing without releasing the ring binders.
The oversized paper may include a “fold line indicator” to show where the oversized paper is to be folded, so the oversized paper will be storable in a binder of smaller size according to the teaching of the invention. The fold line may be indicated by an ink stamp, an embossed mark, a cut, such as a notch, or any other means that indicates where the oversized paper is to be folded.
In another aspect, the present invention comprises paper punches and cutting devices, operable by a user, which make at least one cutout in an oversized sheet of paper that allows the oversized paper to be secured in a standard sized ring binder when the oversized paper is folded, at 90 degrees relative to the binding edge, and further allows the oversized paper to be unfolded for viewing without releasing th
Meyer Virginia H.
Prone Jason
Shoap Allan N.
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