US3153177A

US3153177A - Magnetic holder for paper clips

Info

Publication number: US3153177A
Application number: US222845A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mcfadyen Richard
Original assignee: Ketcham and Mcdougall Inc
Current assignee: Ketcham and Mcdougall Inc
Priority date: 1962-09-11
Filing date: 1962-09-11
Publication date: 1964-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-13

Description

Oct. 13, 1964 R. MCFADYEN MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR PAPER CLIPS Filed Sept. 11. 1962 FIG;

FIG. 3

RW Ma O E TD N NM E EF O VC. W.. ,NIM A WDM w W RM Y B United StatesA Patent C)l 3,153,177 MAGNETIC HOLDER FR PAPER CUPS lilichard Mcldadyen, Upper hlontclair, NJ., assigner to lietehain and McDougail, Inc., Roseland, NJ., a corporation ol New .lersey Filed Sept. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 222,345 3 Claims. (Cl. 317-159) The present invention relates to desk accessories broadly and particularly to a holder for paper clips in the form of an upstanding rod placed on a base, the vertical rod portion being magnetized and therefore holding a plurality of paper clips of the usual form which are generally made of ferrous magnetizable material.

More particularly the clip holder or stick of the present invention is so constructed that the base portion, although made of ferrous material, does not become magnetized and does not attract paper clips while the vertical or stick portion is so arranged as to exert a magnetic held of such strength that clips placed directly upon the stick are held thereto and clips coming into contact with these clips may also be held to the stick but with relatively slight attractive force. Thus when the overlying clip is removed the underlying clip, i.e., the clip directly in contact with the magnetic stick will remain in position so that only one clip will be removed.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a desk accessory and particularly a paper clip holder which comprises an upstanding stick member formed of a plurality of magnets which attract and hold paper clips on their surfaces.

lt is another object of the invention to provide such a magnetic clip stick in which the base which supports the stick, although formed of ferrous magnetizable material does not become magnetized and therefore no paper clips are held in an undesirable position on the base.

Another object of the invention is to so orient the magnets of which the stick is comprised that the magnetic fields are partially shorted to thus assure that paper clips may be removed from the stick individually rather than in groups.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a magnetic paper clip holder which is simple in construction pleasing in appearance, and economically manufactured.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawings, in which,

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a magnetic paper clip holder in accordance with my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the clip holder of FIG- URE l;

'FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the clip stick of the preceding iigures, the central portion of the base insert being broken away in order to show the construction; and

FlGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the device of the preceding figures.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown at a base which is generally cup-shaped and which is formed of steel having a brass plating thereupon. In addition to the outer element 10 the base has an inner element 11 which has a concave central portion 12, the two portions being fastened together as will later be described to form a more rigid structure than the single member 10 could provide.

Additionally, the major portion of member 11 lies in a plane slightly above the lower peripheral edge of the cup-shaped member 10 leaving a space in which a cork or other protective insert 13 is positoned and fastened to the annular portion of the member 11.

Fixed centrally of the base 10 is a stack of magnets "ice comprising the magnets 14. These magnets are all alike and, as clearly shown in FIGURE 4, are annular in form being provided at their upper edge with a reduced diamf eter portion 1S. The magnets alternate with cup-shaped spacers 16 the periphery of which spacers is of a size to fit on the reduced magnet diameter thereby keeping the stack in vertical alignment. It should be noticed that the lowermost cup member 16 is reversed and faces upwardly whereas the remainder face downwardly.

The stack of magnets 14 and spacers 16 is held in position on the base lil by means of a rod 17 which rod is provided with a head 1S at its upper end and is threaded and provided with a nut Ztl at its lower end. The rod 1'7 is of ferrous material and passes through .central openings 21 in the spacers 16, these openings being clearance openings so that the rod 17 makes contact with the intermediate spacers 16 in a very limited area. The top spacer 16, however, isseated against the head 1S and therefore has a considerable area in contact and in a similar manner the lower spacer 16 is in contact with the ferrous metal and with `the upwardly concave portion of element 1l as well as with the nut 20 so that there is a relatively large area of contact between the spacer and the rod or rivet 17.

The magnets 14 are preferably oriented so that the like poles of adjacent magnets are adjacent each other, but may be oriented in the same direction so that all of the magnets have, for example, the north pole at the top and the south pole at the bottom it being understood that it is immaterial whether the north or south pole be at the top. As a result of the .construction described the magnets as a whole are shortcircuited by the rod or rivet 17 and no magnetic ilux is present in the base iii. and therefore no magnetic attraction is exerted and clips are not retained on the base 1i). Each magnet 14 is individually partially shunted by virtue of the contact of the adjacent spacing Washer with the magnet and with the rod 17, but as explained above, the Contact with the rod 17 is very limited so that the shunt is only slightly effective. y

However, this partial shunting is suilicient to reduce the tendency of clips retained on the holder to become magnetized to an extent to hold additional clips. As a result a clip may be removed from the holder without removing a second undesired clip, While at the same time a clip may be held directly by the holder or be held solely by attraction of a clip on that holder.

ln order to assure that the array of magnets be held in position, a spring washer 2?. is providechthis washer being concave upwardly and exerting a downward pressure upon the upper magnet. This arrangement assures that Le stack be firmly held while at the same time reducing the likelihood that one or more of the magnets will be cracked by exerting too great a pressure during assembly. The magnets 14 may be of the ceramic type and thus somewhat fragile.

Although the rod 17 has been describedas threaded and provided with a nut, it will be understood that the rod may be inverted and the end thereof be riveted over. This end may also be a press tit in the concave portion of the base element 11 or any other suitable means of fixing the rod 17 in the base comprising elements 10 and 11 may be utilized.

Many other variations in construction are also possible as for example magnets 14 may be provided with reduced diameter portions at both ends thereof and two spacing washers be provided between each pairA of magnets to increase the centering effect. n

Since the suggested variations and many` others are well within the skill of the art, Iv wish to be limited not by the foregoing description but solely by the claims granted to me.

What is claimed is:

l. In a holder for paper clips and the like, in combination, a base, a plurality of magnets mounted in stacked array on said base, said magnets being annular and axially magnetized forming a north pole on one edge and a south pole at the other, one face of each said magnet being provided with a reduced portion, spacing washers of magnetizable material having clearance holes therein, said spacing washers being `cup-shaped, said reduced portion of said magnet itting within the periphery of the corresponding cup-shaped washer, and a rod passing through the centers of said magnets and through said washer clearance holes, said rod serving to shunt the magnetic flux of the complete array of magnets, said washers serving to partially shunt individual magnets, said rod having an enlarged head bearing against the uppermost washer and an enlarged area at the base in magnetic contact with the lowermost washer.

2. A device in accordance with claim l, wherein an annular spring washer is provided between the head on said rod and the uppermost magnet to thereby exert a constant pressure on the stacked array to retain the magnets and spacers in aligned position substantially perpendicular to the base.

3. in a holder for paper clips and the like, in combination, a base comprising a cup-shaped member of ferrous material, a disk having a central upwardly concave portion within said base, the peripheral edges of said base extending downwardly beyond the peripheral edges of said disk, a protective insert Xed to the under surface of said disk, said insert being of a thickness to position its lower surface substantially flush with the edge of said base, a plurality of magnets mounted in stacked array on said base, said magnets being annular and axially magnetized forming a north pole at one edge and a south pole at the other, means for shunting a small portion of the magnetic iiuX of the individual magnets of the array and means for substantially completely shunting the linx of the complete array whereby clips will be retained upon said array when in contact therewith and said base will remain unmagnetized.

leierences Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,051,875 Farwell Aug. 2S, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 367,578 Great Britain Mar. 14, i929

Claims

1. IN A HOLDER FOR PAPER CLIPS AND THE LIKE, IN COMBINATION, A BASE, A PLURALITY OF MAGNETS MOUNTED IN STACKED ARRAY ON SAID BASE, SAID MAGNETS BEING ANNULAR AND AXIALLY MAGNETIZED FORMING A NORTH POLE ON ONE EDGE AND A SOUTH POLE AT THE OTHER, ONE FACE OF EACH SAID MAGNET BEING PROVIDED WITH A REDUCED PORTION, SPACING WASHERS OF MAGNETIZABLE MATERIAL HAVING CLEARANCE HOLES THEREIN, SAID SPACING WASHERS BEING CUP-SHAPED, SAID REDUCED PORTION OF SAID MAGNET FITTING WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE CORRESPONDING CUP-SHAPED WASHER, AND A ROD PASSING THROUGH THE CENTERS OF SAID MAGNETS AND THROUGH SAID WASHER CLEARANCE HOLES, SAID ROD SERVING TO SHUNT THE MAGNETIC FLUX OF THE COMPLETE ARRAY OF MAGNETS, SAID WASHERS SERVING TO PARTIALLY SHUNT INDIVIDUAL MAGNETS, SAID ROD HAVING AN ENLARGED HEAD BEARING AGAINST THE UPPERMOST WASHER AND AN ENLARGED AREA AT THE BASE IN MAGNETIC CONTACT WITH THE LOWERMOST WASHER.