US1952732A - Card holder - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1934. M 5|M0N 1,952,732

CARD HOLDER Original Filed Nov. 7. 1931 llll ll'llll llllln "Ulllll IH! HH HIHI- lll lll Inu :mul I-u llllll UH' IH Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,952,732 CARD HOLDER.

Max Simon, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 7, 1931, Serial No. 573,552 Renewed September 27, 1933 7 Claims. (Cl. 129-20) This invention relates to a card holder` and has special reference to a device for holding and displaying printed matter such as menu cards.

More particularly, this invention relates to a card holder comprising a pair of hinged covers consisting of outer backing members and inner transparent iiap members for receiving therebetween a printed card, each of the flap members being permanently secured at one end to the backing member and being removably positioned at the other free end thereof in a pocket formed in the backing member. Also, a short strip of preferably transparent material is secured adjacent the above noted flap member by the securing means for the latter to hold removably therebetween one end of a loose leaf card or paper. Y

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a card holder which will maintain 20` a menu card or other printed matter in a clean and sanitary condition and prevent the same from becoming mutilated and soiled through handling. In the case of menu cards for which the device of this invention is particularly adapted and in connection with which the same will hereinafter be more fully described, it is customary for restaurants to offer a regular or seasonal menu and a daily menu. The seasonal menu is changed monthly or several times during the year, while the daily menu is changed perhaps for every meal or at least once a day.

The regular or seasonal menu is prepared as attractively as possible and necessitates workmanship of high character and is, therefore, quite expensive to produce. In order to prolong the life of these cards to a maximum, they are inserted between the transparent sheet or flap and the preferably opaque backing member for more or less permanent use, the backing member being preferably formed of a stiffener having a leatherette or cloth covering coated with lacquer so that it may be washable. The transparent flap is formed of Celluloid, or like material, and is likewise washable, thereby providing a sanitary holder. However, the daily menu, because of its impermanence is usually prepared at the place of business on a mimeograph or like duplicating machine in order to cut the cost thereof to a minimum so that after a single use they may be discarded.

Besides the matters of sanitation and expense recited above, its convenience determines to a great extent its utility. For example, shouldvthe specials on the daily menu give out during the' mealtime rush, the present invention provides a very simple manner of removing such specials from the menu, there being no permanent securing means or temporary fasteners requiring manual manipulatiomit being only necessary to exert a pull on the card or paper. It would, therefore, only require but substantially the time it would take to walk from table to table in order to remove all of the special menus from the holders, thereby providing a great convenience of operation and saving of time. Also, in assembling the menu specials to the holder, it is but necessary to insert one end of the paper or card between the transparent strip and the transparent flap to be held in position by the friction therebetween, which action takes but a minimumof time. Also, it is convenient to remove the regular menu sheets since the free end of the flaps are merely inserted in pockets at the lower end which may be readily removed therefrom for access to the menu.

The card positioned between the transparent flap and the opaque backing member is held from sidewise displacement by means of a strip of very small width held in position bythe transparent flap which overlaps the same.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a card holder for holding and displaying printed matter such as menu cards in which the latter are conveniently assembled therein and removed therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to` provide a device, such as is characterized above, that is attractiveV in appearance, comparatively inexpensive to manuafctureand sanitary.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter be more fully pointed out and for a more complete understanding of the characteristic features of this invention, reference may now be had to the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a face view of the cardholder of this invention showing the hinged covers spread apart and the menu cards in position therein;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l, showing a central portion thereof broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a fragmentary portion of the upper left hand corner with parts thereof broken away to show more particularly the elements entering into the construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawilo ing, J@he device of this invention comprises a pair of hinged covers 10 and 11 consisting of an outer preferably opaque member 12 and an inner transparent member 13. it will, of course, be understood that the outer member 12 may be formed of a transparent material, but it is preferable, in order to reduce the cost of upkeep to a minimum, that this member be not transparent in order to obviate the necessity for decorative printing on the outer side of the menu card.

The outer opaque member may comprise a stiiening member such as cardboard, or the like, covered with a cloth, leatheroid or other preferably exible material, the latter material being, in the present instance, glued to the stiffener. Referring more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawing, the flexible covering secured to the backing member 12 may be turned back at each end to form pockets 14 and 15. One end of the transparent ap 13 is inserted into the pocket 15 and is permanently fastened thereto as by means of the stitching 16. The other free end of the transparent flap member 13 is inserted into the pocket 14 and is removably held in position thereby. A strip 17 preferably of transparent material of the same character as the transparent flap 13 is inserted in the pocket 15 on the outside of and adjacent the transparent strip 13 and is held in position by the stitching 16, the strip extending out of the pocket a short distance. lit is to be understood that a plurality of strips such as the strip 17 of any or varying lengths may be disposed in this relation as desired for temporarily positioning printed matter.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3, the outer edge of the cover 1l is provided with a flap 18 which is preferably formed of the flexible covering for the stiiener of the opaque backing member, although it may be a separately formed member, the flap extending from the backing member and in a direction inwardly toward the hinge for the cover members. A flap 18 is also provided on the outer edge of the cover 10 in the same manner as hereinbefore described with reference to cover 11, it being noted that it is only necessary to provide these flaps on the outer edges, although, if desired, provision is made whereby the nap 19, which in this instance is glued to the mat 20, may be left free to act in the same capacity.

When it is desired to position a card, such as the menu card 21 in the holder, the main body of the transparent sheet 13 is buckled and the free end thereof is pulled from the pocket 14 and the menu card is placed on the mat 20 which, for appearance, is preferably of colored paper or cloth contrasting to the color of the cover, one edge of the card being placed over the flap 18. After the menu card has been thus positioned, the free end of the flap 13 is inserted into the pocket 14 as shown in an initial position in Figure 1 on the left hand side of the ligure, the flap on the right hand side being shown in position. The ap 13 is moved into position to hold the flap 18 against the menu card, the flap 13 holding the main body of the card in position by reason of its overlying relation therewith. The menu card is thusentirely enveloped and held in a sanitary condition obviating its being mutilated or soiled through handling the holder.

The daily menu sheet 22 suggesting the specials offered patrons is next inserted in position by means of sliding one end of the menu sheet underneath either of the flaps 17. There may be two of these sheets of specials or any other desired number whereby one may be placed between each strip 17 on each cover. These sheets may be removed very conveniently at the end of each meal and replaced with other specials for succeeding meals.

As a result of this invention, a card holder is provided having means for positioning a more or less or permanent menu for seasonal foods and means for conveniently holding for ready removal and replacement specials for each meal. Both menus may be readily removed or replaced with great facility and lends itself toward a saving in time and patience. Because of its simplicity, ie devicev may be inexpensively produced and is very durable. The device may be readily cleaned and kept in a sanitary condition besides providing sanitation for the cards which are held in position therein. The device is economical because it minimizes reprinting of menu cards which, if not held in holders of this character, become mutilated, soiled, and destroyed in a short length of time.

`While but a single embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various modications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and, therefore, the same is only to be limited by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A card holder comprising a relatively stiff flat backing member, a flexible transparent flap member overlying said backing member for retaining a card therebetween, said iiap member being secured at one end thereof to said backing member, and a strip secured to said backing member forming a pocket for removably receiving and frictionally holding the free end of said flap member.

2. A card holder comprising a backing member, a plurality of superposed transparent flap members having contacting surfaces and secured tightly together at one of the ends thereof to and overlying said backing member, and means on 120 said backing member for frictionally holding the free end of one of said flap members to retain a card therebetween, the remaining ap members providing a frictional means therebetween for holdingother cards in position in said holder.

3. A card holder comprising a backing member, a plurality of superposed transparent flap members having contacting surfaces and secured tightly together at one of the ends thereof to and overlying said backing member of different lengths, and means on said backing member for frictionally holding the free end of one of said flap members to retain a card therebetween, the remaining ap members providing a frictional means therebetween for holding other cards in position in said holder.

4. A card holder comprising a backing member, a pair of superposed transparent flap members of differentrlengths having contacting surfaces and secured tightly together at the ends 140 thereof to and overlying said backing member, and means on said backing member for frictionally holding the longer said flap member to retain a card therebetween, the other iiap member providing a frictional grip between it and said 145 rst mentioned flap member for holding a second card in position.

5. A card holder comprising a backing member, a plurality of superposed flap members having contacting surfaces secured tightly together 150 at one of the ends thereof to and overlying said backing member, at least one of said ap members being transparent, and means on said backing member for removably receiving and frictionally holding the free end of said transparent ap member to retain a card therebetween, the remaining flap members providing a frictional means for holding other cards in position therebetween.

6. A card holder comprising a backing member, a transparent ap member secured adjacent to one end and overlying said backing member, means adjacent the other end of said backing member for holding the free end of said transparent ap member to retain a card therebetween, and a strip secured adjacent one edge of said backing member for overlying the edge of said card, said transparent member holding said strip in position against said card.

7. A card holder comprising a backing member, a pair of superposed flap members of different lengths having contacting surfaces and secured at one of their ends to one end of and overlying said backing member, one of said flap members being transparent, means adjacent the other end of said backing member for frictionally holding the free end of said transparent flap member to retain a card therebetween, and a strip secured adjacent at least one edge of said backing member for overlying the edge of said card, said transparent member holding said strip in position against said card, the other flap member being adapted to frictionally grip another card between it and said first flap member.

MAX SIMON.

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