Device for locking perforated stationery together on a support

Claim 1

A holding device for holding a plurality of stacked perforated leaves of stationery, the improvement comprising: an elongated base member having a generally flat base portion and a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally aligned integral web portions projecting away from one side of said base portion adjacent the opposite ends and substantially spaced from one edge thereof, said web portions having a pair of axially aligned openings therein, said base member having integral first arcuate prongs thereon positioned closely adjacent said one edge of said base portion, said first prongs projecting away from said one side of said base portion and positioned between said opposite ends of said base portion and out of alignment with the longitudinally aligned web portions, said first prongs being substantially concentric with said openings; an elongated complementary member having a generally flat platelike portion and wall means integral with said platelike portion and extending toward said base member, at least a paIr of integral and aligned projections extending in parallelism away from said wall means, pin means on said projections and extending outwardly therefrom defining a hinge axis, said projections being positioned between said web portions with said pin means being received in said openings in said web portions thereby rendering said complementary member hingably secured to said base member and movable between an opened position wherein said platelike portion is inclined relative to said base portion and a closed position wherein said platelike portion is parallel to said base portion, said complementary member having integral second arcuate prongs secured to and positioned closely adjacent an edge of said flat platelike portion remote from said wall means, said second prongs projecting away from one side of said platelike portion and positioned in side-by-side alignment with said first prongs, said second prongs being concentric about said hinge axis such that said side-by-side alignment of said first and second prongs on said base member and said complementary member define a plurality of pairs of arcuate prongs when said complementary member is in said closed position, each pair of arcuate prongs being received in one of the perforations in said leaves of stationery to thereby hold same within said holding device when said complementary member is in said closed position, and said wall means being elongated in a direction substantially parallel to said hinge axis, a surface of said wall means facing said prongs and being concentric with said first and second prongs to define a support surface for said stationery; first recess means in said base portion closely adjacent said first arcuate prongs and aligned with said second arcuate prongs so that the free ends of said second prongs are receivable therein when the complementary member is in the closed position; second recess means in said flat platelike portion closely adjacent said second arcuate prongs and aligned with said first arcuate prongs so that the free ends of said first prongs are receivable therein when the complementary member is in the closed position, whereby the free ends of said second and first prongs are laterally fixed relative to the respective elongated base member and complementary member; and interrelated resilient locking means integral with said base member and said complementary member for releasably locking said complementary member in the closed position.