Leaf binding

Claim 1

A leaf binding arrangement of integraL unitary construction comprising a flat base member of rigid, resilient material, said member being sheet-like and being thin relative to its length and width, said member also having a substantially plane lower surface and having a substantially plane upper surface for receiving and supporting a plurality of stacked sheets thereon with the lowermost sheet lying face-to-face against said upper surface, a plurality of prong-like, spaced binding loops of inverted U-shaped configuration with one leg thereof integral with said base member and extending upwardly from said upper surface and the other leg thereof extending downwardly and having a free end, the binding loops being positionally arranged with their corresponding legs distributed in spaced relation in two parallel rows on said base member adjacent, but spaced from, an edge of said base member thereby leaving a rigid portion of said base member between the row nearest said edge and said edge, and extending along said edge for the length of said rows, said base member having a plurality of spaced openings extending therethrough, one below each said other legs of each loop and spaced inwardly from said edge for receiving said other leg, said other leg of each loop extending downwardly into its associated opening, and said base member having indented portions of reduced cross-section extending along a line parallel to and intermediate said two parallel rows but nearer to the one thereof in which said one legs are distributed, whereby said rigid portion of said base member may be bent downwardly as a unit about said line to permit insertion of said sheets beneath the free ends of said other legs and the indented portions form resilient hinge portions which return said portion of the base member to its unbent position when it is released.