Slide holder

Claim 2

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said holder comprising: a pair of spaced slide gripping members adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of a stack of slides, at least one of said gripping members being movable (1) toward the other member to grip the slide stack and (2) away from the other member to release the slide stack; and overcenter spring means operatively connected to said one gripping member and having a first stable condition for urging said one member toward said other member and a second stable condition for urging said one member away from said other member.

Claim 3

A slide holder as defined in claim 1 further comprising means interconnecting said spring means and said one gripping member for (1) placing said spring means in its second stable condition when said one gripping member is moved toward said other member and (2) moving said one gripping member away from said other member when said spring means is placed in its first stable condition.

Claim 4

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said slide holder comprising: a plate having two spaced, parallel edges; a first member connected to said plate along one of said edges and a second member connected to said plate along another of said edges, said first and second members (1) extending to one side of said plate in directions generally perpendicular to portions said plate near said one and other edges, respectively, and (2) being adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of a stack of slides; and overcenter spring means operatively connected to said plate and having (1) a first stable condition bending the portions of said plate near said edges toward said one side of said plate for causing said members to move toward each other to grip the stack of slides therebetween and (2) a second stable condition bending the portions of said plate near said edges away from said one side of said plate for causing said members to move away from each other to release the stack of slides therebetween.

Claim 5

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said slide holder comprising: a plate having two spaced, parallel edges; a first member connected to said plate along one of said edges and a second member connected to said plate along another of said edges, said first and second members (1) extending to one side of said plate in directions generally perpendicular to portions said plate near said one and other edges, respectively, and (2) being adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of a stack of slides; and overcenter spring means operatively connected to said plate and having (1) a first stable condition bending the portions of said plate near said edges toward said one side of said plate for causing said members to move toward each other to grip the stack of slides therebetween and (2) a second stable condition bending the portions of said plate near said edges away from said one side of said plate for causing said members to move away from each other to release the stack of slides therebetween.

Claim 6

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said slide holder comprising: a flexible plate having (1) two spaced, parallel edges and (2) a region curved about an axis parallel to said edges and movable from one side to the other side of a plane defined by said edges so as to flex said plate; and a first member extending generally perpendicularly from at least one side of said plate at one of said edges and a second member extending generally perpendicularly from at least said one side of said plate at the other of said edges, said members being adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of a stack of slides located adjacent said one side of said plate, whereby said members are moved (1) toward each other to grip the slides when the axis of curvature of said region is on said one side of said plate and (2) away from each other to release the slides when the axis of curvature of said region is on the other side of said plate.

Claim 7

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said slide holder comprising: a flexible plate having (1) two spaced, parallel edges and (2) a region curved about an axis parallel to said edges and movable from one side to the other side of a plane defined by said edges so as to flex said plate; and a first member extending generally perpendicularly from at least one side of said plate at one of said edges and a second member extending generally perpendicularly from at least said one side of said plate at the other of said edges, said members being adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of a stack of slides located adjacent said one side of said plate, whereby said members are moved (1) toward each other to grip the slides when the axis of curvature of said region is on said one side of said plate and (2) away from each other to release the slides when the axis of curvature of said region is on the other side of said plate.

Claim 8

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said slide holder comprising a sheet of resilient material, said sheet: being bent along two parallel, spaced lines to form a generally U-shaped configuration in cross-section along a plane perpendicular to said lines; including a generally rectangular plate having two opposed edges coinciding with said bends to form the base of the U-shaped configuration, said plate (1) defining a pair of spaced slots each extending in a direction perpendicular to said opposed edges and (2) including a region between said slots which is curved about an axis parallel to said edges, whereby said region will form a bow movable from one side to the other side of a plane defined by said edges so as to flex said plate; including first and second side wall members depending generally perpendicularly to said plate from one and the other of said opposed edges, respectively, to form the legs of the U-shaped configuration, whereby said side wall members will be moved toward each other to grip a stack of slides therebetween by the flexure of said plate when said bow is moved to one side of said plate and will be moved away from each other by the flexure of said plate to release the stack of slides therebetween when said bow is moved to the other side of said plate.

Claim 9

A slide holder for receiving and releasably holding a stack of slides, said slide holder comprising a sheet of resilient material, said sheet: being bent along two parallel, spaced lines to form a generally U-shaped configuration in cross-section along a plane perpendicular to said lines; including a generally rectangular plate having two opposed edges coinciding with said bends to form the base of the U-shaped configuration, said plate (1) defining a pair of spaced slots each extending in a direction perpendicular to said opposed edges and (2) including a region between said slots which is curved about an axis parallel to said edges, whereby said region will form a bow movable from one side to the other side of a plane defined by said edges so as to flex said plate; including first and second side wall members depending generally perpendicularly to said plate from one and the other of said opposed edges, respectively, to form the legs of the U-shaped configuration, whereby said side wall members will be moved toward each other to grip a stack of slides therebetween by the flexure of said plate when said bow is moved to one side of said plate and will be moved away from each other by the flexure of said plate to release the stack of slides therebetween when said bow is moved to the other side of said plate.

Claim 10

A slide holder as defined in claim 5 further comprising means on said plate for spacing said plate from the stack of slideS received between said side wall members.

Claim 11

A slide holder as defined in claim 6 wherein said spacing means comprises at least one raised portion on the surface of said plate from which said side wall members depend.

Claim 12

A slide holder as defined in claim 6 wherein said spacing means comprises a pair of raised portions on the surface of said plate from which said side wall members depend, one of said raised portions extending between a first end of each of said slots and the other of said raised portions extending between a second end of each of said slots.

Claim 13

A slide holder as defined in claim 5 further comprising means defining a plurality of slots in said region of said sheet to permit the sheet to ripple in said region as the bow formed thereby is moved from one side to the other side of the plane defined by said edges.

Claim 14

A slide holder as defined in claim 9 wherein said slots in said region are elongated and extend at an angle to said edges.

Claim 15

A slide holder as defined in claim 10 wherein said angle is substantially different than ninety degrees.

Claim 16

A slide holder as defined in claim 11 wherein approximately half of said slots in said region extend in a direction approximately at right angles to the direction in which the other slots extend.