Means for filing documents

Claim 1

Document filing apparatus, comprising: a frame including rail support means and first and second elongated substantially horizontally-disposed rails each being of equal width and each having opposite inner and outer sides, said first and second rails being disposed in horizontal spaced-apart relationship with said inner sides of said rails facing each other; and a plurality of elongated document-supporting bars each having a load carrying upper portion and a document carrying lower portion, each said upper portion extending the full length of said bar and being generally concavo-convex in cross section to provide supporting strength for said bar and to provide a relatively compact horizontal nesting relationship with other like bars positioned adjacent to each other, said lower portion being generally planar in configuration with an upper boundary thereof affixed to a lower boundary of said upper portion, said lower portion having first and second notches formed therein proximate the ends of said bar, said notches opening downwardly away from said upper portion for receiving respective ones of said rails when said bar is positioned thereupon, that part of said lower portion extending between said first and second notches including a plurality of fastening means each comprised of an integral flexible fastener and opening means for affixing documents to said supporting bar, the end-most parts of said lower portiOn forming stops of equal length extending in a direction longitudinal of said bar, said first and second notches each having a longitudinal length greater than the combined widths of said first and second rails and the length of one of said stops such that when said first end of said bar is raised, said bar may be moved in said longitudinal direction toward said second rail far enough that said one end may be lowered to clear said inner side of said first rail while said second notch is still engaged with said second rail, thus allowing said second notch to thereafter be disengaged from said second rail by longitudinal movement of said bar beneath said first rail and in a direction away from said second rail while said bar is tilted to an inclined position and said second end of said bar is raised slightly to clear said second rail wherein said flexible fastener and opening means includes an elongated strap having an enlarged head segment at one end, the other end of said strap remaining unsevered from said lower portion, the severed strap and head segment leaving a generally key-shaped opening in said lower portion whereby when said strap is used to form a loop for affixing documents to said supporting bar, said head segment may be locked within said opening by slipping said head segment through that part of the opening formerly occupied by the elongated portion of the strap.