Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TELEP~IONE DIRECTO~Y INFORMATION SUPPORT BF~ACKET
A bracket for supporting telephone directory information or the like~
having an upwardly inclined flat portion that is solely supported on one side
edge by a downwardly projecting side member. The lower edge of the side
member has a securing device for fitting under and behind the side of a
telephone housing and being secured thereto, holding the inclined flat portion -
in a suspended~ projected position for supporting the directory information.
A retainer on the upper end of the inclined flat portion holds the directory
information and accepts, but yet positively holds, the directory information
in position, by employing a U-shaped member having inwardly compressing
surfaces, and in another embodiment has an attachment device that wedges
within the U-shaped me~lber to hold the directory information in position.
There are existing devices that are ~mounted onto telephone structures
for ~roviding quick directory information. These devices are often used to
provide directory information in hotels, motels and the like. Such known
devices cormprise slide mechanisms that fit under the telephone housing and
are pulled forward from underneath the telephone for use. With the advent
of new dialing information~ it is desirable that a telephone directory
information support bracket be able to be secured to the telephone housing
and so be positioned that the directory information is always within the
telephone user's sight. Then the telephone user will become more aware that
such directory information exists, and will be more apt to use the information.
The foregoing particularly applies to direct dialing information. This
information benefits the telephone company as it reduces t~e amount of ~e rsonnel
time required to handle direct dialed and credit card dialed telephone calls.
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The prohlems with the existing, under the telephone mounted, devices
are ~hat these devices are no~ effectively within the user's view. To use
such devices, the user must first recognize or notice the existence of the
under the tslephone positioned directory and then must slide out the direc-
tory to review the :information. This unfortunately seldom occurs. Also,
the space underneath the telephone for mounting such a slidable device of
necessi~y causes the devices when being moved to directly contact the particu-
lar surface, such as a wood cabinet or the like, on which the telephone is
positioned. This often mars the surface. ~urther, the space only allows a
limited amount of information to be placed into the directory, and provides
little or no support for writing information on paper placed on the directory
support.
So it is advantageous to have a new and improved telephone support-
ed directory support, that only supports directory information but has retainer
means that allow quick changing of the directory information from time to
time, and for supporting other information such as advertisements or the like,
or for supporting pads so that information may be written do~n about long
distance telephone calls made and thus recorded, and which support bracket
may be attached to other devices than telephones.
According to the presen~ invention, there is provided a telephone
directory information support comprising: a first planar member for support-
ing directory lnformation, a second planar member joined at one of its side
edges to one of the side edges of said first planar member, the opposite
side edge of the second planar member having an acute angle with the line
of intersection of the side edges of said first and second planar members,
said opposite side edge having securing means for securing said support to
the side of a telephone with said opposite side edge being substantially
horizontal and said first planar member presenting a flat; upwardly inclined
surace for presenting directory information ~o telephone users, retainer
means positioned at the upper inclined end portion of said first planar
member for retaining telephonè directory information in visible position on
said first planar member, said retainer means comprising a U-shaped retainer
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member with one side o said U-shaped retainer member being secured to the
under side of said first planar member with the other side of the U-shaped
retainer member projecting above said first planar member for receiving
directory information between the upper side of the U-shaped retainer
member and the first planar member, the lower surface of said other side of
said U-shaped retainer member being inclined downwardly at a slight angle
toward the free edge, said first planar member having at least one wedge
shaped slot in the upper end edge, said one side of said U-shaped retainer
having on its upper surface a wedge shaped key for fitting into said wedge
shaped slot and holding said U-shaped retainer to said first planar member,
said upper end of said first planar member within the volume defined by
said U-shaped retainer having a groove extending across the width of the
upper surface of said first planar member~ attachment means comprising a
plate having downwardly projecting end legs, which end legs have a length
slightly larger than the minimum distance between the other side o said
U-shaped retainer and the upper surface of said first planar member, at
least a pair of pins extending downwardly from the plate and having tapered
ends for riding in said slot, said pins having a diameter smaller than holes
provided in loose leaf pages for holding the loose leaf pages in position,
whereby said attachment is slidably positioned under the U-shaped retainer
between the other side and the first planar member for retaining loose leaf
pages on the first planar member.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a first flat and
rectangular planar member is connected at one of its side edges to a second
generally triangularly shaped planar member at one of its side edges. The
members are at a normal angle, with the second planar member projecting
downwardly and presenting a bottom side edge that when at a level with a
horizontal support, positions the first planar member in an
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upwardly, inclined angle, The lower edge of the second planar member
has a securing means that generally comprises hook type members that
hook under the side of a telephone housing. This supports the first planar
member in an upright, upwardly inclined direction~ forming a surface fpr
supporting directory type information, scratch pads and the like. The
securing means or members hold the bracket in a secured and solid
position against an existing telephone structure. The securing members,
in another embodiment, have cooperative adapaters for providing attachment
to different telephone housing structures. Additionally, means are
provided to convert the hook members into a side attachment device
for attaching the bracket to the side of a telephone housing, or to the sides
of housing of other devices on which the bracket may be used.
The upper end of the bracket has retainer means for securing and
holding directory information and other written information~ or pads on
which information maybewritten. The retainer means generally comprises a
U-shaped member having an open side into which the end of the directory
information is placed and which cooperates with m~eans on the upper end
of the first planar member for holding the directory information in
position. Additionally, a locking bracket or attachment is connected to the
directory information and secured into the U-shaped member for retaining
loose sheets of information having a total thickness of less than the opening
of the U-shaped member.
Additionall~, rack means are connected to the undersurface of the
first planar member and adjacent the inner surface of the second planar ~; `
member, for receiving sheets, papers and the like. Thus in use9 telephone
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messages or long distance telephone calls may be recorded on a pad on
the upp~r surface of the first planar member, and then removed and
inserted into the rack or shelf underneath the first planar member for
storage in connection with that particular telephone on which the bracket is
attached.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a support
bracket for supporting telephone directory information and other information
all of a written nature, or pads upon which information may be written.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved
directory information support bracket having adapter means for adapting
the support of the bracket to the sides of many different exis~ng telephone
housings, or to the sides of other structures, by fitting the bracket against
the side wall of the housings.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved
directory supporting bracket having securing devices at the upper end of
a planar member for effectively, easily, quickly and yet securely holding
directory inforr~a tion or the like in replaceable attachment on the bracket.
Other objects and many advantages of this invention will become more
; apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and an
examination of the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate
like parts throughout and in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the basic configuration o-f the
bracke t.
FLgure 2 is a side elevation view thereof.
F'igure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.
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Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the spring clip.
Figure 6 ;s a perspective view of a wedge binder.
Figure 7 illustrates the attachment of the bracket to a telephone.
Figure 8 is a sectional view sirnilar to Figure 4, showing the
insertion of the wedge binder.
Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8.
Figure lû is a perspective view of a tray for use with the bracket.
Figure 11 is a side elevation view showing the attachment of the
1 0 tray.
Fi~ure 12 illustrates attachment of the bracket to another type of
telephone, using an adapter clip.
Figure 13 is a perspective view of the adapter clip.
Figure 14 is a perspective view of an adhesive adapter clip.
Figure 15 is a perspective view of a portion of the bracket9 showing
the attachment of a pin clip.
Referring now to Figure 1, the bracket 10 for supporting information
such as telephone directory information, other printed information or
writing paperJ has a first planar member 12 for supporting the written
information on the upper flat surface. A second planar member 14 is
secured at one of its side edges to the side edge of the first planar member
12 along line 15. The opposite side edge 17 of the second planar member
14 has a lower surface that lies in an acute angle with the edge line 15 of
the first and second planar members. Tpus, tl~planar member 12 is
rectangular and the planar member 14 has a generally triangular shape with
the end portion being cut off along the end surface 19.
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Securing means, such as the upwardly projecting arms 16 and 18,
project upwardly and fit between the bottom plate 48 and the side wall 46
of a known telephone housing 11. See Figure 7. The upwardly projecting
arms 16 and 18 have enlarged upper end portions 22 that fit through space
50 and press against wall 46, sandwiching wall 46 between end projection
22 and the side surface of planar member 14. At the bend of members
16 and 18, are downwardly projecting support surfaces 20. In a normal
connection, the compression force on wall 46 is sufficient, coupled with the
bending moment of weight on planar member 12, to hold bracket 10 in a
suspended position above the surface on which the telephone housing 44
rests. Thus, there is little or no contact between bracket 10 and the
horizontal supporting surface. Howe~er, should there be vertical movement
downwardly of the bracket 10, then the bracket 10 would contact the supporting
surface through the non-:marring, bearing surface 20.
Other telephone housing often have wider spacings between the inner
wall 48 and the outer wall 46. An example of the wider spaced structure,
see Figure 12, is in telephone housing 80. In this installationj the space
86 between bottom ~nember 82 and wall member 81 is considerably larger
than that irl phone 44. In the housing 46 of Figure 7, the space 50 is
nor~nally smaller than the head portion 22 of arm member 18. Thus head
portion 22 is wedged through the space 50 and into the space illustrated,
tending to lock and hold the bracket member 10 in the upper vertical position.
In the installation of Figure 12, an adapter member 87 is joined with arms
16 and 18 to occupy the space 86 and provide a vertical positi~e support.
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Adapter member 87 has an upright planar member with an upper hooked over
shoulder 94, a sideward projecting ridge 88J a panel member 92 and a
shoulder member 90 with upward notched surfaces 91.
l'~S may be seen in Figure 1, there is a space between arm members
16 and 18 with notched end portions 93 on the adjacent sides of each of arm
members 16 and 18. The adapter member 87 is slidably moved downwardly
with center panel member 92 moving through the space between member 16
and 18. The side edges 93 of the member 92 are angled outwardly, thus
forming a groove that coacts with the side surfaces of members 16 and 18,
to hold thepanel member in the attached position in the space. Shoulder
member 90 then passes down into the recess formed by notch 93, which
mates against the surface 91 locking the panel member 87 in position.
Then in installation the adapter member 87 and arms 16 and 18 are
forced through thespace 86. The upward end 94 of bottom member 82 then
abuts against the lower edge surface of ridge 88, locking the structure in
position and vertically holding the bracket 10 a spaced distance above the
surface on which the telephone rests.
In another embodiment, see Figure 14J a U-shaped member 96
has a channel space 102 that is defined by members 98 and 104. Wall 98
has an enlarged end 100. This member 96 is fitted over the upper end of
arms I6 ~and 18, with the enlarged portion 100 moving downwardly below
the inward projeotion 22 that fits înto space 102. This rigidly holds the
attachment 96 in the attached position to the side of bracket 10. Surface
106 has an adhesive surface that is securely fixed to the side of, for
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example, a telephone, computer or other devicej Eirmly securing and
supporting the bracket 10 thereto and in a spaced position above the
surface on which the telephone, computer, or the like rests.
F~etainer means are secured to the upper end of the first planar
5 member 12 to hold directory inEormation or loose-leaf type sheet
information in position on the planar member 12. In the embodiment
of Figure 1J the retainer means is a U~shaped member 24 having members
26, 28 and 30. Member 30, see Figure 5, has wedge shaped keys 34.
The upper end of the planar member 12 has slots 34, see F`igure 1 and
1~ Figwre 12. The ends OI the keys 34 and the inner ends of the notches 74
have outwardly expanded radius ends, so that when side 30 is mo~red against
the ~mdersurface of the planar member 12, the ends of the wedge shaped keys
move into slots 33 with the ends coacting with recesses 74J thus snapping
the side member 30 into abutting connection and holding the U-shaped
15 member 24 in secured position on the planar member 12.
The upper plate member 12 has a groove 32 that passes across the
upper surface. The keys 34 ha~Te tapered ends, see Figure 5, that coacts
with the groo~es 32. The upper member 26 of the U-shaped retainer 24
has a downwardly inclined surface 38 that narrows the slot space between
20 member 38 and the upper surEace of the panel member 12. 'rhus theupper
end of the sheets of material 40 when placed into the space defined by the
U-shaped retainer 24, and are held by the spring action of the U-shaped
retainer~ i. e. the inclined surface 38. Also projections 36 are in a position
to press against the paper for additional retaining force.
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The sheet material 40 should generally have a thickness that
corresponds with the space between the upper member 38 and the panel
member 12, In some situations, it may be desirable to have less loose-
leaf paper than that, such as where the loose sheets may be paper on which
5 information is to be written and removed. So in these situations, the paper
would have note book type apertures. These apertures then cooperate with
the attachment device 52 of Figure 6. Attachment device 52 of Figure 6
has an upper member 54 with downwardly projecting end member 64 and 66.
Positioned on the underneath surface of panel mernber 54 are cylindrical
projections 56 and 58 that have notched ends 68. The cylindrical projections
56 and 58 fit through holes in punched out openings in the end of papers 40~ -
thus holding the papers to the attachment device 52. The device 52 is then
slidably moved into the space defined by the U-shaped retai~er 24, by
moving member 52 with the attached paper sheets into the U-shaped ope~ing
from the side. The ends 68 of the cylindrical projections 56 and 58 slide in
a channel 32 until the attachment device 52 is in position. ~t this point,
recesses 60 and 62 coact with projections 36, to tend to lock and hold the
attaehment 52 in position wherein the paper sheets 40 are ret~ined in
position. These paper sheets may then be remoqed individually, while
20 still having the remainder of the she~s re'ained. When it is desired to
change the sheets, or to add sheets, then attachment member 52 is slidably
removed from the enclosed U-shaped space of retainer 24, and the paper
is added over the cylindrical projection 56 and 58, and the attachment 52
is then returned to the lock position holding the paper sheets.
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It is also p~ssible to use a more simplified retainer mexnber as
illustrated in Figure 15, wherein a bar 70 has cylindrical members 72
that fit through note book openings in the upper end of flexible sheets of
paper 40. The ends of cylindrical members 72 are then snapped through
the openings 74. Members 72 may also be moved into slots 33 in a move-
ment horizontal to the upper panel member 12. The U-shaped bracket
member 30 may be secured to the panel member 12 in the manner illustrated
and described in Figures 3, 4 and 5, or it may be fi~ed to the lower surface
of panel 12 by adhesives, bonding or the like.
Additionally, a shel:E member 108 is also secured to the undersurface
of upper panel member 12. This shelf member comprises a lower shelf
110 ha~ing side members 112 and 114 and an upper ear projecting member
118 with an inclined side surface 120 and an end surface 122. The shelf
member 108 is fitted with side edge 111 abutting against the in~er surface
of panel member 14. This places ear member 118 parallel with the panel
rnember 14 and side edge 120 abutting again,st side edge 132 and end 122
abutting against notch edge surface 130. See Figures 1 and 10. Shelf
member 108 is then bonded in this position :Eorming an underneath shelf
member for holding papers or the like to the bracket, which sheEmember
2Q has a slot 116 to facilitate access to papers placed thereon.
EIaving described my invention, I now claim:
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