The present invention generally relates to a document or manuscript cover and/or holder which provides a form more convenient, usable, time-saving and attractive than is traditionally provided for use with legal documents or documents for other professions.
With one type of traditional document or manuscript cover, the document or manuscript is covered front and back, and is stapled in along the left hand side. The problem with this type of cover is that the document is often clipped in at the top in file folders, and it is impossible to read it without removing it from the file clips. The problem gets further complicated when other documents or other items, such as letters, memoranda and correspondence (herein xe2x80x9cmaterialxe2x80x9d), get clipped into the file on top of the covered documents. When that occurs the only way to read the document is to remove the document from the file, which involves removing all the items filed subsequently above that document, and probably replacing them later.
The other commonly used cover is one that covers the back and the top of the document or the back over the top, and down the front. When clipped into a file folder, this creates a real problem in reading the document because, when it gets clipped into a file folder at the top, it binds the top portion which often makes the top of the document unreadable unless the top margin of the document is untraditionally low. Also, if there has been a number of documents or other material filed on top of the covered document, it becomes impossible to read the covered document without removal of the material above it. The problem gets further vexing, distractive and time consuming when the document is printed on both sides, requiring either removal of the document or going through the gyrations of turning the file one way to read one side of the page, and then turning it the reverse way to read the other side of the page.
Because of these problems, covered documents, which are usually the most important, are often never filed or clipped in, leaving them loose in the file, out of order and subject to getting lost or misplaced. This problem increases in proportion to the number of covered documents and other material in the file.
The following U.S. patents are generally pertinent to the present invention, but are burdened by the disadvantages set forth above: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,175,691; 1,466,308; 2,052,623; 2,274,909; 4,764,159; 4,830,268; 5,098,366; 5,256,130; and 5,433,481.
The present invention generally relates to a document or manuscript cover and/or holder which provide a form more convenient, usable, time-saving and attractive than is traditionally provided for use with legal documents or documents for other professions.
The cover disclosed herein resolves the foregoing problems in such a manner that the document can be put in the cover, the cover and the document can be clipped in a file folder with further documents or other material filed on top, and the document can be read like a book without removal of the document or the other material from the file folder.
There are two basic embodiments of the invention. A first embodiment comprises a cover of both the front and the back of a document. A second embodiment comprises a cover of only the back of the document. Both embodiments provide for fixing or stapling the document and the cover on the left hand side so that the document can be read like a book.
In accordance with the invention, a rear panel of the cover has an extension above the document inserted into the cover so that, if the document is in a file without other material on top, it can be read like a book without removing it from the file. Even if there is other material filed on top of the document in the cover, that material need only be rolled back because space provided between the file clips that hold the other material in the file, on the one hand, and the document in the cover and to be read, on the other hand, permits the document in the cover to be read without removing it from the file and without the other material being in the way. This is particularly important when the document within the cover is printed on both sides of the page because both sides can be read like a book.
A further advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the covered document, which is probably an important document, can be readily found in the file since the lower portion of the document extends below all other material that may be clipped above it in the file.
Traditional covers are nine inches (9xe2x80x3) wide, which extends the cover past the material at the sides (looking down on the document), and this often covers up filing data on the right hand edge of the file and creates space problems on the left side. The space problems on the left are where the file is primarily designed for use of material eight and one-half inches (8xc2xdxe2x80x3) wide.
In accordance with the invention, the width of the cover and document is at the most eight and five-eighths inches (8⅝xe2x80x3), only one-eighth (xe2x85x9xe2x80x3) wider than standard letter material, solving the problems just described above.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a document or manuscript cover and/or holder which provides a form more convenient, usable, time-saving and attractive than is traditionally provided for use with legal documents or documents for other professions.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a document or manuscript cover and/or holder wherein the document can be put in the cover, the cover and the document can be clipped into a file folder with other material filed on top, and the document can be read like a book without removal of the document or the other material from the file folder.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a document or manuscript cover and/or holder which has an extension above the document inserted into the cover so that, if it is in a file without other material on top, it can be read like a book without removing it from the file.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a document or manuscript cover and/or holder which has an extension above the document inserted into the cover so that, if there is other material filed on top of the document in the cover, the other material need only be rolled back because space provided between the file clips that hold the other material in the file, on the one hand, and the document in the cover, on the other hand, permits the document in the cover to be read without removing it from the file and without the other material being in the way.
The above and other objects, and the nature of the invention, will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.