PAPER HOLDER

This invention relates to a paper holder, more particularly to a holder for holding a sheet of paper in a position where it may be easily viewed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

US 6286800 describes a holder for holding notes on the monitor of a computer, so that the notes are visible to the operator of the computer. The holder as an open channel with one or more resilient members in the channel. The notes are placed between the resilient member and the wall of the channel or alternately between the two resilient members. The resilient members may be plastic tubes.

Other known paper holders use a spring to hold the notes in position or a brush like member. An example of a spring is shown in GB 283932 which describes a spring acting between two plates to hold note papers in position ready for use.

Also there is known a paper holder wherein the paper is held in position by a plurality of small balls, such as marbles in a channel. The paper is inserted upwardly into the holder, the channel being so shaped that the weight of the balls bear against the paper to hold it in position. The paper is withdrawn by pulling downwardly and outwardly of the holder.

While the above prior art effectively holds paper sheets or notes, the holders are limited in their use in that the note or paper must be removed from the same side of the holder in the opposite direction of movement.

Hence the known holders have a restricted use and are thus virtually limited to being attached to a vertical surface so that the note hangs vertically to be read by the person to whom the note is intended.

It is an object of the invention to provide a note holder which will overcome one or more of the deficiencies of the known note holders.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a note holder able to be mounted on a horizontal surface or a vertical surface or a surface at any angle therebetween.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a note holder in which the note can pass through the holder to be removed by a movement in the same direction as the note was inserted in the holder or the note can be removed from the opposite direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a note holder in which the note have various positions in the holder to indicate whether instructions on the note are being attended to.

BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

Thus there is provided according to the invention a note holder, said holder having an elongated base, an elongated channel shaped member positioned above said base opening downwardly toward said base and spaced from said base, end clips supporting said channel shaped member, and a plurality of rotatable members positioned in said channel shaped member whereby the weight of the rotatable members holds a note against the surface of the elongated base.

Preferably the surface of the elongated base is flat.

Preferably the rotatable members are marbles.

In an alternate form preferably the rotatable members are short circular rods.

Preferably the edges of the channel shaped member are in turned to form a slot on each side of the holder.

Also there is provided according to the invention an elongated note holder, said holder having an elongated base, a channel shaped cover spaced from the base, a plurality of balls retained between the cover and the base whereby a note can be passed from one side of the holder into the holder to be retained in position by the balls and removed from the holder from the opposite side of the holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which :-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a paper holder,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the holder placed on a horizontal surface,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the holder on a vertical surface,

Figure 4 shows an end cap, and

Figures 5 and 6 show one form of use of the paper or note holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The holder 1 has a base 2 and a cover 3 and end caps 4. The base 2 has a flat upper surface 5 and side legs 6 curved downwardly to terminate in flat feet 7. The base also has a pair of downwardly extending clips 8 which have flat portions 9 on the same plane as the feet 7. On the inside portion of each clip is

a longitudinal ledge 10. The base also includes a mounting plate 11 having longitudinal spring clip edges 12. The mounting plate 11 can have one or more holes through the bottom of the plate for screws to attach the plate to a selected surface. Alternately the mounting plate may be adhered to the selected surface. Thus to place the holder in the selected position, the mounting plate is secured to the selected surface and the holder is then clipped in position, the ledges 10 on the clips 8 thus engaging under the spring clip edges 12 of the mounting plate 11.

The cover 3 has a smoothly curved upper surface 13 sloping from an apex 14 and extending downwardly to ends 15. The ends 15 extend inwardly and downwardly to tapered ends 16, such that when the cover is assembled a gap 17 is created between the ends 16 and the surface 5 of the base. The inside surface of the tapered ends is a flat surface 18 extending from the end to meet a flat surface 19 on the inside surface of the cover, the flat surfaces merge into a curved inner surface 20 joining the two flat surfaces 19.

Positioned in the cover are a number of balls 21 which in this instance are glass marbles. However it is realised the balls may be of other material, such as metal or of a plastic material or rubber. In addition instead of balls, short cylindrical rollers may be used. However as noted later the balls or rollers must have sufficient mass to frictionally hold the note or paper against the flat upper surface of the base.

The cover is held in position by the end caps 4. The end cap is shaped to conform with the external shape of the cover and base, the end cap thus having a body portion 22 and extending leg portions 23. The body portion has a cover extension 24 shaped to conform to the interior shape of the cover, engaging the curved inner surface 20, the flat portions 19 and the flat surfaces 18 of the turned in ends of the cover. Thus when the end extension 24 is inserted into the cover, the cover is securely held in position.

The end cap also has separation extensions 25 to extend between the cover and the base 2, these extensions providing the separation of the cover from the base to form the gap between the cover and base. In addition the end cap 4 has a base extension 26 to conform to the profile of the opening between the undersurface of the base 2 and the clips 8 extending from the undersurface of the base 2. Thus it can be seen the end caps position and securely hold the cover relative to the base.

To assemble the holder one end cap is positioned with the extensions entering the cover and base, the marbles are then inserted and then the second end cap is positioned with the extensions entering the cover and base.

As noted above the holder is installed by attaching the mounting plate to the surface and then clipping the holder onto the mounting plate.

The contour of the interior of the cover is such that the marbles have a degree of movement, and the marbles have sufficient mass that a note or paper inserted between the marbles and surface 5 the paper is fictionally held in position. Figure 2 shows a note being held in position when the holder is mounted on a horizontal surface. However Figure 3 shows the position of the marbles when the holder is mounted on a vertical surface. The marbles in this position will rest by gravity against the lower surface of the cover, the internal shape of the cover also ensuring that the marbles are in contact with the base surface 5. Thus due to the mass of the marbles the contact force between the marbles and the base surface 5 is such that a note or paper is retained in the holder.

Thus the holder is designed to be used on either a horizontal surface or vertical surface and is such that note can be inserted in one side of the holder and removed from the opposite side. As shown in Figures 5 and 6 the note and holder can be used to indicate the state of an order, say in a restaurant. The note is first positioned to extend through the holder a distance to indicate that a

new order has been placed. When the chef ready for that order the chef pulls the note up to read the order with note being retained in the holder by the lower portion of the note. This indicates to other chefs or kitchen staff and the waiter that the order is being attended to. On completion of the order the note is removed from the holder. By utilising this system it is ensured that all orders are attended to and none are missed.

The cover and base can be manufactured from any desired material and can be extruded in either metal or a suitable plastics material. As noted above the marbles may be replaced by other balls or short cylindrical rods. While specific shapes have been described it is to be realised that the invention is not to be limited thereto, but can include other shapes and contours which will ensure that the note or paper is frictionally held in position irrespective of the orientation of the holder, and permitting the note to be removed from the holder from the opposite side to which it was inserted.

Although one form of the invention has been described in some detail it is to be realised that the invention is not to be limited thereto but can include variations falling with the spirit and scope of the invention.