Ring binder

Ring binder
A D-ring three-ring binder

Ring binders (pronounced BINE-der) (sometimes called files in Britain) are folders in which punched pieces of paper may be held by means of clamps running through the holes in the paper. These retainers are usually spring-loaded, frequently circular (some rings are D-shaped, others are actually rods), and may have additional latching systems.

Binders come in many standard sizes with respect to both capacity and paper size. Most countries use a two or four hole system for holding A4 sheets. The most common type in Canada and the United States is a three ring system for letter size pages (8½" × 11"). A standard 8½" × 11" sheet of paper has three holes with spacing of 4¼". The lever arch system is particularly useful for larger amounts of paper. Many personal organizers and memorandum books use a six- or seven-hole system, including Filofax, the FranklinCovey Franklin Planner, and Day-Timer. These above mentioned systems have the rings on the left side of the papers as one opens the binder, but there are also binders that have the rings (concealed by the binder cover) at the top edge of the paper, reminiscent of a clipboard.

Most binder covers are made of three pieces, in the fashion of a hardback book, but are produced in many styles. Materials vary widely. Some vinyl binders have a clear pocket on the outside for cover pages, and many have pockets in the inner cover for loose papers, business cards, compact discs, etc. There are also zipper binders, which zip the binder up and keep papers from falling out. Some binders are stored in matching slipcases for greater protection; either with one slipcase per each binder, or one slipcase holding several binders.

It is also possible to insert the sheet of paper into a polypropylene sheet protector. The sheet protector already has the holes, so the document can be kept untouched and wrinkled.

History

German Friedrich Soennecken invented ring binders in 1886 in Bonn, Germany. He also registered a patent on November 14, 1886 for his Papierlocher für Sammelmappen (hole punch). German Louis Leitz, founder of Leitz later made some important changes in development of ring binders in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. Leitz introduced the hole in the side of the file.

The two holes are 80mm apart, according to ISO 838. The four-holes version has no ISO standard, the distances are 80mm, 80mm and 80mm (3x8).

Another design for ring binders was invented in 1889 by Andreas Tengwall in Helsingborg, Sweden and patented in 1890 under the name 'Trio binder', named after a business consortium of Tengwall and two associates. Tengwall's design uses four rings, two coming from each side in a forking fashion. The hole placement of Tengwall's Trio binder is still used as a de-facto standard for hole punching in Sweden under the name triohålning. These holes are 21mm, 70mm and 21mm apart. (In this article, it makes mention that, according to the curator of the Early Office Museum in London, the first patent for ring binders was filed in 1859 for a 2 ring binder. A few years later 3 ring binders became the standard in the US, and the "D" ring binders did not come on the market there until the 1940s or 1950's.)

See also


  • Three ring binder

  • Tengwall's four ring "fork" binder

  • Storex's three ring binders


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • ring binder — ► NOUN ▪ a loose leaf binder with ring shaped clasps that can be opened to pass through holes in the paper …   English terms dictionary

  • ring binder — ring binders N COUNT A ring binder is a file with hard covers, which you can insert pages into. The pages are held in by metal rings on a bar attached to the inside of the file …   English dictionary

  • ring binder — UK US noun [C] WORKPLACE ► a hard cover with metal rings inside that pass through holes in paper documents to keep them together …   Financial and business terms

  • ring binder — ring .binder n BrE a ↑file for holding papers, in which metal rings go through the edges of the pages, holding them in place …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • ring binder — ring ,binder noun count a hard cover with metal rings inside that pass through special holes in sheets of paper to keep them together …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • ring binder — noun : a loose leaf binder in which split metal rings attached to a metal back hold the perforated leaves * * * noun, pl ⋯ ers [count] : a cover for sheets of paper that are fastened into rings that pass through holes on the edge of the paper * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • ring binder — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms ring binder : singular ring binder plural ring binders a hard cover with metal rings inside that pass through special holes in sheets of paper to keep them together …   English dictionary

  • ring binder — ring′ bind er n. a loose leaf binder in which the sheets are held in by two or more rings that can be made to snap open • Etymology: 1925–30 …   From formal English to slang

  • ring binder — noun a loose leaf binder with ring shaped clasps that can be opened to pass through holes in the paper. Derivatives ring bound adjective …   English new terms dictionary

  • ring-binder — noun holds loose papers or magazines • Syn: ↑binder • Derivationally related forms: ↑bind (for: ↑binder) • Hypernyms: ↑protective covering, ↑protective cov …   Useful english dictionary

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