munwar: Side Filing Cabinets

Friday 28 September 2012

Side Filing Cabinets

The vertical filing cabinet (vertical file cabinet in the United States) more or less as in use today was invented by Edwin G. Seibels in 1898. He invented a vertical filing system in 1898 that revolutionized record-keeping. Previously, businesses kept papers in envelopes in turn stored in arrays of pigeonholes often lining a wall. Finding and opening envelopes and unfolding papers was troublesome and inefficient. Seibels reasoned that folding was not necessary; papers could be kept in large envelopes standing on end vertically in a drawer.

The Globe–Wernicke Company of Cincinnati made him five wooden filing boxes, and he applied for a patent; Seibels was told an idea was unpatentable; only a device could be patented. "It was pointed out that by simply varying the size, a filing box could be made which would not infringe my patent. Unfortunately, I overlooked the part played in setting the envelopes upright, and separating them by guide cards. This device, of course, could have been patented."