Name that thing

March 28, 2017 2:07 PM

In medical dramas on tv, the doctor will approach an illuminated wall-mounted box and clip x-rays under the clip at the top, just by pushing it underneath. Is there something like this for an office, without the backlight, for displaying pieces of mainly A4 paper? What is it called?
posted by bergnotburg to Work & Money (11 answers total)

Would a clipboard (i.e., something where you press on the top of the clip to open it) work for your purpose? Or do you want one where you can just kind of shove papers upward and the thing grabs them?
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:09 PM on March 28, 2017

Response by poster: I want one where you can shove papers upward and the thing grabs them. But wide!
posted by bergnotburg at 2:12 PM on March 28, 2017

It sounds like this kind of copy holder might suite your purposes?
posted by drlith at 2:15 PM on March 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I think you want this
posted by BillMcMurdo at 2:16 PM on March 28, 2017 [9 favorites]

Here's one. I googled for roller copy holder.
posted by Bruce H. at 2:16 PM on March 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think a display rail is what it's usually called.
posted by GuyZero at 2:17 PM on March 28, 2017

They exist. I have something like that on the bottom part of the name plate thing on my office door. I don't know what it's called. Basically if I wanted to advertise an event or something, I could put a paper there and it would hang under my name.

Anyway, googling office door name plates paper holder, I found this picture. An image search for that picture led me here where it is called a message display strip.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 2:17 PM on March 28, 2017 [1 favorite]

I have the one that BillMcMurdo links to on the wall outside my office. It works just in the way you describe.
posted by Betelgeuse at 2:33 PM on March 28, 2017

Nthing BillMcMurdo's product. Pro tip: to get papers out, pull them up vertically, so the part that was on display is now facing the strip. Do not struggle and try to pull them down or out towards you, both of those will cause the paper to rip, and your boss to look at you like you're an idiot before coming over and calmly, gracefully, and smoothly flip them up and take them out.
posted by Fig at 3:17 PM on March 28, 2017 [5 favorites]

Best answer: It's called a ticket holder, you can buy the at restaurant supply stores. They use them in restaurants for holding orders.
posted by wwax at 3:40 PM on March 28, 2017 [3 favorites]

2nd ticket holder, or ticket rails. They usually mount with just two screws and are available in various lengths.
posted by Grandysaur at 9:08 PM on March 28, 2017 [1 favorite]