a fourth embodiment of a ring binder according to the present invention generally designated as 300 the ring binder 300 includes two levers 302 and 304 each at one end of the ring binder 300 the ring binder 300 also includes an upper casing 306 supporting a pair of plates 308a and 308b to which three pairs of half rings 310a 310b and 310c are mounted the plates 308a and 308b are pivotally movable relative to each other so that the pairs of half rings 310a 310b and 310c may be selectively opened or closed each of the levers 302 and 304 includes a ledge 312 and 314 respectively when the levers 302 and 304 are pivoted outwardly the ledges 312 and 314 act on bottom surfaces of the plates 308a and 308b as can be seen in fig1 the ring binder 300 includes a lock 316 including a wire 318 with two lock elements 320 fixedly crimped thereon as in the three embodiments discussed above the lock 316 includes a shaft 322 which is secured to the lower surface of the upper casing 306 the lock 316 is thus supported by the upper casing 306 and may swivel about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 322 when all the half rings 310a 310b and 310c are closed as shown in fig1 a distal end 324 of the wire 318 extends slightly through an aperture 326 of the plate 308a in this position the lock elements 320 abut against the upper surface of the plate 308b and tongues 328 in such an arrangement the ring binder 300 can only be opened by firstly pivoting the lever 302 outward so that the ledge 312 acts.