CA1058530A - Index card register with selector device - Google Patents
Index card register with selector deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1058530A CA1058530A CA312,437A CA312437A CA1058530A CA 1058530 A CA1058530 A CA 1058530A CA 312437 A CA312437 A CA 312437A CA 1058530 A CA1058530 A CA 1058530A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- selector
- index
- drawer
- index card
- card
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Abstract
ABSTRACT
An index card register with index card selector means is disclosed.
The register includes a housing consisting of a cover member and a bottom member. A plurality of selector keys are disposed on the cover in an array of several rows and columns. A drawer of the register is biased by a com-pression spring and is adapted to be locked by n locking mechanism. A
plurality of index cards are accommodated as a stack within the drawer, the index cards including punched-out selector apertures in their rearwardly dis-posed marginal portions. Each selector key is mounted on one end of an associated one-armed pivot lever which is resiliently urged unto an initial position by a spring and carries at its free end index card retainer. The index card retainer cooperates with the index cards so that when a selector key is depressed all index cards overlying the index cards associated with this selector key will be retained when the drawer moves outwardly from the housing whereas the selected index card and all index cards underlying the selected index card move outwardly together with drawer. Means are pro-vided for unlocking the drawer and releasing the index card that has been selected by a selector key, by urging the unlocked drawer outwardly by means of the compression spring. The drawer includes entrainment cams adapted to engage punch-out entrainment apertures in the index cards. The index card register is characterized in that the selector keys are of a plate-shaped, square or rectangular configuration and are coupled to the pivot levers by vertical webs. The selector keys disposed within a column, one behind the other, are of a width that corresponds to the overall width of the pivot levers mounting respectively these selector keys. The selector keys are connected to the pivot levers so that rearward selector key is cantilevered to the left with respect to its associated pivot lever and a forward selector key is cantilevered to the right with respect to its associated pivot lever.
An index card register with index card selector means is disclosed.
The register includes a housing consisting of a cover member and a bottom member. A plurality of selector keys are disposed on the cover in an array of several rows and columns. A drawer of the register is biased by a com-pression spring and is adapted to be locked by n locking mechanism. A
plurality of index cards are accommodated as a stack within the drawer, the index cards including punched-out selector apertures in their rearwardly dis-posed marginal portions. Each selector key is mounted on one end of an associated one-armed pivot lever which is resiliently urged unto an initial position by a spring and carries at its free end index card retainer. The index card retainer cooperates with the index cards so that when a selector key is depressed all index cards overlying the index cards associated with this selector key will be retained when the drawer moves outwardly from the housing whereas the selected index card and all index cards underlying the selected index card move outwardly together with drawer. Means are pro-vided for unlocking the drawer and releasing the index card that has been selected by a selector key, by urging the unlocked drawer outwardly by means of the compression spring. The drawer includes entrainment cams adapted to engage punch-out entrainment apertures in the index cards. The index card register is characterized in that the selector keys are of a plate-shaped, square or rectangular configuration and are coupled to the pivot levers by vertical webs. The selector keys disposed within a column, one behind the other, are of a width that corresponds to the overall width of the pivot levers mounting respectively these selector keys. The selector keys are connected to the pivot levers so that rearward selector key is cantilevered to the left with respect to its associated pivot lever and a forward selector key is cantilevered to the right with respect to its associated pivot lever.
Description
~513~i30 The present invention relates to an index card registe~ with card selector means, including a housing consi~ing of a cover memb~r and a bottorn member, a plurality of selector keys disposed in an array of several rows and columns, a drawer biased by a compression spring and adapted to be locked by a locking mechanism, a plurality of index card.s accommodated within the drawer, the index cards including punched-out se~ctor apertures in their rearwardly disposed mar~inal portions of a stack of index cards, each selector key being mounted on one end of an associated one-armed pivot lever which is resiliently uxged into an initial position by spring means and carries at its free end index aard retaining means, the index card retain-ing nleans cooperating~with ~he index cards so that when depressing a selector kqy all lndex cards overlying the index c~rd associated with this selector key wil~ be retained when the drawer move~ outwardly from the housing wherea~ the selected index card and a].l index cards under-lying the ~elec~ed index card m~e outwardly together with the drawer, and means or unlocking the drawer and releasing the index card that has been selected ~y a selector key by urging t~e unlocked drawer outwardly by means of the compxe~sion sprin~, the drawer including entrainment cams adapted to engage punched-ou~ entrainment apertures in the index card~.
q'here are alx~ady known various widely diffe.rirlg types o~ index card regi~ters wlth selector device~. These heretofore known .index aard registers generally include a housing ~ox receiving a ~tack o~ loosely inserted index cards/ and ~ keyboard wh~xein the keys are providod with
q'here are alx~ady known various widely diffe.rirlg types o~ index card regi~ters wlth selector device~. These heretofore known .index aard registers generally include a housing ~ox receiving a ~tack o~ loosely inserted index cards/ and ~ keyboard wh~xein the keys are providod with
- 2 - ~
~5~3~3~
suitable indicia. By actuation of the keys desired cards may be ~elected. The index cards may bear, in an alpha-betical sequence, any type o~ desired data or notes that are to be kept readily accessible for reference purposes.
One heretofore known index card register is of a relatively flat configuration when closed and may be opened by means of a number of manually actuatable keys by which the index card register may be opened in a desired position to expose to sight the data that have previously been recorded on an index card. This index card reyister also includes a lock-ing key by means o~ which the cover member adapted to cover the index cards may be moved into the closed position.
When the cover member i9 cloeed t simultaneously all of the raised index cards arè automatically returned into their initial stacked position.
.In another heretofore known type o~ index card register the housing inolude~ a drawer that is biased by a compression spring anq is adapted to be closed by a key-bolt. The drawer serves to reaeive the index cards. This heretofore known index card register furthermore comprises means ~cr unlocking ~he drawer and exposing to sight an index card that has been selected by actuation of a corresponding selector key, by unlocking the drawer and moving the same into a po~ition in which the drawer projec~s from the housing. This outward movement is effected under the bias of the compres~ion 6pring.
These prior art index card registers are table type devic~s and are employed in a lying position on a supporting surface. The hou~in~s of the index card registers may also have the form o~ a bas~ member for ~15~3530 supporting a telephone apparatus when the housing ~f the card register includes a drawer for moving the selected index cards outwardly ~rom the housing.
A common ~eatuxe of all heretofore known index card registers is ~llat the multi-key keyboard is arranged in a orward position o~ the index card register, and the keys axe arranged in a row, i.e. side by ~ide. The here-tofore known index card registexs, moreover, are of relat~vely large dimensions.
~t is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved in~ex card register of minimum dimensions~
It is another obj ect of the present invention to provide an index card regi~ter in which the area covered by the selector keys approximately corresponds to the base surface of ~he index caxd register.
It is st.ill another object of the present inventio~
to provlde an index card register that may be assembled from a minimum of parts.
It is still another object of the present invention to provlde an index card register that may be manufactured and assembled at low aos~.
In accardance with the present invention, these and fur~he~ objects are ach.ieved in an index card regis~er of the type stated above by the ~act that the selector keys of a plate-shaped, squar~ o~ rectangular configuration are coupled to the pivot levers by ~ertical webs, and the selector keys disposed within a column,one behind the other!axe of a width that c~rresponds to ~he overall width of the pivot levers mounting re~pectively these selector ~5 !3S3~
-keys, and the selector keys being connected to the pivot levers so that a rearward selector key is cantilev~red to the left with respect to its associated pivot lever, and aforward selector ~ey is cantilevered to the right with respect to its associated pivot lever.
An index card register which is arranged as above defined is of minimum dimensions, due to the arrange-ment of the selector keys in rows and columns since the area covered by the selector keys is only slightly smaller than the base surface of the card register housing. By this e~pedient the overall dimenslons o~ the index card regi~ter may be minimized. By employing one-armed pivot levers that are rigidly connect~d to the associated - 4a ~ 0 5 8 5 30 !
member, th~ drawer deten~ bar includlng a draw~r lockin~
mechanism adapted to be unlocked to permit outward mo~e~
ment of the drawer when being bias~d by the card retAlnær pin o a depres~ed selector key; selec~or t~ngues with .
apertures for th~ card r~tainer pins along ~sarward marginal portions of the indax ~ards disposed in a s~3ak within the drawer, ~h~ ~el~c~or tongue~ incr~in~ in extension by step-like increments from a lowermo~t index card having one ap~rture up to an uppermost index card having a highe t number o~ aperture6, rom a bottom rlqht hand position to a top le~t hand position, i.e. aoro~s the s~ack o card~, the number o~ ~p~rtures ln the selector tongues inarea~ing from the lowermo~t inde~ card to the uppermo~t index card by one for each card, wh~re~y the incremental on~ apertur~ in each lndex card as oompared to ~he apertures in an adjacent underlying index card is exposed with respect to the aperture-containlng ~elector tongue portion~ of an a~jacent underlying index card; and a triangular entrainment cam in a forward region of the drawer, th~ entrainment cam adapted to cooperate with entrainment apertures in ~ f~rward region of the index card~
~ n ind~x card regis~er which is arranged a~
above defined is of minimum dimensions, due to ~he arrange-ment of the selector key~ in rows and columns since thearea covered by the sel~tor keys is only slightly smaller ~han t~e base surface o~ the card register housing~ ~y this expedient the overall dime~sions of the ~ndex card regist~r may be minimiz~d. ~y employing one-armed pivot lever~ that are rigidly connected to the associated s~s~
selector ~ey~ the assembly opera~ion i~ reduc~d to assembling a ~ew part~ only. Moreovex, operati~nal reliability o the index card register i~ en~ured sin~e by employing resilient mean~ at the rear wall of the ca~d reglster h~using each pivot lever is being held in a position in which t~e free end~ of the card retainer pina are above ~he s~ack o~ index aard~. Any in~orrect operatW
ion i8 excluded ~ince when a~tuatlng a sele~tor key the card retain~r pin a~soclated with the actuated selector key i~ ~ein~ inserted into the associated apertures ~f ~he index card~ in the staak of index cards and thu~ the pin opera~e~ the drawer locking mechanism which when ~ctuated unlocX3 the drawer ~o that during the outwar~ movement o~
the drawer the card retainer pin o~ the actuated ~eleator key re~aln~ all oi thosa index cards in the ~tack o cards that ov~rlie the selected index card. An additiana}
advantage is that the 3elector t~ngues of the index car~s provided with the apertures are arranged in ~ rearward marginal portion of the index ~ards ~o that when removing the index cards for writlng thereon any adamage to th~
selector tongues is avoided~
The means for ~upporting the free ends of the card retainer pins depending from the ree ends o~ the pivo~ l~vex8 in a position above the uppermost index aard in the stack of index ca~ds ~nd thereby above the apertures of the index card~ ~on~i~t~ o~ a plurality of resilient tongues ~ounted at the xear wall of the hou~ing bottom member, the pivot lever~ being ~upported at their free ends by these ton~ues.
~ 6 ~513530 Th~ drawer lockinq mechanl~m includes th~
drawer detent bar di~po~ed in ~he path o~ rnOVQment o~ the drawer, the drawer detent bar being plvotably mounted about a hori~ontal pivot axi~ in t}~e vicinity of the r~r 5 wall o~ ~he housing bottom member, a ~orward portion o$
the drawer detent bar being movable in an aperture, a rec~s~
or the lilce in the bottom wall of the drawar, the drawer detent bar being resili~nt and adapted to ke retained ln a locking po~ition and further includes a cent~l retaln-1 O ing cam in the landing re~gion o~ tha drawer, and ~ lug ina botk~m re~ portion o~ the dr~wer, the lus be ing a~apt~d to enS~age the xetaining cam.
The selec~ox key~ consi6t of s~uare or xe~tang-ular tab~, each o~ which i~ connected by a vertical web ~o 15 an as~ocia1:ed pivot lev~. The width of every of four selector keys disposed in al column s~orresponda ~ubstan~lally to the width o~ the our plvo~ levers supporting the~e selector key~. Due to ~his unlque configuration the selector key~ may be arran~ed ln row~ and columns in def in-20 ing a vlrtually con~inuous ~ur~ace array so that the~elector keys may be a~commodated in a minimum o~ space.
The Pour ~elector }ceys in a column are conn~cted 'co their associa~ed pivot levers in a m~nner whereby the rearward selecto~ key is cantil~vered towa~d the left ~ide, and 25 the forward selector key is cantilevered toward the righ~
side with r~pect to it~ as~ociat~d pivot lever, and the two ~ntermediate selector k~ys are conneeted to tlleir associated pivo~ lever~ ln B manner whereby all of the four ~lector key~ are aIigned in a column. In thi~ ' 30 arrangement the rearward selector key of four ~elec~s:r keys de~ining a column unit includes a portion oantilever~d to th~ let, and the orward ~alectox key 1ncludes a portion cantil~vered to the righ~ whereby eaoh of the~e two cantilevered portions i~ of a width ~ub~tantially corresponding to the width of threa pivot lev0r~, and th~
two selector keys dispo3ed betwe~n rearward and ~orward selectox k~ys each include on vne sidQ a cantilev~red portion of a width sub~antlally corresponding to the wldth o~ a pivot lever/ and on t~e o~her ~ide a can~ilevered portion of a width sub~ntially corresponding to the w~d~h of two pi~ot levers.
Acco~aing to a ~urther eharacteri~tic, th2 top cove~ plake o~ the hou~ing cov~r member may include an apertux~ the ~ize and dime~slo~s of which ~u~etantiall~
correspond to ~he area covered by the array o~ selector keys.
In the following, the invention will be de~rlb-ed more in detall with ~eferonQe to a pre~erred embodiment shown in the appended drawings wherein FIG~RE 1 i~ a top view of an index card regist~r compri~ing bo~tom and cover member~ in accordance with the pre~ent inventionS
FIGURE 2 is a lateral elevational view of the index card regi~terJ
~IGURE 3 is a ~op view of the co~er member:
~IGURE 4 13 a top vlew of the index card regist~r whe~eby the cov~r membex has been removedt FIGURE 5 i~ a top view of the index card register after removal o~ th~ coYer member whereby the drawer is in a position ln whioh it partly project~ from ~ 8 ~5~i3a~
the hou~ing J`
FIGURE 6 i~ a vertical ~ectiot~al View alon~.
the lin~ VI-VI of FIG. l;
FIGURE 7 i~ a top view o~ the index card S regi~ter whereby ~he cov~3r member i8 removed, and showlng a stack of c:ards di~po~3d within the s~rawer FIGURE 8 i~ a la~eral elevational view o~
four selec:tor keys d$~posed in a column;
FIGURE 9 i3 a top view of ~he our sel~ctor keys o FIG ~ 8 disposed in laterally spaced po~ition~ J
FIGURE 1 Q is a bottom view of the selector key~
of FIG. 9;
E'IGURE 11 is a bottom view of the pivot le~er~
o~ the ~elector keys;
FIt:URE 12 is a top view of an index card;
FIGURE~ 13, 1 3A and 1 3B are top views o~ the frorlt portion~ o~ index cards dieposed one behind 'ch~ o~her and ~howing t,he ~pertur~ containin~ selector tongue~ in the rearward portions o~ the c~rds;
FIGURE 14 i~ a fragmentary bottom view o~ a ~tack o~ index card~ and 6ho~inq the aperture~containing selecto~ tongue~ at ~he ~eaxward por~ions o:E tlie index card~ J
FIGURE l S i~ a fragmentary top view o~ the 2 5 lowermost index card and showing the selector tongue with one aperture 7 FIGURE 16 i~ ~ ~xagmentary top view o~ the index ~ard overlying th~ lowermost index aard and ~ho~ing ~lle ~elector tongue with ~wc3 aperturess 3û FI~URl: 17 is a fra~mentary top view o~ the ~ S~ ~ 3 ~
two index card~ o~ S. 15 and 16 in an ov~rlying position~ and FIGURE 18 i~ an exploded ragmen~ry per~
specti~e view of ~he two index card~ o FIG~. 1$ and 16.
ReEerrin~ to ~IGS. 1, ~ and S the index aard register of the present inv~ntion is ~hown approxima~aly in orlginal ~ize. ~he lndex card regi~ter lnclude3 a housing 10 with a box-shaped cover member 1 1 and a l~kewl~e box-shaped bottom member 21, The cover member 11 and ths bottom member ~1 are mu~ually interconnec~ed by mean0 such as ~crews or adh~ive att~chments ~not shown), and are pref~rably made of a suitable pla~tic ma~erial. The ~v~r me~b~ 11 includes the ~ide walls 13, 15, a front wall 12 and a rear wall 14, as ~ell as a top cover plat~ 16 ln which i~ cut out a square o~ generally rectangular apertur~
17. ~he portion o~ tha ~op cover plate 16 facing the fr~nt wall 1 2 of the co~er me~ber 11 i9 inclined and may be provld~d with a tray-shaped ~ecess (no~ ~hown) for reaeiv-ing writing utensil~ or th~ like.
The bottom member 21 includes the side wall~
23, ~, a fron~ wall ~2, a xear wall 25 and a botto~ wall 26. A ~lot~haped ~per~ure 27 in the f~ont wall 22 serve~
to receive a drawer 30. The bottom member 21 furthermore inClude~ spaced guide bars 2~, ~g~ that extend in a direation parallel to the side wall~ 23, 24. Angle-shaped retaining led~es 19, 19a are di~posed in a rearward region of the bottom member 21 and in the vici.nity of the ~uide bars 19, 29a ~ ~hese reta~ning ledges 19, 19a are ~rranged in the path o movement ~ t~e drawer 30 and overlie p'artly a stack of index cards ~QO aocommodated within the drawer - 10 - .
5 3~
30 to hold the ~tack in th~ deslred height and ~ecure the i~dex cards agains~ t-oPf ~ 9ee FIGS. 5 ~nd 6).
The bottom member 21 o~ the housing 10 r~c2i~es the dr~wer 30 which con~ists o a bot~om wall 31, the S side wall~ 32, 33 and a front wall 34 intexaonnecting the front ends of ~he two ~ide wall~ 80 that th~ drawer 30 i8 open at it~ rear end.
Alternately, th~ drawer may be guided differen~-ly within ~he bot~om member 21. Thu3 the b~ttom wa~
of the drawer may ~e pr~vi~ed with a web engag~ng a groo~e in the bottom wall o~ he bo~tom member 21. A dove-tail ~haped cross-~eotional profile may be used tQ pre~ent any unde~r~d lift-of o~ ~he drawer from the bo~tom memb~r.
The bottom wall 31 o~ tho dxawqr 30 inalud~s at its ront bottom end a cam 35~ Thls cam 35 i~ adapted to engage a groove-~haped recess 28 ln ~he bottom wall 26 o~ ~he bottom member 21 when pu hi~g the drawer into the ~ous$ng 10.
This groove-shaped recee~ 28 extends from the front ~dge of the bottom wall 26 o~ the bottom member 21 and i6 arranged centrally in the bottom wall 26. A steel ~pring rod 36 is arranged in th~ raglon o~ this groove-shaped rece~ as so that its ree end 36a is withln the area oP
the groove~shaped rece~s 28 whereas the oppo~ite end 36b of the steel sprin~ rod 36 i~ rlgidly conn0cted to the bo~tom wall 26 of the bottom member 21. The action of the 8te~1 spring rod 36 corre~ponds to ~he a~tion of a thrust ~pring which i8 biased by movln~ the drawer 3Q into ~he bottom member 21 of th~ housing 10 so that when un-loaklng the drawer 30 tha drawer ma~ be driven outwardly by means o~ the st~el ~pring rod 36 which re~iliently ~ ~5~530 retur`ns in~o it~ initial po~ition ~FIG. 5~.
The bottom wall 31 o~ the drawer 30 further-more include~ in it~ rearward portion a c~ntral lug 37 constituting one member of a drawer locking mech~nis~ 170 described ~urther below, Alon~ rear portion~ of ~he slde walls 32, 33 of the d~awer are arranged ~uldl.nq detents 38, 38a tha~ pr~ject from the upper edges of the qid~
walls 3~, 33 and are cantil~vered in lateral direction~
in ov~rlying the guide bar~ ~9, 29a that are molded ln-tegrally with the bot~om w~ll 26 oE ~he bottom mem~sr 21.
These guiding detents 38, 38a ~multaneously ~erve to delimit ~he path o~ ou~ward movemen~ oE the drawer 30 (FIG5. 4 andS). Resilien~ bu~er elements 39, 39a made o~ fel~ ox the like at ~he lnner ~urfaces o~ the two part~
of the slde wall 22 and on both ~ides of the aperture 27 in the bott~m member ~1 and in the path of movement o ths guiding detents 38, 38a ~erve imultan00usly to d~limit the path of movement o~ drawer movement. Alterna~ely, the path of outward movement ~ the drawer 30 may likewise be delimit~d by means o~ ~uitable devices o a dif~erent : de~ign~
A plurality u~ ~ele~tor keys o~ a square or recta~gUlar con~iguration a~e a~ranged within th~ aperture 17 of the top cover pla~e 16 of the cover member 11~ The selector key~ are arran~d in an array substan~ially covering the entirP sur~ace of the apertur~ 17 in the cover member 11.
In the embo~lmen~ shown i~ PI~. 1 there are provided twenty four ~ tor key~ 40, 41, 42, 43, 44; 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 5t, ~, 53, 5~, 55, 56, 57, 58, 5~, 60, 61, 62 ~nd 63. The~e ~el~c~or ~eys may bear ~uitable ~ 3 ~
indicia ~uch as letter~ o~ the alphabe~.
The selec~or key~ 40 to 63 are conneated to a ~orrespondin~ number o one-armed pivo~ levers 70, 71, 72, 73~ 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 7~, 80, 81~ 82, 33, 84, ~5, ~, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92 and 93 the end~ 70a, 71a, 72a, 73a, 74a, 75a, 76a, 77a, 78a, 79a, 80a, 81a, 82a, 83a, ~4a, 85a, 86a, 87~, 88a, 89a, 30a, 91a, 92a and 93a of which are provided with openings 100 (FIG. 8~ for receiving a mount ing rod 101 ~e~ving as ~ piv~t axi~. The mounting rad 101 is ~upport~d .~t it~ two ~nd~ 101a, 101b ln r~pecti~e bearing rods 102, 103 in a posi~ion above the drawer 30 and in a forward region o~ the housing 10. The.bearlng rode 102, 103 are arrànged on either ~ide of the dr~wer 30, are integral with the bo~to~ wall Z~ of tha bottom member 21 and extend ~ertically of the bottom wall 2~. The pivot lever~ 70 to 93 are lndividually pivotably mounted abo~t thi~ mountin~ rod 101. The mounting rod 101 may readily be removed together with the pivot lever~ 70 to 93. The guide bars 29, 29a along t}~e bottom member 21 extend in the longitudinal directlon o ~he drawer and serve con currently as guide mean~ ~or the outward movemen~ of the drawer 30 or for proper inwa~d move~ent o ~he drawer into the housing 10.
The ~ree end3 70b~ 71b, 72b, 73b, 74b, 75b, 76b, 2$ 77b, 78~, 7~b, 80b, 81~, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b, 8~b, 87b, 88b, 89b, 90b, 91b, 92b and 93b of the pivot levers 70 to 93 are provided at their low~r ~ur~ace~ with card retainer pins 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, tl7, 118~ 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124~ 125, 126, 1~7, 12~, 129, 130, 131, 132 and 133. The ar~angem~nt o~ ~h~se card retainer pins 110 to ~ ~ S ~ ~ 3 ~
133 will be de~cribed ~urther ~elow.
The selector key~ S0 to 63 define an array o~
~ix selector key~ in ea~h of four tran~verse r~ws A, ~, ~
and D ~n corre~ponding c~lumns a, b, c, d, e and ~, A~ may best b~ seen from FIG. 1. ~ue to this arrangement of the ~elector keys 40 ~o 63 in rows and column8 the key~ require a rathex restricted spaae ~o that the overall card r~gi~tsr device may b~ o~ very small dimen~ion~. The aperture 17 ln the top cover plate 16 o ~he cover member 11 clo8ely corre3ponds to the ~urf~ce area covered or ~lled in by the array o~ ~elector key~ ~0 ~o 63, In order to allow a la~erally clo8ely packed arrangement o~ the pi~ot lever~ 70 to 93 in the hou~lng 10 the ~elector key~ are o~ a partlaular configuration ~nd are arranged in a particular manner, a~ may be seen ~om FIGS. 8 to 10. q`hi~ arrang~m~nt Will be explained ~ith re~eran~e to the fou~ ~leat~r keys 40, 41, 42 and 43 that are di~po~ed in the v~rtical column a. These four ~ selector ke~s 40 to 43 aon~i~t, as likewis~ the ~emaining ; 20 selec~or keys 44 to 63, o ~ad-~haped member~ 40a, q1a, 42a, ~3a t~at axe conneated by a web 40b, 41b, 42b, 43h xespeatively to an asso~i~ted plvot levér 70~ 71, 72, 73 respeatively, In the arrang~ment of the selector key~ 40, 41, ~2 , 43 the pad-~haped member 40a of the selector key 40 at the pivet lever 73 i~ ~antilevered toward the left hand ~ide, and the pad-nhaped momber 43a o the selector key 4 3 at ~he pivot lever 7Q is cantileve~;ed toward the rigbt ha~d side (a~ ~hown in the drawing~ where~y the pad-shaped mem~er 40a i5 cQnn~c:ted ~t the rear end of the' pivc~t le-.re~ 73 ~ and th~ pad~shaped member 43a of th~
~ 14 -- ;
~ ~ S 8 S 3~
selec~o~ key 43 i8 connec~ed to the end o th~ pivot levar 70 ~acl~g the bearing rod 102 (see also FIGS. 9 and 101.
The pad~sh~ped member~ 41a, 42a o~ the ~elector keys 41, 42 ~hat are d~sposed b~ween the two outer selec~or key~
40 and 43 are connected ~ith the plvot levers 72, 71 re pectively in a manner ~o that the pad-shapad m~mbers 41a, 42a axe cantilevered alon~ both ~ide~ but alon~ differen~
length8. The cantileve~ed portion of the pad-shaped ~ember 40a o~ the selector key ~0 ~æ ~ a width co~re~ponding ~ub-Stantially to ~he width oE ~hree pivo~ lever~ 73, 72, 11.
Analogously the cantilevered portion of the pad-shap~d membe~ 43a o the sele~or key 43 i5 of a width su~s~ntlal-ly ~orre~ponding to ~h~ wldth of the ~hre~ pivot le~r~ 71, 72 and 73. ~he pad-sh~ped member 41a is ~onnected to the pi~ot l~vex 72 in a mann6r 80 that the pad-shaped member 4ta i~ cantilevered ~ow~rd the s~lector ~ey 40 by t~ wldth o the pivot lever 73, wherea~ the portion o~ the pad-~haped mem~a~ 41a of the selector key 41 facing the selector kay 42 i~ o a width sub~tan~ially corresponding to the width of the pivot lever~ 71, 70~ The ~ele~tor key 42 i~, similarly ~o the selector k~y 41,connec~ed to the p~ot lever 72. The portion o~ th~ pad-~hape~ member 4~a oE the ~el~ctor key 42 ~acing the s~lector key 41 i~ of u width sub~tantially coxre~ponfling to the width of tha two pi~ot lev~r~ 72, 73, and th~ ~antilevered portion of the pad-~haped member 42a faclng the ~lector kcy 43 i~ o a width ~ub3tantially ao~e~ponding ~o the width of ~he piYot lever 70. Due to this arrang~ment, four seleator key~ 40, 41, 42 and 43 may be ar~anged one behind the other irl a colum~ c~ every pad-~haped member 40a, 41a, 42a and 43a :~5~53~
of ~he ~ele¢~or keys 40~ 41, 42, 43 i~ o a wldth corre~ponding ~o the width of ~our pivot laver~ 73, 72, 71 and 70 re~pectively~ The select~r keys of th~ eolumn~
b, c, d, e and ~ are analogously de~igned and are connected to their associa~ed pivot levers, with the re ul~ that a plurality of selector keys may be accommoda~ed within a minimum of ~pace~
As may be seen from FIG. 8, the card retain~r pins 110 to l33 arranged at the free end~ 70b to 93b ~f the plvot levers 70 to 93 are arran~ed in two row~ whe~by the card retainer pins o~ ev~ry other pivo le~er d~f$n~
a row 80 that the card ~etalne~ pins 1 11, 113, 115, 1 17 ~
119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 129, 131~ 133 define a fir~t row and the card retainer pln~ 110, 112, 114~ 116, 11~,'120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130 and 132 de~ine a second row. Every row o~ card retainer pin~ thus compri~es ~welve pin~. The caxd retainer pin~ 110 to 133 axe arranged at the lower surfaoes of the pivot l~vex~ ~0 ~o 93 and may be made of metal or ~ ~uitable pla~tlc material. Alternativ~ly, tha pivot lever~ may be made in~egrally with ~h~ aard retainsr pins~
The pivot lever~ 70 to ~3 are supported at their fxee ends 70b to ~3b on re~ilient tongues 140, 141, 142, l43, 1~4, 145, 146, 147~ 14~, 14~, 1S0, 151, 152, 153, 2S 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 15~, 160, 161, 162 and 163. The~e re~ilient t~gues 140 ~o 163 are integrally moulded at the rear wall 25 oE the bottQm memb~r 21 so that the pivot lever~ 70 to 93 assume a posit~on in whiah the ~ree end~
of the c~rd retaine~ pins 110 to 133 are above the stack of inde~ card~ 200 ~FIG. 6)~
_ ~6 SI!~310 A drawer loalcing mechani~m 170 ~or locking the drawer 30 in an inward poal~ion within ~he ho~sing 10 con~i~ts of the lug 37 ~ the bottom wall 31 of th~ drawer 30 and a drawer deten~ bar 171 that i-~ rotatably moun~d about a horizontal axi~ 172 in the region of the bottom wall ~6 ~f the bottom memb~r 21. Th~ drawer ~etent bar 171 l~ moun~ed 90 that the Porward por~ion 171a of the drawer ~atent ba.r 171 i~ rotatably movable in the direction of the arrow X toward a ~e~ilient ~lement 173, and adapt~d to be returned ln~o it~ initial position ~F~G. 6~
by thi~ re~ilient element 173. The re~ilient element 173 may aon~ist of a spring, a ~oam rubber pad or the like.
Prefe~ablyf ~he drawer detent bar 171 exhibits ~esilient prop~xtie~. A~ may be ~een in FIG~ 6, the drawer det~n~
bar 171 i8 arranged in the region of an openi~g 26a in the bottom wall 26 o~ the bo~om member 21 and ~ o~ a lehgth corre~pondlng to ~he w~th o~ the drawer or re~pectively to the width o~ the pivot lever3 70 ~o 93 carrylng the card reta~n~r pins 110 to 13~. When actuating any of the sel~ctor keys 40 to 6~, the asso~lated card retainer pin i~ moved downwardly by its associate~ pivot lever and will engage ~he drawer datent b~r 171. The drawer de~ent bar 171 18 therePoxe ursed at itB ~o~ward end 171a into the op~ning 26a in the bottom wall 26 o~ the bottom member 21.
The drawer ~etent b~r 171 include~ a central trough~haped depresslon 174 ~ha~ extends into ~he path o movement o the lug 37 o~ the drawer 30. An upright ~e~alrling cam 175 i~ mould~d along th~ drawer detent bar 171 ~n the region of the trough-~haped depression 174. The drawer detent ~ar 171 may be made of a plastic ma~erial ~ ~ S 8 S 3~
of th~ same or of a di~erent type a~ the housing 10.
The overall de~ign charactar1s ic~ o the in~ex card reglster are as ~ollowss When movlng the dr~w~r 30 inw~rd-ly into the bottom member 21 of the hou ing 10, the lu~ 37 at the drawer 30 embraces th~ cam 175 whereby the dr~wsr detent bar 171 a~sume~ an approximately horizontal poeltlon or a po~ition in which ~he ~orward portion 170a oP the drawer detent bar 171 i~ in an upper position. This upper pocition of ~he rearwar~ly mounted drawer detent bar 171 will ~e assumed when tha ~orward region 171a of the draw0r detent bar 171 comes to rest above the reces~ 26a ln the bott~m wall 26 o~ ~he bottom member 21. The drawer d~tent bar 171 i~ arrangad in ~he reglon of the path of movemen~
of the aard re~ainer pin~ 110 ~o 133. When actuating a selector k~y, the a~soaiat~d pivot lever oonnectad ~o th~
actua~ed sele~tor key will be xo~ated, with the ~ult that ~he card retainer pin ~earing free end o~ the pl~ot lever will be moved downwardly in the direction o~ th~
arrow ~1 (FIG. 8) so that the corresponding card retalner pin engage~ the fo~ward re~i~n 171a of the drawer detent bar 171 and urges the drawer de~ent bar at it~ forwar~ portion in~o the opening or xeae~g 2~a of the bottom wall 26 o~ the bottom member 21. ~hereb~ th~ resilient element 173 will be compressed and biased. ~t ~he moment in which ~he c~rd retainex pin has urged ~he ~o~ward portion 171a of the drawer detent bar 171 into the reces~ or opening 25a of the bot~om w~ll 25 of the bott~m member 21 the drawer 30 will be unl~cked insofar a3 the cam 175 i~ rota~ed outward~
ly from th~ lug 37 conne~ed to ~he drawer 30. Since the drawer 30 i3 spring-bia~d, the drawex 30 will be moved a~ 10 -
~5~3~3~
suitable indicia. By actuation of the keys desired cards may be ~elected. The index cards may bear, in an alpha-betical sequence, any type o~ desired data or notes that are to be kept readily accessible for reference purposes.
One heretofore known index card register is of a relatively flat configuration when closed and may be opened by means of a number of manually actuatable keys by which the index card register may be opened in a desired position to expose to sight the data that have previously been recorded on an index card. This index card reyister also includes a lock-ing key by means o~ which the cover member adapted to cover the index cards may be moved into the closed position.
When the cover member i9 cloeed t simultaneously all of the raised index cards arè automatically returned into their initial stacked position.
.In another heretofore known type o~ index card register the housing inolude~ a drawer that is biased by a compression spring anq is adapted to be closed by a key-bolt. The drawer serves to reaeive the index cards. This heretofore known index card register furthermore comprises means ~cr unlocking ~he drawer and exposing to sight an index card that has been selected by actuation of a corresponding selector key, by unlocking the drawer and moving the same into a po~ition in which the drawer projec~s from the housing. This outward movement is effected under the bias of the compres~ion 6pring.
These prior art index card registers are table type devic~s and are employed in a lying position on a supporting surface. The hou~in~s of the index card registers may also have the form o~ a bas~ member for ~15~3530 supporting a telephone apparatus when the housing ~f the card register includes a drawer for moving the selected index cards outwardly ~rom the housing.
A common ~eatuxe of all heretofore known index card registers is ~llat the multi-key keyboard is arranged in a orward position o~ the index card register, and the keys axe arranged in a row, i.e. side by ~ide. The here-tofore known index card registexs, moreover, are of relat~vely large dimensions.
~t is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved in~ex card register of minimum dimensions~
It is another obj ect of the present invention to provide an index card regi~ter in which the area covered by the selector keys approximately corresponds to the base surface of ~he index caxd register.
It is st.ill another object of the present inventio~
to provlde an index card register that may be assembled from a minimum of parts.
It is still another object of the present invention to provlde an index card register that may be manufactured and assembled at low aos~.
In accardance with the present invention, these and fur~he~ objects are ach.ieved in an index card regis~er of the type stated above by the ~act that the selector keys of a plate-shaped, squar~ o~ rectangular configuration are coupled to the pivot levers by ~ertical webs, and the selector keys disposed within a column,one behind the other!axe of a width that c~rresponds to ~he overall width of the pivot levers mounting re~pectively these selector ~5 !3S3~
-keys, and the selector keys being connected to the pivot levers so that a rearward selector key is cantilev~red to the left with respect to its associated pivot lever, and aforward selector ~ey is cantilevered to the right with respect to its associated pivot lever.
An index card register which is arranged as above defined is of minimum dimensions, due to the arrange-ment of the selector keys in rows and columns since the area covered by the selector keys is only slightly smaller than the base surface of the card register housing. By this e~pedient the overall dimenslons o~ the index card regi~ter may be minimized. By employing one-armed pivot levers that are rigidly connect~d to the associated - 4a ~ 0 5 8 5 30 !
member, th~ drawer deten~ bar includlng a draw~r lockin~
mechanism adapted to be unlocked to permit outward mo~e~
ment of the drawer when being bias~d by the card retAlnær pin o a depres~ed selector key; selec~or t~ngues with .
apertures for th~ card r~tainer pins along ~sarward marginal portions of the indax ~ards disposed in a s~3ak within the drawer, ~h~ ~el~c~or tongue~ incr~in~ in extension by step-like increments from a lowermo~t index card having one ap~rture up to an uppermost index card having a highe t number o~ aperture6, rom a bottom rlqht hand position to a top le~t hand position, i.e. aoro~s the s~ack o card~, the number o~ ~p~rtures ln the selector tongues inarea~ing from the lowermo~t inde~ card to the uppermo~t index card by one for each card, wh~re~y the incremental on~ apertur~ in each lndex card as oompared to ~he apertures in an adjacent underlying index card is exposed with respect to the aperture-containlng ~elector tongue portion~ of an a~jacent underlying index card; and a triangular entrainment cam in a forward region of the drawer, th~ entrainment cam adapted to cooperate with entrainment apertures in ~ f~rward region of the index card~
~ n ind~x card regis~er which is arranged a~
above defined is of minimum dimensions, due to ~he arrange-ment of the selector key~ in rows and columns since thearea covered by the sel~tor keys is only slightly smaller ~han t~e base surface o~ the card register housing~ ~y this expedient the overall dime~sions of the ~ndex card regist~r may be minimiz~d. ~y employing one-armed pivot lever~ that are rigidly connected to the associated s~s~
selector ~ey~ the assembly opera~ion i~ reduc~d to assembling a ~ew part~ only. Moreovex, operati~nal reliability o the index card register i~ en~ured sin~e by employing resilient mean~ at the rear wall of the ca~d reglster h~using each pivot lever is being held in a position in which t~e free end~ of the card retainer pina are above ~he s~ack o~ index aard~. Any in~orrect operatW
ion i8 excluded ~ince when a~tuatlng a sele~tor key the card retain~r pin a~soclated with the actuated selector key i~ ~ein~ inserted into the associated apertures ~f ~he index card~ in the staak of index cards and thu~ the pin opera~e~ the drawer locking mechanism which when ~ctuated unlocX3 the drawer ~o that during the outwar~ movement o~
the drawer the card retainer pin o~ the actuated ~eleator key re~aln~ all oi thosa index cards in the ~tack o cards that ov~rlie the selected index card. An additiana}
advantage is that the 3elector t~ngues of the index car~s provided with the apertures are arranged in ~ rearward marginal portion of the index ~ards ~o that when removing the index cards for writlng thereon any adamage to th~
selector tongues is avoided~
The means for ~upporting the free ends of the card retainer pins depending from the ree ends o~ the pivo~ l~vex8 in a position above the uppermost index aard in the stack of index ca~ds ~nd thereby above the apertures of the index card~ ~on~i~t~ o~ a plurality of resilient tongues ~ounted at the xear wall of the hou~ing bottom member, the pivot lever~ being ~upported at their free ends by these ton~ues.
~ 6 ~513530 Th~ drawer lockinq mechanl~m includes th~
drawer detent bar di~po~ed in ~he path o~ rnOVQment o~ the drawer, the drawer detent bar being plvotably mounted about a hori~ontal pivot axi~ in t}~e vicinity of the r~r 5 wall o~ ~he housing bottom member, a ~orward portion o$
the drawer detent bar being movable in an aperture, a rec~s~
or the lilce in the bottom wall of the drawar, the drawer detent bar being resili~nt and adapted to ke retained ln a locking po~ition and further includes a cent~l retaln-1 O ing cam in the landing re~gion o~ tha drawer, and ~ lug ina botk~m re~ portion o~ the dr~wer, the lus be ing a~apt~d to enS~age the xetaining cam.
The selec~ox key~ consi6t of s~uare or xe~tang-ular tab~, each o~ which i~ connected by a vertical web ~o 15 an as~ocia1:ed pivot lev~. The width of every of four selector keys disposed in al column s~orresponda ~ubstan~lally to the width o~ the our plvo~ levers supporting the~e selector key~. Due to ~his unlque configuration the selector key~ may be arran~ed ln row~ and columns in def in-20 ing a vlrtually con~inuous ~ur~ace array so that the~elector keys may be a~commodated in a minimum o~ space.
The Pour ~elector }ceys in a column are conn~cted 'co their associa~ed pivot levers in a m~nner whereby the rearward selecto~ key is cantil~vered towa~d the left ~ide, and 25 the forward selector key is cantilevered toward the righ~
side with r~pect to it~ as~ociat~d pivot lever, and the two ~ntermediate selector k~ys are conneeted to tlleir associated pivo~ lever~ ln B manner whereby all of the four ~lector key~ are aIigned in a column. In thi~ ' 30 arrangement the rearward selector key of four ~elec~s:r keys de~ining a column unit includes a portion oantilever~d to th~ let, and the orward ~alectox key 1ncludes a portion cantil~vered to the righ~ whereby eaoh of the~e two cantilevered portions i~ of a width ~ub~tantially corresponding to the width of threa pivot lev0r~, and th~
two selector keys dispo3ed betwe~n rearward and ~orward selectox k~ys each include on vne sidQ a cantilev~red portion of a width sub~antlally corresponding to the wldth o~ a pivot lever/ and on t~e o~her ~ide a can~ilevered portion of a width sub~ntially corresponding to the w~d~h of two pi~ot levers.
Acco~aing to a ~urther eharacteri~tic, th2 top cove~ plake o~ the hou~ing cov~r member may include an apertux~ the ~ize and dime~slo~s of which ~u~etantiall~
correspond to ~he area covered by the array o~ selector keys.
In the following, the invention will be de~rlb-ed more in detall with ~eferonQe to a pre~erred embodiment shown in the appended drawings wherein FIG~RE 1 i~ a top view of an index card regist~r compri~ing bo~tom and cover member~ in accordance with the pre~ent inventionS
FIGURE 2 is a lateral elevational view of the index card regi~terJ
~IGURE 3 is a ~op view of the co~er member:
~IGURE 4 13 a top vlew of the index card regist~r whe~eby the cov~r membex has been removedt FIGURE 5 i~ a top view of the index card register after removal o~ th~ coYer member whereby the drawer is in a position ln whioh it partly project~ from ~ 8 ~5~i3a~
the hou~ing J`
FIGURE 6 i~ a vertical ~ectiot~al View alon~.
the lin~ VI-VI of FIG. l;
FIGURE 7 i~ a top view o~ the index card S regi~ter whereby ~he cov~3r member i8 removed, and showlng a stack of c:ards di~po~3d within the s~rawer FIGURE 8 i~ a la~eral elevational view o~
four selec:tor keys d$~posed in a column;
FIGURE 9 i3 a top view of ~he our sel~ctor keys o FIG ~ 8 disposed in laterally spaced po~ition~ J
FIGURE 1 Q is a bottom view of the selector key~
of FIG. 9;
E'IGURE 11 is a bottom view of the pivot le~er~
o~ the ~elector keys;
FIt:URE 12 is a top view of an index card;
FIGURE~ 13, 1 3A and 1 3B are top views o~ the frorlt portion~ o~ index cards dieposed one behind 'ch~ o~her and ~howing t,he ~pertur~ containin~ selector tongue~ in the rearward portions o~ the c~rds;
FIGURE 14 i~ a fragmentary bottom view o~ a ~tack o~ index card~ and 6ho~inq the aperture~containing selecto~ tongue~ at ~he ~eaxward por~ions o:E tlie index card~ J
FIGURE l S i~ a fragmentary top view o~ the 2 5 lowermost index card and showing the selector tongue with one aperture 7 FIGURE 16 i~ ~ ~xagmentary top view o~ the index ~ard overlying th~ lowermost index aard and ~ho~ing ~lle ~elector tongue with ~wc3 aperturess 3û FI~URl: 17 is a fra~mentary top view o~ the ~ S~ ~ 3 ~
two index card~ o~ S. 15 and 16 in an ov~rlying position~ and FIGURE 18 i~ an exploded ragmen~ry per~
specti~e view of ~he two index card~ o FIG~. 1$ and 16.
ReEerrin~ to ~IGS. 1, ~ and S the index aard register of the present inv~ntion is ~hown approxima~aly in orlginal ~ize. ~he lndex card regi~ter lnclude3 a housing 10 with a box-shaped cover member 1 1 and a l~kewl~e box-shaped bottom member 21, The cover member 11 and ths bottom member ~1 are mu~ually interconnec~ed by mean0 such as ~crews or adh~ive att~chments ~not shown), and are pref~rably made of a suitable pla~tic ma~erial. The ~v~r me~b~ 11 includes the ~ide walls 13, 15, a front wall 12 and a rear wall 14, as ~ell as a top cover plat~ 16 ln which i~ cut out a square o~ generally rectangular apertur~
17. ~he portion o~ tha ~op cover plate 16 facing the fr~nt wall 1 2 of the co~er me~ber 11 i9 inclined and may be provld~d with a tray-shaped ~ecess (no~ ~hown) for reaeiv-ing writing utensil~ or th~ like.
The bottom member 21 includes the side wall~
23, ~, a fron~ wall ~2, a xear wall 25 and a botto~ wall 26. A ~lot~haped ~per~ure 27 in the f~ont wall 22 serve~
to receive a drawer 30. The bottom member 21 furthermore inClude~ spaced guide bars 2~, ~g~ that extend in a direation parallel to the side wall~ 23, 24. Angle-shaped retaining led~es 19, 19a are di~posed in a rearward region of the bottom member 21 and in the vici.nity of the ~uide bars 19, 29a ~ ~hese reta~ning ledges 19, 19a are ~rranged in the path o movement ~ t~e drawer 30 and overlie p'artly a stack of index cards ~QO aocommodated within the drawer - 10 - .
5 3~
30 to hold the ~tack in th~ deslred height and ~ecure the i~dex cards agains~ t-oPf ~ 9ee FIGS. 5 ~nd 6).
The bottom member 21 o~ the housing 10 r~c2i~es the dr~wer 30 which con~ists o a bot~om wall 31, the S side wall~ 32, 33 and a front wall 34 intexaonnecting the front ends of ~he two ~ide wall~ 80 that th~ drawer 30 i8 open at it~ rear end.
Alternately, th~ drawer may be guided differen~-ly within ~he bot~om member 21. Thu3 the b~ttom wa~
of the drawer may ~e pr~vi~ed with a web engag~ng a groo~e in the bottom wall o~ he bo~tom member 21. A dove-tail ~haped cross-~eotional profile may be used tQ pre~ent any unde~r~d lift-of o~ ~he drawer from the bo~tom memb~r.
The bottom wall 31 o~ tho dxawqr 30 inalud~s at its ront bottom end a cam 35~ Thls cam 35 i~ adapted to engage a groove-~haped recess 28 ln ~he bottom wall 26 o~ ~he bottom member 21 when pu hi~g the drawer into the ~ous$ng 10.
This groove-shaped recee~ 28 extends from the front ~dge of the bottom wall 26 o~ the bottom member 21 and i6 arranged centrally in the bottom wall 26. A steel ~pring rod 36 is arranged in th~ raglon o~ this groove-shaped rece~ as so that its ree end 36a is withln the area oP
the groove~shaped rece~s 28 whereas the oppo~ite end 36b of the steel sprin~ rod 36 i~ rlgidly conn0cted to the bo~tom wall 26 of the bottom member 21. The action of the 8te~1 spring rod 36 corre~ponds to ~he a~tion of a thrust ~pring which i8 biased by movln~ the drawer 3Q into ~he bottom member 21 of th~ housing 10 so that when un-loaklng the drawer 30 tha drawer ma~ be driven outwardly by means o~ the st~el ~pring rod 36 which re~iliently ~ ~5~530 retur`ns in~o it~ initial po~ition ~FIG. 5~.
The bottom wall 31 o~ the drawer 30 further-more include~ in it~ rearward portion a c~ntral lug 37 constituting one member of a drawer locking mech~nis~ 170 described ~urther below, Alon~ rear portion~ of ~he slde walls 32, 33 of the d~awer are arranged ~uldl.nq detents 38, 38a tha~ pr~ject from the upper edges of the qid~
walls 3~, 33 and are cantil~vered in lateral direction~
in ov~rlying the guide bar~ ~9, 29a that are molded ln-tegrally with the bot~om w~ll 26 oE ~he bottom mem~sr 21.
These guiding detents 38, 38a ~multaneously ~erve to delimit ~he path o~ ou~ward movemen~ oE the drawer 30 (FIG5. 4 andS). Resilien~ bu~er elements 39, 39a made o~ fel~ ox the like at ~he lnner ~urfaces o~ the two part~
of the slde wall 22 and on both ~ides of the aperture 27 in the bott~m member ~1 and in the path of movement o ths guiding detents 38, 38a ~erve imultan00usly to d~limit the path of movement o~ drawer movement. Alterna~ely, the path of outward movement ~ the drawer 30 may likewise be delimit~d by means o~ ~uitable devices o a dif~erent : de~ign~
A plurality u~ ~ele~tor keys o~ a square or recta~gUlar con~iguration a~e a~ranged within th~ aperture 17 of the top cover pla~e 16 of the cover member 11~ The selector key~ are arran~d in an array substan~ially covering the entirP sur~ace of the apertur~ 17 in the cover member 11.
In the embo~lmen~ shown i~ PI~. 1 there are provided twenty four ~ tor key~ 40, 41, 42, 43, 44; 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 5t, ~, 53, 5~, 55, 56, 57, 58, 5~, 60, 61, 62 ~nd 63. The~e ~el~c~or ~eys may bear ~uitable ~ 3 ~
indicia ~uch as letter~ o~ the alphabe~.
The selec~or key~ 40 to 63 are conneated to a ~orrespondin~ number o one-armed pivo~ levers 70, 71, 72, 73~ 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 7~, 80, 81~ 82, 33, 84, ~5, ~, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92 and 93 the end~ 70a, 71a, 72a, 73a, 74a, 75a, 76a, 77a, 78a, 79a, 80a, 81a, 82a, 83a, ~4a, 85a, 86a, 87~, 88a, 89a, 30a, 91a, 92a and 93a of which are provided with openings 100 (FIG. 8~ for receiving a mount ing rod 101 ~e~ving as ~ piv~t axi~. The mounting rad 101 is ~upport~d .~t it~ two ~nd~ 101a, 101b ln r~pecti~e bearing rods 102, 103 in a posi~ion above the drawer 30 and in a forward region o~ the housing 10. The.bearlng rode 102, 103 are arrànged on either ~ide of the dr~wer 30, are integral with the bo~to~ wall Z~ of tha bottom member 21 and extend ~ertically of the bottom wall 2~. The pivot lever~ 70 to 93 are lndividually pivotably mounted abo~t thi~ mountin~ rod 101. The mounting rod 101 may readily be removed together with the pivot lever~ 70 to 93. The guide bars 29, 29a along t}~e bottom member 21 extend in the longitudinal directlon o ~he drawer and serve con currently as guide mean~ ~or the outward movemen~ of the drawer 30 or for proper inwa~d move~ent o ~he drawer into the housing 10.
The ~ree end3 70b~ 71b, 72b, 73b, 74b, 75b, 76b, 2$ 77b, 78~, 7~b, 80b, 81~, 82b, 83b, 84b, 85b, 8~b, 87b, 88b, 89b, 90b, 91b, 92b and 93b of the pivot levers 70 to 93 are provided at their low~r ~ur~ace~ with card retainer pins 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, tl7, 118~ 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124~ 125, 126, 1~7, 12~, 129, 130, 131, 132 and 133. The ar~angem~nt o~ ~h~se card retainer pins 110 to ~ ~ S ~ ~ 3 ~
133 will be de~cribed ~urther ~elow.
The selector key~ S0 to 63 define an array o~
~ix selector key~ in ea~h of four tran~verse r~ws A, ~, ~
and D ~n corre~ponding c~lumns a, b, c, d, e and ~, A~ may best b~ seen from FIG. 1. ~ue to this arrangement of the ~elector keys 40 ~o 63 in rows and column8 the key~ require a rathex restricted spaae ~o that the overall card r~gi~tsr device may b~ o~ very small dimen~ion~. The aperture 17 ln the top cover plate 16 o ~he cover member 11 clo8ely corre3ponds to the ~urf~ce area covered or ~lled in by the array o~ ~elector key~ ~0 ~o 63, In order to allow a la~erally clo8ely packed arrangement o~ the pi~ot lever~ 70 to 93 in the hou~lng 10 the ~elector key~ are o~ a partlaular configuration ~nd are arranged in a particular manner, a~ may be seen ~om FIGS. 8 to 10. q`hi~ arrang~m~nt Will be explained ~ith re~eran~e to the fou~ ~leat~r keys 40, 41, 42 and 43 that are di~po~ed in the v~rtical column a. These four ~ selector ke~s 40 to 43 aon~i~t, as likewis~ the ~emaining ; 20 selec~or keys 44 to 63, o ~ad-~haped member~ 40a, q1a, 42a, ~3a t~at axe conneated by a web 40b, 41b, 42b, 43h xespeatively to an asso~i~ted plvot levér 70~ 71, 72, 73 respeatively, In the arrang~ment of the selector key~ 40, 41, ~2 , 43 the pad-~haped member 40a of the selector key 40 at the pivet lever 73 i~ ~antilevered toward the left hand ~ide, and the pad-nhaped momber 43a o the selector key 4 3 at ~he pivot lever 7Q is cantileve~;ed toward the rigbt ha~d side (a~ ~hown in the drawing~ where~y the pad-shaped mem~er 40a i5 cQnn~c:ted ~t the rear end of the' pivc~t le-.re~ 73 ~ and th~ pad~shaped member 43a of th~
~ 14 -- ;
~ ~ S 8 S 3~
selec~o~ key 43 i8 connec~ed to the end o th~ pivot levar 70 ~acl~g the bearing rod 102 (see also FIGS. 9 and 101.
The pad~sh~ped member~ 41a, 42a o~ the ~elector keys 41, 42 ~hat are d~sposed b~ween the two outer selec~or key~
40 and 43 are connected ~ith the plvot levers 72, 71 re pectively in a manner ~o that the pad-shapad m~mbers 41a, 42a axe cantilevered alon~ both ~ide~ but alon~ differen~
length8. The cantileve~ed portion of the pad-shaped ~ember 40a o~ the selector key ~0 ~æ ~ a width co~re~ponding ~ub-Stantially to ~he width oE ~hree pivo~ lever~ 73, 72, 11.
Analogously the cantilevered portion of the pad-shap~d membe~ 43a o the sele~or key 43 i5 of a width su~s~ntlal-ly ~orre~ponding to ~h~ wldth of the ~hre~ pivot le~r~ 71, 72 and 73. ~he pad-sh~ped member 41a is ~onnected to the pi~ot l~vex 72 in a mann6r 80 that the pad-shaped member 4ta i~ cantilevered ~ow~rd the s~lector ~ey 40 by t~ wldth o the pivot lever 73, wherea~ the portion o~ the pad-~haped mem~a~ 41a of the selector key 41 facing the selector kay 42 i~ o a width sub~tan~ially corresponding to the width of the pivot lever~ 71, 70~ The ~ele~tor key 42 i~, similarly ~o the selector k~y 41,connec~ed to the p~ot lever 72. The portion o~ th~ pad-~hape~ member 4~a oE the ~el~ctor key 42 ~acing the s~lector key 41 i~ of u width sub~tantially coxre~ponfling to the width of tha two pi~ot lev~r~ 72, 73, and th~ ~antilevered portion of the pad-~haped member 42a faclng the ~lector kcy 43 i~ o a width ~ub3tantially ao~e~ponding ~o the width of ~he piYot lever 70. Due to this arrang~ment, four seleator key~ 40, 41, 42 and 43 may be ar~anged one behind the other irl a colum~ c~ every pad-~haped member 40a, 41a, 42a and 43a :~5~53~
of ~he ~ele¢~or keys 40~ 41, 42, 43 i~ o a wldth corre~ponding ~o the width of ~our pivot laver~ 73, 72, 71 and 70 re~pectively~ The select~r keys of th~ eolumn~
b, c, d, e and ~ are analogously de~igned and are connected to their associa~ed pivot levers, with the re ul~ that a plurality of selector keys may be accommoda~ed within a minimum of ~pace~
As may be seen from FIG. 8, the card retain~r pins 110 to l33 arranged at the free end~ 70b to 93b ~f the plvot levers 70 to 93 are arran~ed in two row~ whe~by the card retainer pins o~ ev~ry other pivo le~er d~f$n~
a row 80 that the card ~etalne~ pins 1 11, 113, 115, 1 17 ~
119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 129, 131~ 133 define a fir~t row and the card retainer pln~ 110, 112, 114~ 116, 11~,'120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130 and 132 de~ine a second row. Every row o~ card retainer pin~ thus compri~es ~welve pin~. The caxd retainer pin~ 110 to 133 axe arranged at the lower surfaoes of the pivot l~vex~ ~0 ~o 93 and may be made of metal or ~ ~uitable pla~tlc material. Alternativ~ly, tha pivot lever~ may be made in~egrally with ~h~ aard retainsr pins~
The pivot lever~ 70 to ~3 are supported at their fxee ends 70b to ~3b on re~ilient tongues 140, 141, 142, l43, 1~4, 145, 146, 147~ 14~, 14~, 1S0, 151, 152, 153, 2S 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 15~, 160, 161, 162 and 163. The~e re~ilient t~gues 140 ~o 163 are integrally moulded at the rear wall 25 oE the bottQm memb~r 21 so that the pivot lever~ 70 to 93 assume a posit~on in whiah the ~ree end~
of the c~rd retaine~ pins 110 to 133 are above the stack of inde~ card~ 200 ~FIG. 6)~
_ ~6 SI!~310 A drawer loalcing mechani~m 170 ~or locking the drawer 30 in an inward poal~ion within ~he ho~sing 10 con~i~ts of the lug 37 ~ the bottom wall 31 of th~ drawer 30 and a drawer deten~ bar 171 that i-~ rotatably moun~d about a horizontal axi~ 172 in the region of the bottom wall ~6 ~f the bottom memb~r 21. Th~ drawer ~etent bar 171 l~ moun~ed 90 that the Porward por~ion 171a of the drawer ~atent ba.r 171 i~ rotatably movable in the direction of the arrow X toward a ~e~ilient ~lement 173, and adapt~d to be returned ln~o it~ initial position ~F~G. 6~
by thi~ re~ilient element 173. The re~ilient element 173 may aon~ist of a spring, a ~oam rubber pad or the like.
Prefe~ablyf ~he drawer detent bar 171 exhibits ~esilient prop~xtie~. A~ may be ~een in FIG~ 6, the drawer det~n~
bar 171 i8 arranged in the region of an openi~g 26a in the bottom wall 26 o~ the bo~om member 21 and ~ o~ a lehgth corre~pondlng to ~he w~th o~ the drawer or re~pectively to the width o~ the pivot lever3 70 ~o 93 carrylng the card reta~n~r pins 110 to 13~. When actuating any of the sel~ctor keys 40 to 6~, the asso~lated card retainer pin i~ moved downwardly by its associate~ pivot lever and will engage ~he drawer datent b~r 171. The drawer de~ent bar 171 18 therePoxe ursed at itB ~o~ward end 171a into the op~ning 26a in the bottom wall 26 o~ the bottom member 21.
The drawer ~etent b~r 171 include~ a central trough~haped depresslon 174 ~ha~ extends into ~he path o movement o the lug 37 o~ the drawer 30. An upright ~e~alrling cam 175 i~ mould~d along th~ drawer detent bar 171 ~n the region of the trough-~haped depression 174. The drawer detent ~ar 171 may be made of a plastic ma~erial ~ ~ S 8 S 3~
of th~ same or of a di~erent type a~ the housing 10.
The overall de~ign charactar1s ic~ o the in~ex card reglster are as ~ollowss When movlng the dr~w~r 30 inw~rd-ly into the bottom member 21 of the hou ing 10, the lu~ 37 at the drawer 30 embraces th~ cam 175 whereby the dr~wsr detent bar 171 a~sume~ an approximately horizontal poeltlon or a po~ition in which ~he ~orward portion 170a oP the drawer detent bar 171 i~ in an upper position. This upper pocition of ~he rearwar~ly mounted drawer detent bar 171 will ~e assumed when tha ~orward region 171a of the draw0r detent bar 171 comes to rest above the reces~ 26a ln the bott~m wall 26 o~ ~he bottom member 21. The drawer d~tent bar 171 i~ arrangad in ~he reglon of the path of movemen~
of the aard re~ainer pin~ 110 ~o 133. When actuating a selector k~y, the a~soaiat~d pivot lever oonnectad ~o th~
actua~ed sele~tor key will be xo~ated, with the ~ult that ~he card retainer pin ~earing free end o~ the pl~ot lever will be moved downwardly in the direction o~ th~
arrow ~1 (FIG. 8) so that the corresponding card retalner pin engage~ the fo~ward re~i~n 171a of the drawer detent bar 171 and urges the drawer de~ent bar at it~ forwar~ portion in~o the opening or xeae~g 2~a of the bottom wall 26 o~ the bottom member 21. ~hereb~ th~ resilient element 173 will be compressed and biased. ~t ~he moment in which ~he c~rd retainex pin has urged ~he ~o~ward portion 171a of the drawer detent bar 171 into the reces~ or opening 25a of the bot~om w~ll 25 of the bott~m member 21 the drawer 30 will be unl~cked insofar a3 the cam 175 i~ rota~ed outward~
ly from th~ lug 37 conne~ed to ~he drawer 30. Since the drawer 30 i3 spring-bia~d, the drawex 30 will be moved a~ 10 -
3~
ou~wardly in this moment ~FIGS. 5 and 6). A1ternatively~
the d~awer detent bar 171 may be replaced ~y a devic~ o a di~ferent design, and ~uch a devic~ must in ~ny ca~e permit to unlock the dr~wer 30 from the bottom memb~r 21.
When the bottom wall 26 of the bottom m~nber 21 ie of a sufficient thickness the openin~ 26a in the bottom wall 26 may be replaced by a reGe~. It i8 important, ho~ever, that fo~ unlocking the drawer the drawer detent bar 171 ma~
be urged, with its ~orward portion 171a, in~o an opening or a reces~ so that the unlocking operation may be initi~ted.
The ~tack o~ index card~ 200 con~i~ts o~ ~
numbe~ of index cards made o~ h~avy grade paper, cardboard or th~ like, ~h~ number of i~dex cards corresponding to ~he number of sqlector key~ 40 to 63. In the embodiment of the index card register Qho~n in the drawing~ there are provid-ed ~w~nty four index ca~d~, desi~nated by the reference numerals 2~ 02, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 20g~ 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, ~16, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223 and 224. At the rear edge oE thq index cards 202 to ~24 i~ provi.ded a selec~or tongue 202a, 203a, ~04a, 205a, 206a, 207a, 20~a, 209a, ZlOa, 211a, 212a, 213a, 214a~ 215a, 216a, 217a, 218a, 21~a, 2~0a, 221a, 222a, Z23a and 224a re~pe~tively, and in th~s~ ~elector tongu~ are provided apertures 250. The~e ape~ture~ 250 in the selector tongues of the index cards are arran~e~ in ~wo parallel rows which corre~pond to the arran~emen~ o~ the card retainer pins 110 to 13~ 80 that each aperture i3 operatively ~oci~ted with a card retainer pin. Th~ aperturas 250 in the index card~
202 to 2~4 are of a sub~t~ntially circular cenfigurat~on.
The lowe~most index card ~01 i~ devoid o~ apertures 250.
~L~S~S30 The configurat$on and th~ Arr~ng~ment o the seleator tongues 202a to 224a are a~ ~11Ow9~ Commencing with the in~ex card 202 at the bottom the num~r of aperturc~
250 in each overl~ing index oard increase~ by one ap~rtu~e.
Thus the index card 203 o~rlying ~h~ index c~rd 202 ~ith one aperture 250 includ~s two aperture~ 250 ~PIGS. 15 ~
Furthermore; ~he selector tongue~ axe arranged so that the incremental aperture by which the number of ape~t~re~ in any of the lndex ca~ds is ~ug~en~ad with resp~ct ~o the number o~ ap~rtures in the adJaa~nt underlying card i~ neith~r cover~d by a seleator tongue nox ~y an aperture in any other inde~ aard~ FI~. 15 ~llu~tra~es a portion of the ind~x ca~
202 with it~ ~elector tongue 202a ~hat bears a singl~
aper u~e 250a. The selector ton~ue 202a in~ludes an obliq~e left hand side ed~e 202b whereby the co~figuration of th~
selector tongue 202a is ~uah that the ~elector tongue may ju~t accommodat~ the apexture ~50a. The index card 203 ov~r~
lying the index card 2~2 includes a selector ton~ue 203a oE approxim~tely squar~ ox rectangular configuration in which are arranged tWQ apqrtures 250a and 25~b whereb~ the aperture 250a of t~e index ~rd 203 coincide~ wi~h the aperture 250a of the in~ex card 202 when ~he two index cards overlie each o~her (FIG. 16). ~hen the two index card~
202 and 203 ovexlie each oth~r, the ~elector tongue 203a ~f the index card 20~ c~ver~ tho selector tongu~ 202a o~
~he lndex card 202 to ~uoh an ~xten~ that only th~ ~alector tongue 202a i8 covexed wh~x~s the xem~ining portion 203b of the selec~or tongu~ 203a i5 oxposed (FIGS. 17 an~
When a~tuating the corr0sponding ~elector key the card retainer pin as~ociated ther~wi~h i~ in~erted through ~h~
~L~5853~3 aper~ur~ of the ~elector ~ongue 203a of ~h~ ~ndex card ~03 and engage~ the drawer detent bar 171. ~he aard reta~.nQr pin retains the index ~ard 203 and any further index card~
that overlie the index card 2030 Since no card retainer pin i~ inserted through the aperture 250a ~ the selectox to~ue 202a, the index card 202 will not be ratained but will move foxward toge~her wlth the ou~wardly moved ~rawer 30.
The en~rain~ent of the selected index ca~d ox respec~ively of the ~elected index ca~d and any index eard~
und~rlying the ~elect~ inde~ ~ard is ensured by mean~ of a cam 180. This cam 180 i~ centr~lly moulded at the bottom wall 31 of th~ draw~r 30 ~d~acent the drawer front wall 34.
The index cards 201 to 224 include at th~ir ~orward end~
an ~per~ure 230 each lnto which the cam 18~ engag~s. When the d~awer 30 moves outwardly from the housing 10, the sele~ted index card, together with any underlying ind~
cards, will be drawn ~rom the stack o~ card~ by thi ~n~rain-ment aam. Thi~ entrainment cam 180 i9 of an approximately triangulax coniguratio~ which ensures that all of those index ~ard~ that are no~ b~ing r~tain~d by a card retalner pin lnserted t~rough the ap~rture~ 250 may ~hus be r~leased from the c~m 180 so tha~ only ~he libera~ed index card together with the underl~ing index cards will move outward-ly together with t~e d~awer.
The selector tonsues 2~2a to 224a of the indexcards 202 to 224 are a~ranged in a pattern that rese~bles a flight of stairs, a~ ma~ be ~een from FIG. 14.
The operation ~ the inventive index card register i~ brie1y as ~ollowss Durlng periods of non-usage ~585~0 the dxAwer 30 i~ inser~ed into ~he hou~ing 10, The draw~r 30 accommodates a number of index cards that are ovex-lying each other in a 3tack oX index card~ 200. The index cards include, at their rear edge, selector tongue~. ~ach S index card i8 provided with one selector tongue. In th0~e selec~or ton~ues are provide~ apertures 250. When aatuat- !
ing a ~elector k~y, ~he pivvt lever connected to thi~
actuated ~elector key will be moved, at its ~re~ end, toward the b~tom wall 26 of ~he bottom member 21 whereby the card retainer pin dependin~ ~rom thi~ pivot lever i8 inserted through the operatively a~s~ciated apert~res 250 of the index cards arranged in its path of movement ~o that the pin Q~g~ges the drawer de~ent bar 171. The forward portion 171a oE the drawer de~en~ bar 171 will thereby be urged into the opening or re~e~s 2~a in ~he bottom wall 26 o ~he bottom member 21. At this moment is released the lug 37 of ~h~ dxawer 30 which had previously be retained by th~
cam 135 of the drawer detent bar 171. Upon rotation of the drawer detent bar 171 the cam 175 is withdrawn from the lug 37 by a rotary mov~m~nt. In this instance the drawer 30 i8 a~celerated ~orwa~dly ~y the compression spring (no~ ~hown) an~ ~oncur~ently en~rains the ~eleeted index card and all index card~ un~rlying the selected index card wher~a~ all index aard~ overlyln~ ~he selected index card are being retained by the d~pressed aard retainer pin.
When the projectin~ drawer wi~h the corre~ponding index card ~xposed to sight i~ no longer required, the drawer 30 may be moved back into th~ hou~ing 10 and will be retained therein by the fact that the lug 37 at the drawer bo~tom wall 31.engage~ th~ cam 175 and i8 being retained in the ~ 2~ _ ~ ~ S ~ 5 3~
lockin~ position by the d~wer det~nt bar 171~ When relea~ing the actuating pressure o~ the card reta~ner pln on the drawer de~ent b~ 171, ~he l~t~r i~ ~oved baak-wardly by the re~ient element 173 into the slightly r~i~ed position, i.e. into a po~itlon ensuring engagement o~ the lug 37 on the drawer 30 with the c~m 175 of ~he draw~r detent bar 171, for lnt~rlocking the3e member~. In the inserted position of th~ drawer ~0, the index cards ln th~
stack o~ index cards 2~3 a~e x~tai~ed by th~ angled retaln-ing ledge~ 19, 19a di~p~ed intern~lly o~ the housing 10 and partly overlapping laterally the index cards o~ th~
staok of index cards 200 ~o that the index cards and thelr ~ele~tor tongue~ assume a 1a~ planar shape in the reglon of th~ card retainer pin~.
The index cærd re~i6~er o~ the present inventlon may be ~esi~ned and manuPactured at low cost, and thl~ i~
partly due ~o ~he ~ac~ tha~ th~ ~elector key~ 40 ~o 63 define toge~her with 1:hair as~ociated pivot levers 70 ~o 93 an as~embly that may readily b~ removed since the pivot lever~ 70 to 93 are merely ~lided, at their one ends, ontothe mounting rod 101. ~ny mal~unc~ion or wrong 3election is excluded since only tho~ index cards will be released for which the asso~iatod ~eleator key has been actuated.
~ince the selec~or tong~es having the apertures are arranged at ~he rear en~s o~ the index card~, a relatively large po~tlon of the index card surface i5 available for receiving indicia, data or the like. The entrainment cam 180 on the bottom wall 31 o~ the drawer 30 may also be ~eplaced by laterally ~ranged entrainment cams~ ~he index card~ would then have to include co.rrespondingly ~haped 1~58S~O
re~e Se9 or engagement with the~ la~er~l entrainment cam~ whereby lt must be en~ured that the s~l~c~ed index card ~oyeth~r wi~h any undarlylny index card~ are prop~r~y entrained when the drawer 30 move~ outwardly from the housing/ and that the index card~ that are retained by the card retainer pin are ~eleased from ~he entrainment ~m~.
For ln~crlbing the lndex card~ the latter may readlly b~
removed individually rom th~ aard xegl~ter hou~lng.
The pre~en~ invention i8 not intendQd to be re~tri~ted to ~he abo~e de~cribed and illu~txated embodi-ment. Modi~ications in ~he arrangement of the guide meane for the drawer, in the arrangement of the resilient tongues biased by the card retaln~r pin~ and in th~ arrangem~nt of the drawer locking and unlocking m~chani~m are likewlse con~ldered to be within ~he scope of the present inv~ntlon.
Thu~ the drawer de~ent bar may consi~ of a resilient tongue made ~f a pla~ti~ material moulded ~ntegrally with the bottom member of ~he hou~ing, Due to it~ inherent restoring capacity such a re~ilient tongue will again return into it~ initial ~patial po~ition when releasing a pre~ure force applied ~o this tonyue by a card ret~iner pin ~o that th~ drawer ma~ be locked. ~here may likewi~e be provided a d~aw~r l~ing ~echani~m of a different desi~n.
Thus the fr~nt edge of ~he drawer detent bar may be provid-~5 ed with a vertical engaglng bar, and the drawer may beprovlde~, at its rear bottom wall portion, with a wedge-shaped landing surface h~ving a rearward vertieal portion behind which enga~es th~ enga~ng bar of the drawer detent bar to retain the draw~ in the inward position. The drawer detent bar may al~o be in the form of a key-bolt 2~ -provided with suitable rneans ~o~ locking the drawer.
~ he index c~rd regi~er may be employed not only for presenting phone number~, addre~e~ and the like but likewise for tabulating or clas~iying goods of ~ny.
5 type and the like.
ou~wardly in this moment ~FIGS. 5 and 6). A1ternatively~
the d~awer detent bar 171 may be replaced ~y a devic~ o a di~ferent design, and ~uch a devic~ must in ~ny ca~e permit to unlock the dr~wer 30 from the bottom memb~r 21.
When the bottom wall 26 of the bottom m~nber 21 ie of a sufficient thickness the openin~ 26a in the bottom wall 26 may be replaced by a reGe~. It i8 important, ho~ever, that fo~ unlocking the drawer the drawer detent bar 171 ma~
be urged, with its ~orward portion 171a, in~o an opening or a reces~ so that the unlocking operation may be initi~ted.
The ~tack o~ index card~ 200 con~i~ts o~ ~
numbe~ of index cards made o~ h~avy grade paper, cardboard or th~ like, ~h~ number of i~dex cards corresponding to ~he number of sqlector key~ 40 to 63. In the embodiment of the index card register Qho~n in the drawing~ there are provid-ed ~w~nty four index ca~d~, desi~nated by the reference numerals 2~ 02, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 20g~ 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, ~16, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223 and 224. At the rear edge oE thq index cards 202 to ~24 i~ provi.ded a selec~or tongue 202a, 203a, ~04a, 205a, 206a, 207a, 20~a, 209a, ZlOa, 211a, 212a, 213a, 214a~ 215a, 216a, 217a, 218a, 21~a, 2~0a, 221a, 222a, Z23a and 224a re~pe~tively, and in th~s~ ~elector tongu~ are provided apertures 250. The~e ape~ture~ 250 in the selector tongues of the index cards are arran~e~ in ~wo parallel rows which corre~pond to the arran~emen~ o~ the card retainer pins 110 to 13~ 80 that each aperture i3 operatively ~oci~ted with a card retainer pin. Th~ aperturas 250 in the index card~
202 to 2~4 are of a sub~t~ntially circular cenfigurat~on.
The lowe~most index card ~01 i~ devoid o~ apertures 250.
~L~S~S30 The configurat$on and th~ Arr~ng~ment o the seleator tongues 202a to 224a are a~ ~11Ow9~ Commencing with the in~ex card 202 at the bottom the num~r of aperturc~
250 in each overl~ing index oard increase~ by one ap~rtu~e.
Thus the index card 203 o~rlying ~h~ index c~rd 202 ~ith one aperture 250 includ~s two aperture~ 250 ~PIGS. 15 ~
Furthermore; ~he selector tongue~ axe arranged so that the incremental aperture by which the number of ape~t~re~ in any of the lndex ca~ds is ~ug~en~ad with resp~ct ~o the number o~ ap~rtures in the adJaa~nt underlying card i~ neith~r cover~d by a seleator tongue nox ~y an aperture in any other inde~ aard~ FI~. 15 ~llu~tra~es a portion of the ind~x ca~
202 with it~ ~elector tongue 202a ~hat bears a singl~
aper u~e 250a. The selector ton~ue 202a in~ludes an obliq~e left hand side ed~e 202b whereby the co~figuration of th~
selector tongue 202a is ~uah that the ~elector tongue may ju~t accommodat~ the apexture ~50a. The index card 203 ov~r~
lying the index card 2~2 includes a selector ton~ue 203a oE approxim~tely squar~ ox rectangular configuration in which are arranged tWQ apqrtures 250a and 25~b whereb~ the aperture 250a of t~e index ~rd 203 coincide~ wi~h the aperture 250a of the in~ex card 202 when ~he two index cards overlie each o~her (FIG. 16). ~hen the two index card~
202 and 203 ovexlie each oth~r, the ~elector tongue 203a ~f the index card 20~ c~ver~ tho selector tongu~ 202a o~
~he lndex card 202 to ~uoh an ~xten~ that only th~ ~alector tongue 202a i8 covexed wh~x~s the xem~ining portion 203b of the selec~or tongu~ 203a i5 oxposed (FIGS. 17 an~
When a~tuating the corr0sponding ~elector key the card retainer pin as~ociated ther~wi~h i~ in~erted through ~h~
~L~5853~3 aper~ur~ of the ~elector ~ongue 203a of ~h~ ~ndex card ~03 and engage~ the drawer detent bar 171. ~he aard reta~.nQr pin retains the index ~ard 203 and any further index card~
that overlie the index card 2030 Since no card retainer pin i~ inserted through the aperture 250a ~ the selectox to~ue 202a, the index card 202 will not be ratained but will move foxward toge~her wlth the ou~wardly moved ~rawer 30.
The en~rain~ent of the selected index ca~d ox respec~ively of the ~elected index ca~d and any index eard~
und~rlying the ~elect~ inde~ ~ard is ensured by mean~ of a cam 180. This cam 180 i~ centr~lly moulded at the bottom wall 31 of th~ draw~r 30 ~d~acent the drawer front wall 34.
The index cards 201 to 224 include at th~ir ~orward end~
an ~per~ure 230 each lnto which the cam 18~ engag~s. When the d~awer 30 moves outwardly from the housing 10, the sele~ted index card, together with any underlying ind~
cards, will be drawn ~rom the stack o~ card~ by thi ~n~rain-ment aam. Thi~ entrainment cam 180 i9 of an approximately triangulax coniguratio~ which ensures that all of those index ~ard~ that are no~ b~ing r~tain~d by a card retalner pin lnserted t~rough the ap~rture~ 250 may ~hus be r~leased from the c~m 180 so tha~ only ~he libera~ed index card together with the underl~ing index cards will move outward-ly together with t~e d~awer.
The selector tonsues 2~2a to 224a of the indexcards 202 to 224 are a~ranged in a pattern that rese~bles a flight of stairs, a~ ma~ be ~een from FIG. 14.
The operation ~ the inventive index card register i~ brie1y as ~ollowss Durlng periods of non-usage ~585~0 the dxAwer 30 i~ inser~ed into ~he hou~ing 10, The draw~r 30 accommodates a number of index cards that are ovex-lying each other in a 3tack oX index card~ 200. The index cards include, at their rear edge, selector tongue~. ~ach S index card i8 provided with one selector tongue. In th0~e selec~or ton~ues are provide~ apertures 250. When aatuat- !
ing a ~elector k~y, ~he pivvt lever connected to thi~
actuated ~elector key will be moved, at its ~re~ end, toward the b~tom wall 26 of ~he bottom member 21 whereby the card retainer pin dependin~ ~rom thi~ pivot lever i8 inserted through the operatively a~s~ciated apert~res 250 of the index cards arranged in its path of movement ~o that the pin Q~g~ges the drawer de~ent bar 171. The forward portion 171a oE the drawer de~en~ bar 171 will thereby be urged into the opening or re~e~s 2~a in ~he bottom wall 26 o ~he bottom member 21. At this moment is released the lug 37 of ~h~ dxawer 30 which had previously be retained by th~
cam 135 of the drawer detent bar 171. Upon rotation of the drawer detent bar 171 the cam 175 is withdrawn from the lug 37 by a rotary mov~m~nt. In this instance the drawer 30 i8 a~celerated ~orwa~dly ~y the compression spring (no~ ~hown) an~ ~oncur~ently en~rains the ~eleeted index card and all index card~ un~rlying the selected index card wher~a~ all index aard~ overlyln~ ~he selected index card are being retained by the d~pressed aard retainer pin.
When the projectin~ drawer wi~h the corre~ponding index card ~xposed to sight i~ no longer required, the drawer 30 may be moved back into th~ hou~ing 10 and will be retained therein by the fact that the lug 37 at the drawer bo~tom wall 31.engage~ th~ cam 175 and i8 being retained in the ~ 2~ _ ~ ~ S ~ 5 3~
lockin~ position by the d~wer det~nt bar 171~ When relea~ing the actuating pressure o~ the card reta~ner pln on the drawer de~ent b~ 171, ~he l~t~r i~ ~oved baak-wardly by the re~ient element 173 into the slightly r~i~ed position, i.e. into a po~itlon ensuring engagement o~ the lug 37 on the drawer 30 with the c~m 175 of ~he draw~r detent bar 171, for lnt~rlocking the3e member~. In the inserted position of th~ drawer ~0, the index cards ln th~
stack o~ index cards 2~3 a~e x~tai~ed by th~ angled retaln-ing ledge~ 19, 19a di~p~ed intern~lly o~ the housing 10 and partly overlapping laterally the index cards o~ th~
staok of index cards 200 ~o that the index cards and thelr ~ele~tor tongue~ assume a 1a~ planar shape in the reglon of th~ card retainer pin~.
The index cærd re~i6~er o~ the present inventlon may be ~esi~ned and manuPactured at low cost, and thl~ i~
partly due ~o ~he ~ac~ tha~ th~ ~elector key~ 40 ~o 63 define toge~her with 1:hair as~ociated pivot levers 70 ~o 93 an as~embly that may readily b~ removed since the pivot lever~ 70 to 93 are merely ~lided, at their one ends, ontothe mounting rod 101. ~ny mal~unc~ion or wrong 3election is excluded since only tho~ index cards will be released for which the asso~iatod ~eleator key has been actuated.
~ince the selec~or tong~es having the apertures are arranged at ~he rear en~s o~ the index card~, a relatively large po~tlon of the index card surface i5 available for receiving indicia, data or the like. The entrainment cam 180 on the bottom wall 31 o~ the drawer 30 may also be ~eplaced by laterally ~ranged entrainment cams~ ~he index card~ would then have to include co.rrespondingly ~haped 1~58S~O
re~e Se9 or engagement with the~ la~er~l entrainment cam~ whereby lt must be en~ured that the s~l~c~ed index card ~oyeth~r wi~h any undarlylny index card~ are prop~r~y entrained when the drawer 30 move~ outwardly from the housing/ and that the index card~ that are retained by the card retainer pin are ~eleased from ~he entrainment ~m~.
For ln~crlbing the lndex card~ the latter may readlly b~
removed individually rom th~ aard xegl~ter hou~lng.
The pre~en~ invention i8 not intendQd to be re~tri~ted to ~he abo~e de~cribed and illu~txated embodi-ment. Modi~ications in ~he arrangement of the guide meane for the drawer, in the arrangement of the resilient tongues biased by the card retaln~r pin~ and in th~ arrangem~nt of the drawer locking and unlocking m~chani~m are likewlse con~ldered to be within ~he scope of the present inv~ntlon.
Thu~ the drawer de~ent bar may consi~ of a resilient tongue made ~f a pla~ti~ material moulded ~ntegrally with the bottom member of ~he hou~ing, Due to it~ inherent restoring capacity such a re~ilient tongue will again return into it~ initial ~patial po~ition when releasing a pre~ure force applied ~o this tonyue by a card ret~iner pin ~o that th~ drawer ma~ be locked. ~here may likewi~e be provided a d~aw~r l~ing ~echani~m of a different desi~n.
Thus the fr~nt edge of ~he drawer detent bar may be provid-~5 ed with a vertical engaglng bar, and the drawer may beprovlde~, at its rear bottom wall portion, with a wedge-shaped landing surface h~ving a rearward vertieal portion behind which enga~es th~ enga~ng bar of the drawer detent bar to retain the draw~ in the inward position. The drawer detent bar may al~o be in the form of a key-bolt 2~ -provided with suitable rneans ~o~ locking the drawer.
~ he index c~rd regi~er may be employed not only for presenting phone number~, addre~e~ and the like but likewise for tabulating or clas~iying goods of ~ny.
5 type and the like.
Claims (4)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An index card register with index card selector means, including a housing consisting of a cover member and a bottom member, a plurality of selector keys disposed in an array of several rows and columns, a drawer biased by a compression spring and adapted to be locked by a locking mechan-ism, a plurality of index cards accommodated within the drawer, the index cards including punched-out selector apertures in their rearwardly disposed marginal portions of a stack of index cards, each selector key being mounted on one end of an associated one-armed pivot lever which is resiliently urged into an initial position by spring means and carries at its free end index card retaining means, the index card retaining means cooperating with the index cards so that when depressing a selector key all index cards overlying the index cards associated with this selector key will be retained when the drawer moves outwardly from the housing whereas the selected index card and all index cards underlying the selected index card move outwardly together with the drawer, and means for unlocking the drawer and releasing the index card that has been selected by a selector key, by urging the unlocked drawer outwardly by means of the compression spring, the drawer including entrainment cams adapted to engage punched-out entrainment apertures in the index cards, said index card register being characterized in that the selector keys of a plate-shaped, square or rectangular configuration are coupled to the pivot levers by vertical webs, and the selector keys disposed within a column, one behind the other, are of a width that corresponds to the overall width of the pivot levers mounting respectively these selector keys, the selector keys being connected to the pivot respectively so that a rearward selector key is canti-levered to the left with respect to its associated pivot lever, and a forward selector key is cantilevered to the right with respect to its associated pivot lever.
2. An index card register according to claim 1, characterized in that each longitudinal column contains four selector keys coupled to their respec-tive pivot levers so that the rearward selector key is cantilevered to the left with respect to its associated pivot lever, and the forward selector key is cantilevered to the right with respect to its associated pivot lever, whereas the two center selector keys are coupled to their respective pivot levers so that all four selector keys are disposed in a column one behind the other.
3. An index card register according to claim 2, characterized in that the rearward selector key of the four selector keys defining a group of a longitudinal column has a portion cantilevered to the left, and the front-selector key has a portion cantilevered to the right with the width of each of the two cantilevered portions corresponding to the width of three pivot levers, whereas the two selector keys disposed intermediate the rearward and front selector keys each include at one side a cantilevered portion that cor-responds to the width of one pivot lever and at the opposite side a canti-levered portion that corresponds to the width of two pivot levers.
4. An index card register according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the top cover plate of the housing cover member includes an aperture that corresponds substantially to the area defined by the selector keys.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA312,437A CA1058530A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1978-10-02 | Index card register with selector device |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE2647067A DE2647067C3 (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1976-10-19 | Leaflet register |
| CA268,816A CA1054954A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1976-12-29 | Index card register with selector device |
| CA312,437A CA1058530A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1978-10-02 | Index card register with selector device |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1058530A true CA1058530A (en) | 1979-07-17 |
Family
ID=27164845
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA312,437A Expired CA1058530A (en) | 1976-10-19 | 1978-10-02 | Index card register with selector device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1058530A (en) |
-
1978
- 1978-10-02 CA CA312,437A patent/CA1058530A/en not_active Expired
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