CA1176938A - Rotary filing device - Google Patents

Rotary filing device

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Publication number
CA1176938A
CA1176938A CA000378723A CA378723A CA1176938A CA 1176938 A CA1176938 A CA 1176938A CA 000378723 A CA000378723 A CA 000378723A CA 378723 A CA378723 A CA 378723A CA 1176938 A CA1176938 A CA 1176938A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
strips
filing device
recess
rotary filing
container
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
Application number
CA000378723A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
John M. Fuller
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA000378723A priority Critical patent/CA1176938A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1176938A publication Critical patent/CA1176938A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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  • Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
  • Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An improved rotary filing device is provided herein. The rotary filing device includes a frame carrying mounting strips, each adapted to receive a container for an item or items to be stored, all of the strips being supported at each end in a common elongate recess and the strips themselves being linked together to form an endless chain which is movable within the recess by tilting successive strips to provide acess to each container in turn. When the container is a tape cassette library case, the mounting strip may additionally be adapted to both the cassette case and the cassette itself, as desired. A spring loaded catch fitted in the recess to bear upon the ends of the mounting strips received therein, enables positive indexing and automatic resumption of a tidy equilibrium position, irrespective of the orientation of the device, in use.

Description

~his invention relates to a rotary filing device.
It is often required to store a collection of items in such a way as to afford ready access to a selected item or group of items.
Examples of such items are tape cassettes, tools eg., drill bits or Allen keys which are often grouped in ranges of sizes, sets of fishing flies of different types or collections of photographs or slides.
According to one aspect of this invention a rotary filing device is provided comprising a frame carrying mounting strips each adapted to receive a container for items to be stored, all of the strips being freely supported at each end in a common elongate recess in the frame and the strips themselves being linked together to form an endless chain which is movable within the recess by tilting successive strips to provide access to each container in turn.
By one variant thereof, the strips are attached to an endless belt of flexible material with the edges of adjacent strips in abutment and disposed normal to the axis of the belt.
By another variant thereof, the frame comprises a cabinet open at one end to provide access to containers mounted on the interlinked strips. According to this variant, the containers may be of any kind but preferably are boxes, possibly with a hinged ~r removable lid, and may bé suitable for storing either single items, one example of such containers being cassette library cases, or groups of items e.g., sets of drills, allen keys, photographs, fishing flies or whatever, so that the groups of items can be removed separately from the filing device and carried or otherwise handled conveniently, within their container.
- 2 -By another variant thereof, each mounting strip is adapted to receive both a cassette and a cassette case as desired. Accordingly, when the rotary filing device is intended for the storage of tape cassettes, according to another variant of this invention, whether they be video or audio cassettes, the mounting strips or slats are preferably each adapted to receive either a cassette library case or the cassette itself so that the user may choose whether to store cassettes with or without library cases.
By another variant thereof, each mounting strip has projecting wings which are spaced apart such that a container for an item or items to be stored, is a press-fit therebetween whereby the container is removably received by the strip.
By a variation thereof, the storage containers have hinged or removable lids, the wings being so adapted to arranged as to leave opening of the lids unobstructed.
According to another variant of the invention ! the rotary filing device may be disposed such that the endless chain of mounting strips, and the elongate recesses in which the ends of the strips are received, are horizontal; indeed this is p~eferred for most applications. It may be required when, for example, storing elongate items, e.g., drill bits, or for reasons of preference, to arrange the rotary filing device such that the mounting strips are vertical.
In another embodiment of this invention, wherein the ends of the interlinked mounted strips are freely received within the recess, positive indexing and automatic return to a stable and tidy equilibrium position will occur due to the effect of gravity only when the interlinked mounting strips are disposed horizontally. To improve control of the indexing movement and to ensure that the strips and hence also the con-tainers mounted thereon, resume the desirable tidy stable equilibriumposition irrespective of the orientation of the device, by another variant of this invention a catch may be fitted in at least one, and preferably in all of the recesses. The catch may comprise a catch member bearing on mount-ing strip ends received within the recess and biased so as to urge the strips to resume a position in which the interlinked strips are disposed in two parallel rows.
-By yet another variant of this invention, the frame may be a cabinet open at one end to provide access to cassettes or cassette cases 10 mounted on the interlinked strips. By yet another variant, the frame carries on one face projections which are complementary with projections on an opposite face whereby two identical devices can be attached together by interlocking the projections on the one face of one device with the com-plementary projections on the opposite face of the other device.
To permit mounting of the device on a support, by a variation thereof, a bracket may be provided for attachment to the support and may carry projections complementary with the projections on one face of the frame, such that by interlocking the complementary projections the frame can be mounted on the support.
By yet a further variant of this invention, the strips may be connected together by means of a series of interlocking projections and recesses forming a hinge between adjacent strips but in a preferred embodi-ment the strips are attached to an endless belt of flexible material with the edges of adjacent strips in abutment and disposed normal to the axis of the belt.
By another ~spect of this invention, a rotary filing device is - 4 ~

.

1~76938 provided comprising a frame carrying mounting strips each adapted to receive a container for an item or items to be stored, all of the strips being supported at each end in a common elongate recess and the strips them-selves being linked together to form an endless chain which is movable by tilting successive strips to provide access to each container in turn; and a catch in at least one of the recess, comprising a catch member bearing on mounting strip ends received within the recess and biased so as to urge the strips to resume a position in which the interlinked strips are disposed in two parallel rows.
By a variant thereof, the catch member is an elongate strip extending along the length of the recess and is biased by a leaf spring away from one side of the recess to trap the ends of the mounting strips against the other side of the recess.

- 4 a 117~i938 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly e~ploded, of a rotary filing cabinet of one aspect of this invention, for storing tape cassettes, the cabinet being adapted for attachment to other similar cabinets to build a modular storage system;
Figure 2, shows a cassette or cassette library -case mounting strip for attachment to a flexible belt, which fits within the cabinet of Figure l;
Figure 3 illustrates the manner in which the rotary file operates affording access to each in turn of the stored tape cassettes;
Figure 4 shows a modified mounting strip which permits opening of a cassette library case or the like received thereby, without removing the case from the rotary file;
Figure 5 is a cross-section of a modified embodiment especially suited for applications in which the dévice is used when disposed in an orientation displaced by 90 relative to the orientation of the device of Figures 1 to 3;
Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing details of the embodiment of Figure 5.
. .

~176938 The cabinet 10 shown in Figure 1 is adapted by means of projections 12 defining complementary tongues 14 and grooves 16, preferably dovetail or half-dovetail tongues and grooves, to interlock with similar cabinets (not shown) to build a modular storage system. There are projections on each face so enabling attachment of up to four adjacent cabinets. If desired the cabinet can be suspended from a wall or the underside of a shelf by means of a cruciform bracket 20 for attachment to the wall or shelf by screws or the like, passing through holes 22. At the ends of each are 24 of the cruciform bracket are projections adapted to engage the projections 16 on the upper face of the cabinet. Access to the interior of the cabinet is from either end.
15 ~ Cassette mounting strips 30 such as shown in Figure 2 are fixed by adhesive to an endless flexible belt 31 (see Figure 3), such that the elongate edges 32 of adjacent strips are in abutment and lie normal to the longitudinal axis of the belt. Ends 34 of the mounting strips projecting beyond wings 36, are received ln opposed rectangular recesses 38 (not shown) formed in the side walls of the cabinet 10, ~he spacing between the wings 36 on each mounting strip is such that a cassette case is a press-fit therebetween but the strips 30 also have means 40 for mounting the cassettes without cases.
Referring now to Figure 3, cassettes or cassette cases 50 mounted upon the strips 30 connected to the continuous endless beit 31 and resting on the lower edge 52 of the rectangular recesses 38, lie in a.
vertical plane, some depending from strips 30 on the lower run of the endless belt and o.thers standing vertically on strips 20 in the upper run. In this state, only those cassettes at the ends of the cabinet are visible. To gain access to other cassettes, the leading cassette-in the upper run is tilted as indicated by arrow A so that the mounting strip 30 to which it is secured, pivots about its leading edge and is lifted to the position shown by the dot-dash lines.
Further, tilting causes that strip to turn over, drawing with it the strips in the upper run and displacing the strips in the lower run as indicated by the arrows X
and Y, that cassette, then entering the lower runs.
This procedure may be repeated at will and, if desired, in the opposite direction until a pàrticular cassette is located.
By virtue of the fact that the strips are linked together in an endless chain and the effects of gravity, the device exhibits a positive indexing motion making the device easy to use, and there is a strong tendency 1~7G938 for the cassettes to return to a tidy stable equilibrium position corresponding to the position Or the mounting strips shown in solid lines in Figure 3, irrespective of their initial position when released by the user. For this same reason there is also a positive inde~ing motion which makes the filing device easy to use.
With reference to Figure 4, a conventional cassette library case 50 has a flat lid 51 which is hinged to the body 52 of the case and, in the closed position fits snugly between side walls 54 of the case.
In order to permit a library case to be opened without removing the case from the rotary file, a modified mounting strip such as shown in Figure 4, may be used.
Unlike the strip shown in Figure 2, the wings 36 extend . ..
; parallel to the longitudinal edge 32 of the strip, only for a short distance less than the wall thickness 54 of the cassette case This allows the lid 51 to move rélative to the case while seated on the mounting strip The embodiments of Figures 1 to 4 are described with reference to the storage of tape cassettes and, in particular, tape cassettes within library cases, but it ; will be appreciated that the rotary filing device accordlng to aspects of this invention may be adapted, for use with a wide variety of storage containers for many different 1176g38 _ 9 _ purposes.
As mentioned above it may be convenient to use ; the rotary filing device with the mounting strips 30 extending vertically, simply by turning the cabinet through 90 from the position shown in Figure 1. In this position, the mounting strips are supported on one end thereof and although retained substantially vertical by engagement with the walls of the recess, the advantageous gravitational effects referred to above no , 10 longer apply with the result that the cassette cases 50, ; or in general, the containers, are more freely moYable to the e~tent that the positive inde~ing motion is lost and will remain in the position in which'they are left after use.
Control of the movement of the endless chain of mounting strips is considerably improved by inserting in each Or the recesses a spring loaded catch,which bears, on the ends of the strips, as in the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6. The catch 60 constitutes an elongate member 62 extending along the entire length of the recess 38 and biased away from one side wall thereof by a leaf spring 64, the ends of the mounting strips being trapped between the member 62 and the opposite side wall of the recess. As the containers mounted on the strips are tilted when searching through the rotary file, the ~176938 spring is compressed but on release the mounting strips will snap into the stable position illustrated in the Figures.
With a spring-loaded catch as described above the rotary filing device exhibits the desirable positive inde~ing motion and return to the tidy stable equilibrium position, irrespective of the orientation o~ the cabinet in use.

. ..

Claims (10)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A rotary filing device comprising a frame carrying mounting strips, each adapted to receive a container for an item or items to be stored, all of the strips being supported at each end in a common elongate recess and the strips themselves being linked together to form an endless chain which is movable within said recess by tilting successive strips to provide access to each container in turn.
2. The rotary filing device according to claim 1 wherein said strips are attached to an endless belt of flexible material with the edges of adjacent strips in abutment and disposed normal to the axis of the belt.
3. The rotary filing device according to claim 1 wherein said frame comprises a cabinet open at one end to provide access to containers mounted on the interlinked strips.
4. The rotary filing device according to claim 1 wherein each mounting strip has projecting wings which are spaced apart such that a con-tainer for an item or items to be stored, is a press-fit therebetween whereby the container is removably received by the strip.
5. The rotary filing device according to claim 4 wherein said storage containers have hinged or removable lids, said wings being so adapted or arranged as to leave opening of the lids unobstructed.
6. The rotary filing device according to claim 1, wherein the frame carries on one face projections which are complementary with pro-jections on an opposite face whereby two identical devices can be attached together by interlocking the projections on the said one face of one device with the complementary projections on the said opposite face of the other device.
7. The rotary filing device according to claim 6, including a bracket for attachment to a support and carrying projections complemen-tary with the projections on one face of the frame such that by interlock-ing the complementary projections the frame can be mounted on the support.
8. The rotary filing device according to claim 1, wherein each mounting strip is adapted to receive both a cassette and a cassette case as desired.
9. A rotary filing device comprising a frame carrying mounting strips each adapted to receive a container for an item or items to be stored, all of the strips being supported at each end in a common elongate recess and the strips themselves being linked together to form an endless chain which is movable by tilting successive strips to provide access to each container in turn; and a catch in at least one of the said recesses, comprising a catch member bearing on mounting strip ends received within the recess and biased so as to urge the strips to resume a position in which the interlinked strips are disposed in two parallel rows.
10. A rotary filing device according to claim 9 wherein the catch member is an elongate strip extending along the length of the recess and is biased by a leaf spring away from one side of the recess to trap the ends of the mounting strips against the other side of the recess.
CA000378723A 1981-06-01 1981-06-01 Rotary filing device Expired CA1176938A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000378723A CA1176938A (en) 1981-06-01 1981-06-01 Rotary filing device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000378723A CA1176938A (en) 1981-06-01 1981-06-01 Rotary filing device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1176938A true CA1176938A (en) 1984-10-30

Family

ID=4120109

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000378723A Expired CA1176938A (en) 1981-06-01 1981-06-01 Rotary filing device

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1176938A (en)

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