EP0028048A1

EP0028048A1 - Apparatus for administrative purposes

Info

Publication number: EP0028048A1
Application number: EP80201003A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henricus Martinus Feijen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-10-25
Filing date: 1980-10-22
Publication date: 1981-05-06
Also published as: BE879617A

Abstract

The invention is characterized in that it comprises a rectangular frame of which both the short (2) and the large sides (1) have a stepwise profile (3A) wherebetween a plurality of plates (5 to 16) are disposed slidably.

Description

The invention concerns an apparatus for administrative purposes which is suitable both for small and large administrations and by means of which simultaneously with the entries to be made, also all required or desired specifications can be realized.
For administrative purposes often use is made of a loose-leaf system, wherein always the different loose leaves have--to be removed from a card tray and placed in front of the user. Thereby the separate card has to be searched and after use stored again in the proper sequence.
For so-called carbon copy systems it is necessary to design the entire ledger administration as a carbon copy system to ensure a proper breakdown and distribution on different account numbers.
For the purpose of an accounting and in general administration systems, use is being made increasingly of specially designed computers. It is true that by means of a computer, once the data have been fed therein, many surveys can be made, but it has been found that when feeding the data into the computer still many operations are required, with a substantial chance of errors when no accurate checking is made.
It should be added that for most accounting systems further surveys are not necessary as a result of a regrouping of the data fed.
It is object of the invention to provide an apparatus by means of which administrative operations can be simply performed and whereby the result of the entries provide a highly surveyable and a simply controlable picture, with furthermore all advantages going with a loose-leaf system.
To this effect according to the invention it is proposed to design an apparatus for administrative purposes as a substantially rectangular frame wherebetween a plurality of superimposed plates are slidably disposed in longitudinal direction in guides.
Preferably the plates are provided with clamping means for retaining administrative forms. Preferably, the frame has a size in longitudinal direction which is approximately thrice the longitudinal dimension of a slidable plate.
Thus it is possible to always slide a plate in a position of use in front of the user and to perform the required entries on the forms attached on the plate. Preferably, use is made for the upper plate of a carbon copy system for the subadministration, viz. the debtor and creditor card. On the other slidable plates the separate entries can be directly applied and properly broken down, there being sufficient space to always enter the account numbers directly. For this breakdown, no use need be made of a carbon copy system, while the separate columns always ensure directly a survey of the respective items. In general, twelve plates offer sufficient space.
All forms which are necessary for the accounting system may always be applied on the plates of the rectangular frame, so that no separate trays for loose cards are required, while moreover each form, through the sliding of the respective plate, can be brought in the most suitable position for writing.
Some embodiments according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention;
fig. 2 is a partial cross-section on the lines II-II in fig.1;
fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section on the line III-III in fig. 1;
fig. 4 is a cross-section of an extrusion profile as used for the manufacture of a frame;
fig. 5 is a cross-section of a variant embodiment for a longitudinal profile of the apparatus;
fig. 6 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of an upper plate for an apparatus according to fig. 1; and
fig. 7 is a perspective view of a lower plate from the apparatus according to fig. 1.

The apparatus shown in fig. 1 comprises two large sides 1 and two short sides 2, each provided with a stepwise profile 3, resp. 4.
The large and short sides are united to a frame. Between the four sides there are provided in the embodiment twelve plates indicated by numerals 6,8,10,12,14,16, resp. 5,7,9,11,13 and 15. The plates 6,8,10,12,14 and 16 lie freely superimposed as well as plates 5,7,9,11,13 and 15, whereby plates 5 and 6,7 and 8,9 and 10,11 and 12,13 and 14 as well as 15 and 16 each time are slidable co-planar in relationship to each other. The stepwise profile 3 of the large sides serve as guide for the plates, while the stepwise profiles 4 of the short sides serve as boundary or stop for the sliding movements.
All plates may otherwise be moved freely relative to each other. By the stepwise design of the short sides, the plates at the inside, as is best shown in fig. 1, slightly project relative to the superimposed plate, so that these are engaged and displaced independently from each other. To this effect, recesses 17 can be provided in the plates. The rear most large side 1, as appears from fig. 1, is provided at the bottom with an extended piece 18, so that the back side of the frame has a slightly higher position than the front side. This facilitates the writing on the forms applied on the plates.
Fig. 4 shows a variant for the side of the frame. The. profile shown therein may be made e.g. simply of plastics or aluminium, for instance by means of extrusion.
A simple embodiment is thereby obtained when a corresponding profile is used for the short side.
It is also possible to select a non-stepwise design for the large sides, butrectangular, saw-tooth shaped, as shown in fig. 5. With such an embodiment all plates 5-16 can be designed with identical dimensions.
Possibly, the edges of the plates may be designed stepwise, in order to obtain sufficient space between the separate plates, enabling administration forms to be attached on the separate plates.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a plate for an apparatus according to the invention. This plate is designed recessed along the two edges at the left and the right at 20, resp. 21.
In said recessed edges there are provided on either side hinged and resilient clamps 23. By pressing on the ends 24 thereof, the other ends 25 will be slightly released and the edges of an administration form 26 may then be pushed thereunder.
The upper plates 5, resp. 6 are designed slightly differently, as shown in fig. 6.
Said plates are provided at one side with a clamping strip 27 extending along the edge, whereunder an administration form can be pushed.
If desired, adjacent said clamping strip or along one of the other edges of the plate, there may be provided projections, e.g. pins for retaining in place and orienting the accounting forms.
The clamping strip 27 is discontinuous in two places for applying resilient clamps 28. Said resilient clamps 28 can be opened for applying a second administration form 30, which form is used as carbon copy form for the purpose of the subjacent form 31. Naturally, also other clamping or attaching systems may be employed, possibly depending on the design of the accounting forms.
The apparatus according to the invention can be operated as follows.
By displaying the required plate from the starting position at the left and/or the right of the user towards the middle, just in front of the user, the entries to be made can be effected and after completion thereof can again be pushed back to the starting position.
Preferably, thereby the upper sheets are used for on the one hand a tally sheet and on the other hand a subledger account form designed as carbon copy sheet thereon; debtors, resp. creditors. On the subjacent plates separate administration forms may then be attached, whereon the different entries can then be effected directly in so-called itemization columns.
The operation of the apparatus has many advantages compared with existing administrative systems, of which only a few will be mentioned here.
Firstly: With respect to so-called carbon copy systems, only the subadministration need be carbon copied in the apparatus and not the ledger administration, since there is sufficient space for direct booking on the account numbers.
Secondly: The itemization possibilities for the buying, sales and expense administration are unlimitedly large in view of the fact that there is no need .for carbon copying the ledger administration, as already mentioned.
Thirdly: When using the apparatus, there is no need for encoding, checking, punching and correcting operations, which is the conventional procedure for a computer administration.
Fourthly: The apparatus according to the embodiment provides a writing space broadwise of approximately twelve times the width of one plate, so that this is suitable both for small and large administrations.
In case more or less writing space is required, the apparatus can be adjusted thereto by variation in the number of plates.
The frame can be simply made of wood and the plates of plywood.
However, an embodiment in metal or in plastics is no problem either.

Claims

1. An apparatus for administrative purposes, characterized by a substantially rectangular frame wherebetween a plurality of superimposed plates are slidably disposed in longitudinal direction in guides.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each plate is provided with clamping means for retaining administration forms.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the effective longitudinal inside dimension of the rectangular frame corresponds with approximately three times the longitudinal dimension of a slidable plate.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3,characterized in that in each guide for the plates there are always provided two plates, while the entire apparatus is provided with at least six and preferably twelve slidable plates.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the guides for the separate plates are formed by a stepwise design on cross-section of the longitudinal edges of the frame.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the transverse edges of the frame are designed with a corresponding profile as the longitudinal edges.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that always the upper plate or plates are provided with separately operable paper clamps.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that means are provided for inclining the plane of the plates.