EP0283499A1

EP0283499A1 - Scroll

Info

Publication number: EP0283499A1
Application number: EP19870906302
Authority: EP
Inventors: John Marshall Rennie; Anthony Monks
Original assignee: GAINSBOROUGH HOLDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: GAINSBOROUGH HOLDINGS Ltd
Priority date: 1986-09-25
Filing date: 1987-09-25
Publication date: 1988-09-28
Also published as: GB8812446D0; WO1988002529A1; GB2209424A

Abstract

Un dispositif enrouleur comprend un logement allongé (1) dans lequel est disposé un support pour un noyau tubulaire (3). Un trou de clavette longitudinal (4) ménagé dans le support du noyau tubulaire reçoit par clavetage un élément de bord complémentaire s'étendant le long d'un bord marginal d'un substrat flexible (120) portant une carte ou autre illustration ou support d'informations, ce qui permet au substrat flexible d'être monté sur le support en vue de son enroulement. Le logement est fermé à l'une de ses extrémités et le support tubulaire est relié à cet extrémité du logement de façon à permettre la rotation du support tubulaire autour de son axe par rapport au logement. Un organe associé au support tubulaire sert d'ancrage à l'une des extrémités d'un ressort monté dans le support tubulaire. L'autre extrémité du support tubulaire est relié au logement de façon à permettre une même rotation et est pourvue d'un élément terminal auquel est reliée l'autre extrémité.A winding device comprises an elongated housing (1) in which is arranged a support for a tubular core (3). A longitudinal keyhole (4) formed in the support of the tubular core receives by keying a complementary edge element extending along a marginal edge of a flexible substrate (120) carrying a card or other illustration or support d 'information, which allows the flexible substrate to be mounted on the support for its winding. The housing is closed at one of its ends and the tubular support is connected to this end of the housing so as to allow the rotation of the tubular support around its axis relative to the housing. A member associated with the tubular support serves as an anchor at one end of a spring mounted in the tubular support. The other end of the tubular support is connected to the housing so as to allow the same rotation and is provided with a terminal element to which the other end is connected.

Description

SCROLL

Description

This invention relates to scrolls and more particularly, though not necessarily exclusively to maps and charts of the kind which can conveniently be mounted on a scroll for storage.

Naval charts, for example, are commonly provided in this form. For more general use, as for example in the case of maps for motorists, maps in this form have in the past proved difficult to handle. Where a number of maps are required in order, for example, to cover a large area, such as the whole of Great Britain, there is a danger that maps or charts in store may become unwound.

An arrangement in which maps in scroll form are mounted within an apparatus of the kind in which two half-casings are biassed to close toward each other to form a complete casing for the map, chart or the like has previously been proposed in British Patent Specification 1584083 of Brant Waterhouse. Waterhouse discloses a document holder, particularly suitable for maps, in which the document is wound in scroll form on a pair of rollers which are spring biassed apart. The rollers are mounted in respective casing members. There is a suggestion, but no means described as to how it might be achieved, to the effect that the rollers may be removed from the casing members to allow the map to be changed. The spring bias is constantly applied in the Waterhouse document holder. In order to read the map or other document, the two sections of the housing are held apart by a spacing member in the form of an arm pivotably attached to one of the casing members and positioned to hold the two casing members apart against the bias of the springs.

It has long been the case in respect of roller blinds and the like where a length of paper or fabric is mounted on a single roll, with the free end being pulled out against spring bias, for the mechanism to include an arrangement whereby the free end can be pulled out to a predetermined distance at which it is temporarily held, the spring bias being reasserted after removal of the temporary hold or catch. Similar mechanisms have been suggested for maps wound on a single roll. British Patent Specification 635975 Heath proposes a single roll map in which a free end is pulled out of an elongated slot against spring bias. The roller has protrusions which engage in slots in the casing end member. Continuous pressure on a plunger against the axial end face of the roller temporarily disengages protrusion and slot to enable the free end of the map to be pulled out further against spring bias or to be released to rewind the map onto its single roller. No provision is made for changing the map,

In our British Patent Specification 2160501, we suggest a substantial improvement over the Brant Waterhouse arrangement and over the Heath arrangement by providing replaceable cartridges for use in an improved map, chart or the like apparatus. The apparatus is of the kind in which two half-casings are biased to close towards each other to form a complete casing for the map, chart or the like, which is wound in scroll form. The two half-casings are separable laterally against this bias to reveal the map. The map, chart and the like in the scroll form is mounted within the two halves of the cartridge on a pair of supports, one for each half-casing. The supports are provided with a locking means. Selective disabling means are mounted at one axial end of the casing and positioned for selective engagement with the respective locking means to disable the same to allow the two half-casings to be separable laterally against the bias of the spring.

We have found that this arrangement works very satisfactorily, but is not easy to engineer and the cost of the apparatus and of the replaceable cartridges is relatively high. The present invention has arisen out of our work seeking to improve upon our previous proposals by making practical embodiments less expensive to produce.

In accordance with the present invention, we provide a scroll comprising: a generally elongate casing; a generally tubular core support mounted within the casing and providd with a longitudinal key slot adapted to receive and to key with a complementary edge member extending along a marginal edge of a flexible substrate bearing a map, chart, diagram or other useful, educational or entertaining illustration or information, or the like, thereby enabling the flexible substrate to be mounted to the support for winding thereabout; the casing being closed at one end and' the tubular support and one end thereof being coupled to the said one end of the casing in a manner allowing rotation of the tubular support about its axis relative to the casing; means associated with the tubular support serving as an anchor for one end of a spring mounted internally of the tubular support; the other_end of the tubular support being coupled to the casing in a manner allowing the said rotation, and being provided with an end member to which the other end of the spring is coupled; means adapted to prevent the said end member from rotating with the tubular support, whereby the said flexible substrate may be operatively unwound from the said tubular support against increasing bias of the said spring; and releasable holding means associated with the said end member and adapted for temporarily holding the tubular support in a selected position.

The other end of the casing preferably includes an arrangement enabling one axial end of the key slot, which is preferably formed with a simple T- or L-shape profile, to be exposed, enabling one said flexible substrate to be demounted from the scroll and an alternative flexible substrate to be put in its plate. A T-shaped profile is especially valuable since it enables the key slot to provide adequate support with a shallow profile so enabling the key slot to be accommodated in the tubular support while leaving a substantial proportion of the internal volume of the tubular support for accommodating the spring and associated mechanisms. In the arrangements described and illustrated, the said other end of the casing is provided with a slide coupled to the remainder of the said other end of the casing in a groove-and-rail arrangement, the slide cooperating with the said end member in a cam-and-cam follower arrrangement serving to reciprocate the end member axially whereby to selectively engage or to disengage the holding means as the slide moves between its extremes of travel. The end member may be provided With a groove and the slide with a rail adapted to ride in the groove, thereby providing the said means adapted to prevent the end member from rotating with the tubular support.

The invention is hereinafter more particularly described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a first embodiment of scroll constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the scroll of Fig. 1 taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of an end member which serves both as a spring anchor and as part of a holding means for temporarily holding the tubular support in a selected position;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view taken at 90° from the elevational view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is top plan view of the end member of Figs. 4 and 5 as seen from the left in Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the slide member of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 taken along the line VII-VII shown in Figs. 1 and 8;

Fig. 8 is an underneath plan view of the slide member of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tubular core support of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating a complementary edge member in position in the key slot;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged end view of a tube end member for the tubular core support which serves also as a bearing- for the end member of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 and constitutes a further part of the holding means;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view of the tube end member shown in Figs. 10 and 11 as seen from the right in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged part sectional view illustrating the path for removal of a flexible substrate from the apparatus;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged elevational view of the other tube end member;

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line XV-XV in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI in Fig. 15; and

Fig. 17 is a somewhat schematic longitudinal sectional view through a second embodiment of scroll constructed in accordance with the present invention and having a single casing.

The apparatus of Figs. 1 to 16 is suitably embodied in the form of two half casings, only one of which, and the internal mechanism thereof, is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 16.

The half casing 1 of Figs. 1 and 2 has an open side 2 , Mounted within the half casing 1 is a generally tubular core support 3 about which a flexible substrate (for the sake of clarity omitted from all Figs, expect Fig. 9) may be wound. The substrate may for example be printed with a map, chart, diagram or other useful, educational or entertaining illustration or information, or anything similar. The tubular core support is provided with a longitudinal key slot 4 which, as illustrated, for example, in the sectional view of Fig. 9, is suitably generally T-shaped in section. The flexible substrate 120 has a complementary edge member 121 extending along its marginal edge, the complementary edge member being adapted to be received in and to key with the longitudinal key slot as shown in Fig. 9. Exposure of an end of the tubular core support enables the substrate edge member to be slid into the key slot in the tubular core support so as to enable the flexible substrate to be mounted on the support or to be de-mounted therefrom and replaced by an alternative such substrate. We shall describe in greater detail below the arrangement by which the tubular core support end is so exposed. One end 101 of the casing is closed. Associated with the corresponding end of the tubular core support 3 is a tube end member 5 which is best illustrated in Figs. 15, 16 and 17. The tube end member 5 has a cylindrical portion 7 which has a flange 8 at one axial end, a longitudinally extending stem 9 at the other axial end of the cylindrical portion 7 terminating in a spacer 10 and an anchor point 11 for a spring (not illustrated). As can best be seen from Figs 15 and 16 the cylindrical portion and the spacer 10 are formed with aligned longitudinal grooves 12, 12* in which is received the radially inwardly extending portion 13 of the tubular core support surrounding the longitudinal key slot 4. Thus, cylindrical portion 7 and spacer 10 are effectively keyed to the tubular core support so that^" the tube end member 5 necessarily rotates together with the tubular core support. As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, flange 8 of cylindrical portion 7 is trapped but freely rotatable between the closed end 101 of the casing and a fixture plate 102 which is either a force fit in the casing or adhered thereto by adhesive or ultrasonic welding.

The other end of the tubular core support is provided with tube end member 6 best shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12. The tube end member 6 has a generally cylindrical portion 15 keyed to to the tubular core support in a similar manner to the generally cylindrical portion 7 of tube end member 5, namely by provision of a key slot 124 adapted to receive the inwardly displaced ledge 13 (Fig. 9) defining the T-shaped slot- 4. Tube end member 6 also has a flange 16 with a through slot 122 aligned with the T-shaped key slot in the tubular core support. On the opposite side of flange 16 from the generally cylindrical portion 15 is a collar 22 which terminates in a relatively thin walled distal end portion 103 which is mounted for free rotation in an opening 104 of a plate 105 best shown in Fig. 3. The Plate 105 is fixed to the casing in like manner to plate 102.

As will be appreciated, with this described arrangement, the tubular core support 3 will rotate together with its respective tube end members 5 and 6 and with that end of the spring which is attached to spring anchor point 11.

The other end of the spring, which is located within the inner space 17 of the tubular core support 3, is anchored to an anchor point 18 of an end member 19 which serves both as a spring anchor and as part of an arrangment adapted to temporarily lock the scroll against opening or closing, and is shown in Figs. 4. 5 amd 6.

Anchor point 18 is located at one end of a central stem 20 of the member 19, the member further including a generally cylindrical portion 21 which is slidingly received within the tubular collar 22 with stem 20 extending through an axial opening 23 in the centre of tube end member 6. The tube end member 6 and the member 19 together constitute releasable holding means for the scroll, as will be further explained below. To this end, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 10, 11 and 13, the forward end of the cylindrical portion 21 of the member 19 has a plurality of teeth 24 which are adapted to engage with co-operating pawls 25 located on the inner wall of collar 22 at the bottom of the cavity defined thereby.

Spring means such as a tension coil spring coupled between the.anchor points 11 and 18 tends not only to bias the member 19 into the tubular core support in the direction to bring the teeth into engagement with the pawls, but also tends to bias the member 19 for rotation about its axis. Such rotation is prevented in the illustrated arrangement by two means. Firstly, it will be noted that the head 106 is provided with a central groove

107 in which is received a rail 108 of a slide member 26 (Figs. 1, 2, 4, 7 and 13). As will be seen from Fig. 1, the slide member 26 is coupled to the remainder of the corresponding end of the casing 1 by means of a groove-and-rail arrangement 109. Provided that the rail

108 rides in the groove 107 as the slide member 26 reciprocates along its own groove-and-rail 109, the member 19 is prevented from rotation.

It will be appreciated that the view of Fig. 8 shows the underside of the slide member 26. It will be seen in that view that barb-like structures 123 are provided at the innermost end of the slide (the left hand side in the orientation of Fig. 8). These barb-like structures are adapted to catch against a corresponding ledge or abutment on the inside surface of the remainder of the corresponding end of the casing 1 so as to prevent the slide from being fully withdrawn from the casing end.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 13, the rail 108 is profiled as is the bottom surface 110 of the groove 107 (Fig. 2).

It will be seen from Figs. 1, 4 and 6, that the head 106 of the member 19 has sideways extending wings.115 which are received on respective sloped surfaces 116 on the inner side surfaces of the slide member 26. Each surface 116 has a profile which generally corresponds with that of rail 108 until terminating in a ledge 117.

The effect of this is that the arrangement of groove and rail 108 and the arrangement of wings 115 and surfaces 116, 117 further consitute a cam-and-cam follower arrangement. As the slide member 26 moves downwardly in Fig. 2, the member 19 moves to the left in that Figure and vice-versa as the slide member moves in the opposite direction. As will be appreciated, movement to the left in Fig. 2 as a result of movement of the slide member 26 brings the holding means into operation. Provided that the member 19 is still prevented from rotating in such condition, the effect of engaging the holding means is to prevent the tubular core support 3 from rotating either. Thus, engagement of the holding means is adapted for temporarily holding the tubular support in a selected position. The teeth may be formed with a sloped profile, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to guide the pawls into the space between the teeth. The spring bias is selected to be such as to prevent ready rotation with camming of the pawl over the sloped profile edge of the teeth. In effect the apparatus is locked both against unwinding and re-winding when the pawl and teeth are inter-engaged. For the bias of the spring to automatically rewind the flexible substrate into the tubular core support 3, the holding means must be disengaged by moving the member 19 axially outwardly (to the right in Figs. 1 and 2).

In order to ensure that the member 19 is still prevented from rotating in its extreme leftward position when teeth and pawl are engaged, and when the engagement between the sliding member 26 and the member 19 is at its least, the member 19 is additionally provided with an outwardly extending arm 111 terminating in a depending finger 112 adapted for engagement with a stop 113 at the end of a shallow groove 114 formed on the surface of plate 105.

The arrangement is suitably such that when the flexible substrate is pulled out from the half-casing to its fullest extent, then the longitudinal key slot of the tubular core support 3 will be aligned with a slot 118 in the end plate 105 enabling ready de-mounting of the flexible substrate and its replacement with an alternative flexible substrate. This situation is illustrated in the enlarged sectional view of the slide end of the apparatus shown in Fig. 13. As can be seen, member 19 has been pulled by the spring to the bottom of the well defined by collar 22 to engage with pawls 25. When the substrate has been fully extended this movement of the slide opens slot 118 in plate 105 which is aligned with slot 122 of flange 16 of the tube end member 6 and thus with the open end of the T-shaped key slot 4, allowing the edge member 121 (Fig. 9) to be slid lengthwise from the slot to demount the substrate from the half-casing. The edge member of a new flexible substrate can then be inserted into the key slot 4 in the direction of the arrow A.

As indicated above, the apparatus is suitably provided in the. form of two co-operating half-casings which are, adapted to be latched together so as to provide a complete closure for a map or other information on the scroll. The second half-casing and its associated mechanism may be essentially identical to that of the first described in detail and illustrated herein. Alternatively, the second half-casing may have a tubular core support to which the opposite marginal edge of the flexible substrate is permanently joined. In this arrangement, a plurality of maps each in their own protective half-casing may be kept in a store, a selected map so stored on its associated half-casing being coupled by its free marginal edge to the T-shaped slot of the tubular core support 3 of the half-casing described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings for display of the map. Fig. 17 illustrates a modified arrangement in which a map or other flexible substrate is provided in a scroll form, in accordance with the present invention in a single casing. The substrate is shown at- 27 and has a free end 28 provided with a plastics moulded edge for strength with an integral tab 29 for ready pulling of the substrate 27 from casing 30 which is suitably provided with a relatively narrow slot of width corresponding to or slightly less than the thickness of the edge 28. Tab 29 can suitably be formed as a ring, as shown, and a tab 31 formed integrally with the casing 30 on the side opposite the slot so that the map or chart may be hung up by the free end, the casing .then being brought downwardly to reveal so much of the chart as required.

The interior mechanism of the single casing scroll of Fig. 17 is suitably essentially similar to that of the half-casing of Figs. 1 to 16. Thus, a tubular core support may have a pair of tube end members 5 and 6 as in the first illustrated embodiment, an end member 19 being associated with the tube end member 6 and having a plurality of teeth for engagement with a cooperating pawl. At the axial end of the casing of the Fig 17 scroll has a slide member 126 which may be generally similar in configuration and operation to the slide member 26 of the first embodiment. It will be understood that the scroll map illustrated schematically in Fig. 17 will have a longitudinal key slot in exactly the same way as in the first embodiment (so that no detailed description is deemed necessary) adapted to receive and to key with a complementary edge member extending along a marginal edge of the flexible substrate- 27.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A scroll comprising: a generally elongate casing; a generally tubular core support mounted within the casing and provided with a longitudinal key slot adapted to receive and to key with a complementary edge member extending along a marginal edge of a flexible substrate bearing a map, chart, diagram or other useful, educational or entertaining illustration or information, or the like, thereby enabling the flexible substrate to be mounted to the support for winding thereabout; the casing being closed at one end and the tubular support at one end thereof being coupled to the said one end of the casing in a manner allowing rotation of the tubular support about its axis relative to the casing; . means associated with the tubular support serving as an anchor for one end of a spring mounted internally of the tubular support; the other end of the tubular support being coupled to the casing in a manner allowing the said rotation, and being provided with an end member to which the other end of the spring is coupled; means adapted to prevent the said end member from rotating with the tubular support, whereby the said flexible substrate may be operatively unwound from the said tubular support against increasing bias of the said spring; and releasable holding means associated with the said end member and adapted for temporarily holding the tubular support in a selected position.

2. A scroll according to Claim 1,.wherein the casing at its end opposite to the said one end is provided with means enabling one axial end of the key slot to be exposed, enabling one said flexible substrate to be demounted from the scroll and an alternative flexible substrate to be substituted in its former place.

3. A scroll according to Claim 2, wherein said key slot is formed with a generally T- or L-shaped profile.

4. A scroll according to Claim 2, wherein said key slot has a relatively shallow profile thereby leaving a substantial proportion of the internal volume of the tubular support free for accommodating said spring and associated mechanism.

5. A scroll according to Claim 2, wherein said enabling means comprises a slide coupled to the remainder of the said opposite end of the casing in a groόve-and-rail arrangement, the slide cooperating with said end member to form a cam-and-cam follower arrangement adapted to reciprocate the end member axially, thereby selectively to engage or to disengage the holding means, as the slide moves between its extremes of travel.

6. A scroll according to Claim 5, wherein the said end member is provided with a groove and the said slide with a cooperating rail adapted to ride in the said groove, thereby providing the said means adapted to prevent the end member from rotating with the tubular support.

7. A scroll according to Claim 1, wherein the spring comprises a tension spring serving both to urge said end member axially into said tubular core support to bring said holding means into holding engagement and, when said holding means is disabled, to provide a bias against which the flexible substrate may be pulled out from said tubular core support to reveal the map, chart, diagram or other useful, educational or entertaining illustration or information, or the like thereon.

8. A scroll according to Claim 2, comprising a second said elongate casing with a second generally tubular core support provided with a said longitudinal key slot, the opposite marginal edge of said flexible substrate to said first mentioned marginal edge similarly being provided with a complementary edge member extending there along which complementary edge member is received in the longitudinal key slot of said second tubular core support, the two said casings each consisting of a half-casing and cooperating when adjacent one to the other to form a fully closed casing for said scroll.

9. A scroll according to Claim 1, wherein said casing is generally closed apart from a longitudinal slot for receiving said flexible substrate therethrough, the opposite marginal edge of said flexible substrate from said first marginal edge being provided with an edge member having a thickness slightly in excess of the width of said longitudinal slot whereby said edge member is adapted to close said slot and is also adapted to be manually grasped to pull out a length of said flexible substrate through the said slot whereby to reveal the map, chart, diagram or other useful, educational or entertaining illustration or information, or, the like, thereon.

10. A scroll according to Claim 2, comprising a second elongate casing with a second generally tubular core support, the opposite marginal edge of said flexible substrate to said first mentioned marginal edge being permanently mounted to said second tubular core support, said second tubular core support being provided with spring means biasing said second tubular core support for rotation in a direction to wind said flexible substrate on to said second tubular core support; whereby a plurality of flexible substrates mounted on respective second tubular core supports within respective protective second casings may be provided, each having a said complementary edge member adapted selectively to be keyed with said longitudinal key slot of said first tubular core support of said first casing when the map chart, diagram or other useful, educational or entertaining, illustration or information,, or the like, on the respective said flexible substrate is to be displayed.