GB1570382A

GB1570382A - Card filing systems

Info

Publication number: GB1570382A
Application number: GB4086275A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-11-18
Filing date: 1976-11-18
Publication date: 1980-07-02

Description

(54) FILING SYSTEMS (71) I, PETER JOHN CROFT PHIL LIPS of Down House, Cocking, Midhurst, Sussex, a British subject do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to card filing systems (which expression is used herein to include card index systems) in which the cards fan open when a particular section of adjacent cards is selected or located. This enables such a particular section of cards to be readily identified, and thus the appropriate one can be easily selected.

According to the present invention, a card filing system comprises a series of similar separate cards having members serving as springs disposed therebetween, each spring member being disposed between a pair of adjacent cards so as to tend to urge the cards of that pair apart, a holder for the cards including a rod, each card and each spring member having a respective perforation open to its lower edge and the cards and spring members being interlocked with the rod which extends through the perforations, the arrangement being such that when endwise pressure on the cards is relieved the spring members cause them to fan open.

It is to be understood that, in this specification, references to "endwise pressure" refer to pressure in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of a card.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figures 1 to 6 show, somewhat schematically, a first embodiment of a card index system in accordance with the present invention; Figures 7 to 9 are side, end and perspective views respectively showing, again somewhat schematically, a second (and rotary) embodiment of a card index system in accordance with the present invention; Figures 10 to 12 schematically illustrate a third embodiment of a card index system in accordance with the present invention; and Figures 13 to 15 schematically illustrate the use of an accessory to the card index system of Figures 1 to 6.

The card index system shown in Figures 1 to 6 is indicated generally at 10, and comprises a rectangular drawer or holder 12 containing a plurality of cards 14, certain of which are provided with upwardly projecting tabs 16 so that they can serve as main index or section heading cards.

As can be seen in Figures 2 and 4, each card 14 comprises a main card portion 14a, on which the information forming the subject of (ie being indexed by) the system 10 can be written or typed, and a portion 14b which is folded upwardly from the lower edge of the card and which serves as a spring member. The portions 14b serving as spring members are effective to fan the cards 14 apart when endwise pressure on the cards is relieved, which is normally achieved by selecting a particular section or group of cards by opening them up at a main index or section heading card. Thus Figure 1 shows the cards 14 under endwise pressure, so that the cards 14 are in a compressed state, Figure 2 shows an individual compressed card 14, Figure 3 shows a section of fanned-open cards 14, and Figure 4 shows an individual fanned-open card 14.

The way in which the cards 14 are held in the drawer 12, so as to prevent them from tending to move upwardly when they fan open, is shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Thus each card 14 is drilled with a hole or perforation 18 at the base of the fold, the hole 18 passing through both card portions 14a and 14b. The holes 18 open to the respective lower edges of the card portions 14a, 14b, ie to the lower edge of the fold, and are dimensioned so that the cards 14 can be detachably attached to a rod 20 which extends lengthwise along the centre of the drawer 12 adjacent to its base 22.

The rotary card index system of Figures 7 to 9 is indicated generally at 30, and comprises a plurality of cards identical to, and therefore bearing the same references as, the cards 14 of Figures 1 to 6. The system 30 comprises a base 32 on which a rotor 34 is rotably supported. The rotor 34 comprises a central drum 35, supporting a circular rod or ring 36 which is substan tiall concentric with the axis of rotation of the rotor and which carries the card 14.

The rod 36 in fact serves a similar function to the rod 20 of Figures 1 to 6, in that it extends through the holes 18 in the cards 14 and thus detachably attaches the cards to the central drum 35 of the rotor 34.

In use, as rotation of the rotor 34 brings each successive section of the cards 14 to the top of the rotor, the cards automatically fan open, as shown at 42 in Figures 7 and 9, since the cards at the sides 44, 46 of the rotor tend to fall downwardly under the influence of the force of gravity and thus relieve the endwise or circumferential load or pressure on the cards at the top.

The engagement of the cards 14 with the rod 36 prevents the cards at the bottom of the rotor 34 from falling off the rotor.

The card index system of Figures 10 to 12 is indicated generally at 50. The system 50 is similar in some respects to the system 10 of Figures 1 to 6, so corresponding elements have been given the same references and only the points of difference will be described.

Thus the drawer 12 containing the cards 14 is arranged to be horizontally slidable into and out of a generally rectangular container or chest 52. Additionally, the base 22 of the drawer 12 is arranged to be flexible, so that it is raised by a roller, cam or platform 54 disposed at the entrance of the container 52 as the drawer 12 is pulled out or pushed in. The section of the cards 14 at this point is thus also raised, thereby relieving the endwise pressure on the cards of that section and allowing them to fan open as shown at 56.

After identification and selection of a particular card 14, the cards can be kept open at the selected card by means of a pointer 60, shown in Figures 13 and 14.

The pointer 60 has a projecting catch 62 on its side, to engage one side of the drawer 12 and thus prevent the pointer falling inwardly. The use of the pointer 60 to hold the cards 14 open at a selected card is illustrated in Figure 15.

The engagement of the holes 18 in the cards 14 with the rod 20 (or 36) ensures not only that the system can be inverted without the cards falling out, but also that the cards are located centrally of the width of the drawer 12 (or located centrally of the axial extent of the rotor 34), thus preventing any frictional drag on their sides as they fan open.

Although in the described embodiments, the members serving as springs to cause the cards to fan open are formed by folding the cards, it is also possible to achieve similar results by replacing each folded card with a flat card onto which a separate spring is attached. These separate springs can be of any convenient form which easily compresses flat but which will spring open when the endwise pressure on the cards is relieved.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A card filing system comprising a series of similar separate cards having members serving as springs disposed therebetween, each spring member being disposed between a pair of adjacent cards so as to tend to urge the cards of that pair apart, a holder for the cards including a rod, each card and each spring member having a respective perforation open to its lower edge and the cards and spring members being interlocked with the rod which extends through the perforations, the arrangement being such that when endwise pressure on the cards is relieved the spring members cause them to fan open.

2. A card filing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each spring member is formed integrally with an adjacent card by folding a portion of the card upwardly from its lower edge.

3. A card filing system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further including a pointer member engageable with the hold der and positionable between adjacent cards to hold them apart.

4. A card filing system as claimed in any preceding claim, said system being of the rotary type, wherein the holder includes a rotable drum and the rod is circular.

5. A card filing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holder comprises a base including means for selectively raising groups of adjacent cards in order to relieve endwise pressure on them and thereby permit them to fan open. A 6. A card filing system substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A card filing system substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. hole 18 passing through both card portions 14a and 14b. The holes 18 open to the respective lower edges of the card portions 14a, 14b, ie to the lower edge of the fold, and are dimensioned so that the cards 14 can be detachably attached to a rod 20 which extends lengthwise along the centre of the drawer 12 adjacent to its base 22. The rotary card index system of Figures 7 to 9 is indicated generally at 30, and comprises a plurality of cards identical to, and therefore bearing the same references as, the cards 14 of Figures 1 to 6. The system 30 comprises a base 32 on which a rotor 34 is rotably supported. The rotor 34 comprises a central drum 35, supporting a circular rod or ring 36 which is substan tiall concentric with the axis of rotation of the rotor and which carries the card 14. The rod 36 in fact serves a similar function to the rod 20 of Figures 1 to 6, in that it extends through the holes 18 in the cards 14 and thus detachably attaches the cards to the central drum 35 of the rotor 34. In use, as rotation of the rotor 34 brings each successive section of the cards 14 to the top of the rotor, the cards automatically fan open, as shown at 42 in Figures 7 and 9, since the cards at the sides 44, 46 of the rotor tend to fall downwardly under the influence of the force of gravity and thus relieve the endwise or circumferential load or pressure on the cards at the top. The engagement of the cards 14 with the rod 36 prevents the cards at the bottom of the rotor 34 from falling off the rotor. The card index system of Figures 10 to 12 is indicated generally at 50. The system 50 is similar in some respects to the system 10 of Figures 1 to 6, so corresponding elements have been given the same references and only the points of difference will be described. Thus the drawer 12 containing the cards 14 is arranged to be horizontally slidable into and out of a generally rectangular container or chest 52. Additionally, the base 22 of the drawer 12 is arranged to be flexible, so that it is raised by a roller, cam or platform 54 disposed at the entrance of the container 52 as the drawer 12 is pulled out or pushed in. The section of the cards 14 at this point is thus also raised, thereby relieving the endwise pressure on the cards of that section and allowing them to fan open as shown at 56. After identification and selection of a particular card 14, the cards can be kept open at the selected card by means of a pointer 60, shown in Figures 13 and 14. The pointer 60 has a projecting catch 62 on its side, to engage one side of the drawer 12 and thus prevent the pointer falling inwardly. The use of the pointer 60 to hold the cards 14 open at a selected card is illustrated in Figure 15. The engagement of the holes 18 in the cards 14 with the rod 20 (or 36) ensures not only that the system can be inverted without the cards falling out, but also that the cards are located centrally of the width of the drawer 12 (or located centrally of the axial extent of the rotor 34), thus preventing any frictional drag on their sides as they fan open. Although in the described embodiments, the members serving as springs to cause the cards to fan open are formed by folding the cards, it is also possible to achieve similar results by replacing each folded card with a flat card onto which a separate spring is attached. These separate springs can be of any convenient form which easily compresses flat but which will spring open when the endwise pressure on the cards is relieved. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A card filing system comprising a series of similar separate cards having members serving as springs disposed therebetween, each spring member being disposed between a pair of adjacent cards so as to tend to urge the cards of that pair apart, a holder for the cards including a rod, each card and each spring member having a respective perforation open to its lower edge and the cards and spring members being interlocked with the rod which extends through the perforations, the arrangement being such that when endwise pressure on the cards is relieved the spring members cause them to fan open.

5. A card filing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holder comprises a base including means for selectively raising groups of adjacent cards in order to relieve endwise pressure on them and thereby permit them to fan open. A

6. A card filing system substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A card filing system substantially as

herein described with reference to Figures 10 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A card filing system substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 and 13 to 15 of the accompany drawings.