GB1593995A

GB1593995A - Visible indexes

Info

Publication number: GB1593995A
Application number: GB25063/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-06-15
Filing date: 1977-06-15
Publication date: 1981-07-22
Also published as: ZA783391B

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VISIBLE INDEXES (71) I, KEITH RYAN, a British subject, of 121 Parkside Way, Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 6DB, 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: The invention relates to a visible index in which a plurality of papers, cards and the like for receiving information (for example by writing or typing thereon) or constituting information (such as microfilms and microfiches) (hereinafter collectively called "records") are attached to or supported by carriers adapted to be arranged one above the other so that the records are arranged in overlapping array to facilitate access to a particular record. The invention also relates to carriers for enabling such a visible index to be created.

In such visible indexes, carriers often have to be assembled in panels or trays, and sometimes internested in each other with varying degrees of difficulty. Examples of prior systems are described in British Specification Nos. 364,893; 365,467; 366,308; 452,786; 465,596; 559,965; 686,586; 715,705; 737,169 and 421,525; U.S.

Specification Nos. 1,480,419; 1,895,784; 1,329,536; 1,684,807; 1,594,113 and 1,500,718; and Swiss Patent No. 179,469.

Some systems hold the filed records securely but do not permit the records to be filed and removed quickly and easily. In other systems, where the records can be filed and removed more easily, they are not held securely when filed. Some of the systems cannot conveniently accommodate multi-page records and, in some, the reverse of even a one-page record cannot be inspected unless the record is removed from the carrier.

The present invention facilitates quick and easy filing and removal of records, as required, whilst holding filed records with a high degree of security and enabling both sides of filed records to be easily inspected without having to be removed from the carrier. It also enables multi-page records to be accommodated and in some embodiments functions without having to be assembled in a panel or tray.

It is usual to refer to the carriers as being arranged one above the other, even though they may be in a substantially horizontal plane. In this specification the term "above" is used in a similar way and means the direction substantially in the median plane of a carrier, which is opposite to the direction in which a record normally depends from the carrier.

From one aspect, the invention consists in a visible index comprising a plurality of carriers arranged one above the other, in combination with a plurality of records detachably attached to said carriers and arranged in overlapping array, wherein each carrier comprises an elongate substantially V-shaped channel portion with a record retaining flange extending inwardly of and towards the apex of the channel portion from one of the walls thereof, each carrier being internested in the channel portion of the carrier thereabove and being provided with means for spacing the record retaining flanges of adjacent carriers, when internested, by a distance corresponding to the desired overlapping relationship of the records attached to the carriers, and wherein each record has a folded over edge portion which hooks on to the retaining flange of the carrier to which it is detachably attached, a record being further inhibited from detachment from its respective carrier by being pressed between the inner surface of the channel portion of the carrier to which it is attached and the outer surface of the carrier therebeneath.

The invention also consists in a carrier for a record of a visible index in which the records are detachably attached to the carriers and are arranged in overlapping array, comprising an elongate member having a cross-section comprising a substantially V-shaped channel portion, a retaining flange along one of the walls of the channel portion and extending inwardly of and towards the apex of the channel portion, and a rib extending along the outer surface of said one wall and positioned to interengage with the free edge of the retaining flange of an identical carrier when internested in the channel portion thereof to resist separation of interengaged carriers in the direction transverse to carrier length and to space the retaining flanges thereof apart by a distance corresponding to the desired overlapping relationship of the records.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a panel with carriers fitted thereto for providing a visible index according to this invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of carrier and two records for attachment thereto, Fig. 3 is a side section of two carriers of Fig. 2 showing how records may be assembled to the carriers, Fig. 4 is a side section through the panel of Fig. 1 and showing two carriers, with their records, disposed one above the other in the panel, Fig. 5 shows a fragmentary view of a modification of the carrier shown in Fig. 2, Figs 6 and 7 show alternative forms of carrier, Figs. 8 and 9 show modes of assembling the carrier of Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a carrier extruded of a plastics material, Fig. 11 is a side section showing how the carriers of Fig. 10 are assembled in a panel, and Fig. 12 is a view of a visible index assembled from a modified carrier extruded of plastics material, which is adapted to function without having to be assembled in a panel or tray.

Referring to the drawings, the visible index shown in Fig. 1 comprises a panel 1 having inwardly facing channel members 2 around at least part of its periphery defining side channels 3 in which the opposite ends of carriers 4 can slide. The carriers have records 5, 6 attached thereto in a manner to be explained with reference to Figs 2 and 3.

The carriers may be made of paper, card, plastics or other suitable material which is folded in the manner shown in Fig. 3 to form an elongate V-shaped channel portion 10 having sidewalls 10a, 10b and outside which is another V-shaped spacer portion 11 having the side walls lla, llb which extend above the apex of the channel portion 10. The edge of the wall 10b of the channel portion 10 is folded to form a record retaining flange 12 extending inwardly of and towards the apex of the channel. The walls 10b and llb may be stuck together.

The record retaining flange 12 is adapted to receive the folded over edge 5a of a record 5, the edge 5a being hooked over the flange to extend into the space between the flange 12 and the wall 10b as shown in Fig.

3. The carrier 4 is also provided with openings 13 in the wall 1 la of the spacer portion to detachably receive a record 6.

The openings 13 are cut out of the wall 1 la adjacent the apex of the spacer portion 11 so as to receive tongues 6a stamped out of the record 6 adjacent its upper edge. There may, for example, be three holes 13 spaced across a carrier with a corresponding number of tongues across the top of a record 6. The record 6 is attached to a carrier to overlie the exterior surface of the spacer portion by inserting the tongues 6a into the openings 13 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

The carriers can be assembled in or removed from the panel 1 by slightly bowing them from end-to-end so that the ends of the carrier can be inserted into and between the opposing side channels 3. The channels 3 are so dimensioned that, when so inserted, the V-shape of the carriers is more compressed as shown in Fig. 4. When the series of carriers assembled in the panel are pushed together, the apex of the spacer portion 11 of one carrier enters and nests in the channel portion 10 of the carrier thereabove until it is stopped in a position in which the records attached to the carriers are arranged in overlapping array as shown in Figs 1 and 4.Also, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, the spacer portion of a carrier moves the flange 12 of the adjacent carrier thereabove towards the adjacent wall lOb and also presses the record between the inner surface of the channel to which it is attached and the outer surface of the carrier therebeneath, in each case further to inhibit removal of the record 5. The upper carrier also inhibits detachment of the record 6 from the lower carrier as will also be apparent from Fig. 4.

The records 5 facilitate entry of the apex of a spacer portion 11 of a carrier into the channel portion 10 of the carrier thereabove.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, instead of openings 13 and tongues 6a as illustrated in Fig. 2, the spacer portion may be provided with studs or other means cooperating with complementary attachment means on the records. Or the records may, as shown at 6' in Fig. 3, simply have a folded over upper end, similar to 5a of the record 5, which is hooked over the apex of the spacer portion I 1. While such a record can easily be detached when its carrier is moved away from the carrier thereabove, for example to the position of the carrier 4a shown in Fig.

1, when the carrier with the record 6' hooked thereon is moved upwards to nest in the channel of the adjacent carrier thereabove, detachment of the record will be inhibited.

To maintain a record which is hooked over the apex of the spacer portion of the carrier in a generally central position on the carrier, the latter may have stops 15 cut out of the wall Ila at opposite ends of the apex of the spacer portion, which stops project above the apex as shown in Fig. 5 when the folding of the carrier is completed.

In an alternative embodiment of carrier as shown in Fig. 6, the spacer portion 11 which extends above the channel portion comprises extensions l0a' and 10b' of the walls 10a, 10b which are secured together, for example by adhesive. The spacer portion may be provided with slots or other means for attaching a record.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 7, the upper end of the wall Ila of the spacer portion 11 is formed with a flange 16 which, as shown in Fig. 8, can be interengaged with the flange 12 of the channel portion 10 of the carrier thereabove, thereby inter-linking successive carriers in the desired spaced relation. Records, such as 5, may be hooked over the flanges 12, or such as 6' over the tops of the spacer portions (Fig. 9), to provide an overlapping array. Successive carriers can be interengaged by sideways sliding movement. In this embodiment, a panel is not necessary for retaining the overlapping records in assembled array although, of course, the carriers may additionally be assembled in a panel if so desired. In Figs. 8 and 9 the V-shaped channel portions are shown in a somewhat open position for clarity; in practice the V shaped channels would be more compressed.

The embodiment of the carrier shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is fabricated by extruding a plastics material, such as PVC or polystryrene. It is extruded with the crosssection shown and can, for normal purposes, have a wall thickness of the order of 0.5 mm. It comprises the channel portion 100 with an inwardly projecting flange 120 and a spacer portion 110 projecting above the channel portion. The record 5 is shown as folded from a sheet so that the folded over edge portion 5a rests in the retaining flange 120. The folded over portion 5a is preferably of such width that the bend extends well up into the channel and inhibits detachment from the retaining flange.When the carriers are assembled together in a panel, removal of the records is additionally inhibited by the record being pressed between the inner surface of the channel portion of the carrier on which it is hooked and the outer surface of the carrier therebeneath.

Further records 6 may be hooked over the top of a spacer portion 110 to be retained in position by the internesting of adjacent carriers.

In all embodiments where the carriers are assembled in a panel, means are provided for releasably holding the lower most carrier in the position in which all the carriers thereabove are interested. This may be effected by a member slidable in the channels 3 in the lower part of the panel 1 and provided with means for securing it in position.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the carrier 100 is again extruded of a plastics material with a modified cross-section which enables the successive carriers to be interengaged so that they can be held together in the nested position without the necessity of assembling the carriers in a panel. This is achieved by extruding the channel section 100 with a generally sawtooth-shaped rib 111 which is adapted to interlock with a snap-action, or by sideways sliding movement, against the end of the retaining flange 120 of the carrier thereabove, the flange 120, in this case, being made of shorter length than in the embodiment of Figures 10 and 11. Adjacent carriers may be separated by flexing together the walls of the channel portion 100 of the lower carrier, or by sideways sliding movement.

For resisting normal detachment of a record 5, it is important in this case that the fold 5a should extend almost to the top of the channel, internesting of the carriers further inhibiting removal of the record by it being hooked over the top of the spacer portion of the carrier therebeneath and being pressed by the outside surface of the carrier therebeneath against the inside surface of the channel portion of the carrier on to which it is hooked.

The records may be constructed with pockets or other means in or to which microfilms or other information may be stored or attached.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A visible index comprising a plurality of carriers arranged one above the other, in combination with a plurality of records detachably attached to said carriers and arranged in overlapping array, wherein each carrier comprises an elongate

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. in Fig. 3, simply have a folded over upper end, similar to 5a of the record 5, which is hooked over the apex of the spacer portion I 1. While such a record can easily be detached when its carrier is moved away from the carrier thereabove, for example to the position of the carrier 4a shown in Fig.

The embodiment of the carrier shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is fabricated by extruding a plastics material, such as PVC or polystryrene. It is extruded with the crosssection shown and can, for normal purposes, have a wall thickness of the order of 0.5 mm. It comprises the channel portion

100 with an inwardly projecting flange 120 and a spacer portion 110 projecting above the channel portion. The record 5 is shown as folded from a sheet so that the folded over edge portion 5a rests in the retaining flange 120. The folded over portion 5a is preferably of such width that the bend extends well up into the channel and inhibits detachment from the retaining flange.When the carriers are assembled together in a panel, removal of the records is additionally inhibited by the record being pressed between the inner surface of the channel portion of the carrier on which it is hooked and the outer surface of the carrier therebeneath.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the carrier 100 is again extruded of a plastics material with a modified cross-section which enables the successive carriers to be interengaged so that they can be held together in the nested position without the necessity of assembling the carriers in a panel. This is achieved by extruding the channel section 100 with a generally sawtooth-shaped rib 111 which is adapted to interlock with a snap-action, or by sideways sliding movement, against the end of the retaining flange 120 of the carrier thereabove, the flange 120, in this case, being made of shorter length than in the embodiment of Figures 10 and 11. Adjacent carriers may be separated by flexing together the walls of the channel portion

100 of the lower carrier, or by sideways sliding movement.

substantially V-shaped channel portion with a record retaining flange extending inwardly of and towards the apex of the channel portion from one of the walls thereof, each carrier being internested in the channel portion of the carrier thereabove and being provided with means for spacing the record retaining flanges of adjacent carriers, when internested, by a distance corresponding to the desired overlapping relationship of the records attached to the carriers, and wherein each record has a folded over edge portion which hooks on to the retaining flange of the carrier to which it is detachably attached, a record being further inhibited from detachment from its respective carrier by being pressed between the inner surface of the channel portion of the carrier to which it is attached and the outer surface of the carrier therebeneath.

2. A visible index according to claim 1, wherein the spacing means includes a spacer portion which projects above the apex of the channel portion of a carrier and is dimensioned to nest in the channel portion of the carrier thereabove.

3. A visible index according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spacing means includes a rib along the outer surface of one of the channel walls and positioned to interengage with the free edge of the retaining flange of the adjacent carrier thereabove.

4. A visible index according to claim 2, and including at least one further record hooked over the top of the spacer portion of a carrier, separation of the further record from the carrier being inhibited by locating the said spacer portion with said further record hooked therover in the channel portion of the adjacent carrier thereabove.

5. A visible index according to claim 2 or 4, wherein at least one said spacer portion comprises means for attaching thereto a record so as to overlie the exterior of said spacer portion and such that nesting of said spacer portion in the channel portion of a similar carrier positioned thereabove inhibits separation from the carrier of any record attached to its said attaching means.

6. A visible index according to claim 2 or 4, wherein at least one said spacer portion is provided at its extremity with a return flange adapted to be interengaged in the retaining flange of the carrier thereabove.

7. A visible index according to any preceding claim, wherein the carrier comprises a plastics extrusion with a crosssection comprising a substantially V'shaped channel portion, a retaining flange along the edge of one of the walls of the channel portion and extending inwardly of and towards the apex of the channel portion, and a spacer portion projecting above the apex of the channel portion.

8. A visible index according to claim 7, wherein the outer surface of said one wall is formed with a rib positioned to interengage with the free edge of the retaining flange of an identical carrier when nested in the channel poriton thereof.

9. A carrier for a record of a visible index in which the records are detachably attached to the carriers and are arranged in overlapping array, comprising an elongate member having a cross-section comprising a substantially V-shaped channel portion, a retaining flange along one of the walls of the channel portion and extending inwardly of and towards the apex of the channel portion, and a rib extending along the outer surface of said one wall and positioned to interengage with the free edge of the retaining flange of an identical carrier when internested in the channel portion thereof to resist separation of inter-engaged carriers in the direction transverse to carrier length and to space the retaining-flanges thereof apart by a distance corresponding to the desired overlapping relationship of the records.

10. A visible index substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A visible index substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A visible index substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A visible index substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A carrier for a record of a visible index constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A carrier for a record of a visible index constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A carrier for a record of a visible index constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A carrier for a record of a visible index constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A carrier for a record of a visible index constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A carrier for a record of a visible index constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.