US1149516A - Library-fine computer. - Google Patents

Description

H. S. HIRSHBERG.

LIBRARY FINE COMPUTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1914 1,149,516. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

LIBRARY FINE COMPUTER TODAY shaman :1 5.28 7 YOUR rm: I5 j 1- \Q LIBRARY FINE COMPUTER 27 2 cans A r5526 was SET YOU. l BAY TODAY IS YOUR FINE l's CIRCULATING LIBRARY "FEE CALCULATOR 1 TODAY l5 Jun: 3 YOUR FEE 15 IF YOUR BOOK wAs rumour 2 I JUNE I guns 2] MAY 29 3 q 6 MAY 28 4 mvg7 5 MAYZQ I 6 5 Eeriar ,5! E'nswipgg coumnm PLANOGRAPII CD .\VASH]NGTON, D4 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT S. HIRSHBERG, 0F LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

LIBRARY-FINE COMPUTER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT S. HIRsH- BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Library-Fine Com puters, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention appertains to a library-fine computer by which the possibility is afforded of calculating at a glance just how much is chargeable on overdue books. More particularly, the idea resides in so presenting a continuous alinement bent or curved arrangement of selected dates from the yearly calendar, with reference to a fixed scale of nu merals, that a series of accumulated fines in daily progression may be automatically tabulated.

At present, the requirement for accuracy prompts the laborious and time consuming practice of tracing on a calendar the number of days, sometimes excluding either Sun days or holidays or both, upon which the estimate as to accrued fines is to be based.

Accordingly, my primary object is the provision of a device which will obviate the necessity of doing this.

A further object has been to afford facility in operation together with simplicity and hence economy of manufacture.

The inventive conception is associated with means which are hereinafter explained and variously combined in the claims. -While the annexed drawing and particular description thereof, jointly set forth in de tail preferred and modified forms embodying my invention, it should be understood that the means only exemplify some of many diversified mechanical forms with which the principle of my invention may be justly applied.

Figure I is a plan of a library-fine computer embodying my invention. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of Fig. I. Fig. III is a cross section. Fig. IV is a plan of a modified form'of-my' invention, showing one portion broken away. Fig. V is a plan of an- I other modified adaptation embraced by my inventive conception.

By referring'to Figs. 1, Hand 111, it will be seen that the construction comprises an Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

incasing frame or box 1. This box is of rectilinear elongated shape and is provided along its middle with an elongated longitudinally extending slot 2. Above the top of this slot I have written the title of my invention. The back of the box supports near its middle, an ear 3, and pivotally mounted to this ear is a leaning support 4, whereby the box is adapted to stand in an inclined position, as is well shown in Fig. TI.

The front face of the box is provided on both sides of and along the entire extent of the slot with dividing lines 5, forming in consequence on each side of the slot, a plurality of rectilinear blank spaces therebetween. The number of these spaces, in this instance twenty-eight, is wholly arbitrary, as is also the width thereof. The upper space, or that one heading the column to the left, is supplied with the words Today is. Extending diagonally downward at the left, I have supplied the five words If your book was due. By so arranging these words as is clearly shown in Fig. I, I mean them to apply at one and the same time to all of the spaces remaining in the column to the left between its heading and the lower extremity of the slot 2. The upper space of those comprising the column at the right of the slot 2, I have supplied with the words Your line is. As so positioned, these three words should be in reading line with the two words Today is though spaced therefrom a distance corresponding with'the width of the slot. The second space from the top of the column to the right, and, therefore, the one next to the heading provided for such column, is supplied with the numeral 2 followed by the word Cents The remaining spaces are arbitrarily provided for the exemplifying purpose in hand with numerals in uniform progression, and in this instance of enhanced value each time by the measure of two. Following each of these other numerals, I have supplied in place of the word Cents ditto marks, in the belief that they would lend the desired prominenceto the alinement of numerals.

A pair of spools designated as entireties by the reference numeral 6, are rotatably mounted in opposite ends of the box 1 respectively, and, as indicated in Fig."II, be yond corresponding ends of the slot 2. Inasmuch as nothing is claimed for the man nor in which these spools are mounted, detailed views have been omitted. The turning of the two rolls is accomplished through the agency of the shafts 7, projecting outwardly beyond the same side and preferably the right side of the box. Affixed to the extremity of each of the shafts 7 is a knurled knob S. The shafts as thus simply mounted, should move somewhat tightly in'the bearings in order that some little resistance must be overcome in order to effect the rotation of the spools. A pair of guide-rollers 9 are mounted in any approved manner just inside opposite extremities of the slot 2 respectively, and so that their peripheries are spaced a slight distance from the ends of the slot 2. An elongated roll of paper or other flexible material 10 is adapted to be wound upon either of the spools or transferred from one to the other by passing over the rollers 9 as illustrated in Figs. II and III. The middle outer surface of the roll 10 is similarly divided by a plurality of lines 11, correspondingly spaced as the lines 5, and hence adapted to come into successive alineincnt therewith. Each of the spaces between adjacent to the lines 11 is intended to denotr a particular day of the year all arranged in logical but predetermined broken sequence. In this preferred form of my invention I have purposed to show the direction of transfer from one roll to another to be from the upper roll to the lower roll, such that the month of January first passes lengthwise of the slot 2, to be followed successively by February, March, etc. In this preferred form I have also omitted from the alinement of calendric designations, the Sundays of each week, in conformity with the practice of the Cleveland Public Library. That portion of the calendric sequence as has accordingly been brought into view in Fig. I, has reference to the year A. D. 1914, wherein the 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd of February chanced to fall on Sunday. It will be perceived that the continuous calendric sequence could be broken by the omission of holidays instead of Sundays, or by the omission of both holidays and Sundays. While my computer is especially useful in libraries wherein certain days of the year are omitted from the list of chargeable days, it is nevertheless of very decided assistance even if the calendric designations are continuous for the whole year, that is, include every day of the year. Adverting again to Fig. I, it will be seen that the top space or that one above the particular line 11 which forms the connecting continuation between the two lines 5 underneath the two headings To-day is and Your fine is, is supplied with the particular calendric designation February 28. All the other spaces which are visible through the slot 2 are supplied with a calendric designation which together, omitting Sundays. continue downwardly along the roll 10 in ante-dated progression. The last one remaining to view happens to be, by mere fancy, January 28. It is, therefore, apparent that preparatory to an explanation of the operation of my computer, it must be assumed that the present day is February 28, and that with the beginning of the days work, the calendric roll 10 has been moved downwardly to the extent of one space from its use of the day before, when February 27 was between the two headings.

Computations may accordingly be derived with the help of my invention in the following simple manner: When a book is returned its cover page or fly-leaf at once discloses when the book was due or in other words when the period for which the book was loaned, has expired. If the date of expiration of the period for which books are loaned in the particular library availing itself of my invention, has passed, a stipulated fine for each days delay is customarily assessed. In the Cleveland Public Library this fine is two cents a day, as disclosed by the alinement of numerals to the right of the slot. If, therefore, the clerk to whom the book is returned finds that it is over-due, she has but to look down to the date upon which the book fell due, and then glance to the particular numeral in reading alinemcnt with it, to be shown at a glance and with absolute infallibility what the accumulated fine properly is. For example, if a book had been taken out on the 4th of February and was, therefore, (in accordance again with the practice of the Cleveland Public Library) due 14 successive days later, that is, February 18, by reason of not skipping the two intervening Sundays falling on February Sth and February 15th; the discovery could at once be made that the amount of the fine corresponding with that numeral opposite February 18, was the one to be properly charged. In short, the clerk has but to look for the due date stamped in the book, find the same date, and then look next to it for the amount of the fine. In consonance, if we assume that the same book which was due February 18th had been returned the day before when February 27 showed at the top of the alinement of the calendric designations, it is manifest that the particular designation, February 18, would have rested one space higher up and that, therefore, two cents less would be indicated as chargeable.

In the modification seen in Fig. IV, as its title above explains, the application of my invention is made suitable for use in calculating fees charged by circulating libraries. This form also exemplifies the manner in which two consecutive days might be omitted from the calendric sequence where it was the practice not to charge for either Sundays or holidays. It was to illustrate this that portions of the months of May and June, 1914, were selected. This modification furthermore discloses an alteration in the measure of progression of the numerals in the column to the right. While the scale of fees shown in Fig. IV is not in accordance with the almost universal daily charge, it well illustrates another possible variation. Finally, the column to the left involves in place of a single diagonally extending notice, a notice in the second space from the top and ditto-marks in each space there below.

Fig. V represents a broken plan view of the upper portion of still another modification wherein the slot 2 is provided above to the width of one space with a horizontal continuation 12 for a slight distance to the left. The roll 10 is furthermore provided, according to this form, with a second column composed of like-sized spaces, 13, each showing a calendric notice of predetermined relation to that designation momentarily of direct interest, individual notices being again also adapted to lie opposite individual designations. In the present instance on the basis of a 1 1 successive day period, the single notice which is placed in view is seen to read Set your 14: day stamp March 14. Thus, when the roll is actuated to bring the passing day at the head of the alinement of calendric designations which are adapted to be visible, my invention may present the added utility of computing into the future as well as into the past.

It should be stated that so much of the construction as has been here disclosed cannot account for more than a single year. Inasmuch as each year has its Sundays and holidays falling upon different dates, it is obvious that a distinct roll or alinement of calendric designations in the way of distinct dates to be omitted, will be required. It should be equally obvious that an especial calendric roll must be provided for leapyears.

My invention being thus described with sufficient thoroughness, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and therefore claim specifically, is:

1. A library-fine computer comprising a scale denoting dates, a second scale denoting fines, said date scale being mounted with capability for adjustment lengthwise beside the fine scale, and means for obscuring the future portion of said date scale, the arrangement being such that the accrued fine between a particular pair of dates may be read on the fine scale alongside the earlier of said dates.

2. A library-fine computer comprising a scale having indications denoting selected dates arranged in chronological sequence, a second scale bearing figures showing the money assessment at a progressive rate of the time intervals of the first scale, said first mentioned scale being movable endwise, the arrangement being such that the fine assessed for the elapsed time between the latest and a plurality of earlier time indications on the first mentioned scale may be read from the characters on the money value scale appearing beside the earlier time indications respectively.

3. A library-fine computer comprising a scale showing indications denoting dates arranged in broken chronological sequence, a second scale beside the first and bearing figures showing the money fine at a progressive rate of the time intervals of the first scale, said date scale being movable endwise, and means for obscuring the future time portions of said date scale, the arrangement being such that the fine assessed for the elapsed time between the present time indication and some particular past time indication on the first mentioned scale may be read from the character on the money fine scale appearing beside such particular past time indication.

Signed by me, this 10th day of March,

HERBERT S. HIRSHBERG. Attested by VVILLIAM O. BROCKEN, MARY COLEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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