US1186470A - Loose leaf or card index device. - Google Patents

Description

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

K. L. EDDY. LOOSE LEAF 0R CARD INDEX DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED HAY H. 1915- Patented June 6, 1916.

1 9 I 4 suns-91in 2.

'"H llllll] W W-M K. L. EDDY.

LOOSE LEAF 0R CARD INDEX DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1915.

Patented June 6,1916.

4 SHEETS-SMEET 3.

N\N \NWNM f u m K. L. EDDY. LOOSE LEAF on cum INDEX DEVICE.

Agrucmon mm an n. 1915.

' Patented June 6, 1916.

; SHEETS-SHE 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KENNETH L. Emmor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASBIG-NOB, BY ASSIGNMENTS, '10 AUTOMATIC UTILITIES COMPANY, OF C HICAGO, 1111111018,. A CORPORATION LOOSE LEA!" on can!) INDEX :onvrcn.

Patented June a, 1916.

i Application filed Kay 17, 1915. Serial No. 28,5.

To all whom it may concern citizen of'the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose Leaf or Card Index Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to'the letters of reference marked t ereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in loose leaf or card index devices and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention relates to a loose leaf or card index device which comprises a cabinet having an index card or plate fixed to the outer face of one side or end, a plurality of loose leaves or cards having corresponding indexes supported in the cabinet in planes parallel to the said side or end, and an operating device which is movable with respect to the cabinet index card. Said operating device is adapted to coact with index clips attached to the loose leaves or cards in such a way that it constitutes a finder or selector and by its operation acts to segregate all cards corresponding to a certain index character, whatever their location in the cabinet may be.

The index card on the cabinet may be providedywith one or more sets of index characters and the cards are likewise provided with the same sets of haracters. In the example illustrated herein. the cabinet index card and likewise the cards themselves are provided with two sets of index characters. namely, an alphabetical set and a numerical set. Thus the subject matter on the cards may be indexed, both alphabetically and numerically, and the numbers may be used to indicate subject matter so that the nuna-rical index will constitute a subject matter index.

Other kinds of indexes may be provided and if desired, the cabinet may be built to ])i'o,\'i(lc more than two of indexes.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, the index clips are attached at the bottom margins of the cards, and the operating device or finder includes a frame which is expandible verticall so that upon the proper manipulation 0 an operatln arm that projects out of the cabinet, sai

frame will act to raise the cards correspondin to,the desired index character above the ot er cards. This expanding frame is mounted on a carriage extending lon 'tudinally of the cabinet beneath the car s and is movable transversely of the cabinet. Said carriage rides on tracks or rails fixed within the cabinet.

The object of the present invention is addressed more particul rly to improvements in the operating devic kor finder to the end of improving its opera ion and of making its action more accurate and certain and also forthe purpose of chea ening inizing t e cost of manil acturmg the same. This and other objects and advantages of my invention will appear more clearly as I proceed with my specification.

In the draw1ngs:Fig re 1 is a perspective view of my improved card index cabinet. Fig. 2 is a view representing a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the cards used in the index cabinet. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the cabinet with the top removed.

and econo- Fig. 5 is a view representing a trans-- verse vertical section through the cabinet in a plane indicated by the line 5-4) of Fig. 4. Fig: 6 is a view representing a longitudinal vertical section through the cabinet in a plane indicated by the line 6--6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6 with the parts shown in a different relation. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the carriage used in the cabinet, said carriage being shown on fragments of the tracks on which it rides. Figs. 9 and 10are views representing vertical sections through one of the bearing blocks of the carriage, said sections being indicated by the lines 9-9 and 10-10 respectively in Fig. 5. Fig. 11 is a detail perspective View on an enlarged scale of one of the cli s applied to the bottom edges of the can s. Fig. 12 is a View rcprcscntingfiin perspective the front plate (in the cabinet as said plate appears when looking at the same from the rear.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings:.-20

J2. having a handle or knob indicates the camnct, which contains the loose index leaves or cards and the operating device or tinder for segregating all leaves or cards corresponding to any certain index character from the rest of the leaves or cards in the cabinet. The cabinet consists of an oblong box :31. open at the top and having side walls 2'2. 22. rearend wall 23, front end wall 24 and a bolt in wall 25. A removable cover 26 is preferably provided to close the cabinet and keep out dust,

()n the front end wall 24 of the cabinet is fixed an index platefili'. .\s above stated, this index plate as illustrated herein. is constructed to provide two sets of index characters, namely. a set of alphalmti al characters and a set of numerical charm'ters. Thus the cards or leaves may be indexed both alphalutically and munerically or according to either of said indexes alone.

28 indicates the alphabetical index. and 29. the numerical index. dex may be made to accord with certain heads or subjects, with each numeral indicating a particular head or subject. i

The characters of each index are arranged in a horizontal line extending tramsversely 'of the plate 27, and are :u-curately spaced in said line to correspond with the spacing of teetlr30 placed at the top and bottom edges of a horizontal |ot ill in the plate 27. 'lhrough this slot projects an operating arm 32$ for ease in grasping it, which arm. as will be shown later. is connected to an expanding frame mounted on the carriage within the cabinet. A second slot 31 is formed in the plate 27 between the two lines of index characters 28. 29 and through this slot projects a rod carrying a pointer 35, which is movable transversely of the cabinet with the carriage and with the arm 32. This pointer is double headed. each head being associated with one of the sets of index characters. As shown, the spaces containing the characters of the two sets of index characters are arranged in staggered relation, each character of one set being located vertically below (or above) a point half way between two adjacent characters of the other index and the. teeth 30 in the edges of the slot 31 are spaced apart at distances equal to half the distances at which the characters of the two indexes are spaced. This arrangement provides for a maximum (if-longitudinal space for the index charm-ters, with a minimum of lengths of space for said characters, and also provides for a maximum total number of index characters.

36 indicates as a whole the carriage, upon which is mounted the expansible frame that constitutes part of the operating mechanism. Said carriage is mounted to ride on tracks or rails 37, 38. spaced respectively :uljaceut to the front and rcarcnd walls of the cabilhe numerical innet and fixed transversely on the bottom wall thereof.

39, *0 indicate the end frame members or end blocks of the carriage. Each of said blocks is of the same construction so that a description of one will sutlice for both Each block has a longitudinally extending groove 41 at the bottom which groove is rectangular in cross section and is made to embrace the associated track 37 (38) which engages within it. is formed by a flat vertical flange 43 which engages against the flat inner face 43 of the associated rail. The opposite side of said groove is also formed by a Hat vertical flange Hvbut the flange in this case has a longitudmall v extending horizontal shoulciated track. he said shoulder and groove provide the supporting bearing for the end 'frame of the carriage member on the associated rail. thetop wall of the groove 41 having no bearing whatever on the top of the said rail. At the top of the rail are provided rack teeth 46 which are engaged by a pinion 47 (see Fig. 9) keyed to the end of a shaft 48 that extends longitudinally of the carriage and that has lvaring in the two end frame members or blocks. The blocks recessed above the groove 41 to receive the pinion ii. A rod 49 spaced laterally from the shaft 48 constitutes the means for rigidly connecting the end frame members or blocks of the carriage together. 'Said rod is riveted at its' outer ends against the outer faces of the frame blocks and holds theshouhlers on said blocks in proper posi-' tion relative to their respective tracks or rails. 1

It is to be understood that the bearing for the. carriage on the rails is provided entirely by the shoulders 45 and the grooves 45 in the outer faces of the rails within which said shoulders engage. and that the pinions -17 have no bearing upon the racks with which they are engaged butare merely ellective so far as the horizontal position of the carriage on the tracks is concerned.

It will be manifest from the construction descrilwd that when the front end frame or block of the carriage is moved on its associated rail. its movement will cause a rotative movement to be imparted to the shaft 48 by reason of the engagement of the rack teeth 46 with the pinion 47. at the front end of said shaft. This movement will be comu'lllnicated to the pinion 47 at the rear end of said shaft and said pinion. by its enag ment. with the rack on 'the rear rail or track. will produce a movement of the rear end block or franie member It! on its" rail 39 corresmmding exactlyrto the movemeiit of the front end framelneinber. By reason of this construction, the slightest lateral movement of the front end of the carriage will be communicated in exactly" like amount in rlage. I

Such exact coaction between the front and rear ends of the carriage is essential in this type of apparatus, since the true alinement of the expansion frame is required in order that the finder may simultaneously and with the same movement engage the index clips of all the cards bearing said clips in the same position-on said cards.

The construction described absolutely prevents not only anydistortion between the front and rear'end frame members of the carriage but also eliminates any tendency for either of the two end frame members .to bind against their respective rails.

()n the carriage is mounted the expansion frame 50, which has been hereinbefore referred toand which is adapted to raise above and thus segregate from the other loose leaves or'cards in the cabinet those corresponding'to the index character in line with which said expansion frame is brought. Said frame comprises a top bar 7 51, a bottom bar 52, and two link connections formed by bars 53. 53. connected respectively to-said top and bottom bars near their front endsjn the manner of a parallel Vertical slots 54, 54. are formed 'in the opposite faces of the end frame blocks-39, 40, and the top bar'51 of the aforesaid expansion frame engages within said slots in such manner as to be capable of a vertical movement only. The ends of said bar 51 engage against the end wall 154' of said slots. The bottom bar 52 is located in tlte plane of said slots but is incapable of vertical movement, projecting at its forward end through a hole or open-;

ing 55 in the front block and having bearing at its rear end in a hole or opening 56 through which it is adapted to extend when pushed home as presently to be described.

The forward projecting end of the bottom" .bar 52 constitutes the operating arm 32 above referred to.

- en the operating arm 32 is pushed inward y with respect to the cabinet, that is tosay, in such manner as to push the bottombar 52 of the expanding framelongitudin'ally toward'the rear of the cabinet, it will be manifest that, as the top bar 51 is incapable'of longitudinal movement. it

will be raised by'thelinks 53. A shoulder 32. is formed on the operating arm 32 at a point in advance of the front frame block and this shoulder is adapted to strike. the front face of said block and thus limit the rearward movement of the bottom operating bar of the expanding fiame and stop further movement of the topbarm. The operating member is normally held 1n its either direction to the rear end of said caroutermost position by means of a tension spring 57 placed atone side of the expansion frame and arranged to connect the bottom bar 52 with the front block 39.

Top and bottom transverse notches 32" are formed in the operating arm 3.2 in such position that when the operating arm is at its outermost position, said notches will be located in the plane of the rack teeth 30 in the slot 31 of the cabinet index plate. For

ward of these notches the operating a rm'is 7 of the cabinet in either direction by means of the handle 33 so as to bring the pointer 35 opposite any one of the index characters of either of the indexes on the index plate.

If the operating arm 32 be then pnshmh inwardly the top and bottom V-shapcd edges 32 on said arm \Vlll engage the teeth 31 in the slot 30 and properly center the carriage in a position corresponding to the center position of said index character and also look the carriage in that position. The inward movement of the operating arm aiso, as has been pointed out. raises the top bar 51 of the expansion frame on the'carriage to a level where it will engage suchindex clips on the bottoms of the cards as correspond in-their position on said cards to the position of the index character on the index plate of the cabinet.

61 indicates the loose leaves or cards of the device and 60' the index tabs or clips applied to the bottom edges thereof. The said cards are filled and printed along their bot tom marginal parts to provide sets of index characters 28". 29 corresponding respectively both in kind and in position to the sets of index characters on the cabinet index plate. The clips are adapted to be attached to the cards in positions oppositeany one of the characters on the cards and-'may be inadeof any suitable construction making them capable of easy attachment. As shown and'as tbev are preferably made, each ciip consists of a. short narrow plate of thin metal slightly widerfat its dipper end and punehedfto "provide an opening '60 to dis-- close the ind'eiceharacter to which it is to be;

applied. the punched 'out part 60" being bent out of the pl'aneaif the front part to provide a member for engagement with the rear side of the card. The clip is notched at its lower endrfor engagement with the top bar 5! of the expansion frame on the carriage. As

many clips may be applied to each index be applied to each card corresponding to the letter under which the subject matter on the card isindexed alphabetically, and a second clip may be applied in a position corresponding to the number which indicates the subject matter under which said card is to be indexed.

Manifestly when the operating bar is brought to a certain position corresponding to any of the index characters on the index plate of the cabinet and is pushed inwardly.

the top bar 51 of the expansion frame will be raised and will engage the clips on the cards and thus elevate all the cards having clips in like locations above the other cards in the cabinet.

The cards are preferably reinforced by metal strips 62jwhich are bent about the end edges of the cards so as to embrace opposite faces thereof. T'cse strips when made in this way not only act to reinforce said edges, but also act to properly space the cards so that when a card is inserted between two others. the index clip or clips at the bottom margin of the cards will not engage against the clips of adjacent cards and thus obstruct the insertion of said. cards. Said strips also act to properly space the cards at their upper edges and oflset the effeet of the thickness of theelips located at the bottom edges of the cards. The cards ,are supported in the cabinet bv longitudinally extending bars or strips (33 which, as shown, are fixed to the side walls of the cabinet. Said bars support the cards in a position such that the indexelips are vertically removable from the top bar 51 of the expansion frame in the ordinary position of'the parts.

flvhile in describing my invention 1 have referred to certain details of mechanical,

-construetion and arrangement, it is to be understood that theyi'nvention is to be in no way limited thereto except as pointedout in the appended claims.

i I claim as my invention 1. In a card index device of the kind described, in combination with the cabinet, and the cards supported therein, a carriage movable transversely of the cabinet, said carriage including a vertical expansible block thereof. r

2. In a card index device of the kind de scribed, in combination with the cabinet, and the cards supported therein, a carriage movable transversely of the cabinet, said carriage including a vertical expansible frame, and an operating ,arm for expandin said frame, said carriage including end b ocks, rails extending transversely of said cabinet, interengaging parts providing bearing of said end blocks on said rails, each rail being provided with a. rack, a shaft extending lon- 1 gitudinally of the carriage and having bearing in'said end blocks, and pinions, one for each end block,.fixed to said shaft and engaged \Yltllsilid racks, said pin-ions providing no bearing for said end blocks.

3. Ina card index device of the kind described, in combination with the cabinet, and the cards supported therein, a carriage movable transversely of the cabinet, said carriage including a vertical expansihle frame, and an operating arm for expanding said frame, said carriage including end blocks, tracks provided with racks fixed transversely in said cabinet, a shaft extending longitudinally of said carriage rotativelyinounted in said end blocks, pinions,

. one for each end block, fixed to saidrshait ing said frame. said carriage including end blocks, tracks provided with racks .fixed' transversely in said cabinet, a sliattextending longitudlnally oi said carriage rotativcly mounted in said end blocks, pinions,

one for each end block, tixed to said shaft and engaged with said rack but providing no bearing for said end blocks, and means providing sliding bearing for said end blocks on said tracks, said means being constructed to prevent vertical displacement of said end blocks.

5. In a card index device. of the kind dcscribcd, in combination with the; cabinet,

amlthc cards supported therein, a carriage movable transversely of the cabinet, said carriage including a vertical expansible frame. and an operating arm for expanding said frame, said carriage including end blocks, rails tixed insaid cabinet and exti-nding transversely thereof, said rails being providi'ld with ldngitudinally extending grooveslocutcd i'bclow their top edges and with racks atlhcir top ltlgtfi,." j:lltl blocks being provided with shoulders that provide ,tllt! sole bearing engagement. for said end blocks on said rails, a shaft extending longitudinally of said carriage and having bean -riage including a vertical expansible frame,

and an operatingarm for expanding said frame, an index plate on said cabinet pro vided with a slot through which said operating arm projects, said index plate having one or more sets of index characters arranged in spaced relation parallel to said slot, an index head movable with said frame o er said index plate, said slot being provided with teeth graduated to correspond with the spacing of said index characters, said 0pcrating arm being provided with a longitudinally extending edge adapted for engagement with the teeth in said slot; for centering and locking sreid in when it is brought into a position corresponding with the position of an index character,

In a. card index dcv of the kind dcscribed, in combination with the cabinet, and the cards supported therein a carriage movable 'vansverselzv' of the cabinet, said carriage including a vertical "pans-ibie frame, and an operating arm for expanding said frame, an index" plate on said cabinet pro vided we? a throngs chi-eh said operating arm projecte, said index plate having one or more sets of index (dint-actors arranged in spaced relation parallel to said slot, an index head movable with said frame over said index plate, said slot being provided with teeth graduated. to correspond Vl ith the spacing of said index chm-hotel's, said opcrating arm being provided with a longitudinally extending edge adapted for engage ment with the teeth in said slot for centering and. locking arm when it is brought into ion corresponding with the position, of index character, and an index clip ac p d for nttacbment to said cards, each cl? eaid index clips being notched at their bottom ends for engagement with the rising member of said expansion frame. 1 v

8. Ina card index devide of kind {10* scribed, in combination with acabinet prg vided with an index plate on its, exterior j plurality of cards located within said if;- net, an operating device locatedwithin said cabinet and having an arm projecting without said cabinet and associated with the cabinet index plate, said operating device con prising a carriage consisting of end b (mks,- means rigidly connecting said end blocks, a vertically ex ansible frame su ported in said end bloc s and being capab e of transverse movement with the carriage .inJ- cabinet, said expansible frame including a bar capable of vertical movement in said blocks but being incapable of endw'rse movement, a second bar capable of endwise move- Inent but incapable of vertical movement and links connecting said bars.

9 in a card index device of the kind described, in combination with a cabinet having an index plate, a lurality of cards located within said cabinet and having corresponding indexes, an operating device located within said cabinet and havin an arm projecting without said cabinet an associated with the cabinet index plate, said operatin device comprising a carriage consisting 0 end blocks, means rigidly connecting and blocks, a verticall ex ans ble frame supported in said end loo rails fixed in said cabinet, means providing sliding bearing of said blocks on said rails, a. shaft having bearin in said blocks, pinions fixed to said shaft in the neighborhood of each block, and racks on said tracks enga ed by said pinions but providing no bearingdietween said carriage and said tracks.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this llth day of May, A. D. 1915.

KENNETH L. EDDY? Witnesses:

1. H. ALrnnns, KARL W, Donn.

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