US1381491A - Filing cabinet or tray - Google Patents

Description

Pdtented June 14, 1921.

E. OH NSTRAND.

FILING CABINET 0R T RAY. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I7. I919.

E. OHNSTRAND. FILING CABINET OR TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1919 Patented June 14, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOGH OENSTRAND, OF MOHAWK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LIBRARY BUREAU, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FILING CABINET 0R TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application filed November 17, 1919. Serial No. 338,587.

To all 10 ltom it may concern Be it known that I, ENocH OHNSTRAND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Mohawk, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Filing Cabinets or Trays, of which the following is a specification. I

. This invention relates to a cabinet or filing tray and more particularly to a tray of the type provided with means for locking the cards 6., filing cards, sheets, folders, etc.,) therein in such manner as to insure their retention within the tray when the tray is transferred from place to place.

Difficulty has been experienced heretofore in adequately securing cards in a filing tray to prevent them from becoming displaced in theevent that the tray becomes accidentally overturned in transferring the tray from place to place. This difliculty has been overcome to some extent by providing the cards with suitable perforations adjacent their lower edges through which a looking rod is adapted to pass. While this ex pedient securely retains the cards, it renders their speedy removal from the tray difiicult as the locking rod must first be removed. Further the cards are held. only at their lower edges and even though the follower is moved tightly against the row of cards to press their lower edges together, the upper edges are not pressed together and consequently afford spaces between the cards in which dirt may accumulate when the cards are not in use. A principal object of the present inven tion is to obviate the difficulties heretofore encountered in the production of an eflicient ledger or filing tray, to provide a tray which is simple and durable in construction and to provide efiicientmeans for retaining and locking cards within the tray in such a position as to retain them in shape, prevent dust and dirt from entering therebetween, and to insure their retention within the tray when they are not in use or when it is desired to transfer them from place to place as in transferring them to and from a fire-proof storage vault.

The invention will now be described in connection with one illustrative species only In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a ledger tray illustrating the application thereto of the improved card retaining and locking mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, the presser plate being shown in its operated position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail of the forward end of the ledger tray showin the presser plate in its normal unoperatec position;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the presser plate;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the presser plate actuating member;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rack with which the follower cooperates;

Fig. 6 is a. detail transverse section through the bottom of the tray showing the manner in which the rack is mounted in the bottom of the tray;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view partly in elevation of the follower;

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the follower with the pawl lever omitted;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevational view of the improved adjustable follower plate; and

Fig. 11 is a detail of the follower pawl.

The improved ledger tray T comprises in general a tray having end panels 1 and 2 joined at their lower edges by a bottom panel 3 and at their vertical edge-s by side panels at, only one of which is illustrated in Fig. 1, a follower F, a presser plate P and a rod 5 for locking the follower and presser plate within the tray.

The front end of the tray as shown at the left in Fig. l is provided with a sloping false front 6 which is held separated from the end panel 1 adjacent the bottom panel by an inturned flange 7 and which is secured to the panel 1 near its upper edge by being bent over the reinforcing bar 8 which is secured to the panel 1 in any suitable manner. The presser plate P comprises a flat plate 9 pivotally attached to the bottom panel 3 adjacent the lower edge of the false front 6 by tabs 10 (Figs. 2 and 3) which pass freely through suitable slots 11 in the bottom panel. These tabs are retained in the slots by means of cotter pins 12 which pass through holes 13 in the tabs and engage beneath the bottom panel 3 when the plate 9 is in position. The plate 9 is also provided upon its lower edge with a tab 14 which extends into the channel 15 (Figs. 1 and 6) the said tab being provided with an opening 16 through WlllCll the locking rod 5 extends.

When the tray is in use and the cards are to be consulted the plate 9 occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 inclined toward the front end of the tray substantially parallel to false front plate 6. hen it is desired to lock the cards within the tray the plate 9 is moved toa substantially vertical position as shown in Fig. 1. To accomplish this, there is provided an actuating or pressure member 17 which is hinged to the front panel 1 of the tray adjacent the upper edge thereof by means of the hinge 18 (Figs. 1 and 4). The member 17 is provided with a flat plate 19 suitably folded around its parallel longitudinal limbs 20 and 21 which serves as a surface against which pressure may be applied for pushing the member into its operated position. The limb 20 of pressure member 17 extends outwardly beyond the sides of the member at either end as at 22 (Fig. 4) which extensions cotiperate with guide members 23 on the plate 9 arranged toreceive them (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). lVhen the plate 9 occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 the ends 22 of member 17 rest in the upper end of the guides 23 and are retained in that position by slight protuberances 24 (Fig. 3) struck up from the plate 9. To move the plate 9 to its vertical position, the member 17 is pressed down over the protuberances into the position shown in Fig. 1 or substantially parallel with the top of the tray. 7

The follower F comprises a vertically disposed plate 25 reinforced at its edges by rearwardly extending side flanges'26 and .provided upon its lower edge with a rear- I wardly extending bottom flange 27 so disposed as to rest upon and slide upon the bottom panel 3 of the tray. Secured to the under side of flange 27 and extending at right angles to the plate 25 is a guide member 28 provided with two extending guide fingers 29 (F ig. 8) adapted to slide in the rack channel 30 which is suitably disposed in the channel 15 in the bottom of the tray, the channel 30 being provided throughout the major portion of its length with horizontally inwardly extending flanges 31 which embrace the upper surface of fingers 29 for the purpose of holding and steadying the guide member 28 in its movement along the channel.

Secured to plate 25 and to its bottom flange 27 is a flanged member'32, to the parallel side flanges 33 of which a pawl member 34 is pivoted by suitable means such as rivet 35 (Figs. 1 and 7). The pawl 34 is channel-shaped as shown most clearly in Fig. 11 being pivoted to the member 32 through its flanges 36. The upper portion the pawl is bent to form an operating grip 37 and the lower end of the pawl which is adapted to extend downwardly into the rack channel 30 is provided with pawl teeth which coeperate with two series of perforations 39 in the bottom wall of the rack channel. The pawl 34 is held in such position as normally to engage its pawl teeth 33 in a pair of perforations 39 in the rack PA by means of a spring 40 secured at one end to the member 32 and engaging at its free end the pawl member 34 at a point above the pivot To disengage the pawl from the rack.,tlie end 37 of the pawl and the indentured portion 41 of the plate 25 are engaged ly the fingers and the pawl is pressed toward the plate 25 thereby lifting the pawl teeth 38 from the perforations which they on D The follower may then be moved alen ;he'bottom of the tray being guided by the guide member 28.

Adjustably connected with the vertical p ate 25 is a guard plate 42 which is adapted to contact withthe cards disposed within the tray. This plate extends above the plate 25 and is'provided at its upper edge with a cut away portion 43 for permitting access to the r back of the file of cards. The lower edge of the plate rests upon the bottom panel 3 of the tray and is provided with a T-shaped tab 44 which extends downwardly into the rack channel 30, the arms 45 of the tab underlying the flanges 31 of the rack channel for the purpose of guiding and retaining the plate 42. The tab 44 is also provided with a slot 43 through which the locking rod 5 is adapted to pass. v

The plate 42 is adjustably connected to the plate 25 by means of headed pins 47 secured to the plate 42 and extending through vertical slots 48 disposed in the plate 25. The provision of the pin and slot connection between plates 42 and 25 enables the bottom of plate 42 to be swung backwardly toward the plate 25until the plate 42 occupies a vertical position adjacent the plate 25. To hold the bottom of plate 42 away from the. plate 25, the plate 42 is provided with shouldered lugs 49 struck-up (Fig. 10) therefrom adjacent its vertical edges. These lugs extend rearwardly toward the plate 25 and engage in slots 50 provided therefor in plate 25. As most clearly shown in Fig. 7 the shoulders of the lugs are adapted to engage the bottom of the slots 50 to thereby maintain the lower edges of plates 25 and 42 separated. When it i desired to swing the plate 42 to a vertical position adjacent the plate 25, it is only necessary to lift the plate 42 slightly to disengage the shoulders of the lugs 49 from the bottom of slots 50 when the lugs may be pushed entirely through the slots to permit movement of the bottom edge of plate 42 toward plate 25.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 5 it will be seen that the flanges 31 have been omitted from the rack channel 30 adjacent the rearward end of the tray to permit the removal of the follower from the tray shoulo such removal be desirable. To remove the follower F it is only necessary to remove the locking rod 5 and to slide the follower to the rear end of the tray, in which position, due to the omission of the flanges 31, the follower may be lifted bodily from the tray.

In using the improved ledger or filing tray, cards and index cards are placed in the tray between the presser plate P and the follower F in the usual manner, the presser plate being preferably released to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the follower F being moved along the tray to engage the back of the file of cards in the manner hereinbefore described. The cards may then be tilted back against the sloping plate 4-2 of the follower and forwardly against the slop ing presser plate as desired to consult their contents in accordance with the well-known practice.

When it is desired to lock the cards in the tray to preserve them in better shape while not in use, or to transfer the tray to or from the storage vault, the adjustable follower plate 42 is released to a vertical position against the plate 25 of the follower and the follower is moved as a whole tightly against the rear end of the file of cards. The presser member 17 is then pressed into the position shown in Fig. 1 thereby moving the presser plate 9 to a vertical position in which it firmly presses the card together against the plate 42 of the follower.

The improved filing tray constructed in accordance with this invention possesses several important features among which may be mentioned, a follower which is entirely fabricated with few and simple parts from sheet metals, which may be easily and securely adjusted to any desired position between the ends of the tray, and which is provided with an adjustable plate for contact with the filing cards to enable the cards to be held either in a sloping position for consultation or in a vertical position when not in use; an improved rack member for cooperation with the follower which may be easily fabricated from sheet metal; and a. presser plate which may be released to a sloping position when it is desired to consult the cards within the tray, and which may be forced to a vertical position to cooperate with the improved follower to hold the cards in a vertical position closely pressed together thereby preventing dust and dirt from entering between the cards, preserving the cards in a fiat unbent condition, and locking them securely within the tray dur ing transfer from place to place as when the tray is moved to and from the customary fireproof storage vault.

I claim:

1. A cabinet or filing tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, means for locking said member in any of its adjusted positions, a guard plate connected in swinging relation to the upper end of said member, in suclrmanner as to permit the lower portion of said plate to be moved toward and away from said member.

2. A cabinet or filing tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, means for locking said member in any of its adjusted positions, and a guard plate pivotally connected to the upper end of said member, whereby said plate may betilted relatively to the said member or positioned in parallelism therewith.

3. A cabinet or filing tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, means for locking said mem her in any of its adjusted positions, a tiltable guard plate, and pin and slot connections for attaching said plate to said member whereby said plate may be tilted relatively to said member or positioned in parallelism therewith.

4. A tray having therein a follower with a vertical member, a guard plate tiltable with respect to the member, and means for spacing the plate in tilted position from the member.

5. A tray having therein a follower with a vertical member, a guard plate tiltable with respect to the member, and means extending between the lower portions of the plate and member for spacing the plate from the member.

6. A tray having therein a follower with a vertical member, a guard plate tiltable with respect to the member and a lug extending from the plate in the direction of the member for spacing the plate from the member.

7. A tray having therein a follower with a vertical member, a guard plate tiltable with respect to the member, and a lug having a shoulder extending from the plate in the direction of the member, said member having a slot therein for the passage of the lug and for engagement with the shoulder for spacing the plate from the member.

8. A cabinet orfiling tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed flanged member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, a rack member disposed in the bottom of said tray, a guiding member secured to the lower edge of said flanged member and slidable within said rack member, and a pawl carried by said flanged member and cooperating with said rack for locking said flanged member in any of its adjusted positions.

9. A cabinet or filing tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed flanged member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, a channel-shaped rack member disposed in the bottom of said tray, said rack member having inwardly turned horizontal flanges along its upper edges, a guiding member secured to the lower edge of said flanged member and slidable beneath the flanges of said rack channel, and means carried by said flanged member and cooperating with said rack channel for locking said flanged member in any of its adjusted positions.

10. A cabinet or filing tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed flanged member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, a channel-shaped rack member disposed in the bottom of said tray, said rack member being provided with a series of perforations, and a pawl carried by said flanged member and cooperating with the perforations of said rack member for retaining said flanged member in any of its adjusted positions.

11. A cabinet or filing tray having therein a follower comprising a vertically disposed member adapted to be moved longitudinally along the tray, a flanged member secured to said first member, a channel shaped pawl pivoted to the flanges of said second member, a rack disposed in the bottom of said tray with which said pawl is adapted to engage, and a spring secured to said flanged member and engaging said pawl for normally engaging said pawl with said rack.

Signed by me at Ilion, N. Y., this 17th day of October, 1919.

ENOCH OHNSTRAND.

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