US1589225A - Card-index device - Google Patents

Description

'ooooooaoo oooopo' June 15 1926.

J. H. RAND. JR

CARD INDEX DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 1923 I -.g E f@ 1- I' t? up F Z5 f l E f I :zzgzzzzzlmmAz Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES 'JAMES E. RAND, JR., 401?' TONAWANDA, .NEW YORK.

Gann-INDEX nnvron.

Application lcd October 26, 1923. Serial N0. 670,838.

This invention relates to index devices, and more particularly to devices having signals for directing theA attention of the user y of the index to certain cards at certain times.

Heretofore index devices which have comprised, generally, a plurality of cards or card-holders which may be secured in overlapping relation on a suitable holder with the edges or portions of the several -cards or holders visible one above the other, have Vbeen provided with various forms' of signals. yIncluded lanion these devices there have been movable ta s or members adapted to be placed in the pocket or sheath at the bottom l5 of the card and which may be shifted transversely on the card. The devices of this kind have been movable crosswise or transversel of the cards and being readily shiftable, ave beern impractical to signal or call attention to any particular item on or ortion of the cards,.as .they cannot be re ied upon to maintain the positions in which they are placed and have been relatively difcult to msert and remove.

f In the use of card index systems it is often desirable that attention be directed to the accounts or .data appearing on the different cards of the index at different times, as, for example, it is sometimes desirable that the accounts for data appearing on certain of the cards be considered for one purpose oranother on the first day of-.each month, or upon anyof the succeeding days of the month, depending upon the character of the accounts and data and the nature and character of the business in which the index is used. These signals should preferably be displayed so that the pro er cards may be selected at a glance when t e cards are lying iiat in overlapping relation without the necessity of lifting any of the cards.

The objects` of the presentfinvention are to provide card indexes in which. cards orl l cards are provided with means for directing card-holders are normally held in overlapping relation and provided with signallin means which may be placed and which wi remain in definite predetermined positions on the cards; also to provide a card index of the type referred to having signal de- .50 vices so displayed as to enable cardsto lwhich attention should be directed at any time to be readily selected without the necessity of -data or material.

swinging or lifting any of the-cards or cardholders; also to provide an index having an improved signal and signal-holding means,

whereby Ithe signals will not become misplaced; and also to provide improvements 1n cardindex devices in the other respects hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a lan view of a portion of an" index lllustrating the present invention. f Flg. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a card illustrating the invention, on a sligthly enlarged scale.

8 is a section on line 3--3, Fig.- 2.

Flg. 4 1s a fragmentary plan view of a card-holder and card of slightly modied form.

Figi 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a 70 cardolder showing a modified form of card and signal.

Generally stated, the vpresent invention provides signal devices and cards or cardholders arranged in overlapping relation with their edge portions exposed one beyond another and said cards or card holders having parts for firmly but releasably holdlng the signal devices in operative relation to such portions.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is Shown a portion of a card index installation .comrlsmga part of a usual tray A having side anges B and a plurality of holders C for index data cards or the like. As shown in Fig. 1, these holders are provided with means for removably retaining. them on thel tray, as for example, the tongues D which take under the side flanges B of the tray. The helders are provided wtih separate cards or the like adapted to receive and display index With the form of holders lllustrated in Fig. 1, there is shown a card portion E which is releasably/held on the holder portion C by the tonguesF. The, 95

the attentlon of the user of the index' to certain of .the cards at an desired predeternnned time. This may 'I e done by display-A lng on the cards notations desi ating the days of the month, as shown in F1 1 and 2, and combining with these designatmns means for relasably holding av signal member or devl. In the form ofthe invention shown l in Fi s. 1 to 3, the card is provided with e;

Asheath on a holder.

plura ity of numbered straps G, and signal devices are provided which are adapted to be held in place on the card by the straps G to direct the attention of the user of the indexl to the card on which the signal devices are displayed. These signal devices are so positioned and are of such form that the devices or portions of them are visible when the cards are lying one upon the other in the index, as for exam le, in Fig. 1, it will be noted that ends f t e signal devices pr0- ject on the overlapping portions of the cards and may be readily viewed. In Figs. 1 to 4 "inclusive, this signal device is shown as a tab or member H having a shank or portion I adapted to extend under the tongue Gand a head K by means of which it may be handled and which prevents the signal devices from slipping through the tongued portion of the card. As shown, the Shanks I of the signal members are preferably of such length that they extend adjacent to the outer edge of the card or 4holder and are thus visible when the cards are in their operlapping relation.

It will be apparent from the description thus far, the cards being properly supplied with signal devices, that the user of the index, by glancing at the cards inthe index tray or drawer, may readily and expeditiously pick out those cards requiring attention on any given date.

In Fig. 4 the invention is shown as applied to a card which is held at its lower edge in a celluloid or othertransparent As the device shown in that ligure is essentially the same as described in Figs. 1 to 3, it requires no separate description further., than that in such form the shank ofthe signal tab extends under a portion of the sheathor pocket and is visible therethrough.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the, straps G are provided in predetermined spaced position and may readily be formed as by pairs of slits or apertures L. The4 straps are preferably of just suiiicient length to `accommodate the shank of the signal device and effectively hold the signal device in position and' prevent any unintentional shifting of the devices transversely ofthe card. I n order to move a si nal transversely of the card when desired, it 1 s only necessary to withdraw the signal from the stra under which it is inserted and place it eneath another strap. e

The shts or apertures L which provide the straps may be. readily `formed -in the cards by'means of a simple stampin operation and are very economical to ro uce and the signal devieesvmay likewise produced vat a. relatively small cost. Thestraps, or portions of the card adjacent the stra s,

sired, otherthan indications of the days of the month, and the si al members may be of any desired color, t us, for example, different colors may be used for signals to call attention to different kinds or characters of accounts.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the tongues G and slits L are replaced by round spaced perforations L and a/signal device L2 having oppositely disposed `lateral ears or lugs L8 adapted to entertwo of the perforat1ons L is used. The shank ortion of this signal member is preferably ormed of substantially the same width as the dist-ance between the perforations receiving the ears La so as to prevent lateral displacement of the signal member. The ears L3 passing under the intermediate portions or parts of the card between the perforations, prevent the unintentional displacement of the signal member.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an index device comprising a plurality of index members disposed in overlapping relation with the edge portion of each member projecting and exposed beyond an adjacent member, the combination of a plurality of signal-holding parts on each card disposed so as to be concealed by an adjacent card, a signal tab having a part adapted to be releasably engaged by any one of said holding parts 'to secure Ait in place on said card, and said tab having a part projecting beyond said adjacent card to act as a visible signal.

2. In an index device comprising av plurality of index members dis osed in overlap ing.relation with the edge portion of eac member projecting and exposed beyond an adjacent member, the combination of a plurality of fixedq, spaced, signal-holding parts on each card, each part comprising a strip extending substantially parallel wit-h said edge portions` and said card having an aperture formed on each side of said strip, a detachable si nal comprising a straight shank portion adapted to pass through said apertures beneath any one of said holding parts so as to project beyond said part to act as a signal, and a part on said signal for engaging said holding part to prevent displacement of said signal.

3. In an index device comprising a plurality of index members dis osed in'overlapping relation with the e ge portion of each member projecting and exposed beyond an adjacent member, the combination of a transverse series of signal-holding -parts on each card dis oysd so as to lie beneath an adjacent car and adapted to releasably hold signals in predetermined positions on said card, signal tabs adapted vto be en aged with any one of said holding parts, aneach tab havin a signal portion adapted, when saidsigm .rssecured n1.A place, to extend upon the exposed portion of the card to act said designating and receiving parts, a signs u sig-nul. k.nul tab having n, part adapted to engage 1n 4. '1n :ui iudox dvvicv, n. record card, u plun selva-tod pair of apertures so as to project 10 rnlity of signal .designating und holding upon said car und be releusnhly hold in parts locuhdin pimivtomniued positions on position by one of said holding 'parts adjatlio cul-d, und said cui-d 'having a. series of cont its designation'.- pairs of signal-receivingapertures adjacent v JAMES H. RAND, JR.

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