US1593758A - Visible index - Google Patents

Description

W. P. DE SAUSSURE, JR

VISIBLE INDEX Filed Jan. 15. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 :19 Z J; TE 12 HAZWJA I; ATTORNEY w. P. DE SAUSSURE, JR

VISIBLE INDEX Filed Jan. 15 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllllllllllll] liullllllllllflll w a I 1 I I I I 1 I I ,1 n 4 I l l I I I I l I I- I I I 1 I n I v11, Mil/11101141 11 1 INVENTOR Patented July 2?,

nil-ire. s

hill-5d W'ILLIAM F. DE S-AUSSUBIE, JEEL',

OF .ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

VISIBLE INDEX;

Application filed January 15, 1924-: seriailnoqcseesv.

'lhisrinven-tion relates to visible indexes or information racks, and aims to improve the operation of devices heretofore used for this purpose and to adapt them to addi The invention relates to the type of visible index in which a series of cardholders are .staclredvin a rack. Visible indexes of,- this type are'shown'in Patent No. 1,106,3 l l: issued to George S. Tiffany and ine on August l, 1914,".2111Cld31lily application filed August 31,1921, SerialNo. $7.1M, Patent NoulASBfilfi, datedFebruary 12,.192-l.

Ali object of the present invention is to prevent displacement or mixing of the card holders whenthey are moved. apart for inserting ethericsrds in the holders. A. fur ther object isto space the card holders apart from one another in order to make provision for a plurality of cards in each holder or for tl1e..insertion of signal devices between the holders. Another objrct is to provide for holding certain cards permanently in the holders and permitting the temporary insertion of other cards. A still further ob ject is to provide the; holdes with sliding,- signal devices, and so to relate the card holding means with the. signal device of each holder to insure the display of a predetermined; signal when a card is removed from the holder.

A... visible index embodying the present invention is of particular value when used for a roomindex. for hotels and when so used seiwes to indicate when each room is made up and unsold, made up and sold, occupied, or not made up and unsold. The index the serves to tellthe room clerk the ex ct con ition of each room at any time. Many features of the invention are, however, useful in connection with. indexes used for other purposes.

The invention may besthe understood by detailed description of the specific room indexes embodying it which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 is front elevation of a room index embodying the invention inv the form which I consider most desir ble ;1

Fig", 2 .is; a side elevation ;..of index. shown i.n..Fig j.1 sectioned on .thel line ofFig. 3; I V

Fig. 3 is enlarged horizontal section of "the index taken o'n-gth e lines of Figs. 1 and? T new senil -.1" t .F-ie:-.;3, butzom;

smaller scaleshowing-a modified-form of rack frame;

Figx-5 :is a front face view of one of the cardholders with its parts in position. to indicate that a :roo1n is madcupand unsold;

Fig: dis: a frontface view of one of. the card holders with its parts in'positicn to indicate thatj a roonr is'made up and sold Fig. 7 is a frontface VlGWOfkOllG ofthe card holders containing", a name card to indicate: that s. 100311" is occupied;

Fig.6 isa front face view of one of the card holders with (its parts in position: to indicate that-a roontis not made up and unsold;

Fig 9 is an enlarged transversesection on the line 99 of. Fig. '5

Fig". 1.0 is an enlargedtransverse-section onthe line l10 of Fig-6;

Figzfll is an enlarged transverse section on the linen-11 of Fig.7

Fig. 12 isiianr enlargedlongitudinal sec-. tion onthe line -1212 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 13 is an enlargedlongitudinal section on theline 13-13 of Fig. 17

Fig. 14 isa perspective view of one-of the card holders Fig. 15. is a perspective view'of one ofthe room; number cards Fig. 16 isa perspective view of-one-of the signal cards;

Fig. l? is a perspective view of one ofthe signal slides;

18 is a perspectiveview of oneof the room data cards;

Fig- 19 is a perspective view of one of the transparent strips;

Fig. .20 is a perspective view of one of the removable guest cards; and

Figs. 21, 22, 23 and 24 are face views similer to Figs. :5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively, showing. a modified card holder and theparts associated therewith.

The visible index comprises a rack frame and -a plurality of card holders mounted: in the rack frame. The rack frame 10j,..whi?h lSlllOSl; desirably formed of sheet metal; comprises. a flat back 11, two parallel sides 12, and. two front flanges ll, 15 6X-- tending; inwardly from the. sides. The upper end of'the back 11 may be bent forward toprovidea top 16 fonthe rack. A support (for the lowermost. card holder is provided atthe. bottom 0f.-.the racln This support inety coi'ifsistg of; art-upwardly inclined shelf ltlt) 13'. For a reason hereinafter explained it is detachably secured to the rack frame by means of a screw 18 entering the back 11.

Each card holder 20 is formed from a piece of sheet metal or other suitable material. Each card holder consists of a plate 21 having at its top a turned-over flange and at its bottom edge a short turned-over flange 23 and a longer flange 24 projecting perpendicularly outward. The card holder is provided with rearward projections 25 and with forward projections 26, 2-6, all of which are stan'iped from the plate 21.

hen the card holders are placed in superimposed relation in the rack frame 10, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the rearward projections of each holder serve to support the lower edge of the next holder above so that the holders are retained in overlapped relation. The forward projections 26, 26 and the flanges 24 of the holder serve to space the holders apart from each other and to keep them parallel to each other. In order to prevent the holders from being relatively displaced, or mixed up, after they have been placed in the rack frame, each holder has at each of its ends a recess 27 which engages a longitudinal projection, or rail, 19 at the inner surface of each side 12 of the rack frame. he projections 19 preferably have the form of removable rods, as shown in Figs. 2 and The rods 19 extend between the bottom shelf 17 and the top 16 of the frame and engage the recesses 27 of each holder. When the bottom piece 17 is re moved both the rods and the holders may be removed from the frame. Besides serving to prevent relative displacement of the holders, the rods 19 serve to retain each holder inclined forwardly from the back 11 of the frame.

The longitur"al proje-tions 19 may be restrained a ainst forward or outward movement as f -ianiple by malt 1g longitudinal PlOjEttiOllS int al with the side 1:2 as shown in Fig. 4. and in this case the front flanges l-l. 15 at the sides 12 may be omitted as the lined projections will serve to prevent outward movement of the card holders 20.

In order to adapt the index for use as a room index, each card holder has a number of parts associated with it which. while they are detachably secured to the holder, are not detached from the holder in the ordinary use of the index, and may, therefore, be regarded as permanent parts of a holder. 'fhev include a signal card 30,

a room number card 50,

two slides 1-0, g transparent strip 60, and a room data card (0.

The signal card 80, Fig. 16, is placed over the front face of the plate 21 of the holoer with its upper edge under the flange 22 and its lower edge under the flange 23 and on the the holder. Gne end of the card 30 engages the forward projection 26". lChe card 30 s two horizontal slots 3.4, 32 which correspmiding slots 28. 28 in the The portions of the front face of the card 30 ust to the right of each of slots 37:2 32 are colored in some bright o :xr such as red. The ren'iainder of the ma be colored or not, as desired. 1 found, homver, that economy in manue may be effected by marking or printa strip of color 33 along the upper .r' the front face of the card 30. 7 le 17, has a flat bot y 41 a rearwardl v projecting tab 42 at one end and a forwardly projecting tab 4:3 at e other end. The slide is placed with in the slot of the card 30 and the slot 28 of the plate 21. The slide it) is like the slide 10 and is similarly applied with its tab 42" in the slots 32, 28.

ihe room number card is applied over the body of the slide 40 and over the card 30 th its upper edge under the flange 22 and its lower edge under the flange 23. inner side edge abuts against the proectio-n 'ilhe transparent strip is applied over the upper POl'LlODS of the room number card *0 and the signal card 30 and over the l1, 4-1 of the slides l0, 40. Its up per edge held by the flange 22 while its lower edge held in notches 29 formed in * tions 26, 26. T he transparent ins two slots, {32, 62, parallel to :paccd longitudinally to the right from c lots 2:? 28 in the plate 21. The forwar 'ly projecting tabs d3, 43 of the slides 10, -0 project through the slots 62, 62, re-

p ivelv.

' 42. of the slides slide in the .2 28 82, while the front tabs the slides slide in the slots 62,

n hole er only by endwise movement, the tlns far described cannot be removed is holder when it is in the rack frame ray therefore be regarded as parts perassociated wi h the card holder. oom data card is applied over Its upper portion exsignal card 30. tends under the transparent strip 60 while its lower edge rests on the flange 24:. Its right hand end engages the forward projectioi 26 while its left hand end 71 lies some distance to the right of the projection 26. The card 70 reeess'72 in its upper.

(it) i 6 eel-:- The" "slide to see of hi be seen through the portion of the rims seen through the pcrtionot the transparent strip- 60 edj'ecent to' the"-slot 62, since this po'rtion o't the colored strip lies-'hcyondthe letthan d"end i'l of the' cerd'TO." Allthe otthe colored strip 33"is covered either by the room-nrunbcr curd 50 'or by the room (lateral-(1W0. The two'portions of the colored strip Slifivhich are nctcoveredby thesecards are 'covered'by'the bodies ll, "1-1." of the slides 40; 40" when the-slides arcpushed tothe right; On the card 70 nmiy'-be 1rrarhed data totheroom' Whose number appears on the card of the samescriptionof the: size and "furnishingsoi the roonri XE' lHlG tllQ" card 1s not"removedindex, it can" beremoved "Without taking the cz-trdurrder the transparent strip and allowmguts lower-edge to rest on the perpendiculur things 26. Consequently When a change in the holder. corresponding to this roonr Without disturb. the rest of the index.

In;edditionto the parts descrlbed, which are more or less permanently associated with each card 'ho'ldergn temporary card orv guesti card'80; 7 end 20, may be mounted in each ccrdhord'erin"the use of "the index. 'lhe temporary card or guest cord may beer the. numez'cnid addressof the guest occupying the room whose number appears on the curdholder. Theguest cerdSO may be applied to a holder by insertingfits upper portion underthe transparent strip 60 between the projections fzti end-26 and ellowinp; the ion-" er edge of the card to rest on the i Henge 24:. It will be noted that the guest curd 'cenbeinserted in e holder only When the slide" 4:0"is pushedtothe left and the slide 40 pushed to the right, end that,.

when the guest card is removed from the holder, the slides occupy these POSltlOllSlllL til moved hymeens oftheirfront tehs. In

, stead of inserting the upper portion oft-he. guest card-under the transparent strip 60, it may be simply dropped into the pocket. formed between ench hol'der and the holder next below.

1; i .2 Thenseof the index which has beendescribed 1s as follows z-The card holders. are

arranged "in .the..fremek10,. or. in. .a. plurality of such frames, with" the. numbers ofth'eir room;.numheri; eardst'so, in predetermined or p i holder are pushed td lide'it, so"thet ermit-set":

the colored 'stripsBS are visible-udjec at to the slot'62 end theslot SZZ'hsshoWn in Fig. The colored signal at the slot indicates that the room is unsold, While the colored s v nal the the room is made up. hen any room is sold or engeged,"tlie room clerkmoves the slice of the correspending card holder to the right 'covering the colored si l. ed-

jecent to the slot The card heir u OH. i appears as shown in Fi 6, indicatinga glance that the room is sold and thet'it is made up. V ien, on'the arrival of the guest he guestcurd 80 is made out; the slide 40 moved to the'l it, theslide d0 moved T0 the right, end the guest card St) is in- '-rted in the holder. It should be noted let the slides 10 and d0 will block the en- :nce of the guest card uniess moved. to the hit and right respectively hetore thecurd is inserted. After theinsertion of theguest' curdthe card holder and the guest cerd ap-" pear Sl1UWn'"iIl 7, indicating that the room is occupied and by Whom it occupied; When the guest leaves, guest curd is removed. This leaves the slide 40 at the leftend the slide 40 at the ht, so that-the card holder'appeersas indicated in 8. The colored. signal 2M1- jacent to the slot GQ'indicetesthetthe room is unsold,- While the absence of e coiored signal adjacent to the slot 62"indicetes that the roomhes not been made up and is therefore, not ready for occupancy by another guest. As soon as the clerk is informed that the-room lms been made up, he inovesthe slide 40 to the left. The card holder then again presents the appearance shown in Fig. 5,indicating-thutthe room is ready for enotl'r'er guest.-

Fronrth'e above description it is apparent that the index lteeps the" room clerk constantly intorined asto the exact condition of eztch room. It also tends to avoid mistakes the i slot 6:2 indicatesthut 3o der the strip 60 ench'removed by raisins.

any. number of the holders inthe ro Duriire; suchmo'vement of the holders, they: are held in proper inclined reletion,'botli by the engagement oftheir res r tabs with the heck' ll and bythe enga ement of their side recesses with therods 19.

lif tor enyreason it is -wished .to. call special. attention to a particular room, special sigrnehpiece may be inserted in J i nt of v the, room number C trd" of the.-csrd'-' border-LI, this room. The spacing o 1""jthc holders b fitlle pi ojections 26,26 and the dange -24; allows space" for the insertion of simplified form of card holder and associated parts which may be manufactured at cost than the card holder already described, and, while not quite convenient as the form described, may nevertheless be used to give the room clerk the same infor mation. The holder 20 shown in Fi 21 to 2+1; and the parts associated with it similar to the holder 20 and the parts as sociatcd with it, except that the slide r and the slots for the tabs of this slide are omitted. In the use of this holder the colored signal which appears through the por tion of he transparent strip adjacent to its slot 62 when the slide 33 is pushed to the left may be used, as before, to indicate that the room is unsold. After a guest leaves, the go. card is removed from the holder and may be folded and rein sorted in the holder. In r inserting the card it may be placed with its upper portion under the transparent strip 60 or may be simply dropped to the space or pocket between the holder in which it was inserted and the holder next below, so that it stands on tile flange 24: as shown in Fig. 2a. In either case, the folder card leaves the signal adjacentto the slot 62 uncovered, thus indicating that the room is unsold, while the presence of the folder guest card in front of the holder indicates to the clerk that the room is not made up. When the clerl; rece es word that the room has been made up, he removes the folder guest card from the holder, leaving the holder as shown in Fig. 21, indicating that the room is made up and unsold.

hat is claimed is:

l. A visible index, comprising a rack frame having parallel sides, a longitudinal projection extending along the inner surface of one of the sides, and a series of card holders slidably mounted in inclined overlapping superposed relation in the raclr frame and extending between the sides thereof, the bottom of each holder engaging a. partof the frame extending parallel to said longitudinal projection and each holder having in one end a recess of substantially greater width than said projection engaging said projection, whereby the holder is held inclined to the projection and parallel to the other holders.

2. ll visible index, comprising a rack frame having parallel sides, longitudinal projections extending along the inner surface of each of the sides, and series of card holders slidably mounted in inclined overlapping superposed relation in the rack frame and extending between the sides thereof, the bottom of each holder engaging a part of the frame extending parallel to said projections and each holder having in each of its ends a recess of substantially greater width than said projections engaging one of said projections, whereby the holders are retained in their inclined position.

3. ll visable index, comprising a rack frame having a back and parallel sides, a

longitudinal" projection extending along the inner surface of one of said sides, and a series of cart holders slidably mounted in inclined overlapping superposed relation in the rack frame and each having a rearward projection adapted to support the lower edge of the holder next above, the bottom of each holder engaging the back of the frame and each holder having a notch of sul'istant-ially greater width than said longitudinal projection in one of its ends engaging said projection, whereby the holders are retained in their inclined position.

4;. A visible index, comprising a rack frame having parallel sides, a rod removably mounted in the rack frame and extending along tie inner surface of one of the sides, and series of card holders slidably mounted. in inclined overlapping superposer relation in the rack frame and extending between the sides thereof, and each holder having in one end a notch which engages said rod and is of substantially greater width than the width of the rod, said rod serving in cooperation with a part of the frame to retain the holders in their iclined position.

5. A visible index, comprising a rack frame having parallel sides, two longitudinal rods removably mounted in the rack frame and extending along the inner sur-- face of the two sides respectively, and a series of card holders slidably n'iounted in inclined overlapping superposed relation in the rack frame and extending between the sides thereof, each holder having in each of its ends notch which engages one of the rods and is of a width substantially greater than the width of the rod, the rod serving in cooperation with a part of the frame to retain the holders in their inclined posi-- tion.

6. A visible index, comprising a rack frame having parallel sides, two rods removably mounted in the rack frame and extending along the inner surfaces of the sides respectively, and a series of card holders slidably mounted in inclined overlapping superposed relation in the rack frame and extending between the sides thereof, each card holder having in each of its ends a notch which engages one of the rods and is of a width substantially greater than the width of the rod, the rod serving to retain the holders in the rack frame and in cooperation with a part of the frame to retain the holders in their'inclined position, and each card holder having. a rearward projection adapted to support the loweredge of the holder next above it.

7. A visible "index, comprising a re l.

iii-sine, and se of card holders s ida c mountedtherein, each card holder he rearward projecion spaced from its lo ver edge and supporting the lower edge otthe holder next above, and forward projections the bacl: of the holder next below sons to retain the holders spacedapart from each other.

8. A visible index, comprising a raclr frame, and a series of card holders mounted therein, each card holder having a rearward projection spaced from its lower edge and supporting the lower edge of the holder ext above, a flange extending forwardly from its lower edge and the baclr oi; the holder next below, and a forward projection of the same height as said flange engaging the baol: of the holder next below.

9. A visible index, comprising a rack frame, and aseries of card holders slidably mounted therein, each card holder having a rearward projection spaced from its lower edge and supporting the lower edge of the holder next above, and plurality of for ward projections, all said forward projections being located further from the upper edge of the holder than the distance between the lower edge of the holder and its rearward projection.

10. In a visible index, a card holder comprising a plate having an overturned edge along its top, two forward projections on said holder, and a. transparent strip held between the turned-over edge and the upper edges of said projections.

11. In a visible index, a card holder comprising a plate having a turned-over flange along its upper edge and a perpendicular flange at its lower edge, forward projections on said holder between said flanges, a transparent strip retained between the turnedover flange and said projections, and a card temporarily retained in said holder with its upper portion insert-ed under said strip between the projections and its lower edge resting on said lower flange.

12. In a visible index, the combination of a card holder, a signal device slidably mounted on said card holder, and means whereby a card temporarily mounted in. said card holder will prevent sliding of the signal device.

13. In a visible index, a card holder comprising aplate containing a slot, a strip secured over said plate and containing a slot parallel to the slot in the plate, and a slidable signal device having a body between the plate and the strip, a rea ward projection entering the slot in the plate, and a forward projection entering the slot in the strip.

14. A visible index, comprising a rack frame and a series of card holders as claimed in claim 13 slidably mounted in said rack,

"ans i or 'spaeing sa card holders dstance eater than the length .-.Ct10llS of the slideslol index, a card holder comprising iplate containing aslot, atrans scrip mounted over the upper porn oi 'the il'ronti'ace of the plate and e'ontaining a slot parallel to the slot in the plate, and a slide having a body located be tween the plate and? the strip, and a rearward projection entering the slot in the plate, and forward projection entering the slot in the strip, the holder being adapted to hold a card temporarily with its upper portion extending under the portion of the strip containing the slot to prevent movement of the slide.

16. In a visible index, a card holder comprising plate containing a slot, a tran parent strip mounted over the upper portion of the front face of. the plate and containing a slot parallel to the slot in the plate, and a. slide having a body located between the plate and the strip and a rearward projection entering the slot in the plate and a forward projection entering the slot in the strip, the holder being adapted to support a card temporarily in position to prevent movement or the slide.

1.7. In a visible index, a card holder con1- prising a plate containing a slot, a color card mounted. against the front face of the plate and containing a slot registering with.

the slot in the plate, a transparent strip mounted over the upper portion of the front face of the colored card and contain ing a slot parallel to the slot in the plate, a. card mounted on the card holder with its upper portion extending under said tran parent strip and covering all of said colored card except the portion visible through a portion of the strip adjacent to the slot therein, and a slide having a body located between the colored card and the strip and a rearward projection entering the slot in the plate and the slot in the colored card and a forward projection entering the slot in the strip, the holder being adapted to support a card temporarily in position to prevent movement of the slide.

18. In a visible index, the combination of a card holder, two signal devices slidably mounted on the card holder for movement toward and away from each other, and means for temporarily mounting a card in said card holder between said signal devices to prevent sliding either of them toward the other.

19. In a visible index, a card holder comprising a plate having an overturned flange along its upper edge, an overturned flange 6.7L ending along a portion of its lower edge,

nd a perpendicular flange extending along the remainder of its lower edge, spaced forward projections on the plate between its upper and lower edges, a card permanently attached to the holder and having its upper and lower edges held by said overturned flanges, a strip permanently attached to the holder and having its upper edge held by the upper overturned flange and its lower edge held by said projections, and a card temporarily attached to the holder with its upper portion inserted under the strip and 10 its lower edge resting on the perpendicular flange.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM P. DE SAUSSURE, JR.

Images