US1739168A - Card-indexing device - Google Patents

Description

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WAYNESIBORO, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONJOF ENNSYLVANIA I NG sew-ea Application filell m 11, 192%? seam mi. 20510605 said invention relates to a card indexing mechanism and-it is an object of thesanie" to provide improved means for selecting-a single card ora group of cards out of a large number'of cards 'ina tray or container with certainty and despatch." The mechanism illustrated and described herein is anim provement over that of my application, Serial No; 10,712 filed'February 20, '1925',now' Patent No. 1,662,534, March 13, 1928',"so muchbnly" of the m'echanisinfof that applicationbe'ing here shown and described as'is necessary-for proper understanding of the invention here" claimed." I

In the operation of the machine described in said application it is'ile'cess'ary to use either an automatic v releasing =mechanism',- or an audit 'lever'located at the right-hand s'ide or the keyboard for the purpose of releasingthe' positioning keys and- 'elevat'ing the 'depressed "card-holder's to expose "th'e' card "or cards Which have been mechanically selected: The automatic release adds considerably;: to theexpense of the-device'and the use-of the-=- audit lever slows up the operatioIhof'the-f machine. An object 'of my "invention is to provide means for selecting card's WithQut incorporating the automatic release mecha nism "or operating the audit "lever, thereby greatly reducing the cost of and"1ncreas1ng=- the speed of operating the machine, 7

Another ob ect is to pro'vijde-nie'ansfor" elevating cards-1n small groups, so that a de'" V sired card may be selected-from sucha'grouP by means of visible top tabs'i This makes it feasible to useby this means all oi the' tiab's or proj ectio'n's on the lower margin of the] cards for classification, and for 'cross-inde'xing purposes. p

Still another object is 'to"providemeans operative in conjunction with the returnkey in such a manner that after a numberof cards have'beenelevated, some ofthem 'ca be re turned and others retained;

Referring tot-he" drawings, which are made apart ofthis'application and in which 'siini lar reference? characters' indicate-"similar" P ts; i

Fig; 1 an'elevation'of an index card, F1gZ-2;a-fro'n=t elevation; partly in section,

of parts'fof the operating-mechanism,

Fig.*3;'asimilar figure a different plane,

F 1g; "4:, *asuni-lar figure in still another" plane, I

Fig. 5, a side elevation, partly in'se'ction, showing certain operating devices,

Fig; 6, a 'section onlin'e 6- 5 of 'Figr'l show ng a'feature. of my improvements,

Fig? 7, a side elevation of the same, partly in'sectiomand, V

Fig'. -8,' an"*ehd elevation of acard tray shown in =Fi'g.-1 withthe front end ofthe tray an'd-certain other parts omitted, illu's grating-certain improved features in eleva- Figuresl-to 5 illustrate features claimed in" myapplication abovereferred to, including acard tray 1'0"ren1ovably supported on a mech; anlsin'casell, having' at its end next theoperator an upward'extension' with a front" plate '12,' a rear plate 13", keyboard 14, bottom plat'15 and aguide plate 16.

Slid-able'group selecting'keys 17 (Figs. 1' and2) in the front rowof the bank on the ke board are'held ''upby springsl and are connected by links 19 to'rockarms 20, on lon-- gitudinal'hollow shafts 21 j ournale'd' in crosspl'at'e's- 22. Shafts "21 have rockarms 23' com neoted by links 24 totie rods 25 (onlyone of which is shown in Fig. 2)- the tierods being attached to 'rockarm's 26 depending from hollow pivot bars '27journ'aled in brackets- 28. Thepivot bars 27 carry laterally eX-* tendmga-rms supportinghollow' liftrods 29 on which clutches 30 'are borne? A release key" 31 also forms part of said frontfrow. I

Subgroup selecting'keys 32 (Figs. 1,3, and 7) in the secon'd row on the key 'board'are normally held in the position" shown by springs 33 but may beheld down", when suf ficientlydepressechby means of pivoted detents 32 actuated by springs 83 and adapted to engage notches at 34". The individual keys are connected by links'34 to rockarms 35 on hollow shafts 36 in abank above the bank of rods 21 (Fig; 3) and similarly supported Rockarms 37 on sai'd sh'afts 36are'co'nnected by links 38 to" clutches- 30."

to the right by engagement of a lug 43 The index cards 38 are placed by subgroups of limited number in card-holders which card-holders are arranged in groups A, B, C, etc, in the card tray. The cardholders as here shown may be made of sheet metal, as in my above mentioned patent with sides one of which is shown at 39 (Fig. 4), connected at the lower left-hand corner by stepped parts 41 and 42 with a small projection 43 cured to a shoe 44 slidable on a shelf 45 (Figs. 2 and 3) by means of a lug 46 operated by arms 47 and 48 on clutch 30. At the lower right-hand corner a similar shoe (not shown) slides on a guide 50 and the sides 39 and 40 are connected by an irregular-shaped corner piece 51. The card-holders are open at the bottom to expose the bottom tabs 78, 79 on the cards. A stop rail 52 (Fig. 4) limits the angular downward and sidewise movement of the card-holders, which are guided between partitions 53 (Fig. 1) of the tray.

A bracket 54 is fixed to a side member 55 of the tray, and a bracket 56 in Fig. 8 is part of a hanger plate of the tray frame.

The group-selecting keys act on the clutches to position them operatively with reference to a group such as indicated at A, B, C, etc., in Fig. 1 which may, e. g., include all surnames beginning with the corresponding initials; the sub-group selecting keys actuate selectively the operatively-positioned clutches to move a selected card-holder, (which may, e.' g., include all cards having given or Christian names corresponding to the key which is actuated in the second row) downward and to the right, the cards moving to the position indicated at a in Fig. 4 where they are arrested by stop 52, but the cardholder can be moved further down to the position indicated in Fig. 4.

For isolating cards in a sub-group after such further movement of the card-holder cards such as that shown at a (Figs. 4 and 8) are moved to the left into a position indicated at b on ledges of the holder, one such led e being shown at 58 in Fig. 4 and another at 59 in Fig. 8, where they are held against return on ledge 58 with notches 60 in the cards. A notch 59 may be provided near the right bottom corner to coact in like manner with the top of part 59. When the holder is subsequently raised by a spring or springs (as in the prior patent) after release of the positioning or sub-group key the card or cards on the ledges will be lifted at once while the other cards will be lifted only after the holder rises high enough to engage them, at the lower right-hand corner and at the parts of the bottom edge adjacent to notch 60, hence such selected cards will. be moved higher and to the left of the others inthe sub-group as at 61 in Fig. 1.

The means for isolating cards in a subbetween them. These parts are segroup includes selection keys 62 in the third, fourth and fifth rows on the key-board. The slide members carrying keys of these rows have cam-slots 63 which, when the keys are depressed against the force of springs 66, act through pins 64 to move cam-rails 65 lengthwise, thus causing pins 71 to be lifted by canislots to raise selection rails 67 and also, bv engagement of bosses 68 with the sides or V-shaped slotsi-n guide plates 22, tilting these rails to cause them to move selected cards to the left by engagement with tabs 79 on the lower edges of the latter. The keys 62 may carry letters of the alphabet and the tabs 79 on the cards may be arranged to correspond to the middle initials of names ofpersons. Return of the keys 62 by springs 66 will retract their cani rails 65 and by means of an elongated boss 69 at the opposite side of a rail from a boss 681 the cam rail and its selection rail will be tilted back to normal position.

An additional selection is made possible by the use of rejection rails 72, 73, 74 (Fig. 4) operated by retain keys 75, 76, 77 in a manner broadly similar to the selection rails, but in the opposite direction to move rejected cards to the right, back into normal position in the sub-group, the rejection rails acting on right, left and center rejection tabs 7 8 facing in the opposite direction from tabs 79.

The mechanism so far described, but not claimed per se, permits of a close selection from a great number of cards. To avoid the expense of an automatic release, and to speed up the operation of the device by rendering it unnecessary to use the audit lever 57 for the purpose described in my Patent 1,662,534 except when a number of positioning or subgroup selecting keys 32 must be depressed due to theneed to act on a large number of cards, I have provided a key-board slider 80 (Figs. 6 and 7) operated by a knob 81, said slider being guided and held in place by screws 82 sliding in slots in plate 16. Lugs 83 are suitably positioned along one edge of the slider to engage under shoulders 84 on the keys 32 when the slider is pushed in, and the distance of said shoulders from the slider is such as to arrest the downward movement of the keys before the detents 32 can engage in notches 34, thus preventing the detents from locking the keys down. When, therefore, a key 32 is depressed it will be held down by the operator until one of the selection keys and one of the rejection keys have been actuated to offset and reject cards as desiret. after which the positioning key will at once he returned by its spring.

At the right-hand side of Fig. 8 T have shown a grouping rail 88. The trays are adapted preferably to hold 1,000 cards and the card-holders to hold 10 cards. In some cases it is desirable to select all the cards in a holder, and then make further manual selection therefrom by means 'oftop tabs 89 insteadof the bottom tabs which bottom tabs may'in' such casebe operated by the selection 'rails and the re]e ction rails "for classifying purposes such as territory, duedates,"months,etc In such cases the top'tabs would correspond; e. g., to the middle initials of names of'pe'rso'ns and the bottom tabswould be arranged to 'take" care'of other classifications'such as those enumerated or such as may be found desirable. The grouping rail extends the entire length of the tray and is guided 'in' slots-in the tray plates of which a part is shown at56."

frame The grouping rail is connected by'one'or more links '89 to correspondingrockarm's -90 on" a group-operating shaft 91. A hand-lever 92'" on said shaft serves for-rockin 'thesam'e said lever being held in place by notches indicated at 93 in bracket 5 1L117 wi l-l be seen that when a card-holder'ha's been oifset'as inFig; 8,"'all the cards in the same are made to engage the rail at theirlower'right hand'corners' and operation of said rail Will select'the'in all by moving them'up on the ledges 58- and 59 In place of the returnrailope'ration' of my former application, I now providea selective return mechanism includinga return key comprising a finger piece 94 011 a flat bar 95 movable in aslot of a bracket 96', the keybeing guided by a pin 9? and held up bya spring- 98. At its lower end the key is pivoted to a rockarm 99 on ashaft 100 Another rockarm 101 on said shaft has pivoted thereto one or more links 102' onlyone of which is shown in the drawings carryinga return bar 103 for pushing back selected'cards by action one side edge'thereof: A'bent shift'le ver 10 1" which is or'may begui'ded by br'aeket 96 is loosely journal ed on hollowshaft-100 and has a laterally extending finger support ing the return bar 103. When the cards in their elevated position actuation of return 2 key 94L Will rock shaft 100 and force'bar 103 against all such as do not have a notch at 106, the cards having such a notch remaining in selected position. By moving the shift lever 104: to the dotted line position. (Figure 8) the" finger 105 is permitted to swing down into the dotted line position indicated carrying with it the rod 103 and can then he actuated through the return key to push'back all cards except thosehaving a side notch atlOZ, thusadding a-no ther degreeof selectivitvxtoi those turn) of those not wanted;

it will be obvious to'those skilled in the art that thedevices shown and 'described may be modified; many ways without departing from the spirit ot'the invention'and therefore i do not limit myselfto what isshowniin'the drawings and described in the specification:

but only as indicated in" the appended claims.

It will be noted that the card" shown in Fig-'- ure 1 has-a notch at the right as in my former application and for like purposes. The-card has 'a'notch' at'106, 'as in Fig.8 and in other respects is'or' may be similar to the card shoi -11- in my patent abovement'ioned. 7

Having thusfu'll'ydescribed my said invention what lclainiias neiv'and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A card inde'x'ingdevice comprising a container, cards" in the container arranged in groups and sub groups', means for selectinga group; means for select'uig a subgroup in said; group and moving said sub' group out" oi normal position, means for locking the second-named selectii'ig means to maintain the sub-group inse'lected' position for further selecting operations on the cards therein, and means adaptedto'be positioned toprevent action of said locking means substantially as described.

2. A card-indexing device comprising-a container cards in the container arranged in groups an'd sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for selectivelymoving sub group in a selected group including separate keys for different sub-groupsymeans for locking the keys in actuatedposition to hold the subgroup in selectedposition for further selecting operations on the cards therein, and means adapted to""b'e set'topre-vent locking of any ofsaidkeys, substantially as described.

3. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards i'n the container arranged in groups and'sub-groups; means :tor" es looting a; roup, means movable'fto select a sub-group in a selected group including- I separate keys for different subgioups,-de tents forloc'kinjgfsaid keys when fully actuatedQ'aird 'a'sli'd-able bar havingmeans for engagingsh'oulderson said keys to prevent such full" actuation substantiallyas described.

4. A carcld'nd'exing device comprising a' container;v cards'in' the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for positively offsetting a selected sub-group in such a group; means for lockingthe sub-group in offset position"duringfurther selective operations, and means'ad'apted to h'epositioned to prevent such locking action," substantially as" described; i

5. A card-indexing device comprisin acontainer; cards in the container arranged in groups and' sub groups, means for positively ofisetting a selected sub-group in such a group,means for locking the sub-group in ofi'set'position' during further selective operations, means to move car'ds'in said sub-group sel'ectively'in a direction opposite to the'ofisetting movenient,.-and means adapted to. be positioned to prevent such locking action, substantially as described;

6; A' card. indexing device comprising meanstoetfect a card-selecting operation including a series of keys, means for locking the keys in actuated position, and means to inhibit the action of the locking means, subthe keys in actuated position, and means whereby actuation of the keys to such a degree as to bring the locking means into action may be prevented, substantially as described.

8. A card indexing device comprising means for efiecting a card-selecting action including reciprocatory keys, detents engageable with shoulders on said keys when fully actuated, and means adapted to be set for engagement with said keys prior to full actuation to prevent operation of the locking means, substantially as described.

9. A card indexing device comprising means for effecting a card-selecting action, including reciprocatory keys, detentsengageable with shoulders on said keys when fully actuated, and a bar movable into position for engagement with shoulders on the keys to stop them before the detent becomes operative, substantially as described. I

10. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, selective irregularitieson said cards, means for selecting a group, means for selecting a sub-group in said group, means to isolate a card in said subgroup by acting on selective irregularities on said card, and a plurality of independent means acting on other selective irregularities of the cards for selectively returning isolated cards to the sub-group, substantially as described.

11. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, selective irregularities on said cards, means for selecting a group, means for selecting a sub-group in said group, means to isolate a card in said sub-group by acting on irregularities on said card, a plurality of independent means acting on other selective irregularities of the cards for selectively returning isolated cards to the subgroup, and means to complete the isolation of non-returned cards by pressure on a relatively rigid part of the same, substantially 7 as described.

12. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for selecting a sub-group in saidvgroup, means to isolate one or more cards from said sub-group, and means located at one side of the tray for separating cards so isolated selectively from the others, substantially as described.

13. A card-indexing device as claimed in claim 1, in combination with separating means adapted to act on selective irregularities on the separated cards to return them tocontainer, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for selecting a sub-group in said group, means to isolate a plurality of cards fromsaid sub-group, and independent means adapted to act on differently formed side edges of the cards to reject certain of the cards so isolated, substantially as set forth.

15. A card-indexing machine comprising a container for cards, means for moving cards selectively partly out of the mass in a lateral direction, and means adapted to act on selective irregularities exposed by such movement for returning certain of the cards thus selected, substantially as set forth.

16. A card-indexing machine comprising a container for cards, means for moving cards selectively laterally of the container and means adapted to act on selective irregularities exposed by such movement for returning certain of the cards thus selected, substantially as set forth.

17. A card-indexing device comprising a set of cards, means for moving cards of the set selectively endwise, and means for acting selectively on the exposed ends of certain of the cards so moved for returning them to position, substantially as set forth.

18. A deviceas in claim 17 said returning means including a bar extending alongside the set, and means for pressing said bar against the exposed ends of the cards.

19. A device as in claim 17 said returning means including a bar extending alongside the set, a rockshaft supporting said bar, and means for oscillating the rockshaft, substantially as set forth.

20. A device as in claim 17 said returning means including a bar extending alongside the set, a rockshaft pivotally supporting said bar, and means for swinging the rockshaft to bring the bar into operative engagement with difierent selective characteristics distributed along adjacent edges of said cards, substantially as set forth.

21. In a card-indexing device, acontainer, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, holders for the sub-groups, inclined shelves supporting said holders, rockarms for engaging said holders to move them on said shelves, means for moving the rockarms selectively into engagement with any selected holders, means for moving the engaged rockarms, means to lift all the cards in the holder to a position above' the normal for further manual selection, and means for alternatively isolating cards of the subgroup selectively, substantially as set forth.

22. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for selecting a sub-group in said group, means to isolate a card in said sub-group by acting on a selective projection on said card, and means for alternatively moving all the cards of the subgroup to a relatively exposed position, substantially as set forth.

23. A device as in claim 22 in which the cards of the subgroup are moved laterally to said relatively exposed position, substantially as set forth.

24. A device as in claim 22 in which the cards of the sub-group are moved laterally and vertically to said relatively exposed position, substantially as set forth.

25. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for offsetting a sub-group relatively to the remainder of said group, and means for exposing said sub-group for manual selection by a movement in the contrary direction, substantially as set forth.

26. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for offsetting a sub-group relatively to the remainder of said group, means for exposing said sub-group for manual selection by a movement in the contrary direction, and means for alternatively exposing cards selectively, substantially as set forth.

27. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for selecting a group, means for offsetting a sub-group relatively to the remainder of said group,

means for exposing said sub-group for manual selection by a movement in the contrary direction, and means for thereafter selectively returning certain cards toward the previous position in the set, substantially as set forth.

28. A card-indexing device comprising a container, cards in the container arranged in groups and sub-groups, means for select ing a group, means for offsetting a sub-group relatively to the remainder of said group, a grouping bar extending lengthwlse of the set, and means for causing said bar to press against a normal side edge of the cards of said sub-group to expose the sub-group for manual selection, substantially as set forth.

29. In a card index, a card having one or more tabs at the bottom for mechanical selection, notches at opposite sides, and a vlsual selection tab at the top, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DONALD A. NEVIN.

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