US1772154A

US1772154A - Visible-record file

Info

Publication number: US1772154A
Application number: US213003A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin Robert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-08-26
Filing date: 1927-08-15
Publication date: 1930-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 1947-08-05

Description

ug- 5, 1939- R. MARTIN 1,772,154

VISIBLE RECORD FILE Filed Aug. 15, 1927 '30 as to be supportedby the holder.

Patented Aug. 5, 1930 f UNITED STATES PATENT'-foI-5FICE ROBERT MARTIN, oF BERLIN-CHARLOTTENRURG, GERMANY vVISIBLE-BdilimRID FILE i Application led AugustV 15, 1927, Serial No. 213,003, and in Germany August 2,6, 1926.

' My invention relates to visible record les or card indexes of the type which includesl a frame having opposed guides and a plurality of cards or sheets interchangeably sup- 1 At5 ported between said guides to have an overlapping relation relative to each other.

In card indexes of this type as hitherto designed it has been the usual practice to pivotally sustain the cardsso that by swinging '10 thecards upwards aboveany desired card,

the subject matter onk said card'will be exposed to view. In order to enable the user to withdraw the cards singly in Order to replace them by other cards or to write thereon with a typewriter, means have been provided for sustaining the cards in the frame in different ways. It has for instance been suggested to secure each card to a carrier such as a wire by means of eyes or hinges formed on the card, the wire being removably and preferably slidably mounted in bearing holes in the opposed guides of the frame. It has also been suggested to clampv one of the edges of the card betweenresiliently cooperating parts of a suitable carrier. Another way of supporting the cards in the frame was 'by means of card holders pivotally secured to the frame and having pockets formed thereon into which the cards could be'inserted so In another card index system these pockets were replaced by tongues'or other means-of fixation secured to the bottom edge of the card support, such tongues or fixation means extending in parallel with the support and the cards being inserted between and withdrawn from the supports in a direction parallel to them. In another system no xation means were provided, the cards being simply insert- '40 ed between plain holders and being therefore liable to slip thereon andto drop out altogether. 1

'It is an object of my invention to provide a card index in which the cards or the like are prevented from slipping or dropping out from between the holders and can still be withdrawn in the simplest way by merely lifting their bottom edges and pulling them out.

It is a further object of my .invention to provide a card index which is simpler in yconstruction and more reliable in use than most of the devices hitherto designed.

With these and other objects in view I am now going to describe my invention with reference to the drawings accompanying this specification and forming part thereof, which show a modied form of a card index or visible record file embodying my invention.

In the drawingsp Fig. l is a plan view ofa frame ywith a number of overlapping card holders and cards or sheets mounted thereon, a plurality of such frames or holders being as a rule supported in a'cabinet to be withdrawn singly for use. f

Fig. 2 is a cross-section.

Fig. 8 is a similar view, drawn toalarger scale, of part of the frame and rcard holders secured to it.

Fig. 4l is a perspective view of two card holders arranged in overlapping position.

Fig. 5is a longitudinal cross-section of the framefand holders in Fig. l, drawn to a larger scale and showing the holders in different relative positions.

Fig. 6 is a still larger cross-section showing a modified form.

Referring lirst to Figs. 1 5, the individual cards l, l are supported in a frame 2 which may be made of any suitable material, preferably of sheet metal, and which is lined with a wooden frame 3 `in which are formed Vbearings for a number of superposed wires or hinge pins 4, to which are pivotally secured the card holders 5. Thesefholders "may be made of sheet metal, Celluloid, compressed cardboard or some other suitable material and in the form here shown are cut out' in their middle lportion in order to save weight andinaterial. f Hinges 6 are formed near the upper corners of each holder, while extension portions adjoining the lower corners are bent at an angle of somewhat less than 90 degs. to the main portion of the holder, thereby forming hook-shaped rests or abutments 7 for thecards to be inserted.

Fig.V l shows a number of such holders 5 hinged to the frame 2 between the guides i3 and the cardsl supported thereon in overlapping relation, 'resting with their bottom edges on the hook-shaped abutments 7 Obviously the cards cannot slip out between the holders even if the frame should be held in inverted position, being prevented from dropping by the hook-shaped abutments 7 and by the pressure exerted by the overlapping holders.

On the other hand, if one of the cards is to be withdrawn, its bottom edge, being entirelyy free and unobstructed', need merely be gripped with the iingernail and slightly lifted from the support, the overlying holders and cards being lifted along with it, until the card is free of the abutments 7 of its holder. Obviously, as soon asthe bottom edge of the card vhas been lifted above the top 'edges 4of the abutments 7, iftcan simply be pulled out. In order to reinsert the card between the holders, all that is required is to place its top edge on the ltop edges of the abutments 7 formingpart of the vrespectiveholder and to push the card forward so as lto force its top edge beneath the overlying holder, whereupon the card as a whole can be pushed in between the two 'holders and can be slipped over the top edges of the abutments 7 of its own holder.

Owing to this arrangement any cards, folded sheets or the like can be inserted, held in position and withdrawn with the greatest ease and without losing any of the advantages 'alforded bv the visible record system. The

holders 5 can be manufactured at very low cost and are strong enough to standthe inevitable wear and tear. There is no need to remove the holders, which may be permanently connected with the frame, and there is no need .for employing cards or sheets prepared in any vparticular manner, provided that they be out to size to fit in between two holders with their bottom edge resting on the two abutments 7. Y

In order Vtoenable the user to swing the card holders backwards through an angle of 90 degs. ormore, without the hook-shaped abutments of one holder catching inthe abutments of the adjoining holder, I prefer providing inclined guide pieces l() on each holder near the abutments, the height of such guide Vpieces being preferably at least the same as Athe height of the abutments and their length and position being such as not to interfere with the adjoining holder, when `the holders `are at rest. Fig. 5 shows how the guide pieces l0 will prevent a top holder 5 from catching in the abutments 7 of a bottom holder, the top holder, on theholders being swungbaclr, riding on the guide pieces l0 of the bottom holder and being thus'carried clear of the topedges of the abutments. The guide pieces further serve toy prevent the abutments from catching in the cabinet when returning the frame into its position of rest.

`In Fig. 6 means areshown forfpreventing any undue displacement of the cards relative to their holders and more especially the catching of the top portions of the cards between the hinge pins and the iframe when tilting the holders. Here segmental sheetmetal pieces 1l are secured, for instance by means of solder, to the hinge ends on each side of each holder 5, these segments 1l being disposed concentrically to the hinge axis and extending at right-angles and below the on the next holder above, which slide in rcontact with it when the holders above vare swung up, and prevent vthe card from slipping. l/Vhen said ,segments have ymoved vpast the top edge of the card, the latter is still held against slipping, in all positions of its own swing, by the rails l2.

The abutments 7 are shown in the drawing to be spaced from the outer bottom corners of the holders, inorder to `preventtheir interfering with the cabinet wall, in which :the frames-are movably located.

Obviously the abut-ments 7fand1gu'ide'pieces l0 aswell as the hinges 6Y can vbe made'sepa` rate VJfrom `the body of the holder, which may be formed for instance of `a cardboard or Celluloid sheet, the abutments, guide Vpieces and hinges being made of metal and being riveted or otherwise fastened to the body.

In the example shown inthe drawings ythe 'S yholders are-hinged to the frame, butobviously any other way of movably uniting them with the frame might be adopted,including a resilient connection between fthegparts. f

I wish it to be understood that'I do not de- -sire to 4be limited to the exact' details ofco'nstruction'. shown and `described for obvious ,modifications will Voccur to a person skilledin the art.

I claim 1. A card holder for card indexes comprising afbody portion, an abutment near the bottom edge of'and extending substantially v'at right angles to said Abody portion, anda-pair of 'substantially semi-circular segments, one l stantially atlright fangles thereto `to form a rest for thekbottomedges ofthe cards.

3. A card index comprising a frame, card holdersu-rockably fmounted `in lsaid il-rame overlapping relation, means associated with said holders for preventing cards placed thereon from slipping off while allowing the cards to be lifted free of said supports without any substantial parallel displacement and means for preventing said'holders from hindering each others rocking motion.

4;. A card index comprising a frame, card holders rockably mounted in said frame in overlapping relation, abutments associated with said holders for preventing cards placed thereon from slipping off while allowing the cards to be lifted free of said supports without any substantial parallel displacement and an inclined guide on one holder for the bottom edge of an adjoining holder.

5. A card index comprising a frame, card holders rockably mounted in said frame in overlapping relation, abutments near the bottom edges of said holders extending substantially at right-angles thereto to form a rest for the bottom edges of the cards and a curved guide rail arranged on said frame near each holder to prevent slipping of the card on the same, when the holder is being tilted.

6. A card index comprising a frame, card holders rockably mounted in said frame in overlapping relation, abutments near the free edges of said holders extending substantially at right angles thereto to form a rest for the bottom edges of the cards, a substantially semicircular segment formed near the top edge of each holder and at right angles thereto adapted to prevent slipping of the card on the adjoining holder and a curved guide rail associated with each holder to prevent Slipping of the card on the same, when the holder is being tilted.

7. A card holder for card indexes comprising a body portion and means near the bottom edge of said body portion for preventing a card placed thereon from slipping off while allowing the card to be lifted .free of said body portion without any substantial paral! lel displacement, the middle part of said body portion intermediate said means being cut out to allow the bottom edge of the card placed thereon to be gripped from below.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT MARTIN.