US1874335A - Card indexing device - Google Patents

Description

30, 1932- D. A NEVIN CARD INDEXING DEVICE Fi led Nov. 50. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORY .Don-aZdA. JVeuim, I

ATTORNEY.

Aug. 30, 1932. D. A. NEVl N CARD INDEXING DEVICE- 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 50, 1928 INVENTOR. .Donald A. Wax/z,

' ATTORNEY.

Aug. 30, 1932. D. A. NEVIN 1,874,335

CARD INDEXING DEVICE Fi led Nov. so, 1928 s Sheets-Shet s 4 INVEN TOR. ,DOnQZdA. Qui/L,

A TTORNE Y.

Aug. 30, 1932. NEQIN 1,874,335

CARD INDEXING DEVICE Filed Nov. so. was 5 sheets-sheet 4,

INVENIOR.

, ,wmzdimvm ATTORNEY:

Aug. 30, 1932. D. A. NEVIN CARD INDEXING DEVICE Filed Nov. 30. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 a NN j I N VEN TOR. vmazzA. mum,

ATTORNEY.

I wk Patented Au 30, 1932 UNITED STA S,

DONALD A. Narnia, or WAYNESBORO, rminsxnvanm oAnn mnnxme :onvrcn Application med November 30,1928. Serial in. 322,943.

My said invention relates to 'cardindexing devices and it is an object of the same to provide a simplified device ofthischaracter alongthe general lines of my Patent 1,662,534, a March 13, 1928 andmy application 205,000

filed July 11, 1927 now Patent 1,739,168, December 10,1929. It is an object ofthis invention to eliminate numerous working parts and to provide for more ample and convenient in expansion of the index'file, particularly in cases where alphabetical filing is preferred.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved card-container tray with means on the tray for guiding the boxes 1 therein. 7

Still another object is to'provide means for facilitating operations of raising and lowering all the cards in the tray;

Referring to the drawings, which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the forward portion of a card index machine embodying my improvements, v

Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, certain parts being omitted for clearness of disclosure, v

Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section of the in same, with a card container box is lowered position, and partly broken away,

Fig. 4, a detail, partly in section, of one of the guide tabs or clips to the attached to the card-container boxes. r

Fig. 4, an end View of the guide tab shown in Fig. 4, p

Fig. 5, a perspective'of a card-container box, 7

Fig. 6, a partial front elevation of a card tray,

Fig. 7, a detail acting parts, the key being in lowered position,

Fig. 8, a similar view with the keyin normal elevated position. I

of a selection key and 00-;

, Fig. 9, a similar view of a rejection key and coacting parts,

Fig. .95, a fragmentary section of parts shown in Fig; 10. a

Fig. 10, a fragmentary section substantially to online 10 -10 of Fig. 2, certain parts being omitted for 'clearness and other parts being in positions different from those of Fig. 2,

Fig. 11, a transverse section of a modified form, and i Fig. 11, a section on line 1111 of Fig. 11, Fig. 12, a detail illustrating a special use of guide tabs. l

In the drawings reference character 10 indic'ates a tray for holding a number of cardcontainer boxes, this tray being located on a mechanism box or case 12 containing cardselecting mechanism and beingheld in place by dowel pins 12 or the like so that one tray can readily be lifted off and another sub- 65 stituted therefor asin my patent above mentioned. The mechanism case has at the forward end a group of selection keys 12 which may bear indicia of various sorts, but are here shown as being provided with theletters of the alphabet. In a small card system a single tray may have merely one separate card-container box for each letter of the alphabet. asshown, or'the container boxes may be arranged in groups as in my said patent. The card-container boxes as 7 best shown in Fig. 11 extend to the full height of the cards or approximately so, the high partitions 89 shown in my Patent 1,662,534 being dispensed with. This renders it possible so to attach guide and manipulating tabs or clips such as indicated at 13 to the upper edge of the forward wall of each'container box in caseswhere the container boxes each contain all the cards for words ornamesbeginning with the same letter of the alphabet. If there is a group of cards beginning with the letter A and divided into sub-groups; e. g. according to the second letter of the word,

- then a primary clip such as shown at 13 (Fig,

4:) or at 113 (Fig. 12) will be attached to the front wall of the first container box of the group and secondary clips will be attached to the front walls of the remaining container boxes of the group as indicated at 114 (Fig. 12). The primary and secondary clips may differ only in the indicia thereon and in their different positions, the secondary clips being farther to the right. In this way, for example, cards for words or surnames having the second letter i will be found in one of the boxes containing sub-groupsin group D; e. g., such names as Diehl, while cards having a second letter or surnames having the second letter 0 will be found in another box i. e., such names as Doe, it being understood that a sub-group may include any desired part of the alphabet, e. g., names from Aaron to Exnicious might be in one sub-group, the secondary clip or clips being correspondingly marked. I a

A preferred form of guide tab or clip 13 is shown in Fig. 4, where the tab 13 has a lateral slot through which a sliplof paper may be inserted, such paper carrying an appropriate legend, as A. The clip may consist of two thin strips of sheet- metal 13 and 13 with a bar 13 between them and-secured to them, as by spot-welding. Bar 13 has a lug'13 for engagement with any one of a set of notches 13*, in the container box wall, sothat anybox may be either a primary or a secondary container.

The card-container boxes each have a front wall 15, a rear Wall 16, and lateral projections 15', 16 on the front wall extending through slots in side frame members 17, 18 of the tray whereby the boxes are guided for up-and-down movement in the tray. The boxes as shown in Fig. 5 are generally similar to those disclosed in my said patent except as stated, the front and rearwalls be ing separate except where connected by parts 22, 27, 28, .29 of a continuous strip of metal welded or otherwise attached to the side walls at the lower right-hand corner, and parts 23, 24, 25 and 26 of another like strip at the lower left-hand corner. The boxes are partlyopen at the bottom to expose tabs 19, 20 on the cards 21 which have inclined edges near the bottom corners to slide on inclined faces of parts 22 and 23 in the container boxas in said patent, the cards being movable to the left in a selecting operation hereinafter described to'bringthem into a position where the rounded lower right-hand corner of the card will engage with the upper end of the inclined portion 22 to hold the card or cards so moved against accidental return movement to the right due to jarring of the tray or the like it being understood that the card moves slightly upward to allow its corner to pass part 22 and thendrops to permit the rounded edge of the card to engage behind part 22. (See dotted lines, Fig.

3.) For this purpose the projection at the lower right-hand corner in my patent, or in present Fig. 11, is merely cut off on a radius. An incline at 25 prevents excess movement of the cards to the left. The bottom portions of the container on which the cards normally rest are indicated at 26 and 27, the container being otherwise open at the bottom. Downwardly extending flanges 30, 30, 31, 31 (Figs. 3 and 5) coact with longitudinal guide rails 32, 32' and 33 for guiding the container boxes to cause them to move diagonally instead of vertically or horizontally. The container boxes have a compound movement and notches are provided at 66 (Fig. 3) at the right-hand endof' walls 15 and 16 op posite guide rail 32 to avoid interference with the lateral component of the final part of such movement. For this purpose also the upper ends of extensions 31 (Fig. 3) are rounded off as shown at 67 so as not to strike against rail 33.

The container boxes are guided in the first part of their diagonal movement downward and to theright by engagement of rail 33 with the edgesof flanges 31, 31 at the left of said rail and by engagement of rail 32 with the adjacent edges of flanges 30, 30. As a container box nears the end of its movement the left-hand lower corner of the box strikes a downwardly-inclined cam rail 65 which extends underneath all the boxes and which guides the box in a direction more nearly approching the horizontal. The boxes are preferably beveled at this corner, though not necessarily so. At the lower right-hand corner the flange moves away from rail 32 and its lower part comes to bear on a horizontal supporting rail 65 extending underneath all the container boxes, on which rail this end of the box rides farther to the right and the box comes to rest at a point a little beyond the position indicated in Fig. 3. At this time the notch 66 accommodates rail 32, which otherwise would be struck by flanges 30, 30. hen returned by the springs 3 1 the containers will move upward and to the left to the limit of contraction of the springs or to such a distance as permitted by the side of the tray, the diagonal edges of a container at the right of rails 32 and 33 guiding it and limiting its movement to the left. Springs 34 are attached at one end to parts 25 of the container boxes and atthe other end to a rock-arm 35 on a rod 35 extending along the tray, normally holding the container boxes in elevated position.

A pin 36 is shown on the container box in Fig. 3 for coacting with a tooth 37 of a comb 38 (Fig. 2) which extends along the tray, each tooth being arranged to coact with a pin 36 of one of the container boxes. The pin 36 also serves as a spacer for the parts 31, 31.. The comb is mounted on a shaft 39 having at its forward end a beveled gear 40 coacting with a beveled gear 41 on a shaft 42 extending across the front end ofthe mechanism box -A crank- 43 with anoperating handle (or"audit handle) 44 is attached to the right-hand end of the shaft. The op springs is relievedwholly or in part by means.

hereinafter described, prior to aselecting erationof the machine.

Underneath thehcard-container boxes I have provided means for limiting the movement of the cards to the right as each cardcontainer box is depressed, such means consisting in bars .52 and 60 extending longitudinally of the tray in position to engage-edges 52' and 60 on the cards.- For selectively offsetting the cards I have shown aguide 53 for selection rails 54 with cam rails 55 moving them upward as in my said patent,except that the slots 55 are vertical and of equal width from top to bottom. Asv an obvious variation the rejection rails could be connected directly to thekeys and provided with cams or the'like coacting' with. means on the tray to lift the rails as they are moved endwise' Rejectionrails (not shown) such as in my patent above referred to, act on the rejection tabs 20 to return offset cards into the normal position, the selection keys being locked down bymeans such as shown at 179 in said patent and being released on depression of a release key such as shown in Fig. 26 of said patent or bydepression of' a rejection key or another selection key. Of

course several selection keys can be depressed simultaneously by the operator, if desired,

after'which a rejection keymay be operated to cause the return of cards not wanted.

A rail at supports the-containers at their right-hand end when all or any'of them are lowered and after they move away from rail 32 3). The rail. 65 extends under all the containers but stops short of shaft.

42, it being of the same length as cam rail" The selection and rejection keys may be similar or even identical in shape with the keys shownin Fig. 26 of my patent abovementioned, the upper operating extensions 73, 74 being arranged at various points with reference to the body of the key, according to. the row in which they are to be located. For the selection keys a key-retaining bail 75 pivoted at 76 on brackets 76' attached to the mechanism case is provided at-its'lower end with a detent 7 7 for engaging in acutout M7 8 to hold down one or more depressed keys] Aspring 79 serves to draw the bail to the left and springs 80 pullthe keys upward. I

- The rejection keys (Fig. 11) indicated at 80 in Fig. 1, haveno cut-out for engagement by the bail and hence are returned to upper position by sp'rings'81 as soon as released. These keys are provided with horns 82 adapted to bear on a rod 82' connecting rockers 83 pivotedat 76 and located at apposite ends of the key-board. The rod 82 depresseslinks84, which are pivoted at 85 to the arms of bail 7 5, there being one link 84 at each end of the bail 75. In addition to their rocking movement links 84 move forward and back withkey retaining 'bail 7 5. A spring 100 holds each link 84 inraised position. All

7 the keys are located in the upward extension 86 at the front of case 12 and the links 84 are [adapted-when the bail'75 is'in key-unlocking position to engage notches at 87 in a safety slide 87 slidably mounted on the rear wall 86 of extension 1 86 and held by screws 89. A spring "88 pulls the safety slide to the right against the classifying'lever 91'. Astud on the slide extends through a slot 90 in wall 86 into the path ofthe lever, which is pivoted at 92 on the front of tray 10 (see Fig. 6) and hasa handle 93 at its upperend abovethe tray. A beveled stud 94 (Figs. 2. and 6) on the tray locks the lever against movement until the lever is sprung forward sufficiently to clear the studthe stud being beveled to permit the lever to slip over it in a counter-clockwise movement, but holding the lever against clockwise move ment. The leveris limited in its swing by a stud 95 extending into a slot at 96 on the tray and is connected by a link 97 to a rockarm 98 fixed to shaft 35 by means indicated at 68 in Fig. 6. The stud 94holds the classifying lever 91 in the position of Fig. 6, thereby maintaining shaft 355', springs 34 and connected parts in the position of Fig.3 and holding the safety slide in the position of 10, so that links 84 and retaining bail 75 may move about 76 as an axis, thereby'permitting up or down movement of the selection keys.

In selecting a 'card from a-known approximate location; e. g., a. card-container box ink audit handle" 44 are provided to (1) relievethe tension of springs-34 so that the containersmay bemoved downward and to the right without such force as would be neces- Uli sary :to overcome the resistance of the springs and (2) lower the entire mass ofcards simultaneously, (3) give a complete sidewise motion to all of the cards to the right except those obstructed by thepredetermined elevated selection rail or rails.

r V I Operation In the operation of the form of my device,

I abovedescribed a tray containing cards is 91 being still held by beveled detent 94, one or more of the selection keys are now depressed to position selection rails 54 according to the initial of the first name of a party whose card is to be located, or according to the first letter of a word or the first digit of a numeral or the like. I

. If it be desired to locate a card with the name of John Adams the first step is to depress the J key on the keyboard (Fig. 1) thus-elevating the selection rail 54 in Fig. 3. Now the guide tab A for Adams is located, this being either a primary tab or asecondary tab, as the case may be, and the operator presses down upon the same with his finger to lower the group of cards until the diagonal downward movement of the cards is arrested by bar 52 and stop 60 (Fig. 3) before the container reaches its lowermost position. In the downward movement of the container box it also moves to-the rightand into posi tion for engagementof the tabs on J cards with the selection rail 54, but as this rail stops the movement of the selected cards, be fore the container is arrested, the selected (/1 cards willbe offset to the left out of the group into a position corresponding to that shown in broken lines in the modified form in Fig. 11, the non-selected cards being in the position indicated (in part) by unbroken lines,

and the selected cards will be so positioned that their rounded outer corners 21 will engage the end of part 22 and will be held in offset position as the box rises, moving all the cards up and keeping offset cards in the same relative positionto other cards as that indicated in Fig. 3.

As the containers approach the lowerlimit of their movement (the position shown in Fig. 3) the lower left-hand corners strike the cam-rail and this causes the' bodily movement of the containers tohave a larger component of lateral movement toward the right with a small component of downward movement, the containers moving to the right away from guide bars 32 and 33 (see Fig.

This takes place after the tabs have engaged the selection keys and increases the offsetting of the cards. It will be understood that more than one selection key may be depressed to raise the corresponding rails and that more than one container may be depressed simultaneously to select cards therefrom. The plurality of selection keys should be depressed at the same time to insure that detent 77 will engage their notches and hold them down, but additional keys may be depressed if those already down are held down by hand during such subsequent selection. The rejection keys, if such are included in the set, may be operated vat any time while the safety slide is in theposition 'shown in Fig. 10, and can onlybe operated before classifying lever 91 is moved to the right as hereinafter described.

Proper operation-of the device requires the selection rails to be operated before depressing the card containers so as to prevent crushing of the rejection or selection tabs on the cards by operation of keys at improper times. It is therefore necessary to lock the'selection keys against depression after the cards are lowered by clockwise motion of classifying lever 91. To provide for this the safety slide 87 is held in its extreme left position against the tension of spring 88by the classifying lever 91 contacting with stud mounted on safety slide 87. A small amount of movement .of the classifying lever to the right permits the safety slide 87 to follow to the right, being operated by spring 88, and a slight travel in this direction brings the slots 87 from behind the ends of the rocker arms 84 so that they are obstructed by safetyslide 87 Thereafter depression of anyone of the selectionkeys will be prevented because the cam face at 101 bears against bail 77 and the bail is locked by the ends of rockers 84 contacting with the safety slide 87. When the key-retaining bail is in position to lock the keys, or in idle position (Fig. 8) the rockers 84 are sufficiently forward to permit free movement of the safety slide behind the rockers, but none of the keys can be depressed when the slide is in the locking position.

It is unnecessary to lock the rejection keys because the rejection rails when operated A rise up at the left-hand side of the rejection tabs and are then swung to the right for the purpose of rejecting certain ones among the selected cards. The construction and operation of the rejection rails is the same as in my former Patent 1,662,534.

Those machines which are furnished with rejection keys for the purpose of rejecting cards not desired from a selected group are provided with rejection keys similar to the selection keys except that a horn 82 is added to contact with the connecting rod 82 fastened at its ends to rocker arms 83 so thatdepression of a rejection key first releases the selection keys by means of the cam face 101 of the rejection key operating against bail 77, the selection rails 54 moving down out of the way of card tabs 19, and then the horn 82 contacts with the connecting rod 82 so that continued downward motion lowers rocker arms 84 so that they are causedto pass be neath the safety slide 87 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The rejection keys are not locked by the safety slide 87 Fig.10, because by means of horn 82, rocker arms 83, and connecting rod 82 the arms 84 are given suflicient downward movement to move out of the path of slide 87 before cam 101 contacts with bail 7 7 i i I Should it be desired to move all the boxes down, the lever 91 is moved to the right to take the tension off the springs 34 and toallow safety slide 87 to move to the right to prevent operation of any selection keys" and rails. Then the audit handle 44 is easily actuated to depress all the container boxes. After whatever selection may be desired has been completed the audit handle 44 is returned and then the lever 90 is also returned into place. The beveled gear mechanism controlled by handle 44 in conjunction with the combshaft and comb 37 may be used to complete to the fullest extent the movement of the boxes to the right to insure the offsetting of the cards to the greatest extent, even though a selection is to be made from only a single box.

After operation of a selection key or keys' the classifying lever 91 is sprung over .its detent 94. and movedto the right,'thuspermitting the safety slide to be moved into locking position by its spring 88, and also relieving the tension of springs'34on the card containers. The operator now depresses the desired container or'c'ontainers, offsetting selected cards. Still holding down the depressed containers (the'safety slide being. now in the position ofFig. 10) the rejection keys and rails are operated to. cause return of undesired ofiset cards to normal position in the containers. .Thereupon the classifying lever is returned to the. position of Fig. 6-, and the containers are permitted to return to normal position under stress of springs 34, raising the selected cards above the mass, after which a furthermanual selection can easily be made in case several cards have been selected. L

It will be understood that ina large file of cards the secondary guides will indicate the card boxes to be depressed. It will be understood also that other systems ofmarking the clips may be used, as for instance in a numerical system card number 765 would be selected by first depressing the key corresponding to the terminal digit of the number; i. e., key 5. 1 Then the 700? clip or guide would be located along theftray and then the 60 clip or: guide connected to the F760-box would located and de pressed. l i

Let it be supposed that the 7 65 card has i been misfiled. The number 5 key is now depressed as before and the operating handle 44 is pulled forward thus offsetting all cards having .5 tabs on the lower margin. The operating handle is nowreturned to'position thus causing the elevation of allcards numbered with terminal digit 5. The lost card may quickly belocated among these cards because the cards will be in numericalorder with the exception of the misfiled card. Lost namesmay be found in similar manner and the device may, by this means, be used for classifying with a combined alphabetical or numerical index. by use of agroup-elevating mechanism set forth in my application above referred to and indicatedin part at 52 in this application. For this purpose means are provided to give bar 52 a movement of translation to the left whereby selected cards'are returned to original position in their containelj. 'Modz'fied form Y The form of the invention in Figs. 11 and 12 is generally similar to that already de scribed, this figure showing in greater detail the'elevated and offset positions of the cards, and the parts indicated by numerals below are like those in other figures. The card containers have only a right-line diagonal movement, as in my'saidpatent, the cutout 66 shown in Fig. 3 being omitted and the guides 131 being continued to a higher point. Guide- tabs 113 and 114 are of simpler form than in the modification first described and the containers have notches 17 3 to hold the guide-tabs in place'and thec'ard 121 extends further to the right from the notch for rod 52. instead of relieving the tension of springs 34,-ineans are here shown for counterbalancing 1t,compr1s1ng a power spr ng 149to act against the tension of springs 34 and counterbalance them whereby a light pull on the operating handle will serve either to lower the card boxes or to return them to position.

The spring encircles shaft 142 and. is connected at one end to a fixed bracket 150. At the other end it is attached to a clutch member 146 loose on the shaft, connected to the hub 147 of a crank 143 by means of a springpressed pin 148 adapted to engage with any one of a number of sockets inthe hub,"sha'ped as clutch teeth to permit the pin to slip from oneto the other in the well-known manner of a ratchet clutch. A number of openings such as indicated at 151 are provided in the clutch member 146, this arrangement providing for winding up the spring easilyby in serting a pin wrench in holes 151 and turning the clutch member, the pin 148 slipping from i one socket to another until the spring issufliciently tight to exert an appropriatecounter balancing action'against thepull ofthe springs 34, of which there may be as many as one hundred in the tray, each exerting the same tension on the container boxes, while the weight of the container boxes varies accord ing'to the number-of cards therein. This makes" it possible to raise and lower all the cards in the tray with only a slight pull or push on the operating handle 144, of the crank 143. The operation of the device shown in Figs. 11 and 12 is substantially the same as in the form first described, but it should be noted that the action of springs 34 is counterbalanced instead of being relieved, the part 22 engages-notches 124 in the cards.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in device without departing from the spirit 0 the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to whatis shown 'in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

.1. A card index device .comprising astray, cardcontainers in the tray, means for moving the containers transversely of the tray, cards in said containers, tabs on, the cards, and arresting means movable into the path of tabs on the cards for selectively engaging the tabs to check the movement of selected cardswith the container.

2. A. device as in claim 1, combined with guidingmeansfor causing the containers to move diagonally downward and. sidewise, the arrestingmeans checking the sidewise movement of selectedv cards.

move at first diagonally downward and sidewise until after lateral edges on the tabs of selected cards have engaged said arresting 'means and then causing them to move farther sidewise for more fully offsetting all cards except those to be selected.

, 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, com- 7 bined with rigid clips adaptedto be positioned on the containers in position for manual engagement to move the containers for the purpose described. I

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, combined with rigidclips adapted to be positioned on the containers in position for manual engagement for movement of the containers, and means for holding a clip in any one of several fixed positions on its containers.

6. A card index device comprising a tray,

card containers in the tray, means for movto relieve the tension of said resilient means.

9. A device as in claim 8, combined with means common to all the containers for moving them simultaneously.

10. A card index device comprising a tray, a set of card containers in the tray,

cards in said containers, means for moving the containers independently downward and sid'ewise in a selecting operation, independent tension springs attached to said containers to return them to normal position, a rod to which said springs are anchored under tension, and means whereby said rod may be turned to relieve the tension on the springs.

11'. A device as in claim 1, combined with means on the containers adapted to engage portions of the selected cards after initial movement is completed to hold the cards in offset position during return movement of the containers.

12. A card index device comprising a tray,

card containers in the tray, means whereby the containerscan be moved crosswise of the tray, cards in said containers, tabs on the cards, selecting devices for checking the movement of selected cards with the containers,-keys for selectively operating the selecting means, means whereby the selecting means may be locked against operation While one or more containers remain out of normal position, and means for unlocking the lock-.

ing means when such containers are to be returned to normal position.

13. A card index machine including a mechanism case having selection keys, cardselecting machanism controlled by said keys, and means for normally locking the keys against operation, combined with a removable card. tray, and means on the card tray for releasing the locking means.

14. A card index machine including a mechanism case having selection keys, card-selecting mechanism controlled by said keys, a bail for locking the keys against movement, and means for normally preventing movement of the bail, combined with a removable car tray, and means on the card tray for inhibiting the action of said preventing means.

15. A card index machine including a mechanism case having selection keys, cardselecting mechanism controlled by said keys, a pivoted bail for locking the keys against ios its

movement, a bar parallel to the bail, means carried by the bail engageable with notches in the bar to permit movement of the bail by the keys, means normally holding the bar in a position preventing such engagement, combined with a card tray, and means on the card tray for moving said bar to a position 7 the bar to permit movement of the bail by the I keys, means normally holding the bar in a position preventing such engagement, a pin on the bar, combined with a card tray, and means on the card tray for moving said bar to a position permitting such engagement, said means comprising a lever on the tray posi-v tioned to engage said pin, said lever belng movable in a card-selecting operation to permit return of said bar to normal locking position.

17. In a card index machine, a tray, a set of card containers in the tray, means for moving the individual containers diagonally downward and laterally, resilient means for holding said containers in normal inoperative position, cards in said containers, selecting tabs along the lower margin of said'oards, a set of selection rails individually movable into the path of said tabs, depressible keys for selectivelypositioning said rails, means for locking said keys in up or down position, means normally preventing operation of said locking means, means to inhibit the action of said preventing means, and common means for simultaneously disabling said inhibiting means and said resilient means.

18. In a card index machine, a tray, a set of card containers in the tray, said containers being open along a portion of the bottom, means for moving the containers selectively diagonally downward and laterally, resilient means for holding said containers in normal inoperative position, cards in said containers, selecting tabs along the lower margin of said cards, selecting means indi-' vidually movable into the path of said tabs, keys for operating said selecting means, detent means for holding said selecting means against release, and means for simultaneously locking said detent means against release and disabling said resilient means.

19. Card indexing means comprising a plurality of card containers each having a wall parallel to the cards in such container and of approximately equal height with the cards, with notches at intervals along said wall," in combination with clips adapted to be located on said walls and lugs on said clips for engagement with said notches to hold the clips in selected position.

20. A card index device comprisin a tray,

. card containers in the tray, means or moving the containerstransversely of the tray,

cards in said containers, tabs on the cards, selecting devices for engaging the tabs to check the movement of selected cards with the containers, keys for selectively operating the selecting devices, and rejecting means operable after the selecting meansfor returning cards selectively. to normal position in the containers. V

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

DONALD A. N VIN.

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