US1891378A - Visible index tray - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1932. R. A. FURLONG VISIBLE INDEX TRAY Filed June 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 IN VEN TOR Dec. 20, 1932. FURLQNG 1,891,378

VISIBLE INDEX TRAY Filed June 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR Baku: a'fl. Farm (1y,

Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLAND A. FURLONG, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TOTHE YAWMAN & ERBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VISIBLE INDEX TRAY Application filed June 27, 1930. Serial No. 464,162.

This invention relates toan improved card tray for visible indexes and particularly to the means for supporting-it slidably within a tray cabinetand associated elements operativ-ely engaged with the top card for swing ing said plate positively away from the index cards when the tray is fully retracted and back again into engagement with said index cards when the tray is returned'to the cabinet andmaintaining it in such position by positive retaining devices.

The purpose of the top plate in a visible index tray is three-fold, generally speaking, first, tooverlie the index cards so as to hold them flat when the tray is slid in and out of the cabinet, second, to act as a convenient backing for the index cards when they are thrown upwards to expose particular cards and, third, to act as a backing for said index cards to facilitate writing thereon. One of the principal objects of the present invention is to assure by positive means the functioning of the top plate for its intended purposes at all times. In accordance with the invention this plate is operatively engaged with the tray support and its hinge element so that the plate is positively held in overlying relationship .to. the index cards when the tray is not in use and is positively moved up by the interengaging elements to its desired position when the tray is fully retracted and held in the desired angular position while the cards arein use The interengaging elements also serve when the tray is returned/to the cabinet to move the top plate by positive actuation into its overlying relation to the index cards,

.this movement being so timed with relation to the movement of the tray as to guard against possibility of the top plate being engaged with any'protruding part of the cabinet or the other trays suchas the drawer pulls.

The invention will be described in greater length in connection with the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1 r

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a cabinet showing one tray fully retracted and the relation of the top plate thereto. I v

Figure 2 is a view on a somewhat larger scale and. in plan showing the parts illustrated in Figure 1, the cabinet being illus trated in horizontal section, taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3is a fragmentary View in side elevation with the near wall of the cabinet I i omitted to show the relationof parts when a tray is not quite fully retracted;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the same tray fully retracted, apart of the tray'support being broken awayto show the interengagement of the top plate hinge member with the tray support whereby the top plateis swung upwardly.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in transverse section showing the relation of the tray support to the cabinet taken on the plane indicated the line 55 of Figure 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The cabinet at which maysupport a bank of card trays b has. provided therein along its side walls opposed ways cwhich may be formed ofstamped metal pieces insertable between horizontal partitions d. Supported in these opposed ways are tray carriers which consist of two rigid members 6 connected by a cross member 6, the side members 6 having secured thereto ears which may slide in the respective ways 0. From Figure 5 it appears that the traysupport members 6 are formed as channels. the outer ends ofwhich are closed as indicated in Figure l at 6 The upper flanges of these side pieces e adjacent the end walls 6 are slotted as at 6*. Each card tray 6 has at its inner end upstanding lugs b to. receive a pintle f which is formed as a rod, the ends of which are bent forwardly and upwardly as shown at f in Figure 3 to rest within the channel pieces 6 of the tray support. This pintle wire f is then reversely bent as shown clearly inFigure 3' and then bent laterally to extend transversely between the side tray supports e. This last-named transversely extending portion of the pintle is designated for convenience in Figure 2 as P. The .por-' tion f extends through a lug g which is secured adjacent the inner end of the top plate 9. The inner edge of the top plate at a point beyond the lug g is formed with upstanding lugs g disposed between the lugs 79 on the tray and adapted to receive the pintle f. The assembly described is such as to interconnect the top plate I)" with the tray Z), to afford a sliding support for the tray 6 within the cabinet through the engagement of the reversely bent ends f of the pintle which rest within the side supports 6 and at the same time pivotally connect the top plate 9' with the spaced pintle members f, F. As shown clearly in Figure 3 this relationship insures that when the tray 6 is not fully retracted the end members f of the pintle portions 7'', f are confined, respectively, between the top and bottom flanges of the side supports 6 and the top plate '9 is held down over the index cards within the tray 7) by the positive engagement of the reverse bends 7" of the pintles with the top flange of the side members e. lhis is a most desirable relationship since it insures the protection of the index cards in the tray against displacement by the protection afforded through the overlying top plate when the tray is slid in and out of the cabinet; p

However, the improved construction goes a step further and provides for automatic actuation of the top plate g to throw it upwardly and downwardly at the proper times during the travel of the tray when fully retracted and when started inwardly into the cabinet. This is accomplished by engagement of the reversely bent ends f of the pintles f, F, with the slots 6 in the side support members. WVhen the curved end of the sections f ride into the slots continued movement of the tray 6 carries the pintle f upwardly as the'bent ends f are rocked upwardly and creates a moment by sliding engageT ment of the ends f against the'end walls of the slots 6 Theiends f ride up through these slots as indicated in Fig. 4 pivoting on the pintles f. The effect of this is to throw the'top plate gv upwardly since the pintle portion being pivotally engaged with the top plate gand spaced from its point of pivotal attachment 7 about which it is rocking in the operation described will constitute a lever for the purpose of throwing it upwards. Continued movementof the tray 6 will bring the pintle 7 against the end walls 6 of the side members 6 and check further movement so the angular position of the top plate 9 may be predetermined. hen thrown up as indicated in Figure 4 the top plate 9 may constitute a writing card and a fixed backing for pintle ends 7 will conform freely to such movement since they protrude through the slots 6 and the topplate g will be swung through positive actuation. This'condition is desirable because there is a chance in such structures of the top plate 9' accidentally engaging with a protuberance of the cabinet or one of the drawer pulls on the trays above it unle'ssas in the present instance the top plate is swung away from such parts even before the tray is moved inwardly an appreciable distance. Continued movement of the tray 6 inwardly will result sooner or later in the top plate 9 being thrown down to the position shown in Figure 3 and in sliding movement rearwardly of the support members 6 until the tray rests in its normal position within the cabinet.

Changes in detail of construction whereby the desirable results described are obtained may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the invention.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A card index tray, meansto support the tray slidably, a top plate carried therewith, and means connected between the top plate and the tray to swing the plate automatically at predetermined times upon movement of the tray.

2. A card index tray, means to support the tray slidably, a top plate carried therewith, a support for the tray,'and means operatively interposed between said support and the top plate operable automatically and positively to swing the top plate to predetermined positions at predetermined times upon movement of the tray.

3. In combination with acabinet, a card indextrayjslidably supported therein, atop plate carried with the tray, and means to swing the top plate positively upwardly when the tray is retracted.

4:..111 combination with a cabinet, a card tray, means to mount the tray slidably in the cabinet, a top plate carried with the tray, and

means operatively interposed between the tray and the top plate to swing the top, card upwardly when the tray is retracted. V

5. In combination with a cabinet, a card tray supported therein and adapted to slide therein, a top plate carried with the tray, means to swing the top plate upwardly when the tray is retracted and to swing, the top plate downwardly upon return movement of the tray into the cabinet.

6. In combinationwith a cabinet, astray support slidablyrmounted therein, a card tray carried with the support, a top plate carried with the tray, and means engaged with the top plate coacting with the tray support to swing the top plate upwardly when the tray is retracted.

7. In combination with a cabinet, a tray support slidably mounted therein, a card tray, a pintle carried with the tray and having its ends supported slidably in said tray support, atop plate pivotally mounted on said pintle, and means engaged with the top plate and coacting with the tray support to swing the top plate upwardly when the tray is retracted.

8. In combination with a cabinet, a tray support slidably mounted therein, a card tray, a pintle carried with. the tray and having its ends supported slidably in said tray support, a top plate pivotally mounted on said pintle, and means carried with the pintle engaging the top plate and coacting with the tray support to swing the top plate upwardly when the tray is retracted.

9. In combination with a cabinet, a slidable tray support therein, a tray, a pintle engaged with the tray and carried by the tray support, a top plate carried by the pintle, means carried by the pintle engaging the top plate at a point spaced from the pintle, and means carried with the tray support coacting with said last-named means to swing the topplate upwardly when the tray is fully retracted.

10. In eombinationwith a cabinet, a slidable tray support therein having a slot, a tray, 7

a pintle engaged with the tray and carried by the tray support, a top plate carried by.

the pintle, means carried by the pintle engaging the top plate at a point spaced from the pintle, said slot in the tray support being enga-geable by the last-named means to throw the top plate up when the tray is retracted and downwardly when the tray is returned into the cabinet.

This specification signed this 24th day of June A. D. 1930.

ROLAND A. FURLONG.

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