US1993510A - Visible record system - Google Patents

Description

March 5, 1935. E. c. GAST, JR

VISIBLE RECORD SYSTEM Filed April 23, 1934 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES VISIBLE RECORD SYSTEM Edward C. Gast, Jr., Cicero, 111., assignor to Acme 1 Card System Company, Chicago,-1ll., a corporation of Illinois Application April23, 1934, Serial No. 721,919

4 Claims.

' provision of means whereby one or a plurality of record cards, mounted upon hangers, and disposed in spaced, overlapping relationship upon a suitable support or tray, may be displaced or offset laterally either to the right or left with respect to the neutral or normal position of the remaining cards upon the tray or support, and .may be positively maintained in normal position or in displaced position in either direction.

As a feature of my invention 1 provide a suit-' able frame or other support upon which a plurality of wire hangers may be removably mounted in spaced relation, each hanger being engageable with a record card, the cards thus mounted being disposed in spaced overlapping relationship with respect to each other, the hangers and cards being'laterally movable with respect to the normal position of the remaining cards upon the tray or frame, the hangers and cards as units being positively maintained in normal position or in displaced position in either direction.

In visible record systems of the type referred to, it is essential that the record cards be in perfect alignment at all times. The improve ment of the present invention provides for three fixed positions of the cards, namely:

i 'Right offset 2Left offset 3Neutral position.

The novel locking arrangement insures perfect alignment of offset cards as well as neutral cards.

In a preferred embodiment, the positive locking means comprises the combination of a longitudinal ridge in the web of the frame or hanger support with a wire hanger provided with a-plurality of struck up portions adapted to-lock with said ridge providing for the three fixedpositions Referring particularly to the drawing, indicates a frame or support which may be utilized as a tray or drawer of a recordcabinet, a leaf of a record book, or a unit of the usual swingably mounted record or index stand. The frame or support 1 may be constructed of metal many 5 other material having like characteristics and may comprise a web 2, the longitudinal opposed side edges of which may be folded as shown best vat3in Fig.2.

A plate 4 may be mounted upon the face of 10 the web 2 preferably at the central portion of said web, said plate being secured to said web in any desirable manner. The plate 4 may extend substantially the entire length of the frame or support 1, and the opposed longitudinal edges 15 "of said plate may be folded inwardly toward each other as shown best at 5 in Fig. '2 to provide opposed guide channels 6. The plate 4 may be constructed of metal or any material having like characteristics.

A plurality of card hangers 7, each of which comprises a relatively straight body portion 8 which may be bent at its ends in order to form return bends 9. The plane of the body portion 8 and the return bends 9 ateach end of said body portion may be the same, and the terminations, of the return bends 9 may be offset from said plane, said terminations being arcuately shaped as shown best at 10 in Fig. 3. p

A plurality of record cards 11 provided with eyelets 12 at their upper edges may be mounted upon the hangers 7, the arrangement being such that the eyelets at both sides of the" card 11 may be threaded upon-the arcuate ends 10 of the return bent portions 9. When the eyelets 12 have been threaded upon the opposite arcuate terminations of the returnbends 9, it can readily be seen that with regard to lateral movement of the card 11, the card and hangers are relatively rigid, inother words, the card and hangers would move laterally asa unit. I

It frequently becomes desirable in the use of record devices of this general construction to temporarily identify one or more cards which may appear upon the record tray. In making entries, for instance, it may be desirable to copy the entries from a master sheet. If two different types of entries are to be made which may affect some cards and not others, it can readily be seenthat it would be desirable to identify those cards which are to be entered in one man,- ner from those which are I to be entered in another. It would also be desirable to identify both classes of cards from the remaining cards.

This identification may be accomplished by laterally displacing one or a group of cards in one direction from the remaining cards, and laterally displacing one or a group of cards in the opposite direction from the first mentioned displaced card or cards and the main group of cards. For instance, in ledger posting, debit postings may be staggered to the left, credit postings staggered to the right, and as proved they may be shifted back to neutral or central position. Other uses may include purchaser records where displacement to the left may mean to order, displacement to the right may mean on order and neutral, when the stock is received.

As a feature of my invention, I provide means whereby cards and their associated hangers may be positively maintained in normal or displaced position thereby preventing accidental or unintentional displacement, and permitting repeated handling of the cards for purposes of entries, references, etc., without disturbing the laterally staggered relationship of the cards.

To accomplish the object of my invention, I may provide a series of crimps'13, 14 and 15 at an intermediate portion of the length of the body 8 of each hanger. The crimps 13, 14 and 15 may extend upwardly at an angle from the face of the plane determined by the return bent portions 9. A member 16 may be secured to the face of plate 4 or plate 4 may be indented to form a raised portion preferably in its central portion. Member 16 may be provided with an upwardly extended raised portion 17 which, in turn, may be coextensive with the length of member 16.

Wire card hangers are well known in the art and enjoy extensive use. To mount this type of hanger upon a supporting frame such as the frame 1 for instance, the hanger is flexed sufficiently to permit the opposite return bent portions 9 of each hanger to be inserted beneath opposite flanges 5. The distance between the inner edges of opposite flanges is less than the length of hangers 7, but inasmuch as said hangers are constructed of a relatively resilient material, the return bent portions 9 thereof may be inserted beneath the flanges by flexing or springing the hangers. To permit lateral displacement of the hangers from normal position on the tray or other support, the distance between the remote portions of opposite channels 6 is greater than the lengths of hangers 7 so that said hangers may be moved longitudinallyand yet have their ends retained in the opposite channels.

It can readily be seen that when the return bent portions 9 of hangers 7 are inserted in channels 6, the plane of said return bent portions is parallel to and adjacent the plane of the face of plate 4. Consequently, crimps 13, 14 and 15 extend upwardly from the face of plate 4.' The arrangement is such, that raised portion 17 at the central portion of plate 4 is adaptedto engage one of the crimps 13, 14 and 15 when the hangers have been positioned upon the frame, as hereinbefore described. The width of channels 6 is only slightly larger than the diameter of the Wire comprising the hangers and consequently, the central portions of the hangers are flexed slightly by member 16 and the raised portion 17, and hence, the tendency toward accidental or unintentional displacement of said hangers when rib or bead 17 is in engagement with a crimp 13, 14 or 15 is remote.

rib or bead 17, and card 22 may be displaced to the right of normal position whereby crimp 13 of hanger 23 may engage rib or head 17. In this manner the cards may be shifted to the right or left of the normal or central position and in all positions, including the normal or central position, the hangers, and hence the associated cards, will be maintained against accidental or unintentional displacement.

It is to be understood, of course, that although three crimps 13, 14 and 15 are shown,

' indicating three different positions of cards 11,

one or more crimps may be formed upon the hangers, providing any desired number of separate positions upon one frame 1. Further, although bead or rib 17 is shown and described as being at substantially the center of plate 4, it is to be understood that the bead or rib may be disposed, if desired, to either the right or left of the center, in which casethe crimps will be correspondingly formed upon the hangers.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of wire hangers mounted upon said frame, cards carried by said hangers, said hangers and cards being laterally displaceable with respect to said frame, means for retaining said hangers in displaced position comprising a plurality of crimps upon each of said hangers, and means upon said frame engageable with one of the crimps of each hanger.

2. A device of the character describedcomprising a frame, a plurality of flexible hangers mounted upon said frame, cards carried by said hangers, said hangers and cards being laterally movable upon said frame, means carried on said frame for normally flexing said hangers, and crimps formed on each of said hangers'one of which is engageable with said means to retain said hanger in desired position upon said frame.

3. A device of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of flexible hangers mounted upon said frame, cards carried by said hangers, said hangersand cards being normally centrally positioned upon said frame and being laterally displaceable in either direction from said central position, and means for retaining said hangers in displaced position, comprising a rib positioned upon said frame normally flexing said hangers, and crimps upon said hangers for engagement with said rib.

4. A device of the character described which comprises, a frame, a plurality of flexible hangers removably mounted upon said frame, cards carried upon said hangers, crimps formed intermediate the length of each of said hangers, said hangers being laterally movable upon said frame, a rib carried upon said frame engageable with one of the crimps on each hanger to retain said hanger in desired lateral position upon the frame.

EDWARD C. GAST, JR.

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