US2384355A - Card index - Google Patents

Description

Sept 1945' G. w. TORRENCE ETAL v2,384,355

CARD INDEX Filed Dec. 4, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5 W 721121255, WAL'a/kms,

wean/1 Sept. 4, 1945.

G. W. TORRENCE ETAL CARD INDEX Filed Dec. 4, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .5: W. 2271x5042, WA (a 11 2 i nsco 5 FG kwl Sept. 4, 1945. G. w. TORRENCE ET AL 2,334,355

CARD INDEX Filed Dec. 4, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WA [aim 2s,

Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CARD INDEX George W. Torrence and Willis A. Collins,

Peoria Ill Application December 4, 1941, Serial No. 421,540

25 Claims.

Another object is to rotate the index by power,

and during rotation through the employment of controlled parts, automatically select a given tray and cause its delivery at a common inspection point. I

Still another object is to rotate the index by means of an electric motor and to provide certain portions on the device as parts of an electric circuit by means of which the operator by manually setting certain parts a given or desired tray may be delivered at a given position through the automatic breaking of the circuit through the motor to at once halt rotation and to bring before such operator the chosen tray at such given position for inspection.

Further, an object in a rotating index is to provide a series of electric circuit closers operated by convenient buttons at the hand of the operator, each button being identified by a letter 01' the alphabet corresponding with a given support, the pressing of any one button resulting in the preselection, automatically, of any such given support and delivering that support to the operator during the rotation period of the index simultaneously with the cessation oi rotation of such index.

Bes des these objects the index has other objects and advantages as will be made known in the following specification aided by the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates the device in perspective;

Figures 2 and 3 are, respectively, a front elevaton, and a side elevation 01' the device in part section produced on a much larger scale.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a button panel shown in Figure 2 but greatly enlarged;

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections of the panel of Figure 4, much enlarged, showing two different positions of parts mounted thereon;

Figure 7 illustrates in perspective certa n parts shown in said Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of some of the parts shown in Figures 5 and 6;

Figure 9 is a diagram of electric c rcuits employed in the device together with certain parts oi said device;

Figure 10 shows in perspective a retainer plate as part of the structure herein considered;

Figure 11 is a front elevation of parts of the device, certain 01 the parts being shown in section;

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a drum and supports together with a series or retainer plates; Figure 13 shows parts 01' a tray in perspective;

Figure 14 is a front elevation of parts of the support shown in Figure 13;

Figure 15 shows in perspective a portion of the support structure of Figure 13 much enlarged;

Figure 16 shows in perspective a. clip for application to a support illustrated in Figure 13.

Figure 17 is a rear elevation oi. part of the drum of the device, and a support mounted thereon, together with certain other parts;

Figure 18 is a transverse section of parts shownin Figure 17, much enlarged, showing a circuit breaker together with part of a support also in section, with an attached clip;

Figure 19 illustrates portions of a series of supports in perspective and a retainer attached to each, and

Figure 19 is an end elevation of parts of the supports of Figure 19 together with the retainers 01' that figure.

In the first three figures of the drawings I denotes an enclosing body for the rotary card index mechanism, the latter including a drum 2, best shown in Figures 11 and 12, said drum being mounted by a shaft 3 in suitable bearings 4, for example. Figure 2, and rotated through the instrumentality of a wheel 5 on said shaft 3 driven by a belt 6 on a wheel I of an electric motor 8, in the present instance.

The drum 2 is designed to carry a series of supports 9 to carry cards for holding an index record, and is swingably mounted. Said supports are preferably in the form of inverted pans, for example, as illustrated in Figure 13 and throughout their lengths, viewed edgewise, appear wedgeshaped, the cards making up the index being denoted at l 0 in the figure named and suitably held thereon, each support having at its narrowest end a trunnion 9, extending from each edge thereof.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12 the named drum 2 is provided at each end with a flange 2' in the periphery of each of which is a series 01' notches 2 equally spaced apart, and lying opposite each other, pairs of opposed notches designed to receive into them the named trunnions 9' of a support. A series of retainer plates H abut each other and Jointly encircle the periphery of the flange 2' by means, for example, of an extended flange I! on each plate which serves to overhang certain of the trunnions for holding them in their respective notches while permitting the supports to freely swing. Each plate is held in position by use of studs l3 extending therethrough and fixed in the drum. Springs ll interposed between the plate and heads of the studs hold the plates in position while permitting them to be unseated for releasing any one or more supports as desired.

The number of supports employed is such, with respect to the completeness of the index and the convenience of inspection thereof, that the drum 2 may be fairly well covered with them as shown in Figure 3, and naturally, as rotation is imparted to the drum toward the left as viewed in said Figure 3, the supports may drop one by one from an elevated position to a position for inspection at a shelf I, for example, at an open side of the enclosure I. That the release of the supports from the upper or elevated position may be governed so as to fall one by one during rotation, a spring-held stop I" is pivotally hung upon a convenient portion of the structure against which each successive support must rest temporarily.

Since the supports 8 would be free to swing independently of each other on their mountings, certain of them may at certain positions, perhaps, if not controlled, tend to disarrange the whole series during rotation. For this reason it may be preferable to provide means for holding said trays in close order relative to each other at certain positions of drum rotation. Some such means is illustrated in Figures 19 and 19 wherein a latch 9 is attached to a side edge of each support near the free end thereof, each latch, as an example, being S-shaped and so positioned that in a sliding movement of the supports lengthwise with respect to each other the latch of any one support will, at one end, engage in a recess of an adjacent latch. This engagement of latching means would result only at certain drum positions but at all other positions during rotation the latches would be free of each other or in their spaced positions shown in Figure 19.

Figure 19* makes clear the relative position of the latches as viewed at one end of a support, and their ease of engagement.

Attention is now directed to the means for selecting and delivering any given support at the shelf position I mentioned above.

First it is to be noted that convenient to the hand of the operator is what will be termed an index-panel I! on the enclosure body I, for example. This panel, best shown in Figure 4, in-

cludes two spaced rows [8, I! of the letters of the alphabet or other characters, letters of one row being a duplication of the other in the present instance. Between these two rows of letters are two rows of push buttons l8, IS, a pair of the buttons lying in line with and between two identical letters or characters throughout. Naturally, if desired, the identifying letters may be carried by the buttons instead.

Referring now to Figures 13, l4, l and 17 it is to be observed that extending from each side edge of a support is a flange, one denoted by 20 and the other by 2i.

In Figures 14 and 15, it may be seen that the alphabet letters are shown therealong in spaced positions. Created in opposed side surfaces of these flanges between the letters are grooves 22,

g in any one or more of which groove-pairs is insertable a part, as a clip 23, for example, Figure 16, for a purpose to appear.

asscsss It is to be understood, now, that the alphabet is thus provided at each edge of each support to correspond with the alphabets of the panel ll. named earlier herein.

In Figures 5, 6 and 8 the index panel II, for instance, may carry at its back within the space of the body I any suitable spacers II for a bar ll as an example, there being an arrangement of this type at both extremities of said panel, one only, however, being shown, as in the figures just named.

Pivoted at its ends between the opposed bars ll thus provided is a latch-bar N 'in v-form throughout its length, in this instance, supported on a trunnion 25, at each end, but one of which is shown, Figure 8. Said latch-bar is adapted to rock between two extreme positions but normally limited in one direction of movement by a stop H'Qagainst which it is held by a. spring 25', for example. Supported on any suitable or convenient part of the structure, such, for example, as the named bar It, is an electro-magnet 20 lying adjacent one limb of the latch-bar, the opposite limb. terminating along its free edge in a hook 21 extending the full length thereof and directed toward the first said limb as shown. Secured to the panel is what may be termed a switch. In the present instance, near each edge of the panel is one end of a conductor 2!, 2! for the electric current, each conductor being of spring metal, the free ends thereof extending toward each other but spaced apart as illustrated in Figure 7, and each terminating in a hook separately denoted by 28' and 29', said hooks being normally spaced from the hook I! of the latch-bar 24 but in position to engage the same under certain conditions to be made known presently, such latch-bar constituting a conductor of the electric current. One of these spring conductors 2U, 28 it is observed in Figure 5, lies opposite a button of the row of buttons 48, the other lying opposite a button of the other row 19, any pair of conductors so shown lying between each two buttons of the same designation as A A, B B and so on, see dotted line Figure 4 at the AA position.

Within the cabinet or body l rearward of the position of the index panel l5, see Figure 3, is a second panel suitably fixed in position at each side of the path oi travel of the supports 9 and spaced from the edges of said supports, these panels being denoted at 30 and 3| in Figures 2 and 17, their positions being reversed in the last named figure from that in said Figure 2 from the fact that the device is being viewed from the rear. These panels will be referred to herein as "switch panels" in order to distinguish them from the index panel" I 5. On each of these is mounted a series of spring-metal conductors 32, one of which is illustrated in Figure 18,and to be termed a circuit breaker. The entire series of circuit breakers at the edge of each switchpanel project from that edge toward the supports and each extends into the path of travel of one of the named clips 23 extending from each of such supports as may be provided with index cards, and it may be understood from said Figure 18 that the said clips in their mounted positions all extend slightly over the end terminus of a circuit breaker 32 so that in approaching and passing the same will engage and lift it from contact with a conductor terminal 32' on said switch panel.

Referring now to Figure 5, and to the diagram of Figure 9, separate current conducting wires 83 connect each spring conductor 28 of the series at the left of the panel ll of said Figure 9 with a circuit breaker 22 throughout said series, the spring conductor 28 at the A position being connected to the circuit breaker 82 lying at the extreme top position, on the panel 28, see Figure 17, and this latter position lies directly opposite the alphabet letter A position on the support which carries all index cards falling under that letter. Similarly, the spring-conductor 28 at B position on the panel II connects with the second circuit breaker 82 or that lying opposite B of the supports and so on throughout the alphabet.

Again, the spring conductor 28 at the right of the panel I6 of Figure 9 at position A is connected through a wire 34 with a circuit breaker 82 of the switch panel II as that panel isviewed in Figure 1 (reversed in position in Figure 1'7), the same order being preserved for all of the connections as before, in that each switch of abutton designation at the alphabet letter on the panel I5 must agree with the position for the circuit breaker 32 on the switch-panel ll as it lies opposite a given letter on the support.

Refer, now, to the diagram of the electric circuits, Figure 9. Connected with one side of the motor 8- is a current conducting wire 26 from a transformer 36. A conductor 31 connects the other side of the motor with one pole of a normally open magnetic switch 38, through a manually operated switch 39, if desired, the other pole of said switch 38 having connected thereto a return conductor 48 to a power source. The transformer at one side is connected by a wire 36 to the rocking latch-bar 24 previously described, the other pole of the said transformer having connection through the coil-of the magnetic switch 38 by a conductor M, from which coil a wire 42 extends to the coil of the magnet 26. A wire 43 from said coil connects with each switch of both series of the circuit breakers 32, completing the low-voltage circuit, which circuit, however, is open by reason of the normal open position of the spring members 28, 28, on the panel i5.

Under the above conditions the supports during rotation with the drum 2 would cause all of the clips to open the entire two series of circuit breakers with or without result in so far as the electric circuits are concerned, depending upon any acts of the operator with respect to the manipulation of the buttons l8, l9, at the normally open members 28, 29.

Let it be supposed, now, that it is desired to inspect a card bearing the name Adams. The operator, whether the supports are in rotation or not, will depress the button A at the left of the index panel i5 and will also depress the D button at the right of said panel, if of course, these two letters are used in the indexing method as on the supports as the identifying letters for "Adams'? i. e., where the first letter in this instance is the initial letter of the name and the other a secondary identifying letter thereof.

In a study of Figure 5 it will be observed that the point of the hook 28' of the switch member 28 lies above the latch-bar 24 so that in depressing said member 28 the two hooks 28' and 21 will be brought into contact and interlock thereby holding the electric circuit closed through the transformer and through the magnet 26 causing the latch-bar to maintain the interlocked position in Figure 6, provided, or course, that the motor circuit is closed to include said transformer. The hook 28' when depressed may preferably engage and make electrical contact with an extension 24' on said latch-bar 24 whereupon the positive hook engagement is brought about. Following this action the depressing of the hook 28', also, will cause that portion to engage beneath the hook 21 to close a circuit through the circuit breaker with which the member 28 is connected and thereby the particular support bearing the "Adams record will, through both the clips corresponding to such support at the A and D positions, cause final delivery of that support.

The latch-bar 24 actually serves as one side or part of a locking circuit closer, as it may be termed, all of the members 28, 28 being the other parts, said latch-bar being a convenient element by which to lock with any given pair of said members, or all of them, and acting as a common conductor of current as has been stated previously.

It may be stated at this point that the hook 28' may be used to close the circuit in order to energize the magnet 26 and thus bring the latch-bar to a position to be engaged with said hook, but this result may be otherwise accomplished if desired.

Supposing a card bearing the name Kopper is desired. By the same rule stated the button at the letter K at the left of the panel II will be depressed and, at the right of the panel the button 0 will be depressed, the required tray bearing the card Kopper being automatically designated. In this way any one support or any number of supports may be selected with the intent that each will in turn be presented for inspection.

When closing the circuit by means of either of the switch members 28 and 29 through the latchbar 24 and magnet coil 26, the magnetic switch at 38 is also closed thus completing the motor circuit setting the motor 8 in operation to rotate the supports whereupon as the clips of a selected support meet and pass the corresponding circuit breakers, the latter breaks the circuit through the motor and the described circuit of the series. This all happens at the instant of opening said circuit breaker, the selected support falling from the stop I, Figure 3, to the shelf position for inspection. When the circuit is broken as described the circuit closers 28, 29 are released to assume their normal positions from the fact that the spring 2-") is permitted to return the latch-bar 24 to normal position, the magnet 26 being no longer effective.

Any type of arrangement not shown may be employed to automatically stop rotation of the bulk of supports at the releasing period of a support should momentum tend to carry such bulk farther than the delivery point.

It is to be understood that only such trays as are selected by button depression can bring about any such action as described. Supports not selected by such button operation merely operate their respective circuit breakers without result since the latter are not in a closed circuit. In other words until buttons of the rows l8, l9 corresponding to the ineffective circuit breakers are operated, the latter are wholly idle.

It has been intimated that the clips 23 of the supports are permanently in position. This is true so long, of course, as the index cards of the supports remain in position on a given support, for example. The clips are removable from the flanges 2i so that in the event oi change of cards from one support to another said clips may be changed to suit the new order.

While the drum 2 may be rotated by hand it is preferable, of course, to employ power therefor in the interest of more speedy results in inspection of the index cards.

It is to be understood that when the supports have been provided with the attached clips 21 the device is ready to at any moment be set in motion by engaging a circuit closer, or a pair oi them, and any support designated by the particular circuit closer will be automatically delivered followed by the breaking of the power circuit. After the inspection of that support any other support may be chosen by the same method and so on through any number of such supports.

While one manner and means have been described and shown for the control and delivery of the supports at a desired inspection position it is not the intention to be confined to such since other means that would be considered to fairly rail within the meaning of the claims to follow may be employed. For example, while a drum" has been referred to as a carrier for holding the data-carrying supports it is understood that any other type of carrier may be used for the purpose where a closed path of travel is provided for said supports.

Though mechanical means is shown for rotating the drum or carrier it is clear that this member may be operated by hand as are other card indexes of the same general class. By merely closing the switch 38 without eflecting the motor circuit the manual operation will cause the results already described herein.

We claim:

1. A card index including a carrier mounted by means whereby it is movable in a closed path at its periphery, a series of supports hingedly mounted thereon for travel at such periphery, each for delivery at a common inspection position each for carrying index matter, a series of parts erected adjacent the path of travel of said supports. an extension carried by each support to abut a given erected part during the travel of said supports, a series of manually operated parts, a latch to engage and lock therewith but normally iree thereof, each last named Part being identified by its own distinguishing data, that data thereat corresponding to a given support, and apparatus interposed between each of the manually operated parts and one of the erected parts effective following the manual engagement oi a manually operated part with said latch, to deliver a given support at said inspection position when the extension of that support corresponding to said manually operated part abuts a corresponding erected part, and also effective to release the latch from the said manually operated parts.

2. The structure according to claim 1, including means for halting the carrier at the position oi support delivery.

3. A card index including in its construction a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, a series of supports hingedly mounted at one end of each on said member adapted to overlie each other in their travel with the latter, and each carrying its own identifying index character, individual supports of said series adapted to be delivered at a common inspection position, an extension on each support each having its own path of travel, a series of mounted projections adjacent the paths 01' travel of the supports and each in position to separately receive contact oi the extension of a given support, an electric circuit, a series oi manually operated parts connected into said electric circuit, and each having an index character thereat corresponding to that of a given support, a series of separate mounted means each connected to one of said manually operated parts and each having contact, normally, with one of said mounted projections to close the electric circuit through said manually operated parts and separable from said projection to break the said electric circuit by the described contact therewith of an extension, and mechanism included between each manually operated part and each said means eflective when a given manually operated part is actuated to deliver a support corresponding thereto at the inspection position.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the named mechanism halts the movement of the member at the time of support delivery.

5. A card index including in its construction a member mounted to rotate a series 0! swingable supports thereon each for carrying an index record, individual supports of the series adapted to be separately carried to a position for inspection, a member extending from each support, an electric circuit comprising a manually operated circuit closer and a conductor as part of said electric circuit capable of being influenced magnetically, and with which said manually operated circuit closer is adapted to be lockably engaged manually, the latter being normally elastically held disengaged from said conductor, means to magnetically attract said conductor for moving it into looking position with said manually operated circuit closer, and means in said circuit extending into the path of travel of the named member of a support, adapted for closing the electric circuit through the first said means in the closed position of said manually operated circuit closer, the member of a support in it vtravel adapted to engage and move the second named means to break said circuit for releasing said manually operated circuit closer.

6. A card index including in its construction a member mounted by means whereby it is rotatable, a series of supports thereon each (or carrying thereon an index record, the said supports of the series adapted to be separately carried to a common position for inspection, a member carried by each support and projecting therefrom provided with an identifying character agreeing with the index record of said support, an electric circuit, means projecting into the path of travel of the second named member constituting an elastic circuit breaker as part of said electric circuit and adapted to receive against it the said second named member, a manually operated circuit closer part of which is connected electrically with one side of said circuit breaker, the other side of the latter being connected in sa d circuit, a conductor as part of said circuit capable of being influenced magnetically, and with which said circuit closer is adapted to lockably engage, said circuit closer being normally elastically held disengaged from said conductor, means included in said circuit for magnetically attracting said conductor for moving it into engagement with the named part, said second named member in its travel with a support engaging and moving the named projecting means to break the said electric circuit for releasing the said circuit closer, there being an identifying character adjacent the said circuit closer of the same value as the character of the said projecting member of the supp 7. A card index including in its construction a supporting structure, a member mounted thereon whereby it is rotatable, a series of supports pivoted thereon, each for carrying an index record. the supports of said series adapted to be separately carried to and delivered at a common position for inspection, a member extending from a support and carrying an indentifying character agreeing with the said index record, an electric circuit, a circuit breaker mounted on a fixed part 01' the said supporting structure as part of said electric circuit, a manually operated circuit closer part connected in said circuit and normally held in a retracted position elastically, a swingable part with which the named part is engageable and constituting the other part of the circuit closer, the two named parts adapted to be manually engaged and interlocked, means in said electric circuit adapted to maintain engagement of the said named parts for maintaining a closed circuit therethrough, the second named member extending from a support in the travel of the latter adapted to engage and open the circuit breaker for breaking the circuit to permit separation of the circuit closer parts.

8. The invention according to claim 7, including an identifying character at the named circuit closer agreeing with that of the index record on said support,

9. The invention according to claim '7 including therewith an electric motor for driving said rotatable member, and said means including a magnetically operated switch in the named circuit for closing the electric circuit through the motor when the described manually operated circuit closer parts are brought into engagement,

10. A card index including in its construction a supporting frame, a member mounted thereon to rotate, a series of supports pivoted on the member and each designed to carry an index record,

the supports of said series adapted each to be separately carried to and delivered at a common position for inspection, dual means extending from a support each having an identifying character and both characters agreeing with given characters of said index record, an electric circult, dual circuit breakers mounted on the frame, each 01' which lies in the path of one of said dual means on a support, the circuit breakers being part 01' the electric circuit, a pair oi separate parts, each being part of the electric circuit, a magnetically operated mechanism in said circuit with which each said part is engage-able, and each being electrically connected with one of the circuit breakers, and both being held normally in a retracted position elastically, said mechanism adapted to interlock with both said parts upon manual operation of the latter, the said dual means adapted to separately engage and open the named dual circuit breakers when a support carrying them is at said position of inspection for breaking the named circuit for permitting release oi. the manually operated parts from said mechanism by rendering the latter ineffective, there being at each constituted manually operated part a separate identifying character, both characters agreeing with characters as parts of the said index record and those at said dual means on the support.

a, rotatable member, a support mounted thereon to travel therewith toward a given positionfor inspection and for carrying an index record. said 11. A card index including in its construction and when manually closed being releasably held by said electromagnet, and said magnet adapted to maintain the closed relation 01 the circuit closer, the said extension on the support in its travel adapted to open the circuit breaker to break the circuit through the magnet rendering the lat ter ineifective, releasing the circuit closer when the support has reached said position of inspection.

12. The invention accordin to claim 11, including therewith that an identifying character is denoted on said extension of the support and at said circuit closer, each character having the same value as that of the said index record on said support.

15. A card index including in its construction a rotatable member, a support including an extension thereof mounted on said member, said support being provided thereon with an index record, and said support adapted to travel with the member toward a given position for delivery and inspection, a manually operated part norpart is adapted to look when the two are brought together in such an operation, a latch-bar to cooperate with the two parts to maintain the locked relation of such parts, means to hold the latchbar in locked position of the parts a part erected adjacent in the path of travel of the support, means interposed between the erected part and the first and second part, the two last considered as a whole, by which said erected part causes the release of the elastically held part as the said support meets and moves said erected part, said support meeting the latter at the time such support reaches the extension of said position of delivery,

and means to cause halting of the rotatable member at such delivery position, and to cause the release of the latch-bar for separation of the first named parts.

14. A card index including in its construction a rotatable member, a support mounted thereon to travel therewith toward a given position for delivery and inspection, and provided with an index record thereon, said support including an extension projecting from an edge thereof, a manually operated part normally elastically held in one extreme position, a second part with which the first named part is adapted to lock when manually operated, both said parts beingincluded in an electric circuit, a latch for engaging the parts and maintaining their locked relation, means to hold said latch in the part engaging relation, a part erected in the path of travel of the extension or the support and constructing a circuit breaker also included in said electric circuit, and means included in said circuit between the circuit breaker and the first and second named parts arranged to affect the release of the latch and the subsequent separation of the said first and second named parts from each other in the opening of the said circuit breaker by contact of the support with the named extension at the time the latter reaches said place of delivery.

15; A card index including in its construction a rotatable member, a series or supports carried thereby to rotate therewith, each for selective delivery at a common position for inspection of index matter thereon, a series of separate parts erected on the device adjacent the path or travel of the supports, each in a position to eceive against it a part of a support in the travel of the same, a series of manually and selectively operated parts, a single part with which the said series of parts are separately adapted. to interlock, the said series of parts being normally and elastically held disengaged from the said single part, means interposed between each of said manually operated parts and one of the said erected parts, the latter through said means when receiving against it pressure of a support adapted to release the manually operated part complementary thereto from the companion single part permitting the said manually operated part to assume its normal disengaged position, and a different identifying character at each of the manually operated parts, each having the same value as an identifying character on the index record of a support.

16. A card index including in its construction a supporting frame, a rotatable member mounted thereon, a series of supports each pivoted at one of its ends on the member and each having ex tensions at opposite edges thereof, said supports carrying index matter and traveling with the member through a closed path, each support arranged for delivery at a common position for inspection of said index matter, a series of parts erected on the frame at each Side 01' the member, each series of parts lying adjacent the path of travel of the supports, each part of the series of parts constituting a circuit breaker to receive abutment of an extension of a support, an electrio circuit of which each series of circuit breakers is a part, a series of elastically held normally open circuit closer parts, each part having electrical connection in said circuit with a circuit breaker of one of the series of said circuit breakers, a second series of elastically held normally open circuit closer parts in said circuit, each circuit closer pait having electrical connection with a circuit breaker of the other series of circuit breakers, the two series of circuit closer parts being adapted for manual and selective operation, a latch normally in position to have interlocked relation with one 02 the parts of each of the two series of circuit closer parts upon manual operation of the latter, a spring to elastically hold the latch out of position for such interlocking, an electromagnet in said circuit to attract and hold the latch in interlocked relation with the circuit closer parts in opposition to the pull or the spring, the extension of a support when abutting and opening a circuit breaker causing breaking of the electric circuit, the deenergizing of the electromagnet, and the release of any circuit closer part held by said latch.

17, A card index including in its construction a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, power means for driving it, a series of supports hingedly mounted each at one end on the member, each carrying index matter and each adapted to travel toward a common delivery position for inspection of such matter, extensions carried by the several supports, a character at each extension agreeing in value with index matt/er carried by a given support, mounted means cult closer parts, each having a character thereat of a value corresponding to that oi a support and the corresponding extension thereof, and mechanism in said circuit including an electromagnet and a swinging latch, a spring normally holding the latch in one of its positions, said latch being influenced by the electromagnet to swing it in opposition to the spring to interlock with a circuit closer part when that part is manually operated, the said mounted means constitutin circuit breakers for breaking the electric circuit when opened by the abutment of an extension of a support thereagainst, followed by the deenergizing of the electromagnet and consequent release oi the manually operated circuit closer part.

18. A card index including in its construction a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, power means to drive it, a series of supports hingedly mounted at one end of each on said member adapted to travel toward a common delivery position ior individual delivery thereat, an extension carried by a given support having an identifying character thereat agreeing with an index card carried -by that support, mounted means projecting into the path of travel of a given extension to receive the same against it to bring about the release of the support corresponding thereto at said common position, an electric circuit, means manually placed in an extreme position and having a character of the same value as that of a given support, and mechanism as part of said circuit connected to and between said manually placed means and the erected mounted means, the said circuit being broken ior halting the travel of the member when the extension and mounted means are engaged, and a structure for releasing the manually operated means in the latter action.

19. it card index including in its construction a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, a series of supports hinged on and movable with said member in a closed path, each support provided with index matter and with an extension, and each support adapted to be selectively delivered at a common position for inspection, an electric circuit, a series of manually operable parts, each part being connected with said circuit, separate data at each part corresponding in value with the data of a given support, and each said part being normally elastically held in a retracted position to maintain an open circuit, a latch in said circuit to interlock with any one of the parts when any such part is operated to close said circuit, a series of circuit breakers normally closed and erected in fixed position adjacent the path of travel of the supports and each adapted to be opened by contact of an extension therewith, one side of each circuit breaker being part of the named electric circuit, the other side thereof being connected with one of said parts, and a magnet in said electric circuit adapted when energized to hold the latch in engagement with a given part when the latter is manually operated, such operation during the travel of a support completing the circuit through such part and the circuit breaker, and energizing the magnet, the extension of a support having data corresponding to the data of the thus operated part engaging and opening the circuit breaker to render the magnet lneilective and thus permitting the release of said latch from the part operated,

20. A card index including in its construction a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, a support hinged on and movable with said member in a closed path and provided with index matter and with an extension having an index character thereat and adapted to be delivered at a position for inspection, an electric circuit, a manually operated part connected with said circuit and having data thereat corresponding to given data of the support, a second manually operated part associated with the first named part and also connected with said circuit, and likewise having data thereat corresponding to other data of the support, both parts being normally elastically held in position to maintain an open circuit, a latch in the circuit common to both parts adapted to engage and hold each of them in circuit closing position when each is operated to close the circuit, a circuit breaker erected in ilxed position adjacent the path or travel of the support adapted to be opened by contact of the extension oi the support therewith, one side of said circuit breaker being part oi the named circuit, the other side of said breaker being connected with both oi the manually operated parts, and a magnet in said circuit adapted to attract and engage the latch with the parts, the extension oi the support in its travel adapted to open said circuit breaker to render the magnet ineilective releasing the latch from said parts.

21. In a card index, a structure including a treme position engaging and locking with said latch in the second position of the latter, each part having its own identifying character thereat and forming part oi said circuit, a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, a series 0! suppo ts hingedly mounted on the member to travel in a closed path, each for delivery at a common inspection position and each having an identifying character agreeing with a character of one of said manually operated parts, and also having an extension with an index character thereat, a series of mounted normally closed circult breakers, each lying in the path of travel of the extension of a support, and bing parts oi said circuit, the engagement of a given travelling support-extension with a given circuit breaker opening the latter to render the electro magnet ineffective and thereby releasing the latch from a manually operated part previously engaged therewith and corresponding to the support selected for delivery at said common inspection position.

24. A card index including in its construction, and in combination, a member mounted by means whereby it is movable, an electric circuit, an electric motor in said circuit for driving said member, a series 01' supports mounted on said member to i travel therewith and severally changeable in posimember mounted whereby it is adapted to travel in a closed path, a series of independent supports hingedly attached at one of their ends thereto to travel in a closed path therewith and each provided with index characters, said structure also including a series of manually operated devices each normally elastically held in one extreme position, and each having index matter carried thereat which corresponds to an index character on a given support, a series of parts mounted ad- Jacent the path oi travel oi the supports, each of which corresponds with a character on one of the latter and with a character on one oi the said devices, a clip adapted for attachment to a given support to extend therefrom in position to indicate a given character thereon and in a position in the travel of such support to be brought into abutment with any given part oi such series 01' parts corresponding to the named given character on the said support, means located between said part 01' said series of parts and themanually operated device corresponding thereto, said means including a pair of elements adapted to be locked relative to each other in the manual operation 01' said device, a latch to secure the parts in locked relation in another extreme position thereof, means to hold the latch in such locked relation oi! the parts, a portion of said means adapted to release the latch and permit separation of the named elements when the clip in its travel has made contact with the named part or said series of parts.

22. The structure according to claim 21 wherein the named series 01' mounted parts are disposed at such positions adjacent the path or travel or the supports that the clip oi any one oi the latter will have contact with a given predetermined part of the series or mounted parts at a single predetermined point in the travel orbit of the supports.

23. A card index including in its construction, and in combination, an electric circuit, a hingedly mounted magnetically attracted latch in said circuit normally elastically held in one position, on electromagnet also in said circuit i'or attracting the latch to another position, a series of manually operated parts each normally elastically held in an extreme position and in another extion with respect thereto, each adapted for travel toward a common inspection position, a projection or extension on each support, each provided with an index character, each extension having its own path of travel during the travel of the series, a series 01' mounted means each projecting into the path of travel of a given extension for the abutment oi the latter thereagainst in the travel thereof with the member, each means of said series of means being part of said electric circuit and constituting a circuit breaker, a series of manually operated parts in said circuit, and a latch also in said circuit to engage and hold the several parts or the series of said parts in a given position but normally tree thereof, each or the said parts having thereat its own distinguishing index character, each character corresponding to the data oi a given support, the extension of a given support having reached said inspection position, and having come into abutment with and moved :a mounted erected means corresponding thereto causing breaking of the electric circuit for releasing the latch from a given manually operated part engaged with said latch.

25. A card index 01' the rot ry type including in its construction a supporting framing, a member supported on said framing arranged to rotate, a series oiindex-data carrying supports or tablets each separately mounted hlngedly at one oi its ends on said member and each tree to swing at its other end in the direction 0! travel of said tablets, and each in its travel moving toward a position above an' inspection position in bulked order and each tablet being in position to fall by gravity to said inspection position, and means spaced above the latter position in the path of travel of said tablets and in position to be engaged by and providing a lodgement ror said bulk and located to prevent falling of the same, said means arranged to release the tablets one by one, each in its order, during travel or the named bulk of tablets with the member, and adapted to permit each tablet to tail separately to the named inspection position.

GEORGE W. TORRENCE. WILLIS A. CALKINB.

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