US2648336A

US2648336A - File position indicating device

Info

Publication number: US2648336A
Application number: US254473A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles F Zukoski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-11-02
Filing date: 1951-11-02
Publication date: 1953-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1970-08-11

Description

INVENTOR. 4

c/mwzis E ZUKOSK/ Mam;

C F ZUKOSK! FILE POSITION INDICATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 2,

Aug. 11, 1953 Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES 1 NT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a file position indicating device and more particularly to a device for indicating the place in a file drawer from which a file, or document has been removed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shall retain the files, papers or documents adja- O cent the place from which a file is removed separated, thus indicating the point at which the file is to be returned to the drawer.

A device embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. i is a side elevational view partly broken away of a filing cabinet having my improved device attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device attached to a filing cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing different means for securing the device to the filing cabinet; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device showing the manner in which the pins are removably connected thereto.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, I show a filing cabinet indicated generally by the numeral ill. The filing cabinet ii! is provided with the usual drawers 1! having side walls l2 and it, a front wall i l, a rear wall it, and a bottom ll. The drawer ll may be mounted on the usual rollers 13 and is attached to the filing cabinet in the usual manner. Also mounted in the bottom of the drawer for longitudinal movement therein is the usual vertically extending backstop it.

My improved file position indicating device is indicated generally by the numeral 22 and comprises a pair of relatively fiat vertically extending end members 23 and 2 joined together by a pair of elongated bars 26 and 21!. The vertically 2 extending end members 23 and 2 5 are provided with an offset portion 28 adjacent the upper end thereof and the outer edges of the offset portion are bent inwardly toward each other to form flanges 29 and 3t which extend at an angle of approximately 99 to the

end members

23 and 24.

The elongated bar 26 may be secured to the flanges 29 and Si by any suitable means such as by screws 32. Preferably the bar 26 is rectangular in cross section and comprises a metal angle 33 and a strip of wood It'd which fits beneath the horizontal flange of the angle to form the rectangular bar The strip of wood t l is secured to the metal angle 33 by any suitable means such as screws 3%. A. plurality of downwardly and inwardly extending holes ii are provided in the elongated bar 25 for receiving a plurality of relatively strong steel pins 38 as hereinafter described. As shown in Fig. 5, the holes H are spaced uniformly throughout the length of the bar 26 a distance equal to the minimum thickness of individual files and are positioned substantially equidistant from the top of the bar. The elongated bar 2'! is positioned below and spaced from the bar 26 and is secured to the lower end of the flanges 2t and 35 by any suitable means such as by bolts 33. lhe elongated strip 27 serves as a brace between the vertically extending members 23 and 2 and may be formed of a relatively thin sheet of metal or the like.

The pins 39 are provided with an oifset portion il adjacent one end thereof and the other end thereof is tapered for insertion in the holes 3'5. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4: the pins 39, when inserted in the holes 3'17 extend downwardly and inwardly of the drawer l l and are prevented from falling all the way through the opening by means of the offset portion ii. Also, the lower tapered end of the pins facilitates insertion of the pins between files. The pins are preferably made of steel or a similar metal which is strong enough to retain the position of a file which has been removed by keeping the adjacent files separated. Preferably also the outer ends of the holes 3'5 may be countersunk as shown at ill to aid the person using the device to insert the pins.

The file position indicating device is of a length slightly shorter than the length of the drawer and is positioned at one side of the drawer H, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Where the device is applied to an existing filing cabinet it may be detachably secured to the rear wall it of the drawer by means of a c clamp 52 which clamps the end member 2'3 to the rear wall it. When clamped to the drawer in this manner the lower ends of the vertically extending

members

23 and 24 contact the bottom H of the drawer, thus aiding to support the device along one side of the drawer. By providing the offset portion 28 at the upper end of the vertically extending members 23 and as, the elongated bars 26 and 21 are positioned laterally and outwardly of the files placed within the drawer thus permitting easy removal of the files therefrom.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing I show my file position indicating device as being secured to the rear wall it of the drawer by means of rivets 43 fitting in openings 33a. It will be apparent that other suitable means may be employed to secure the device to the drawer, or if desired the pins 39 may be employed to hold the device in place.

From the foregoing description of my file psition indicating device, the operation thereof will be readily understood. When it is desired to remove a file M from the drawer H, pins 39 are inserted through the opening 31 on both sides of the file to be removed. After removal of the file, the pins 39 extend downwardly and inwardly between the adjacent files. The pins thus hold them separated and restrain them against falling into the space occupied by the removed file, and marks the place from which the file has been removed. When it is desired to replace the file, it is placed back between the pins 39. By providing a plurality of pins 39, any number of files may be removed from the drawer and their positions marked and reserved as described above.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved file position indicating device which may be readily applied to conventional types of filing cabinets. It will also be seen that I have provided a file positioning device Which marks the place in a file drawer from which a file has been removed and separates the adjacent files from each other thus assuring that the file will be returned at the proper place, greatly facilitating the insertion of the file in its proper position in the drawer.

While I have shown m invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without de- 4 parting from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

The combination with a file drawer having therein a plurality of laterally extending removable files, of file position indicating means comprising a relatively flat supporting member secured to the rear wall of the file drawer adjacent one side of the drawer and extending above the top of the adjacent side of the drawer, a second relatively fiat supporting member adjacent the front wall of the drawer at the same side of the drawer as the first mentioned supporting member and substantially coextensive in height with the first named supporting member, a laterally extending projection adjacent the upper end of each supporting member extending above and outwardly of the adjacent side wall of the drawer, inturned flanges on said projections extending toward each other and at substantially right angles to said supporting members, an elongated substantially horizontal bar extending between the supporting members and secured to said flanges adjacent the tops thereof, there being a multiplicity of downwardly and inwardly extending holes in said bar spaced at substantially equal intervals along said bar, and a pair of pins fitting slidabl and snugly in adjacent ones of said holes and extending downwardly between the files in the drawer whereby said pair of pins are held substantially rigidly and indicate between them the position of a removable file.

CHARLES F. ZUKOSKI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS