US316288A

US316288A - meeeifield

Info

Publication number: US316288A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1902-04-21

Description

y(No Model.)

A. A. MERRIFIELD.

INDICATOR.`

No. 816,288. Patented Apr. 21, 1885.

. Attorney,`

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. MERRIFIELD, OF ST. ALBANS, VERMONT.

INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,288, dated April 21, 1885.

Application filed May 21, i884.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALBERT A. MERRI- EIELD, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at St. Albans, in the county of Franklin and State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Indicators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient tabular device having' movable parts and certain signals, symbols, or signs for indicating at a glance a fact or series of facts existing in a given place or building.

In illustration of one form of my invention, I have herein embodied it in a register or indicator for hotels, whereby the clerk or proprietor may see at a glance what rooms are occupied or not, and any such facts as the name, date of arrival, and accommodations required, of the guests.

rIhe invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1` is a plan view of a hotel-register in use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section in the plane of line a: x, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section in the plane of line y y, Fig. 1.

In practicing my invention, I take a foundation, a-such as a board-of suitable width and thickness and provide it with a number of transverse chambers or compartments, b, one end of which slopes upward on abevel or curve to form an entrance, c, to each. These compartments are separated by partitions d, in which are made grooves or ways e, substantially as shown in Fig. 2; and these grooves receive slides f, shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 3, and adapted to be moved back and forth within said chambers by means of buttons g, secured thereto. The forward end, h, of the slides is beveled. The rear end of each compartment is provided with a block, i, adapted to be covered and uncovered by the slide f. A space is left beneath the slide of each compartment sufficient to receive a card, j.

A board or table may be made up of one or more rows of compartments, according to the number of accounts to be kept regarding certain rooms, persons, or the like.

The beveling or the curving of the entrance (No model.)

ends ofthe chambers and the slides facilitates the insertion and removal of the cards.

In a hotel-register'of this construction, the blocks t' will receive numerals corresponding to the number of apartments in the house,

and it is designed that when a room is enas may be required for the information of the clerk or proprietor. Now, should anew guest call for accommodations, instead of having to look through his books, the clerk need only look at the indicator to find at a simple glance what rooms he has vacant, and the assignment of the guest may therefore be made with the least possible delay. Y

When a guest leaves, the card used may be filed in any suitable manner for future reference.

It is obvious that a register or indicator of this description may be conveniently used in keeping the time or attendance of employs in factories or other establishments, and for either purpose it will prove a saver of time and book-keeping. As a time-indicator for factories and the like the blocks i may receive the employs names, designations, or numbers. and the cards receive the other items.y

W'hat I claim is- The foundation a, having the series of compartments b, the beveled or curved entrance c to said compartments, the partitions d, pro vided with guides or ways e, the slides f, arranged in said guides or ways to move back and forth within said compartments, and the blocks i, provided with fixed signals, symbols, or signs, or the like, combined and arranged vsubstantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of May, A. D. 1884.

ALBERT A. MERRIFIELD.

Witnesses:

GEEENLEAE W. BATOHELDER, L. S. WHITE.