US3190021A

US3190021A - Indexing device

Info

Publication number: US3190021A
Application number: US83672A
Authority: US
Inventors: Everett F Gustafson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-01-19
Filing date: 1961-01-19
Publication date: 1965-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-22

Description

June 22, 1965 E. F. GUsTAFsoN 3,190,021

INDEXING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1951 FE -l 2 SheetsSheet l I Jr L njl T za# l ff fh l I a /0LA i l me@ Q I i l I w l 126%@ g E E "a I b '1 5 /00-/9 y mmmmmmmmmmmmm a f j I 34m i f I 'Z' Jee 2* L-----. i

jammer {fiar/*291s June 22, 1965 I E. F. GUsTAFsoN 3,190,021

INDEXING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .FE-E

90- as f 5 90 ,6 f 66W l l f f l y i I f1/f l l v l 8 72; f 8,4 5;

62 I .9 l 70h72/ g v f8? I 6 j 6:4 lll 510 4 38 "minimun m fia 1li i /08 z-iifzzJL-DD lznmgf@ -fq: 1 WMU* 58- l .fw-$3 |I I' il j 5I: i

Il :;|f,l: z z z l Eli i um? U jgsU United States Patent O 3,190,021 WDEXING DEVICE Everett F. Gustafson, 1320 Ardmore Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed dan. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 33,672 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-86) The present invention relates generally to devices for storing and indexing information. The present invention is particularly suited for use as directories and the like.

Book type indexes for telephone and address directories are well known and have the advantage of low cost and relatively small space requirements. However, such directories have great disadvantages when employed frequently. A receptionist, or the like, finds it diiicult to locate a particular person alphabetically listed among a very large number of entries. Further, booktype directories cannot be revised without a complete rewriting of the directory. Loose leaf directories of the book type are `generally considered to be unsuitable because they fail to provide sufficient durability.

For these reasons, information has been placed upon removable paper strips which are removably mounted on large plates. Most directories of this type mount the plates on a rotatable spindle, and in this manner make available a directory which may be maintained current for a relatively small quantity of information. Further, `such directories are cumbersome to use and require very substantial space.

Where a very limited amount of information is required in a directory, and that information is not of a changing nature, such as the mileage and the preferred routes between towns, a rotatable cylinder type directory has been employed. The requested information is permanently printed or secured to the exterior surface of the cylinder,

and a window is provided in the housing `of the unit revealing the specific information requested. Such indexing devices are not adapted for indexing relatively large quantities of information. Also, the specific item of information is diicult and time consuming to locate, and such units provide no means for indexing information which must be maintained current.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a storage and indexing machine which may contain large quantities of information in a relatively small volume.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an indexing machine capable of storing and indexing large quantities of information which may be utilized to rapidly locate a specific item of information.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an indexing machine for larger quantities of information than the indexing devices presently known which may be maintained current in a simple manner.

These and additional objects of the present invention will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art from a further consideration `of this disclosure, particularly when viewed in the light of the drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevational View of an indexing and storage device constructed according to the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of one type of device for securing information containing strips in the indexing and storage device illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3; l

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of a further type of device for securing strips of information to an indexing vand storage device, such as illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3; and

ICC

FIGURE 6 is a sectional View illustrating still another means for securing the strips in the indexing and storage device of FIGURES 1 through 3.

The indexing and storage device illustrated in FIG- URES l through 3 has a housing 10 which contains a belt 12 which is translatedly disposed adjacent to a window I4 in the face 16 of the housing 1l). The information which is to be stored in the indexing and storage device is placed on strips 18 which are secured to the belt 12 in a removable manner. The belt 12 is translatedly disposed between the front 16 of the housing 10 and a guide plate 2li which confronts the entire opening 14. The front 16 of the housing tu is mounted to the remainder of the housing on hinges I7 to permit access to the inside of the housing lll. Means are attached to each end of the belt 12 for the purpose of translating the belt across the guide plate 20, the means illustrated in the figures comprising a first spool 22 attached to one end of the belt 12 and a second spool 24 attached to the other end of the belt 12. The spools 22 and 24 are journalled about

shafts

26 and 28, respectively.

The housing 1li has a base plate 3l) which is bent normally on the sides parallel to its longitudinal axis forming parallel walls 36 and `The

side walls

36 and 38 are each provided with three apertures which form three pairs of apertures di?, 42, and 44, the axis of each pair of apertures being parallel to each other and equally spaced in a common plane. The apertures lll) are provided with insert bearings d6, and the shaft 26 is journaled within the bearings ld. In like manner, the apertures 44 are provided with insert bearings 43, and the shaft 23 is journaled within the insert bearings d8. Each of the spools 22 and 24 has a pair of discs 50 secured to opposite ends of a cylinder 52, and the discs Si) are provided with bearing surfaces 541 which are journaled about the

shafts

26 or 28. In addition, each of the spools 22 and 24 is provided with a slot S6 extending the entire length of the cylinder 52 parallel to the cylindrical axis. The slots 56 receive the ends of the belt l2, and the belt 12 is folded back upon itself at each end to provide an open ended straight pocket 58. A rod d@ is disposed within the pocket of each end of the belt 12 and extends through the aperture 62 in the discs Sil of the spools 22 and 24 at the ends thereof.

The spools 22 and 24 are a portion of a belt translation mechanism, and as illustrated in the figures, the belt translation mechanism provides means for positively driving each of the spools 22 and 24. The apertures 42 are provided with insert bearings 6d which journal a third shaft 66. The shaft 66 is provided with a pair of pulley wheels 68 and 7i) adjacent to the walls 36 and 3S of the housing 10, respectively. The pulley wheels 68 and 70 are secured to the shaft 66 and rotate with the shaft, and one end of the shaft 66 is provided with a crank handle 72 mounted `to a wheel 74 for rotating the shaft 66. i

A pair of cylindrical spacers 76 are disposed between the wall 35 and the spool 24 about the shaft 28, and a combination drag and pulley unit 77 is disposed on the shaft 28 adjacent to the Awall 33. The drag and pulley unit 77 has a pulley 7S and a spacer Si) which is locked to the shaft 28 by a screw 81. The pulley 78 engages the spacer 80 for rotation. A circular spring spacer 9G between each pulley 80 and spacer 'i6 and the housing provides the required drag. A drive belt 82 engages the pulley wheel 7@ and pulley 78 and rides within semicircular indentations e4 and 86 in the pulley wheel 70- and pulley 7 8, respectively.

In like manner, a combination drag and pulley unit 87 having at pulley SS and spacer 89 is disposed between the spool 22 and wall 36, and a spring spacer .90 is disposed between the combination unit 37 and the wall 36. `The pulley 3S is connected to the pulley wheel 68 by a flexible il di drive belt 2, hence coupling of the shaft 66 to the spool 22.

Spacers

94 and 96 are disposed between the spool 22 and the drag spring 91B.

Manual translation of the belt 12 may thus be achieved in either direction by applying rotational power to the handle 72. In many applications, it is desirable to translate the belt at a relatively rapid speed in order to have more rapid access to the larger quantity of information which can be stored upon the belt 12. For this reason, a motor 9S is mounted to the cabinet 10 and coupled to the shaft 66. In the particular embodiment here disclosed, the motor 98 is reversible, and has a single shaft extending therethrough which serves as the shaft 66. A forward and a reversed switch 10@ and 102 are disposed on Ithe face 16 of the cabinet 10, thus permitting the belt to be translated in either forward or a reverse direction. The handle 72 and wheel 74 may be eliminated from the construction when the motor 9S is employed, however, for some applications it is desirable to utilize both manual and electrical motor means to drive the belt 12.

As illutrated in FIGURE 4, the belt 12 is provided with a plurality of pairs of relatively short parallel slots 164 of equal length. Each pair of slots is spaced by a fixed distance designated 10d, the spaced distance being approximately equal to the lengths of the slots 104. The portion of the belt 12 between the slots of each pair, designated 108, constitutes a strip which is utilized to retain the strips 1S in a removable manner to the belt 12. The strips 1S are provided with tabs 1113 at the ends thereof which have a dimension normal to the strips shorter than the lengths of the slots 1134. The tabs 11@ on opposite ends of each strip are inserted through a pair of confronting slots 104 so that the strips 1118 pass over the tabs 110 and secures the ends of the information strip to the belt 12.

In placing the tabs 110 in the slots, care must be observed to slip the tabs 116 through both of the slots 10d. This occasionally proves to be somewhat inconvenient. For this reason, the construction illustrated in FIGURE 5 has been employed in some constructions. Also, the construction in FIGURE 5 is adapted Ito automatic production techniques. In this construction, a ribbon 114 is secured at spaced intervals parallel and adjacent to each side of the belt 12. The ribbon 14 is preferably cemented, but may also be sewn, at spaced intervals designated 116 to provide spaced regions 118 in which the ribbon 114 is not secured to the belt 12 so that the tabs 110 may be inserted between the ribbon 114 and belt 12.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the use of adhesive for securing the information strips, designated 18A, to the belt 12. In this embodiment of the invention, the strips 18A are rectangular in shape since outwardly extending tabs are not required. A layer of adhesive 117 is disposed on the side of the information strips opposite the information carrying surface, and the layer 117 adheres to the belt 12 to maintain the strips 18A in position.

The adhesive layer 117 may be either of the permanent or removable type, that is, by selecting the type of adhesive, the strips 18A may be either permanently secured to the belt 12 or removable. If changes are required, the removable type adhesive is desired, and most adhesives of this type will secure the strip a second time, or more, to the belt 12. The belt 12 is preferably constructed of air impermeable material if the removable type Vfof adhesive is employed in order to prevent drying of the adhesive so that strip 13A may again be secured to the belt 12. Particularly suitable belt materials are the relatively air impermeable, stretch resistance plastics, such as Mylar.

The present invention is particularly adapted to directories, such as are employed for telephone numbers or addresses. Such directories generally are in alphabetical order, thus requiring frequent changes in the entire order due to necessary revisions to keep the indexing service up to date. Since the information strips are readily removable and may be positioned at other places on the strip or belt 12, the present device is readily suited for such uses. Further, it is to be noted that the opening 14 which confronts the belt 12 and the information strips 18 have a dimension parallel to the axis of elongation of the belt which is a multiple yof the transverse dimension of the information strips 18. As a result, a plurality of information strips appear in the opening or window 14, so that it is not necessary to stop the belt at the precise location of the information strip desired. This facilitates alphabetical or numerical indexing of the information contained on the belt 12. Y

In order to further simplify and facilitate the selection of a particular information strip 13 or llA, a rectangular recess 12d is provided at the upper left hand corner of the opening 1li to reveal the beginning or left hand edge of one additional strip 18. Each 4of the strips 1S is provided with an -oversized initial letter to designate' the letter of the alphabet utilized by that strip, and this letter only appears in the recess 121i to make it readily apparent to the operator that that portion of the alphabet is passing past the opening 14 at this particular moment. VIn addition, the motor 93 is a synchronous alternating curr/ent motor and the linkage between the motor 9S and the translatable belt 12 is selected to result in a single information strip passing through the indentation each 60th of a second. A fluorescent light 122 connected to the same power source as the motor 93 is positioned to illuminate the face 16 of the storage and indexing device, and since the fluorescent light will therefore be synchronized Vwith the translation rate of the belt 12, the letter appearing in the indentation 120 will appear to be standing still and will be rapidly apparent to the operator even though the belt 12 is translated at a rapid rate.

FIGURE l also shows a second recess 124 extending Yfrom one of the sides of the widow 14, preferably the left side as viewed in use. This recess has a length equal to a multiple of the width of the strips 18 or 13A and a single large letter 125 representing the first letter of the information on the strips is printed on the beltr12 and appears in this recess 124. Since the letter must be printed on the belt 12, it is preferable to use the adhesive type strips 18A, since no tabs 110 are required. Also, a speed switch 126 isrprovided in order to reduce the speed of the motor to maintain synchronism of the large letters 126 with the pulse rate of the fluorescent lamp 122'. In this manner, the operator has a choice of speeds, both forward and reverse. If desired, the first two letters can be used for the markings 126.

Those skilled in the art will readily devise many modiications to the foregoing device which are clearly within the intended scope of this invention. Further, the invention here set forth will clearly have applications above and beyond the specific storage indexing device here disclosed. It is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be not limited to the foregoing disclosure, but rather only by the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

A storage and indexing device comprising in combination, a housing having a rectangular window therein with a longitudinal and a transverse axis, an elongated belt of flexible air impermeable plastic material disposed within the housing, means within the housing for transporting the belt adjacent to the window with the longitudinal axis of the belt disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the window including a first and a second spool positioned on opposite sides of the window, a plurality of elongated strips adapted to carry informational indicia on one surface thereof, said strips being adjacent to each other and having their longitudinal axes parallel to each other and spaced by a common distance, the longitudinal axis of the strips being approximately equal to the transverse axis of [the window and the longitudinal axis of the window being at least a multiple of the length of the transverse axis of the strips, a layer of non-drying adhesive disposed on the side of each of the strips opposite the indicia and disposed in Contact with the surface of the belt confronting the window, each said layer securing one strip on the belt with the longitudinal axis thereof normal to the longitudinal axis of the window, the longitudinal ends of the strips being aligned with the transverse edges of the window, means within the housing for transporting of the belt including a reversible electrical motor mechanically coupled to the lirst and second spools, a rst electrical switch electrically connected to the motor and mounted on the housing including an actuation member protruding from the housing for energizing the motor in the forward direction, and a second electrical switch electrically connected to the motor and mounted on the housing having an actuation member protruding from the housing i for energizing the motor in the reverse direction, a light source confronting the window directed on the strips, said light source producing periodic pulses of light synchronized with the period required for the belt to travel a distance equal to the common distance between longitudinal axes of the strips, wherein the belt has a transverse axis greater than the transverse axis of the window and carries vindicia von the belt adjacent to one of the longitudinal edges of the strips having a dimension in the direction parallel to the transverse axes of the strips at least a multiple of the transverse axes of a strip, said indicia being disposed adjacent to the window but confronting the housing, and an indentation disposed in the housing from the transverse edge of the window confronting the path of the indicia on the belt, said indentation having an axis parallel to the axis yof elongation of the tape greater than the length of the indicia in said axis.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 542,793 7/95 Burgess 40--86 1,065,337 6/13 Burroughs 40-86 X 1,176,628 3/16 Verville 40-31 1,291,133 1/19 Raine 40-86 1,375,005 4/21 James 40`31 X 1,496,515 6/24 Beckett 40-95 1,804,453 5/31 Basseches 40-340 X 1,976,759 10/34 Yanga 40-86 2,080,985 5/37 OConner et a1. 40-52 2,192,072 2/40 Fasig 40e-53 2,635,373 4/53 Barkau` 40-31 X 2,722,069 11/55 Overbeek 40-86 2,729,006 1/56 Olsson 40-31 2,765,552 10/56 Schlaily 40--53 2,853,803 9/58 Exton 40-63 X 2,853,817 9/58 Palm 40-86 2,936,540 5/60 Power 40.63 3,034,241 5/62 Kossor et al. 40-53 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

E. V. BENHAM, Examiner.