US3713535A - Automatic card selector for random access card file system - Google Patents

Automatic card selector for random access card file system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3713535A
US3713535A US00204160A US3713535DA US3713535A US 3713535 A US3713535 A US 3713535A US 00204160 A US00204160 A US 00204160A US 3713535D A US3713535D A US 3713535DA US 3713535 A US3713535 A US 3713535A
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Prior art keywords
card
picker
tab
deck
cards
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US00204160A
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English (en)
Inventor
S Engelstein
I Dorman
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Bell and Howell Co
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Bell and Howell Co
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K21/00—Information retrieval from punched cards designed for manual use or handling by machine; Apparatus for handling such cards, e.g. marking or correcting
    • G06K21/02—Information retrieval from punched cards designed for manual use or handling by machine; Apparatus for handling such cards, e.g. marking or correcting in which coincidence of markings is sensed mechanically, e.g. by needle

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT access card file system formed by car- Isidore Dorman, Whitestone, both ofN.Y.
  • the present invention relates generally to retrieval systems for randomly-stored file cards, and more particularly to a card-file cartridge and automatic cardselector combination making it possible to extract any desired card from the cartridge regardless of its position therein and to present the extracted card to the user.
  • card as used herein is intended generally to cover any type of filing element which may be stacked in boxes or in any other form of file receptacle, and it includes ordinary single-sheet file or tabulating cards, aperture cards in which a microfilm slide is mounted within a card aperture, microfiches and microfiche jackets of the type disclosed in Engelstein US Pat. No. 3,238,655.
  • the term card is therefore intended to encompass any existing form of filing element formed by one or more sheets of paper, cardboard or plastic material or combinations thereof.
  • the stacked cards are serially arranged in alphabetical, numerical or other order in accordance with an established classification system.
  • a clerk wishes to consult a particular card, he goes to the appropriate file box or drawer and then proceeds to search for that card. If, for example, the card bears the identification number 126 and should be found in a file box intended for cards 100 to 199, the clerk riffles through the cards in that box until he locates card 126. After use, to avoid misfiling, the clerk must be careful to return card 126 to its correct position in the proper file box.
  • data-retrieval systems In order to effect economies in clerical operations, data-retrieval systems have been developed adapted to extract a desired card from a stack or deck of randomly-stored cards.
  • the system In existing data-retrieval systems, the system is arranged to quickly and accurately select from a large number of cards lying in face-to-face contact in a file, a particular card corresponding to a code marking or other form of identification in a master file index.
  • the cards in the file may be in any random order and, after being extracted from the file for inspection, reproduction or other use, the card may be returned to any position within the file and subsequently retrieved without difficulty.
  • each card at its lower edge, is provided with a series of equally-spaced apertures arranged in a row, which apertures define adjacent code locations or notch sites that are adapted to be selectively provided with one or more notches to facilitate, in cooperation with sorting rods, selection of a desired card from a deck of stored cards.
  • the Mosler retrieval system described in US. Pat. No. 3,536,l94 is similar to the McBee system save that in Mosler, sorting rods act to leave the desired card available for selection and removal, whereas in McBee, the sorting rods positively engage the desired card for selection and extraction from the deck.
  • the cartridges containing the decks of cards cooperate with a removable selector including a linear track having a scale thereon and a carriage settable along the linear track to any desired incremental point on the scale.
  • a tab-engaging picker Supported on the carriage and projecting therebelow is a tab-engaging picker which is adapted frictionally to engage any tab in the deck whose position corresponds to the carriage setting, regardless of the transverse position of the tab on the deck.
  • a major advantage of a random-access system in accordance with the invention disclosed in our copending application is that it is operationally compatible with traditional filing techniques. With this random-access system, it is not necessary to abandon existing file cabinets and storage facilities employed in the traditional system, for these may readily be adapted to the new system which makes use of file-card cartridges that may be stored in existing facilities.
  • the main object of the present invention is to provide an improved random access card retrieval system, generally of the type disclosed in our copending application, wherein cartridges adapted to store cards having upstanding tabs cooperate with a selector mechanism, the present mechanism for this purpose serving to automatically extract the selected card and to present it to the operator.
  • the operation of the selector is partially or fully automatic.
  • the significant features of the present invention are the following:
  • the selector action is automatic and rapid, and once the carriage is set to a desired point on the scale and a switch actuated, a cycle is initiated in which the picker moves toward the card deck in the cartridge and acts to engage the tab of the selected card, after which it rises to extract the card.
  • the picker action is positive and when it engages the tab of the selected card, it clamps itself firmly thereon. Because the teeth of the picker are initially in loose condition, these teeth accommodate themselves to card tabs of different thickness or tabs which may become deformed in use.
  • the picker after clamping onto the tab, is agitated to dislodge other cards which may adhere onto the selected card, so that only the selected card is extracted.
  • the picker raises the selected card onto a presentation bar which holds the selected card horizontally for easy removal.
  • the automatic picker action is initiated the moment the cartridge containing the cards is put in place for selection.
  • the automatic selector is adapted to cooperate with a cartridge having a pair of compartments for receiving two decks, the cartridge being received on a slidable tray which may be quickly shifted from a first station in which one of the decks is oriented for selection to a second station in which the other deck is so positioned.
  • an object of the invention is to provide an efficient, reliable and low cost random access system formed by cartridges for cards and an automatic selec tor for quickly extracting selected cards and for presenting them to the user at a convenient angle.
  • each card in the deck is provided with an upstanding tab whose longitudinal position reflects its index number.
  • the card having the lowest index number in the deck has its tab adjacent the left end thereof, and that with the highest index number adjacent the right end thereof, cards having intermediate index numbers having their tabs at respective incremental points between the left and right ends.
  • the automatic selector for the cartridges includes a slidable tray which is positioned below a crane having a picker thereon.
  • the crane is supported on a carriage which is movable along a linear truck whereby the carriage may be set in registration with an incremental point on the scale representing the index number of the card to be selected.
  • the tray is shiftable from a first station in which the first deck lies in operative relation to the crane, to a second station in which the second deck is so positioned.
  • the crane which is normally retracted relative to the cartridge is caused to bow to an extent, causing the picker thereon to engage the tab of the selected card.
  • the picker is constituted by a comb of loosely-held teeth whereby all tabs in line with the comb are received between a pair of adjoining teeth. The arrangement is such that when a tab is so engaged, the teeth in the picker comb are then pressed together, causing the pair of teeth engaging the tab to clamp thereon, at which point the crane is raised to lift the selected card from the deck onto a presentation bar supporting the card horizontally to facilitate removal by the operator. As the crane rises from the deck, it is vibrated to dislodge any card that might adhere to the selected card.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a random-access filing system in accordance with the invention, in which file cards are stored in a cartridge and are extracted therefrom by an automatic selector mechanism;
  • FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the cartridge and selector mechanism combination
  • FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the slidable cartridge tray of the selector mechanism
  • FIG. 4 is a side view of a selector mechanism in the lowered position of the picker crane, the raised position thereof being shown in dashed lines;
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the file cards
  • FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken through the file card in the plane indicated by line 66 in FIG. 5;
  • FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section taken through the picker crane and the related deck of cards in the cartridge
  • FIG. 8 illustrates the loose teeth of the picker comb at the point at which a card tab is first engaged
  • FIG. 9 illustrates the teeth of the comb in the pressed state serving to clamp the engaged tab
  • FIG. 10 shows the picker extracting the selected card from the deck
  • FIG. 11 shows the relationship between the teeth of the picker comb and the tab of the selected card
  • FIG. 12 shows the selected card being lifted by the picker comb
  • FIG. 13 is a side view of a modified arrangement for the picker carriage
  • FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the modified arrangement for the picker carriage.
  • FIG. 15 is a diagram of the electrical circuit for the selector mechanism.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a cartridge and an automatic selector combination in accordance with the invention, the former being generally designated by numeral l0, and the latter by numeral 11.
  • the filing system may be constituted by a large assembly of cartridges and a single selector to extract cards from any cartridge in the assembly.
  • the system is intended for the storage of, say, a maximum of 10,000 file cards, one may provide 100 cartridges, each capable of accommodating 100 cards. Obviously there may be fewer than 100 cards in any cartridge.
  • These cartridges may be placed in a compartmentalized cabinet for ready access, or the cartridges may be arranged on a rotary turret or turntable, or in a Ferris-wheel type of storage device adapted to be indexed to present a selected cartridge to the user.
  • existing filing facilities for a non-random system may be used to house the cartridges for the random-access system.
  • Cartridge l0 asseen in FIGS. 1 and 4 is an opentop, box-like structure, preferably made of highstrength plastic material, including front and rear walls 10a and 10b, and an intermediate wall 10c partitioning the interior into front and rear compartments I and II of equal size.
  • Each compartment is capable of storing a deck of 50 cards. The dimensions of the compartments relative to the cards received therein are such that the upper margins of the cards are exposed.
  • the cartridges may be provided with removable or hinged covers serving to protect the cards when the cartridges are stored.
  • the microfiche jacket cards MM are each constituted by two transparent rectangular panels 12 and 13 in superposed relation, the panels being formed of clear, flexible plastic material, such as polyester film or any other suitable transparent sheeting having high tensile strength. Interposed between these panels and bonded thereto are spacer ribs formed by longitudinally-extending strips 14 in parallel relation to define parallel channels C to C open at either end.
  • the channels are of like width to accommodate microfilm strips of a given size, such as 16 mm. or 35 mm. film.
  • a deck D, of 50 cards MM is stored in compartment I of cartridge 10, and a like deck D, is stored in compartment II.
  • the cards in each deck are provided with upstanding tabs T.
  • these tabs may be fabricated by extending the rear panel 13 of the microfiche jacket above the uppermost rib 14 and diecutting the extension to define the rounded tab profile. Since with a microfiche jacket of the Engelstein type, the rear panel is formed of a relatively heavy plastic sheet, the resultant tab is stiff and durable. Alternatively, the tabs need not be integral with the card but may be separately formed and bonded to the cards at appropriate positions.
  • the 100 cartridges for a file system of 10,000 cards may be identified in a master index by cartridge numbers I to 100, and the cards in deck I by card numbers 0 to 49, and those in deck [I by card numbers 50 to 100.
  • tabs T of the cards in each of decks D, and D are placed to occupy distinct longitudinal positions relative to scales S, and S,, printed in parallel relation on a scale plate 15 which is shiftable relative to masking strip 16 whose ends are secured to the frame.
  • Strip 16 is provided with an elongated window along whose lower edge is printed a row of indicia 16A.
  • the scale S is aligned with the indicia 16A and scale 8,, is hidden, and in the second position thereof, scale S, lies under and is hidden by the strip, whereas scale 8,, is in alignment therewith.
  • Scale S is graduated from 0 to 49; hence the tabs T formed on the front deck D, of cards are displaced fromeach other to occupy positions in longitudinal alignment with the incremental points on this scale.
  • Scale II is graduated from 50 to 99, the increments of which correspond to the increments 0 to 49 on Scale S
  • Tabs T formed on the rear deck D,, of cards are also displaced from each other to occupy positions in longitudinal alignment with the incremental points on the related scale.
  • the cards are identified by their cartridge, compartment, and tab position.
  • a card identified in the master index as 93-II-77 is to be found in cartridge 93, rear compartment II thereof, and tab position 77.
  • this card belongs in the rear compartment of cartridge 93, it may be placed at any random position in this compartment, for the selector is adapted to pick up this card regardless of its placement in the deck.
  • the tabs which have a rounded formation, fairly close to one another so that they overlap, as long as the displacement is sufficient for the selector comb (to be later described) to pick a desired tab without engaging an undesired tab.
  • the tabs need not be rounded but may have any other formation facilitating their selection, such as a trapezoidal form.
  • selector 11 is provided with a frame having stepped side walls 17 and 18. Mounted on top of the frame and extending between the side walls is a rotatable shaft 19 which supports a U shaped presentation bar 20, having a pair of discs 21 and 22 at the bends thereof. These discs form end guides for the card presented by the bar.
  • a slotted shaft 23 serving as a track for a carriage PC which is keyed to the slot in the shaft and is movable with limits determined by the slot length.
  • Anchored in the carriage and extending therefrom is the arm 24 of a crane, at the end of which is attached a card picker 25.
  • Cartridge containing two decks of cards D, and D, is received in a tray 26 joined to scale plate 15, the tray and scale plate being slidable along underlying tracks 27 and 28 (see FIG. 2) from a first station to a second station.
  • deck D lies in operative relation to the picker thereover, in which event scale S, is aligned with indicia strip 16.
  • event scale S is aligned with indicia strip 16.
  • card deck D,, and scale S are in their operative positions.
  • Indicator 33 Shiftable along a cross bar 32 extending between the side walls of the frame at the front thereof is an indicator 33 having a pointer 34 which scans indicia strip 16.
  • Indicator 33 is provided with a finger piece to which, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, a spring-biased detent blade 35 is coupled. Detent blade 35 engages the teeth of a rack bar 36.
  • the finger piece is released to cause the detent blade to engage the rack teeth, thereby locking the indicator setting.
  • Indicator 33 is operatively linked by a cable 37 running over pulleys 38 and 39 supported on side wall 17 and pulleys 38a and 39a on side wall 18, to a picker carriage PC, the cable passing through hollow shaft 23 serving as the carriage track.
  • a cable 37 running over pulleys 38 and 39 supported on side wall 17 and pulleys 38a and 39a on side wall 18, to a picker carriage PC, the cable passing through hollow shaft 23 serving as the carriage track.
  • the cards in cartridge 10 have their backs to scales S, and S,,; hence picker 25 which sees the front of the cards, has a proper scale relation thereto.
  • Picker 25 is provided with a stack of identical teeth 40 of triangular shape, preferably formed by metal plates.
  • the teeth are loosely supported on a rod 41 passing coaxially through the hollow arm of crane 24 and terminating in an electromagnet 42 mounted on picker carriage PC.
  • the stack of teeth 40 forms a comb which is interposed between a pressure plate 40A and a back plate 40B, the pressure plate being secured to the free end of rod 41 and the back plate being secured to the free end of crane arm 24.
  • the arrangement is such that when electromagnet 42 is energized, rod 24 is pulled thereby, causing pressure plate 40A to move toward back plate 408 and to compress the teeth 40 therebetween.
  • the triangular teeth 40 engage and grip only that tab in direct line therewith, all other tabs being disregarded including those of other cards which lie in overlapping relation to the gripped tab.
  • the picker is thereafter raised as shown in FIG. 12, only the selected card MM is withdrawn from the deck.
  • presentation bar 20 as indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 4, is at a raised horizontal position above cartridge 10 and crane arm 24 bearing picker 25 is upwardly extended.
  • picker 25 is lowered to engage a selected card in the cartridge and to extract the card from the deck as the picker returns to its initial position.
  • presentation bar 20 is first lowered to a position inwardly displaced relative to the lowered picker and then, as the picker rises to extract the extracted card, the presentation bar is raised to its initial position in front of the picker, at which point it lies below the extracted card and causes it to assume a horizontal position as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4.
  • the extracted card is outstretched to facilitate its removal by the operator from the picker.
  • an electromagnetic vibrator 49 is provided.
  • the vibrator is mounted on crane arm 24 and is energized shortly after energization of the picker electromagnet, causing the picker teeth to clamp onto the selected tab. This vibrator functions to dislodge unwanted cards from the clamped selected card.
  • FIG. 15 shows motor 43, vibrator 49 and picker solenoid 42 in combination with microswitches 50, 51, 52 and 53 coupled to a suitable source of AC power.
  • Microswitch 50 may be positioned on the selector frame for manual push-button operation, as shown in FIG. 1, but preferably it is mounted in the cartridge tray, so that when the cartridge is properly nested in the tray, this switch is actuated. Or one can have both a tray-actuated switch and a push-button switch, so that the cycle may be re-initiated while the cartridge remains in the tray. This is desirable when more than one card selection is to be made from the same cartridge.
  • Microswitches 51, 52 and 53 are actuated in a predetermined sequence by cams 51A, 52A, and 53A, mounted on the shaft of motor 43.
  • the cam-operated switch 51 serves to control motor 43 in combination with microswitch 50, such that when switch 50 is actuated, it completes a circuit through initially-closed contacts in switch 51, to energize motor 43. This circuit is broken by cam-operated switch 51 upon the completion of a single revolution.
  • microswitch 52 is such that when picker has engaged the tab of the selected card, this switch is immediately closed to effect energization of picker solenoid 42 through a suitable rectifier 54, to cause the picker to clamp on the tab, the solenoid being de-energized at the end of the cycle to release the tab.
  • the electromagnetic vibrator 49 which operates directly on AC power, is energized upon the cam-controlled closure of switch 53, the vibrator being de-energized well before completion of the cycle.
  • FIGS. 13 and 14 there is shown a modified arrangement for supporting picker carriage PC so as to separate cable 37 from the shaft supporting this carriage whereby a solid rather than a hollow shaft may be used.
  • carriage PC is keyed to a solid shaft 55, whereas cable 37 which is tied to the carriage, passes through suitable collars in bell crank lever 48 and in an auxiliary lever 56, which levers are joined together by a bar 57.
  • the selector mechanism is otherwise identical to that shown in the other figures.
  • the indicator 33 which is shown as being manually adjustable, may in practice be operated automatically from a keyboard or by a computer whereby the motorized indicator is caused to shift to a desired scale position.
  • the system is disclosed in connection with cartridges for storing the file cards, in practice the cards may be housed in trays or conveyors which are movable relative to a selector station.
  • each card having an upstanding tab whose longitudinal position with respect to said scale is determined by its index number, whereby when said picker is shifted from its normally retracted position to its tab-engaging position, the only tabs which are engaged are tabs which lie in registration with the carriage setting, and when said picker is thereafter retracted, the tab-engaged card is fully extracted from the deck.
  • said means for housing said file cards are cartridges which are dimensioned to store at least one deck of cards.
  • said picker is constituted by a comb of loose teeth, the tab being engaged between a pair of adjoining teeth, further including electromagnetic means to compress said teeth whereby said tab is clamped between said pair of teeth.
  • a system as set forth in claim 6 including means to effect said compression immediately after the tab is engaged.
  • teeth are mounted in a rod between a pressure plate and a back plate, the rod being attached to said pressure plate and passing through said back plate, and an electromagnet coupled to said rod to draw said pressure plate toward said back plate to compress said teeth.
  • a system as set forth in claim 9 further including means to render said vibrator operative immediately after said picker has clamped onto a tab.
  • a picker constituted by a comb of loose teeth, a tab being engaged between a pair of adjoining teeth, and means to compress said teeth to grip the engaged tab.
  • a selector as set forth in claim 15, wherein said means to compress the teeth is constituted by a pressure plate connected to a rod passing through the teeth and coupled to an electromagnet.
  • a selector mechanism for automatically selecting one or more cards from a deck thereof, each card in the deck having an upstanding tab thereon whose longitudinal position depends on its index number, said mechanism comprising:

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US00204160A 1971-12-02 1971-12-02 Automatic card selector for random access card file system Expired - Lifetime US3713535A (en)

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US20416071A 1971-12-02 1971-12-02

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US (1) US3713535A (ja)
JP (1) JPS4876446A (ja)
CA (1) CA978102A (ja)
DE (1) DE2258237B2 (ja)
FR (1) FR2162153A1 (ja)
GB (1) GB1417429A (ja)
IT (1) IT973794B (ja)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3791519A (en) * 1971-10-18 1974-02-12 Datagraph Ag Storage apparatus
US4619367A (en) * 1984-11-30 1986-10-28 Nb Jackets De Puerto Rico Automatic card selector for random-access card file system
US5140764A (en) * 1985-04-17 1992-08-25 Nb Jackets De Puerto Rico Non-blocking microfilm jacket

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3791519A (en) * 1971-10-18 1974-02-12 Datagraph Ag Storage apparatus
US4619367A (en) * 1984-11-30 1986-10-28 Nb Jackets De Puerto Rico Automatic card selector for random-access card file system
US5140764A (en) * 1985-04-17 1992-08-25 Nb Jackets De Puerto Rico Non-blocking microfilm jacket

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Publication number Publication date
DE2258237B2 (de) 1975-01-30
IT973794B (it) 1974-06-10
CA978102A (en) 1975-11-18
FR2162153A1 (ja) 1973-07-13
JPS4876446A (ja) 1973-10-15
GB1417429A (en) 1975-12-10
DE2258237A1 (de) 1973-06-07

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