US499441A - Card catalogue and index - Google Patents

Description

'N-Mdel`) A J RUDOLPH GARD GATALUGUBAND INDEX.

No. 499,441. Pate-mamma 13., 189s.

TH: Noams PEYERS co. PHOToLITHo.. wAsNlNm'GN. n. r:A

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER J. RUDOLPH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CARD CATALOGUE. AND INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,441, dated June 13, 1893.

Application filed January 28, 1893. Serial No. -460126 (N0 mOdel-l To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER J. RU- DOLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Card Catalogues and Indexes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. 4

My invention rotates to certain improvements in indexes and les.

It consists of a series of cards, with a means for holding index slips upon them, a box within which the cards are sustained, a peculiar device for supporting the cards in position to be readily examined, and movable indicators whereby the proper position of each card of a series is at once determined, and any misplacement of any card is detected.

It also consists in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawer containing my slip-holders for card catalogues and indexes. Fig. 2 isatransverse section of the drawer with the slip-holders. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a slip-holder, showing its construction.

A is the outer box or case of any suitable size, preferably made with bars or ribs projecting a little inwardly at each end to prevent the ends of the contained cards from rubbing against the inner ends of the box.

The cards B consist of long strips ot stencil, card-board or sheet metal of suflicient length to just tit inside of the ribs longitudinally within the box, and of a width equal to the depth ofthe box. Upon the oppositelongitudinal edges of these strips are fixed reinforcing strips C, and over these strips are fastened other strips D which project inwardly a little way over the first named strips, thus forming grooves or channels between the outer strips and the faces of the cards. The end of each slip-holder is either closed, or made so narrow that the inserted matter cannot fall or be pushed out. Within these channels or grooves are fitted the index slips which consist of narrow strips with the index or other matter written, printed, or otherwise marked upon them, as shown in my patent issued September 27, 1892, No. 483,313. When a great number of these card slip-holders are placed in the draw-er or box, they should be arranged alphabetically, numerically or in any other order of some desired form, and in order to retain this order and prevent the misplacement of any of these cards, after they have been removed, I form the upper edges of them with an enlarged tubular, polygonal or other shaped rib or back as shown at E. F is a clasp which is made of some elastic material, and fits upon this projecting rib of each of thecards, and it may be moved to any desired point from one end to the other, the elasticity and friction being sufcient to hold it at any point desired.

These clasps are arranged diagonally uponv -as it no longer forms a line with the others.

Whenever new cards are to be introduced, the clasps are simply moved along, and a line rearranged to include the new card. In order to assist in thisl arrangement and make it accurate, I prefer to mark the backs or sides ot' these cards with regularly spaced transverse lines, in close proximity with the clasps so that the latter may be readily placed at the proper point. These holders, when placed in the drawer on their edges, will take the position of a book partially opened, as shown in the transverse section Fig. 2. In order to support and hold the cards in this position I employ supports G which are made of wire bent as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The ends of these wires fit into holes made for them in the ribs at the ends of the box, and the bight formed 'by bending the Wire, extends downward toward the bottom of the box, and is set so as to give the cards the proper inclination or angle for easy reference. The bent portion is retained in place by resting upon the bottom of the box. Any change of position to adjust the supports to a greater or less number of cards, is easily made by withdrawing the ends of the main supports from one set of holes and introducing them to another, they being sufficiently elastic for this purpose. One of these wires is placed upon each side of the line of cards so that they may be opened against the wires in either direction. The slip-holders or cards being thus placed in the box on their edges, the opposite inclined planes formed by the oppositely placed wires keep the cards at any point, and standing at any angle so that they may open like a book, and they are easily removed at any time by grasping them by the enlarged upper edge upon which the clasps are fixed. The drawers in which these cards are placed are fitted to slide into a case in which a great number of the drawers are contained, and in order to prevent the drawer being pulled out and carelessly dropped so as to disarrange its contents, I have shown a stop check H which consists of a bar fulcrumed atI upon the rear end of the drawer, so that its ends project respectively above and below the drawer. The weight of the lower part of the bar being sufficiently greater than the upper to retain it normally in a Vertical position, these two projecting ends will strike against the interior of the case front and will thus hold the drawer when pulled out to its fullest extent and will prevent its being entirely withdrawn.

If it is desired to remove the drawer for any purpose it is done by turning the stop H until the ends are within the upper and lower lines of the drawer. This is conveniently effected by means of a rod K which connects with the lower end of' the check H, and extends along the bottom of' the drawer. The front end of the rod is held by springs or elastic rubber so that it will normally remain in a straight position and when it is desired to turn the stop to allow the drawer to be remgved, it is done by pressing the rod to one s1 e.

The slip-holders are arranged, as previously described, and have a series of catch letters or numbers printed upon them in bold faced type, or written or pasted upon movable slips, to enable the one using the catalogue to easily turn to the desired name, topic or number, or various colors may be used for the saine purpose to aid the eye in instantly locating the desired entry. If' a slip-holder be not entirely filled with slips, those which are contained in it are prevented from slipping out of place by means of stops K which are made of ltwo thicknesses of card, or other suitable material, one thickness projecting at each end beyond the other. The shortest one is of sufficient length to lie between the inner edges of the holding grooves or channels, and the outer one extends into these grooves in the same manner with the slips, and by reason of its being bent downward over the shorter one, it is sufficiently elastic to remain firmly in any place where it is inserted. Therefore, when these slips are inserted below, or at both sides of the entry slips in a holder which is not full, it retains the slips in place, and prevents their dropping ont. These slip-holders are preferably made with one column upon each side so that the drawers will not be made too deep, and the slips are more readily consulted.

The supporting wires G, against which the holders rest upon opposite sides, are placed with reference to the number ot' slip-holders that may be contained within the drawer. If there are but few, these supports are moved along the ends so as to stand near together, and as the number within the drawer increases, they are separated and introduced into other holes by simply springing them out of the holes in which they are placed, and introducing them into the others, the elasticity of the wire enabling this to be easily done.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a library catalogue apparatus, aseries of' rigid slip-holders having parallel grooves or channels upon their opposite edges, independent flexible slips, the ends of which are held within said grooves or channels, said slips having marked upon them the subject matter of the work to be indexed, and each being movable along the holder whereby they are capable of rearrangement within the slipholders, a portable tray or drawer in which said slip-holders are arranged longitudinally side by side and removable adjustably inclined supports G against which the slipholders rest upon opposite sides, substantially as herein described.

2. In a library catalogue apparatus, a series of rigid slip-holders having parallel grooves or channels upon their opposite edges andindependent flexible slips, the ends of which are adjustably held within said grooves or channels, a portable tray or drawer within which said slip-holders are arranged longitudinally side by side, and movable clasps fixed to the upper edges of the slip-holders and slidable thereon, whereby they may be arranged in diagonal or symmetrical lines upon a trayful of the slip-holders to indicate the proper positions of the slip-holders within the tray with reference to each other, substantially as herein described.

3. In a library catalogue apparatus, a series of rigid slip-holders having parallel grooves or channels upon their opposite edges, independent flexible slips, the ends of which are adjustably held within said grooves or channels, enlarged or tubular projections extending along the upper edges of the slip-holders, clasps fitting said projections and slidable thereon wherebya series of' slip-holders within the containing tray or drawer may be regularly arranged with relation to each other, and division marks formed upon the upper IOO edges of said slip-holders to indicate the positions of the movable clasps, substantially as herein described.

4. In a library catalogue apparatus, aseries of rigid slip-holders having parallel grooves or channels upon their opposite edges, independent fiexible slips, the ends of which are held within the grooves or channels so as to be movable along the holder or capable of rearrangement' therein, a portable tray or drawer within which a number of the slip-holders are placed side by side longitudinally, adjustable inclined supports against which the outer slipholders upon each side are adapted to rest so that the slip-holders may be turned over like leaves of a book, enlarged or tubular strips along the upper edges of the slip-holders with transverse lines or markings made thereon, and clasps fitting the upper edges and slid able along them so as to be vadj usted with relation to each other to form diagonal linesl across the slip-holders in any one drawer, whereby the proper positions of the slip-holders with relation to each other is indicated, and readjustments are made for the introduction of new slip-holders, substantially as herein described.

5. ,In a library catalogue apparatus, a series of rigid slip-holders having parallel grooves or channels upon their opposite edges and independent fleXible slips, the ends of which are held within said grooves or channels, said slips being movable and capable of readj ustment within the slip-holders, drawers within which said slip-holders are arranged longitudinally side by side and parallel with each other, projecting strips formed across the ends of the drawers to hold the ends of the slips out of contact with the drawer ends, and a stop check tted to the inner end ofthe drawer whereby the'latter is prevented from being pulled entirely'out of the case, substantially as herein described.

6. In a library catalogue apparatus, a series l Vof slip-holders, drawers fitted to a case and adapted to contain said slip-holders in longitudinal parallel lines with supports against which they may be opened, a stop check for each drawer consisting of a vertical swinging bar fulcrumed to the rear end of the drawer, with its ends projecting above and below, and a spring actuated wire connecting with the lower end extending along the bottom of the drawer whereby the check may be turned so as to allow the drawer to be withdrawn from the case, substantially as herein described.

I 7. In a library catalogue apparatus,a series of rigid slip-holders having parallel grooves or channels upon their opposite edges, independent flexible slips, the ends of which are held in said grooves or channels, said slips being movable and capable of readjustment within the slip-holders, and adjustable stop checks, and catch letters correspondingly adj ustable within the slip-holders, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER J. RUDOLPH.

` Witnesses: S. H. NoURsE, J. A. BAYLESS.

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