US584487A

US584487A - Card-holder

Info

Publication number: US584487A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1914-06-15

Description

(No Model.)

T. SHEA.

GARD HOLDER.

No. 584,487. Patented June 15,1897.

ilm- I llNrTnD STATES Tirion.

THOMAS SHEA, OF KEVAUNEE, IVISCONSIN.

CARD-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersA Patent No. 584,487, dated June 15, 1897. Application led December 26, 1896. Serial No. 617,074. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern/.-`

Be it known that I, THOMAS SHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kewaunee, in the county of vKewaunee and State of I/Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- actidescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference bein ghad to the accompanyingdrawin gs, and to the igures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specilication.

The object of my invention is the production of a card-holder into which a card can be easily andquickly inserted and from which it can be instantaneously dropped or withdrawn, which is open at the front, so as to present a practically unobstructed view of the card when it is desirable to read the sam e, which is provided with a guard at the top for deflecting falling dust, snow, and rain, and which is adapted for attachment to the sill, side, or other part of the car.

Vith this object in view the invention consists, imprimis, in forming from sheet metal or other suitable material a base-piece or frame provided with means whereby it can be detachably secured to a car, attaching a series of bars to the same in front, hinging to the top a guard-piece or cover, and hinging to the bottom thereof a movable support or door on which rests the inserted card when'in position and from which it can be dropped.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and certain combinations of parts hereinafter set forth.

Heretofore, it has been the practice when route, defect, or other cards have been used to tack the same to the external surface of some part of the car-for instance, to the side or a cross-frame tie-timber. Such method of attachment is objectionable, inasmuch as it consumes the valuable time of employees, exposes the card to rain, dust, and snow, which sometimes obliterate the writing on the same, making it necessary to remove the tacks in order to read the inscription on the other side, and, nally, very often mutilates the card, so that it frequentlybecomes detached and lost. By the use of my holder all these 4objections are obviated. The card can be quickly inserted and withdrawn or dropped out, can be read at a glance, is preserved. from mutilation, and several cards can be held by the device at the same time.

Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary portion of a car-sill with the holder containing a Master Car-B uilders defect-card secured in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the sill, holder, and card, taken on line X X of Fig, l and lookin g toward the right.

In the manufacture of my holder the following method may be advantageously followed, to wit: A sheet of galvanized metal of suitable thickness is selected and cut into substantially rectangular pieces of the desired dimensions, two of the adjacent corners are next cut away, then the edges of two opposite sides are bent up to occupy a position perpendicular to the main body of the metal, and thus constituting what may be called Wings,7 and, iinally, to the inner surfaces of the wings are secured the feet of a skeleton frame made up of bars. The parts so arranged and united form the fixed element or main frame of the holder. This frame may be provided with perforations to receive screws for attaching the same in position, but I prefer to rivet on the back of the frame two metal straps and fasten the projecting ends thereof to the car bysuitable means. The movable elements embrace a top guard-piece or cover and a bottom support or door. The cover and bottom door are both made of thin galvanized iron cut to shape. The former is hinged to the upper horizontal edge of the base of the main frame and supported in an inclined position on the upper ends of the wings where they are cut away. The latter is hinged to the lower horizontal edge ofthe base of the main frame and its projecting ends joined to the wings through the mediumA of coiled springs, which normally hold the door closed against the lower bar of the skeleton frame. i

Both the top cover and the bottom door are preferably provided with means, such as projecting clips riveted in position, to be grasped by the hand for facilitating the operation of both elements.

On the drawings I have shown but one pictured example of the physical embodiment of my invention, and which is made by the best mode I have so far devised for carrying out the principle of my improvement.

The several parts of the holder illustrated are identified by numerals as follows: 1 is the base of the main frame; 2, the wings; 3, the inclined edges of the Win gs, formed by cutting away the corners of the base before bending; 4, the upper bar of the skeleton frame7 having its feet 5 riveted to the wings; 6, the lower bar, with feet 7 secured to the wings.

8 are the perpendicular bars, joined by solder or otherwise to the upper and lower bars 4 and 6, as shown.

9 and 10 are the straps riveted to the back of the base and having perforations through the projecting ends to receive screws; 11, the top guard-piece or cover provided with the clip 12 for manipulating the same and flexibly united to the top horizontal edge of the base by hinges 13.

14 is the bottom support or door provided with the clip 15 and joined to the base by the hinges 16.

17 are coiled springs attached to the projecting en ds of the door at 18 and to the wings at 19.

The operation of the device is obvious. To insert a card, raise the top cover and drop the same into position on the lower door. To remove the card, revolve the lower door downward through the arc of a circle and the card will drop by gravity.

For convenience I have shown on the drawings the holder attached to the outer surface of a longitudinal sill of a car; but it maybe located in any other position.

Changes in the disposition of the several constituent parts of the holder itself may also be made at the discretion of the manuand equivalents substituted for the specic elements enumerated. All such changes and modifications, however, I shall consider as within the scope of my claims when they are of only a colorable and not of a substantial nature.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Acard-holder consisting of a base-piece of sheet metal having bent-np wings; a skeleton frame of bars attached to the wings; a hinged cover at the top; and a hinged sup port or door at the bottom normally held by springs in a closed position, in substance as set forth.

2. The herein-described card-holder made up of a base-piece having wings; a frame secured to the Win gs a tcp piece or cover hinged to the base and when closed lying in an inclined position; and a bottom support for a card hinged to the base and normally held in a closed position by springs attached to the projecting ends of the support and to the wings; substantially as set forth.

3. A card-holder consisting of a base-piece having wings which are cut away to form inclined edges 3; a hinged door resting on the inclined edges; bars attached to the wings; and a lower door attached by hinges to the base-piece and held closed by springs; in substance as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SHEA. lVitnesses:

ANDREW M. SoHLEis, P. H. LAWLER.