US646157A - Card-separating device. - Google Patents

Description

No. 646,|57. Patented Mar. 27, I900. E. E. PROPER. CARD SEPARATING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

ddd/

witnesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMBERSON E. PROPER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARD-SEPARATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,157, dated March 27, 1900.

Application filed December 29, 1898. Serial No. 700,679. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMBERSON E. PROPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Separating Devices, of which the followingis a specification;

My invention consists of a spring designed to facilitate the consulting of index cards when filed in boxes or cases, which spring being attached to each card will push them apart, thus enabling the person to consult the cards, to easily and quickly turn them over, and at the same time permit the cards to be filed in practically the same space that would be required without the spring attached. To attain this object, I have devised a spring illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my appliance unattached. In this figure my appliance is shown as consisting of a narrow' and thin strip, which may be made of ,any spring material, preferably brass, such strip being cut, bent, and shaped so as to form a tongue z,slightly bent, a head It, broader than the tongue and constituting a base therefor, and two or more prongs or points 10 p p, outwardly projecting at right angles to the plane of the head and intended to be used for clamping or holding the appliance to an index-card.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section wherein my appliance is shown as attached to an indeX-card C, the prongs p p 19 being inserted through the material of the card 0 and clamped upon the other side thereof in such manner as to hold the head h of the appliance firmly and permanently against the surface of the card 0.

Fig. 3 represents a full-face or perpendicular View of my appliance A as attached to an index-card O. The appliance can be attached at any desired spot upon either face of the card, although the place indicated is found to be satisfactory in practice.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a filing box or case B, containing cards 0 G O, to which are attached my appliances A A A, showing the use and operation of my device in separating the cards. I

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I have found that the appliance works well when used with index cards of the usual thickness if the total length of the head h and the tongue t is about one inch, the tongue t being about three-fourths of an inch in length and one-sixteenth of an inch in width and the head being about three-sixteenths of an inch in width; but these proportions may be varied as circumstances indicate.

This appliance when attached as indicated works substantially in the following manner:

The spring-tongue t is so shaped as to project slightly outward from the face of the card 0, and it thrusts against the card coming in contact with said spring t, thus causing a separation of the cards. The strength of this spring 25 is such as to resist the Weight of one or two or three cards and to slightly separate the same; but the weight of several cards or the pressure of the hands willdepress or fiatten the spring t against the surface of the card 0 to which it is attached.

The material from which this device is made should be so thin as to add very little to the thickness of the card, and if sufficient pressure is used in clamping it to the card the spring can be depressed into the card, so as to be perfectly'fiush with its surface.

I am aware that a device to accomplish the objects specified above may be made in a wide variety of forms and from a wide variety of .materials, and therefore I claim as 'my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent In card indexes or files, the combination of an index or reference card, and an attached projecting and depressible spring, made in any form and of any substance or material having elastic or resilient properties, and together operating to separate such card from an adjoining card, when used in filing cabinets, cases or drawers, all substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

Signed at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, this 3d day of December, A. D. 1898.

EMBERSON E. PROPER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. LINTON, KATHERINE M. L. BRASHER.

Images