US789494A - Sorting-cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

N. F. GARBO. SORTING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED we. 25. 1897 2 SHEETS-8HEET 1.

lfiivenio 1- Qasrbo 2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

GARBG.

FILED AUG. 2 189R N. F. SORTING- GABINETA;

APPLICATION rTnn STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

TENT FFQE.

SOHTlNG-CABIN ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,494, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed August 25, 1897. Serial No. 649,434:-

To all whom it may, concern.-

Be it known that I, NILs F. GARBO, of the city of lVIinneapolis, county of H ennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sorting-Oabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to labor-saving devices in the class of temporary filing-cases intended for use, particularly in large commercial houses, where there are great numbers of sales checks and other memoranda which must be assorted and arranged in packs according to number or name before they pass into the hands of the bookkeeper-s or auditors.

The object of my invention is to provide a filing and sorting cabinet having a number of compartments representing different clerks or departments and for cl'lecks therefrom and, further, a cabinet having means to hold packs of checks or slips until the bookkeepers are ready for them and which will also have means to hold checks or slips which having been posted are ready to be filed away.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a compact and light cabinet which may be easily carried from place to place, which may be placed on any desk, and from which the checks may be removed or replaced without confusion, and I further desire to provide a device of such low cost that even smaller stores and business houses can use them and effect a saving in labor.

The further object of the invention is to provide a device which in various sizes is adapted for the various uses of a file-case, though primarily intended as a temporary file only.

My invention consists, generally, in the combination of a trough or box divided by partitions, with a clip or clasp provided in each compartment and, further, in the combination of the foregoing and movable parts adapted to retain the separate distinct checks or packs of checks; and, further, the invention consists in construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view thereof reduced in size. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the cabinet on the line X X of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section showing two sections of the cabinet joined together, and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the modified form of indicator.

As shown in the drawings, the cabinet comprises a box or trough preferably made up of the bottom 2, the back 3, and, if desired, the ends 4 and 5. The latter may, if desired, be dispensed with. The box or trough is open at the side and top, so that the checks or slips may be easily placed in the compartments formed between the vertical and slightly-inclined partitions 6. These partitions are preferably stamped from sheet metal and form lugs 7, extending through holes in the bottom and back 2 3 and clenched therein, so that soldering the box may be dispensed with. The partitions 6 are preferably inclined, so that the checks will lie flat against them instead of dropping and becoming confused in the bottoms of the compartments. In each compartment and beneath the overhanging parti tions I provide a spring, clip, or clasp 7 preferably formed of a loop of spring wire, having curls 8 at the lower ends, which ends are suitably secured in the bottom of the box. These clips spring forward against the top sides of the inclined partitions and when released will hold any checks or slips firmly thereon, so that the same cannot be lost. The checks soheld by clips are removed by the bookkeepers and entered or posted upon the books and are then replaced in their proper compartments in the cabinets preparatory to being filed away. To separate these checks from others which may be placed in the cabinet by the sorting-clerk, I provide each compartment with a movable partition 8, having lugs 9 on its upper edge, which lugs hang upon the upper edges of the fixed partitions 6. To prevent the partitions from falling forward when there are a number of checks beneath them,

v ments rapidly.

'venient use by one person.

I preferably provide the lugs 9 with one or more notches 10 and arrange to drop the lugs into notches 11 in the upper edges of the fixed partitions 6, so that the movable partitions 8 are practically hinged or pivoted thereon. To prevent the checks from falling out between the fixed and removable partitions, I provide each movable partition 8 with a face-flange 12, which will conceal and hold the checks between the two partitions. The pressure of the spring-clip '7 in each compartment acts against the fixed partition 6 and holds the checks fiat against the same. It is desirable that the clips be so arranged that they may be looked back out of the way, so that checks maybe distributed to the several compart- For this purpose I provide the small springs 13 upon the under sides of the permanent partitions 6 and which are adapted to hold the clips or clasps 7 when raised, as shown in Fig. 3. As a means to draw back all of the clips or clasps 7 at once I arrange a longitudinal movable rod 14: in the lower part and back of the box or trough and provide this rod with lugs 15 to engage the spring-clips 7. The outer end of the rod is provided with a handle or pull 16, which is preferably made to fall into a recess 17, provided in the end of the box. hen the rod is turnedinto position, (shown in Fig. 3,) the lugs 15 may be moved upon either side of the spring-clips. Hence the clips may be all thrown down at once by means of the rodthat is, they will be forced away from the retaining springs or latches 13.

Evidently a large number of these cabinets will be required in a large institution where a great number of clerks are employed. It is not practical to provide more than from ten to fifteen compartments in a single cabinet, as the same would be too long for con- I therefore so arrange the box or troughs that one may be set upon the other and locked thereto, so that a number of sections may be lifted together if it is desired to move the same from place to place. For this purpose I provide the sections or boxes with the end flanges 19, having the L-slots 20 to be engaged by pins 21 upon the other boxes. Each compartment is numbered and the numbers are preferably arranged upon the back of the boxes or troughs, as shown in Fig. 1, and also upon the faceflanges of the removable partitions. In addition I preferably provide a number-slide 23 on each section or box, and these slides are preferably made removable, being held in sheet-metal guides 24, arranged upon the rear edge of the box. These slides are made removable in order that a single cabinet may, if desired, be used with a number of slides which together bear the numbers of all the clerks. In most stores, however, it is preferred to appropriate a compartment to each clerk. A

better construction of the slide is shown in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that it is arranged upon the back of the box beneath the upper edge thereof and the figures show through holes 25 near the upper edge of the back 3 of the box.

I have shown'the box or trough having an open top and an open side; but it will be obvious that the invention is not necessarily limited to this construction of box as, if preferred, the side or the top may be closed, leaving only an open top or an open side. This would be an obvious change that would be within my invention.

It is obvious that various modifications in detail construction of my cabinet would sug gest themselves to one skilled in the art, and I therefore do not confine my invention to the particular construction herein shown and described.

Havingthusdeseribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a box, having an open side and top, of suitable partitions provided therein forming compartments, clips or clasps provided in said compartments, and a movable rod provided with lugs to engage said clips to operate the same simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a box, having an open side and divided into compartments by suitable partitions, of movable partitions supported upon said first-mentioned partitions, and clips or clasps provided in said compartments, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an open box, divided into compartments by suitable upright fixed partitions, of movable partitions adjustably supported upon said partitions, substantially as described.

4. The combination, witha box divided into compartments by upright partitions,ofspring clips or clasps provided in said compartments, a longitudinally-movable rod, having fingers, which in one position escape engagement with said clips, and in the other position are adapted to engage the same and latches for said clips, whereby the same may be locked in a raised position, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a box divided into compartments by upright partitions, of movable partitions arranged within said compartments and hinged upon said upright partitions, and clips or clasps provided in said compartments.

6. The combination, withabox dividedinto compartments by upright partitions, of movable partitions arranged in said compartments, clips or clasps provided in said compartments to engage said movable partitions, the notches 11 in the upper edge of said upright partitions, and the lugs 9 provided on said removable partitions, and having notches 10, forthe purpose set forth.

WAQAWL 7. The combination, With a box, havin 3' an open side and top, and divided into compartments by upright partitions, of clips or clasps provided in said compartments and movable partitions adj'nstably supported upon the upper edges of said upright partitions, as and for the purpose specified.

8. A sorting-cabinet, substantially rectangular in form having an open side and top,iixed partitions forming compartments Within said cabinet, movable partitions within said compartments and supported independently of the bottom of said cabinet, and spring clips or clasps also arranged Within said compartments, substantially as described.

9. A sortii'igcabiiiet, substantially rectangular in form having an open side and top, a series of inclined lixed partitions dividing the interior of said cabinet into com partments,movable partitions supported by said lixed partitions independently of the bottom or floor of said cabinet, and clips or clasps also arranged within said compartments, substantially as described.

10. A sorting-cabinet having an open side and top, fixed partitions dividing the interior of said cabinet into a series oil. compartments, movable partitions within said compartments and supported independently of the bottom of said cabinet, said movable partitions having face-flanges adapted to conceal and hold the checks between said fixed and movable partitions, and clips or clasps provided in said compartments, substantially as described.

11. A sorting-cabinet having an open side and top, aseries of fixed members dividing the interior of said cabinet into compartments, movable members provided in said compartments and adapted to bear upon said fixed members and clips or clasps provided in said compartments.

12. A sorting-cabinet having an open side and top, a series of partitions dividing the interior of said cabinet into compartments, and clamping or binding members provided in said compartments and supported, respectively, near the top and bottom of said cabinet and adapted to bear upon the said partitions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of August, A. l). .1897.

N ILS F. GARBO.

In presence of (J. G. HAWLEY, C. E. VAN DOREN.

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