US873305A - Card-index. - Google Patents

Description

PATEBVIED DEC. 10

E. BGKART.

GARD INDEX. 'APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1906.

I I I I I IV I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I [N VE N TOR ATTORNEYS EDMUND ECKART, OF NEW ItOCHELLE, NEW YORK.

CARD-INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1o, i907.

Application filed February 8. 1906. Serial No. 300.053.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, EDMUND ECKART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Rochelle, Westchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Indexes, of Wliioli the following isa specification.

My invention relates to devices for the convenient recording and'tabulation of information which are commonly known as card indexes, and has for its object to provide certain improved means, as hereinafter fully described, for permitting a number of index cards to be so stored that those cards whichcontain a reference to matter of the saine kiiid may be readily selected from among their neighbors.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view of my improved de? vice, with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is 'a longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections showing the device in two different positions, and Fig. 5 is a face View of one of the cards employed in connection with my invention.'

The device comprises a suitable holder or box A, which may be in the nature. of a drawer, adapted to lit into a suitable shelf or Other'article of furniture` said receptacle being preferably open at the. top in its entire length. The sides A of the receptacle form guides for thel index cards lwhich are contained in said receptacle, being loosely inserted therein at the forward portion, and in order to properly hohl the card-s from falling backward any suitable follower may be cmiloyed. In Figs. l. and 2 I have shown a follower consisting of a board C rovided at its vertical edges with springs l in frictional Yengagement with the sides of the receptacle A. The cards B normally rest by means of tongues B on lifting members or bars D which are located at the sides of the receptacle, near the bottom thereof, and which' are pivoted as i-iidicated at A3 so that they may be folded down as shown in Fig. 4, or raised as shown in Fig. 3. In order to manipulate the-'lifting members D, knobs or handles D are provided on them at the forward end of the receptacle.. The normal' position of the lifting members is that shown in Fig. 4. ',lhe

cards B are provided at their lower edges with one or more projections B2 so that cutcnt portionsB3 appear between'the said proprojectioi'is B2 occur adjacent to said tongues. These tongues or projections B which are at the outer edges of the cards are adapted toI be engaged by the lifting inenibers l), so that all the cards may be raised as indicated in Fig. 3. The projections B and B2 may have rounded corners as shown. The cards will then be flush with each other at their upper edges. In the bottom A2 of the receptacle. A I provide a number of longitudinal guides or grooves A4, and in registry with `these grooves the front of the receptacle has openings A, and the back of the receptacle, recesses A Into these openings, grooves' and recesses I may introduce a series of selecting members or selecting bars E, of such a height thattliey will pass freely under thebotltom edges of the, index cards when 'the latter are raised into the position shown in Fig. 3 by the lifting members I). These selecting members are adapted to register with certain of the tongues or projections Ba on the index cards.

'lhe use of the device may be readily understood by reference to an example. Supposing thatall the index cards in the box oi' drawer represented in the drawings contain information concerning merchants in acertain town, andV that it is desired to classify these merchants according to their particular lines of business, somo as clothie-rs, some as shoemakers, others as hardware dealers, and so on. In this case all the cards which relate to clothiers would have the projection B2 in the same position, different from the position of thel projections on all the other cards; that is, there would be as many different ositioiis of the projection B2 and as many se ecting bars E as 'it is desired to establish divisions in the classification. yIf any particular merchant should handle goods in several divisions of the classification, the card on which this nierchants name and other information would be entered wouldliave two, three or more projections B2 adapted to be engaged by' a cm'responding number of selecting bars E.

The selecting bars E might normally be removed from the receptacle, `and I prefer this; or they might all be inserted, in which .case the. lifting members D would normally be turned up, and the raised position of tlu` cards shown in Fig. 3- would be their noi-inail position. rlhis is open to the `objection that the drawer would require a higher space in 'the shelf or other article of furniture, and for l raise all the cards; if the receptacle A is a drawer it would of course first b'e pulled out from the article of furniture into which' it slides. The cards being thus raised, one or more of the selecting bars E would be inserted through the proper openings A5 in the front of the receptacle. Suitable indications might be provided near these openings to indicate the particular division corresponding thereto.' Thus, if the first opening at the left corresponds to clothiers and it is desired to select those vcards containing information concerning elothier's, one of the bars E would be inserted through the first opening at the left and slid back all the way, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The follower C should of course terminate at a distance from the bottom A2 so as to leave a suflicient clearance for the movement of the lifting bars D and of the selecting bars E. The selecting bar having thus been inserted, the

lifting bars D would be turned down as shown in Fig. 4, and then all the cards would drop a's the lifting bars are swung down except those cards in which the position of the projection B would correspond to the selecting bar previously inserted. Such cards would be raised above their neighbors, and would thus be readily picked out from among them. In case it was desired to select several divisions at the same time, as,`for instance, clOthierS, haberdashers and shoedealers', the corresponding number of selecting bars, say three bars, lwould be inserted as indicated in Fig. 3, and upon the lowering of the lifting bars D all the cards belonging to these three divisions would be left in a raised position so'as to be readily separated from their neighbors. The sides of the receptacle guide the cards -in their upv and down moyement. Fig..4 shows that when only one of the selecting bars E is inserted the cards selected by it will have atendency to lean over to one side, and for this purpose the sides A of the receptacle may be inclined to diverge upward y as shown.

It will of course be understood that an index card receptaclefsuch as above described, may be used in the ordinary wa when it is not desired to take advantage o' the'selective features which constitute my invention. Furthermore, tab or ordinarj," index cards may be used in the same receptacle together with cards of the kind herein described. Such tab or ordinary index cards would have tongues such as B at the lower corners, with a continuous cut-out portion B between them, that is, without any projection B2.

In bringing the cards tothe lower position (Fig. 4) it may be advisable to jar the box so that the cards will descend more readily.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention, as defined in the claims.

The ends of the. receptacle-A may be made inclined or provided with inclined surfaces, so that the cards instead of being perpendicular will be arranged in an inclined position. y

l claim as my invention j 1. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle, card-lifting men'ibers movably mounted in said receptacle, and movable selecting members adapted for insertion at different points in the width of the receptacle so as to engage the cards at differ-- ent points.

2. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle, cards adapted to be contained in said receptacle and provided at their bottom edges with projections placed differently to correspond to a classification plan, movable lifting members for raising the said cards, and selecting members adapted for insertion at different points corresponding to the positions of. the said projections on the cards, to keep certain cards raised when the others are lowered.

3. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle adapted to contain index cards, lifting members movably mounted at the bottom of said receptacle, and a movable selecting member adapted for insertion between said lifting members.

4. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle for index cards, lifting bars pivoted at the bottom el said receptacle, and selecting members adapted for'insertion at various points between said'lifting members.

5. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle adapted to` contain cards, lifting members for raising the cards, and sclecting bars adapted to be slid lengthwise of the receptacle and under the cards at different points.

6. A selective card index device comprising a receptaclehaving longitudinal guides at its bottom, lifting members adjacent to its corners, movable selecting bars adapted to be inserted in the said guides, and a set of cards provided at their bottom edges with differently placed projections in positions corres ending to those of said selecting bars.

7 selective card index device comprising a receptacle for index cards, provided with inclined upwardly diverging side walls, and yselecting members for'engaging the bottom edges of the cards at different points of their wldth and causing certain cards to project above the others 8. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle for index cards, provided with inclined upwardly diverging side walls, selecting members for engaging the bottom edges of the cards at different points of their width, and index cards provided at their bottom edges with differently placed. projections in positions corresponding to those which may be assumed by the said selecting ineinbers..

9. A selective card index device lcomprising a receptacle7 card-lifting members movably mounted in said receptacle, and a movableselecting member adapted for insertion at diil'erent points in the width of the receptaele so as to engage the cards at different points.

10.l A selective card index device con'iprising a receptacle, cards adapted to be contained in said receptacle and provided at their bottom edges with projections placed diil'erently to correspond to aclassiiicatii'in plan, movable lifting members for raising the said cards, and a selecting member adapted for insertion at different points corresponding to the positions of the said projections on the cards, to keep certain cards raised when the others are lowered. 4

11. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle for index cards, lifting bars pivoted at the bottom of said receptacle, and

a selecting member adapted lorinsertion at various poi'ntsbetween said lifting bars.

12. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle adapted to contain cards, lifting members -ffor raising the cards, and a selecting bar adapted to be slid lengthwise of the receptacle and under the cards at different points.

13. A selective card index device compristheir width and causing certain cards to project above tlie others.

15'. A selective card index device comprising a receptacle lor index cards, provided with inclined upwardly diverging side walls,

a selecting member for engaging the bottom edges of the cards at dil'erent points of their width, and index cards provided at their bottom edges with differently placed projections in positions corresponding to those which may be assumed by the said selecting inember. A

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDMUND ECKART. Witnesses;

JoiiN RAABE, MINNiE EULHARDT.

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