US890925A - Adjustable indicator. - Google Patents

Description

No. 890,925. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. J. H. RAND.

' ADJUSTABLE INDICATOR.

APPLIOATION'HLED 00T.19. 1906.

O O. O.

GIE)

- of the improved indicator.

JAMES H. RAND, OF NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

i A ADJUSTALE INDICATOR.A

specification of Letters Patent.

Patntedsune 16, 1908.

Application filed October 19, 1906. Serial No. 339,600.

To all whom 'it may concern: f

Be it known that I, J AMES H. RAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newtonville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Indicators, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to the class of adjustable indicators or indexes comprising a back or frame and a series of cards, slips or blocks bearing the desired names, numbers or other entries and held in the frame in such manner as to be capable of ready insertion, removal land adjustment for `changing the indicator from time to time as required. An indicator of this character is described and shown in Letters Patent of the United States N o. 829,670, granted to me August 28, 1906.

It is the object of my present invention to improve and simplify the construction of the indicator with a view of facilitating the.in sertion and removal of the name-cards or blocks and reducing the cost ofthe device.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a face view, partly in section, of one form Fig. 2 is a cross section in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view, artly in section, of another form of the in `cator. Fig. 4 is a cross section in lille 4 4, Fig: 3. "r

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several vlews. a

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is designed as an indicator` or directory for office-buildings. A indicates its back or frame, preferably constructed-ofsheet metal, such as tin. The front edges of its sidewalls b are bent inwardly to form oposing guides or flanges b1, b2..

indicates the name or index-cards, tablets slips or blocks arranged in the frame one below another and engaging under the guide-flanges b1, b2, so as to be held in place m the frame and yet v"lbe adjustable up and. down in the same upon removing one or more cards from the indicator.

At one side of the frame under the adja. cent guide-flange is arranged a yieldable fol# lower strip D which bears agalnsltthe contiguous ends .of the several index-cards C and presses the same` against the opposite v side Wall b of the frame, so as to reliably con'- ne them under the guide-flange of the lastnamed wall. In the construction shown inv card, t

the drawings, this yieldable follower is arranged at the left hand side of the register and backed by a number of springs E of anyl .index-cards when in their normal position and the cards are of such a len th that they can be moved toward the left ar enough to clear the right-hand flange b2.

In the indicator shown in Figs. land 2, the cards are comparatively thin and backed by a filling stri F of card board or other suitable material extending from end to end of the indicator, but this strip may be.

omitted in some cases, if desired. When the name-tablets are of card board or other ileXible material, the filling strip F, which is as wide as the length of the tablets, serves as a stop which receives the thrust lof the spring-pressed follower in the normal osltion of the tablets, relieving the latter om such pressure and preventing them from bulging or buckling which might otherwise occur. For this purpose, said filling strip when made of card board is comparatively thick and stiff. I

As shown in the drawings, the indicator may be provided with a cover Gof Celluloid or other transparent material to protect the name-cards. This cover slides under the guide flanges b1, b2 and may bev provided at its upper and lower ends with cord-loops g or other means for conveniently pulling it up or down in its guides. The cover is free to slide u ward, but its downward movement is limite b a stop-flange or shoulder h at the lower en of the frame.

In order to inserta card in the indicator, its left-hand end is placed under the corresponding guide flange .b1 and ushed to the left against the resistance of t e follower D,

The flange b1 is of sufficient width to compressed s rings of the follower react and shift the car under 'the last-named flange,

lockingl it in place. In order to remove. a e same is pushed to the left bya pen knife or other means until its right hand end is clear of the guide ilange'l, when upon.

raising it above thev latter', the card willv .I

spring out from under the left-hand flange. The follower D preferably consists o a strip of spring steel or similar flexible mate- Y' name cards upon shifting them laterally, en-

abling a card to be removed without disturbing adjacent cards or causing the same to dro out of the indicator-frame.

T en the improvement is used as a directory for oiiice-buildings, a suitable-number of the backs orframes are attached to av board or othersupport. The indicator may also be adapted to various other uses, such for example as a telephone directory, an automobile indicator for garages, a price list for stores or a kitchen-accessory for indicating the articles or supplies to be ordered from time to time.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the invention embodied in a kitchen indicator. This may be constructed like the indicator first described, but the cards are preferably replaced by wooden blocks C1 bearing the names of the various articles and` each having. a hole or socket 'i adapted to receive a removable indicating peg y'. In the luse of this indicator, the pegs inserted inthe blocks indicate the articles to l be ordered, while the pegs not in use may be kept ina pocket` K at t e lower end ofthe frame. Inthis case, the name-blocks can be pushed tothe left by means of thepegs, in removin them from the indicator; Or, if desired, l't e point of a lead pencil, a knife-blade or other suitable instrument may be'inserted sol inthe holes of the blocks for this purpose. Thecards of the first-described construction may also be provided with such holes, if desired. r

l claim as my invention:

1. An indicator comprising. aback having opposing guides, `a plurality of removable'in-l dicating tablets arranged one below another, engaging said guides and shiftable both vertically and laterally therein, said guides having means for normally preventing displace-4 ment of the tablets'in a lane at right angles to the back, and yie ding means acting against one end of the tablets forv normally holding their opposite ends infengagement with the corresponding guide vwhile permittin the tablets to be shifted laterally toward sai yielding means to clear the last-named guide, substantially as 'set forth.

2. An indicator comprising a back having opposing gui/des providedv with inwardlyextending flanges, a plurality of removab e tablets arranged one below another, engaging under said flanges" and capable .of lateral A' movement, and yielding means acting against one enti of the `tablets for holding their opposite ends in engagement with the corresponding guide-angawh'ile permitting the tablets to be shifted laterally'to release their lastnamed end from said flange, substantially as l set forth.

3. An indicator comprising aback, a guidearranged thereon, a spring-operatedmeinber movable onthe backrelatively to said guide,

engaging under said an es, afoll'ower bearing against one end -of t e tabletsA and consisting of a flexible strip, and a backing spring for the-follower, substantially as set 6. An indicator having side walls provided with inwardly-extending guide-flanges, a

er said flanges and made shorter' than -the distance between said sidewalls, a follower ing against the'adjacent ends ofthe tablets, and a backing's ring for said follower, the guide-ange whic covers said follower being tablets when in their normal position, substantially as set forth.

der the anges of the walls and mova le both openings adapted ltoreceiveasuitable intablets and` permittin them to be shifted the flange of the adjacent wall, substantially asset forth.- A

8. An indicato` comprising a back, a guide arran ed thereon, a spring-o erated member mova le on the back relativ yto said guide, a plurality of removable indicating members vertical adjustment, 'opposite ends of said said spring-operated member, respectively,

stantially as set forth'.

opposing guides, removable tablets engaging 'said guides, yiel g' means acting against the forward movement of said means, substantially as set forth.'

and a plurality .of removable indicating plurality of removable tablets engaging un- 7. An indicator comprising a back having opposin flanged walls, tablets enga ing un strument for shifting them laterally, and yielding means acting'against one end'of the and means'for limiting the forward movement of lsaid spring-operated member) subone end of said tablets for normally holding their opposite ends in engagement with the corresponding guide, and-means for limitingl yielding opposing guide-flan es, removable tabletsarranged under one of said flanges and bearvertically andlaterally, the tablets having i laterally .to release their opposite ends from arranged one below another and capable of indicating members engaging said guide and 9. An indicator comprising-a back having 10. An indicator comprising a back having' opposing guides, removable tablets engaging said guides, a spring-pressed follower acting against one end of said tablet, and a stop ar:- ranged to receive the thrust of said follower in the normal position of the tablets, substantially as set forth.

11. An indicator comprising a backhaving opposing guides, removable tablets engaging said guides, a spring-pressed follower acting against one end of said tablets, and a stop-i l Witness myhand this '16th day of Uetober, 15

JAMES H. RAND.

Witnesses:

A.. J. NELLIGAN, BENJN. P. HOLLIS.

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