US983531A - Account-cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

R. D. BROWNING, ACCOUNT CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1910.

983,531. 1111111111111 Feb. 1, 1911.

are

a r'r area ROBERT D. BROWNING, OF ORANGE, VIRGINIA.

ACCOUNT-CABINET.

of Virginia, have invented a new and useful irccount-Cabinet, of which the following 1s a specification.

lit is the object of this invention to provide, in a simple, merchantable and inexpen sive form, an account cabinet, the component elements of which may readily be separated at will, or locked together in compact t shown in Flg. 1, 1t w1ll be seen that they form.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for locking the accountslip holders together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for housing the holders,

to provide holders of novel and improved construction, and to devise novel means whereby the holders may be connected in' such a way that they may readily be separated.

VJith the above and other objects in view,.

.vention.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective showing the device mounted upon a chest of drawers, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a fragmental longitudinal section; Fi g. 3 is a perspective of one of the holders; l igst is an elevation of one of the holders, parts of the locking mechanism being omitted; and Fig. 5 is a fragmental perspective of another holder than that shown in Fig. 3.

In carrying out the invention there is provided, as a primary and. fundamental element, a case, comprising a lower box-like structure 1, and an upper box-like structure 2, superposed thereon. These members 1 and 2 include side walls 3, the side walls 3 of the lower member 2 being connected by a bottom 5, and the side walls 3 of the upper member 2 being connected by a top 6, the side walls 3 meeting along their edges, as denoted by the numeral 4 in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The upper member 2 is open at both ends. The lower member 1, however, is provided Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1910.

Patented Feb. '7, 1911.

Serial No. 564,198.

with an end wall 7, which, as denoted by the numeral 8, upstands across the end of the upper member 2, when the said member 2 is,

as shown in Fig. 1, superposed upon the member 1. The members 1 and 2 are hinged together at their open ends, and adjacent their meeting edges, as shown at 9. The eX tended portion 8 of the end wall 7 of the member 1 carries a suitable catch 10, whereby the members 1 and 2 may be held together in the position shown in Fig. 1.

When the elements 1 and 2 are disposed as unite to form a compartment, in which is disposed a series of holders, denoted generally by the numeral 11. Each of these holders 11 is connected to the next adj oiningone, pivotally, by means of links 12. These links 12 are diagonally disposed, and, at their lower ends are pivoted, as at 14 to a given holder, and, at their upper ends pivoted as denoted by the numeral 15, to the next adjoining holder. The holder 16 which is dis posed adjacent the end wall 7 of the member 1, is, as seen in Fig. 2, secured to the said end wall, in any desired manner. The other terminal holder 17 of the series is provided with a rotatably mounted head 18, carrying a finger-hold 19 for its manipulation. Pivoted eccentrically upon the head 18 are pins 20, adapted to slide in guides 21 located upon the terminal holder 17.

Each holder is recessed upon its forward face, as seen in Fig. 3, to receive a resilient clip 22, curved at its upper end, as denoted by the numeral 23, and having its ends disposed in parallel relation as at 24-, and extended in opposite directions, the extremi ties 25 of the portions 24c being secured in the holder. Adjacent one edge of the holder there is a notch 26 in the top thereof, and, adjacent the other edge of the holder, there are spaced notches 27 and 28 in the top thereof. A pin 29 is extended transversely.

" front of it, in the notch 28 therein; the

the numeral 34 in Figs. 3 and 1, the hook 33 is located in the notch 27. In the next adjoining holder, denoted in Fig. 5 by the numeral 35, the hook 33 is located in the notch 28. This disposition of the hooks 33 is continued throughout the entire series of the holders. It will be seen that the hooks 33 of. the holder 34 will engage the pin 29 of the holder 35 in the notch 27 of the holder 35, while the hook 33 of the holder 35 will engage the pin 29 of the next holder in hooks'33 thus operating alternately, in successive holders,'in the notches 27 and 28. Likewise, the hooks 32 upon the holder 34 will engage the pin 29 in the slot 26 of the holder 35 .upon one side of bent portion 31 of the bail 30, while the hook 32 of the holder 35 will engage the pin 29 upon the opposite side of the bent portion 31 of the bail 30. By the arrangement hereinbefore described, the hooks upon each bail may operate freely to engage the pin 29 of the next adjoining holder, without interfering with the operation of the bail which is upon said adjoining holder.

' As shown in Fig. 2, the hooks 32 and 33 are. curved slightly so as to engage the pin 29 of the next adjoining holder, whereby, when the holders are brought together, the pin 29 of one holder serves as a means for lifting the hooks 32 and 33 of another holder, the said hooks ultimately interlocking with the pin 29 to hold the holders together. Upon each holder there is an outstanding stop 37 adapted to engage the hook 32, to uphold the said hook and the hook 33 in such positions that they will engage properly with the pin 29 of the next adjoining holder. For the convenient manipulation of the bails 20, each bail may be provided, adjacent one end, with an upstanding finger 36. V

The device, disposed as shown in Fig. 1, may be placed removably upon the top of a chest of drawers 38 or the like. When it is desired to put the device into use, the catch 10 is manipulated, and the member 2 is swung over upon the hinges 9 in the directionof the arrow A, to occupy the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, the members 1 and 2 thus being alined, to form an elongated compartment. The slips upon which the accounts are kept, are retained within the holders by means of the clips 22. When it is desired to ascertain the. status of a given account, the bail 30 of that particular holder is tilted, causing the hooks 32 and 33 to be lifted out of engagement with the pin 29 of the next holder. The finger-hold 19 is then seized, and the series of holders is drawn out into the member 2, which, it will be remembered, is disposed in the dotted line position of Fig. 1. This drawing out of the holders, will cause the specific holder which has been freed from the remaining holders of the series to be tilted slightly, as shown in Fig. 2, and disposed in a position in which the account slips contained in the said holder may be readily examined.

In order to lock the holder in place, and in order to prevent the terminal holder 17 from tilting when it is freed from the other holders of the series, the finger-hold 19 may be seized, and the head 18 rotated, the pins 20 being thus forced outwardly in opposite directions. The pins 20 are preferably pointed, and are adapted to form seats for themselves within the side Walls of the case.

WVhen it is desired to dispose the several holders in the compact form shown in Fig. l, the pins 20 may be retracted from their hold upon the case 1, and the holders simply pushed together.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the hook 32 of the free holder is upheld by means of the stop 37 in such a position that when the free holder is slid into contact with the next adjoning one, the rounded end of both of the hooks 32 and 33 will be positioned to bear against the pin 29 of the next adjoining holder, whereby the hooks 32 and 33 will be lifted, the said hooks ultimately engaging the pin 29 and retaining the holder to its fellow. Thus, by simply shoving the holders into contact with each other, any holders which may be unlocked, will be auto matically locked to those holders which are next to them.

The holders are all locked together by means of the hooks 32 and 33, and by manipulating the bails 30 of those holders which it is desired to examine, certain of the holders may be set free, the remaining holders, which the operator has no desire to examine, remaining locked together.

At the close of the days business, the device may readily be lifted from the set of drawers 38 upon which it is mounted, and stowed away in a safe or other receptacle.

For convenience in illustration, but one set of holders is shown; but it is of course to be understood that the structure shown in Fig. 1 may be duplicated any number of times, so that there are several rows of holders located side by side, instead of one only; the specific delineation of such an obvious expedientbeing considered unnecessary.

To the upper ends of the holders, index plates 100 may be secured, as seen in Fig. 5, each plate preferably being inscribed with the name of one of the debtors of the store. The clips 22 serve to retain upon the proper holders, the specific account slips 200 of each debtor.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A device of the class described including a series of pivotally connected holders adapted to be spaced from one another; and

a locking device upon each holder operating gravitationally to engage an adjacent holder when the holders are brought together.

2. A device of the class described including a series of pivotally connected holders adapted to be spaced from one another; and a gravity locking device upon each holder adapted to be lifted by contact with the next holder to engage said holder when the holders are brought together.

A device of the class described including a series of pivotally connected holders adapted to be spaced from one another; a gravity locking device upon each holder adapted to be lifted by contact with the next holder to engage said holder when the holders are brought together; and a stop upon each holder to maintain the locking device in such a position that it may be liftable by the next holder.

at. A device of the class described including a series of pivotally connected holders adapted to be spaced from one another; a gravity locking device upon each holder; and an element upon each holder constituting at once a pivotal mounting for the locking device of said holder, and a member with which the locking device of the next holder may engage to retain the holders together.

5. A device of the class described comprising a series of holders having slots at their upper ends, the holders being pivotally connected for separation from one another; pins inserted in the holders and extended across the slots; and upstanding bails pivoted upon the pins and having hooks to interlock with the pin of the next holder within the slots of the same.

6. A device of the class described comprising a series of holders having slots at their upper ends, the holders being pivotally connected for separation from one another; pins inserted in the holders and extended across the slots; and upstanding bails pivoted upon the pins, the bails having hooks liftable by contact with the pin of the next holder to interlock with said pin; and a stop upon each holder to maintain the hooks in position for contact with the pin of the next holder.

7. A device of the class described comprising superposed, box-like structures open at one end and hinged together at their open ends along their meeting edges, the structures defining a compartment when superposed; and a series of pivotally connected holders located in the compartment, one end of which series is secured to the lower of said structures, the upper of which structures is adapted to be swung into alinement with the lower, to elongate the compartment,

the free end of the series of holders being movable into the elongated compartment to space the holders apart.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT D. BROWNING.

Vitnesses JAMES MADISON, C. W. VVooLroLK.

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