GB2190770A - Perpetual calendar - Google Patents

Abstract

A perpetual monthly calendar having a base member 1 having markings and a second member 5 slidably retained against the base member 1, one of the members 1 having spaced markings 7 to indicate a numbered list of dates, the second member having a numbered and sequential list of at least 37 days (of the week). The second member 5 can be moved for a particular month to indicate the correspondence of days and dates of the month. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Perpetual calendar This invention relates to perpetual calendars, and in particular to perpetual calendars for wall-mounted display purposes having a means of always indicating the days of the week next to the date of the month.

It is well known to provide a perpetual calendar showing the date, and these are often displayed in a working environment where they are of assistance in organising work since they provide a place to record information beside an appropriate date. However, perpetual calendars for wall display have not previously indicated on which day of the week any given date fell, other than by the use of magnetic media. Any other calendar displaying the week days beside the dates is generally only correct for one specific year, and so must be discarded at the end of that year.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a perpetual calendar which can display both the dates and days of the week, and which is perpetual by virtue of the fact that the relative positions of the dates and days of the week can be adjusted by a simple nonmagnetic slide arrangement which is an integral part of the calendar, which cannot become separated from the latter other than by deliberate force. This will reduce the cost of having a calendar displaying both dates and days since it will not be necessary either to discard the calendar periodically or to invest in a more elaborate calendar using magnetic (and herefore accidentally removable) media.

According to the present invention there is provided a perpetual monthly calendar having a base member and a second member slidably retained against the base member, in which one of the members has uniformly-spaced markings to indicate a list of the dates, one to thirty-one, of a month, and in which the other member has similarly uniformly-spaced markings to indicate a cyclic list of at least thirtyseven days of the week including five consecutive seven day cycles, the relative sliding motion of the two members adjusting the relative positions of the list of dates and the list of days of the week.

It is within the scope of the present invention to have either the days of the week as the sliding member and the date of the month as an integral part of the base member, or the date of the month as the sliding member and the days of the week as an integral part of the base.

The present invention includes a perpetual calendar in which the second member comprises a strip which is slidably retained in a sleeve or sleeves secured to the base member.

The present invention can further include a surface on one or both of the members on which information can be recorded, and this surface can be such that it can be written on and subsequently cleaned, or it can be provided with pockets. It is preferred that a display area be provided adjacent to each day and date. It is further preferred that the display area be not less than nineteen square centimetres.

Also within the scope of the present invention is the provision of a means of securing the calendar to a wall, which can comprise one or more holes through the base member by which the calendar can be suspended, or can comprise a support secured to the base member. The support may have a spindle which can be rotatably retained in holes or cups provided in a wall bracket.

The present invention also includes a means of securing together a number of individual perpetual calendars in accordance with the present invention, by means of a U-shaped grip.

It is envisaged that many configurations are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the two lists can be marked either vertically or horizontally. Further, a multiplicity of second members can be slidably retained on one base member.

Several specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of a perpetual calendar in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view of a multiple arrangement of perpetual calendars.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a number of rotatably-mounted perpetual calendars (omitting detail on the calendar faces).

Figure 4 is a view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

The base 1 of the calendar shown in Figure 1 bears markings which divide the visible portion of the base 1 vertically into thirty-one uniform sections 2. A column 3 is marked on the base 1 in which numbers one to thirty-one are indicated consecutively, one number being associated with each section 2. The numbers displayed in the column 3 indicate the dates which occur in one month.

The base 1 is further provided with a number of flat sleeves 4. One surface of each sleeve 4 is secured to the base 1, adjacent to the column 3, in such a way that a strip 5 can be slidably retained within the sleeves 4.

A certain exposed portion 6 of the strip 5 is not enclosed by the sleeves 4. The outermost face of each of the sleeves 4 is transparent so that the strip 5 is visible within the sleeves 4.

The strip 5 bears markings which divide it vertically into thirty-seven uniform sections 7, which are of a height equal to that of the sections 2. Each of the sections 7 bears an indication of one day of the week, and the sections 7 are labelled consecutively, with the days occurring in the correct order.

The extreme upper and lower portions of the base 1 have covers 8 and 9. The ends of the strip 5 can be accommodated between the base 1 and the covers 8 and 9 as necessary, as indicated by the dotted lines. By applying gentle pressure to the strip 5 at the exposed portion 6, the strip 5 can be moved within the sleeves 4 in order to align the sections 2 and 7 in such a way that the days on the strip 5 appear next to the dates on the column 3 to correctly indicate the days and dates in any given month. The correct alignment ofdays and dates can be achieved for any month, since it is possible to align any one of the seven days of the week beside any one of the dates in column 3. Friction between strip 5 and sleeves 4 assures that, once moved intentionally, unintentional misalignment will not occur.However, after long use, friction might not prove adequate and provision is therefore made for fixing the strip at portion 6 to the base 1 by means of a piece of transparent self-adhesive tape.

The covers 8 and 9 are of sufficient height to accomodate the ends of the strip 5 when it has been slidably adjusted for any given month. Each cover 8 and 9 is capable of accomodating that portion of one end of the strip 5 bearing the first six of the sections 7.

The cover 8 is provided with a sleeve 10, similar to the sleeves 4, in which a piece of card, pvc, or similar sheet material indicating the month for which the calendar has been adjusted can be displayed. Two holes 11 through the base 1 and cover 8 provide means by which the calendar can be hung on a wall for display and easy removal. Easy removal is a particular advantage of the invention as other wall calendars often compel the user to write on a vertical surface whereas writing on a horizontal surface is preferable.

The cover 9 provides a pocket per se and enough space for the majority of imprints required for business promotional purposes.The base 1 of the calendar may comprise a laminated semi-rigid board, the surface bearing the various markings of the sections 2 and column 3 and being a "wipe-clean" surface.

Thus, a commercially readily available suitable pen or marker can be used to make entries within any of the sections 2 adjacent to a relevant day and date. When the entries are no longer required, the base 1 can be wiped clean with a moistened paper tissue or cloth.

Some pens, so-called "white-board" markers, allow cleaning with a dry cloth.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in which three calendars, similar in construction to the calendar of Figure 1, are secured together by means of a Ushaped grip 12 extending along their upper edges. The U-shaped grip 12 must be positioned so that it does not interfere with the sliding adjustment of the calendar. Calendars for three months, for example, can be displayed, all of the calendars being hung from the same hooks required to hang just a one month calendar. The calendars can still be easily divided by sliding them out of the grip 12. For example, it may be necessary to use the calendars briefly on a desk,and they will be more managable when divided up.

The bases 13 of these calendars have an alternative feature in the form of pockets 14 provided adjacent to the columns 15 which display the dates. One pocket 14 is provided adjacent to each date, one to thirty-one, on each base 13, the pockets 14 lying parallel to the surface of the bases 13, and having lipped openings 16 at their upper ends adjacent to the appropriate date. The pockets 14 are of a type commonly used for storing microfiche, and can be used in this case to hold messages or notes next to the appropriate date.

In a further embodiment shown in Figure 3, six bases 17 are mounted on brackets 18 and 19, which can be secured to a wall. The bases 17 are similar to those described above, but both faces 20 and 21 of each of the bases 17 provides a month-long calendar.

Thus, the six bases 17 are capable of displaying a twelve month calendar in a minimum of space, i.e. much less than an ordinary 12month planning calendar requires. Each of the six bases has a support 22, each support 22 having two spindles 23 and 24 which are retained in cups 25 and 26 on brackets 18 and 19 respectively. An alternative version is to make brackets 18 and 19 rectangular with holes drilled in one side of the rectangle to receive spindles 23 and 24. In both versions the spindles 23 and 24 can rotate freely within the cups (or aiternatively holes) 25 and 26, and so each of the bases 17 can be rotated around the axis formed by its support 22 in order to display any of the calendars as desired.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the present invention having a base 27 which displays a six month calendar. The dates and days of the week are listed horizontally across the base 27 in contrast to the vertical listing of the previous embodiments. The base 27 has six strips 28 slidably retained within sleeves 29. Each of the strips 28 bears a list of dates, one to thirty-one, and each can be slidably adjusted with respect to an adjacent list of days of the week. In this embodiment, a fixed list of thirty-seven days of the week is displayed, and the dates appear on the slidable strips 28. Another embodiment (not shown) can have the days of the week slidably mounted and the dates of the month fixed, similar to the vertical version depicted in figure 1.

Claims (9)

1. A perpetual monthly calendar having a base member and a second member slidably retained against the base member, in which one of the members has uniformly spaced markings to indicate a numbered list of dates, sequentially numbered one to thirty-one, of a month, and in which the other member has similarly uniformly-spaced markings to indicate a cyclic list of at least thirty-seven days of the week including five complete and consecutive seven day cycles, the two members being capable of relative sliding motion to adjust the relative positions of the days of the week against the list of dates of the month.

2. A calendar as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second member indicates the days of the week.

3. A calendar as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the second member comprises a strip slidably retained in a sleeve.

4. A calendar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sliding surfaces are substantially coplanar and are capable of being mounted on a vertical surface.

5. A calendar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims having a wipe clean surface.

6. A calendar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the calendar comprises one monthly unit.

7. A calendar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the calendar comprises three monthly units.

8. A calendar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a support is secured to a base member, the support having a spindle rotatably retained in holes or cups mounted on a wall bracket.

9. A calendar as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described in any one of the drawings.