US1089484A - Card register and cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

T. F. LEAHY.

CARD REGISTER AND CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1913.

1,089,484. Patented Mar.10,1914.

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THOMAS F. LEAHY, OF EVANSI'ON, ILLINOIS.

CARD REGISTER AND CABINET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. LEAHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card Registers and Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a card register and cabinet particularly adapted for use in hotels and other public places where a record of the guests is kept and is designed to supplant the ordinary book: hotel register, so that the guest may register directly upon a card which is filed away in accordance with a card index system and referred to from time to time as required.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device of this character which will at all times present a number of cards in position to be written. upon, which shall be so constructed that the cards can be successively withdrawn and filed away, which will provide compartments in an accessible position for writing-paper, envelops, and the like, which will afford an opportunity for the tasteful display of advertising matter, and the like, and which will be strong, compact, ornamental and serviceable.

On the accompanying drawings I have disclosed one preferred embodiment of my invention from an observation of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the invention will be readily understood.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card register and cabinet embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

On the drawings reference character indicates generally the body of the device which, for convenience, is preferably constructed of sheet-metal suitably plated to present a pleasing appearance, the top being inclined to afiord a convenient rest for the persons writing upon the cards and the bottom being preferably left open to permit access to the interior thereof for the insertion and arrangement of advertising material, or the like, as will be later described.

The upper face of the body is formed to provide a centrally disposed depression or recess 6, best shown in Fig. 3, into and over Specification of Letters Patent.

AppIication filed February 3, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 745,793.

which a card-receiving frame or top, designated generally by reference character 7, is adapted to fit. This frame or top which is preferably hinged as at 8 to the body is divided by suitably arranged partitions into a plurality of card-receiving sections or compartments, six compartments being shown in the present instance, although it will be manifest that the number may be increased or diminished, if desired. The partitions between the compartments are preferably provided at their tops with overhanging flanges 9 which overlie the margins of the cards 11 in the compartments and prevent the cards from being removed upwardly but leave the faces of the cards eX- posed in position to be written upon. The bottoms of the partitions are likewise formed to provide supporting flanges 12 upon which followers 13, preferably formed of metal, are adapted to rest. These followers are normally urged upwardly in their respective compartments when the frame is in a lowered position by means of leaf-springs 14 secured upon the bottom 15 of the de pression 6 in position to engage the followers, whereby the uppermost card in each pack is held against the retaining flanges 9 and in position to be written upon. The sides 16 of the frame are open a short distance above the upper side edges of the depression ('3, leaving slots or openings 17 through which the cards may be withdrawn from the compartments, one card partially withdrawn being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. W hen a guest has written upon any one of the cards the clerk places his fingers upon the face of the card and forces it out wardly through the slot 17 until the end can be grasped, whereupon the card can be completely withdrawn and filed away. In order to prevent the followers 18 from being withdrawn with the last card of the stack, I prefer to equip the inner edges of each follower with one or more downwardly projecting pins 18 which project through suitable apertures in the flanges 12 at the rear of each compartment. This construction does not interfere with freedom of movement of the followers up and down in the compartment but prevents their accidental displacement or withdrawal from the con'ipartments along with the cards. A suit able spring-pressed latch 19 is preferably employed to lock the frame in closed posi tion.

- ed to provide a plurality of compartments or pigeon- holes 21 and 22, respectively, adapted to contain paper and envelops, or the like, from which they may be readily withdrawn by the clerk and supplied to the guests as required. The side portions of the top at each side of the card-receiving frame are preferably inclined toward the edge of the body, as indicated at 23 and 2a, and suitable plates of glass 25 and 26 are set in openings formed therein and a similar plate of glass 27 is set in an opening at the lower end of the frame, these plates ofv glass being adapted to cover advertising placards, or the like, positioned beneath them. For the purpose of holding the ad vertising placards in position I provide beneath each glass plate a shelf 28 pivoted to the body at 29 and constructed to hold a card 31, or the like, upon which advertising matter appears. Suitable thumb-bolts 32 may be employed to hold the shelves in position and upon loosening these bolts the shelves may be dropped down so that the advertising placard may be removed and replaced with another whenever desired. At the upper end of the card-receiving frame the body is preferably provided with sockets to receive ink wells 33 and match or tooth-pick holders 34;. A match scratcher 35 and a callbell 36 may be mounted thereon, if desired, or, the device may be equipped with a penholder, or any other preferred articles of utility or ornamentation.

When the card-receiving frame is to be supplied with cards it is swung upwardly about its pivot hinge 8, thereby relieving the followers of the spring-pressure and, also, completely opening the ends of the compartments so that a pack of cards can be readily inserted in each compartment. The frame is then closed so that the cards are in accessible position to be written upon. The guests write upon any of the cards which are then removed by the clerk, as previously described, and filed away for future reference. So long as one or more cards remain in any compartment the uppermost card is always held at the top of the compartment against the marginal flanges 9 in position to be written upon. The cards may be readily withdrawn as used and a new supply may be readily inserted when required. The device is neat, compact, carries a number of accessories necessary or, at least, desirable in connection with a hotel register and, also, affords considerable space for advertising display.

It is believed that my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing without further description and, while I have shown and described one practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that its structure is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A card register cabinet comprising a body having a recess in its upper face, said upper face at opposite sides of the recess being inclined downwardly and outwardly from the recess, a frame mounted in the recess and provided with a card-containing compartment open at its top and bottom to expose the top and bottom cards of a pack of cards in the compartment, a springpressed follower in the compartment, said compartment having its top portion extending above the body and provided with a transverse slot in the upwardly projecting portion and at the adjacent inclined portion of the body, through which slot the uppermost card in the compartment may be withdrawn across the inclined portion of the body.

2. A card register cabinet comprising a body having a recess in its upper face, said upper face at opposite sides of the recess being inclined downwardly and outwardly from the recess, a frame mounted in the recess and provided with a card-containing compartment open at its top and bottom to expose the top and bottom cards of a pack of cards in the compartment, a springpressed follower in the compartment, said compartment having its top portion extending above the body and provided with a transverse slot in the upwardly projecting portion and at the adjacent inclined portion of the body, through which slot the uppermost card in the compartment may be withdrawn across the inclined portion of the body, the spring-pressed follower and the frame having a pin and opening engagement to permit vertical movement of the follower and prevent edgewise displacement of said follower through the slot.

3. A card register cabinet comprising a body having a recess in its upper face, a frame mounted in the recess and provided with a card-containing compartment open at its top and bottom to expose the top and bottom cards of a pack of cards in the compartment, a spring-pressed follower in the compartment, said compartment having its top portion extending above the body and provided with a transverse slot, the top of the body at opposite sides of the frame being below the slot.

4. A card register cabinet comprising a body having a recess in its upper face, a frame in the recess and provided with a card-containing compartment open at its top and bottom to expose the top and bottom cards of a pack of cards in the compartment, the bottom of the compartment being provided with a substantially horizontal inwardly-directed flange, a spring pressed follower within the compartment and above the flange, said compartment projecting above the body and provided with a transverse slot in said projecting portion, the top of the body at opposite sides of the frame being below the slot, and said follower being provided with a pin depending through an opening in the flange compartment.

THOMAS F. LEAHY. Witnesses IRA J. WILSON, M. A. KIDDIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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