US1508868A - Filing system - Google Patents

Description

sept. 16, 1924. 1,508,868

' R. J. WOOD FILING SYSTEM Filed Feb. '7. 1921 ATTORNEY.

atented Sept. i6, 1924.

RODNEY J'. WOOD,

0F DAYTON, OHIO.

FILING SYSTEM.

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 443,210.

To all lwhom, if may concern."

Be it known that l, Romney J. WOOD, a citizen of the United States,. residing at Dayton. in the, county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have, 'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Systems, ol' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to card index filing systems wherein data cards or sheets are arranged in predetermined groups classified alphabetically, numericallyY or according to other arbitraryy distinctions.

The object of the invention is to simplify such systems whereby they will not only be inexpensive, but will be more efficient in use, compact, permitting a great number of data sheets or cards to be arranged in mimimum space, yet readily accessible to enable the selection of a desired card or sheet with minimum movement` A. further but none the less important object of the invention is to afford a visible file system, wherein an entire group or subdivision of the cards or data sheet-s may be simultaneously visible to facilitate the rapidity of selection of a desired card.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a system wherein the cards are readily accessible and capable of beingveasily and quickly removed and replaced for the purpose of making entries thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of data sheet or card holder or support, by which the cards or sheets may be detachably supported in overlapping relation to simultaneously expose guide or reference entries on the overlapping portion of the sheet or card.

lilith the above primary and other 1ncidcntal objects in view as will more fully appear' in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of a. card tile embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is ay perspective view of one of the'holders or supports for a group of overlappmg'data or reference sheets. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ot' a holder or support showing a number of sheets or cards positioned thereon. Fis'. i is a detail vieu7 illustrating the adaption of the invention to an alphabetical or name index.

Like parts are indica-ted by similar characters of reference tbruout the several views.

The present invention'is applicable to card index filing systems for various purposes, such as card index records of customers, agents, subscribers or other lists of names, which may be arranged alphabetically:` or divided into groups according to occupation, residence, location character, type, or other classification, or it :may be employed for stock records, wherein records of different material are to be grouped according -to sizes, quantities or purposes. For purpose of illustration, the card index filing system forming the Subject matter hereof has been illustrated in Fig. il ot the drawings, as a numerical tile wherein thecards or data sheets are grouped according to consecutive numbers. ln this particular instance, for purpose of illustration, each data sheet or card holder or support is adapted to contain a group of one hundred cards or sheets, arranged in subdivisions of ten sheets or cards each. The arrangement beingF such that the entire group oi one hundred cards or sheets are simultaneously displayed.

Referring to the drawings, 1+i represents a series of data sheet holders or supports arranged one behind the other in a continuous succession. Each of these holders or supports l has formed therein a plurality of integral tongues 2, which are formed from the body ot' ythe holder or support 'by an inverted lil-shaped incision. The tongue 'of material 2 thus formed is flexed outwardly to a position oblique or inclined to the plane of the holder or support 1. These tongues are arranged in vertical spaced relation. While the tongues may extend a considerable distance across the holder or support, whereby one such tongue might be employed for each subdivision of the card group, they have been shown in the drawings as arranged in pairs with the respective members of each pair alined transversely upon a holder or support.. To prevent undue weakening of the holder or support, the vertical succession of tongues 2 are staggered or odset in 'relation one with another, the succession of spaces or steps, however, being maintained. 'lhese tongues 2 form ledees or projections upon which are positioned the successive reference or data cards or sheets Each pair ot' alined tongues or ledges 2 may carry one or nio-re data or reference cards 3, according to thel character. size and purpose of the tile. lt' a single card or sheet is supported upon each pair ot tongues or ledges 2. the reference or data sheet being ot equal size. they will present stepped or overlapping upper inargins as shown in Fig: Al. lu Fig. f-i there is illustrated a naine index iu which the main supportor holder l bears the guide designation lli/1 i', While the several cards shown in overlappi ig position, carry upon their e21- posed margin diti'erent names beguuung `tvith the letters Pirelli as Baker, Baltlow, Bakunin. Bal-zus, ctc.

lin the if'orin of index illustrated in Fig. 1

the rete ence or data sheets have cut-outs or 'tabs of di'erent lengths. lhese tabbed cards are arranged in sets wherein the tabs or cut-out portions progressively overlap in a lateral direction. ln' this instance, ten of the cards or data sheets are shown in each of these overlapping tabbed sets. rlhere is a set oil ten or such cards supported upon each pair of alined tongues or ledges 2, whereby the diil'erent sets or sub-divisions of cards or .data sheets overlap vertically, 'While the cards or sheets comprising each set or subdivision overlap laterally. exposed tab portion olf each data sheet of the group is visible, simultaneously. ln this instance there being ten sets or sub-divisions of tencards each, one hundred cards or reference sheets Will be accommodated by each holder or support. The holders or supports l being numbered in units of one hundred as for instance 2400, 2500, 2600, etc.. the individual cards of the group carried by such support will bear the suecessivenumbers beginning: with the even hundred borne by the vsupp-ort or carrier to and including 99 plus -the hundred represented by the support. The group shown in Fig. l itt" complete, would embody cards or data sheets numbering from f2-i0() to :7.499 inclusive. These numericaldesignations appear upon the exposed por on of the overlapping tabs, and hence all oil" the numbers are in View simultaneously. rillicse numbers appear in vertical and horizontal series. 'lhat is to say, they appear in tens horizonelly While vertically :all numbers terminating in O, l, 2, 3, 4, etc., vi/ill be found one above the other. lt thus becomes a very easy and convenient operation 'to locate at approximately 'the center ot the group, being in the fifth row vertically end the siicth row horizontally', wherein every number terminates in 5. lt is an matter to insert a small knife blade or spatula, or some pointed selecting Lacasse implement behind the desired tab, and tip the cards or data sheet belovi7 the desired number forwardly.

The supporting ledges'ortongues 2 being quite lex1ble will readily accommodate themselves to a few or many inserted cards or sheets 3'. When assembled in ay file coutainer, the tongues or ledges will fold substantially to parallelism or as nearly so as is permitted by the inserted cards or sheets. The relation of the cards or sheets and the support is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The tile n'iay be used not only as a record or directory i'ile7 but it may be utilized as a tile for time sheets, sales tickets. or records of other character which may be inserted behind the sheets or cards 3, whether the same be a nainev or directory card as shown in Fig. l or numerical cards as shown in Fig. 1. ln the latter instance the numbers may represent orders, employees, stations. or' may be utilized in any manner whatsoever, and any memoranda or data 'pertaining thereto may be deposited behind suoli records or reference sheets 3. rlhe tongues or ilaps 2 being flexible Will accommodate such,y

deposits ol considerable size.

To stillen and strengthen the support or carrier 1 'these carriers, Which are preferably of card board. tag board or other tough but flexible material., have been shown provided with a marginal. binding or 'frame Ll, of sheet metal. Other methods of stillening thesesupports or carriers may be utilized.

In the use of inserted data sheets, Where-- in a number of removable sheets are positioned behind each card, a very thin or light Weight paper is employed. Due to the overlapping arrangement of the cards and sheets, the space occupied thereby is materially reduced. in practice, one hundred such sheets carried by a single support, occupy less than a half inch of space. 'lhe sheets and cards are selected by inserting behind the overlying cards and sheets a thin-bladed selecting implement, knii'e blade or spatula.. l

Having thus described my invention, l claim: y

1. A card index embodying a plurality of independent data sheets, a support card common to a plurality olf such data sheets' and a. plurality of spaced tongues carried by the support card and projecting from. the tace thereol upon which the data. sheets loosely rest in overlapping relation for to and iro oscillatory movement independent of the support.

2. A card index embodying a. plurality oi' independent data. sheets arranged in groups, each group having progressively otiset tab portions, a support card common to a plurality of groups of such data sheets, and means for detachably engaging the groups of data. sheets with the support card in overlapping relation whereby the offset tab porindependent datasheets,

tion of each group will be exposed beyond those of the succeeding group.

3. A card index embodying a plurality of a support card common to a plurality of such data sheets adapted for fore and aft oscillatory move-4 ment, and a series of flexible spaced projec s tions upon the support card at different elevations upon which different datasheets loosely rest for free oscillatory movement independent of the support card, said sheets being rearwardly adjustable substantially to parallelism with `each other and With the support card upon rearward oscillation of the support' card, the sheets being capable of forward oscillation independentL of the support card and about their points of rests upon said projections to enable the exposure of the face of a selected sheet without the necessity of removing any `of the sheets from the support card.

4. A card index embodying a plurality of independent data sheets, a support card common to a plurality of such data sheets, a

-plurality of hinged tongues each formed by an incision in the body of the support card, the material forming such tongues being flexed laterally beyond the face of the support card and capable of oscillatory movement to and from the plane of the support card to form rests for diiierent data sheets, the sheets being mounted for to and fro oscillatory mbvement to and from the support by which any selected sheet may be exposed by tilting forwardly in unison those sheets in advance of the selected sheet and for returning them to parallelism with the remaining sheets preparatory to the next selective operation.

5. A card index embodying a plurality of independent data sheets, a support card common to a plurality of such data sheets, a plurality of yielding integral tongues cut from the body of the support card and flexed laterally to aii'ord rests for the sheets, -said tongues being oppositely disposed in pairs, each data sheet resting upon a pair of lSuch l tongues for free oscillatory movement.

6. A card index embodying a plurality of independent data sheets, a support card common to a plurality of such data sheets, a plurality of integral tongues formed from the body of the support card and ilexed laterally to afford rests for the sheets, said tongues being arranged in two series, vthe members of the respective series being oifset in staggered relation.

7. A card index embodying a plurality of data sheets loosely arranged'in groups, the sheets of each group having progressive/ly of each sheet sheets, the several groups of sheets being arranged in overlapping relation whereby the overlapping tabs of each group will be exposedbeyond those of the adjacent group, thereby presenting to view simultaneously the tab of each sheet of the plurality and a support common to all the groups having thereon a plurality of projections extending from the face of the support and forming rests upon which the lower edges of the data sheets rest. for oscillatory movement of the sheets to and from the support by which movement the normally concealed face of a selected sheet may beexposed without removing same from the support.

8. A numerical index comprising a series of one hundred sheets separated into ten groups of ten sheets each, the sheets ot each group having progressively offset tabs whereby the. tab of each sheet will be exposed beyond that of the succeeding sheet of the group, the ten groups being arranged in such relation that the ten tabs ot each group are exposed beyond the tabs of the .succeeding group, whereby the tabs of the entire one hundred sheets will be simultaneously exposed and a support card common to all the groups of sheets having a plurality of spaced steps projecting from the support card in predetermined fixed relation on which the various groups of sheets loosely rest l:for free oscillatory movement.

9. A card index comprising a plurality of sheets arranged in groups, the sheets of each group being provided with overlapping tabs and the several groups of sheets lbeing arrangedwith their respective tabs in over lapping relation in a direction angular to the direction of the overlapping of the tabs of the sheets comprising the groups whereby all of the tabs of all of the groups will be simultaneously exposed and a suppor t card common to all the groups of sheets having stepped supports arranged in spaced relation upon which the sheets loosely rest.

10. A card index comprising a plurality l `of'sheets arranged in groups, the sheets of each group being provided with overlapping tabs, a support common to all of the sheets of, the plurality, and a series of integral tongues projecting in spaced relation -upon a different rest at a different elevation 4with its overlapping tabs exposed beyond those of other groups said leaves being capable of oscillatory movement to and from the support card about their points of en gagement upon said rests to expose the face of any leaf `without removing the leaves from their rests.

12. ln a card index, a Support card, a plurality of supporting tongues hinged to the card at different elevations, independent data sheets supported upon the tongues at different elevations whereby portions of different sheets project beyond the margins of other sheets, said sheets and hinged sup'- porting tongues being foldable substantially to parallelism with each other and with the supporting card, the sheets being capable of oscillatory movement to and from the supporting card, about their points of rest upon the supporting tongues to expose the face of a selected sheet without removing any of the sheets from the support.

13. In a card'index system, a plurality of data sheets resting upon their lower ledges for oscillatory movement, a support member common to all the data sheets of said plurality, and a plurality of projections extend= ing from the face of the support at di'erent aeoeee spaced levels upon which the lower edges of the di'erent data sheets rest whereby the sheets are loosely supported at dierent elevatons for voscillatory movement to and from the support with a top marginal portion of each sheet exposed adjacent the margins of the adjoining sheets, the sheets in advance of a selected data Sheet being adapted to be tilted forwardly in unison independently of these sheets rearwardly of the selected sheet to expose to view the face of the selected sheet, such tilt/ed sheets being returnable to substantial parallelism preparatory to the next selecting operation.

ln testimony whereof, ll have hereunto set my hand this 29th. day of-January, A. ll).

RUDNEY J. WUOD. Witnesses:

JOHN DINEEN, GEORGE C. Hermle.

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