US1679365A - Filing or indexing appliance - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 7, 1928.

W nMcFALL FILING 0R INDEXING APPLIANCE I Filed Oct. 2, 1925 Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES rare NT O F iFt-CE.

WILLARD n. MGFALL, or 'EA'ST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

FILING OR INDEXING APPLIANCE.

Application filed October 2, 1925. serial'no. 60,040.

- embody features of constructionwhereby a misplaced or improperly filed card or envelopecanbe quickly located at any point in the set without individually examining each card or envelope.

Further objects are to provide such a filing system and appliance embodying a novel and improved set of cards or envelopes and an index member to cooperate therewith; to provide a filing or index system comprising a set of cards or envelopes divided into a pluralityof series or groups, said cards or envelopes embodying novel and improved features of construction whereby each is identified with its particulargroup and distinguished from all other groups, and to obtain other results and advantages as may be brought out by the following description.

For the purpose of illustrating theprinciples of the invention, in the accompanying drawings Ihave shown the same applied to a. known filing system, but it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of use in connection with other filing systems without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Referring to said drawings, in which corresponding and like parts are designated throughout the several views by the same reference characters,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a file drawer and a plurality of envelopes for classifying and filing information or data, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the envelopes. v

The systemof filing illustrated comprises the use of a file box, drawer or like container 1 and a plurality of envelopes or folders 2 which are adapted to receive papers or other data 3 and beplaced in the drawer or'box .1 in numerical order, "each of the envelopes orfolderslncludingan indexing or designating inscription 4 which in the pres ent instance is anumber. This type of filing appliance is extensively used by insurance companies, and a large number *of the en velopes 2 are used and filed away in several boxes or drawers. The usual type of cont-ainerfor the envelopes is "a drawer such as illustrated, which includes a front wall 5, side walls 6 and bottom 7, .the envelopes being placed in the drawer endwise' and held in an upright position by an adjustable follower (not shown) common to filing drawers.

It frequently happens that an envelope is misplaced or improperly filed, and in order to locatethe envelope it is necessary to examine each of the envelopesin all of the filing drawers until the misplacedo'ne is found.- Obviously, where-thenumber of envelopes runs into the hundreds of-thousands, the'searoh'for aniisfiled one :is often the cause of much loss of time. His to overcome these'obje'ctions to thepresentfiling systems and appliances that the present invention is directed. I

In accordance -with the inventio'mthe-envelopes'2 are divided-into groups or -series. In the present embodiment of the invention ill-ustrated,'each group comprises one hundred envelopes,-and it is possible to locate any of the one hundred envelopes of any group should it be-misplaced inany of the other 'groups. Itwould'be'possible to adapt the invention to use with groups-of less envelopes than'one hundred, but in. practical operation of thefiling system it is not much of a-task to examine one hundred envelopes to locate a misfiled one within the particular group. 7 v

Adjacent one edge of each 'envelope in each group is formed an opening 8, said opening representing the hundred digit of the envelope number, in'thepresent instance the 700 in theenvelope number 632799. Each envelope in the seven hundred group, that is each envelope numbered from 700'to 799, inclusive, has a similar opening arranged in a position on-the corresponding envelope identical with the opening 8011 theothersQ. The envelopes in the eight hundred group have "a similar opening '9 which is arranged in -a slightly diiferent position upon the corresponding envelope, so that when the-seven hundred and eig'llt i mentioned group.

' hundred groups are .arranged in packed rela- V tions oi'the openingsin the respective groups i "vided. with opening 10 which represents the thousandsgdigit in the envelope nurnber in; the present instance the 2 in the envelope number. 632799,

represent'theytons of thousands and hundr'eds of "thousands digits, respectively.

'Afcoordin-gly, each envelope in; the groupfnninbered 6327004532799 would have open th-eopening 10 in a different position from the corresponding opening in the 7 group 032000. Therefore, when thei various groups a of envelopes ;.are arranged-intheir proper qgroupfat leastoneof the openingsfot the the corresponding openings of the cards in 1 i the. ronpin which it is n1isfiled,and should serted into all of the openings in the cards,

tionthe "openingsj8, l'0, lland 12 are lo floated on the envelope, and the shape-of the zopenin'gsj is Salso "ifnmaterial;

' envelo 'ies are. filed in 'aydravver, 'is preferable to have the openings arranged ;in f two vertical rows-whichare laterally "f-.'xsPaced. '.65

, tive envelopes"differently froin'the opening If15r .632890 would have openingslO', Hand 12 in'identical positions with the openings 10, j l1'and 12 in theother group, but the openings 8 and 9,in thetwo groups will be in in a di fi erent position from the corresponding openings in the group numbered 680000,

insertion of the rod 13 should be interrupted by theefirst card in another group, as shownin Fig-ure-l, the rodjc'an' then be inserted from the otheriend of the pack generally, the front 5 .of the drawer-ispreferably formed with four series of openings lettered A, B, C, D, respectively the openings being nun'ibered from OtO 9 1 1 each series. The series Acorresponds'to the hon tion, the openings 8 and 9 are out ofalineinent, as-shown in Figure; 1; Sinnlarly, there is aborrespo'nding openingin each one hundredgroupof envelopes, the POSl heingfdifi erent. Each envelope .is also pro- 7 7 7 p numbers, the series B corresponds to the tens The openingsfin' the hundreds di it. neXtQth'ousand group, thatis in the 3000 group; would be positioned 'on' the 'respec-'' series A is in alinenientjwith the-openings 12 'in the-'cards-jot the 600000 group, while the opening 7 in the D series is in alinernent with the openings 8 in the cards of the seven 10. In a similar manner, each 'envelopejis' tornledqvitli openings 11 and '12 whlch .A, B, Ciand l) accordingly serve as indexes fontheinsertmn of the ingsg 'loiil'l and-'12 in identical positions; V

misplacedeard, the operatorbeing first apthe groH-Dofenvelopes numbered 632800? such as; an inscri drawer. Q a r I 1 If a search is to be lna'de' fora misplaced card in the :drawer illustrated, thero'd 18 would be successively insertedinto the open-V ing 7- 'of seriesfD, the opening 2 otthe different positionsq Also, i the envelopes in the 640000 group? will have the opening '11 and the group numbered 631000 wouldhav the open1ng'6 of the series A.

be utilized a special drawer for "the searching. operation,

oup "be improperly. ,filed' in another in their proper file drawer. inisiiled card will be'outof alineinent with a rod o'r wire, such as indicated "at 13, be in-' d, but a card which has its passage entirely throughone of the openi y M611 in Figurelot the drawings. In case the Utilized hQ lp l' ffoln-ffllespirit t l c t any ings might hearrangedat thetops or hotn the second card which inight be niisfiledfi I V v p I illustrated,- .Furthermore, the invention "is It is relatively immaterial in what posis c p ei use illconneiclion with filing systems in which the filing inedia is other 'tgfh fh fOIDfJZLtiQIl cards in the appended claims is as shown, it, t d d media;

@Td faeilitatin the; location r i placed .card and in thefiling ofthe envelopes dreds of thousands digit in the envelope .of-thousands digit, the series G. corresponds to thethousands digit and the series Dto th-ea Each of the op'enings Qinf each of the-series is disposed in: position to, aline' with "the corresponding opening in' the cards; for instancethe openingG in' prised of the range of numbers ofthe envea lopes inthe drawers by any suitable means, ption 14 on the frontof the after which the envelopes would be replaced tom's ,ot the ca rds:instead of at the sides as "Accordingly, while i have o'waanaae; scribed oneorefe-rred "embodiment "of the invention,'l do not desire'to be -understood, I:

hundred.group; The openings of the'series rod 13. forlocating a v T series C, the opening?) of the series B and .lt is not essential that the drawer =front as the" index-member, since a I separate box or container 'constructed "siini-Y l'arly to. the drawer Icould. be utilized by successively removing all of the-envelopes from the file drawers and placing them into,

It I will be noted that not only ,ldoesthe systen and appliance enable a 'card'infthe .wrong place in the box or drawer to be been filed up}- side down or facingrearwardly may also be Any other desired system of indexing than the number system-above described. nay be ofxthe invention,and other indicators than theopen ngs 8,10, 11. and 12 may als'obe i utilized, for instance notches. Also, the openthan cards-or envelopes, and the terin-inp include Y all, adaptable, filing 1 evases as limiting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A plurality of series of information cards, each card of each series having a plurality of openings, all of the cards of each series having certain openings located identically with each other and with c rresponding openings of the other series and another opening located differently from the corre spending openings of the other series,'so that when said cards are placed in a packed relation all the openings of all the cards in one series will be in alinernent with each other and at least one opening of each card of each series will be out of alinement with the corresponding openings of the cards of the other series, whereby said openings may serve to indicate different series and as a signal should a card of one series he misfiled in another group, each card of each series having a different designating inscription composed of a plurality of characters and each of the openings representing one of said characters, the characters so represented being the same for all of the cards of the same series.

2. A plurality of series of informationcards, each card of each series having a plurality of openings, all of the cards of each series having certain openlngs located identi- Cally with each other and with correspond-- ing openings of the other series and another opening located differently from an opening of the other series, so that when said cards are placed in a packed relation all the openings of all the cards in one series willbe in alinement with each other and at least one opening of each card of each series will be out of alinement with the corresponding openings of the cr ds of the other series, each card of each series having a different designating inscription composed of a plurality of characters and each of the openings representing one of said characters, the charactors so represented being the same for all of the cards of the same series. an index member at the front of the pack of cards and having a plurality of series of open ings each series corresponding to one of the openings in each of said cards and'each opening in each of said series on the index member being in alinement with one of the openings in a series of the cards and having the same designating character as that represented by the corresponding opening in the cards, and a. car-finding member to be,

inserted through said openings in said index member and the corresponding openings in said cards to locate a misplaced card.

3. An information card file, comprising a plurality of groups of information cards all ently than the corresponding indicators'of the cards in the other groups,each of said cards having a different designating inscription composed of a plurality of characters, and each of said indicators representing one of said characters, whereby said in-' dicators serve to indicate different groups and as a signal should a card of one group be misfiled in another group.

l. A plurality of series of information cards, each card of each series having a plurality o1 openings, allot the cards of each series having certain openings located identically with each other and with corresponding openings of the other series and another opening located differently from the correspending openings of the other series, so thatwhen said cards are placed in a packed relation all the openings of all the cards in one series will be in alinement with each other and at least one opening of each card of each series will be out of alinement with the corresponding openings of the cards of the other series, whereby said openings may serve to indicate different series and as a signal should a card of one series he misiilcd in another group, each card of each series having a different designating number composed of a plurality of figures and each of said openings representing one of said figures, said cards being consecutively nuinerically arranged.

5. A plurality of series of information cards, each card of each series having a plurality oi openings, all of the cards of each series having, certain openings located identically with each other and with corresponding openings of the other seriesand another opening located differently from the corresponding openings of the other series, so that when said cards are placed in a packed relation all the openings of all the cards in one series will be in alinement with each other and at least one opening of each card of each series will be out of alinement with the corresponding openings of the cards of the other series, whereby said openings may serve to indicate different series and as a signal should a card of'one series be misiiled in another'group, each series of cards including one hundred cards which have different consecutive designating numbers each comprising a plurality of 7 bet at th e front .of the pack of cards and ignafcing 'fig ure" as that represented by the} having,a'plurality'of series of openings each corresponding opening in the cards, and a, j seriesic orrespondinge to one ofthe openings card finding member to be inserted through 1 I j in; each .of'sadid cards and each Qpening in saido penings-insaid index memberand the I ea chof said series onthe index member being: corresponding openings in said cardsto l0,-

' in falinem'ent withione of vthe openings in a c a te a misplaed cardi 'series ofj t -he cards and having 'thesamedesf i f WILLARD

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