US1846779A - Card record apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 23, 1932. J. w. WHITSON CARD RECORD APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTUR JWVVHITEDN Feb. 23, 1932. I J. w. WHITSON 1,846,779

CARD RECORD APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 s sheets-sheet 2 EN WN JWWTHMV Feb 23, 1932. J. w. WHITSON CARD RECORD APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTDR .JWWHITSUN Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE zomr WEI'IBON, or oaxmnn, oemonnu cum nnooan manure Application ma January 5, 1925. Serial no. sea.

This invention relates to improvements in' ment in a container or box, may be quickly and accurately selected and moved into accessible position out of alignment with the other cards through a simple and easily effected o eration, for example as by the manipulation of finger keys suitably designated and located.

One of the purposes of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character described which will be comparatively simple as to construction and arrangement, compact;

inex ensive, accurate in its operation an whic will rovide for a considerable savin W in time in t e maintaining and operation 0 a card record system.

Another pur oseof the invention is to provide a card ling mechanism of the character described wherein there is provided an arrangement of finger keys simulating the keyboard of a typewriter, the manipulation of certain keys providing for selection of cards desired to be segregated from the group of cards, there being a means which will move the selected cards out of position of alignment with the remaining cards, which means is put into operation by the depression of another finger key or keys.

The machine of this invention embodies a practical device for carrying out the method disclosed in my previous application entitled Segregating system for cards, filed March 26, 1918, Serial No. 224,917.

With the above mentioned and other ob; jects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawings: v Fig. 1 represents .a lan view of the mechanism of this invention with follower removed. I

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the mechanism 0 this invention.

Fig. 3 represents a cross-sectional view of the mechanism taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 represents another cross sectional view of the mechanism taken on line 4-4 of 1 Fig 2. ig. 5 represents a front view of one of the cards. v

Fig. 6 represents an end elevation of one of the cards- 55 Fig. 7 represents a fragmentary elevatio of a. card showin in sectlon one of the rods associated with the card, in position to prevent movement of the card, in full lines, and v in dotted lines as when in non-obstructing position. I

, Fig. 8 represents a view similar to Fig. 7 showing in full lines, the relation of the card and rod after the card has been moved to the right and the rod has been moved back to normal position and has lifted the card, and showing in dotted lines the relation of the card and rod after the card has been moved to the right but before return of the rod to normal position and consequent lifting of the card, the card as shown in full lines being held above the rod by frictional engagement with the other cards.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a casing 1, made up of a card compartment 2, a mechanism compartment 3 and a keyboard 4. Cards 5 are supported on flexibleupwardly bowed bars or rods 6 extending beneath the card compartment and fastened at their ends to supports 7. These rods extend between guide bars 7 whichv project downwardly from brackets 8 and 9. A plurality of finger keys 10 are fixed to the bars 6 and extend above the keyboard 4. On depression of a key the rod to which it is attached is flexed downward past center, clear of the lower edges of the cards and remains in a downward bow as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 100

' lines-in Fig. 3. When cards have more than 2. Those of the bars 6 not depressed support the cards.

The cards are of uniform'size and shape except that at their lower edges have different physical characteristics, that is, each card may have a different characteristic or a group or grou s of cards may have common char acteristics, different however, from other group characteristics, each card hasametal, preferably steel strip, on its lower edge. The

- strip is fastened by hooks 12 and lugs 13 to j? the card and, in this instance, the card comprises a single card sheet folded to provide a double card, there bein notches 14 at the ends of the fold for the sponding in number to the number of the rods 6, extend downward'from the strip and receive the rods 6 between them. By. this arrangement-the cards are stacked evenly in Y the compartment.

The different characteristics are provided by breaking or cutting ofi certain of the lugs on each card. For example, one card may have all of the lugs cut off except the third one from the left end, or this card mayhave all but two 'or three lugs removed. The lugs extend to the left of the rods and a card having only one lug, the first-one on the left end, for example, 18 held in position of ali ment with the other cards by the first r 6 on the left, which-rod is. actuated by the key designated The (see Fig.1) \Vhen the rod carrying the The key is depressed, the card or cards as the case may be, having but one lug, the first one on the left will be free to be moved to the right out of line with the remainder of the cards, as shown in dotted one lug, the keys relating to said lugs, when depressed, move the rods controlling said lugs out of position and such cards are free to be moved out of position as will be later described more fully. Thus, it will be seen that the cards may be selected at the will of I the operator according to certain characteristics, by de ressing the finger keys. For example, if the operator desires to select all of the cards marked D, U, E, he depresses the D, U, and E, keys. If a card is identified as J. Doe, the operator depresses the J. D, O, and E keys, to release the card desired. Vari-. ous selections of this kind may be quickly and accurately made without requiring that the operator touch the cards, the mere depression of the proper keys being all that is required to select individual cards or groups of cards.

The cards with the lugs thereon and the finger key-control rods comprise means for releasingly holding the cards in alignment, which means is selectively operable to. release a card, that is any card of a'group or in'fact any cards of a group. The means which will be later described, provides for moving cards out of alignment so that they may be removed from the card compartment, exerts an influence on all of the cards, consequently the selecting means hereinbefore described serves to releasingly hold the cards in alignment against this influence,;and said means is from the box as desired.

1 This means is'preferably set into operation by the depression of a key or keys as the case may be, and exerts a force suchthat the card orcards desired will be bodil moved, as above described. In the present lnstance, I employ two forces, one acting to move the cards laterally out of alignment and the other to move the cards vertically, these forces being controlled by two finger keys. One force however, pulling outwardly and upwardly on the. cards, would'bring the cards vtoapproximately the same out-of-alignment position. In this embodiment of my invention, 1 use magnetic forces preferably derived from electro-magnets, there being a group of electro-magnets 18 arranged in the compartment 3 on one side of the cardrece taole 2. These magnets have their cores 19 isposed so that on energizationof the magnets, those of thecards which are released will be moved to the right, due to the attraction by the cores of Y the metal strips on the cards. These magnets are arranged to be energized by a suitable sides of the group of rods-and a lower connecting portion 25 to which a trip member 26 is secured. This trip is hinged as at 27 within the compartment 3. The trip member 26 is rovided with an upturned end or flange 28 disposed beneath the bars 6 in such position that when the member 24 is moved upwardly'by the magnets, the portion 28 will engage the bars and move them out of downward flexed 'or bowed position into'uppermost position. These magnets are controlled by a push-button switch 29 mounted adjacent the switch 20 on the keyboard and when energized so as to'causethe trip to move upwardlythe portion 28 of the trip to engage the bars 6 and move them past center thereby causing the bars 6 to snap into uppermost position and the cards which-havebeen moved laterally to one side of their normal positions, to be pushed upwardly with respect to a the other cards. The lower ends of the lugs 17 on the cards are engaged by the bars 6 mentioned.

If the operator desires to select a card or cards from a group, for example, the card bearing the designation J. R. Doe, he depresses the keys designated J..R.YD., or de-' pending on the method ofinstalling the system, may have to spell out the entire name,

at any rate,the depression of these keys will move the rods 6 downwardly below the lugs 17 of the card or cards selected,leaving said cards free to be moved to the right. The operator then depresses the push button switch 20 and energizes the magnets 18 so that the magnets will attract the strips on all the cards and" move the selected cards to the right; out of alignment with the remainder'of-the cards. This movement of the cards disposes the lugs 17 on the cards over the bars which are depressed, said bars re maining depressed until released by the tri member 26. To cause the selected cards whic have been moved out of alignment to be raised above the other cards so that they may be grasped at their upper edges and removed from the receptacle or lifted into such position that they may be read, the operator depresses the switch 29 and energizes the magnet 21. This lifts the member 24 which raises the trip 26 and causes the upstanding member 28 to engage the bars 6 and lift them upwardly. As the bars-6 move past center in their upward movement, they snap quickly in their upwardly bowed position and engage the lugs 17 on the cards which have been moved, thus causing said cards to be forced upwardly above the other cards. The frictional engagement of the selected cards between the cards of the group or stack, is suf' ficient to maintain the raised cards in lifted position.

With the mechanism of this invention it will be seen that any card or cards or grou' s of cards, may be selected in comparative y easy and accurate manner by the .mere depression of finger keys. The operator uses the keyboard very muchas a typewriter keyboard is used in order to select a card or group of cards and on pressing the switches will causethe card to be moved into position to be removed from the other cards, or segregated. No matter in what way the cards are arranged, the ones selected,through the manipulation of the finger keys,will at all times be segregated on operation of the push buttons. This is a distinct advantage in that no special order of filing or arranging of the cards need be followed and the operator on returning the cards to the receptacle need .in the maintaining and operation of a card the important advantages 0 this invention is that it will provide for a great saving in time record system.

It is obvious that the keys with which the I selecting of the-cards is effected. may be alphabetically or numerically designated. 1 also wish it understood that various other designations may be used and that other methods of selection may be made with the apparatus of the invention. In the present instance the selection is made in a positive manner by moving the selected card out of alignment with the remainin cards but obviously this may berevers and those of the cards not desired may be moved out o alignment with the desired card.

The double card provides for a better attachment of the lug strip in that it presents a smooth card face .and does not form any obstruction which would tend to interfere with the free removal or insertion" of the cards from the stack. Fig. 6 shows that the front and rear faces of the cards are free from interfering obstructionsof any kind.-

A- suitable follow .block 30 is adjustably mounted in the card compartment and provides for holding the cards in a sufiiciently tight pack to insure the maintaining of a raised card in elevated position due to the frictional engagement thereof with the cards not raised.

, I claim:

1." Card record apparatus comprising a card compartment, a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment, each of which cards is adapted to be moved by magnetic attraction, means for subjecting cards to magnetic attraction, selectively operable means releasably holding cards against movement when cards are subjected to magnetic attraction.

2. Card record apparatus comprising a not ut them in any special osition. One-of cards,-a plurality of rods extending across the under edges of the cards, means for moving the rods into and out of position to be engaged by the lugs and to prevent lateral movement of the cards and means for ap-' plying a force to all of the cards which force tends to move the cards laterally and causes movement of those of the cardswhich are released.

4. Card record mechanism comprising a card compartment," a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment, which cards are adapted to be moved bymagnetic attraction, means for applying magnetic attraction to the cards and tending to move all of them and selectively operable means releasably holding the cards in alignment which means is adapted to release any of the cards.

' 5. A card record mechanism comprising a casing including a card compartment, a pluedges of the cards, a plurality of rods extending between the lugs and supporting the cards in place, means for selectively moving said rods out of position between said lugs to release a card for movement into position of said members, means for flexing the-rods out of alignment with the other cards and means for moving the selected cards into a position out of alignment with the other cards.

6. A card record mechanism comprising a casing having a card compartment, a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment, members projecting downwardly from the lower edges of the cards. a nluralitv of rods movable into and out of position to been- 8. Acard rods capable of, beingflexe gaged by the members to prevent movement of the cards, means for selectively moving the rods out' of card-obstructing position,

means for moving the cards which are re leased into position out of alignment with the remaining cards and with the members disposed immediately over the top of'the rods which are moved out of obstructing position andmeans for moving the rods back into obstructing position, which rods on such movement-will engage said members and move cards upwardly; j

7. A card record mechanism comprising a casing having a card compartment, a, plurality of cards mounted in the compartment,

members projecting downwardly from the lower edges of the cards, rods capable of being. flexed into and out of position to be engaged by said members means for flexing the rodsout of card-obstructing position-and means forfiexing the rods into card-obstructing position.

record mechanismcomprising a card compartment, a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment a plurality of into and out of ositionto obstruct movement of the cards an means fonflexing said rods out of card obstructing-"position; and means for flexing the rods intocard-o ructing position. 9. (lard rec'ord mechanism comprising a card "compartment, a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment, a plurality of flexible rods extending beneath and on which Y said cards are supported, members projecting downwardly from the lower edges of the cards on the sidesof the rods, means-for flexing said rods to position below said memhere to release the cards, means providing for movement of the released-cards to bring themembers immediately overthe down- -wardlyflexed rods and means-for causing movement of the flexed 'rods into card-0bstructing position operable to release a'card and means for movingdsaid card,out of alignment with the held car s;

*13fCard record apparatus comprising a card compartment, cards mounted in the compartment, "means on operation of which all of the'car'ds are influenced to move and means holdin' the cards against movement, which means is selectively operable to release a card and permits said card tomove under the influence of the first-named means.

j "14. Card record apparatus comprising a, card compartment, cards mounted in the com p'artmcnt, means holdingthe card against movement in one d1rect1on,'wh1ch means 1s selectively operable to release any card and means which when operated will move thereleased card relative to those that are held.

15. Card record apparatus comprising a card compartment, a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment, each of which e cards is adapted forfmovement when under magnetic attraction, means for subjecting cards to magneticfattraction, means holding cards against movement when cards are subjected to magnetic attraction, which means is selectively operable to release a card. 3 7

l6. Card'record apparatus including selccting means and record cards adapted for .movementby magnetic attraction, magnetic means for moving selected cards and means for supporting the cards in operative relation to said magnetic means.

' 17;Card record apparatus including selecting means and record cards which are re sponsive to magnetic attraction, means for magnetically attracting selected cards and means for supporting the cards in operative relation to said magnetic means.

18. A record card for use in card segregating apparatuses which card is provided with a. surface adapted to receive record matter, means associated with and for ren dering the card subject to movement by magnetic attraction and an abutment member extending outwardly from a marginal edge of the card for the purpose of engagement by said apparatus holding the cardagainst movement when subjected to magnetic attraction.

19. A record card for use in card segregating apparatuses which card is provided with a surface adapted to receive record matter, a metallic element carried by the card and which makes the card subject to movement by magnetic attraction, and an abutment member projecting outwardly from a marginal edge of the card for the purpose of engagement by said apparatus holding the card against movement when subjected to magnetic attraction.

20. A record card for use in card segregating apparatuses and which is adapted to be moved by magnetic attraction, said card having a surface adapted to receive record' matter and an abutment member on said card for the purpose of engagement by said apparatus holding the card against movement when subjected to magnetic attraction.

21. Card record apparatus comprising a card compartment; a plurality of cards mounted in the compartment; means a predetermined operation of which influences all of the cards to move; and means normally holding the cards against movement but operable to selectively release them, which last-named means permits a card so released to move under the influence of the first-' named means, and includes elements fixed to and su ported by the cards.

' 22. ard record apparatus comprising a card compartment; cards m'ountedin the compartment; means normally holding the cards against movement in one direction, which means is adapted for selective operation to release any card and includes elements fixed to and entirely supported by said cards; and means a predetermined operation of which tends to move all the cards but which will move any released card relative to the remaining cards.

23. Card record apparatus including a support; a plurality of record cards mounted on the support and being distinguished from one another by differences in contour; means associated with each card and carried thereby for rendering the cards subject to movement by magnetic attraction; normally holding all of the cards against said movement, but selectively operable for releasing a card but selectively operable for releasing a card I having said abutment members in given positions; and magnetic means for moving said released card.

25. Card-selecting apparatus including cards and card selecting means and means providing for the'movement of selected cards through the instrumentality of magnetic at-,

traction.

26. A record card for use in card segregating apparatuses of the type described, means associated with the card for rendering the same subject to movement by magnetic attraction, and a plurality of retaining elements on the card subject to selective removal for purposes of rendering the card subject to said movement for the purpose of segregation.

27. The combination with a card-selecting apparatus including a card compartment, a stack of magnetically responsive cards in the com artment, and a mechanism to select a car or cards from the stack of cards, of magneticmeans to move any selected card or cards relatively to the other cards.

28. Cards for a card-filingapparatus, each card being provided with a surface to receive record matter, means assoclated with each card for rendering the card subject to-move ment by magnetic attraction and a series of abutments carried by said means, certain of said abutments being adapted to be severed to distinguish one card from another.

29. Cards for a card-filing apparatus, each card being provided with a surface to receive record matter, means associated with each card for rendering the card subject to movement by magnetic attraction, and a plurality of spaced abutment members projecting out wardly from a margin of each means, of

which predetermined abutments are removable to provide enlarged spaces between abut ments to thereby distinguish one card from another by the differences in the position of the enlarged spaces between the remaining abutments.

30. A record card for use in card segregating apparatuses, which card is provided with a surface adapted to receive record matter, an armature associated with and for rendering the card subject to movement by magnetic attraction, and an abutment member extending outwardly from a marginal edge of the armature for the pur ose of engagement by 5 said apparatus, hol ing the card against movement when subjected to magnetic attraction.

JOHN W. WHITSON.

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