US2486820A - Card filing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Now. l, 19019 y G. c. BRUEN CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed May ll, 1946 PATENT OFFICE 2,486,820 CARD FILING EQUIPMENT George C. Bruen, decea by Sophie E. Brixen,

signor of seventy and said Sophie E. Bruen,

Highland Park, Sarah M. Bullock, Wi tenths per cent to G. two per cent to Jay Dickinson,

per cent to sed, late of Chicago, Ill., executrix,

Chicago, Ill., as-

five-tenths per cent to five per cent to Edna V.

Ill., nine per cent to lmette, Ill., ten and five- A. Stuart, Denver, Colo., Fisher, Chicago, Ill., one

Marie Thoenen,

Elmwood Park, Ill.,

one per cent to George H. Fredericksen, Chicago, Ill., and one per cent to E. M. Thorsen,

St. Joseph, Mo.

Application May 11, 1946, Serial No. 669,169

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to card filing equipment and more particularly to the structure and arrangement of a multi-unit rotary card iile.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a multi-unit rotary card file wherein the parts are constructed and arranged for ease and smoothness of operation.

As another object the invention comprehends the provision of a rotary card file having a plurality of adjacent rotary card-carrying drums movable together as a unit and wherein cards are carried in divided section on the periphery of each drum and the sections of the drums are staggered to promote smooth rotary operation.

For a further object, this invention has within its purview the provision of a rotary card file wherein cards are carried in a plurality of circumferentially disposed and axially spaced rows with the cards grouped in the rows and the planes of the cards in each row extending axially of the file, and wherein said cards are separable circumferentially of the file and angularly movable relative to one another to facilitate their use; the grouping of the cards in the rows being such that during rotation of the file the cards of the groups of the different rows pass the critical angle at which they fall in the direction of rotation of the file at successively varying times.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, of which there is one sheet,

Fig. l is a front View, partially in Vertical section and partially in elevation, of a rotary card le embodying one form of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the card le taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, a plurality of card-carrying drums I are coaxially mounted in side by side relationship in a cabinet I2. The drums are supported for rotation together as a unit by a common shaft I3 to which they are each secured and which shaft extends between the opposed mid-portions of side Walls II of the cabinet I2. The shaft is supported at its ends by circular blocks I4 and I5, which blocks are attached, in opposed relationship by appropriate means such as screws I8, to the inner faces of the side walls I I of the cabinet. By preference, an inverted L-shaped bracket I1 has a leg I8 secured to the inner surface of the block I4 by appropriate fastening means such as screws I9. Another leg 20 of the bracket carries a bearing housing 22 in which one end of the shaft is rotatably supported. In the other block I5 is a bearing bore 23 wherein the other end of the shaft is rotatably mounted. For axially retaining the end of the shaft I3 within the bore 23, a collar 2li is located on the shaft in abutment with the end of the bearing housing 22 and is secured in place by means such as a cotter pin 25.

Desirably, the drums I0 are all substantially identical in construction, and a description of one drum will suffice for the others. Each drum lll presents a cylindrical outer face 2B and carries a peripheral card-carrying rail 21 which preferably extends around a medial line thereof. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the rail 21 comprises a head portion 28 of substantially cylindrical section and a radial web portion 29 which extends inwardly of the drum into a slot in the face 26.

For use with the disclosed type of card-holding rail, cards 30 have keyhole type slots 32 at their inner edges. The portion of the rail which protrudes beyond the drum face 2B, including the head 2B', is received Within the slots 32 of the cards, releasably to hold the cards in peripherally slidable relationship relative to the drum.

Each rail 2'I carries a plurality of partitions or stops 33 secured thereto in equally spaced relationship around the periphery of the drum, so as to divide the rail into sections for limiting movements of groups of cards on each drum. Thus, while the cards are free to slide on the rail relative to the drum face, they are limited in their migration by the stops 33.

When the wheels are rotated about the axis vof the shaft I3, the cards tend, by the action of gravity, to form V-shaped openings therebetween a short distance forwardly of the vertical plane through the axis.

The partitions 33 are preferably very lowscarcely higher than the rail head, and need not be as wide as the cards. When thus placed and proportioned, their presence does not materially interfere with the articulation of the cards upon the rails as they successively fall forwardly in the direction of movement of the drum from a substantially vertical position at the rear side of the V-shaped opening to a substantially horizontal position at the front side of the V-shaped opening, as the wheel is rotated. The stops, however, limit the shifting of the cards to a relatively small space on each drum.

In order to show how the rails, are secured to the drums, it is necessary to understand the structure of the drum. Each drum is preferably die cast in two like parts: a right half 34 and a left half 35 which are secured togetherin` reversed positions. The identity of the parts: contributes to lower production costs.

When thus cast, each drumv comprises arim 36, a hub 3l and a set of hollow spokes 38, all' of which are integral. .At the outer end' of.v each spoke and just within the rim, the two, halves are held together by rim assembly boltsv39.

are held together by hub assembly boltssll. The adjacent inner edges of the rim portions of the drum halves are spaced apart to form a slot 42 for receiving the web portion 29 of therail; Tore.- duce the weight of the metal, the spokes 38. of the.

drums may be hollowed out. The slot 42 is deepened at the region of each rim assembly bolt 39 to provide clearance for lugs 43 extendingin- Wardly from the web portion 29 of the rail. Each such lug 43 has a through bore IM4 whichv receives the rim assembly bolt 39, whereby the bolt holds the rail against outward' movement from the slot 42.

The drums are xedly mounted ona shaft I3 so that they all turn together. In the present instance, this is done by key 45 inserted in a keyway 45 which has a portion 41 in the shaft and a portion i8 in the hub of each drum.

While it is desirable for the drums to turnas a unit, it is not desirable that the sections of cards on each drum should be aligned. Itis, however; desirable that the partitions on the drums should be staggered relative to one another. The staggering of the sections varies the times atv which the groups of cards contained therein, or substantial numbers thereof, pass the critical angle at which they fall in the direction of rotation of the drum during rotation. Since the drums are substantially identical, the accomplishment of this staggering of the partitions is effected by the .cutting of the keyways in the drum hubs in staggered relationship to each other. Thus, when the keyways in the drums are aligned for insertion of the key, the partitions between the sections of the drums are staggered relative to one another.

Due to a difference in air pressure against the exposed surfaces of, and between, adjacent. cards, they normally tend to fall forwardly in groups, in each of the divided sections, during the. rotation of the drums. However, the above mentioned staggered arrangement of the sections, the cards on each drum do not reach their'critical angle for falling forwardly at the same time. Hence, the forward inertia of the falling cards isV divided and minimized so as to smooth theY operation of the group of drums, althoughtheir close grouping and unitary operation makes them easily serviceable by a single operator seated. in front of the cabinet.

To rotate the unitary assembly in the disclosed embodiment of the invention, there is provided a pulley 69 located between two of the adjacent drums. The pulley is drivingly connected' to the shaft I3 by the key 45, so that upon rotation of the pulley wheel, the shaft and drum will turn. The pulley 49 is driven, by a belt which, in turn, is driven by a pulley 52, which pulley is drivingly connected to a shaft. 53. and motor 54. The motor Similarly-, at the inner ends of the spokes,` the two halves is attached by appropriate means to the base of and Within the cabinet I2. In a position convenient to the operator, a push button switch 58 is mounted *on the cabinet and connected to the motor for starting and stopping the multiple drum unit.

`For enclosure of the drums within the cabinet I2, an arcuate shaped top 55 is mounted by segmental side panels 56, at each end thereof, on the circular blocks I4 and I5. The circumferential surface of each block serves as a bearing surface for the segmental side panels 56. When the top of the cabinet is closed, it rests against a: stop strip 89 at the upper rim of the cabinet.

. When it is in the open position, as shown in Fig.

2, it isswung down backwardly and rests against stops 5^? secured to the base on the inner side of the. cabinet. Attached to the base of the cabinet are casters 59 upon which the cabinet may be moved to any desired location.

While a preferred embodiment of the'invention has been illustrated, many modications'maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is not the intent to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but the desire to include all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In card filing equipment, the combination comprising a housing including side walls and having an opening at the top, an arcuate cover for closing the opening, stationary blocks having circular outer surfaces, said blocks being secured in opposed positions to the mid-portions of the inner surfaces of the housing side walls with their circular outer surfaces in coaxial relationshipa rotary card file supporting shaft extending between said blocks in concentric relationship to the circular outer surfaces thereof, a bearing bracket secured to one of said blocks and having secured thereto a journal bearing in which one end of the shaft is rotatably supported, the other of said blocks having a bearing opening therein for rotatably supporting the other end of the shaft, and said arcuate cover having side portions including bearings in concentric relationship to the arcuate curvature of thecover and carried for rotational movement to open and closed positions on the circular outer surfaces of the blocks.

2. In card filing equipment as defined in claim 1, the combination being further characterized by a collar secured to the shaft adjacent the end .of said journal bearing for locating the shaft axially relative to the blocks.

SOPHIE E. BRUEN, Erecutrzx of the Last Will and Testament of George C'. Bruen, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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