Apparatus for assembling and displaying information

A group of cards containing printed information on one or more selected topics and interconnected to form a deck of such cards. The deck may include a title card bearing indicia denoting a particular topic of information on other cards in the deck, and also may include one or more cards containing general information on the topic, as well as subject cards containing information on one or more specific items relating to the topic. The subject cards include indicia, preferably along a marginal portion of the card, denoting the particular subject for which that card, or the facing surface of the card, contains information.

FIELD OF INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to apparatus for displaying information, 
and in particular relates to such apparatus utilizing a series of cards 
bearing information on one or more selected topics. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
People often find themselves in situations where they need or desire 
information concerning a particular topic. These situations may relate 
either to work or to leisure activities, but the desired information 
usually is not readily at hand unless an appropriate book or other 
information source is available. Although the information may be available 
from various reference sources such as periodical publications, books, or 
databases accessible through computers, these sources are not readily 
portable and in many cases are relatively expensive to purchase and 
maintain. 
Problems associated with providing a convenient source of information on a 
selected topic are even greater where the information source should be 
readily portable, that is, sufficiently compact in size and weight so that 
a person will want to carry it with him or her. Regular hardback bound 
books are out of the question in most cases, due to the weight and bulk of 
such books. Even paperback books, although somewhat more convenient to 
carry than their hardback counterparts, usually do not fit conveniently 
within a person's pockets, and must instead be carried in a knapsack or 
some other carrier borne by the individual. Moreover, the bulk and space 
requirements of conventional bookbinding reduce the amount of information 
each page can display, and add to the number of pages required for a given 
amount of information, a significant factor for a portable or 
easily-carried compendium of information. Moreover, the very nature of 
bound books makes these books relatively inconvenient or expensive to 
modify as the information on a few pages is changed from time to time, and 
the conventional loose leaf alternative to binding usually adds to the 
weight and physical bulk of a book. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved 
apparatus for assembling and displaying information. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a relatively 
compact and easily portable information display apparatus. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to organize information 
on particular subjects relating to a selected topic, and to organize 
information according to different groups of subjects relating to that 
topic. 
Stated in general terms, the present invention includes a number of 
individual sheets mutually interconnected to maintain a predetermined 
sequential arrangement of the sheets. Each sheet has a front surface and a 
back surface, and at least some of those surfaces bear indicia containing 
information on particular subjects relating to a selected topic. One 
sheet, such as the first sheet in the sequence, preferably bears indicia 
indicating the particular topic of information contained on others of the 
sheets. The assembly of sheets may also include one or more sheets in the 
form of an index or table of contents, identifying the information 
contained on other sheets or surfaces and indicating the particular sheet 
or surface location containing that information. 
Stated somewhat more particularly, the sheets are cards interconnected to 
form a deck of cards having the predetermined sequential arrangement, and 
the information on particular subjects relating to a topic is printed on 
at least one side, and preferably both sides, of each card. The cards 
preferably are not bound together as pages of a conventional book, but 
instead are interconnected by a suitable fastener extending through an 
opening in each card making up the deck. 
Stated with further particularity, the cards making up a deck according to 
the present invention are joined together by a rigid fastener such as a 
rivet extending through holes formed adjacent a particular corner of the 
cards. This fastener maintains the cards in the form of a deck, but allows 
pivoting the cards about the fastener so as to fan the cards on an axis of 
alignment extending through the aligned openings in the cards making up 
the deck. The card containing information on a particular subject relating 
to the topic of the deck is readily accessible by fanning the deck to 
reach that card, and then pivoting the preceding cards of the deck about 
the fastener to leave the desired card in substantially full view. 
Decks according to the present invention include separate indicia along a 
marginal portion of each subject card, denoting that subject or a 
particular attribute of the subject, or both. Where a deck of cards 
contains information on different groups of subjects relating to a common 
topic for that deck, the marginal information of the subject cards can 
denote a specific group of subjects. Other indicia on each card, 
preferably in the marginal portion thereof, can denote the particular 
subject within a group or subgroup of subjects. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more 
readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Turning first to FIG. 1, there is shown generally at 10 a deck of 
individual cards 11 containing printed information about a selected topic. 
In the specific embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the topic pertains to 
horticulture as denoted by the word "plants" printed on the front surface 
of the card 12 at the top of the deck. The cards 11 are secured together 
in the deck assemblage by means of a fastener 13 such as a molded plastic 
rivet or the like, extending through the openings 14 (FIG. 2) formed near 
the lower-left corner of each card. The rivet 13 in the disclosed 
embodiment is nonremovable so that the cards 11 making up the deck 10 are 
not subject to being misplaced or reassembled out of order by users of the 
deck. However, it is considered within the scope of the present invention 
to replace the nonremovable fastener 13 with a removable fastener of known 
kind, for use in applications where the information appearing on the 
removable cards 11 is likely to be updated piecemeal from time to time. 
For other applications where information on all cards of the deck is 
likely to remain static at least for a time, e.g., for a particular season 
in the case of a deck pertaining to sports teams and containing schedules 
and rosters for the teams, a fastener of the nonremovable kind generally 
is preferred. In any case, it is seen from FIG. 1 that the fastener 13 
maintains the cards 11 in a predetermined sequential arrangement, with the 
cards being mutually parallel but capable of being fanned outwardly as 
shown in FIG. 1. This structural arrangement of the deck 10 allows fanning 
the cards so that any particular card beneath the top card 12 becomes 
visible almost in its entirety, as the cards above that particular card 
are rotated approximately 180.degree.. 
Turning next to FIG. 2, there is shown the nature of selected cards in the 
deck 10 and the layout of indicia used for indexing and displaying the 
information on those cards. The top card 12 typically contains wording as 
described above, and identifying the particular topic or topics of 
information printed on at least some other cards making up the deck. 
Immediately following the top card 12, in the disclosed example, are one 
or more contents cards 18 containing the words "Table of Contents" or 
similar nomenclature near the top of the card, and also including other 
indicia 19 naming the information appearing on the specific subject cards 
following the contents cards in the deck 10. If the information printed on 
the subject cards falls within two more logical groups of subjects 
relating to a topic of the deck 10, those different information groups 
preferably are identified as such by appropriate visual techniques, such 
as subheadings of bold or otherwise-characteristic type, in the contents 
indicia 19. Each line item of information appearing on the index card 
preferably has an index such as a number identifying the particular card 
or card surface on which that information first occurs. 
Appearing along the left marginal portion 20 of the contents card 18 as 
indicia 21 denoting or identifying the subject matter appearing on that 
particular card, or at least on the front surface 18a of that card. The 
indicia 21 preferably includes words such as "Table of Contents" 
identifying information on the card, as well as nonverbal information 
identifying a particular kind or class of information characteristic of 
that found on the front surface 18a. For example, the indicia 21 on the 
front surface 18a of the card 18 may comprise a border of characteristic 
color printed along the left marginal portion 20 of the card 18, with the 
legend "Table of Contents" printed therein. In the particular example 
given, the indicia 21 for the contents information on the front surface 
18a of the card 18 is colored yellow. This color is selected to denote 
indicia of general interest or assistance relative to the entire contents 
of the deck 10. 
The next card 25 shown in the exploded deck of FIG. 2 contains helpful 
hints on its front surface 25a and is so identified by the printed indicia 
"Helpful Hints" near the top of the front surface. The further indicia 26 
appears along the left marginal portion 27 of the front surface 25a, and 
may contain the same title showing the contents of the front surface. The 
indicia 26 at the left marginal portion of the card preferably has the 
same color or other nonverbal characteristic as the indicia 21 on the 
front surface 18a of the card 18, indicating that the front surfaces 18a 
and 25a each contain information of a general nature pertaining to the 
topic of the entire deck 10. The indicia 28 appearing below the title near 
the top of the front surface 25 can be any information of a general or 
specific nature relating to plants, such as planting, watering, 
fertilizing, and otherwise caring for the various kinds of plants more 
particularly identified in the subject cards appearing elsewhere in the 
deck 10. 
Although a single card surface 25a for plant hints is depicted in FIG. 2, 
it should be understood that this category of general information can be 
continued on one or more additional card surfaces in the deck. Those 
additional card surfaces, if they exist, preferably should follow 
immediately behind the surface 25a on the card 25 for easy and logical 
access by persons using the deck. Moreover, the card or cards containing 
hints can be followed in the deck by one or more further cards bearing 
other information of a general nature relating to a topic of the deck. 
Following the general-information card surfaces in the deck 10 are a number 
of subject cards 31, 32, . . . and so on. Only the two specific subject 
cards 31 and 32 are shown in FIG. 2, but it will be understood that the 
number of such cards in a particular deck 10 is limited only by practical 
considerations relating to the maximum desired thickness of a deck 
comprising the selected number of subject cards. In the deck of the 
preferred embodiment, each subject card contains information on the 
particular plant belonging to a group of plants as defined by 
horticultural or other characteristics, and preferably as set forth in the 
indicia 19 on the front surface 18a of the contents card. For example, the 
card 31 identifies a plant known as "coleus", and that plant name appears 
at 33 in the indicia band 34 along the left marginal portion of the front 
surface 31a. coleus is deemed an outdoor plant, and the indicia 34 
preferably contains nonverbal indicia distinctive of outdoor plants as a 
group or category of information contained on the various subject cards. 
In the specific example, the indicia band comprises a green band along the 
left marginal portion of the front surface 31a, with the word "coleus" 
appearing superimposed in that colored band. A page number indicated at 35 
preferably appears at one end of the indicia along the marginal portion of 
the front surface 31a, and that page number is keyed to the numerical 
index contained in the indicia 19 on the contents card. A person seeking 
information about the particular plant coleus thus can find that card by 
first reading the Table of Contents on the card surface 18a to determine 
the page number, and then fanning the cards as shown in FIG. 1 so that the 
page numbers become visible at the upper end of the marginal indicia on 
the several cards. Alternatively, a person using the deck could skip the 
Table of Contents and refer directly to the plant names appearing at 33 in 
the indicia strips; the plants preferably appear in alphabetical order on 
the faces 31a, 32a, . . . of the subject cards. 
Each subject card, as exemplified by the subject cards 31 and 32 shown in 
FIG. 2, contain information about a particular subject under the general 
tonic of the deck 10 and if applicable, under a particular group of 
subgroup of subjects as outlined on the contents cards 18. Furthermore, in 
the specific embodiment disclosed herein, the front surface 31a and the 
back surface 31b of the subject card 31 contain information on different 
subjects, namely, different species of plants, as is explained below in 
greater detail. However, it is within the scope of the present invention 
that both the front and back surfaces of a particular subject card can 
contain information about a single subject. 
The front surface 31 contains a 38 a pictorial representation of the plant 
"coleus", the subject matter on that card surface. This pictorial 
representation may be a photograph in color, showing a particular variety 
of coleus. Immediately to the right of the pictorial representation 30 is 
printed information setting forth attributes of that particular plant. For 
example, this information may state that coleus is a "Shade tolerant 
annual" preferring "rich, moist soil" and growing best in "light to heavy 
shade". The information to the right of the pictorial representation 38 
thus gives the reader some immediate and basic knowledge about the subject 
described on the front surface 31a. 
The remainder of the front surface 31a, appearing below the pictorial 
representation 38, preferably contains other information relating to 
coleus and of interest to plant growers or others. For example, the region 
39 can contain a brief description about coleus, including the nature and 
color of the plant and its leaves as well as other information, and can 
include a section on preferred care for that particular plant. 
Thus, the typical subject card 31, and in particular the front surface 31a, 
describes a particular plant indicated by the name indicia 33 at the left 
marginal portion of the front surface, and falling under a particular 
group of plants ("Outdoor Plants") indicated by the nonverbal indicia 34 
also at the left margin of the front surface 31a. 
FIG. 3 shows the back surface 31b of the card 31. This back surface 31b, as 
mentioned above, contains information on another plant, namely, the lily. 
The name of this plant appears at 40 in the left marginal portion of the 
back surface 31b, within the further indicia 41 of a nonverbal nature. In 
a specific embodiment, this nonverbal indicia 41 is a marginal stripe 
colored orange and extending the length of the back surface 31b, the color 
orange selected to identify bulbs. 
The back surface 31b, as with the front surface of the card 31, contains a 
photograph 42 of a particular variety of lily, and includes indicia 43 to 
the right of the photograph setting forth some attributes of such plants. 
Further indicia 44 below the photograph 42 include a brief general 
description of lilies and advice on caring for such plants. 
Turning next to the subject card 32 shown in FIG. 2, that the front surface 
32a of that card is chosen to depict the plant salvia. It should be 
understood that a typical desk according to the present invention can have 
many more subject cards than the small number shown in FIG. 2, and that 
the cards for coleus and salvia are not necessarily contiguous in the deck 
10. Further details of the subject card 32 need not be discussed herein, 
as the information contained on the front surface 32a of that card is 
similar in kind and location to that of the subject card surfaces 31a and 
31b described above. In common with the other subject card surfaces, 
however, the front surface 32a includes at its left margin the verbal 
indicia 45 identifying the particular plant forming the subject matter of 
that surface, and the nonverbal indicia 46 identifying the particular 
group or subgroup of that subject matter. 
It should now be apparent that decks according to the present invention can 
display information on topics virtually without limit. A typical subject 
card 47 from another such deck is shown in FIG. 4. This subject card 47 is 
part of an information deck whose topic is professional football, and it 
will be understood that a complete deck on that topic can contain numerous 
subject cards, in addition to various cards displaying general information 
analogous to the hints card 25 and contents card 18 shown and described 
with respect to FIG. 2. The specific subject card 47, and in particular 
the front surface 47a of that card, deals with the particular subject of a 
professional football team in Atlanta, and that subject is identified by 
the text 48 appearing in the marginal band 49 of indicia located adjacent 
the top surface 50 of the card. The body of the front surface 47a 
contains indicia 51 denoting the playing schedule for the Atlanta 
professional football team. If the schedule information and size of the 
card permit, the schedule of another team can appear on the lower half of 
the front surface 47a. 
Other topics suitable for inclusion on subject cards of a professional 
football deck include the roster of players on each team for a particular 
season, the teams within particular divisions or other groupings in a 
professional football league, team standings and won-lost records from one 
or more previous playing seasons, and other information as desired by the 
preparer of the deck. 
It should be understood that the foregoing relates only to a preferred 
embodiment of the present invention, and that numerous modifications and 
changes therein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of 
the invention as defined in the following claims.