VCR video keeper

A video cassette recorder index device is provided and consists of a plurality of drums that are manually rotatable vertically within a housing. Indicia is printed onto tops of the drums so that a portion of the indicia can be viewed through small window openings in the top wall of the housing. The indicia will indicate the title, tape number and place where the counter of the recorder stopped for video cassette tapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The instant invention relates generally to apparatuses for retaining 
information and more specifically it relates to a video cassette recorder 
index device which provides for identifying the title, tape number and a 
place where the recorder stopped for a plurality of video cassette tapes. 
There are available various conventional apparatuses for retaining 
information which do not provide the novel improvements of the invention 
herein disclosed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a video cassette 
recorder index device that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art 
devices. 
Another object is to provide a video cassette recorder index device for 
identifying the title, tape number and a place where the counter stopped 
on the recorder for a plurality of video cassette tapes. 
An additional object is to provide a video cassette recorder index device 
in which the device can be enlarged to identify additional titles, tape 
numbers and places where the recorder stopped. 
A further object is to provide a video cassette recorder index device that 
is simple and easy to use. 
A still further object is to provide a video cassette recorder index device 
that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may 
be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 
attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are 
illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific 
construction illustrated and desecribed within the scope of the appended 
claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference 
characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the 
Figure illustrates a video cassette recorder index device 10 consisting of 
a box shaped housing 12 having a top 14, bottom 16, side 18 and end walls 
20, with the top wall 14 having a plurality of spaced apart small window 
openings 22 so as to form rows therealong. Drums 24 are spaced apart and 
rotatable vertically within the housing 12. Indicia 26 is printed on the 
tops 28 of the drums 24, so that a portion of the indicia 26 on the top 28 
of each drum 24 can be viewed through one of the small window openings 22 
in the top wall 14 of the housing 12. 
A mechanism 30 is for manually rotating each drum 24 within the housing 12, 
while another mechanism 32 is for adjustably locking each rotating 
mechanism 30 to the housing 12. The indicia 26 on the tops of the drums 24 
can indicate the title, tape number and place where the counter 34 stopped 
on the recorder 36 for a plurality of video cassette tapes 38. 
The indicia 26 can be each letter of the alphabet from A to Z on each of 
the drums 24 in one row to spell out the title. The indicia 26 can be each 
number from 0 to 9 on each of the drums 24 in another adjacent row to 
indicate the tape numbner and the place stopped on the counter 34 of the 
recorder 36. 
The manually rotating mechanism 30 includes a shaft 40 extending upwardly 
from the center of the top 28 of the drum 24 through the top wall 14 of 
the housing 12. A knob 42 is affixed onto the distal end of the shaft 40 
so as to be able to manually rotate the drum 24. 
The adjustably locking mechanism 32 includes the top wall 14 of the housing 
12 having a plurality of radial spaced recesses 44 about the shaft 40. The 
shaft 40 has a longitudinal slot 46 therein. A head 48 has a tongue 50 
which slideably rides on the shaft 40 with the tongue engagable within the 
slot 46 to prevent the head 48 from rotating about the shaft 40. At least 
two pins 52 are spaced apart and extend downwardly from the head 48. When 
the head 48 is pulled all the way down on the shaft 40, the pins 52 will 
enter respective recesses 44 in the top wall 14 of the housing 12 to 
adjustably lock the drum 24 in a stationary position within the housing 12 
to maintain a portion of the indicia 26 at the small window opening 22 in 
the top wall 14 of the housing 12. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 12 has a compartment 54 formed below with a 
side opening 56 therein. An extension index device 10a is storable within 
the compartment 5 of the housing 12. A peg 58 on the side wall 18a of the 
extension index device 10a can plug into the side wall 18 of the housing 
12 so as to extend the length of the housing 12 to increase the amount of 
letters and numbers used to identify the video cassette tapes 38. A 
pivotable leg 60 is mounted at 62 on the extension index device 10a which 
can be pivoted down to stabilize the index device 10. 
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and 
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood 
that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details 
of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those 
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.