STORAGE DEVICE FOR SHEETS, WHICH ARE INTENDED TO BE EXPOSED, PARTICULARLY MICROFILMS

Abstract: The device comprises a case (2) in the form of a sleeve rectangular in form and with an elongated, rectangular cross-section. In the case a space (3) is provided and is forming an elongated opening (4) at one end of the sleeve. The space is enclosing a number of envelopes (20) and between the envelopes intersheets (30) the envelopes being slidable between a position substantially entirely within said space (3) and protected by the sleeve and an outer position stretching out through the opening and with the main part of the envelope outside the sleeve. In this outer position stopping means are provided to prevent the respective envelope to be entirely drawn out from the sleeve and removed from the same. The intersheets are fixed in the sleeve against sliding movement. The envelopes are made of transparent material and intended to store the sheets which can be exposed by being drawn out to said outer position.

Description: Storage device for sheets , which are intended to be exposed, par- ticulary microfilms Technical field: The present invention relates to a storage device for sheets , which are intended to be exposed . In the first hand the storage de¬ vice is intended for storage of microfilms in such a way that they can be exposed in a microfilm- viewer. However, it is possible to pro- vide the storage device for other kind of sheets , which should be stored in a certain position but which should be easily accessible for the exposition to an observer without or by means of a viewer. Background: Documents are in increasing extent reproduced on microfilms or the variant . microfich in a very small scale for exposing to an ob¬ server by means of a viewer. For the storage of the microfilms are used envelopes with pockets for the films which usually are inserted in files . Technical problem : For observation of the film the same sometimes together with the envelope is removed from the file and inserted into the viewer which means a risk for damage of the film, a loosing of the same or that it will be re-inserted into the file in wrong position. Often there are also difficulties at the first attempt to place the films in the right position in the viewer as it is difficult to get a clear view of the content of the film by means of the eye. The solution: The storage device comprises a case in the form of a sleeve substantially rectangular in form and with a rectangular cross-sec¬ tion. In the case a space is provided and is forming an elongated opening at one end of the sleeve . A number of envelopes are situ- ated in the space and between the envelopes intersheets . The enve¬ lopes" are slidable between a position substantially entirely within said space and protected by the sleeve and an outer position stret- ching out through the opening and with the main part of the enve¬ lope outside the sleeve. In this outer position stopping means are provided to prevent the respective envelope to be entirely drawn out from the sleeve. The envelopes are made of transparent material and intended to store the microfilms which can be exposed by being drawn out to said outer position. Advantages : By means of the storage device according to the invention it wi l be possible to expose the sheet without the need to separate the same from the storage device, whereby the risk for the loosing of the sheet or incorrect re-insertion is eliminated. Another advantage is that the respective sheets are accessible only after a relatively complicatad operation for opening the device so that the risk for unauthorized removing of the sheet from the storage device is prevented. The storage device further can be used in connection with a microfilm -viewer and thereby provide that the sheet will be inserted in the correct position. Brief description of drawings: In the accompanying drawings an embodiment of ' the invention is shown in the form of a storage device for microfilms. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the device along the line I-I in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is the device partly in a section and partly in a view in a parting line of a case made in two pieces stretching along the line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a part of the device in view; Fig. 4 shows another part of the device in a view; and Fig. 5 shows a view of the device as seen from the left in ig. 1. Best mode of carrying out the invention: According to Figs . 1 and 2 the device 1 comprises a case in the form of a sleeve 2, rectangular in form and with a flat cross-section (compare Fig. 5) . In the case a space 3 is provided which is stret¬ ching through the sleeve and also with a flat cross-section. The space 3 has a front opening 4 and a rear wall 5 and stretching from the latter two side wall 7. The rear wall is provided with three open¬ ings 11. Projections 6 are stretching from the sidewalls 7 inwards in the front opening 4 and are forming small recesses parallel to the sidewalls 7. Between the sidewalls 7 are stretching walls defining the space 3, an upper wall 8 and a bottom wall 9. Both walls 8, 9 are substantially plane. Into the space 3 are situated pins 10 at the rear wall 5 and stretching between the walls 8 and 9. In the rear wall 5 are provi¬ ded three openings 11. Said pins 10 are situated in the front por¬ tions of the wall 5 left outside and between the openings 11. The sleeve 2 is assembled from two halves meeting in a parting line 16. The halves are guiding each other by means of pins 12-15 each pin stretching out from the one half and into a hole in the other half. Thereby the pins 13 are connected to the under half (below the parting line 16 in Fig. 1) and the pins 12 are connected to the upper half (above the parting line 16 in Fig. 1) the pins 12 and 13 are circular in section . The pins 14 and 15 are rectangular and have a width corresponding to about half the thickness of the wall 9. In contrast to the pins 12, 13 the pins 14, 15 are situated not in holes but in grooves in the outer side of the walls 7. Said arrangement is chosen in order to find a connection between the walls of the upper and the lower halves without the need of any portions projecting out from the wall as the same has to be smooth on the inside as well as the outside in handling. Also the pins 10 are divided into two halves. Accordingly the two uppermost pins 10 are stretching upwards- rom the other half and the two lowermost pins in Fig. 2 are stretching downwards from the upper half. By said arrangement of the pins 10 and 12-15 and a symmetrical arrangement of the openings 11 the two halves can be equal to each other and can be moulded from plastic in the same mould. The two halves can be held together by making the pins 12, 13 with a tight fit in the corresponding holes or the halves can also be glued together after assembling. The storage device also comprises a number of envelopes 20 , see Fig. ' 3, essentially rectangular in form. The envelopes comprise a main portion 21 and an end portion 24. The main portion is manu- factured of two transparent plastic foils which are welded together at a ffront edge 22 and can also be welded along lines between the edges of the main portion. Between the foils are formed one or se- veral pockets which are open at the side edges of the envelope. These pockets are intended for the storing of microfilms . For instance a pocket between welding lines can be intended to store the micro¬ film while another pocket can be used for an identification means . The envelope, however, can be arranged for different kinds of sto¬ rage purposes , for example it can be divided in several pockets for the storage of a number of microfilms . The end portion 24 is manufactured in a relatively rigid plastic foil which is opaque and which preferably is made in a colour deter- mined for identification purposes . The end portion is comprising an elongated portion 25 following the edge of the main portion 21 and ending in projections 26. From the elongated portion 25 is extending a tongue 27 the position of which along the elongated portion 25 is determined by the intended position of the different envelopes in a stack of envelopes in the space 3. The device also comprises intersheets 30 according to Fig. 4. These sheets are also manufactured in plastic foil and a neutral or coloured foil can be used. The intersheet is essentially rectangular including a main portion 31 with a front edge 32 with projections 34 at the corners . A rear edge 33 opposite to the front edge is provi¬ ded with a number of projections 35, the sides of which are in an oblique angle to the rear edge. The projections 35 are provided with a hole 36 in each one. The distances between the holes are equal to the distances between the pins 10. In order to reinforce the projec- tions 34 and 35 the plastic foil can be folded to a double layer which layers are welded together. By the assembling of the device a number of envelopes 20 and intersheets 30 are stacked -so that an intersheet always is positioned between two adjacent envelopes . The stack is mounted in the under half of the sleeve 2 in the way shown in Fig. 2, consequently with the holes 36 of the intersheets . • 30 passed over the pins 10 of the under half. The projections 34 are situated in the recesses between the projections 6 of the side walls 7. The envelopes 20 are positioned with the rear edges 23 of the same against the inner side of the rear wall 5. The tongues 27 will thereby be stretching through the ope¬ nings 11. If the tongues are in different positions along the rear edge they will be spred out over the entire width of the endpiece - * }- as shown in Fig. 5 and will be easier to observe and manipulate than if they were arranged in one single column. Of course no tongues can be provided outside the openings 11. After that all the envelopes 20 and the intersheets 30 are placed in the under half, the upper half is mounted on the under half thereby with its pins 10 entering the holes 36 in the intersheets . The pins 12-15 for the guiding of the two halves are inserted into the respective holes or grooves of the other half. As said before the halves are secured to each other b means of tight fit between the pins and the corresponding holes or by glueing the two halves together. The intersheets 30. are fixed in their positions as they are se¬ cured by means of the holes 36 situated on the pins 10 and the pro¬ jections 6 of the sleeve retaining the projections 34 of the sheets . The envelopes 20, however, are slidable between the position shown in Fig. 2 and a position in which the projections 26 are resting against the inner end of the projections 6 in the front opening 4. The envelope in this position will be positioned outside the sleeve 2 with its main portion 21. Consequently , the pocket enclosing the microfilm is exposed and can be inserted into a viewer for observa¬ tion or copying. The projections 26 resting against the projections 6, however, prevent the envelope from being removed from the sto¬ rage device and when the viewing operation is ended the envelope can easily be pushed into the -space 3 again. When pulling the envelope 20 out of the sleeve 2 the same at first can be pushed outside the front opening 4 with its front edge portion by pushing the respective tongue 27 inwards so that the front edge portion can be grasped and the envelope can be drawn out until it reaches its outer position. As the intersheets ' 30 are . fixed in their positions , they cannot slide out together with the en¬ velope and they will also prevent the adjacent pocket to be drawn out by means of friction. In order to make it possible to identify the different, tongues the sleeve can be provided with a stripe at the rear end carrying information related to the respective tongues . When one wants to reinsert the envelope 20 in the sleeve the envelope is pushed inwards until the rear edge is resting against the pins 10 as shown in Fig. 2. The stacks of projections 35 of :ι?o the intersheets 30 are forming openings in the front of the openings 11 and widening inwards which will facilitate the entering of the tongue 27. As the intersheets 30 have double material layers in the projections 34 and 35 a distance will be formed between two adjacent intersheets at the area formed by the main portion. In these spaces the envelopes 20 are positioned. By viewing the storage device can be positioned in the viewer and the envelopes can be placed in position for viewing one by one until the observer finds what he searches for. As the envelopes can not easily be removed from the storage device the correct order of the envelopes is secured. For the storage of collection of microfilms it is very suitable to use a sufficient number of storage devices in which the respective microfilms wϋl be prevented from dust and damage and can easily be identified. If one desires to protect the microfilms in the envelopes 20 from being removed or changed, the envelopes can be provided with an insertion opening at the rear end only. By such an arrangement the microfilms are not accessible as the envelopes, can not be removed from the sleeve without parting the two halves from each other. In order to make the envelopes accessible for an authorized person the halves can be locked together so that a key is necessary for parting them in order to remove one of the envelops for the removing or changing of the microfilm. If the device is intended to be used for other purposes than storing microfilms the size of the device and the form of the enve- lopes have to be adapted to the object intended to be stored.

Claims: Claims: 1. Storage device for sheets, which are intended to be exposed particularly microfilms, characterized by a case (2) in the form of a sleeve substantially rectangular in form and with an elongated sub- stantially rectangular cross-section in which case a space (3) is pro¬ vided and is forming an elongated opening (4) at one end of the sleeve, the space enclosing a number of envelopes (20) and between the envelopes intersheets (30) the envelopes being slidable between a position substantially entirely within said space and protected by the sleeve and an outer position streching out through the opening (4) and with the main part of the envelope outside the sleeve in which outer position stopping means (26) are provided to prevent the respective envelope to be entirely drawn out from the sleeve and removed from the same, the intersheets (30) being fixed in the sleeve against sliding movement, the envelopes being made of trans¬ parent material and intended to store the sheets which have to be exposed in said outer position . 2. Device according to claim 1 characterized by the envelopes (20) are dimensioned to store a microfilm intended to be exposed in a viewer - 3. Device according to claim 1 characterized by the envelopes (20) each are provided with a tongue (27) which is stretching out of the sleeve in said inner position of the envelope and which is provided to be moved in order to force the envelope out of the sleeve with such a portion that it can be grasped and drawn out to its outer position . 4. Storage device for microfilms characterized by the case (2) is includin an upper wall (8) and a bottom wall (9) connected by side • walls (7) * and with a front end and a rear end, the space (3) is rec- tangular in cross-section with the height between the upper and bottom walls considerably narrower than the width between the side walls , that the opening (4) which is situated at the front end of the case is stretching between the upper and bottom walls , but leav¬ ing projections (6) extending into the opening at the sidewalls , that a number of Openings (11) are provided at the rear end, that the envelopes (20) being of a width smaller than the width of the open¬ ing at the front end and that said stopping means are in the form of projections (26) at the edges directed towards the rear end, which are stretching outside the ends of said opening (4) and in front of said projections (6) extending into the opening, that fixa¬ tion means (10, 36) are provided for the intersheets (30) , prefer- ably pins (10) stretching between the upper and bottom walls at the rear end through holes (36) in the intersheets , so that the envelopes (20) one by one can be pushed outside the opening at the front end with a front portion by means of said tongues (27) projecting through the openings (11) of the rear end and drawn out of the case (2) by means of said front portion until said projections (26) are resting against the projections (6) extending into the opening (4) while the intersheets (30) are fixed in their positions and will prevent adjacent envelopes to be following the envelope, which is drawn out, by friction. O ?I

Inventors: ANDREASSON RONNY
Applicants: MICROSYSTEM AB
Application year: 1982
Main classification: G03B23
IPC codes: G03B21, G03B23