Patent GB-503320-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to apparatus for storing card indexes or other suitable articles in trays or containers
IPC: G06K17/00
Filed: 1937-08-30
Abstract: 503,320. Displaying. BECKER, O. A. Aug. 30, 1937, No. 23657. [Class 3 (i)] [Also in Group XV] An apparatus for storing index cards or other suitable articles comprises rigid trays or containers arranged one above the other in piles, and manually-set electrically-operated conveying-devices for bringing any desired container to a suitable place for inspection or manipulation, the containers always remaining in a horizontal position. In the arrangement shown, visible card indexes 98 mounted in carriers 53 are carried by frames 1 assembled in two piles at opposite ends of a desk 2 having a window g for inspecting or working on a selected card index. Each frame 1 has pins 38 at its ends engaging threads 36 in vertical screwedspindles 34 adapted to be rotated by an electric motor 55 so as to move one set of frames downwardly and the other set upwardly. The top frame 1 of the rising pile and the bottom frame of the falling pile are moved horizontally by lugs 46 on chains 7 adapted to engage recesses 48 in the frames so as to pass from one pile to the other, the chains 7 being driven intermittently from the motor 55 through a cam 20 engaging pins 12 on a chain - driving gear 11. Situated beneath the window g and adapted to be set in operation when a selected card - index is brought to rest beneath the window g, is a mechanism for moving back shutters 67, Fig. 6, normally closing the window and for moving a support 73 upwardly so as to raise the card-index carriers 53 to the level of the desk top. This mechanism comprises an auxiliary motor 55a which drives two cam cylinders 57, 58 actuating racks 62, 68 respectively. The former drives a gear-train 65 to open the shutters and the latter drives shafts 70 carrying lifting-arms. 71. A pin on the selected. frame 1 closes a spring-opened switch v, Fig. 15, when it is beneath the window g in order to close the circuit of the auxiliary motor 55a. This circuit is opened when the carrier 53 has been raised, by a pin on the rack 68 opening a spring-closed switch s. When inspection of the cards is completed, and the motor 55a is restarted as described later, the carrier 53 is lowered to its normal position and the shutters closed by the mechanism operated by the cams 57, 58. In this position, a pin on the rack 62 opens a spring- closed switch t to stop the motor 55a. Before the shutters are closed, an arm 74 on the cam 58 engages a lever 75 and operates a plunger 76 to tilt any raised index cards and the index cover-plate 77 back into the carrier 53. The setting device for selecting the desired card index comprises a hand-set endless-band 201 with index strips 202 thereon corresponding to the card indexes. Coupled to the band 201 is another band 205 carrying levers 207. Each container has a specially-situated lug 209 and when the required container reaches the top of the upwardly moving pile, its lug 209 engages one of the levers 207 if the band 201 has been set for it. As the container commences its horizontal movement, the lug 209 tilts the lever 207 so that it completes a circuit between contacts 211a, 211b and so causes the main motor 55 to be stopped. Inertia of the moving parts causes the container to continue its movement, but when the central position is reached, a pin on the container closes the switch v which causes an electromagnetic brake 13a, 13c to bring the container to a standstill and closes the circuit of the auxiliary motor 55a as previously described. In operation, after the band 201 has been set manually, a spring- return switch k, Fig. 15, is depressed. This energizes an electromagnet l which through a lever n and pawl-and-ratchet device o, r moves an arm q to engage a contact stud m<1> and so close the circuit of the main motor 55. The apparatus continues to run until the selector lever 207 is tilted by the lug 209 of the selected compartment, whereupon closing of the contacts 211a, 211b causes movement of the switch arm q to engage a stud m<2> and so open the circuit of the' motor 55. Thus, when the switch v is closed by the selected container as described above, the circuits of the brake 13a, 13c and the auxiliary motor are closed and remain so until the selected container is raised to the level of the desk top as previously described. When the card index is no longer required, the button k is again depressed, and moves the switch-arm q on to a third stud m<3> which again closes the circuit of the motor 55a and causes the index to be lowered and the shutters closed. As the card index reaches its lower position, the switch t is opened as already described to stop the motor 55a.