Patent GB-702476-A (GB)
Title: Power operated card filing unit
IPC: A47B63/06
Filed: 1951-05-22
Abstract: 702,476. Power-operated card filing units. REMINGTON RAND, Inc. May 22, 1951 [May 24, 1950], No. 11975/51. Class 146(1) [Also in Groups XXXVII and XXXVIII] A power operated filing unit in which a cabinet has a plurality of horizontal compartments in vertical alignment each adapted to contain a record tray and in which the cabinet is arranged for vertical movement to bring any selected compartment into alignment with tray guides projecting out from the body of the unit so that the selected tray can be withdrawn from its compartment and moved out along the tray guides into a position for inspection and in which a cabinet elevator drive effects vertical movement of the cabinet and a tray control drive, separate from the cabinet drive, effects movement of a tray along the tray guides, the separate drives are rendered operative sequentially under control of a keyboard including a series of key controlled switches, one for each tray, each of the switches being operative to actuate the elevator drive to bring its associated tray into alignment with the tray guides and thereafter, through electrical relay means, to actuate the tray control drive for movement of the selected tray along the tray guides. The unit comprises an outer casing (not shown) and desk extension 2 with an inner framework 3-14 for supporting cabinet guide frame members 20-25. A pair of spaced vertical shafts 26 in the centre of the casing have a pair of cabinet carriers 27 slidably mounted thereon. Each carrier 27 comprises mounting blocks secured at each end of a bar 28 from the top of which extend cantilever arms 29 joined by a cross-member. A pair of cabinets 30. with card index trays 31, are secured, as by welding, each by one side to each bar 28 so as to be spaced from arms 29 and each is secured to the cross-member by a bolt 32 on the outer side wall of the cabinet, a nut providing for adjustment of the level of the cabinet. Cabinet elevator mechanism comprises an endless chain 35 mounted' on sprockets 36, 37 of which sprocket 36 is mounted on a stub shaft 38 adjustably mounted in slots in front channel 20 and a bearing channel 39 and sprocket 37 is driven at high and low speeds in both directions from a reversible motor 47, through gear reduction unit 46, to move the cabinets 30 up and down on shafts 26. A block 40 bolted at its centre to each carrier bar 28 is included on each side portion of chain 35, the chain link pivot pins being received in apertures at each end of block 40, which apertures are at different distances from the central bolt so that by inverting one, or both. blocks 40 the length between the centres of the blocks can be adjusted for the purpose, in conjunction with adjustment of stub shaft 38, of aligning the trays 31 of the cabinets with tray guides in the desk extension 2, For adjustments, or whenever power is not available, the elevator mechanism may be operated by a hand crank on the end of shaft 48 which may be moved axially against spring pressure so that a pinion thereon intermeshes with a pinion on the drive shaft of reduction unit 46. The front and back of the inner side walls of each cabinet 30 are provided with vertically extending guide tracks 54, the front tracks on the pair of cabinets engaging opposite portions of the periphery of a guide roller 55 rotatably mounted in a bearing block 56 and the rear tracks each engaging a guide roller 58 rotatably mounted on a supporting block 59 hinged to the rear channel member 22, a spring 60 pressing the blocks 59, rollers 58 and cabinets 30 apart until the front tracks engage roller 55. A commutator assembly, Figs, 3 and 4. for controlling the stopping of the cabinets 30 with the desired tray 31 opposite the desk extension tracks, comprises a commutator bar 63 adjustably mounted on, and insulated from the front channel frame member 20 with the whole length of the bar aligned at all times with a bar 61 mounted on the inner side wall of each cabinet 30. In the bar 61 are mounted commutator brushes 62, one for each tray compartment, in spaced parallel relation with the brushes projecting rearwardly and spring pressed to engage bar 63 and with a terminal 64 projecting forwardly. Bar 63 has elongated high-speed commutator strips 66 at opposite ends and inner narrow low-speed segments 68 insulated therefrom with a central msulator 67 which aligns brushes 62 and corresponding trays 31 with the tray guides and opposite which a spring contact 65 is mounted through control circuits and relays brought into an electric current supply by a manually operated key switch 150, Fig. 11, on operation of a selected key 130 on the desk extension 2, contact is made with the corresponding brush 62 which travels towards the insulator 67 first on the high-speed strip 66, then the first slow-speed segment 68 to the insulator 67 or it may then cross the insulator to the second segment 68 which reverses the motor 4 to return the brush 62, with the desired tray 31, at slow speed to the insulator 67 where the spring contact 65 engages the terminal 64 to bring tray drive mechanism into operation. Tray operating mechanism. The desk extension 2, Fig. 5, has at each side the supporting plates 10 and, spaced therefrom, guide bars 75 on which are slidably mounted tray carriers 76 each provided with a tray pusher 77 carrying a roller 78. on the inner, end of an inwardly projecting arm 77a which passes through a recess 81 in the front flange 80 of each tray 31 when the trays move vertically, but in the horizontal movement of carrier 76 engages the front part of flange 80 to move the tray forwardly or the front wall 79 of the tray to move it back into its compartment. Each tray carrier 76 has a bifurcated depending projection 82 receiving a drive pin 83 on a chain 84 mounted on horizontally aligned sprockets 85 rotatably mounted on stub shafts extending inwardly from the plates 10 below the guide bar 75. Segmental cams 86 on sprockets 85 co-operate with arcuate ends 87 of the projections 82 to retain carrier 76 at each end of its run and allow limited over-travel. Each chain 84 in its lower portion passes over idler sprocket 88 and drive sprocket 89 mounted on one end of the tray drive shaft 90, driven from a separate reversible motor 102 through drive-belt 103 and pulley 97. A manually operable drive shaft 105 is provided which can be moved inwardly against spring pressure so that a bevel pinion thereon engages a bevel pinion on the armature shaft of motor 102 for rotation of shaft 90. Each drive sprocket 89 has an inwardly extending collar carrying a clutch pin 91, Fig. 10, selectively engageable by a pin 92 on a longitudinally shiftable clutch collar 93 sliding on a collar 94 rigidly mounted on shaft 90 and having a key engaging a keyway on collar 93 to prevent rotation on the shaft 90. Each collar 93 has an annular groove receiving the free end of one of a pair of clutch-shifting arms 95 attached to a bar 96 so that both collars 93 are moved simultaneously and only one drive sprocket 89 is engaged. Shift bar 96 can be manually operated by a button 110 mounted on a shaft for axial movement to engage a lever on bar 96, but button 110 is normally spring pressed out of action and bar 96 is operated by one of a pair of solenoids 106 having armatures connected to arms 95 to selectively operate one of the collars 93. Shaft 90 is driven from pulley 97 by a ring 98 fixed on shaft 90 having a friction washer engaging one side of pulley 97 and a slidable friction collar 99 pressed against the other side by a spring 100 between the collar and a tension adjusting sleeve 101. Each tray carrier 76 operates a pair of switches 108, 109 at the end of its travel forwards and backwards respectively for controlling the tray drive and bumpers 107 are provided to stop the trays. An alternative position and operation of switch 108 is described. A button panel housing 117, Fig. 11, is centrally positioned in the desk extension 2 and tray guides 122 are provided thereon with corresponding outer tray guides inwardly of the guide bars 75, panels 123 between them covering the tray-operating mechanism. Button panel assembly.. A plurality of buttons.125, Figs. 11 and 13, in pairs equal to the number of trays 31 in each cabinet 30, are arranged in the button panel housing 117, each pair being operated. by the opposite ends of one index key 130. Each button 125 has a pin 126 projecting through a hole in the housing 117 and a compression spring urges the button upwardly so that a side arm 127 engages a cushion strip 128 on the underside of the top flange 119 of the housing. The pins 126 project into ball runways 134 housing balls aligned so that each pin lies above the point of contact of a pair of balls, and a leaf spring 135 is centrally mounted at the front of the housing 117 to overlie the ends of the runways 134 to press the balls rearwardly to engage opposite ends of a switch operating lever136 which is in contact with operating arms for right- and left-hand tray selector switches 137 and 138. Movement downwardly of a pin 126 on either side will move the balls on that side in both directions to operate the selector switch, the balls on the other side being pressed forwardly by the other end. of lever 136. Contact arms 139 in pairs carried by an insulated strip structure 140 are provided for each tray 31 and arranged under the side arms 127 of each button 125 so that operation of a button closes the contacts 139 to close the circuit to brush 62' and to operate a relay for the delivery of the selected, tray along the tray guides. Toprevent operation of a further key 130 and button 125, a locking strip 145 is provided having bars 146, lying under arms 127, with slots through which the arms 127 may pass, the strips 145 being moved longitudinally to lock the arms 127 as soon as a button is completely depressed, the circuit closed by contacts 139 operating to energize, a sole