Improvements in File Cases for Cards.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1898-Accepted; 28th Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in File Cases for Cards.
I, FRANK MACEY, of Grand Rapids, in the County of Kent and State of
Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a device embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 a transverse vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 a detail of a portion of the follower and holding device.
Fig. 6 a detail showing a rear view of the follower holding mechanism, and
Fig. 7 a detail of the clip and spring in perspective.
An
Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures. A represents any suitable
drawer, case or box having semi-circular grooves B in its sides and parallel with
its bottom, and rectangular grooves C in its bottom near the middle thereof.
inclined rest 1 extends across said case near the front thereof, and an oppositely
inclined movable follower E is adjustable toward and from said rest within the
case, and is held in place when adjusted, by means of a metal clip F secured to
the bottom of the follower and engaging the metal strip G which is secured
to the bottom of the case between the grooves C and projects laterally over the
same a short distance The clip F consists of a plate having its edges F' folded
downward to engage the edges of the strip G, and a portion F" of the down-
wardly turned edges at the rear of said plates, turned inward to embrace said
strip and engage the under side of the same. Secured to the under side of the
clip F is a flat spring H adapted to engage and slide upon the upper surface of
the strip G near the front of the follower. A T-handle I, secured to the front
of the case A, is provided with a stem I which extends through said front and
has a disk J on its inner end, to which disk is attached the connecting rod K
by means of a crank pin L extending through the vertical slot K¹ in said rod.
Half-round rods M lie within the semi-circular grooves B and are pivoted in
the brackets N at one end and in the plate O which extends across the front of
the case, at the opposite end. Crank arms P are secured to the forward ends of
the rods M and pivoted to the respective ends of the rod K, one of said arms
normally extending upward at an angle of about 45 degrees with the horizon,
and the opposite arm extending downward in an opposite direction at the same
angle. Thus when the rod K is shifted longitudinally, the rods M will be rotated
in opposite directions a quarter of a revolution and lie wholly within the
grooves B with their flat sides in the plane of the inner surfaces as shown
in Fig. 4, or be turned with their flat faces downward and horizontal, one half
projecting into the drawer as in Fig. 2. The rod K is shifted longitudinally to
operate the rods M, by turning the T-handle a quarter of a revolution, the crank
pin L moving upward in the slot K as the disk is rotated until it reaches the
D
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page_text: upper end of said slot and the end of the rod K engages the rod M and forms a
stop.
When said disk is turned in the opposite direction to lock the cards, it is
stopped when the pin L reaches the bottom of the slot K¹, the pivots of the
rods M, the pivot of the disk J. and the bottom of said slot being in the same
plane, prevent further turning and said rods cannot be turned except by the
opposite motion of the disk and crank pin.
The direction of the T-handle indicates the position of the rods M, the cards
being engaged by said rods when the T-handle is in a horizontal position and
disengaged therefrom when the same is in a vertical position. A friction
spring engages the under side of the disk J to retard the motion of the parts
and prevent rattling. R represents the series of cards to be filed, having
notches R¹ in their sides adapted to be engaged by the rods M when said rods
are turned so that one half projects into the case and with their flat sides down-
ward and that part of their convex sides which is still within the grooves lying
next-the upper half of the same, the notches being formed with their lower sides
horizontal to engage said flat sides and prevent the removal of the cards from the
case. The lines of the axes of the pivots of the rods M, lie in the center of their
flat sides and in the plane of the inner surface of the case sides, so that when
the rods are turned with their flat faces perpendicular, they fill the grooves B,
their convex sides lying next the concave of the groove and their flat sides in
the plane of the inner surfaces of the sides of the case, and a smooth inner
surface is presented to the edge of the cards and said cards may be removed and
replaced without hindrance. The follower is moved along the strip G as desired
by pressing downward on the front of the follower or tipping it forward thus
compressing the spring H which holds the forward side raised, and releases the
clip from the strip G which has been prevented from sliding thereon by the
engagement of the forward angle of the portion F1 with the under side of the
strip G and the engagement of the rear angle of the clip with the upper side of
the same.
In this construction it is not necessary to cut away large portions
of the cards to allow the retaining rods to pass through as is commonly done,
it being necessary to cut only small notches in the ends, and by placing the
retaining rods in grooves in the side walls of the case, I eliminate all obstruction
to the removal of the cards when unlocked, the engagement of the convex sides
of the rods with said grooves also serving to support and strengthen the rods
at all times and prevent their being bent or getting out of place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a case having longitudinal grooves in its sides, a series of cards in said
case, rods pivoted in said case and adapted to be rotated to project from said
grooves to engage said cards, and. to lie within said grooves when said cards are
released, substantially as described.
2. In a case having longitudinal grooves in its sides and a series of cards in
said case, half-round rods pivoted to turn in said grooves and lying with their
flat sides in the plane of the inner surfaces of the sides of the case when turned
out of engagement with said cards and with said sides in a horizontal position
when in engagement with the cards, substantially as described.
3. In a case having longitudinal half round grooves in its sides, half round
rods pivoted to rotate in said grooves, the lines of the axes of the pivots of said
rods being in the centers of the flat sides of the rods and in the planes of the
inner surfaces of the sides of the case, substantially as described, whereby the
convex sides of the rods move close to the concave surface of the grooves and the
rods are held from springing out of line thereby.
4. In combination with a case and a series of cards within the same, rods
pivoted to the end walls of said case and extending along the side walls and

page_text: adapted to engage and retain the cards, a crank arm secured to one of said rods
and extending upward, a crank arm secured to the opposite rod and extending
downward, a rod pivotally connecting said cranks, and means for moving said
rod longitudinally, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a case, a series of cards having notches in their ends,
rods pivoted to the case and adapted to engage said notches, a crank arm on
one of said rods extending upward, and a crank arm on the opposite rod extend-
ing downward, a rod pivotally connecting the outer ends of said cranks, a handle
on the front of the case and having a stem passing through the same, a disk
on the inner end of said stem, and a crank pin engaging a slot in said rod,
substantially as described.
6. In combination with a case, and a series of cards in the same, an inclined
and adjustable follower in said case, a longitudinal strip secured to the middle
of the bottom of the case, a clip secured to said follower to engage said strip,
and a spring secured to said follower to raise the forward side of the same,
whereby the angles of the clip engage the longitudinal strip and prevent the
movement of the follower, substantially as described.
7. In combination with a case having grooves in its bottom near the middle,
a longitudinal strip secured to said case bottom between said grooves and pro-
jecting over the same, an inclined follower in said case, a clip secured to the
bottom of said follower and having downwardly turned flanges to engage the
edge of said strip, and downwardly and inwardly turned portions near the rear
thereof to embrace said strip, and a spring secured to said clip to raise the front
of said follower and engage the forward angle of the inwardly turned portion
with the bottom of said strip, and the rear edge of the clip with the top of the
same, substantially as described.
8. The combination of a case having half round grooves in its sides and
rectangular grooves in its bottom, a series of cards having notches in their ends,
half round rods in the grooves in the sides of the case, an upwardly extending
crank arm on the forward end of one of said rods, and a downwardly extending
crank arm on the opposite rod, a rod having a vertical slot near its middle
pivoted to the ends of said crank arms, a handle extending through the front
of the case, a disk on the inner end of said handle, a crank pin on said disk
engaging the slot in said rod, a friction spring engaging said disk, a longitudinal
strip secured to the case bottom between the rectangular grooves, an inclined fol-
lower having notches in its ends, a clip secured to the bottom of said follower and
engaging said strip, and a spring to raise the forward end of the follower, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1898
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.