A Continuous Revolving File and Index.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
CONT LE DIECIFICATION.
A Continuous Revolving File and Index.
I ALEXANDER JOSEPH RUDOLPH of No. 1221 Filbert Street, in the City and
County of San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Librarian,
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:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in indexes and files. It consists of
a revolving drum and a chain consisting of inflexible cards or surfaces adapted to be
moved over said drum, each card being provided with a means for attaching slips
or other matter suitable to be arranged thereon.
It also consists in certain details of construction, all of which will be more fully
explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention with a part of the supporting
frame.
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the working parts.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the enclosing case.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the revolving drum and ratchet pawl and frame.
This invention is of special advantage for library and publishers' catalogues,
registers, dictionaries, gazetteers, accounts, tables of contents, bills of lading,
inventories, files, tallies, records, muster rolls, schedules for exhibiting samples and
patterns in dry goods, hardware, stationery, etc., and in fact for anything that needs
alphabetical, chronological, numerical, classified, topical or other systematic
arrangement.
A is a revolving polygonal drum, the ends being journaled in a supporting
frame-work B.
In the present case I have shown the drum in the form of a square in cross
section, and its shaft has a handle C, or other suitable mechanism, by which it may
be revolved.
This drum has at one end flanged wheels or rollers D, turning upon shafts which
are fixed to project from the end of the drum at each angle of the polygon.
These rollers are so journaled with reference to the two meeting sides at each
angle that these sides form tangents with their peripheries.
Upon each of the faces of the drum are the fixed conical projecting points F.
Gare the leaves or cards which are made of any suitable material approximately
inflexible, and they are of a size to fit upon the surfaces of the drum. They are
connected together by any suitable flexible connecting devices or hinges, thus
forming a chain of these cards as long as may be needed for the purpose.
Through each end of these cards holes I are made which will just fit over the
projecting pins F, previously described. These pins and the holes in the cards,
insure the cards registering in an exact position upon the sides of the drum as the
latter is revolved.
The ends of the cards, adjacent to the end of the drum which carries the rollers D,
previously described, are made convex or projecting in the centre, and through this
projecting portion of each card a hole J is made.
An endless cord or band K passes through these holes and over the pulleys or
rollers upon the end of the drum, thence passing down around rollers at the
bottom of the case or frame-work which serve as guides to keep them in a straight
line.
These lower rollers which are sufficiently grooved to keep the tapes or bands in
place are also made heavy or have weights connected with them, or an independent

page_text: .
weighted wheel may rest upon the tapes so as to maintain a proper tension upon the
bands.
These guiding tapes may in some cases have their lower ends fixed with elastic
connections or intermediate elastic strips, and remain stationary, while the drum
revolves, but the construction above described gives less friction and appears more
desirable. If found necessary for long cards, guide tapes may be employed.at
each end.
By this construction the cards are guided in their movements and are caused to
fold successively upon each other in the proper manner when they reach the
supporting tables below the drum upon either side, where they rest.
These tables are shown at L, and as the drum is rotated and the cards are
carried over from one side of the drum to the other, they are deposited upon this
table, the lowermost one folding down upon the table, the next following folding
upon this one being guided by the tapes or cords, as previously described, and so on
until all the cards are in position.
The lowermost edge of the lowermost card is connected with a triangle which is
formed with two cards M N longer at one end than the index cards and hinged or
linked together in the same manner as the index cards and having cords N¹
connecting their inner edges in such a manner that when they are raised up from
the supporting table, they will maintain their angular relation with each other as
shown.
These cards or stop plates are sufficiently longer than the index cards, to allow
their projecting ends to engage the pawl levers and throw them into engagement
with the ratchet pinions to stop the drum.
By this construction the lower edge of the lower card N moves upwardly against
the inner guide post of the frame, while the upper of the two cards M, standing at
an angle outwardly, is in position to engage the pawl lever O, or a spring P which
in the present case is shown attached to it.
These levers are fulcrumed to the stationary frame at each side of the drum
shaft at one end, and the pawl ends Q are adapted to engage with the teeth of a
ratchet wheel R. These teeth are preferably made rectangular so that the pawls
may engage and hold them from either side.
It will be manifest that when the last card has been raised from a table upon
either side, if the drum continues to turn, it will draw up the triangular frame-
work M and cause the side to strike the pawl lever O, and by causing the pawl Q
to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel R on the drum shaft, will prevent any
further rotation of the drum in this direction.
The triangular arrangement upon the opposite end in like manner serves as a
stop when all the cards have been carried around the drum from that direction.
This prevents the cards being entirely run off the drum, or carried too far in
either direction.
Each of these cards has fastened upon its opposite edges small reinforce strips
extending from end to end, and on the top of these strips are fastened other strips S
which project inwardly a little way over the first named strips, thus forming grooves
or channels, as plainly shown, for the introduction of any cards, samples, or other
device which it is intended that the cards should carry.
It will be manifest that these holders may be made of sheet metal with the
edges turned over to contain the index cards or samples, and they may also be made
with two or more independent columns, or otherwise arranged to suit the necessities
of the case.
By this construction it will be seen that whatever is carried by the cards may
be easily introduced or removed, and will be held firmly in place as long as
needed..
The whole device is preferably enclosed in a case having a glazed top through
which the drum and the contents of the card strips may be readily examined.
The slips which are put into the holders may be of any desired length, but must
be cut uniform in width to fit exactly under the overlapping side strips. This
a

page_text: allows the arrangement of the inserted slips according to any system, errors can be
corrected and changes made at any place in the holders without defacing anything,
and the chain may be made of any suitable or desired length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A file or index consisting of a series of cards or holders linked together at
their edges to form a flexible chain, a polygonal drum having sides corresponding
in shape with the cards, guides upon the faces of the drum with which the cards
engage, and a means for rotating the drum, substantially as herein described.
2nd. A continuous file and index consisting of cards having their edges flexibly
connected together, a polygonal drum, the sides of which correspond approximately
in shape with the cards, a guiding cord or tape passing through extensions at the
end of the cards, rollers projecting from each of the angles of the drum over which
the tape passes, a ratchet wheel fixed upon the drum shaft, pawls engaging said
ratchet from opposite sides with extensions or lever arms projecting downward and
outward therefrom, and a stop mechanism attached to the lowermost of the index
cards at each end and adapted to engage with the pawl levers when drawn upward
to throw the pawls into engagement with the ratchet and stop the rotation of the
drum, substantially as herein described.
3rd. The rotating polygonal drum having a ratchet wheel upon one end of its
shaft, pawls fulcrumed to the frame to engage the ratchet wheel from opposite sides
with arms or levers projecting outward and downward therefrom, said levers having
springs secured to their inner sides, a series of cards adapted to fit the polygonal
faces of the drum having their edges flexibly connected together, a table situated
below the drum, guiding cords or tapes passing through one end of each of the cards
whereby they are caused to fold symmetrically one above the other upon the tables
upon either side of the drum, and an angular device attached to the lowermost of
the index cards at each end, adapted to engage the spring armed levers so as to
throw the pawls into engagement with the ratchet wheel upon one side or the other,
and stop the rotation of the drum when the lowest of the index cards has been
brought to the top, substantially as herein described.
4th. An index or file consisting of a rotary polygonal drum, cards approximating
in size or shape to the sides of the drum, said cards having channels or guides formed
upon each side for the reception of independent removable strips, flexible links or
connections by which the edges of the cards are connected together, a table situated
below the drum upon which the cards are alternately folded from either side by the
rotation of the drum in one direction or the other, a guiding cord passing through
extensions at the end of the cards, whereby they are caused to fold symmetrically
upon each other as they reach the tables, and their position upon the drum is main-
tained, a ratchet wheel fixed upon one end of the drum shaft, pawls fulcrumed to the
frame-work and engaging said ratchet wheel upon opposite sides, extensions of said
pawls projecting outwardly and downwardly, and a stop mechanism attached to the
lowermost card at each end adapted to engage said levers and throw the pawls into
engagement with the ratchet when the final card from either end has reached the
top of the drum whereby the rotation of the drum is stopped, substantially as herein
described.
Dated this Nineteenth day of Anvil 1900