GB777737A - Improvements in or relating to card index devices - Google Patents

Abstract

777,737. Statistical apparatus. ADRACTAS, J. Dec. 31, 1954 [Oct. 6, 1954], No. 28787/54. Class 106 (1). In card sorting apparatus wherein the cards have projecting teeth on their lower edges which rest on resiliently supported selector bars, selection is effected by depressing a combination of selector bars equal in number to the number of teeth per card (three in the embodiment shown), so that the selected card or cards move downwards under gravity. The selected cards are then ejected upwardly by spring biased ejector bars when they are suddenly released by snail cams. The Figures show a device for selecting any card numbered 0-999. Selector buttons 4, Figs. 5, 6 for units, tens and hundreds, respectively, are adjusted along a guide shaft 11 to the card number desired, whereby corresponding eccentrics 13 movable with the selectors 4 are positioned over the forward ends of corresponding selector bars 2. Each selector bar 2 is pivoted at its rear end at 5 and is linked at 6, at its mid point, to an upper bar 1 spring supported at both ends as at 3, the cards resting transversely across the upper bars 1. After the buttons 4 have been adjusted, as above described, the shaft 11 is rotated through one revolution, e.g. by a crank-handle, Fig. 8 (not shown), whereby the three selected selector bars 1, 2 are depressed by the three eccentrics 12 and the cards so selected move downwards under gravity. The outer pairs of bars 1-2, Fig. 7, which function as ejectors, are depressed by snail cams 16 on shaft 11 as the selection is made, and when the selected cards reach their lowermost position, the snail cams suddenly release the ejector bars which under the action of their springs 3 eject the selected cards above the remainder of the stack, the selected cards being held in their raised position by spring detents secured to the casing, Fig. 12 (not shown). Instead of two outer ejector bars, a single ejector bar centrally disposed of the selector bars may be used. The cards may be held in individual metal frames, in which case the frames are provided with the teeth.