US2924222A - Card file compressor - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1960 R. L. MYERS CARD FILE COMPRESSOR Original Filed April 27, 1955 Pg 6. Pg

IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent CARD FEE COMPRESSOR Raymond L. Myers, Vestal, N.Y., assignor to Ray Myers Corporation, Endicott, N.Y., a corporation of New York Refiled for abandoned application Serial No. 504,338,

This application October 19, 1956,

April 27, 1955. Serial No. 617,177

2 Claims. (Cl. 129-28) or drawer used for filing cards.

File cards are commonly used for tabulating various data thereon by means of punch marks, and these cards are fed through an accounting or tabulating machine for recording the various data indicated by the punch marks. In order that the cards may be fed readily and properly through the machine, it is necessary that the cards be held in a non-warped and well protected condition. It, is, therefore, desirable that the cards stored in a file tray or drawer be held under high compression and protected against injury. Various types of compressors have been employed heretofore, but those which are slid into position, and clamped against the cards manually may not 'provide a sufficient pressure to hold the cards in the required shape. Also, it is important that the compressor employed for the purpose occupy the minimum of space in the tray and that it may be readily slid into position and easily operated and particularly that the force applied by the compressor may be multiplied through a mechanical movement sufi'iciently to give a high pressure against the cards.

The primary objectof this invention is to satisfy these requirements and to provide a compressor in a card file tray which may be operated mechanically to give a high compression on the cards and yet may be readily released therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a card compressor which may be mounted on a single wall of a file tray or drawer, and wherein its construction is such that cards may be held under adequate compression, as

is particularly required for punched cards which are to be protected against warpage and injury.

A further object of this invention is to provide a compressor with a mechanical movement which insures that after the compressor has been brought up against the cards it may be moved to a further extent without large manual effort to force the cards together and hold them in a non-warped condition.

, Another object is to provide a compressor construction which may be mounted on a side wall of a tray and will give a positive card compression and hold the cards so tightly packed that the tray may be carried in any position without the cards spilling out. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention! Fig. l is a perspective view of a compressor mounted on a slideway with the card file tray Wall omitted in which the compressor is in an inoperative, non-compressing position;

position;

2,924,222 Patented F b. 9, 1960 Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the compressor slide parts and tray wall shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the relation of the compressor lever to the associated parts;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic top plan view showingin exaggeration the angular arrangement of the compressor relative to the opposed tray wall;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic sketches showing the relative positions of the operating handle and the pawl which applies compression to the cards; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a tray body in which the rack bar and compressor are to be mounted.

The preferred tray construction comprises sheet metal .fashioned to form a side wall 10 integral with and perpendicular to a bottom 11. These in turn are suitably connected with an end wall 12 and an opposing end wall 13,

now Patent No. 2,895,485, issued July 21, 1959, and No. 617,176 and filed on even date herewith. The side wall 10 is provided with a slideway or compressor track formed of a U-shaped member 14 having two flanges 15 in the same plane and parallel with but spaced from the inner face of the side Wall 10. The side wall 10 may also have a U shaped flange providing a surface 16 which lies in substantially the plane of the sides of the flanges 15 which engage the cards, so that cards may rest adequately against and be aligned by those surfaces 15 and 16.

The compressor comprises a standard 20 of sheet metal which is integrally connected to a U-shaped slide plate 21 having inwardly curved end portions providing flanges 22 which fit and slide relative to the under sides of the track plates 15. The standard 20 is somewhat U- shaped for strength and provided With an in-turned end flange 24 which rests on and is welded to the slide plate 21. The out-turned edges 23 of the open side (Fig. 4) of the U-shaped standard 20 are rigidly Welded to the face of a further plate 25 having a strengthening peripheral flange 26. The plate 25 provides a plane surface arranged at a required angle to engage the face of the adjacent file card. This plate 25 is preferably arranged at an angle slightly less than such as 87, relative to the side wall 10 (as shown in Fig. 5). Thus the end of the plate furthermost from side wall 10 provides a 16 of the tray, so that the slight inclination of the plate 25 is suflicient to give a clamping pressure against the outer portions of the stack of cards, as shown in exaggerated form in Fig. 5.

In order to clamp the plate 25 against the cards with the desired compressive action, I have provided a rack bar on a Wall of the tray and pawl carried by the compressor which is manually operated by a lever. This comprises a rack bar 30 (Fig. 2) welded on the lower face 31 of the U-shaped piece 15 of the tray. As indicated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the teeth 32 of the rack bar have'vertical faces 33 facing toward the front of the tray or in the direction of movement of the compressor to compress the cards.

The teeth may be formed as shown by cutting U- shaped slots in a metal bar in a spaced arrangement, which provides parallel teeth with their sides substantially parallel. The standard is held in an adjusted position relative to the rack bar by means of a rocking pawl 35 which is mounted for movement both pivotallyand ard 20. A furtheriflange 39 z(Figs...2 and'4) istformed by cutting a .U-shaped .slot in the .central plate portion f the standard and bending the free metal inwardly to extend at right angles to :the inner face of-the standard .20 and forman intermediate .or central pivotal support for the rod '56.

Therend of. the rod whichcarries :the pawl 35is mounted win an "elongated vertical slot 40 which =exten'dsfthrough ,theflange s24 and theslide .platezl. Thiscsl'ot .40 provides for a transverse movement of athe pawl :relative to --the'standard, so that the free end ofthe pawl may pivot where the edge 49 -engages the face 25, as shown in aboutra tooth groove. The lower end of the slot 40, .which is elongated transversely. of therstandard, is aligned gwith the two bearing :holes in the .flanges 38 -andz39.

Therod .36 has suflicient resiliency so that "it may be bentin that slot transversely of thestandard. The pawl on the end of the rod is urged toward the rack barby a coiled tension spring 42 suitably secured to the :rod and touthe lower horizontal wall (Fig. 2) Of the standard 20, so that the pawl end of the rod may be lifted when the pawl is swung about its free end through a vertical 5 or .dead center position-and then return to the bottom of the elongated slot, while the pawl is always engaging the tooth groove.

The rack bar teeth are soshapedthat the. grooves there- .between form fulcrums or pivot points about which the :free end of the pawl may pivot, and the tooth face 'toward the cards is :so shaped as to provide a pawl confining space having a surface against which'thepawl may brace to compress the cards. The sides of thexslot .in the standard 20 (Fig. 2) provide bearing surfaces parallel with the plate 25 for confining'the rod 36 laterally, and the right hand surface of the slot receivesthe lateral thrust ot'the pawl when the latter is braced against a tooth to compress the cards. The spring urges the pawl rod 36 towards the end of the slot 40 nearestithe rack bar and holds the pawl 35 in engagementlwith a tooth slot when the handle has positioned it for a compressing movement of the compressor.

A pivoted handle lever 45 (Fig. 4) is provided with a curvededge 46 which serves as a hand grip. The handle is fixedat its lower end permanently to the 'rod 36, as by having a portion wrapped around the rod (Fig. 2) .and welded in place at 47. This rod.36 thus forms a pivotfor the handle lever 45. The U-shaped standard plate 20 terminates at 51 beyond or at theleft of this ,lever 45 (Fig. 1), so that the lever may be fastened to the rod 36 and be rotated manually. Thehandle 45 has a flange 48 projecting at right angles from its exposed vertical front face which has a vertical edge 49 adapted wall against which the cards may be compressedand it is preferred th'at the compressor "be rhouhted solfly on to be brought into engagement with the rear of the wallf 25 when in an end clamping position. This limits the handle motion. a

The tray structure may be widely varied. As shown in Fig. 9, it comprises a suitable front wall 12 of sheet -rnetal secured to the side wall 10 and a low side wall 61. The bottom 11 may be integral with the side walls -10 and 61, such as by being shaped from a single piece -of sheet metal, andthese parts are suitably welded or secured to the frontzwall. Therear wall comprises an open metal frame 13 suitably welded or securedto the T side walls and bottom, and this frarne provides, hand grips for suspending and carrying the tray vertically.

' In its operation, the lever handle 45 may be thrown away from thecards and the pawlis moved into a fori wardly inclined or non-bracing position as vshown in 1Fig. wherein the edge 49 (Fig. 1) of theflange 4 8 is remote from the card compressing plate 25; The

pawl is then inoperative. When -the-handle -45 isawung outwardly relative to the plate 25, the pawl 35 is in a forward position (Fig. 1) and disengaged from the rack bar teeth which permits the compressor slide 21 to move freely on the surfaces 1=5;anc l towards and from the cards. After the compressor plate has beenmoved up against the file cariis, tlielever M5 ihay be swung upwards and forward towards the plate ,25 through a short distance to swing'the'paw'l 35 into enig'agetrient .with fone of the adjacent teeth grooves of "the rack bar, as shown by the relative positions of the compressing plate 25 t :and the pawl 355m Figs-'6. "When'th'e lever 45 is swung the tension of the coiled spring 42; This permits the pivot center of the pawl to move transversely of the compressor standard. "When-thehand -lever' 45 is moved to a point 'Figs. 2and"8,-tl1e pawlwhich has remainedin the :r'aine tooth groove is/urged by the manual swinging "(lithe "lever and the force of the spring =42 to thrust th'e com- -"pressor--plate 25 tightly ag'ainst the=-cards. 0f the spring -i'ss'uch as to "The strength applied by the eonipressingaction.

For releasing th'e cardgiit merely ne'cess'ary'to piill the handle lip 46 away '-from the compressorp'late Z5. and thiscauses areversaldf motion'of the pawl, in which its pivot rod -36 again moves transversely in the slot ing the action, sincethe re1easing-movetnentof "the coinpressor plate is awayfroih t'he cards'r The diag'ranuti'atic sketches of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show the rela'tive movement of the compressor plate as the pawl 35 swingsthrough the yariousposit-ions. i

While the file tray *h'as 'b'een illustrated in Fig. are having high and low side walls i't -'will 'beunderstood that the file tray could have two high side walls "In t that case i the compressor is mounted .on only one "wall and there is but'a single slideway wand a single slide supporting the compressor. Itis, however, rq-uired that thetray have a side wall, "a =bottom wall and an'etid one ofthe-walfls for movement toward the cards. The

compressor is i slidably mounted on a track on that wall and it carries a pivoted pawl, such as a gear tooth or pawl, which engages a -raek=bar suitably mounted or formed on the side wall of the tray. "The pawl is so pivotally mounted onthe standard that itfmay be swung by a cam Y or lever action from a fully released position into engagement with the rack bar andthereafterpivot about its point ofconta'ct with therack-barfm forcing to urge the pawl into engagement With'the tooth gr'oove o'fthe rack bar an'dto hold .the pawllinfits..final braced position after it has passed dead-center. That is, the pawl is mounted both for pivotal movemeht'and for a transverse it movement across ,dead center relative to the rack bar, "so that when the pawl islfswung ffr'om the position of Big. .6 to thatiof ,Fig. {8 while in-engagement with sesame 'rackbar groove it causes the compressor to move forward toward the cards by that distanceinhold t'he p'awl in place, and *the pawl is :so inclined as to form a brace against "any rearward motion of the=compressorplate under the'forc'es volved in swinging the pawl relative to the stationary pivot of the groove of the rack bar.

It will now be appreciated that various modifications may be made in this construction within the principles of this invention to provide this pivotal movement of the pawl about the point at which it engages the rack bar and thereby provide the desired thrust against the cards. Hence, various mechanical movements may be employed for swinging the pawl about that rack bar point and for holding or urging it in a final clamping position. Hence, various modifications may be made in the construction within the scope of this invention. The above disclosure is therefore to be interpreted as setting forth the principles and a preferred embodiment of the invention and not as imposing limitations on the appended claims.

This case is a refile for my application Serial #504,338, filed April 27, 1955.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rectangular card file tray having bottom and side walls and at least one end wall, a horizontal slideway track secured to one of said side walls and extending longitudinally of said tray, a rack bar secured to said one side wall parallel to said track, a compressor standard transversely mounted in said tray intermediate the side walls thereof and slidably connected at one end to said slideway track solely for longitudinal movement in said tray to compress the file cards between the compressor standard and one end wall of the tray; the improvement which consists of means for initially locking the compressor standard in a desired longitudinal position in the tray and for subsequently displacing the standard a small distance toward the associated end wall to compress the file cards therebetween, comprising a horizontal resilient pawl rod within said compressor standard substantially normal to the rack bar, said compressor standard having an end wall adjacent the tray side wall to which the rack is attached, said compressor standard end wall having a vertical slot therein through which one end of said pawl rod extends and is guided thereby during vertical movement of said rod end, said rod end terminating in a pawl element which removably engages the teeth of the rack bar, said pawl rod being rotatably connected at its other end to said compressor standard in fixed bearing means, spring means connected to said compressor standard normally biasing the free end of said pawl rod toward one extremity of said vertical slot and said pawl element toward said bar, and means for rotating said pawl rod, said pawl rod being rotatable to a first position wherein said pawl element angularly extends into the groove between a pair of rack teeth into contact with the rear surface of the rack tooth which is closer to the tray end wall, said pawl rod being portable from said first position to an intermediate position wherein said pawl element is intermediate the rack teeth and normal to the axis of the rack with the pawl rod bent in a cantilever manner about its fixed rotatable connection to the compressor standard toward the other extremity of the slot in the standard end wall, and said pawl rod being rotatable from said intermediate position to said locked position wherein the pawl element angularly extends in engagement with the forward surface of the other rack tooth, said compressor standard being moved toward said tray end wall during the rotational movement of said pawl rod from said first position to said locked position.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said pawl rod comprises an operating lever rigidly connected at one end to said pawl rod adjacent the bearing connection of the rod to the compressor standard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 412,625 Jewell Oct. 8, 1889 1,780,354 Larson et al. Nov. 4, 1930 1,891,522 Bullock Dec. 20, 1932 2,160,267 Griswold May 30, 1939 2,689,573 Foehrenbach Sept. 21, 1954

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