US3732019A

US3732019A - Card tray construction and method of forming same

Info

Publication number: US3732019A
Application number: US00125493A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Little
Original assignee: Weber Knapp Co
Current assignee: Weber Knapp Co
Priority date: 1971-03-18
Filing date: 1971-03-18
Publication date: 1973-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-08
Also published as: CA935061A

Abstract

A card tray construction including a tray body section; a tray front section affixed to a front wall of the body section; a card holder rod running through the front section and into the tray body section for the purpose of stringing cards to be retained in the tray section; and a holder rod latching device accessible through an opening in the bottom wall of the front section. The latching device is in the form of a prefabricated unit, which is adapted to be inserted through its access opening and be automatically retained in a proper mounted position upon assembly of the front and tray body section.

Description

United States Patent 1 Little 1 May 8, 1973 1 1 CARD TRAY CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME [75] Inventor: Carl H. Little, Jamestown,N.Y.

[7 3] Assignee: Weber-Knapp Company,

Jamestown, NY.

[22] Filed: Mar. 18, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 125,493

[52] U.S. Cl ..402/6l, 402/502 [51] Int. Cl. ..B42f 13/00, B42f 17/16 [58] Field of Search ..402/61, 63, 502;

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1933 Roscoe ..402/61 4/1972 Savage ..402/502X 709,843 9/1902 Wright ..402/61 Primary Examiner.lerome Schnall Attorney-Bean & Bean [57] ABSTRACT A card tray construction including a tray body section; a tray front section affixed to a front wall of the body section; a card holder rod running through the front section and into the tray body section for the purpose of stringing cards to be retained in the tray section; and a holder rod latching device accessible through an opening in the bottom wall of the front section. The latching device is in the form of a prefabricated unit, which is adapted to be inserted through its access opening and be automatically retained in a proper mounted position upon assembly of the front and tray body section.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY 8W H 3732.019

' SHEET 1 BF 3 INVENTOR. c/mL h. L 7'TL E ATTORNEYS CARD TRAY CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to card tray or drawer constructions and particularly the type used to removably store library catalog cards.

The present tray construction includes a molded plastic tray body section; a two part molded plastic tray front section, which may be suitably affixed to a front wall of the body section by means of screw fasteners; a card holder rod removably insertable through the front section and into the body section for the purpose of stringing cards to be retained in the tray section; and a latching device for removably retaining the holder rod in inserted position. A particular feature of the present invention is that the latching device is in the form of a prefabricated unit, which is insertable through an opening into a cavity formed by the front section and thereafter automatically retained within the cavity for operation through the opening upon assembly of the front and body sections.

DRAWINGS The nature and mode of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the library card file tray of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the card holding rod and the latching device therefor;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front section with its front half removed;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the area designated as FIG. 5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the front tray construction shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken generally along line 77 in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, l designates a library card tray or the like, which generally comprises a tray body section 2 dimensioned to receive a stack of library catalog cards, not shown; a tray front section 3; a catalog card holder rod 4 extending rearwardly through an opening 5 provided in front 3 and into tray body 2 for the purpose of stringing the library cards thereon; and a holder rod latching device 6 mounted within front 3.

Tray body 2 is best shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 6 and 7 as being of integrally formed, molded plastic construction having front, rear, side and bottom walls 10-13, respectively. As best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, front wall 10 is apertured at 14 to freely receive holder rod 4 and at 16 to freely receive front mounting screw fastener devices 17. Front wall 10 is provided with an appropriate number of forwardly projecting front positioning studs 19, which are preferably arranged concentrically of apertures 16. As will be apparent from viewing FIG. 7 front wall 10 is downwardly and rearwardly inclined, such as to permit bottom wall 13 to project forwardly of the base thereof and define a shelf or ledge 20, whose function will be hereinafter described in detail.

Holder rod 4 is shown in FIG. 2 as including an end mounted, enlarged pull knob portion 22 having a forward portion 23 of generally rectangular configuration and a rearward portion 24 of cylindrical conically shaped configuration. Oppositely facing surfaces of forward portion 23 are provided with a pair of grooves 26a and 2617, which are arranged within a common plane extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of holder rod 4. It will be understood that from section opening 5 is preferably formed with a configuration complementary to that of forward portion 23, thereby requiring the rod when inserted therethrough to present one or the other of grooves 264 and 26b in operative association with latching device 6, as shown in FIG. 5. Also, it will be understood that in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, forward portion 23 is dimensioned such that its forwardly facing surface 28 is arranged flush with the front surface of front section 3 when the holder rod is in properly inserted position and a coil spring 29 provided to move the holder rod from its inserted position when released by latching device 6. When coil spring 29 is employed, rearward portion 24 is dimensioned such that the spring is freely received therearound for abutting engagement with a rear edge surface of forward portion 23.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, it will be seen that front section 3 is of essentially hollow, rectangular construction and generally includes molded plastic front and

rear halves

30 and 32, and a pair of generally L- shaped metal reinforcing plate inserts 34, which together with latching device 6, are adapted to be positioned within a cavity 36 defined by

halves

30 and 32 in the manner to be described.

Front half 30 includes a front panel 38, which is provided with a rectangular opening 39 forming the forward end of front section opening 5, and rectangular openings 40 and 41; and rearwardly extending top, bottorn and side marginal flanges 42-44, respectively, which define a continuous recess 46. Also, as shown only in FIGS. 6 and 7, front panel is formed with a sin gle rearwardly extending latching device positioning rib 47. The left hand side flange 44, as viewed in FIG. 1, is provided with a rectangular opening 48, which is disposed in vertical alignment with front panel opening 41, and bottom flange 43 is provided with a generally rectangular opening 49 through which latching device 6 may be inserted into cavity 36.

Rear half 32 includes a rear panel 50, which is provided with a circular opening 52 forming the rear end of front section opening 5 and circular openings 54 for freely receiving the positioning studs 19 and/or fastener devices 17. Extending forwardly from rear panel 50 is an apertured drawer pull 56; positioning and supporting

ribs

58, 58a for a drawer contents identification card 59 shown only in FIG. 7; a plurality of front panel spacer and latching device positioning ribs 62; and a plurality of studs 64 for positioning or orienting plate inserts 34. Extending rearwardly from rear panel 50 is a cylindrical extension 66, which is arranged concentrically of opening 52 and cooperates with tray front wall 10 to clampingly secure coil spring 29 in position within opening 52 when the front and tray sections are assembled. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, rear panel 50 is also provided with a cutout or slot 68 arranged adjacent its lower marginal edge for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

Plate inserts 34 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as being stamped from sheet metal to form a marginal flange portion 70 and a tab portion 72, which project in opposite directions from a planer panel portion 74. Portion 74 is shown in FIG. 3 as being provided with a plurality of threaded openings 76 for receipt of fastener devices 17 and smooth bore openings 78 for receipt of studs 64.

Front section 3 may be assembled by first mounting plate inserts 34 on rear panel by inserting studs 64 in plate bore openings 78 in order to positionally align threaded openings 76 with rear panel openings 54. When thus positioned, each of plate inserts 34 extend into close proximity to the base of drawer pull 56, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thereafter,

halves

30 and 32 are permanently joined together by fixing the marginal edge portions of rear panel 50 within flange recess 46, such as by fusion or adhesive bonding techniques.

When

halves

30 and 32 are joined,

openings

39 and 52 are arranged in axial alignment; drawer pull 56 freely projects forwardly of front panel 38 through opening 40; required numbers of rear panel ribs 62 are arranged in supporting engagement with the rear surface of front panel 38 in order to prevent collapse of the front section and plate insert tabs 72 are arranged in engagement with or in close proximity to the rear surface of front panel 38 in order to retain the plate inserts in position on studs 64 and to assist in preventing collapse of the front section. Also, when the front section is assembled, front panel rib 47 and required numbers of rear panel ribs 62, such as those designed as primed in FIG. 3 and the inner or forwardly facing surface of rear panel 50 cooperate to define guide or front, top, opposite sides and rear positioning surfaces, which positionally orient latching device 6 within cavity 36 when such device is inserted through opening 49, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7. Further, as will be apparent from viewing FIG. 7,

rear panel ribs

58 and 58a are arranged for cooperation with the rearwardly facing surface of front panel 38 and top flange 42, respectively, to define an elongated cavity 80 for receiving contents identifying card 59, which may be removably inserted through side flange opening 48 for viewing through front panel opening 41.

Latching device 6 is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as including a mounting flange member 90; a latching member 92, which is pivotally supported on the mounting member, as by a pin shaft 94; and a tension spring 96, which serves to interconnect

members

90 and 92 such as to normally bias the latching member into a first or latching position thereof, which is defined by abutment of member 92 with forwardly extending mounting member tab 98 as shown in FIG. 3. Mounting member 90 is also provided with a rearwardly extending tab 100, which is receivable within rear panel cutout 68 when latching device 6 is fully inserted within cavity 36, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 7; and forwardly projecting

positioning tabs

102 and 104. As will be apparent from viewing FIGS. 3 and 6, tab 104 also serves to provide an abutment defining the releasing or inoperative position of latching member 92, shown in phantom line in FIG. 3, and to partially close opening 49 when latching device 6 is positioned within cavity 36.

Latching member 92, which is pivotally supported by pin shaft 94 intermediate its ends, includes an operation end portion 106 having a forwardly projecting operating tab 108 and a forwardly offset latching blade end portion 110 having a beveled edge 1 12 arranged to extend substantially vertically within cavity 36 when latching member 92 is in its latching position.

Drawer 1 is assembled from its component parts by slideably inserting latching device 6 through opening 49 into cavity 36 to position top, front, opposite sides and rear surface portions of mounting member in engagement with the above mentioned cavity positioning surfaces; positioning coil spring 27 within opening 52.; and then fixing front section 3 to tray body section 2 by means of devices 17, the latter extending through tray front wall openings 16 forwardly into plate insert threaded openings 76. As will be apparent from viewing FIG. 7, when sections 2 and 3 are thus joined, the enlarged rear end of coil spring 29 is automatically locked or retained between tray front wall 10 and projection 66, and ledge 20 is arranged in abutting engagement with the rear surface of rear panel 50 and in underlying engagement with mounting member tab 100. Ledge 20 and tab thereafter define cooperating abutments, which serve to prevent removal of mounting member 90 of the latching device from engagement with the cavity positioning surfaces outwardly through opening 49. Also, when the drawer is assembled in the manner described, plate inserts 34 function both to clarnpingly secure the front and tray body section together and to transmit loads applied to drawer pull 56 directly to tray front wall 10.

Holder rod 4 may then be inserted through front section opening 5 and tray front wall opening 14 for the purpose of removably retaining appropriate library cards within the tray. Towards the end of inserting movement, cylindrical-conical portion 24 engages beveled blade edge 112 to thereby effect pivotal movement of the latching member in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3 away from its latching position; forward portion 23 thereafter engaging the forward end of coil spring 29 to initiate compression thereof. At the completion of holder rod inserting movement, whereat the forward face 28 of knob 22 is preferably flush with the front surface of front panel 38, spring 29 is fully compressed and one or the other of

grooves

26a, 26b is arranged in transverse alignment with beveled blade edge 112, thereby permitting the latter to be seated within such groove and be subsequently maintained in latching position under the resilient bias of spring 96. When it is desired to remove holder rod 4 for the purpose of adding or removing cards therefrom, it is merely necessary for the user to rub his thumb or finger along bottom flange 43 in a direction from right to left, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, such as to engage tab 108 and thereby pivot member 92 in a clockwise direction, also as viewed in FIG. 3, in order to remove blade edge 112 from groove 26b against the bias of spring 96. Upon removal of blade edge 1 12 from groove 26b, coil spring 29 is operative to move the pull knob 22 from its normally seated position within the front section in order to permit the former to be grasped and manipulated by the user as necessary. Of course, spring 29 is preferably relatively weak, since it would be undesirable to propel the holder rod at a speed or through a distance which might cause injury to the user.

If flush mounting of holder rod 4 is not required, and the rod is permitted to project forwardly of the front section .when fully inserted, ejector spring 29 may of course be eliminated.

I claim:

1. A card tray construction comprising in combination:

a front section including in part a bottom wall and a rear wall, said front section being formed with a' cavity having front, rear, top and opposite side positioning surfaces, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough in communication with said cavity and corresponding in size at least to the cross-sectional dimensions of said cavity defined by said front, rear and opposite side positioning surfaces, said rear wall having slot means extending rearwardly therethrough in communication with said cavity;

a tray section dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of apertured cards therewithin and including in part a pair of side walls and a bottom wall, said tray section defining abutment means arranged intermediate said side walls and above a bottom surface of said bottom wall thereof;

means for joining said tray section to said front secsaid latching member being accessible through said opening for manual operation between said positions thereof.

2. A card tray construction comprising in combina- 5 tion:

tion whereby to position forwardly disposed edges of said tray section side walls and bottom wall in engagement with said front section rear wall with said bottom surface of said tray section bottom wall disposed essentially flush with a bottom surface of said front section bottom wall;

a card holder rod removably insertable rearwardly through said front section and into said tray section for stringing said apertured cards; and

a latch device for releasably retaining said holder rod in an inserted position thereof, said latch device including a mounting member and a latching member secured to said mounting member for movement relative thereto between holder rod latching and unlatching positions, said mounting member being arranged within said cavity and having surface portions thereof disposed in surface abutting engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces, said mounting member additionally including abutment means, one of said mounting member abutment means and said tray section abutment means being arranged to extend through said slot means whereby to position said mounting member abutment means in overlying engagement with said tray section abutment means for maintaining said mounting member surface portions in surface engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces and preventing movement of said mount ing member downwardly through said opening,

a front section including in part a bottom wall and a rear wall, said front section being formed with a cavity having front, rear, top and opposite side positioning surfaces, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough in communication with said cavity and corresponding in size at least to the cross-sectional dimensions of said cavity as defined by said front, rear and opposite side positioning surfaces, said rear wall having slot means extending rearwardly therethrough upwardly from said opening and in communication with said cavi- W;

a tray section dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of apertured cards therewith and including in part a pair of side walls, a bottom wall and a front wall;

means for joining said tray section to said front section whereby to position forwardly disposed edges of said tray section side walls and bottom wall in engagement with said front section rear wall and to position a bottom surface of said tray section bottom wall essentially flush with a bottom surface of said front section bottom wall, said tray section front wall being joined to its associated bottom wall rearwardly of said forwardly disposed edge thereof whereby to expose an upwardly facing surface of said tray section bottom wall spaced from said bottom surface thereof, said front section rear wall slot means terminating at a point vertically above said upwardly facing surface;

a latch device for releasably retaining said holder rod in an inserted position thereof, said latch device including a mounting member and a latching member secured to said mounting member for movement relative thereto between holder rod latching and unlatching positions, said mounting member being arranged essentially within said cavity and having surface portions thereof disposed in surface abutting engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces, said mounting member additionally including tab means arranged to extend rearwardly through said slot means to overlie said upwardly facing surface, said tab means being engaged by said upwardly facing surface whereby to maintain the said mounting member surface portions positioned in surface engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces and prevent move ment of said mounting member downwardly through said opening, said latching member being accessible through said opening for manual operation between said positions thereof.

Claims

1. A card tray construction comprising in combination: a front section including in part a bottom wall and a rear wall, said front section being formed with a cavity having front, rear, top and opposite side positioning surfaces, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough in communication with said cavity and corresponding in size at least to the crosssectional dimensions of said cavity defined by said front, rear and opposite side positioning surfaces, said rear wall having slot means extending rearwardly therethrough in communication with said cavity; a tray section dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of apertured cards therewithin and including in part a pair of side walls and a bottom wall, said tray section defining abutment means arranged intermediate said side walls and above a bottom surface of said bottom wall thereof; means for joining said tray section to said front section whereby to position forwardly disposed edges of said tray section side walls and bottom wall in engagement with said front section rear wall with said bottom surface of said tray section bottom wall disposed essentially flush with a bottom surface of said front section bottom wall; a card holder rod removably insertable rearwardly through said front section and into said tray section for stringing said apertured cards; and a latch device for releasably retaining said holder rod in an inserted position thereof, said latch device including a mounting member and a latching member secured to said mounting member for movement relative thereto between holder rod latching and unlatching positions, said mounting member being arranged within said cavity and having surface portions thereof disposed in surface abutting engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces, said mounting member additionally including abutment means, one of said mounting member abutment means and said tray section abutment means being arranged to extend through said slot means whereby to position said mounting member abutment means in overlying engagement with said tray section abutment means for maintaining said mounting member surface portions in surface engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces and preventing movement of said mounting member downwardly through said opening, said latching member being accessible through said opening for manual operation between said positions thereof.

2. A card tray construction comprising in combination: a front section including in part a bottom wall and a rear wall, said front section being formed with a cavity having front, rear, top and opposite side positioning surfaces, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough in communication with said cavity and corresponding in size at least to the cross-sectional dimensions of said cavity as defined by said front, rear and opposite side positioning surfaces, said rear wall having slot means extending rearwardly therethrough upwardly from said opening and in communication with said cavity; a tray section dimensioned to accommodate a plurality of apertured cards therewith and including in part a pair of side walls, a bottom wall and a front wall; means for joining said tray section to said front section whereby to position forwardly disposed edges of said tray section side walls and bottom wall in engagement with said front section rear wall and to position a bottom surface of said tray section bottom wall essentially flush with a bottom surface of said front section bottom wall, said tray section front wall being joined to its associated bottom wall rearwardly of said forwardly disposed edge thereof whereby to expose an upwardly facing surface of said tray section bottom wall spaced from said bottom surface thereof, said front section rear wall slot means terminating at a point vertically above said upwardly facing surface; a card holder rod removably insertable rearwardly through said front section and into said tray section for stringing said apertured cards; and a latch device for releasably retaining said holder rod in an inserted position thereof, said latch device including a mounting member and a latching member secured to said mounting member for movement relative thereto between holder rod latching and unlatching positions, said mounting member being arranged essentially within said cavity and having surface portions thereof disposed in surface abutting engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces, said mounting member additionally including tab means arranged to extend rearwardly through said slot means to overlie said upwardly facing surface, said tab means being engaged by said upwardly facing surface whereby to maintain the said mounting member surface portions positioned in surface engagement with said cavity positioning surfaces and prevent movement of said mounting member downwardly through said opening, said latching member being accessible through said opening for manual operation between said positions thereof.