RANDOM ACCESS STORE FOR CARDS, FILE FOLDERS, AND THE LIKE

• US 3,595,388 A
• Filed: 11/25/1969
• Issued: 07/27/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Castaldi
• Original Assignee: John Castaldi
• Inventors: Castaldi, John
• Application Number:
  US04/877,571
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• US Class Current: 209/562
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0009 with sequential access selection of a record carrier from the card-file, e.g. relative movement between selecting device and card-file
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0012 with more than one selection steps, e.g. selection of a record carrier from a selected compartment of a compartmented storage storage devices for articles B65G1/0407

Abstract

A random access store for cards, file folders and the like, in which the folders are stacked face to face. The folders are optically edge-coated and sensed simultaneously by a plurality of moving carriages, driven by a single cable, which continuously compares the sensed code to the command code and ejects the desired folder. The optical reader senses rectilinearly (along the same line as the light source) and the coded signal is automatically negated from mispositioned folders. Folder alignment regardless of packing density is provided by magnetic clutching in cooperation with an array of folder guiding slots. Manual entry of the file folders into the store is random and may take place simultaneously with the automatic withdrawal. Towards this end, a feed through access is provided which automatically gates and raises the magnetic clutches to permit ejection of the desired folder. Further refinements described include ejected folder collection; automatic input; a memory adjunct; and remote signalling.

Claims

1. A random access storage system of the type where edge-coded items are stacked at random in a juxtaposed edge-aligned attitude in a plurality of racks comprising:

a plurality of assemblies for scanning the code markings on item edges;

means for traversing each of said assemblies relative the items in one rack adjacent said coded edges;

a trough disposed below each of said assemblies in a rack and oriented in the direction of travel thereof;

a cable termination in each of said troughs at one end thereof;

a cable emanating from each of said assemblies and connected to the cable termination in the associated trough, said cable being slightly longer than the furthest excursion of said assembly from said terminal, said cable thereby having a slight belly at said furthest excursion and lapping itself at any other position of said scanning assembly.

2. The random access storage system claimed in claim 1 wherein said cable is in the form of a flat ribbon and wherein each of said assemblies includes means for orienting said cable with the flat portion horizontals.

3. A random access storage system of the type where edge-coded items are stacked at random in a juxtaposed edge-aligned attitude in a plurality of vertically stacked racks comprising:

a plurality of assemblies each for scanning edge code markings of items in a rack and producing electric signals representative of said markings;

means for traversing each of said assemblies relative the items in one rack;

means for comparing the signals of each of said assemblies with a code designation representing the desired item;

means for stopping said scanning assemblies upon a coincidence of being achieved by said comparison means at a location where one of said scanning assemblies is opposite the desired items; and

means for ejecting the desired item.

4. The random access storage system claimed in claim 3 wherein an ejection means is disposed on each of said scanning assemblies;

said system further comprising means for initiating the ejection means on the scanning assembly opposite said desired item.

5. The random access storage system claimed in claim 3 further comprising a buffer store for storing a code indication of the desired item;

means for inserting said code designation in the buffer store;

said comparing means comprising a plurality of comparators, each coupled to a respective scanning assembly and coupled in common to said buffer store;

ejection means associated with each of said scanning assemblies; and

means responsive to a comparator coincidence for energizing the associated ejection means to eject the desired items.

6. The random access storage system claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

an annunciator; and

means responsive to a coincidence being achieved by said comparison means for annunciating a phrase indicative thereof.

7. The random access storage system claimed in claim 6 further comprising a pair of limit switches disposed at respective ends of said rack and adapted to be triggered by one of said assemblies upon traversing to the respective end of the rack;

a logic circuit coupled to said limit switches and responsive to the travel of said assemblies to both ends of said rack for issuing a signal therefrom; and

means responsive to said signal for annunciating a phrase indicative of the fact that the desired item is not in the rack.

8. In combination with the random access storage system claimed in claim 3 wherein the item is ejected a predetermined amount from said rack to jut out therefrom in a horizontally displaced manner, an ejected item acquisition mechanism comprising:

a sensing standard;

means for traversing said sensing standard longitudinallY of said racks and adjacent thereto;

a plurality of optical read heads mounted in vertical tandem on said standard each aimed at a respective vertically uniform rack portion predetermined to be intersected by an ejected file folder;

reflective tape affixed to said racks at said vertically uniform portions of said racks; and

means responsive to the output of said read heads for stopping said standard at a position where the line of sight between one of said read heads and said reflective tape is interrupted, and means for acquiring the ejected item.

9. The combination claimed in claim 8 wherein each of said optical read heads comprises a light source;

a phototransducer; and

a semitransparent mirror disposed with respect to said source and said phototransducer to transmit a portion of the light from said source to said reflective tape, and return a portion of the transmitted light from said reflective tape to the phototransducer.

10. The combination claimed in claim 8 wherein said acquiring means comprises a carriage vertically movable on said standard;

means also responsive the read head output for indexing said carriage opposite the ejected item; and

means responsive to the positioning of said carriage opposite said item for acquiring the ejected folder and removing it from the rack.

11. The random access storage system claimed in claim 9 further comprising means responsive to the removal of an item from the rack for returning said standard to one end of said rack.

12. A random access storage system of the type where edge-coded items are stacked at random in juxtaposed edge-aligned attitude in a plurality of vertically stacked racks comprising:

a plurality of assemblies in vertical tandem each for scanning code markings on vertical item edges in a rack and producing electric signals representative of said markings;

means for traversing each of said assemblies relative the items in one rack;

means for comparing the output signals of each of said assemblies with a code designation representing the desired item; and

means for ejecting the desired item in a directional orthogonal to said scanned vertical edge toward said scanning assemblies.

13. The random access storage system claimed in claim 12 wherein said items are inserted in each rack on the side opposite the side through which they are ejected and wherein said system further comprises means limiting the movement of an inserted item through said rack during the insertion thereof;

and means responsive to the initiation of the ejection of the desired item for negativing said limiting means.

14. In a random access storage system of the type where items having code designations marked on an edge thereof are stacked in random in juxtaposed edge-aligned attitudes and scanned by one or more assemblies which are responsive to the code markings for issuing electric signals representative thereof, said signals being compared to a stored code designation of a desired item, and upon coincidence, effecting the ejection thereof, the improvement comprising;

a memory;

means responsive to the ejection of a desired item for storing a designation representative thereof in said memory; and

means responsive to the return of an item to said storage system for erasing said designation from said memory.

15. The improvement claimed in claim 14 where the designation stored in said memory is the code designation of said item.

16. The improvement claimed in claim 15 further comprising means for storing an adjunct code to said code designation, said adjunct code representing the requester of the desired item.

17. The improvement claimed in claim 16 further comprising;

remote keying means coupled to said memory, for altering the code adjunct indicating a transfer of said items outside said storage system.

18. The improvement claimed in claim 17 wherein said keying means comprises an auxiliary scan assembly for reading the code designation on the item.

19. The improvement claimed in claim 15 further comprising;

means coupled to said memory for reading out the information stored therein, thereby indicating an inventory of items removed from said system.