System for making color-coded index tabs

• US 3,997,384 A
• Filed: 02/25/1974
• Issued: 12/14/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jay L. Carley, Richard H. Darling, Victor Kuring, William P. Shine, W. R. Smith-Vaniz
• Original Assignee: Jay L. Carley, Richard H. Darling, Victor Kuring, William P. Shine, W. R. Smith-Vaniz
• Inventors: Shine, William P., Darling, Richard H., Carley, Jay L., Smith-Vaniz, W. R., Kuring, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Horn, Charles E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wityshyn, M. G.
• Application Number:
  US05/445,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 156/303, 156/261, 156/235, 156/238, 156/299, 156/302, 156/361, 156/362, 156/511, 156/516-520, 156/560-562, 156/249, 156/521, 156/541, 156/542, 156/250 , 156/DIG. 1-DIG. 2, 156/528, 156/DIG.19-DIG. 21, 156/33, 156/DIG.44-DIG. 47, 156/265, 156/269, 156/277, 93/1 E
• US Class Current: 156/269
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 21/00 Indexing means; Indexing tabs or protectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 1/025 the label being picked up by the article to be labelled, i.e. the labelling head remaining stationary
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/42 Label feed control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 of continuous or running length bonded web
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1092 All laminae planar and face to face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1098 Feeding of discrete laminae from separate sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/171 Means serially presenting discrete base articles or separate portions of a single article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1759 Sheet form common base

Abstract

The color-coded index tab is produced automatically by passing a tape through a label applying machine which is programmed by a computer to apply color-coded labels at precise locations of the tape. The tape is afterwards severed to produce the individual index tab for subsequent application to a file holder. The index tabs can be folded or not about the longitudinal center line so that the block of color on each label can be exposed around the edge of the file holder or on a flat edge surface of the file holder for viewing purposes. The individual index tabs and labels can be sized to present any number of different color coded blocks.

Claims

1. A method of making color-coded index tabs comprising the steps of

moving a carrier tape through a predetermined path having a plurality of stations therein from a predetermined start position;

stopping the moving tape in said path at a plurality of predetermined distances from said start position;

applying a color-coded label from a selected one of a plurality of label supply means to the carrier tape in response to the stopping of the tape at each predetermined distance from said start position, each label supply means being located at a respective one of said stations and each label being applied at a different location on the tape to form a non-repeating pattern of color-coded labels on said tape; and

receiving the tape with the color-coded labels thereon at a point downstream of said start position.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 which further comprises the step of severing the tape with the labels thereon at predetermined points relative to said start position to form individual index tabs of the severed portions with each tab having a color code different from the color codes of the other tabs.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 which further comprises the step of pressing each label applied to the carrier tape onto the carrier tape.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tape is moved in a single direction from said start position with the labels of each tab being applied to the tape in a sequence corresponding to the movement of the tape from said start position.

5. A method of color-coding a series of files comprising the steps of

conveying a series of files sequentially through a predetermined path having a plurality of stations therein from a start position;

stopping each conveyed file in said path at a plurality of predetermined distances from said start position, each said file being stopped at predetermined distances different from the other of said files;

applying a color-coded designation from a selected one of a plurality of supply means to each file in response to the presence of said file at each respective predetermined distance from said start position, each supply means being located at a respective one of said stations and each designation being applied at a different location on a file whereby each file is provided with a color code different from the other files; and

receiving said file with the color-coded designation thereon at a point downstream of said start position.

6. A method of color-coding a series of carriers comprising the step of applying a color code to each carrier of a series of carriers to form a color code on each carrier different from the color codes of the other carriers of said series, each color code being formed by placing a plurality of individual color designations from a plurality of supply means, at different times during application of each color code, onto predetermined points of each carrier disposed in the same relative positions as the points of the other carriers in response to a programmed relative movement in a given longitudinal path along said supply means between each carrier and the plurality of supply means, each said point being determinative of the amount of relative movement required for activation of a respective supply means.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein each carrier is moved past the supply means.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the designations are individual labels.

9. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of a tape having a carrier strip and a backing strip removably secured thereto, a file card, a transfer belt, a file folder and a file holder.

10. A method of color-coding comprising the steps of

positioning a plurality of supply means for dispensing color designations along a predetermined path, at least some of said supply means dispensing color designations of different color from the remaining supply means;

moving a series of carriers in a given direction past said supply means, each carrier containing a plurality of points to receive color designations, said points of each carrier being disposed in the same relative positions as the points of the other carriers; and

actuating selected ones of said supply means at different times during movement of each carrier in said direction to apply respective color designations onto predetermined points of said points of each said carrier in response to the positioning of each respective one of said predetermined points at a respective selected supply means to form color codes on each carrier different from the color codes of the other carriers of said series and in the same relative positions.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 which further includes the step of synchronizing the movement of each carrier and the actuation of each supply means with a computer program.

12. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein each carrier is selected from the group consisting of a tape having a carrier strip and a backing strip removably secured thereto, a file card, a transfer belt, a file folder and a file holder.

13. An automated method of color-coding comprising the step of

applying a color code to each carrier of a series of carriers by placing individual color designations from a plurality of supply means onto a plurality of predetermined points of each carrier disposed in the same relative positions as the points of the other carriers in response to a computer program wherein selected supply means are activated at different times during application of each color code to supply a color designation onto selected points of each carrier in response to positioning of respective selected points at respective selected supply means during movement of each carrier in a given direction past the plurality of supply means to form a color code on each carrier different from the color codes of the other carriers and in the same relative positions.

14. A method of color-coding a series of files comprising the steps of

conveying a series of files sequentially through a predetermined path having a plurality of stations therein from a start position;

locating each conveyed file in said path at a plurality of predetermined distances from said start position, each said file being located at predetermined distances different from the other of said files;

applying a color-coded designation from a selected one of a plurality of supply means to each file in response to the presence of said file at each respective predetermined distance from said start position, each supply means being located at a respective one of said stations and each designation being applied at a different location on a file whereby each file is provided with a color code different from the other files; and

receiving said file with the color-coded designation thereon at a point downstream of said start position.

15. A method of making color-coded index tabs comprising the steps of

positioning a plurality of supply means for dispensing color coded indicia along a predetermined path, at least some of said supply means dispensing color-coded indicia of different color from the remaining supply means;

moving a tape having sections to define index tabs in one direction past said supply means, each section containing a plurality of points to receive color-coded indicia during movement through said path, said points of each section being disposed in the same relative positions as the points of the other sections; and

actuating selected ones of said supply means at different times during movement of each section of the tape past said plurality of supply means in said one direction to apply respective color-coded indicia onto predetermined points of said points of each said section, each said selected supply means being actuated in response to the positioning of a respective one of said predetermined points at a respective selected supply means to form color codes on each section different from the color codes of the other sections of the tape and in the same relative positions.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 which further includes the step of severing the tape between said sections to form individual index tabs of the severed portions with each tab having a color code different from the color codes of the other tabs.