System for serially index-marking publications

• US 5,080,399 A
• Filed: 10/19/1990
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craig W. Olson
• Original Assignee: Craig W. Olson
• Inventors: Olson, Craig W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fridie, Jr., Willmon
• Application Number:
  US07/599,734
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 283/67, 283/70, 283/81, 156/64
• US Class Current: 283/70
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 21/00 Indexing means; Indexing tabs or protectors therefor

Abstract

A process for serially index-marking a system of publications for filing paginated and non-paginated publications for the system comprises imprinting directly one or both faces (11, 12) of marker members (10) or imprinting a label (20) to indirectly apply the field information to a marker'"'"'s face or faces. Each of the marker members having a primary field and/or at least one sub-field on at least one marker'"'"'s face. The primary field (25) and sub-field (26) comprising at least one pair of readable indicia elements being mutually corresponding in each field. Each machine readable imprinted marker member for a certain publication is differentiated from other publication markers for the same publication and different publications for the system by assignment of different pairs of readable indicia to each marker member being peculiar to and representative of each marker. The pairs of indicia imprinted and carried in the fields consist of one machine readable indicia element (30) with one corresponding visually readable indicia element (30a) having a pre-determined associative relationship. The fields of indicia pairs imprinted are predetermined to appear upright to one pre-selected marker edge which extends beyond the physical edge of the respective publication (50).

Claims

1. A process for serially index-marking a system of publications, comprising imprinting marker members for the system on one or both faces of each said marker thereof;

each of said marker members having a primary field and at least one sub-field on at least one marker'"'"'s face thereof, each of said primary field and said at least one sub-field further comprising at least one pair of corresponding readable indicia where each imprinted marker member for a certain publication is differentiated from other publication marker members for the system by assignment of different pairs of readable indicia to each member;

each said pair of indicia imprinted and carried in said fields consisting of one machine readable indicia with one corresponding visually readable indicia having a pre-determined associative relationship, said fields of indicia pairs imprinted are pre-determined to appear readable on at least one pre-selected marker surface which extends beyond the physical edge of the respective publication;

in the process operation imprinting the pairs of readable indicia in both said primary field and said at least one sub-field and orienting said fields for machine reading across the marker'"'"'s surface of said pre-selected marker'"'"'s at least one face;

adheringly mounting each selected said marker member to the border margin adjacent the physical edge of the respective publication relative to the pre-selected storage receptacle type;

machine reading first said primary field thereon for identifying a publication from one said face of one said selected marker member and machine reading secondly said sub-field thereon for identifying and being specific to articles contained within said identified publication, regulating by identifying through such reading step the input directing the user to re-locate and retrieve both certain said identified publication and certain markers to such identified respective publication for the system;

a master color-code representing one group of said marker members representing said identified publication and/or said primary field, and

said process making each marker and each said respective publication for the system distinguishable from each other by their imprinting.

2. A process of claim 1 wherein the primary field is at least one of an isolated field and carries said at least one sub-field as a part thereof.

3. A process of claim 1 wherein each said sub-field is corresponding to at least one subordinate color-code.

4. A process of claim 1 wherein only each said sub-field is corresponding to a color-code thereto.

5. A process of claim 1 wherein said sub-field is peculiar to each said marker member or to each marker'"'"'s face.

6. A process of claim 1 wherein said markers are adheringly mounted to said respective publication by at least one of from whence they came and/or for which they are processed.

7. A process of claim 1 wherein said machine readable indicia is read by at least one of before, during or after such markers are adheringly mounted to their said respective publication.

8. A process of claim 1 wherein said field carried machine readable indicia being applied to either or both faces of a marker by one of directly imprinting means to such face and indirectly by the application of such imprinted pressure sensitive label applied thereto.

9. A process of claim 8 wherein said imprinted label is at least one of a sheet label and/or a sheet label folded about an imaginary fold line along its predetermined dimesion in application to the marker'"'"'s face to isolate at least two said fields of machine readable indicia thereon said marker member where each of said at least two fields being adjacent and opposite said imaginary fold line of said label and wherein a duplicate or different field indicia is printed to appear on one face and reverse face of said marker member to which the label is applied provides for machine and visual field reading of said marker member on both of its faces.

10. A process of claim 1 wherein before, during or after adheringly mounting such marker member to said border margin of said respective publication, applying to such marker'"'"'s head portion and/or stem portion the application of flexible and thin film covering means to protect and seal one or both faces of said marker member.

11. A process for serially index-marking a system of file markers for publications, comprising imprinting marker members for the system on selected faces thereof, where machine readable indicia distinguishes one imprinted marker member from other marker members to the same publication and different publications for the system;

each of said marker members having at least one machine readable information field contained on at least one face thereof, said machine readable information field consisting of at least one pair of indicia elements which are both carried and imprinted in said information field, where said indicia pair of elements consisting of at least one machine readable indicia element and at least one visually readable indicia element are mutually corresponding to each other;

machine entering such imprinted readable indicia for identifying selected faces of selected markers for certain publications and controlling by such entering step the input directing an indexing-marker'"'"'s application of serially imprinted individual marker members to specific publications for the system, said individual marker members being adheringly mounted with pre-determined placement on a respective publication'"'"'s border margin adjacent the edge thereof, where each of such publications having at least one marker for the system; and

each machine readable marker member, as adheringly mounted, having machine read indicia corresponding by associative relationship to said machine entered indicia for identifying selected machine readable marker members of certain publications.

12. A process of claim 11 wherein each of said indicia elements are at least one of both machine readable and only one indicia element is machine readable.

13. A process of claim 12 wherein said machine readable indicia element is entered by at least one of before, during or after such marker member is adheringly mounted to said certain publication.

14. A process of claim 11 wherein said machine readable indicia element and said visually readable indicia element each occupy at least one row carried within said information field.

15. A process of claim 11 wherein said machine readable indicia element and said visually readable indicia element each occupy at least one column and/or row carried within said information field.

16. A process of claim 11 wherein a certain master color-code employed identifies a specific primary field, wherein each subordinate color-code employed is different from said certain master color-code and is peculiar to each sub-field.

17. A process for serially index-marking a system of file markers for publications, comprising imprinting at least one label having application to at least one face of a marker member for the system, said label carries on its face at least one machine readable information field having machine readable indicia distinguishing one imprinted labelled marker member from other labels applied to marker members to the same publication and different publications for the system;

each of said labels for the marker'"'"'s faces having said machine readable information field consisting of at least one pair of indicia elements which are both carried and imprinted in said machine readable information field, said indicia pair of elements consisting of a machine readable indicia element and a visually readable indicia element being mutually corresponding to each other;

machine reading said imprinted label having machine readable indicia thereon for identifying selected faces of selected markers for certain publications and controlling by such reading step the input directing an indexing-marker'"'"'s application of at least one serially imprinted label identifying specific marker members to certain publications for the system, said individual marker members being adheringly mounted with pre-determined placement by the label'"'"'s specific indicia code to selected border margins of a respective publication adjacent the edge thereof, where each of such publications having at least one marker for the system; and

each machine readable label to a marker member, as adheringly mounted having machine read indicia corresponding by associative relationship to machine entered indicia for identifying selected machine readable marker members of certain publications.

18. A process of claim 17 wherein said label'"'"'s specific indicia code is at least one of at least one subordinate color-code and at least one sub-field.

19. A process of claim 17 wherein by at least one of before, during or after adheringly mounting such marker member to said border margin of said respective publication, applying said imprinted machine readable label to the head portion and/or stem portion thereof said marker member face.

20. A process of claim 19 wherein by at least one of before, during or after applying said imprinted machine readable label to said head portion and/or stem portion of said marker member, optionally applying to said label the application of flexible and thin film covering means to protect and seal said label'"'"'s surface thereof.

21. A process of claim 17 wherein said machine readable indicia is machine recognition format from the group of scannable image format, magnetic ink recognition format and electroconductive ink recognition format.