US2511859A - Film record card - Google Patents

Description

J. F. LANGAN FILM RECORD CARD Filed June 27, 1945 June 20, 1950 Patented June 20, 1950 UNITED STATES EATENT QFFCE 21,511,859 FILM RECORD CARD John F. Langa-n, Washington, D. C., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Film` "N File Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporationof` Delaware Application June 27, 1945, SerialNo. 601,857.

3 Claims. 1.

This invention relates to record cards adapted forA mounting microfilm, still and motion picture lm and the like. It is desirable to mount such iilm on cards so that it canbe stored and handled conveniently, and` projected for inspection or copied photographically, While at the same time the cards provide means for indexing, classification. and sorting of the films. The present invention relates more particularlyto cards prepared for quick and easy application of the lm by the user, but in such a form that they can be handled and distributed conveniently without the lms as an article of commerce.

The utility of card record systems of this nature is illustrated by my copending. application Serial No. 592,931, iiled May l0, 1945. For example, the films may be mounted in cards periorated for` use` withY sorting and classifying machines of types that are well known andv generally used in business work, and that enable quick and easy` sorting and classification of the cards according to the location of the perforations. In other cases, it may be desired to mount the lms in cards of other types such as. an alpha- `betically arranged vertical card index. In such systems, as disclosed in the aforesaid application, the nlms should be mounted in apertures in the cards so that they can be projected While at the same time all ofthe edges of the iilms should be secured so that they do not project out from the faces of the cards and cause one card to catchl on another.

The present invention provides a card that can be supplied in quantity to users of such systems in a form enabling the quick and easy application or a nlm by the user. By way of example, the invention is described and illustrated with reference to a sorting machine card intended for subsequent perforation. It will be understood, however, that the invention is notrestricted to l such4 cards but is applicable as Well to cards for other types of record systems as indicated above.

lOne embodiment of the invention is illustratedv the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood' that. the@ drawings @refer messes f. ilustratien only and. are.. not t9. be construed as a de nition of the limitsy of the invennen, reference being had toV the appended claims for this purpose.

in the drawings.,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View and Fig. 2 a sec.- tion lillustrating the first stage in the preparation of a card embodying the invention; 'i

E1s-. is. a. persreeiiv View @1.1.1.1 Fie. 1 e ee@- tion illustrating. a later stage in the preparation ofthecard;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View and Fig. 6 a section illustrating a still laterv stage;

Eig. '7 is a perspective View andFig. 8 a section of the nished card.; and

Fig. 9 is a section on the line S-Sof Fig. 3.

Fig. l shows one, end cfa sorting machiner card I of.y the usualv rectangular shape and thin flexible material. Across the top of the card. are the usual column headings as indicated generally` at 2, and down the endof theA card are numerals indicated generally at 3 which represent horizontal rows. Iy-he intersections between the columns, and roWs are adapted to be perforated according to a code ot the. characteristics or the films to be inserted in the cards. These may be microlms of accounting records, reports or correspondence, microi'ilms of maps, engineering drawings and the like, frames from motion picture films, still picture frames, etc.

An aperture 4 is cut in the card at a suitable point, for example, near its bottom edge 5 the size of the aperture being just great enough to accommodate the film to be inserted; The dimensions of the aperture Will accordingly'vary considerably with the type and size of film used, but'vvill usually correspond to one ot a'relatively. few standard film sizes. The iilm should t entirely Within the 4aperture and close to its. edges, and the. aperture will accordingly be substantially rectangular to; correspond with the usual shape of the nlm.

The next step as illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 is, to, apply a sheet 6. of adhesive. material to one side.I ofy thef'card 4and coveringy the aperture 4* therein, preferably'on the front of the card in the case of sorting machine cards. The, she'et is coated with adhesive onlyA on the side next the` card so that its. outer'surface is not sticky, on the other. hand the adhesive coatingv is exposed tli'roughoiu'.l the area ofthe aperture 4 to receive and hold the film securely in place when it is subsequently inserted by the user. Under these conditions the entire area of the nlmy is bound tothe adhesivefand particularly all of fthe edges of the. lm are held down so that they can not buckle or otherwise project out fromfthe. surface of the card.

, 'Ijhe sheet 6 is preferably thin relative to the card soas not to increase unduly' the thickness of-a stack ot cards, and in the case thusA far described'it mlust also` betransparent toA per,- mit`V projection of Vthe film and resistantf'to change` With age. lSoly thatvfit Willremain smooth and clear for long periods. As disclosed in my aforesaid application, I have obtained good results with thin cellophane or the like coated on one side with a slow-acting, inert adhesive such as the adhesive marketed under the names Clearseal and Duraseal. Such materials can be obtained in Jthicknesses as small as 0.00088" as compared with a thickness of 0.0067" of the usual sorting machine card. Hence there is no substantial increase in the thicknesses of the card, especially when the adhesive is applied under pressure.

In some cases it may be desired to market the card with the continuous sheet of adhesive 6 covering the entire opening, although as described below the central part of the adhesive will often be removed. Assuming that the continuous sheet is to be used, a temporary cover sheet 'l of glassine paper or the like is next applied to the exposed adhesive in the card aperture. To eliminate projecting edges and to avoid increasing the thickness of the card, the cover sheet l is cut to t entirely Within but close to the edges of the card aperture 4, and since the thickness of the cover sheet is less than that of the card, it lies in the card aperture below the surface of the card as shown in Fig. 4. Glassine paper and the like has at least one side that is smooth and glassy, and this side of the cover sheet is applied against the adhesive so that the cover sheet is held securely in place but can easily be stripped ol. When the film is to be applied, a corner or edge of the cover sheet can be lifted by a sharp instrument and the sheet stripped off for application of the film. However, during distribution and marketing of the cards, in running them through perforating machines, and in fact for all handling and usage of the cards prior to application of the lm, the cover sheet protects the adhesive and prevents sticking.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a further step which may be used before the cover sheet 1 is applied, and comprises forming an opening in the sheet 6 of corresponding shape to the card aperture 4 but of smaller dimensions and lying within the area of the aperture, leaving a margin 8 of exposed adhesive extending all the way around the aperture. In this case, all of the edges of the film which is subsequently inserted by the user are rrnly bound to the adhesive as before, but the major part of the iilm is not covered so that there can be no interference with light transmission through the nlm. This arrangement is particularly desirable where accurate detail is necessary in projection or reproduction, as in the case of ilne lines on a map or mechanical drawing, etc. In this case also the adhesive material is preferably transparent as described above, but it is possible to insert a film having only a small exposed area so that none of the actual picture is covered by the adhesive and in this case transparency is not necessary.

The card is completed for distribution to users by the addition, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, of the temporary cover sheet 1 as described above. In this case the cover sheet serves a dual function. It covers the opening in the card and eliminates an open hole which might catch and tear in handlingthe card, and it also covers the exposed adhesive so that the cards do not stick to one another. To facilitate removal of the cover strip, one of the edges 8 of the adhesive sheet is provided with a more or less V-shaped notch 9, and the edge of the cover sheet 1 is provided with a similar but inverted notch l0,

these notches registering as shown in Figs. 7 and 9 to provide a small opening. To remove the cover sheet, the card is held with adhesive sheet 5 uppermost and a pencil point or similar pointed instrument is inserted in the opening, tearing the cover sheet I so that its torn edges can be grasped easily and the sheet stripped oif the adhesive.

For certain purposes the location of the hole formed by the registering notches becomes important. For example, when such a card is per forated for use in business machines and then run through a duplicating machine, this hole might register with one of the contact brushes and cause improper perforation of the duplicate cards. However, these brushes traverse the card along the horizontal rows indicated by numerals 3, and hence the hole may be placed between two of these rows.

Since the cover sheet 1 iits entirely within the card aperture as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the edges of the cover sheet are below the surface of the card so as to minimize the danger of catching the edge of another card against the cover sheet. Also the cards can be run through business machines such as perforating machines, duplicating machines, interpreting machines, and sorting machines before the lm is applied, the cover sheet providing a continuous card surface for engagement by the usual friction transporting elements which feed the cards through the machine.

In using such cards in sorting machines, they are normally fed face down with the bottom edge 5 as the leading edge, the cards being fed one by one from a stack. Hence it will be seen that the leading edge of the opening 1 in the adhesive sheet 6 and the trailing edge of the card aperture 4 slide across one another. To minimize danger of catching as these edges cross, one of them preferably extends in non-parallel relation to the other so that they tend to make point contact instead of line contact. Referring to Figs. 5 and 7, this result may be accomplished conveniently by making the edge of the adhesive sheet slightly V-shaped as indicated at Il.

It will be understood that the adhesive sheets 6 and the cover sheets l may if desired be cut from a continuous supply. 'I'he type of adhesive material described above, for example, can be obtained in rolls or sheets with the adhesive covered by a, strip of glassine paper or the like that must be removed before the adhesive material can be used, and this cover strip may be separated and cut to form the cover sheets 1 at the same time the adhesive is cut to provide the adhesive sheets 6. The adhesive sheet and the cover sheet are then recombined on the card as described above.

The nished card as described above comprises a product which can be produced rapidly and in large quantities and can be stored, packaged and shipped or otherwise handled in stacks without diil'iculty. As there is substantially no increase in thickness, the cards stack ilat without warping, which is of primary importance with business machine cards. The cards can be purchased in quantity and used one by one as needed to add additional films to collections of the types mentioned simply by stripping off the cover sheet and substituting the iilm. The cards are, of course, suitably labelled, indexed, perforated, etc., as the case may be, depending on the nature of the films and the type of record system employed.

While only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be understood that the invention is not restricted thereto but is capable of a variety of embodiments, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made in the size, shape and arrangement of the elements of the cards and in the materials used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A record card for mounting microfilm and the like comprising a thin single ply flexible card adapted for use in punch card classication systems and having an aperture therein, a thin sheet of pressure sensitive adhesive material which does not substantially increase the thickness of the card secured to the card on one side and only around the edges of said aperture and extending across said edges and over at least part of said aperture with the adhesive exposed toward the opposite side of the card, and a temporary thin cover sheet fitting within said aperture secured to said exposed adhesive and forming with the adhesive material a continuous card surface over the aperture at one side of the card, said cover sheet being removable for insertion of a film and the like in said aperture.

2. A record card for use in punch card classification systems comprising a thin flexible single ply card having an aperture for mounting microlm and the like therein, the surface of said card also bearing indicia for the location of punch openings apart from said aperture to adapt the card for mechanical sorting and classification, a thin sheet of pressure sensitive adhesive material which does not substantially increase the thickness of the card secured to the card on one side and only around the edges of said aperture,

said sheet having a margin projecting into said aperture around its edges but leaving the major portion of said aperture uncovered and said margin having adhesive exposed toward the opposite side of the card, and a temporary thin cover sheet fitting Within said aperture secured to said exposed adhesive and forming with said adhesive material a continuous card surface over said aperture at one side of the card, said cover sheet being removable for insertion of a film and the like in said aperture.

3. A record card as defined in claim 2 in which the aperture in the card is a rectangular aperture and the marginal edges of the adhesive material project into the aperture and one edge thereof extends in a non-parallel direction to the opposite edge of said aperture.

JOHN F. LANGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,361,703 Fennelli Dec. 7, 1920 1,467,103 Hodgson Sept. 4, 1923 1,498,895 Theriault June 24, 1924 1,500,025 Mayer July 1, 1924 1,967,534 McClean July 24, 1934 2,124,906 Bryce July 26, 1938 2,165,250 George July 11, 1939 2,206,206 Smith July 2, 1940 2,252,632 Jones Aug. 12, 1941 2,256,399 MacHarg Sept. 16, 1941 2,291,173 Simpson July 28, 1942 2,295,000 Morse Sept. 8, 1942 2,329,007 Simon et al Sept. 7, 1943 2,354,049 Palmquist July 18, 1944 2,375,308 Lamb May 8, 1945

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