US3348325A

US3348325A - Overlapping tab index

Info

Publication number: US3348325A
Application number: US528468A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence S Snclgrove
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-02-18
Filing date: 1966-02-18
Publication date: 1967-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-24

Description

1967 L. s. SNELGROVE OVERLAPPING TAB INDEX Filed Feb. 18, 1966 United States Patent 3,348,325 OVERLAPPLNG TAB INDEX Lawrence S. Snelgrove, 7 Woodhaven Heights, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 528,468 Claims. ((11. 40104) This invention relates to index pads for storing useful information, which generally comprise a plurality of resilient leaves, along one edge of which are overlapping index tabs (progressively overlapping as in roofing shingles) which permit the index pad to be opened quickly at a desired leaf.

Hitherto, it has been found that in index pads of the above kind, especially those with an index tab on each leaf, the tabs often become curled, creased and even torn because of the difficulty of separating the close-lying tabs. The constant worrying of the tabs not only causes physical damage, but also results in unsightly finger marks and general discolouration.

The object of this invention is to provide an index pad in which the tabs may be quickly and easily separated.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyin g drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an index pad on which this invention may be practised;

FIG. 2 is a further perspective view of the pad of FIG. 1 showing the leaves raised up to reveal the base of the P FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the pad of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an index pad, the elements of which are vertically separated, showing a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a stiif, planar, rectangular base supports a pad 12 of

resilient leaves

13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 (numbering upwardly from the base 10). The leaves may be cardboard, plastic, etc. For clarity of illustration, a slight space has been left between each pair of leaves, although in reality, the leaves lie in fiat contact with one another. The leaves 13-17 are hingeably connected along the edge 20 in fixed relationship to each other and to the base 10 by virtue of two posts 22, extending upwardly from the base 10, which are received in apertures 24 in the leaves 13-17.

The leaves 1317 may also be connected by means of glue, staples, etc. Along an edge 26 the leaves 13-17 have tabs A, B, C, D and E which protrude outwardly of the edge 26, and which overlie one another. Each tab projects beyond the next overlying tab to expose a portion of its upper face, and the exposed portions are adapted to receive indicia, for example the letters of the alphabet, numerals, etc.

Because the tabs A-E lie in flat contact with one an- Other, they are not easily separable one from the other, and constant use often results in damage to the tabs as shown by the creasing at 28 of tab B of leaf 14.

To permit easier separation of the tabs, a strip 30 of compressible material, for example sponge or foam rubber, is glued or otherwise fastened to the base 10 as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the strip 30 is positioned with its outside edge 32 approximately under the edge 26 of the pad 12 so that the tabs A-E overhang the strip 30.

Any given tab may be separated from the next outwardly adjacent tab by the application of downward digital pressure on the exposed upper surface of a tab. As shown in FIG. 3 pressure by a finger 34 on the tab C separates the tab C from the tab D so that the fingernail of the finger 34 may be slid underneath the tab D. Because the strip 30 is compressible, it deforms under the pressure of the depressed tab such that the depressed tab and those beneath it are not subject to the kind of bending and creasing forces which would be encountered if the strip 30 were stiff and non-compressible.

The strip 30 may also be located directly beneath the tabs A-E without destroying its separating function, and also may be of a different width from that shown in FIG. 2. For example, the strip may have the same width as the pad 12, so as to completely underlie the pad 12.

Preferably, the strip 30 shown in FIG. 2 does not extend as far as the edge 20 of the pad 12, since the strip 30 is necessary only in the region of the tabs A-E.

In FIG. 4 is shown a further embodiment of the invention the pad 12 being vertically separated from the base 10 to show the position of the compressible strip 36. The tabs A-E are located on the edge 38 of the pad 12 opposite the edge 20.at which the leaves 13-17 are hingeably connected. The strip 36 of compressible material in this embodiment is placed directly beneath the tabs A-E although the strip 36 could also be positioned inwardly of the tabs A-E.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An index device for storing information comprising a base supporting above it a pad of resilient leaves having aligned edges, the leaves being hingedly connected to each other and to the base along one edge of the pad, at least some of the leaves having overlapping tabs protruding outwardly from another edge of the pad, said tabs overlying one another and some tabs projecting beyond the next overlying tab to expose a portion of their upper faces, said exposed portions being adapted to receive indicia thereon, a strip of compressible material fixed between the base and the pad 50 as to support the tabs in spaced relatlonship to the base, the strip of compressible material being deformable by the application of downward digital pressure on the exposed upper surface of a tab, so that the tab may be separated from its next overlying tab.

2. An index device as claimed in claim 1 in which the pad is rectangular, the edge of the pad from which the tabs protrude being adjacent the edge at which the leaves are hingeably connected.

3. An index device as claimed in claim 1 in which the pad is rectangular, the edge of the pad from which the tabs protrude being opposite the edge at which the leaves are hingeably connected.

4. An index device as claimed in claim 1 in which the strip of compressible material extends beneath the pad parallel to and adjacent the edge from which the tabs protrude.

5. An index device as claimed in claim 1 in which the strip of compressible material underlies the tabs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,599 8/1903 Best 283-36 2,799,955 7/1954 Neilsen 40104 2,274,715 8/1966 Janssen 40-102 2,289,335 12/1966 Neilsen 40-104 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN INDEX DEVICE FOR STORING INFORMATION COMPRISING A BASE SUPPORTING ABOVE IT A PAD OF RESILIENT LEAVES HAVING ALIGNED EDGES, THE LEAVES BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE BASE ALONG ONE EDGE OF THE PAD, AT LEAST SOME OF THE LEAVES HAVING OVERLAPPING TABS PROTRUDING OUTWARDLY FROM ANOTHER EDGE OF THE PAD, SAID TABS OVERLYING ONE ANOTHER AND SOME TABS PROJECTING BEYOND THE NEXT OVERLYING TAB TO EXPOSE A PORTION OF THEIR UPPER FACES, SAID EXPOSED PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE INDICIA THEREON, A STRIP OF COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL FIXED BETWEEN THE BASE AND THE PAD SO AS TO SUPPORT THE TABS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO THE BASE, THE STRIP OF COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL BEING DEFORMABLE BY THE APPLICATION OF DOWNWARD DIGITAL PRESSURE ON THE EXPOSED UPPER SURFACE OF A TAB, SO THAT THE TAB MAY BE SEPARATED FROM ITS NEXT OVERLYING TAB.