Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Register – or file – Hinge mounted file item or file item support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-16
2001-10-02
Green, Brian K. (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Register, or file
Hinge mounted file item or file item support
C040S509000, C040S511000, C084S487000, C084S520000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295748
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for turning over individual sheets assembled to form a stack, preferably for leafing through program pages of a jukebox, the sheets being arranged to pivot about mutually parallel pivot pins and being provided with projections rising above the pivot pins on which a support engages so that a sheet is turned over to the opposite side.
PRIOR ART
Such an apparatus for the turning-over of sheets is known, for example, from EP 0 441 949 B1. In this case, the individual sheets are arranged in two stacks side by side in a housing and are mounted pivotably at their rear sides. The leafing-through of the individual sheets is achieved in that a strip is provided which can be reciprocally moved by a drive and is provided with stops which engage on projections of the program sheets extending above the pivot pins and, accordingly, effect the turning-over of the sheets.
In previously known apparatuses for leafing through sheets, and especially for leafing through program pages of a jukebox, the pivot pins of the sheets and hence the individual stacks of program pages are arranged inclined, which entails the advantage that the respective contents are easier to read and also means that the currently open sheets lie reliably on the respective stacks as a result of gravity and cannot be inadvertently turned over. Such an oblique arrangement, however, entails the disadvantage that the jukeboxes in question take up a relatively large amount of space. If a space-saving design is to be provided here, it is necessary to position the sheets vertically, which is advantageous especially in the case of wall-mounted jukeboxes. However, this arrangement entails the disadvantage that the abovementioned action of gravity in reliably securing of the sheets on the stacks no longer obtains and incorrect random leafing-through of sheets cannot reliably be prevented.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to develop an apparatus of the above type in order to achieve a space-saving design while preventing the unintentional turning-over of sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, this object is achieved, with apparatus for turning over individual sheets assembled to form a stack, the sheets being arranged to pivot about mutually-parallel pivot pins and being provided with projections rising above the pivot pins on which a support engages so that a sheet is turned over to the opposite side, wherein at least one fixing device and stop means are provided, the fixing device being in contact with the open sheets so that in the turning-over movement an open sheet is moved against a force acting on the fixing device, and wherein the stop means are arranged so that the next sheets adjoining the open sheets are in contact with the stop means so that their pivoting in the turning-over direction is prevented at least until the projections of said adjacent sheets are in a position of engagement with the support.
The effect of this is that, even with a vertical design of the program pages or a vertical arrangement of the pivot pins, a random or unintentional turning of the open pages and of the sheets adjoining the open sheets is prevented. The effect of the fixing devices is that the open pages can only be turned over against an output of force, as a result of which incorrect random leafing-through is prevented. When an open page is turned over in the desired manner, the effect of the stop means according to the invention is that the adjoining sheets, in whole or in part, are not also turned over but are prevented from turning over at least until they are in a position of engagement with the support such that their pivoting in the direction of turning-over is prevented. Thus the desired pages are completely opened up and incorrect turning of the following pages when leafing through is prevented.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sheets may be pivotably arranged in the marginal region of one side on a section which can be displaced in both directions in guides of a housing by a drive. Such an arrangement results in the advantage that the supports are arranged to be stationary or are fixed to the housing and can be oriented as desired, preferably centrally, relative to the viewing window. The open pages of the program sheets always appear at the same point in the viewing window in this case.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the fixing device may have a spring-loaded pin and a roller arranged thereon, the pin being received in a guide extending perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the displaceable section and arranged in the housing, and the roller being in contact with the sides of the open sheets possessing the projections. The roller can be rotatably mounted on the pin. The contact of the pin with the open sheets and the movement of the pin only against an increased expenditure of force means that the open sheets reliably remain in their position. The force acting on the roller is generated by the spring-loaded pin on which the roller is arranged. If a sheet is unintentionally turned over, the side of the open sheet having the projections moves on its contour about the roller, whereby the roller and the spring-loaded pin are moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the section. If the displaceable section is moved on, the support engages into the projection of the sheet adjoining the sheet to be turned over. When the leafing operation is complete, the roller now rests on the newly open sheets and, accordingly, prevents their unintentional turning-over.
Preferably the support consists of a rod parallel to the pivot pins and each projection has flanks lying approximately at right angles to one another, the rod running over the flank lying in the direction of movement until it impacts upon the flank at right angles thereto and pivots this, turning the sheets over in the direction of movement.
It is particularly advantageous if the spring-loaded pin forms the rod, in other words the two functions are taken over by one and the same component. In this case, the pin or rod in question first causes the pivoting-over of the sheets to be leafed through and acts as a support for this purpose. Secondly, the pin in question bears the roller and effects the fixing of the open sheets in the desired position.
It is particularly advantageous if the rod and the stop means lie in the vertical median plane of the viewing window of the housing and are arranged against a back wall of the housing. The effect of this is that the median line between two open pages always lies at the center of the viewing window.
The stop means may be designed as plates arranged on the housing which have a thickness decreasing in the direction of the support so that the open sheets are freely pivotable relative to the plates. The effect of this is that the open sheets, which are held in their position by the fixing device are not obstructed by the plates in their pivot movement.
The plates may be arranged symmetrically to the support.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the displaceable section may be provided with journals arranged in a row on which the sheets are pivotably mounted.
It is particularly advantageous if two mutually parallel displaceable sections are provided, with which the sheets are pivotably connected on both sides in the marginal region of one side, which are displaceable in synchronism. This makes it possible for the sheets to be fixed in a particularly stable manner to pivot on the mutually parallel sections.
In order to ensure the movability of the sections, at least one of the displaceable sections may be connected to a toothed rod which engages with a pinion which can be driven by a motor. In order to achieve the synchronized movement of the other section, a shaft may, for example, be provided, with two pinions each of which engages with a corresponding toothed rod of the sections.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention a gearwheel of th
Heidersberger Borge
Menke Wilhelm
Dilworth & Barrese LLP.
Green Brian K.
NSM Aktiengesellschaft
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