Abstract: A track system for high density mobile storage comprises parallel tracks each receiving a rail on which mobile carriages roll. The tracks are supported off a building floor by multiple transverse leveler channels. A pair of insert nuts are immovably held in each leveler channel. Elevator bolts rest on the building floor and engage the insert nuts. Turning the elevator bolts adjusts the height of the tracks above the building floor. Deck channels have holes in opposite ends that fit over the insert nuts of two leveler channels secured to the two tracks. The deck channels thus space the tracks parallel to each other. A deck panel is supported by and joined to both a wing of each track and the deck channels. Additional leveling devices are used to support the deck channels off the building floor.

Abstract: A floating partition provides a visual divide along a long section of boxes in a rack and box filing system. The floating partition has a thin panel with top and bottom fingers. The fingers rest on respective rails of the system rack. A bottom edge of the partition panel is spaced from a base cover. A tab on at least the top finger enables the floating partition to be installed anywhere along the rails. A three-dimensional contour along a front edge of the floating partition enhances the visual divide along the boxes and also increases panel rigidity.

Abstract: An attractive single-piece operator interface for high density mobile storage conveys an intuitive meaning to operators. The operator interface includes a bezel mounted to the outside of a mobile carriage panel. Self-leveling buttons are pivotally connected by living hinges to openings in the bezel. The buttons are in operative association with respective switches in a control assembly on the inside of the mobile carriage panel. A base on the control assembly limits pivoting of the buttons. The operator interface is made of ABS plastic material. The buttons are preferably shaped to indicate the directions of mobile carriage travel. The bezel further includes holes that receive light emitting diodes that are part of the control assembly.

Abstract: A safety system for high density mobile storage utilizes a photoelectric transmitter that cyclically emits an intermittent beam at a predetermined frequency into an aisle adjacent a mobile carriage. Two or more transmitters can be arranged in each of one or more clusters on the carriage. The intermittent beams are directed to photoelectric receivers across the aisle. Each receiver sends a signal to reset an associated counter each time the receivers detect an intermittent beam. As long as every receiver detects at least one intermittent beam at the predetermined frequency, the mobile carriage is enabled to move. The receivers can be on the same mobile carriage as the transmitter to protect a vertical plane close and parallel to the front face of the carriage.

Abstract: A mobile filing system has an active and passive operator safety system that protects persons and objects in the aisles. The safety system comprises video cameras that view the aisles and the adjacent filed media. A series of images from the video cameras are captured at each of several selected aisle configurations when the aisles are supervised to assure that no persons or objects are in them. The images are stored in a computer. During operation of the mobile filing system, when the aisles are unsupervised, images of the filed media and the aisles are captured when a closing mobile carriage is at each of the selected aisle configurations. The corresponding images captured when the aisle was supervised and unsupervised at the respective aisle configurations are compared. If the compared images differ by more than a predetermined amount, the mobile carriage is prevented from rolling to further close the aisle.

Abstract: High density mobile storage comprising a mobile carriage between two stationary end shelving structures. Photoelectric light beam emitters and receivers are installed in the stationary structures. The light beams emitted pass through a passage in the mobile carriage and through the aisles between the mobile carriage and stationary structures. The passage in the mobile carriage is shielded to prevent interference with the light beams. The photoelectric emitters and receivers cooperate with a control to prevent rolling of the mobile carriage in response to sensing the presence of a person in any aisle, and to enable rolling of the mobile carriage in response to sensing the absence of persons in all aisles. The light beams are located to produce reliable sensing of persons entering and leaving the aisles.

Abstract: A label applicator applies adhesive labels to opposite surfaces of a piece of stock. The labels are affixed to a backing sheet having turning strips on a leading edge thereof. The backing sheet is advanced along a label tray in a manner that peels a first portion of a label from the backing sheet and feeds the peeled portion to a transfer point. A piece of stock is placed on a stock tray such that the area to which the label is to be applied is under the transfer point. The stock tray is tilted to bring the first surface of the piece of stock into contact with the first portion of the label at the transfer point. Continued tilting of the stock tray causes the label to be squeezed between the stock and a plate and to peel a second portion from the backing sheet. The plate is linked to a wrapping roller by bars and levers.

Abstract: A label applicator applies adhesive labels to opposite surfaces of a piece of stock. The labels are affixed to a backing sheet having turning strips on a leading edge thereof. The backing sheet is advanced along a label tray in a manner that peels a first portion of a label from the backing sheet and feeds the peeled portion to a transfer point. A piece of stock is placed on a stock tray such that the area to which the label is to be applied is under the transfer point. The stock tray is tilted to bring the first surface of the piece of stock into contact with the first portion of the label at the transfer point. Continued tilting of the stock tray causes the label to be squeezed between the stock and a plate and to peel a second portion from the backing sheet. The plate is linked to a wrapping roller by bars and levers.

Abstract: A sequence stacker edge stacks envelopes or the like. Belts carry shingled envelopes in a downstream direction to an angled stop. The belts are carefully spaced vertically above a deck. As a stack of envelopes forms against the stop, the weight of the stack deflects the belts until the top surfaces of the belts become aligned with a stationary surface. At that point, the weight of the stack is transferred from the belts to the stationary surface. Consequently, the downstream driving force of the belts on the envelopes' bottom edges is greatly reduced. The result is that the sequence stacker can stack many more envelopes without backward tipping of the envelopes than prior stacking machines. In an alternate design, certain portions of a stack remain urged downstream at all times by the belts. For that purpose, short spacers are placed at intervals under the belts.

Abstract: A carriage lock selectively enables and prevents a mobile carriage from moving along rails embedded in a building floor. The mobile carriage includes a shaft on which are rotatably mounted a driver sprocket, a hub, and a handwheel. The hub mates with the driver sprocket. A chain and sprocket mechanism connects the driver sprocket with the carriage wheels such that rotation of the handwheel and hub causes the carriage to move along the rails. A locking knob is loosely captured between the hub and handwheel for being manually rotated through a predetermined angle relative to the hub and handwheel. A pin is translatable within the hub parallel to the shaft longitudinal axis. The pin has a head that is received within a selected one of two angularly spaced depressions in a cam formed on the locking knob. The depressions are also spaced apart in the direction of the shaft longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A mobile carriage is movable along rails by manual rotation of a handwheel. The mobile carriage comprises a visual indicator that instantly informs a person of the locked or unlocked status of the mobile carriage. The visual indicator comprises at least one ridge on the handwheel and another ridge on a locking knob. The locking knob is loosely captured between the handwheel and a hub for selective rotation relative thereto between first and second end positions. The locking knob has a cam that slides a pin within the hub between first and second positions whereat the pin disengages and engages a stationary lock plate. When the locking knob is manually rotated to the first end position thereof, the pin disengages from the lock plate to enable handwheel rotation and carriage movement. Manually rotating the locking knob to the second end position thereof causes the pin to engage the lock plate and prevent handwheel rotation and carriage movement.

Abstract: A document handle comprises a pair of elongated members. The outer ends of the document handle are provided with webs having hooked openings for engaging the binder posts of a bound multi-page document. The first member is formed as a channel adapted to slidingly receive the second member. The second member is formed with latches that engage openings in the first member to lock the two members together in positions at which the webbed openings engage the binder posts. Several sets of openings can be formed in the first member, so that the same document handle can be used with a variety of standard size papers.

Abstract: A filing cabinet includes a safety interlock that prevents more than one drawer from being opened at a time. The safety interlock comprises a column of endwise abutting catches mounted to the cabinet wall for vertical reciprocation thereon. The ends of the catches are formed with tabs. The tabs of adjacent catches cooperate to define gaps of predetermined spacing. Actuator means on each cabinet drawer are aligned with the catch gaps. When a selected drawer is opened, the actuator means thereon enters the associated gap and displaces upwardly any higher catches. Upward displacement causes the gaps between higher adjacent catches to be displaced into the paths of the actuator means of any higher drawers, thereby preventing any higher drawers from being opened. The retainer of an open drawer blocks upward displacement of any lower catches, thereby preventing lower drawers from being opened. A slide is reciprocably mounted on each retainer.

Abstract: A cartridge for binding multi-page documents comprises a center member and a pair of side members pivotally connected to the center member. In the closed operative configuration, the side and center members cooperate to form a U-shaped channel for receiving the documents. Pins extending between and supported by the side members enter aligned holes in the documents for suspending them. The side members are provided with a lock for releasably locking the cartridge in the closed configuration. The lock comprises a first tab on one side member having an opening therein and a second tab on the other side member having a protrusion. The two tabs cooperate such that the second tab protrusion releaseably engages the first tab opening when the cartridge is in the closed configuration. The cartridge may be made with a T-shaped bar or a center hook suspension system.

Abstract: A universal center hook is designed to be used with several office accessories for handling data media. The universal center hook comprises an elongated frame to which are pivotally joined a pair of side members. A selected accessory is captured between the frame and a side member when the side member is pivoted to a closed operative configuration wherein it lies parallel to and close to the frame. Hollow cylinders projecting from the frame sides align with and locate the accessories. The hollow cylinders cooperate with means in the side members to releasably lock the side member to the frame.

Abstract: A versatile system for storing IBM 3480 cartridge system tapes positively retains the cartridges in compartmented containers. Positive retention is accomplished by small upstanding tabs that engage a notch formed in each tape cartridge. The container is useable with storage racks designed for new installations of the IBM 3480 system. The container is further useable in retrofit applications in which the IBM 3480 cartridge system replaces previous magnetic tape reels. Retrofit installations may include standard rails for attaching to pre-existing storage racks and hanger bars fastened to the containers for hanging the containers on the rails. The present invention includes double channel rails designed to be vertically spaced on pre-existing racks that cooperate to suspend the containers in vertical attitudes. The containers may include latches on the bottom panels that cooperate with the rails to prevent undesired container tilting on the rack.

Abstract: A power source provides continuous AC power by employing a bi-directional converter which interfaces a rechargable DC power storage device with AC mains power and AC loads. The bi-directional converter includes a transformer having first and second windings coupled in reverse polarity through dual switching means in parallel with one another. The switching means are coupled to a state controller responsive to conditions at the AC mains terminal, the AC load terminal and the DC power terminal. There are two general operating conditions, an active condition wherein DC power is provided to the AC load, and a standby condition wherein power is recovered by the DC storage device. In the standby condition, the converter operates in a so-called "flyback" mode to recover power and to direct it to the DC storage device. In the active condition, the converter is pulse-width modulated according to a predetermined duty cycle to produce an AC sine wave output at the AC load terminals.

Abstract: This invention relates to equipment for hanging reels of magnetic computer tape and the like. The computer tape is usually enclosed in a canister having a peripheral hook. A rack is provided having a plurality of tapes. Each hanger has a suspension rod for receiving the hook of the canister. The hanger also includes a cantilevered spring member which acts to limit swinging of the tape canister and which aids in extracting a tape from the rack. To extract a tape the canister is pressed back to deflect the spring member and then released. The reaction of the spring member will cause the tape to swing forward to a position such that it can be readily grasped by hand.