Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
lOq8348
NOVEL MICROFILM JACKET
THE SPECIFICATION
This invention concerns a novel microfilm jacket, suited for
a particularly advantageous manual or automatic or mechanical insertion
of microfilms.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
It is known that in the conventional microfilm jackets, in
which the microfilm is inserted manually through a slit or through a cut
in the appropriate jacket section, great care is required during the
insertion of the microfilm to insure that the front corner or the front
edge of the microfilm is correctly inserted between the two plates or
as the case may be, below the upper plate of the microfilm jacket. This
is a comparatively time-consuming process. Furthermore in conventional
microfilm jackets the ends of the microfilm stick out of the corresponding
microfilm jackets thus being exposed to deteriorating influences and
this is true particularly at the insertion slits of microfllm jackets
which, for example, are provided with a recessed lip in order to
facilitate the insertion of the microfilm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The basic object for the invention was therefore to develop
a novel microfilm jacket in which the insertion of the film, both in
manual and mechanical operation, can be carried out faster and more
effectively.
A further object was to make the welding seams more resistant
from a mechanical point of view, in order to avoid tearing or separation
of the welding seams.
Surprisingly enough, the object can be accomplished, pursuant
to the invention, by providing in the lower plate of the individual
microfilm jacket sections a convex introduction slit, -i.e., one that
is bent outward, with the lower plate of the microfilm jacket being
manufactured preferably from a thicker or stronger material.
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For further improvement of the strength of the ultrasonically r
manufactured welding seams between the individual sections of the
microfilm jacket, the convex, i.e. bent outward, insertion slits are
displaced frc,m one anot~ler at the ends, or each insertion slit of each
microfilm jacket section is arranged at a slightly oblique angle to the
others.
Accordingly, the invention provides a microfilm jacket utilizable
for machine insertion of a microfilm strip at one end into and through a
through-passage, storage, and nachine removal from a far open end,
comprising in combination: upper and lower elongated sheets joined at
spaced apart lines forming a plurality of storage channels parallel
to each other, each said storage channel extending along a longitudinal
axis of the sheets and having an outlet open-end to said storage channel
formed at a point between the upper and lower elongated sheets at a
distal outlet end of said storage channel, and each storage channel having
a normally-closed insert-opening arced slit formed by slit structure in the
upper elongated sheet, with the normally closed insert-opening arced slit
extending transversely to said longitudinal axis, the slit structure
consisting of: (a) first section of the upper elongated sheet having an
upper convex lip and (b) a second section of the uppPr elongated sheet
having a lower concave lip in opposing relationship to the upper convex
lip, the normally-closed insert-opening arced slit being at an opposite
proximate end of said upper elongated sheet, the upper eonvex lip extending
towards the proxi~ate end; each upper convex lip along with its respective
lower concave lip, storage channel, and outlet open-end jointly forming
a through-passage conduit, each through-passage conduit having a normally-
closed insert-opening arced slit adapted to form an insertion open-space
to the through-passage conduit when the second portion at the lower
concave lip is pressed downwardly sufficientlY ~f) form an angle with the
first section at the upper convex lip whereby aimicrofilm strip is
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insertable through each insertion open-space into its respective storage
channel and through its respective through-passage conduit, each normally-
closed insert-opening arced slit extending between and up-to its respective
spaced-apart lines, the ends of each insert-opening arced slit being
staggered relative to the ends of the arced slits which lie in adjacent
through-passage conduits so that the promulgation of tear lines caused by
alignment of said ends will be retarded or prevented.
The new microfilm jacket pursuant to the invention permits an
easier, more accurate and faster insertion of the microfilm.
Furthermore the danger of tearing the welding seams is reduced to a
minimum.
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Preferred embodiments of the microfilm jacket pursuant to
the invention are explained in detail in the following description
with the aid of the following drawings.
THF FIGURES
Figure 1 is an in-part view of a conventional microfilm jacket having
a recessed slit-opening, with the microfilm in the process
of being inserted.
Figure 2 is an in-part top view of the novel microfilm jacket
pursuant to the present invention having a protruding
upper lip to the slit-opening with rearwardly-extending
sides to the upper lip.
Figure 3 shows the entire novel microfilm jacket purS~ant to the
invention in a top view.
Figure 4 is an in-part lateral cross section along the line 11-11
of Fig. 3.
Figure 5 is an in-part view along the line llA-llA of Fig. 2 in a
side cross section, with an insertion device indicated and
the mechanism for the downward bending of the front edge
of the microfilm jacket represented.
Figure 6 is an in-part side cross section through the width of the
microfilm jacket along the line 12-12 of Fig. 3.
Figure 7 is an in-part cross section through the open insertion
opening of the microfilm jacket along the line 12A-12A of
Fig. 5.
Figure 8 is a typical embodiment of the microfilm jacket presented
in Fig. 3 pursuant to the invention, which is presented in
position above an international standard grid sheet.
Figure 9 shows an in-part view of another, further improved embodiment
of a microfilm jacket pursuant to the invention, similar
to that shown in Fig. 3, with the exception that several
successive insertion openings for conventional microfilm
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jacket sections or channels are located between the parallel
welding seams.
Figure 10 shows an altered embodiment of the microfilm jacket shown
in Fig. 3 in a top view, with at least one of the micro-
film jacket sections being substantially wider than the others.
Figure 11 is a perspective partial view of an unrolled microfilm jacket
band, which essentially corresponds to the embodiments shown
in Figs. 3 and 9.
Figure 12 shows an in-part view of a further embodiment of a microfilm
jacket pursuant to the invention, in which the convex or bent
insertion openings are displaced on one side or at one end
in order to prevent tearing of the microfilm jacket at the
welding seams.
With the aid of the conventional microfilm jacket shown in Fig. 1,
the differences between it and the novel and advantageous microfilm
jacket pursuant to the present invention are to be described. The
microfilm jacket 67a shown in Fig. 1 possesses a microfilm jacket section
or microfilm jacket channel having a recessed-slit which is formed
between two plastic sheets by means of the ultrasonic welds 75a and
75a". In order to permit the introduction or insertion of the microfilm
with a passably adequate speed, a cut-out section is used, which forms
an opening 71a~ which has a recessed lip 72a for the introduction of the
microfilm 50. Until now the microfilms have for the most part been
inserted by hand in the microfilm jacket sections. A particular
disadvantage of the conventional microfilm jackets ia that the microfilm
frame 74a at the end of the film strip is not covered after the insertion
of the sheet. As a result, in such conventional microfilm jackets
67a the end of the film strip remains free to move and is not completely
shoved in beneath the upper sheet, beyond the cut-out opening 71a. As
a result this part of the film strip can be damaged in the course of storage
or use.
A further difficulty results from the fact that even in the
case of the cut-out opening the upper and the lower sheets of the micro-
film jacket are held closely together such that great care and a
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substantial expenditure of time are necessary in order for the user
to insert each film individually by hand. With this kind of insertion
care must be taken above all to insert the film strip in a proper
manner between the upper and lower sheets of the microfilm jacket channel
structures. Particularly during the introduction or insertion of the
front edge of the microfilm 50 great care must be used to insure that
both corners of the front edge are introduced in each case under the
separate bent sections of the lip 73a. If this is not done, one of the
corners may move under the upper half of the lip 73a, while the latter does
not get beneath the upper remaining half, in which case the microfilm
end is blocked at the point where the two sections come together and
cannot be introduced further, unless the microfilm is retracted and the
insertion process is started afresh, in order to get both corners
inserted under the upper sheet.
It can be seen from Figs. 2 and 5, which represent a microfilm
jacket pursuant to the invention, how a microfilm 50 is inserted with
its edge 74 under the edge 73 of the upper lip and above the corresponding
edge 72 of the lower lip of the microfilm jacket. A microfilm jacket
channel-structure is formed between the two ultrasonic welds 75' and 75".
The forward lower lip of the microfilm jacket is fixed in a downward
bent position as shown in Fig. 5. This is achieved by exerting pressure
on the lower surface 31 by a feeding or insertion device, to move the
lower lip to the lower lip-position 31 to thereby expose or open widely
the front edge of the microfilm jacket and produces by bending the
insert-opening, i.e. the slit-opening of the insertion opening in
order to ]eave the microfilm jacket channel structure free for the
introduction or insertion of the microfilm 50.
From Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 the technical characteristics
of the microfilm jacket pursuant to the invention are illustrated
in which it may be seen that no cut-out arranged in any way is
provided to permit the introduction and insertion of the microfilm.
Instead only one slit is made in the upper sheet, and thereby
an extremely rapid and simple introduction or insertion of the
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microfilm is made possible. The advantageous construction of this
insertion element in the microfilm jacket pursuant to the invention
(see Figs. 3 and 4) has the result that the slit is completely closed
again after the insertion of the film and any penetration by dust,
moisture and the like is prevented, the microfilm being insulated in
an advantageous manner from the environment. As a result of the special
construction and fit of the microfilm jacket channel-structure the
inserted microfilm frames or the inserted microfilm has a secure seat
within the microfilm jacket channel structure. By means of this
embodiment the microfilms or microfilm frames can be inserted and advanced
as far as desired, but also correspondingly be retracted, both
manually and mechanically/automatically.
Figure 6 shows the empty microfilm jacket section of Fig. 3
along~the line 12-12 of Fig. 3.
Figure 7 shows a typical position of the embodiment of the
microfilm jacket pursuant to the invention shown in Fig. 5 when it is
flexed, and in particular the slit-opening or insertion opening along
the line 12A-12A of Fig. 5.
In Flg. 8 an embodiment of the microfilm jacket pursuant to
the invention, as it is shown in Fig. 3, is placed upon an international
standard grid. From this it may be seen that the present microfilm
jacket pursuant to the invention corresponds to the international standard
requirements. The microfilm jacket sections 78 and 79 of the microfilm
jacket 67 have between them the same width, which corresponds to the
international standard grid.
In. Fig. 9 a further embodiment of the microfilm jacket
pursuant to the invention is represented. This microfilm jacket has,
instead of one slit-opening at the edge several insertion slits 80, 80'
and 80" for an individual microfilm jacket channel structure. The
distances between the serially-arranged spaced-apart individual
insertion slits can be predetermined as might be desired.
In Fig. 10 a further embodiment of the microfilm jacket pursuant
to the invention is represented, in which microfilm jacket channel
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structures of varylng widths are used. The microfilm jacket channel
structure 82 is an example of a jacket channel structure with a
normal wldth, while the mlcrofilm jacket channel structure 81 has an
extra wldth, into which films can be inserted that have a greater
wldth than the other mlcrofllms.
Flg. 11 shows how the microfilm jacket pursuant to the
invention can be used in the form of a roll ~3, which is wound on an
axle 84. The mlcrofilm ~acket edge 67 " is formed repeatedly
throughout the whole roll at the desired intervals and the
lndividual microfilm jacket can be separated from one another
easily, by perforatlons, for example.
In Fig. 12 a further embodiment of the mlcrofilm jacket
pursuant to the invention is represented, in which the introduction
or insertlon slits 73b are staggered so that the corners or the ends
72b of the slits rearwardly-extending sides are staggered. By means
of this stabillzation, any tearlng of the material or the ultrasonic
welds ls prevented to the maxlmum extent, because no two ad~acent
~acket channel structures have identically-placed adjacent corners
or ends of ends of the rearwardly-extendlng sldes of the upper lips
of the sllt-openlng.
In Flg. 13 a further preferred embodiment of the mlcrofllm
~acket pursuant to the lnventlon is represented in which the
slit-opening or insertion slits 73c are constructed so as to be
somewhat canted. As a result of the fact that the corners or ends
72c of the rearwardly-extending walls of the upper lips of the
slit-openings or insertion slits 73c are surrounded by the sheet
material, whereby there is a further stabilization, as a result of
which, likewise, tearing of the microfilm iacket and, in particular,
of the lower welding seams during use, is prevented.
It is within scope of the invention to make variations and
substitutions of equivalents to the extent obvious to a person of
ordinary skill in this art.
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