Underphone index

#In Great Britain on 24th June 1975 and numbered 26806/75.

#The present invention relates to an index of the type that is intended to be placed under a telephone to provide easy access to a library of telephone numbers. Such an index will be referred to hereinafter for convenience as an under-phone index.

#An under-phone index is known which comprises an outer housing which has a tray for reference cards slideably mounted therein. The tray houses a stacked plurality of reference cards which, in use, bear information such as the names, addresses and telephone numbers of subscribers. Each card has an associated selection member which is operated by a user to select a card, the tray being withdrawn from the outer housing along with the selected card and any others below it, but those cards above the selected card being retained by magnetic attraction inside the housing.

#In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of example, and in which:

#FIG. 1 shows in generally perspective view an under-phone index according to the present invention,

#FIG. 2 shows the index of FIG. 1 in sectional view, and

#As shown in FIG. 1, the index comprises an outer housing 1 in which an inner housing 2 in the form of a tray is slideable. Any convenient slide guide means are provided, such as a ridge 3 formed on the tray 2 and engageable in a slot 4 formed in the outer housing 1. Spring means 5 biasses the tray 2 into a position in which it is withdrawn from the outer housing 1, the illustrated embodiment being shown only partly withdrawn.

#A magnet 6 of any suitable type is secured at the interior rear of the outer housing 1 and serves to attract metal members 7 secured to a rear edge of each of a superposed stack of index cards 8 housed within the suitably shaped interior of the tray 2.

#The tray 2 carries at its front end a facing plate 9 which overlies a recess 10 in which there are provided a series of selection members. Any suitable number of (e.g. eleven) bell crank levers 11 are pivoted on a central rod 12 and each is provided with a finger moulded operative portion 13 and an upwardly directed, pointed hook arm 14. Depression of any lever portion 13 causes a corresponding upward movement of the associated hook 14. Simultaneously, such depression causes depression also of one end of a pivoted latch 15, which latch in a position of rest engages a recess 15a in the housing 1 base and thereby serves as a releasable stop means to hold the tray 2 inside the housing 1 against the action of the spring 5.