Library late-book fine computer
AssigneeBrodart Co.
InventorGeorge Bonsall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer including a base and a member superposed over the base and movable with respect to it. The base may be a card and the member may be a continuous flexible band surrounding the card. The band is slidable along the length of the card and also movable in the direction of its continuity. A series of dates, each including a month and day, is carried by one of the base and member, and a series of numbers is carried by the other. The dates are arranged in day-by-day sequence, and the numbers are in sequence with each successive number being larger than the one immediately previous to it by the amount of one day's fine. When the zero position of the sequence of numbers is moved opposite to the current date, the number adjacent the date on which a book was due will be the amount of the late fine.
Claims1
A library late-book fine computer comprising:
- (a) a relatively stiff rectangular card having two parallel guide edges,
- (b) a series of dates uniformly spaced on at least one face of said card a predetermined distance from each other, each of said dates including a month and day, said dates being arranged in day-by-day sequence increasing in a first direction in each of a plurality of parallel columns which extend perpendicular to said guide edges, each column of dates including the same number of dates,
- (c) a continuous flexible band extending around the guide edges of said card, said base being viewable through said band,
- (d) a series of numbers, indicating amounts of fines, uniformly spaced on said band the same predetermined distance as said dates, the numbers being in sequence and increasing in a direction opposite to said first direction in each of a plurality of columns, said columns of numbers being parallel to each other and to said columns of dates, each successive number in each column of numbers being larger than its immediately previous number by the amount of one day's fine, one of said columns of numbers beginning with a zero position, said one column having a number of numbers, including the zero position, at least equal to the dates in each date column, and the remainder of the columns of numbers having a number of numbers at least equal to twice the number of dates in each date column minus one, each number in each number column being aligned in a direction parallel to said guide edges with numbers in the other number columns, the difference between each number and an aligned number in an adjacent column being equal to the number of dates in each date column multiplied by one day's fine, and
- (e) said band being slidable along the guide edges of said card, and said band being movable around said card in the direction of continuity of said band.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.