US3555714A - Desk calendar - Google Patents

Abstract

A DESK CALENDAR IS PROVIDED IN WHICH A CALENDAR STRIP POSITIONED WITHIN A CASING HAS IMPRINTED THEREON A SERIES OF MONTHLY CALENDAR BLOCKS. THE CALENDAR BLOCKS ARE SELECTIVELY VIEWABLE IN GROUPS OF THREE SUCCESSIVE MONTHS (PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE) THROUGH WINDOWS POSITIONED IN THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE CASING. EACH CALENDAR BLOCK HAS AN ASSOCIATED YEARLY INDICIUM WHICH IS BLOCKED FROM VIEW BY THE "PAST" AND "FUTURE" WINDOWS BUT IS EXPOSED THROUGH THE "PRESENT" WINDOW.

Description

DESK CALENDAR Filed June 2, 1969 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNYS Jan. 19, 1971 SMITH 3,555,714

DESK CALENDAR Filed June 2, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IRVING SMITH BY ma, www am ATTORNEYS United States Patent O-r 3,555,714 DESK CALENDAR Irving Smith, Flushing, N.Y. Arrow Art Finishers, 1201 Evergreen Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10472) Filed June 2, 1969, Ser. No. 829,555 Int. Cl. G09d 3/06 U.S. Cl. 40--117 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (l) Field of the invention `Desk strip calendars.

v (2) Description of the prior art Many various types of desk calendars have been in use in past years. Generally, a busy working person finds it quite desirable to have a calendar which at one glance and without the iiipping or turning of calendar leaves will display not only the present month but the subsequent and preceding months as well so that the day of the (week or the date of a certain event or appointment can be readily checked. n

In view of this fact, most of the prior desk calendars have imprinted on a single leaf or sheet not only the present month but the preceding and subsequent months. Usually, these last-mentioned months are printed in a much smaller calendar block (rectangular area within which the date numerals are graphically presented in horizontal weekly lines land vertical dayaof-the-week columns). Thus with the previous calendars for a single year of l2 months, there would be 12 calendar leaves and on each calendar leaf three calendar blocks adding to a total imprinting of 36 separate calendar blocks.

The fact that 36 separate calendar blocks must be printed for a single year is not the only disadvantage encountered with prior desk calendars of this type. Another disadvantage is that because the preceding and subsequent months were printed in much smaller blocks utilizing much smaller numerals, diiculty in reading the same was created.

A still further disadvantage of the prior desk calendars is that after two successive calendar leaves have been torn off and discarded, it becomes increasingly `diflicult to ascertain' the calendar date or day ofthe week designation for two or more months prior thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a desk calendar of the foregoing general character which is so constructed that it is not subject to any of the foregoing drawbacks.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a desk calendar of the character described which is simple and rugged in construction and easy to use, but which can ibe fabricated economically by mass production methods.

It is another object ofthe present invention to provide a desk calendar of the character described wherein each month of the year is imprinted within a calendar block ICC only once, yet the simultaneous viewing of the present, preceding and subsequent months; is possible.-

It is a further object of the present invention: t'o provide a desk calendar of the character described wherein each month of a year is imprinted within a calendar block only once while permitting the simultaneous viewing of the present, preceding and subsequent months and further providing a visual designation of the present month.

It is another object of the invention to provide a desk calendar of the character described wherein successive calendar blocks are imprinted on a calendar strip threaded behind a plurality of separate viewing windows with three successive months viewable at a single time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a desk calendar of the character described wherein a c-alendar strip having successive calendar blocks imprinted thereon is contained within a casing and threaded behind successive viewing windows with cooperating means Ibetween one of the viewing windows and the calendar stripy to indicate that a selected one of the months is the present month.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a desk calendar of the character described wherein successive calendar blocks are imprinted on a calendar strip contained within a housing, the calendar blocks being viewable through a plurality of rviewing windows in the casing with the calendar strip selectively manipulable to present any calendar block of any month of any year printed on the calendar strip behind a viewing window.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a desk calendar wherein successive calendar blocks are imprinted on a calendar strip contained 'within a housing with the successive calendar blocks viewable through a plurality of viewing windows in the casing, the casing further providing compartments for the storage of stationery articles.

Other objects of the invention in part will 'be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRI-EF DESCRIPTION OF THIE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possible embodiments of the invention FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a desk calendar constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention; additionally shown are a sheaf of writing paper and a writing implement housed within the calendar casing and projecting upwardly from the top of the casing;

FIG. 2 is `a top view of the desk calendar;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showing the interior of the casing, the two spools about which the ends of the calendar strip are wound and the backing plate across which the calendar strip is threaded;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing the front surface of the backing plate;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the desk calendar and illustrating, in dashed lines, a portion of the calendar strip and indicia printed thereon which are normally concealed from view;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front view of the calendar strip with successive calendar blocks imprinted thereon and illustrating, in dot-and-dash lines, the extent to which the blocks are exhibited through the past and future viewing windows; and

FIG. 7 is a front view similar to FIG. 5 of an alternate embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The desk calendar of the present invention will permit the simultaneous viewing of the present, last past and next future calendar blocks of any month while enabling each of the calendar blocks of any month to be imprinted only once. Additionally, the calendar blocks of the present, last past and next future months will be of the same size and, therefore, will all be read with the same facility.

A unique correlation between the viewing windows through which the calendar blocks are exhibited and the printed indicia on the calendar roll readily differentiates the present |month from the preceding and subsequent months.

'Il'ie entire calendar for one or several years is printed on an elongate strip with the calendars for each month imprinted in a lengthwise series of calendar blocks of identical size, the blocks being constituted of day-of-themonth numerals arranged in horizontal weekly lines and vertical day-of-the-week columns. Additionally each column is headed by a day-of-the-week abbreviation. The calendar strip is threaded behind three viewing windows so that three successive months are presented at the same time. Adjacent each calendar block, indicia is imprinted on the calendar strip. The indicia is so posi tioned that it is not within the calendar block and when the calendar block is aligned with a viewing window corresponding to the last past or next future month, this indicia is not visible, being blocked by such windows. However, the viewing window for the present (current) month is of a larger size and the calendar block of the present month along with the printed indicia adjacent the calendar block are both visible through this viewing window. Thus, there is provided a special correlation between the viewing window of the present month and the calendar block of the present month.

Additionally provided in the desk calendar of the present invention are storage compartments for housing articles of stationary. One compartment may be formed of a slot in the top of the casing for storing a sheaf of papers within the casing such as doctors prescriptions, telephone message slips or note papers. A second storage compartment may be in the form of a circular opening in the top of the casing through which a writing implement such as a stick pen, pencil or other writing implement may be held so that it will be readily accessible for wiring on the paper contained in the other compartment.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numerals denotes a desk calendar which embodies the present invention. Said desk calendar includes a casing formed of a 'rectangular frame 12 which may be constructed of Wood, metal or a synthetic plastic. The frame has a top 14, sides `16 and a bottom 18 presenting a hollow interior 20. The front and rear surfaces of the frame are covered by front 22 and rear 24 panels. These covering sheets may be of any thickness and may be of paper board, sheet metal, wood veneer or natural or artificial leather. The front panel must be opaque for reasons to be subsequently explained. The fra'me and the front and back panels conjointly form a hollow casting.

An elongate calendar strip 26 of paper is positioned within the hollow casing. The ends of the calendar strip are secured to vertical take up and supply spools 28 and 29 which are journalled at the top and bottom of the frame. 'Ihe spool journals are provided by through holes 30 and 31 at the top of the frame and blind holes 32 and 33 at the bottom of the panel vertically aligned with the through holes. The spools are inserted into the frame from the through holes and abut the bottoms of the blind holes. An end of the calendar strip is secured to each spool by means such as adhesive or staples.

The entire calendar strip except for the first three months of the rst year and a short length of unprinted leader is wound about the Spool Z9. To provide a grip for winding the spools, enlarged supply knobs 34, 36 are secured on the upper ends of the spools. As the months pass, the calendar is advanced by winding the takeup spool 28 which is rotated by turning the knob 34 clockwise.

A backing plate 38 is provided to support the calendar strip portion which extends between the spools. The backing plate lis formed of a thin sheet of cardboard or resilient plastic such as cellulose acetate, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride or butadiene modified polystyrene. The plate is generally rectangular and of a height which is greater than the span between the top and bottom of the frame with its upper and lower edges and portions adjacent thereto abutting the top and bottom of the frame. The backing plate is secured in this position to the front edges of the top and bottom of the frame by any suitable means such as adhesive.

Projecting from the opposite ends of the backing plate are unitarily formed laterally extending leaves 40, each of which is flexed rearwardly to a somewhat arcuate position with the tip thereof directed towards the rear panel of the casing. In this position the tips of the leaves 40 are behind the spools 28 and 29 and bear the outer convolution of the calendar strip wound thereabout, thereby functioning as a friction drag.

The calendar strip is threaded between the front panel and the backing plate so that the backing plate serves as a stiff supporting surface which biases the calendar strip against the front panel. With the leaves 40 pressing against the portions of the calendar strip which are wound about the spools, the leaves serve as a brake, preventing inadvertent unwinding of the spools and maintaining the calendar strip taut between the spools.

Calendar blocks B are printed on the calendar strip. The blocks are arranged in a series of successive months extending lengthwise of the strip. The blocks are of identical sizes and outlines and are identically spaced apart. They are horizontally aligned. Each block has a month heading and an array of day-of-the-month numerals arranged in horizontal weekly lines and vertical day-of-theweek columns. Each column is headed by a day-of-theweek abbreviation. There are at least fourteen blocks which include all the months for one year plus the last month for the past year and the iirst month for the next year. Desirably the months of more than one full year are imprinted on the strip. A good number is three years in which event there will be thirty eight blocks of which thirty six are for the three full years and the additional two for the leading and trailing months.

It may be noted that the calendar strip which is wound about the spool is iXedly attached at each end to the spools and as the calendar strip is additionally tightly wound about the spools, a locking mechanism which precludes withdrawal of the spool through the top of the casing results. v

To enable the calendar blocks to be viewed through the opaque front panel, three viewing windows 42, 44, 46 are provided. The viewing window 42 is positioned centrally on the front panel with the smaller viewing windows 44 and 46 positioned to the right and left of the window 42. The spacing between the windows 42, 44 and 46 is such that it essentially coincides with the spacing between the calendar blocks on the calendar roll. The size and shape of the openings 44 and 46 are slightly larger than the size of the calendar blocks on the calendar roll while the height of the central opening 42 is considerably larger than the height of a calendar block, its width being only slightly larger than the width of a calendar block. A clear plastic sheet 48 extends between the front panel 22 and the frame. The sheet 42 is preferably laminated to the inner surface of thefront panel and provides a transparent membrane through which the calendar blocks are visible. The sheet 48 is ofthe same rectangular dimensions as the front panel and may be Y thinner, the thickness thereof being of no consequence as long as the sheet is transparent.

In use the takeup spool 28 is wound by turning the knob 34 clockwise to advance the calendar strip until the current month is displayed in the central opening 42. Because of the alignment and complementary spacing of both the windows and the calendar blocks, the past month block will appear in the viewing window 44 and the future month in the viewing window 46. The length of the backing plate is slightly larger than the total area of the three viewing windows so that the backing plate serves to provide a supporting surface preventing the portions of the calendar strip behind the viewing windows from buckling.

As previously mentioned, the current month viewing opening 42 is of a larger size than the openings 44 and 46 and this permits the user of the calendar to readily distinguish the current month from the past and future months. To further distinguish the current month from the past and future months, additional indicia are imprinted on the calendar strip adjacent to and outside of each of the calendar blocks. There is a correlation between such indicia and the differences in sizes of the viewing openings which serves to identify the current month and the same is explained with reference to FIGS and 6. FIG. 6 illustrates a fragmentary portion of the calendar strip showing the calendar blocks for the months of May, June and July 1971.

The calendar block is, as indicated above, the area including the graphic representation of the numerals of the month and the area above this tabulation wherein the name of the month is imprinted. Successive calendar blocks are illustrated as the areas within the dot-and-dash lines of FIG. 6. Above the name of the month and outside of each calendar block is imprinted the current year or any other designation such as THISMONTH With reference now to FIG. 5, it may be observed that the window 42 is of a size which is large enough to render visible the printed indicia (the year) on the calendar strip which is above the name of the month and outside of the calendar block while the windows 44 and 46 are of a smaller size which just permits viewing of the calendar block alone. In this figure, the year designation, 1971, above the calendar months of May and June will be blocked out by the front panel. Thus the current month is distinguished by the fact that the year designation imprinted on the calendar strip is visible above the name of that month.

As previously mentioned, any other appropriate designation might be imprinted outside and adjacent the calendar blocks. The indicia might be imprinted above or below the calendar block of the month and the viewing window 42 is of such dimensions to render visible the indicia printed whether above or below the calendar blocks.

Referring now in detail to FIG. 7 wherein an alternate embodiment is presented, it will be observed ythat the distinguishing indicia is printed on the calendar strip to the side of each calendar block and, therefore, between each calendar block. The year 1971 is imprinted on both sides of the calendar block for the month of June which is visible through window 42a. The distinguishing indicia imprinted to the left of the calendar block for the month of May is shown in dashed lines and is not visible through Window 44a which is narrower than the window 42a. Similarly, the designating indicia printed on the calendar strip to the right of the calendar block for the month of July is not visible through the window 46a and is shown in dashed lines.

With the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the distinguishing indicia between each of the calendar blocks will be visible through the central viewing window 42a during two successive months. For instance, the designating indicia 1971 imprinted to the right of the calendar block for the month of June is, as shown, visible through window 42a. When the rst of July arrives, the knob 34 will be wound advancing the calendar block fo rthe month of May on the takeup spool 28a. The calendar block for the month of June will thereupon advance to the window 44a while the calendar block for the month of July will advance to the window 42a. It is to be noted, however, that the distinguishing indicia between the calendar blocks for June and July will now be visible in the window 42a to the left of the calendar block for the month of July and the distinguishing indicia to the right of the calendar block of the month of July (shown in dashed lines) will now be visible through the window 42a.

Further included in the desk calendar of the present invention are compartments to house articles of stationery so that they are readily accessible to further enhance the utility of the desk calendar. An elongate slot 50 is formed through the top 14 of the frame. The slot is of a length suitable to accommodate a sheaf of papers and may be formed with rounded ends if desired. Slips of paper 52 may be deposited through the slot and will enter the hollow interior of the frame behind the backing plate 38 until they abut the upper surface of the bottom 18 of the frame.

A circular opening 54 is also provided through the top 14 of the frame. The opening 54 is of a size suitable to accommodate a writing implement 56 such as a stick or lfountain pen, or a pencil. The point or tip of the writing implement will pass through the opening 54 and enter the hollow interior of the frame descending until it rests on the bottom of the frame.

Thus a compact desk calendar has been provided which may accommodate articles of stationery as well as provide for the simultaneous viewing of three successive calendar blocks while permitting each calendar block to be im- Iprinted only once on a calendar strip.

It is contemplated that any means of feeding or winding the elongate calendar strip past three consecutive separate windows will be accompanied by the present invention. An example of an valternate means of feeding a calendar strip past a viewing window is disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 625,168 filed Mar. 22, 1967.

It thus will be seen that there has been provided a device which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various 1possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A desk calendar permitting the simultaneous viewing of three successive months calendars, said desk calendar comprising a hollow casing, a calendar strip, said calendar strip being positioned within said casing, a plurality of successive calendar months imprinted in lengthwise alignment on said calendar strip, the area which each printed calendar month occupies on said calendar strip being 'within a separate calendar block spaced from adjacent blocks, said hollow casing having a front panel, said front panel being opaque, three separate mutually spaced viewing windows in said front panel, means to selectively move the calender strip with respect to the windows, the portions of said front panel between said windows concealing space between calendar blocks Hwhen any one calendar block is centered behind the central window, said windows being in alignment in the direction of alignment of the calendar months, the current, future and past months calendars being simultaneously viewable through said windows, the central one of said windows being larger than the size of any calendar block, the other windows being of a size not larger than any calendar block, current month distinguishing indicia, said current month distinguishing indicia being imprinted on the calendar strip adjacent each calendar month, said distinguishing indicia being imprinted externally of said calendar blocks, said distinguishing indicia being visible only through said central viewing window, the current months calendar being thereby readily distinguishable from the remaining months calendars only when Viewed through the central viewing window.

2. A desk calendar constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the central window is of `a height greater than the height of the calendar blocks and the distinguishing indicia is imprinted on said calendar strip above each calendar block.

3. A desk calendar constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hollow casing includes an opening at the top thereof with access to the interior of the casing, said opening being of a size to accommodate a plurality of articles of stationery, said articles of stationery lying partially within said casing and projecting upwardly through said opening.

4. A desk calendar constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein a backing plate is provided, said backing plate being positioned within the casing between the calendar strip and the viewing windows in the front panel, the backing plate supporting the calendar strip and preventing said strip from buckling.

5. A desk calendar constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein two spools are included, said spools being journalled within the casing, each end of the calendar strip being secured to one of the spools, the spools being windable to advance the calendar strip.

6. A desk calendar constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein a backing plate is provided, said backing plate being positioned within the casing between the calendar strip and the viewing windows in the front panel, the backing plate supporting the calendar strip and preventing said strip from buckling, said backing plate including leaves, said leaves projecting from opposite ends of the backing plate, said leaves being biased to bear against an external convolution of the calendar strip wrapped about the spools, the leaves preventingthe unwinding of the calendar strips from the spools.

7. A desk calendar constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the central window is of a width greater than the width of any calendar block and the distinguishing indicia imprinted on the calendar strip is imprinted between successive calendar blocks, said designating indicia being equidistantly spaced between each block, the months calendar for the current month being viewable through the central window with distinguishing indicia viewable through the central Window at a side of the calendar block.

8-. A desk calendar constructed in accordancewith claim 7 wherein the/width of the central viewing window is greater than the width of a calendar block by a distance greater than the distance between any two successive calendar blocks, the designating indicia viewable through the central window being simultaneously viewable at both sides of the calendar block for the current month.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,310,428 7/1919 Moerk 40--117 1,716,600 6/1929 Rehder 40-109 2,575,929 ll/l Roesholm 40-1-17 3,207,320 9/1965 Nichols 40--120 3,468,048 9/ 1969 Smith 40-107 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,639 4/1955 Italy 40-117 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner J. H. WOLFF, Assistant Examiner

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