Retaining and replacement means for data-storage elements

Claim 1

A CANISTER FOR USE IN RETAINING AND PERMITTING RAPID REMOVAL OF PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR DATA-STORAGE STRIPS EACH HAVING CODED NOTCHES AT ONE EDGE THEREOF, COMPRISING: A BODY PORTION HAVING FIRST AND SECOND GENERALLY RECTANGULAR WALLS AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER AND A BOTTOM PLATE AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO BOTH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND WALLS, THE LENGTH OF SAID WALLS BEING CHOSEN SO THAT WHEN THE BOTTOM SHORT EDGES OF SAID STRIPS ARE RESTED ON SAID BOTTOM PLATE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTHS OF SAID STRIPS WILL BE WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND WALLS WITH THE CODED NOTCHES OF SAID STRIPS EXTENDING THEREABOVE, A CONTROL BRACKET SLIDABLY MOUNTED TO SAID SECOND WALL IN THE CENTRAL VICINITY THEREOF AND ACCESSIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE THEREOF FAR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID FIRST WALL, A MOVABLE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PLATE HAVING APPROXIMATELY THE SAME WIDTH AND LENGTH AS SAID FIRST WALL AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO, SPRING MEANS COUPLING SAID CONTROL BRACKET TO THE SIDE OF SAID MOVABLE PLATE OPPOSITE FROM SAID FIRST WALL SO THAT THE POSITION OF SAID MOVABLE PLATE RELATIVE THERETO IS CONTROLLABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS ON SAID MOVABLE PLATE AS SAID CONTROL BRACKET IS MOVED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECOND WALL, RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING BIASED RATCHET AFFIXED TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID SECOND WALL ADJACENT SAID CONTROL BRACKET, A TOOTH AFFIXED TO SAID CONTROL BRACKET IN COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID RATCHET SO AS TO PERMIT A SET OF STRIPS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST WALL AND SAID MOVABLE PLATE TO BE RESILIENTLY LOCKED THEREBETWEEN AS A RESULT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTROL BRACKET TOWARDS SAID FIRST WALL, AND A RELEASING FLANGE DEPENDING FROM SAID RATCHET AND DISPOSED SO AS TO PERMIT REMOVING SAID RATCHET AWAY FROM SAID TOOTH TO UNLOCK SAID CONTROO BRACKET FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVABLE PLATE AWAY FROM SAID FIRST WALL WHEREBY TO RELEASE A SET OF STRIPS INTERPOSED THEREBETWEEN, A PAIR OF SPACED CURVED HOOKS AFFIXED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SECOND WALL AND EXTENDING THEREABOVE BEYOND THE CODED NOTCHES OF A SET OF STRIPS WHEN HELD IN SAID CANISTER, SAID HOOKS BEING LOCATED SO THAT A LINE DRAWN BETWEEN THE INNER CURVED SURFACES OF SAID HOOKS IS LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM PLATE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST WALL AND SPACED FROM THE OUTSIDE OF SAID SECOND WALL WITH THE INNER CURVED PORTION OF SAID HOOKS FACING TOWARD SAID SECOND WALL, AND A STEP MEMBER DEPENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND WALL AND HAVING AN ALIGNING SURFACE EXTENDING BELOW AND PARALLEL TO SAID SECOND WALL.