US2874016A

US2874016A - Container cabinet

Info

Publication number: US2874016A
Application number: US584331A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Andrea Dan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-05-11
Filing date: 1956-05-11
Publication date: 1959-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 1976-02-17

Description

Feb. 17, 1959 D. DANDREA 2,874,016

7 CONTAINER CABINET Filed May 11, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. DAN DANDREA m em A TTORNEVS Feb. 17, 1959 D. D'ANDREA 2,874,016

CONTAINER CABINET Filed May 11, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A0 F/G. 6.

I r I 55 i M f? 4/\/ 52 46 I 49 IIYVENTOR.

W M DA/V DANDREA f lm? BY ATTORNEYS MVJM- United States Patent 2,874,016 CGNTAINER CABINET Dan DAndrea, Pasadena, Calif.

. Application May 11', 1956, Serial No. 584,331

Claims. (Cl. 312-323 which these may be stored for easy access. I have developed such cabinets. In one form these are portable, for use at outdoor barbecues and the like. In another form they may be mounted between studs in a wall or fastened to the outside of the wall, as convenience may dictate.

In general, my invention contemplates the combination in a container cabinet which comprises a box having an open front, a trough extending along the bottom of the box, the interior of the trough being of round concave cross section. Preferably the curvature of the trough is circular and uniform throughout its length. A plurality of containers fit side by side in the box. Each container has amxed to its bottom a round convex roller member that fits in the trough and supports the container therein and permits the container to be tipped forward out of the open front of the box while the roller rotates through a restricted angle in the trough. Stopping means is provided for retaining the rollers in the trough when the containers are tipped forward through the restricted angle. The stopping means preferably comprises an extension at therear of the trough which rises above the front edge of the trough and overhangs the rear of the trough slightly. Such means permits the container with its attache d roller to be withdrawn from the box by pulling it upward, so that the-roller comes out of the trough when the container is tilted forward.

In another form of my invention the stopping means comprises a stud on the bottom of each roller. An arcuate slot is provided in the trough for each container. The stud passes into this slot and rides back and forth in it; as the container is tipped. When the container is tipped forward the shank moves upward in the slot until it abuts its upper ,end, when it and the container are stopped, further forward tipping of the container being thus prevented. If desired, the stud may have a head that is wider than the slot except at one point along the length of the slot- In such case, the stud may be inserted and removed from the slot when it is disposed at the wide point, but not otherwise.

In the form of cabinet adapted for mounting ina wall between studs, the length of the box on the outside corresponds to the distance between studs, say 14 inches. A box of this length will accommodate nine containers, each adapted to hold a standard spice package or can. This form of cabinet may also be fastened to the outside of the wall by means of nails or screws driven through the rear of the box.

lathe-cabinet adapted for mounting ina wall, it is convenient-to provide aflange around the open front of the 2,874,016 Patented Feb. 177, 1959 box. This flange may be removable and held in place by catches or snaps. Then, flanges of different colors (to match kitchen decor) may be snapped into place around the boxes. In those cases in which this form of cabinet is merely fastened to the outside of the wall it is convenient to provide a removable shield around the outside of the box to the rear. of the flange. This shield conveniently fits against the outside of the flange and tapers to the rear, where it fits the back. of the box. The shield, like the flange, can be made in a variety of. colors.

Similarly, the handles and the label holders may be demountable, so that colors can be matched.

The portable model of my cabinet is not provided with a flange around its open front, since this would inter fere with proper seating. Instead, this model has a flat bottom and is provided with a handle which extends above the top. This handle is pivoted to pins at both ends of the box and carries a lock bar which extends down across the open front of the box when the handle israised, thus preventing the containers from tipping forward.

The containers have thin walls and are open at the top. They may be formed of sheet metal or molded from plastic. The preferred form of container is provided with a handle and a label holder on the front and is of such size as to hold an ordinary spice can. In this form of container it is not necessary to provide a back, and the tailed description is illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of one, form of my cabinet'mounte ed in a wall;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the cabinet of Fig. 1 showing it mounted on the outside of a wall. with one of its containers enclosed in the, cabinet and another tilted forward for access or withdrawal;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of container adapted to fit the cabinet of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the container of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front view of a portable form of my cabinet with two out of seven containers removed; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 6-6 of the cabinet of; Fig. 5.

The cabinet of Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an elongated box 10 having an open front and an integrally formed from flange 11 that extends clear around the opening; For mounting on theinside of the wall as shown in Fig. l or on the outside of a wall as shown in Fig. 2,. a removable decorative flange 13' is provided. This snapson to and covers the integrally formed flange 11. When the cabinet is mounted on the outside of a wall itis con-v venient to provide a shield 14 which meets-the decorative flange at the front, but tapers to fit the box at the rear. This shield is slid into place from' the rear before they cabinet is installed on the outside of a wall by means of mounting screws 15 passing through holes in the rear wall 12 of the box (see Fig. 2). 7

When the cabinet is installed in a wall the shield is omitted and the cabinet is fitted in a hole in the wall and secured at its ends to studs16 by screws 17 see Fig. 1.).

As shown in Fig. 1, the cabinet contains nine spice containers 18,. Each has a handle 19 and .a label carrier .20 on its front. The containers fit side by side and comp te y fi th op ont of the. ca n A r u h m mr ber 21 (best seen in Fig. 2) extendsalong the bottom of he- 2 x ne r he f on b 2 1 e nds of the tro x end throu the. e al of e box a d held th rough in. P ace- It .i ben om s eet m tal. or the like and has a front wall 22, a trough section 23 of circular cross section and a roughly horizontal rear portion 24 upon which the containers rest when disposed entirely within the cabinet. Each container is provided with a roller member 25 which fits in the trough. The rear of the trough is higher than the front of the troughand overhangs the trough slightly, to prevent the containers from falling out when they are tipped forward, as shown i desired, the spice can and the container can both be removed by pulling upward on the handle.

The containers shown in Fig. l are made of sheet metal and the rollers thereon are formed integrally with the front of the container. In the form of container illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 a roller 28 generally similar to the rollers 25 is provided, but this is' made integrally with a handle portion 29, the two being fastened to the front of the container. As shown in Fig. 3, however, the roller projects a little forward of the face of the container. This improves balance of the empty container, so that it stays more firmly in place when it is in the cabinet in an empty condition. The label holder 30 in the form of container shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is made separately and fastened to the front of the container, and the container itself is bent from a single piece of sheet metal.

The operation of the device illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 should be self-apparent. Spice boxes are placed in the respective container and the containers are then tilted backward so that they close the front of the cabinet or box. Any one of the containers may be tilted forward without disturbing the others and lifted out with its enclosed spice can, or, the spice can may be pulled out by itself.

The form of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is portable. As in the previous case, it comprises an open face box 40 which has a rear wall 41 formed integrally with the top and sides. A trough member 42 extends lengthwise of the box near the bottom and toward the front and is formed integrally with a lower front support section 43 that is fastened to the ends of the box and also to the bottom. The trough section is a segment of a circle, but has no overhanging rear portion as in the case of the trough of Figs. 1 and 2. A plurality of generally rectangular containers 44 have individual handles 45 and label holders 46 on their front faces and the containers fit in the box side by side to fill its open front. Each container has a roller 47 on itsbottom. This defines the arc of a circle and fits in the trough. It rolls in the trough when the spice container is tilted forward. Since the trough of Figs. 5 and 6 has no overhang at its rear, other stopping means are provided. This comprises a stud 48 having an enlarged head 49 on the end of its shank. The stud is fastened to the roller and slides back and forth in an arcuate slot 50. The lower portion of the slit is wide'enough to accommodate the head, but the rear portion is smaller so that when the container is tilted forward the stud prevents the container from tilting forward beyond the slanting position shown in Fig. 6 While the head prevents the stud from being withdrawn. When the containers are tilted backward their rears rest on rear edge 51 of the trough toward the rear of the box. As in the former case, the containers of Figs. 5 and 6 are open at the rear and have cut way sides 52 to facilitate grasping the spice boxes.

The portable spice cabinet of Figs. 5 and 6 is provided with a handle 52 which is journalled on pins 53, 54 at the ends of the box. 'The handle carries a front extension or lock bar 55. When the handle is pushed toward the rear the lock member is elevated permitting the containers to be tilted forward. Whenthe handle is grasped so that the weight of the cabinet is suspended from it, it rotates forward and drops the lock bar 55 into the position shown in Fig. 5, thus keeping the containers in place when the cabinet is carried about by means of the handle.

The portable cabinet of Figs. 5 and 6 can, of course, be mounted on the wall, if desired, in the same manner as the other examples.

I claim:

1. In a container cabinet, the combination which comprises a box having an open front, a trough extending along the bottom of the box, the interior of the trough being of rounded concave cross section, and a plurality of containers adapted to fit side by side in the box above the trough, each container having fixed on its bottom a convex rounded roller member that fits in the trough and supports the container therein and permits the container to be tipped forward out of the open front of the box while the roller rotates through a restricted angle in the trough, said trough and each roller member including cooperating portions forming stopping means for retaining the rollers in the trough when the containers are tipped forward through the restricted angle.

2. In a container cabinet, the combination which comprises a box having an open front, a trough extending its bottom a convex rounded roller member that fits in the trough and supports the container therein and permits the container to be tipped forward out of the open front of the box while the roller rotates through a restricted angle in the trough, and stopping means for retaining the rollers in the trough when the containers are tipped forward through the restricted angle comprising an extension at the rear of the trough which rises above the front of the trough and overhangs the rear of the trough.

3. In a container cabinet, the combination which comprises a box having an open front, a trough extending along the bottom of the box, the interior of the trough being rounded and of rounded concave uniform cross section, and a plurality of containers adapted to fit Side by side in the box above the trough, each container having fixed on its bottom a convex rounded roller member that fits in the trough and supports the container therein and permits the container to be tipped forward out of the open front of the box while the roller rotates through a restricted angle in the trough, said trough and each roller including cooperating portions forming stopping means for retaining the rollers in the trough when the containers are tipped forward through the restricted angle, the cooperating means in the trough being a series of arcuate slots and the cooperating means on the rollers being studs fastened respectively to the bottoms of the rollers and riding in the arcuate slots in the trough.

4. In a container cabinet, the combination which comprises a box having an open front, a trough extending along the bottom of the box, the interior of the trough being rounded and of rounded concave uniform cross section, a plurality of containers adapted to fit side by side in the box above the trough, each container having fixed on its bottom a convex rounded roller member that fits in the trough and supports the container therein and permits the container to be tipped forward out of the open front of the box while the roller rotates through a restricted angle in the trough, said trough and each roller member including cooperating portions forming stopping means for retaining the rollers in the trough When the containers are tipped forward through the restricted angle, and a flange extending around the front of the box.

5. In a container cabinet, the combination which comprises a box having an open front, a trough extending along the bottom of the box, the interior of the trough being rounded and of rounded concave cross section, a plurality of containers adapted to fit side by side in the box above the trough, each container having fixed on its bottom a convex rounded roller member that fits in the trough and supports the container therein and permits the container to be tipped forward out of the open front of the box while the roller rotates through a restricted angle in the trough, said trough and each roller member including cooperating portions forming stopping means for retaining the rollers in the trough when the containers are tipped forward through the restricted angle, a handle extending along the top of the box and pivoted adjacent the two ends of the box, and a keeper extending along the top of the box near the front and fastened to the handle so that it drops over the front of the box and locks the containers in place when the handle is raised.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS