US864083A - Paper-file. - Google Patents

Description

No. 864,083. PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

L. A. GRANSTON.

PAPER FILE. APPLICATION FILED HARAS, 1905. RENEWED JAN. 29. 1901.

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No. 864,083. PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

' L. A. GRANSTON.

PAPER FILE. APPLICATION FILED MAB. 13, 1905. RENEWED JAN. 29, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

PAPER-FILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed March 13, 1905, Serial No. 249,893. Renewed January 29, 1907. Serial No. 354,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEsmE A. ORANSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gibson City, in the county of Ford and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Files; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for filing letters, papers and the like, and more particularly in file-cabinets and file-boxes therefor.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and efiicient cabinet of this character in which the file-boxes or receptacles will be supported upon slides so that when the latter are pulled out of the cabinet, ready and convenient access may be had to the contents of the file-boxes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive file-box which may be shipped in knock-down form, that is, in sections and which may be quickly and easily assembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means for making the file-boxes and cabinet dust-proof.

A further object of my invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character and thereby render them more convenient and durable in use and less expensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, com bination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a file cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2.is a vertical front to rear sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the file boxes removed from the cabinet; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the slides for supporting the file-boxes, and Fig. 7 is a rear end view of the same.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my improved file-cabinet which may be constructed of any suitable material and in any desired size and form, but which, as illustrated, comprises two sides 2 and 3 connected by a top 4, and, if desired, by a back 5 and bottom 6, these parts thus forming a casing with an open front. Secured upon the inner faces of the sides 2 and 3 by screws or other fastening means are pairs of horizontally disposed L-shaped angle barsl or strips 7 which form supporting guides for a series of slides or sliding shelves 8 upon which are removably supported file-boxes or receptacles 9. Said slides 8 slide freely upon the guides 7, so that the file-boxes 9 may be moved into and out of the casing or cabinet, the fronts of said file-boxes while the latter are within the cabinet, close the open front of the same, as shown. In order to keep the slides upon the guides and prevent the former from tilting downwardly under the weight of the file-boxes and their contents, when the slides are pulled out of the cabinet (as one is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings), transversely extending strips 10 are provided upon the under faces of the slides at their rear or inner ends. Said strips 10 are spaced from the slides by blocks 11, so that their ends 12 form jaws which engage the under sides of the L-shaped angle guides 7. Said strips 10 also prevent the slides from being pulled entirely out of the cabinet, by engaging stops 13 when said slides are drawn out sufficiently to entirely expose the file-boxes upon them. Said stops 13 are in the form of transversely extending, horizontally disposed strips which connect the front portions of the sides 2 and 3 of the cabinet and form spacing bars between each two adjacent file-boxes. Upon the upper faces of the slides are secured front and rear, transversely extending strips 14 and 15 between which the file-boxes are placed to prevent endwise movement of the file-boxes upon the slides when the latter are pulled out or pushed into the cabinet. The width of said file-boxes corresponds to that of the slides or the space between the sides 2 and 3, so that the latter are snugly engaged by the sides of the file-boxes to prevent the entrance of dust into the cabinet. Upon the front edge of each of the slides is secured a finger or hand pull 16 by means of which the slide may be readily moved.

The file-boxes or receptacles 9 used in connection with the file-cabinet just described, may be of any desired construction, but I prefer to use such as are shown in the drawing. Each of the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, comprises front and rear ends 18 and 19 and two sides 20, which ends and sides are connected by angle metal corner strips 21 secured in position as shown, by headed tacks or nails 22, the pointed ends of which are bent after being driven into place. The bottom 23 of said file-box is formed with an upturned flange or rim 24 which engages the outer faces of the sides and ends 20, 19, 18 and is secured thereon by fastening means 25, as shown. By constructing the file-boxes in this manner, they may be conveniently shipped in knock-down form and then assembled when it is desired to use them.

If desired a suitable card holder or slide 26, may be provided upon the front 18 of each of the file-boxes. Any desired means (not illustrated) may be provided within the file-boxes for holding, separating, indexin gll etc. the letters, papers or other contents of the fileboxes.

In order to render the file-boxes and the cabinet as dust-proof as possible, strips of felt or other flexible material 27 are provided along the upper portion of the inner face of the front 18 of each file-box, so thatit engages one of the stop strips 13 when the file-box is in its closed position. Said strips of felt 27 are secured in metal strips 28 (as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings) and the latter are nailed or otherwise secured to the fileboxes, as shown.

From time to time the file-boxes become filled with dead matter and it is desired to store them away and substitute empty boxes. To permit this to be done Without removing the contents of the boxes, I provide a cover 30 for each of the file-boxes. Said covers 30 which are not employed when the file-boxes are used in the cabinet, are identical in construction with the bottoms 23 of the said boxes, and they are kept in a space 31 within the base of the cabinet. This space 31 is formed by securing the lowermost pair of guides 7 at a suitable distance above the bottom 6 and by securing a front board or plate 32 upon the sides 2 and 3. Said covers which are piled one on top of the other as shown, may be inserted through the open front of the cabinet when the lowermost file-box is removed, or if desired a suitable door may be provided in the front board or plate 31. When one of the file-boxes becomes full it may be removed and closed by one of the covers 30,

and a new file-box. may be substituted in the cabinet for it.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A file-cabinet comprising a suitable support, guides upon said support, a slide upon said guides, a stop at the front of said support, spaced jaws at the rear of said slide slidably engaged with said guides and adapted to engage said stop to limit the outward movement of said slide, and a file receptacle removably mounted upon said slide, substantially as described. I

2. A file-cabinet comprising suitably spaced sides, L- shaped angle guides upon the inner faces of said sides, a slide supported upon said guides, a spaced transverse strip upon the underside of said slide having its ends forming jaws to engage and slide upon said guides, a transverse strip connecting said sides at their front and adapted to be engaged by said strip upon said slide to limit the outward movement of the latter, front and rear transverse strips secured upon the upper side of said slide, a file-box removably mounted upon said slide between said front and rear transverse strips and a hand pull upon said slide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LESLIE A. CRANSTON.

Witnesses J. Y. SHAMEL, BRYSON STRAUSS.

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