GB2139688A - Filing cabinet with anti-tilt mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A filing cabinet has an anti-tilt mechanism which comprises, for each of a series of drawers arranged one above the other, a respective vertical bar 10, 12, 14. The bars are supported in the side of the cabinet one above the other for limited vertical movement, and are engaged with one another, end to end, when the drawers are closed. Each drawer has along one side an elongate horizontal abutment member 18 and each bar has at its lower end an abutment member 20 for engagement with the member 18 of the associated drawer. Each bar (except for the uppermost) also has at its upper end an abutment member 22 for engagement with the member 18 of the drawer above. The arrangement is such that when any drawer is open, the bars above are raised by the member 18 of the opened drawer, so that the respective members 22 obstruct the members 18 of the drawers above, while the bars below are prevented from rising by the member 18 of the opened drawer, so that the respective members 20 obstruct the members 18 of the drawers below. By operating a key-lock at the upper end of bar 14, an abutment may be placed in the way of this bar, to prevent it and the others rising, so locking all the drawers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Filing cabinet with anti-tilt mechanism THIS INVENTION relates to filing cabinets of the kind comprising a plurality of drawers mounted one above the other in a supporting frame. Such filing cabinets are herein referred to as being 'of the kind specified.' Anti-tilt mechanisms for filing cabinets of the kind specified are known which are intended to prevent two or more drawers from being opened at the same time, but these mechanisms have disadvantages. By way of example, some known anti-tilt mechanisms have the disadvantage that it is possible, in certain circumstances, to over-ride the anti-tilt mechanism in that it is possible to have two drawers open at the same time if both drawers are pulled out simultaneously, and that once this has been done it is difficult to close the drawers again without damaging the mechanism.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filing cabinet of the above kind specified incorporating an improved anti-tilt mechanism adapted to prevent two or more of said drawers being opened at the same time and thereby avoid or minimise the risk of the filing cabinet tilting or toppling over as a result of excessive weight displacement.

According to the present invention there is provided a filing cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers mounted one above the other in a supporting frame, and incorporating an antitilt arrangement adapted to prevent two or more of a said drawers being opened at the same time, said anti-tilt arrangement comprising a mechanism carried by said frame and adapted to co-operate with respective members carried by said drawers, and wherein the arrangement is such that when said mechanism is in a first condition any single said drawer may be moved into an open position, but that the opening of any said drawer places said mechanism, by action of the respective member on said mechanism, in a position to obstruct the movement of said member of any other said drawer which would be necessary and consequent to the opening of said other drawer, thereby preventing opening of any other said drawer.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, with parts rendered transparent for ease of illustration, showing a filing cabinet embodying the invention, FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing part of the frame of a filing cabinet similar to that of Figure 1, FIGURES 3 and 4 are respective elevation views, at right angles to one another, of a component of the filing cabinet of Figures 1 and 2, FIGURE 5 is a side elevation view of another component of the filing cabinet, FIGURES 6 and 7 are respectively a broken side elevation view and fragmentary section view of part of a drawer of the filing cabinet of Figure 2, and FIGURES 8 and 9 are perspective views, from opposite sides, of part of the filing cabinet of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, a filing cabinet comprises a first, second and third drawer 15, 1 6 and 1 7 respectively arranged one above the other in vertical series in a frame or casing 1 9. The filing cabinet incorporates an anti-tilt mechanism, illustrated somewhat schematically in Figure 1, the mechanism comprising, a first, a second, and a third locking bar 10, 12, and 1 4 respectively, associated with the drawers 15, 1 6 and 1 7 respectively, disposed vertically one above the other in the side of the filing cabinet frame.The bars 10, 1 2 and 14 are capable of limited vertical movement in the frame 1 9. Each drawer of the filing cabinet, along the side thereof which is adjacent to the locking bars, carries a respective drawer member 18, in the form of a rib extending longitudinally in the direction of opening and closing of the drawer. Each member 18, in the closed position of the respective drawer, is disposed entirely rearwardly of the series of vertical locking bars 10, 12, 14.However, when the uppermost drawer 1 7 is open its member 1 8 is interposed between an abutment member 20 secured to the lower end of the bar 14 and an abutment member 22 secured to the upper end of the locking bar 12; when the middle drawer 1 6 is open, its member 1 8 is interposed between an abutment member 20 secured to the lower end of the locking bar 1 2 and an abutment member 22 secured to the upper end of the locking bar 10; and when the lowermost drawer 16, is open, its member 1 8 is interposed between an abutment member 20 secured to the lower end of locking bar 10, and a fixed abutment member 22 secured to the filing cabinet frame.As explained in more detail in what follows, any drawer 15, 16, 17, can only be opened if the lower abutment member 22 of the two abutment members co-operating with its member 1 8 is in a lowered position in which it lies out of the path of the member 1 8 during the opening of the drawer and if the upper abutment member 20 of the two abutment members co-operating with its member 1 8 is free to move sufficiently upwardly to allow the member 1 8 to pass under it during opening of the drawer.It will be understood that the first condition is always met in the case of the lowermost drawer 1 5 since its associated member 22 is fixed and the second condition is always met in the case of the uppermost drawer 1 7 except when the cabinet is locked as explained below.

Figure 2 shows part of a filing cabinet which is similar to that of Figure I but differs in having four drawers rather than three.

The cabinet frame 1 9 comprises two uprights 36, 38, at the front of the cabinet and two uprights 40 and 42, at the rear of the cabinet, parallel side walls 44, and a top wall 46 (omitted in Figure 2) with transverse members 50 extending horizontally between uprights 36 and 38 at the front of the cabinet, between the drawers and below the lowest drawer 1 5. For each drawer, the frame has, on each side thereof a respective horizontal rail 52 for co-operation, via a conventional roller mechanism (not shown) with a respective horizontal rail 54 (see Figure 6) extending from front to rear along the side of the respective drawer.The uprights 36 and 38 are hollow members of sheet metal, and the member 36 provides an internal space behind a side wall 58 which faces towards the upright 38 and from which the abutment members 20, 22 project towards the opposing upright 38.

Each drawer of the filing cabinet is made from sheet metal bent approximately to shape, the front of the drawer being formed separately from the body of the drawer and subsequently secured thereto. The front of the drawer has been omitted in Figure 5. The body of the drawer includes substantially planar vertical side walls 60, to the outer sides of which are secured, by welding, the rails 54.

The side wall 60, shown in Figure 6, which adjoins the upright 36, also has the member 18 welded thereto on its outer side.

As shown in Figure 6, in each drawer, the rail 54 is disposed adjacent the bottom of the drawer, whilst the member 1 8 is mounted somewhat above the level of the rail 54.

Both the rail 54 and the member 1 8 are formed of sheet metal bent appropriately to shape. Each member 1 8 has, over the major portion thereof between its ends, a cross sectional shape shown in Fig. 7 and comprising a lower vertical flange 62 lying against and spot welded to the respective side wall 60 with a lower transverse wall 64 extending outwardly, in a horizontal plane, away from the side wall 60, an outer vertical wall 66 extending upwardly from the outer edge of the horizontal wall 64 and an upper horizontal wall 68 extending inwardly from the upper edge of the wall 66 to the wall 60.As shown in Fig. 6 at each end thereof the lower horizontal wall 64 extends right to the end of the member 18, but the upper horizontal wall 68 at each end of the member 18, at a position somewhat short of the extreme end of the member 18, meets the upper end of an inclined wall 70 which extends at right angles to the wall 60, but slopes at an angle to the vertical from the respective end of the upper horizontal wall 68 to meet the lower horizontal wall 64 in a pointed edge. The sloping wall 70, as will appear below, forms a sloping ramp face, for cooperation with the upper member 20 of the locking bar associated with the drawer.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 each locking bar member 10, 1 2 etc (excluding the uppermost one) comprises a flat metal strip 72 having, at either end thereof, an aperture through which is driven, as a tight, selfretaining fit, the shank portion 74 of a respective abutment member 20, or 22 each taking the form of a major cylindrical portion 21 spaced from the adjacent surface of the strip 72 by a cylindrical portion 76 of reduced diameter which serves for location of the locking bar in the upright 36. The uppermost locking bar has, somewhat below its upper end, a rivet which extends through a vertical slot 77 in the wall 58 and carries, on the side of the wall 58 remote from the respective metal strip, a retaining washer 79 (see Fig.

8).Referring to Figure 5, the uppermost locking bar (14 in Figure 2) likewise comprises a metal strip, indicated at 73, having a similar member 20 fitted similarly to its lower end, but having its upper end simply bent, as indicated at 75, at right angles to the remainder so that said upper end lies horizontally within the cabinet top. As best shown in Fig.

8 the wall 58 of the upright 36 is formed, at the level of the member 1 8 of each drawer, with a keyhole-shaped slot 80, disposed vertically, with the enlarged portion of the slot being uppermost, the enlarged portion of each slot 80 being of a size to allow the major cylindrical portion 21 to pass therethrough, and the narrow portion of each slot 80 being of a width to receive freely the reduced diameter portion 76 of each member 20 whilst preventing transverse passage of the major cylindrical portion 21.In assembly, with the respective locking bar disposed behind the wall 58, the member(s) 20, 22 are inserted through the respective enlarged portions of the respective slots 80 and the bars slid down to engage the portions 76 in the respective narrower slot parts, the bars being fitted in sequence in order of ascending height, so that each slot 80 (apart form the lowermost) accommodates both a member 20 of one locking bar and a member 22 of another and the rivet securing the washer 79 is finally applied through the slot 77 to retain the uppermost locking bar. Thus, the abutment members 20, 22 and the associated locking bars are held captive with respect to the upright 36 but are freely slidable vertically upwardly to an limited extent with respect to the upright 36. The lowermost keyhole slot 80 has its portion of reduced width of somewhat shorter vertical extent than the others and lowermost member 30 is secured to the member 36 by a rivet passed through a hole disposed immediately below the lowermost slot 80.

The lengths of the locking bars 10, 12, etc (excluding the uppermost locking bar) are such in relation to the vertical spacing between the members 1 8 of adjacent drawers, that when the upper member 22 of a locking bar associated with one drawer is prevented from rising above the level of the under surface provided by the lower horizontal wall 64 of the member 1 8 of the drawer immediately above, the lowermost member 20 lies below the level of the upper horizontal wall 68 of the member 18 of the associated drawer, directly in the path of the ramp face 70 of the latter, so that the associated drawer is prevented from opening.Conversely, the lengths of the locking bars (again excluding the uppermost) are such that when the lower member 20 of a locking bar is prevented from dropping below the level of the upper horizontal wall 68 of the member 1 8 of the associated drawer, the upper member 22 of the same bar lies above the level of the lower horizontal wall 64 of the member 1 8 of the drawer immediately above, directly in the path of the member 18 of the drawer immediately above.Furthermore, the lower member 20 of each locking bar rests directly on the member 22 immediately below, unless a member 1 8 is interposed between them, so that when any locking bar is raised, by the member 1 8 of the associated drawer, any locking bars above are similarly raised, so that the upper member 22 of each (except, of course, the uppermost) is placed in a position blocking opening of the drawer immediately above the associated drawer. Likewise, when any locking bar is prevented from rising, e.g. by the member 1 8 of the drawer immediately above the associated drawer, that locking bar, and any locking bar beneath is likewise prevented from rising and thus is kept in a position blocking opening of its respective drawer.The permissible extent of the upward movement of each locking bar (except the uppermost) is, in practice, limited by abutment of the upper member of the locking bar with the lower member 20 of the locking bar above, and upward movement of the uppermost locking bar is limited by the slot 77 so that no locking bar can be moved upwardly sufficiently for its members 20, 22 to emerge from slot 80 transversely. As a consequence, it will be appreciated that the opening of any drawer prevents lifting of the locking bars below and lowering of the locking bars above and thus prevents opening of any other drawer. Thus, it is not possible to have more than one drawer open at a time so that the risk that the cabinet will topple over as a result of the displacement of the weight upon opening too many drawers is reduced.

The bent upper end 75 of the uppermost locking bar can co-operate with a locking member of a lock disposed on the upper right hand corner of the cabinet frame (as viewed in Figures 1 and 2), which locking member, when the cabinet is locked, prevents, by engagement with the bent over upper end of the upper locking bar 14, lifting of the upper locking bar and thus of any of the lower locking bars, to the extent necessary to allow opening of any of the drawers, but which locking member, when the cabinet is unlocked, is out of the way of the bent end 75 and thus allows such lifting.

Claims (7)

1. A filing cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers mounted one above the other in a supporting frame, and incorporating an antitilt arrangement adapted to prevent two or more of said drawers being opened at the same time, said anti-tilt arrangement comprising a mechanism carried by said frame and adapted to co-operate with respective members carried by said drawers, and wherein the arrangement is such that when said mechanism is in a first condition any single said drawer may be moved into an open position, but that the opening of any said drawer places said mechanism by action of the respective member on said mechanism, in a position to obstruct the movement of said member of any other said drawer which would be necessary and consequent to the opening of said other drawer, thereby preventing opening of any other said drawer.

2. A filing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes, for at least one said drawer, a movable member which must be displaced from a first position to a second position relative to said frame to allow passage of the respective drawer member and thus allow the drawer to be opened, and which, when in said second position thereof, obstructs passage of the drawer member of another said drawer, and wherein when, from a postion in which all of said drawers are closed, said other drawer is opened, said movable member is prevented, by the drawer member of said other drawer, from moving to said second position thereof, whereby said one drawer is prevented from opening.

3. A filing cabinet according to claim 2 wherein at least a first said drawer has its associated movable member adapted also to co-operate with the drawer member of an immediately adjoining second drawer, which in turn has its associated movable member adapted also to co-operate with the drawer member of an immediately adjoining third drawer, and wherein the movable members associated with said first, second and third drawers are arranged end to end in series so that when said first drawer is opened, the movable member associated therewith is thereby displaced to its second position and, by engagement with the movable drawer member associated with the second drawer member, likewise displaces the movable members associated with said second and third drawers to their respective second positions, and so that when said third drawer is opened whilst the remainder remain closed, the movable member associated with the second drawer, in addition to being itself prevented from movement to its said second position, also prevents, by engagement with the movable member associated with the first drawer, movement of the last-mentioned movable member to its second position.

4. A filing cabinet according to claim 3, wherein said series of movable members comprises a series of vertical bars arranged one above the other in said frame on at least one side of the drawers, between an upper and a lower abutment fixed with respect to the frame, each said bar carrying a respective abutment member at each end thereof, and wherein the respective drawer member associated with each said drawer comprises a rib extending longitudinally in the direction of opening and closing of the respective drawers along the side of the drawer.

5. A filing cabinet according to claim 3 or claim 4, including a locking member which, in a locking position thereof prevents the movable member associated with said third drawer from moving to its second position, and thereby, by virtue of the abutment of said movable members with one another, prevents movement of said movable members associated with said second and first drawers to their second positions.

6. A filing cabinet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

7. Any novel features or combination of feature described herein.