GB2196527A - Filing units - Google Patents

Abstract

A filing unit comprising a plurality of sub-units (10) mounted for sliding movement into and out of an opening or openings in a support structure on supporting runner beams (18) which are extended and retracted relative to said structure and relative to the sub-units as the sub-units are respectively pulled out and pushed back wherein said beams (18) are so mounted that they lie inwardly of, and are covered by, outer wall parts (14) of the respective sub-units when the sub- units are pulled out. Embodiments show use as a filing cabinet where the frame is used to suspend files, a flat shelf, a shelf with recesses therein for discs, for storage of box files or with wire storage baskets. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Filing units THIS INVENTION relates to a filing unit of the kind comprising a plurality of sub-units mounted for sliding movement into and out of an opening or openings-in a support structure, such as a cabinet, on supporting runner beam assemblies which are extended and retracted relative to the structure and relative to the sub-units as the sub-units are respectively pulled out and pushed back.

It is conventional, in such filing units, for the supporting runner beam assemblies to lie on the outside of the outer walls of the respective sub-units. However this has the disadvantages that these beams are exposed to view when a sub-unit is pulled out, and that there is a chance that the fingers or clothing of personnel may become caught in the runner beam assemblies leading to injury or damage or may become soiled by the lubricant which is applied to the runner beam assemblies.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved filing unit in which these disadvantages can be avoided.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a filing unit comprising a plurality of sub-units mounted for sliding movement into and out of an opening or openings in a support structure on supporting runner beams which are extended and retracted relative to said structure and relative to the sub-units as the sub-units are respectively pulled out and pushed back wherein said beams are so mounted that they lie inwardly of, and are covered by, outer wall parts of the respective sub-units when the sub-units are pulled out.

The sub-units may simply be drawers, as in conventional filing cabinets, but, in preferred embodiments of the invention, to be described, the sub-units are in the form of open filing frames for supporting, for example, suspended files, and in what follows the subunits are referred to as "filing frames". However, it will be appreciated that it is not thereby intended to limit the scope of the invention to units utiiizing open filing frames.

Embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a filing frame of a filing unit embodying the invention, with associated supporting runner beams, FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view, showing one runner beam assembly and the associated filing frame side member, FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the corner structure of the drawer of Figure 1, FIGURES 4 to 4d are various views of a corner casting incorporated in the corner structure of Figure 3, FIGURE 5 shows various views of a side member of the filing frame of Figure 1, FIGURES 6 to 13 show various specialised filing systems incorporating the basic filing frame of Figure 1, and FIGURE 14 shows how an anti-tilt mechanism may be incorporated in a filing unit utilising filing frames in accordance with Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a filing frame 10 for supporting, for example, a plurality of suspended files. The filing frame can be pulled out of and pushed into a supporting structure in the form of an openfronted filing cabinet (not shown in detail but having vertical corners represented by broken lines in Figure 1). The filing frame is substantially rectangular and has a horizontally extending front member 12, a pair of opposing horizontally extending side members 14 each secured at a front end thereof to a respective end of the member 12, and a rear member 16 connecting the rear ends of the side members 14. The side members 14 and thus the filing frame as a whole, are supported by respective runner beam assemblies indicated generally at 18 (see Figure 2).

Referring in more detail to Figure 2, each runner beam assembly 18 comprises an inner beam 19, fixed to the filing frame, an outer beam 20 fixed to the cabinet, and an intermediate beam 21. The inner beam 19 forms the inner race of a respective linear ball or roller bearing of which the respective outer beam 20 forms the outer race, with the intermediate beam 21 acting as the cage. As shown in Figure 2, the beams 19, 20 and 21 are in the form of rolled sheet-steel channel-section members with the beam 19 being accommodated within the intermediate beam 21, the beams 19 and 21 being together nested within the channel afforded by the beam 20.

Such a linear roller bearing mounting arrangement is, of course, known per se in relation to filing cabinets and the like, and accordingly details, such as the rolling elements, are not shown. The arrangement adopted is such that, in conventional manner, when the filing frame is pushed fully home into its cabinet, the inner, outer and intermediate beams are telescoped together, wherein, when the filing frame is fully drawn out from its cabinet, its rear edge substantially coincides in position with the front of the cabinet and the filing frame is supported by the intermediate beams 21, acting as cantilevers, which extend half over the extent of the members 14 and half within the outer beams 20.However, whereas in the conventional arrangements the runner beam assemblies extend on the outsides of the filing frames or the like, in the arrangement shown in the drawings, the beams 19, 20, 21 are disposed on the insides of the outer walls of the frame 10 and are furthermore accommodated within channels provided by the sides of the frame 10.

Each outer beam 20 is fixedly mounted with respect to the filing cabinet by means of two generally U-shaped brackets 22, shown in Figures 1 and 2, each bracket having one upright of the "U,' lying on the inner side of the respective outer beam 20, (which side is the part of the respective beam assembly which is closest to, and faces towards, the other beam assembly of the respective filing frame). Each bracket 22 further has a transverse limb which extends from the lower end of the first-mentioned upright of the "U", under the respective beam assembly and under the respective side member 14, to the lower end of the other upright of the "U".The other uprights of the two "U"-shaped brackets 22 have each a vertical flange 17 with upper and lower attachment tabs which are secured, to the insides of the vertical parts of the front of the filing cabinet which bound the opening into which and from which the respective filing frame 10 is pushed and pulled. Thus the two side members 14 of each filing frame, and the associated beam assmblies are each accommodated between the uprights of the two brackets 22 and each side member 14 and the associated inner beam 19 and intermediate beam 21 are movable along the channels defined between the uprights of the respective brackets 22.

As shown in Figure 3, the front and sides of the filing frame 10 are formed from rolled sheet steel sectional members of identical cross-section, i.e. the members 12 and 14 may be formed of respective lengths cut from a continuous rolled section of uniform cross section. As shown in Figure 2, the cross sectional shape of the members 12, 14, is that of a channel, and affords a vertical wall 22, upper and lower horizontal webs 23 and 24 extending inwards from the upper and lower edges of the vertical wall and an upwardly extending flange 26 projecting from the inner edge of upper horizontal web 23 to serve as a support for the individual suspension files or the like. The beam assemblies 18 are accommodated within the channels of the side members 14 and are secured thereto by means of a tongue and slot arrangement.Thus, the major wall of the inner beam 19, which wall is planar and vertical and immediately adjoins the parailel adjacent vertical wall 22 of the respective member 14, has tabs 40, 42, cut in the sheet metal forming the beam 19 and bent out of the plane of said major wall of the beam 19 towards the wall 22 of the member 14. Each member 14 is formed with corresponding slots 44, 46 provided along respective sides of respective rectangular pressed or embossed areas (see Figure 5) in the wall 22 of the respective member 14 whereby the frame 10 can be mounted on or dismounted from the beam assemblies 18 simply by fitting the respective side members 14 over the respective beam assemblies, engaging the tabs 40 in the rearward slots 44 then dropping the front of the frame 10 to engage the tongues 42 in the forward slots 46.

As shown in Figure 3, the front member 12 is connected at each end with the respective side member 14 by means of a corner casting 50 of metal alloy, the casting 50 being of generally angled or "L" shape, as viewed in plan, (see Figures 3 and 4) with one leg of the "L" being fitted closely within the channel of the side member 14 and the other leg being fitted closely within the channel of the front member 12. The casting 50 is secured to the members 10 and 14 by means of countersunk screws 52 passed through apertures 54 formed in the vertical walls of the members 12, 14 and engaged in screwthreaded bores 62 in the casting 50. Each aperture 54 is countersunk by inward deformation of the wall of the member 12, 14 around the aperture, so that a corresponding projection is formed on the inside of that wall.

The portions of the corner casting 50 into which the screws 52 are passed are likewise deformed inwardly to receive these projections, thus affording further projections on the insides of the limbs of the "L" shaped moulding, as shown in Figure 3. Each corner casting 50 provides, over the area between the adjacent ends of the members 12 and 14, a fillet which is externally radiused as viewed in plan, the outer surfaces of the arms of the "L" which engage the respective channel surfaces being rebated with respect to said fillet so that the exposed upper and lower flat surfaces of the fillet are flush with the upper and lower outer surfaces of the upper and lower webs of the members 12 and 14 whilst the convex surface of the fillet merges smoothly with the flat surfaces of the outsides of the member 1 2 and the respective member 14.

A corner casting 50 is illustrated in various views, in more detail, in Figures 4 to 4d.

The rear member 16, in the arrangement shown in Figure 1, is simply a channel-section metal strip providing an upwardly projecting flange corresponding with the upwardly extending flange of the front member 12 to receive the opposite ends of the suspension files supported at their other ends by the flange of member 12. However, depending upon the precise intended purpose of the system, the rear member 16 or its equivalent can be embodied in various ways, as shown in Figures 6 to 14.

FIGURE 6 shows the filing frame 10 in use as a support frame for suspended files, supported by the front and rear frame members, FIGURE 7 shows the filing frame 10 in use as a support frame for smaller suspended files, supported by the side members 14 and additional bars 70 extended between the rear frame member 16 and the front member 12, FIGURE 8 shows the filing frame 10 fitted with a rectangular plate 72 resting on the front, rear and side members, to form a pullout shelf, FIGURE 9 shows, at 73,an arrangement similar to that of Figure 8 except that the rectangular plate, indicated at 74 is formed with circular recesses to receive disk packs, FIGURES 10 and 11 illustrate various card filing systems utilising the filing frame 10, FIGURE 12 shows arrangements in which the filing frame 10 supports rectangular wire storage baskets, and FIGURE 13 shows the filing frame in modified form used to support edge-perforated sheets, such as drawing sheets, supported by fixed and moving rods extending from front to rear and vice versa. Engagement or disengagement of the sheet or sheets is effected by pulling the front (moving) member 12 fully out to create a space between the rods attached to it and the fixed rods attached to the rear member 16.

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view illustrating how an anti-tilt mechanism, with a known principle of operation, may be incorporated in a filing cabinet having filing frames such as the filing frame 10 described above, a respective cam element 80 attached to the outside of one side member 14 of the respective filing frame, cooperating with a respective follower member 82 provided on a locking rod 84 vertically movable in the filing cabinet.

The other cbawings appended show various details and will be self-explanatory.

Claims (5)

1. A filing unit comprising a plurality of subunits mounted for sliding movement into and out of an opening or openings in a support structure on supporting runner beams which are extended and retracted relative to said structure and relative to the sub-units as the sub-units are respectively pulled out and pushed back wherein said beams are so mounted that they lie inwardly of, and are covered by, outer wall parts of the respective sub-units when the sub-units are pulled out.

2. A filing unit according to claim 1 in which each sub-unit is in the form of a filing frame for supporting suspended files, and which comprises opposing sides formed of channel-section members arranged with their open sides facing inwardly towards one another, each said channel being arranged to receive telescopically a respective first beam which is in turn mounted for inward and outward sliding movement relative to a further beam fixed with respect to said structure, said further cantilever beam also being accommodated within said channel of the respective channel-section member.

3. A filing unit according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each sub-unit comprises a front and two sides all formed of lengths of channel section material of uniform cross-section, said front being connected at each end of a respective one of said sides by a respective angle member having leg portions accommodated within the respective channels of the front and respective side and secured thereto.

4. A filing unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

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