US1124791A - Drawer-locking mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

E. OHNSTRAND. DRAWER LOOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1912.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHIBETSSHEET 1.

E. OHNSTRAND.

DRAWER LOOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1912.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STAfIlIESi ra'rEN'r OFFICE.

ENOCH OHNSTBAND, OE sYEAcUsE, NEw YORK, AssmNon TO U. s. STEEL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF sYEAcUsE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

nn-AwEn-LooKING, MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOCH OHNSTRAND, of Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new object thereof is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which will effectively look a series of drawers while permitting the individual closing of any one drawer after the controlling drawer or other member has been actuated.

To this and other ends the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view through a desk having a series of drawers which are partly open, the locking member being shown in-unlocking position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the drawers closed-and the locking member in looking position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line aa Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front view o the locking member showing the position it occupies on one of the rear supports of the drawer suspension; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the same parts; Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line b-?) Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a top View of the parts shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a section on the line cc, Fig. 6.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention 1 indicates the desk, 2 the drawer guides and 3 the vertical rear supports for the guides connected at their upper and lower ends by horizontal pieces 4. The drawer guides are preferably each formed from a sheet metal strip with a U-shaped portion serving to cooperate with the bottom and the top of two proximate drawers 5.

The locking mechanism in the illustrated form embodies a locking bar or member 6 slidably'connected to the rear face of one of the rear supports 3 by means of bolt and slot connections 7. Arranged on this locking member are one or more locking devices comprising preferably forwardly extending portions 8 each having a beveled under face 9 and a shoulder 10 at the rear end of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jen. s, 1915.

Application filed November 9, 1912. Serial No. 730,412.

7 beveled under face. These projections are so arranged that the inclined face 9 of each of said projections is adapted, when one of the drawers 5 is bein closed, to be engaged by, the upper edge of the real-wall of said drawer in order to lift the locking member 6 so that, when the drawer reaches its innermost position, its rear wall will lie behind the shoulder 10 and the drawer be held against further opening until the locking member 6 is shifted-upwardly.

Operating means for said locking member may comprise a movable member in the form of a pivoted arm 11 made from sheet metal into channel form and pivoted, preferably, at its forward end below the guiding surface 12 of the: guide 2 of the upper drawer and above the guiding surface '13 which cooperates with the top of the next drawer, the U-shaped portion of the guide serving to house the forward end of this pivoted member 11. p

From its pivot 12 the member 11 extendsrearwardly and upwardly at a slight angle, so that it projects above the plane of the surface 12 in rear of the latter, in order that it may be engaged by the rear end of the uppermost drawer 5, when the latter is shoved to its real-most position. Normally the operating member '11 is held in its uppermost position by a spring 14 anchored at one end to the rear end of the member 11 and at the other end to the horizontal member 4 of the drawer suspension. Between its ends, the member 11 cooperates with the locking bar 6, the latter for this purpose having an opening 15 therein through which the operating member 11 extends, the top of the opening forming a shoulder or abutment which is engaged by the operating member to lift the locking member 6, when the operating mom her is freed by the uppermost drawer '5 and the operating member has been shifted by the uppermost drawer. Instead of using the upper drawer, any other suitable controlling member may be employed for shifting the operating member 11, but I have found that the drawer forms the best controlling-ele- 7 their rearmost positions.

ment.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing but it may be summarized as follows: The uppermost drawer 5 is moved 'rearwardly, engaging the upper face of the pivotedmember 11, depressing the latter to the position shown in Fig. 2 and permitting the locking member 6 to lower or drop by 'gravity so that the looking devices on said bar may cooperate with the other drawers of the series. Hall of these drawers are not closed before the looking member 6 lowers, then they may be closed to cooperate with the locking member, by moving them rearwardly so that they engage the inclined faces 9, causing the elevation of the locking member to permit the shoulders 10. todrop in front of the rear walls of the drawers after the latter-reach What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a plurality of drawers, a drawer locking mechanism comprising a lever mounted to turn about a horizontal axis and extending rearwardly from its pivot and at an angle to the line of movement, of one of the drawers so as to lie in the path of movement of such drawer, and a locking bar moved to locking position by the engagement of the lever by such drawer and being movable relatively to said lever to permit the other drawers to close after the firstnamed drawer has closed.

2. In combination with a plurality, of drawers, a drawer locking mechanism comprising a common locking member movable to lockingposition under the action of gravpath of the the path of one ofthe drawers of the series and having a lost-motion connection with the locking member permitting the latter to move from locking position independently of the operating member, and a spring for moving said operating member to cause the latter to move the locking member from looking position.

4. A drawer locking mechanism compris ing a plurality of drawers, a locking member movable under the action of gravity to look some of .said drawers, an operating member pivoted beneath the path of travel of one of said drawers and having a portion projecting'into vthe path of travel of said drawer, said operating member having a lost-motion connection with the locking member permitting. the latter to move from looking position independently of the operating member, and a spring acting on the operating member to hold it normally in the drawer which cooperates there- With.

5. In combination, a plurality of drawers, a drawer guide having two portions, one cooperating with the bottom of the uppermost drawer, and the other cooperating with vthe top of the next drawer, a rear support for said drawer guide, a locking member slidably mounted on said rear support and having locking devices for cooperating with some of said drawers, a shoulder on said locking member, an operating member having its forward end pivoted between the two portions of said guide, the rear end of said operating member extending upwardly into the path of the uppermost drawer and beneath the shoulder on the locking member, and a spring acting on the operating member to hold the rear end thereof normally in the path of the uppermost drawer with the locking member in unlocking position.

I ENOCH OHNSTRAND. Vitnesses EDGAR HAMILTON, Gnome W. Coornn.

Images