US1368052A - Metal cabinet structure - Google Patents

Description

Nl. C. AND D. POWELL.

METAL CABINET STRUCTURE.

APPLIcAnoN FILED APR. 16. 1919.

Patented Feb. 8

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MILIQN Q. POWEBL, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND DWIGHT WJL; @E BRKTN, MASSACHUSETTS.

METAL CABINET STRUGTRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application nled April 16, 1919. Serial No. 290,533.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, MILTON C. POWELL and DWIGHT POWELL, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Chicago, 'in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Cabinet Structures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a art thereof.

he purpose of this invention is to provide a system of construction for sheet metal cabinets which will so simplify the process of-asseinbling the parts that, if desired, they can be shipped knocked-down and any workman of average intelligence can readily set up a cabinet of this type without the use of special tools or equipment. The invention comprises various features and elements of construction hereinafter described and shown in the drawings as indicated by the claims:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet embodying this invention with the parts fully assembled. A

Fig. 2 is a broken and condensed vertical section taken from a plane within the cabinet shown in Fig. 1 and looking against the inner face of the side wall, the parts being shown on a larger scale than in. Fig. 1 to indicate various details of construction.

vF ig. 3 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 3-3 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken as in'dicated at line 4--4'on Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail section takenas indicated at line `5--5 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail section of a modification of a corner construction corresponding to that shownin Fig. '3.

The cabinet shown for the purpose of illustrating this invention is` designed for household use as a kitchen cabinet having a series of shelves in its upper portion for storage of dishes and supp ies and a deep drawer in its lower portion with a'clear Space above said drawer `and below the shelves in which there may be installed a stove or oven forcooking. Thestructural details with which the invention is con- Cerlred are applicable however'to a large variety of .cabinets boxes or made principally of sheet metal.

In the cabinet shown the back wall, 1, consists 0f a single relatively thin sheet of metal with corner posts consisting of steel angles, 2, secured to its lateral marginpreL erably by spot welding asat 2a, as indicated 1n Figs. 3,' and 4. The front panel of the cabinet consists of corner posts in the form of channel rails, 3, 3, opening rearwardly and transversely connected by horizontal angle bars, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, lodged in notches in the inner flanges, 3a, of the channel, 3, and with their vertically extending and longer legs, 4.a, 5a and 6a, re spectively spot welded against the inner receptacles,

-face of the web of each channel, 3.

The front and back sections of the cabinet thus formed are connected together by side sheets 7, 7, each consisting of a single sheet of thin metal with its vertically extending lateral margins in contact with the inner faces respectively of the flange, 2", of the angle, 2, and the flange, 3", of the `channel, 3. In the vicinity of the shelves, 8, Athese flanges, 2" and 3b, of the corner posts are provided with, oset lugs or abutments, 9, as shown in Fig. 3and near its lateral margin the side sheet, 7, is formed with apertures or recesses shown as louver openings, 10. Since the angle, 2, is permanently welded to the back wall, l, its flange, 2", is in eii'ect a flange of said wall, and vwith the abutments, 9, facing toward the wall, 1, and

aperand engaging the edge of the luver openin at 10, .the side sheet, 7, is likewise retained against withdrawal from its position in the channel, 3, as shown in Fig. 3. Asf sembly of the parts in this relation is accomplished by merely placing thesi'de sheet incontact with the flanges, 2b and 3b, of the 4 corner posts, and then inserting the shelves,

8, in the cabinet, first engaging their front edges with the notches, 11, formed for them' in flanges, 3a, of the channel, 3, and then swinging the shelves to horizontal position-p being of definitely .calculated length in relation to the width of the back panel, 1 they act as spreaders to maintain engagement of i the Jugs, 9, with the `louver recesses 10, .thus locking the .four walls of the cabinet to- 'phanneh 3, and is formed withlouver openf.

ygethen Itfjwill be understood that the lugs or '25 similar-features, 17, acting as abutments onA abutments, 9, and recesses, 10, need -not be formedin the particular way shown 1n F1 '3. Fi 6.suggests`a modification in whic the Si e sheet, 7 *,-is rovided with `suitable recesses by. makin ic ean out. 'while a disk, 13, o the flange, of the corner post shown is forced or punched part way through -the metal of the flange thus. forming an embossment or proj ectmg lug to engage the aperture, 12.

As the' rear'edges of swung downwardly against the back wall,

1, bringing the shelves to' horizontal position, the depending flange of each shelf, 8 shown at 14, in' Fig. 2, enters an upwardly.

open channel formed ,by an offset;. 4` 1t'i-ip, 15,

A the`flange, 14, of the Shel-f,kv 8, to lock the flange into. the offset stri 45,'so as to hold the shelf securely in p' ace. J@Willie bottom shelf, 18, of the upper compartment of the cabinet containingthe shelves', 8, 1s shown with a somewhat deeper flange, 19, which in*-` 'stead of being lodged in fone of the notches,

11 in ,the channel flangesa", rests on the transverse angle bar, 5, immediately back of` its'vertic'alllange, 5, as indicated in Fg. 2.

At' the' near', the shelf, 18, -is .provide-d with' a depending flange, 14, locked in engagement. with afsupportingstrip, 15, in the same way as shelves, 8.

As the fore oing system of assembly for the side and 'ack walls depends upon the presence 'of spreader members, such as the shelves, 8, it can not beso well applied to the portion of the wallfinclosing the clear space below .the shelved cupboard. Here the back wall', 1, is formed with a flange, 1a, extending .forwardly and-parallel to the flange, 2b, of the corner post, 2, and spaced slightly away from said flange far enough to admit the thickness of the side. sheet, 7.

. The louver openings, 20, or other form of pedient is employed at the front corner post,

abutments provided in the side sheet, 7, face away from the plane o f the side wall, 1, and

correspondingly formed, louver openings, 21, constituting recesses in the flanges, 1, are positioned tolreceive said lugs or abutments, 20.I when the edge'of each sheet, v7, is, inserted between` the flanges, 1av and 2b, the flange, 1, yielding slightly to permit entrancefof the extending abutments, 20, and

then snapping back to lock the'louvers, 20.

and 21, in nested relation. A. similar ex' by welding to the web of each of the channels, 3, a flanged strip, 22, whose flange, 23,

giertures, 12,

the shelves, 8, area extends parallel to the flange, 3, efL the ings or recesses, 24, to receive the .corei spending features, 25, on'. the sidefsheet, `7..

Thus it will be understood that, inA assem-` bling a cabinet constructed as shown herein, the marginal portios ofthe, side sheet,

cabinet a temporary stability,"fac ilitating the insertion of .the shelves, 8,y for complet- ,ing'the engagement of the side walls'with the f r-ont and back panels. v c

Hinged dodrs, 26, are showni for inclosing the-cupboard section which is fitted,

with the shelves, 8, while a drawer, 27, 'is provided at the lower part below the shelf, 28, which may be substantially similar to the shelves, 8, in its dimensions and mode of securement.

`At the top, the parts are firmly held in proper relation 'by a cap, 29,'having a depending front flange, 30, whose inturned edge, 31, yieldingly rides over and locks against an abutment, 32, formed in the front of each of the channels, 3, while at the rear edge of said cap, 29, a depending flange, 33, is looked in engagement with the bach wall by itSabutmeHt, 34, nested with louver openings, 35, in the upper marginal portion of said wall, 1. A flange, 36, at each end of the cap', 29, overhangs the side wall, 7, as shown in Fig. 5, while an inclined strip, 37, wlth itsfflange, 38, spaced away from the flange, 36, to admit the edge ofthe side sheet, 7, engages the inner face of said side sheet to more definitely position it, as shown in Fig. 5..

We claim:

g, 1 A metal cabinet comprising a front sec- .tion and a back section each having marginal anges, said flanges having offset `lugs or abutments on their inner faces, side sheets with recesses positioned ,to,u register with suchabutments and horizontally-extending.,

members dimensioned to extend between the opposlte side sheets and maintain engagement of their said recesses with the abutlugs or abutments, and the transverse walls having recesses registering with and engaging said abutments anda member dimen` sioned to extend between said marginal flanges with said transverse walls interposed for maintaining their engagement with the said flan es. j

3. In t e structure dened in claim 2, the

abutments being formed by embossments pressed in the material of said flanges.

4. In the Structure defined in claim 2, the flanges being formed of angle rails, each having one leg permanently attached to the margin of a sheet constituting said wall.

5. In the structure defined in claim 1, the said abutments on the flanges facing back toward the respective sections to which said flanges pertain, whereby the side sheets serve to tie together the front and back sections.

6. In a metalcabinet, a wall having a flange and a transverse wall with its marginal portion in contact with said flange, the flange having one or more projectin lugs or abutments, and said transverse wa having recesses registering with and engaging such abutments, together with a member unattached to said transverse wall but extending into contact therewith on the opposite side from said flange, said member being engaged with the first mentioned wall at a point remote from the transverse wall, and thus positioned for holding said two walls in connected relation therewith.

7. In a metal cabinet, a joint composed of a pair of flanges spaced apart, and a wall having its marginal portion inserted between said flanges, one of said parts having one or more lugs or abutments, and another of said parts having one or more recesses positioned to register with such abutments, one of the flanges being relatively rigid, and the other adapted to yield with respect thereto for admitting the marginal portions of the wall between them.

8. In a metal cabinet, a joint composed of a pair of flanges spaced apart and a wall having its marginal portion inserted between said flanges, the wall and one of said anges having one or more pairs of oppositely facing abutments adapted for mutual engagement for retention of the wall margin between said flanges.

9. In the combination set out in claim 8, one of the flanges being adapted to yield and one set of abutments havin sloping approaches for spreading the anges upon entryo'f the wall margin.

10. In a metal cabinet, means for connecting transverse walls, comprising a pair of flanges both extending from one wall in the same direction, and spaced apart sulliciently to receive the thickness of the other wall between them, said wall having one or more abutments on its marginal portion embraced by said flanges, one of the flanges having recesses registering with and engaging such abutments respectively, and one of the flanges being yieldingly supported on its wall to permit entry of the other wall with its 1u s or abutments between the flanges.

11. n a metal cabinet as defined in claim 10, said abutments facing away from the flanged wall to engage the recesses of said flanges as hooks to resist separation of the two walls.

12. In a metal cabinet as defined in claim 10, the abutments of the wall andthe-recesses of the flange being formed as louver openings pressed up in the material and nested when assembled, with the up-raised cut-edges of said openings facing away from the flanged wall.

13. In a metal cabinet as defined in claim 2, the abutments of the flanges and the recesses of the transverse walls being formed as louver openings pressed up in the material and nested when assembled, the upraised cut edges of said openings facing towalld the flanged wall.

14. In a metal cabinet, front corner posts of channel shape opening rearwardly with their inner flanges notched to receive the front edge of a shelf, the shelf lodged thereinhaving a depending flange at its rear edge in contact with the rear panel of the cabinet, a member extending parallel to said rear panel and spaced from it sufliciently to admit the flange of the shelf, said member and said flange havin registered louver openings with their o set cut edges facing toward the under side of the shelf.

n testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Chicago, Illinois, and at Brockton, Massachusetts, res ectively, this 29th day of March, 1919, an the 31st day of March, 1919.

MILTON C. POWELL. DWIGHT POWELL.

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