US1590040A - Lid support - Google Patents

Description

June 22 1926,

Filed Sept. 23, 1925 D. LAMB LID SUEPORT gmc/Wto@ Patented `lune 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID C. LAMB, 0F STURGIS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 CASWELL-R'UNYAN CO., OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

LID SUPPORT. i

Application filed September 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,192.

The present invention relates to improvements in lid supports and has for an object to provide a compact device, which will not need a separate compartment for housing the same and will permit the lid to raise to its full extent.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device which will not interfere with the closed position of the lid and yin fact will aid this closed position, and will maintain the lid tight against the cabinet or box.

A further object of the invention lies in providing a lid support in which the improved device will aid in lifting the lid, while providing for arresting the lid when it reaches its fully open position and for holding the lid against falling back upon the cabinet or other articles of furniture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through a cabinet with the improved lid support shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the raised condition of the lid, and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 8--3 in Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 4 designates a cabinet, such as a radio cabinet, or a box or other container, and 5 indicates the lid thereof hinged as at 6. The closed and opened positions of the lid are indicated in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.

The improved lid support is secured 'to' one side wall of the cabinet or box and consists of a comparatively fiat lever 7 fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the pin or screw 8 and having inwardly offset end portions 9 and 10. The portion 9, being the shorter arm of the lever is provided with a laterally extending lug 11 for the attachment of one end of the coil spring 12. The other end of this spring is secured, as by the fastening 13, to a fixed part, such as the side of the cabinet. The spring is placed under tension when the lid is closed and is constantly in a potential condition in readiness to exert a lifting elect on the lid.

The other offset end 10 of the lever 7 is provided with the notch 14 to cooperate with the bill or hook 15 bent from the end of the wear strip 16 attached to the lid. This wear strip is arranged in the plane of movement of the lever 7 and is adapted to provide a surface track for the rounded nose 17 at the end of the lever. This nose is Vcompletely rounded from the end of the lever to the outer wall of the notch 14. This rounded surface 17, due to the formation of the notch 14 also provides a cooperating bill, the size of which is made to be received into the spacey within the bill 15 of the wear strip.

The two bills form an interlocking stop arrangement for arresting the lid and holding the lid in its substantially vertical position. The bill 17 and the notch 14 are both disposed about centrally of the lever 7. In any event they are inwardly of the cam surface 18. This cam surface is made by gradually widening the lever 7 toward the notch end and in providing the notch 14 and the bill 17 in the offset relation referred to. This cam or rounded surface is adapted to engage the wear strip 16 as the lid 5 approaches the closed position. In other words when the nose 17 moves oif the wear strip the cam surface engages such wear strip and serves to push the lever 7 downwardly to the position shown in Figure 1. Due to the widened portion of the lever 7 adjacent the cam surface 18 and the disposition of the fulcrum 8 and connection of the spring 12, the lid may remain closed without interference from the lever.

Considerable friction will be developed by reason of the sliding Contact of the rounded nose 17 over the wear plate 16 in the act of lifting and closing the lid 5. This friction is taken advantage of and is used to oppose the action of the coil spring 12, whereby a balanced effect. may be had upon opposite ends of the lever 7. The spring 12 may thus be of minimum strength as generally speaking, it will perform only approximately of the work, it being found on test that the friction developed between the lever and the Wear plate 16 will amount to approximately 40% of the total resistance to the movement of the lid 5.

In operation the parts will be normally in the position shown in Figure 1 where the lid 5 is shown as closed and the lever 7 collapsed with the spring 12 drawn out or distended. With the parts in this position the lever will have no eii'ect to raise the lid and the lid may remain tightly closed. However, only a small application of torce is necessary to slightly litt the lid whereupon the spring 12 acting on the lever will cam the lid 5 upwardly until the hook 17 engages the bill l5 whereupon the further backward movement of the lid will be arrested. rlhe device is intended to hold the lid in the fully open position, so that complete and convenient access may be had to the interior of the cabinet box. The disposition oi' the ulcrum 8 is also so r located with reference to the stop parts that the lid may be lowered by simply drawing the same down without initiating any movement in the lever 7.

The lever is preferably i'ulcrumed to a side plate 19, which takes up the wear and minimizes the friction incident to the swinging movement of the lever 7. The onset parts of the lever also reduce the friction and prevent the spring from scraping along the plate 19 and the side wall of the box. rlhe oii'set part 1() of the lever projects beyond the plate 19 in the closed position of the lid and therefore does not come in contact with t-he woodwork or' the box. The necessity tor a longer plate 19 is thus dispensed with.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construct-ion and design ot the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims lVhat is claimed is 1. A lid support for boxes and the like comprising a lever ulcrumed intermediate its ends to a side wall of the box just beneath the lid, resilient means coupled to one end of said lever for swinging the same to open the lid, said lever having a wide cam portion at one end for engaging the lid, stop means on the lever beyond said cam portion for engaging said lid subsequent to its engagement with the cani portion in the opening movement of the lid, and cooperating` stop means carried by said lid.

2. A lid support for boxes and the like comprising a lever ulcrumed intermediate its ends to the interior of the box adjacent the lid, resilient means coupled to the end of said lever for swinging the same to raise the lid, said lever having a wide cam portion near one end engaging the lid in the closed position, said lever also having a notch outwardly oi:` the cam portion and a bill with a rounded nose outwardly ot' said notch, both said notch and bill being offset inwardly from the cam portion of the lever, and a cooperating bill on the lid received about said rounded nose and into said notch for restricting the opening movement of the lid.

3. A lid support for boxes and the like comprising a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the interior of the box and having otiset opposite ends with a laterally extended lug at one end, a coil spring attached to the box and to said lug and normally held under tension during the closed position oi' the lid but acting on said lever to raise the lid subsequent to initial opening movement oi' the lid, the other offset end portion of said lever being progressively wider and having a rounded cam portion inwardly of its end with a notch beyond said cam portion, and a rounded nose beyond said notch, both said notch and nose being offset inwardly from the cam portion, and a wear strip carried by said top inwardly engaged with said cam portion in the closed position of the lid and subsequently receiving said rounded nose of the lever, said wear strip having a bill at one end to engage said notch and rounded nose in the fully open position of the lid.

DAVID C. LAMB.

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