US1768113A - Indicator for drawers - Google Patents

Description

u 1930' J. R. CALDWELL 1,768,113

INDICATOR FOR DRAWERS Filed J1me 1929 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATNT 1'1 .ToHN RUSSELL CALDWELL, on YOUNGSTOWN, 01:10, 'AssIeNon TO THE GENERAL FIREBROOFING COMPANY, on YouNesrow 01510, A CORIE'OR-ATION on 0310 drawers,

INDICATOR FOR DRAWERS Application filed June 4,

This invention relates to visual indicators, and has for its general object to provide a manually operable visual indicator especially adapted for use on stock containing cabinet for adjustment by a clerk or other person, to indicate the approximate amount of stock in any given drawer, and to advise the person in charge of the stock of the need for replenishing same.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a stock condition indicator for cabinet drawers which is efficient for its purpose and which is capable of being produced and installed at relatively slight expense, same being especially adapted for installation in a well known and widely used form of metallic drawer construction merely by the addition of a simple'indicator support to the drawer and the formation in the drawer of'a sight opening and a slot to accommodate'theindicator actuating element- With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as'will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims. In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the diflerent views "Fig. 1 isa front elevation of a cabinet drawer equipped-with the present indicating means.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the indicator.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A

designates, generally, a metallic cabinet drawer of a well known commercial design, same consisting, in accordance with common construction, of side walls 10, a bottom wall 11, a front wall 12, forwardly extending flanges 13 and l t at the sides and bottom of the drawer respectively, and a finishing plate 15 secured against the forward edges of the flanges 13 and 14: and covering the front of the drawer. This construction results in the 1929. Serial No. 368,374." 2

formation of a narrow compartment .16 at the front of the drawer, between the front wall, 12 and the finishing plate 15, and in accordance with the invention" this compartment is utilized for the accommodation of the present indicating means.

As best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the present indicating means consists essentially of a plate 17, preferably of greater length than width, provided on its front face with two or more contrasting colors arranged in bands disposed adjacent to one another longitudinally of the plate. In accordance vwith the invention, one of these bands preferably is of the same color as the front of the finishing plate 15.

To adapt the drawer A to have the indicator 17 operatively embodied therein, an opening or window 18 is formed through the finishing plate 15 at any desired point and behind this opening the front wall 12 of the drawer has formed therein a longitudinally extending slot 19. In addition, a shelf 20 is secured either to the front face of the wall 12 or to the rear face of the finishing plate 15, below the window 18, to provide a support for the indicator 17.

The indicator plate 17, which preferably is formed at its top and bottom with rearwardly directed stiffening flanges 21, is adapted to be supported within the compartment 16 upon the shelf 20 for longitudinal sliding movement, and to this end a handle 22 is formed on or secured to one of the flanges 21 so, as to extend rearwardly through the slot 19, when the indicator is disposed upon the shelf 20, for manual manipulation to effect sliding movement of the indicator. It will be noted in this connection that the lower stiflening flange 21 provides a relatively wide bearing surface for engagement with the shelf 20 andthat said flanges are of. such width as to cooperate at their rear edges with the front face of the wall 12 to maintain the front face of the indicator plate 1? in engagement with or closely adjacent to the rear face ofthe finishing plate 15, and to prevent skewing movement of the indicator plate within the compartment 16during sliding movement thereof.

When the indicator plate is supported on the shelf 20 its front face is disposed in covering relation to the window 18. The color bands on said plate are at least as wide as said window and thus it is manifest that by slidably adjusting said plate only one of the color bands thereon may be rendered visible through the window, or part of one andpart of another of said color bands may be rendered visible through the window. v

The operation of the indicator is apparent and as follows: When the drawer contains a satisfactory amount of stock the indicator plate will be adjusted to a position in which only one of the colors on its outer face is visible through the window 18, and as the stock becomes depleted the indicator plate may be moved step by step to positions in which progressively greater areas of another of the colors on its outer face becomes visible through the window, thereby to indicate to a person. looking at the front of the drawer the approximate amount of stock contained therein.- Preferably, when the drawer contains a satisfactory amount of stock, the indicator will be adjusted to dispose thecolor band corresponding to the color of the finishing plate 15 in alinement with the window 18 and the other color band or hands on the indicator plate preferably will be of some bright attention attracting'contrasting color such as orange, red or the like. As will be apparent, the indicator plate may be adjusted so that either of the color bands is normally visible through the window 18. This form of stock condition indicator for drawers is particularly useful when a drawer is provided with fixed or ad ustable partitions as indicated at 23 in Fig. 1 of the drawings which preclude the satisfactory installa tion of means within the drawer operable by the stock therein to indicate the condition of the stock.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood thatchanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction be resorted to, without departing from the spirit-of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vertical wall havf" ing a window opening therein and a shelf located at the rear of said wall, an indicating element for cooperation with said window inclusive of a vertical flat side disposed so that by longitudinal movement of the element different portions of the vertical flat side thereof are exposed to view through said window, said element further being inclusive of a flat horizontally and rearwardly extending portion slidably resting on said shelf and co- .exposed to View through-said window,

may

operating with the latter to maintain said I vertical flat side in a vertical position.

2. In combination with a vertical wall havin a window 0 enin therein and a shelf t) 23 located at the rear of said wall, an indicate ing element for cooperation with said window inclusive of a vertical flat side disposed so that by longitudinal movement of the element different portions of the vertical flat side thereof are exposed to view through said window, said element further being inclusive of a flat horizontally and rearwardly extending portion slidably resting on said shelf, and means with which the rear edge of said last mentioned portion cooperates to main-' posed to view through said window and up- 7 per and lower horizontal rearwardly extending flanges one of which slidably rests upon said support and the other of which isv provided with means for efiecting sliding adjustment of said element.

4. In combination with front and rear walls disposed. vertically in spaced relation,

the front wall having a window opening therein, an indicating plate mounted behind said front wall so that by longitudinal movement thereof different portions thereof are port between said walls, said indicating plate having upper and lower spaced horizontal rearward extensions'cooperating with said rear wall to maintain said indicating plate in cooperative relation to said front wall, one 1 of said rearward extensions serving to slidably support said indicating platev on said support. 7

5. An indicator of the character described comprising a member adapted to, be mounted for movement behind a wall having a window opening therein whereby dilierent portions of said member areadapted to be exposed to view through the window opening, said member in cross-section being inclusive of right angularly extending flat'portions one of which constitutes the indicating part of the member and the other of a supwhich constitutes a stiffening and supportf ing part for the first part, the said second mentioned portion being adapted for slidable engagement with a support located behind the wall.

6. An indicator of the character described comprising a member adapted to be mounted for movement behind a wallhaving a window opening therein whereby difierent por- (ill tions of said member are adapted to be exposed to View through the window opening, said member in cross-section being inclusive of a vertically disposed flat indicating portion and horizontal flanges extending rearwardly from the upper and lower edges of said indicating portion one of which is adapted for sliding engagement with a support located behind the wall, and a handle extending from said member for effecting sliding adjustments thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN RUSSELL CALDWELL.

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