US1887102A - Filing cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 8, 1932. J. R. MATHIE FILING CABINET Filed Aug. 15; 195o Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH ROUS MATHIE, OF BWANA MKUBWA, NORTHERN RHODESIA, UNION F SOUTH AFRICA FILING CABINET Application led August 15, 1930, Serial No. 475,570, and in. the Union of South Africa. August 20, 1929.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate the filing of documents incabinets of vertical filing drawers.

When filing documents in such cabinets it is yusual for a collection of papers to be held in the hand or placed on top of the cabinet, and in either case it is difficult to examine the documents properly or to mark them for iling. An alternative is to have an ofice table adjacent to the filing cabinets, which however is not always practicable7 especially when the cabinets are arranged in series or rows.

The present invention provides a table on which the documents can be laid so that they can readily be seen and marked; said table being normally contained within a drawer but adapted to be drawn out and held in a suitable position for use. Preferably it normally lies in the drawer in a vertical position in the same way as the filing covers and is adapted to be readily brought into a horizontal position and protruding from the drawer, when required.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. I is a perspective view of the front portion of a drawer with the table extended for use.

Fig. II is a side elevation showing the table stowed and also partially extended.

2 indicates the drawer having the usual high front 3. The table consists of a flat plate 4 provided on its underside with a pair of stiiieninv ribs 5 from which extend a pair of lugs 6. n said lugs are cross pins 7 which slide in vertical guides 8 iixed to the inside face of the drawer front 3. Stops 9 are provided to prevent the pins 7 from leaving the 40 upper ends of the guides.

The arrangement described enables the table to stand vertically within the drawer as shown by the full lines in Fig. II; and this is the position it occupies when it is not in 45 use.

In order to extend it, it is drawn up to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. II, the pins 7 sliding up the guides 8. It is then tilted as indicated by the arrow, and

50 allowed to rest on the top edge-10 of the drawer front 3. The lugs are so positioned towards the rear of the table that when the table is thus resting, its centre is well forward of its point of support so that its weight, and the weight `of any load carried by it, holds it down; whilst it is prevented from tilting beyond the horizontal position by the contact of the pins 7 with the stops 9.

Documents to be filed are laid on the table;

rand in order thaty they may be easily seen stowed away within the drawer `at the frontV end thereof, guides on the inside of the front wall of the drawer, lugs extending from the underside of the table and having means at their ends engaging in said guides to constrain the table for a vertical sliding movement and a tilting movement to bring it to a horizontal position and extending from the front of the drawer to serve as a support for documents which are being iled, said table in its horizontal position-resting on the top edge of the drawer front, and stops on said guides for so limiting the vertical sliding movement ofthe means that the table is held in a horizontal position by said stops and by its contact with the top edge of the drawer front.

In testimon whereof I aiiix my signature.

J SEPH ROUS MATHIE.

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