US2058074A - Sheet supporting means - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20; 1936. G. E. FRol-:cl-l

SHEET SUPPORTING MEANS 4 shee'ts-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1954 JTW EN QN P/m W T O uw@ m W m v n l Y Z mw 6 W Y l Nw ,ww w QM r\ k L )QN @mM QN .xl ||I||||||HHV|||In|||||H||||||l|| @E HNWHIN www L V mm, E i X N oct. 2o; 1936.

G. E. FRQELICH SHEET SUPPORTING MEANS AFiled oct. '8, 41.934 4 sheets-sheet 2 Oct. 2 0, 1936. G YE, FROELICH 2,058,074

l SHEET SUPPORTING MEANS Filed OC'b. 8, 1934 4 Sheeos--Slfleel'l 5 fnl/671227 6607376 E roelz'C/z w p l G. E. FROELICH.

SHEET SUPPORTING MEANS Oef. zo, y1936.

Filed dot. 8, 19.34 4 sheets-sheet 4 NNI I I I I l I I l I I l l l I I l I I l l 1 :HMI-I IMI .lor

'III

Patented @et 20,119.36

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE Hamilton Manufacturing Company, Two

Rivers, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application Uctober 8, 1934, Serial No. '747,273

12 Claims. (Cl. 129-1) This invention relates to sheet supporting means more particularly for relatively large sheets such as tracings, blueprints, maps, etc., which are filed in flat condition in cabinet drawers of drafting rooms and the like, a number of such sheetssometimes as many as a hundred-being superposed one on another.

It is desirable that such sheets be prevented from curling up or becoming frayed on the edges ,due to irregularity of stacking the sheets, and one object of the present invention is to provide improved means for thispurpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and improved means for permitting ready withdrawal or insertion of a sheet which may be even a considerable distance down in the stack.

Hitherto many `devices in this class have operated on the principle-'of a lifting 4devicewhich grasps from above the Ysheets next uppermost of the one to be removedV and clamps them against the front of the cabinet when the drawer has been partially withdrawn. In the present invention, however, the principle is employed of supporting these sheets from below, which hasY the advantage not only of simplicity vof structure and operation but permits a greater number of sheets to be handled while rat the same time affording a frictional Contact with the sheet next above to the sheet to be removed, which guards against a forward drag on the sheets. Thus, the sheet to be removed can be readily withdrawn while the sheets above it are substantially positively both supported 'and held back, and yet without being folded more than once, and when 'desired these top sheets are drawn back into place in flat condition so as to lie in regular stacked relation to the other sheets without displacement: Y

Since the improved device is wholly self-contained within a drawer it is equally serviceable for the topmost drawer of the cabinet asV for any other and may be readily removed entirely from the drawer if desired, or quickly replaced.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the foregoing description, taken together With the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan View of an improved sheetsupporting means container, parts being shown in normal position, in accordance with my invention;

Figure'Z is a sectiontaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1*,s0mewhat enlarged, parts being shown in elevation, `sho'wing'in broken lines an intermediate position of the parts when exposure of the sheets is desired; y

-rFigure 3 is la plan view 'Similar to Fig. 1 but showing the iinal position of the parts when exposed;

Figure 4 isa section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, somewhat enlarged, parts being shown in elevation and showing in full lines the nal position of the parts when exposed, and in broken lines a second intermediate position of the parts;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial side elevation taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3 showing manually-releasable retaining means for the' container; v i I Figure 7 is a plan` view similar to Fig. 1 show ing a modified form of the invention;

Figures `8 and 9 are respectively similarplan Views but showing an intermediate and iinal position of the parts when exposure ofthe sheets is desired; and

Figure 10' is a perspective view of a part shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9.

Referring in detail to the-illustrative construction shown in the drawings, I have shown ingeneral a portion of a cabinet or the like Il having a vertical front face I2 and a top I3. The cabinet maybe advantageously constructed of sheet metal and-may house, in vertical relation, a tier of large relatively shallow drawers such as the drawer I4 here shown asV the top-most drawer in the cabinet, which is adapted to be partially or wholly withdrawn from the cabinet in a hori- Zontal plane dened by the guide-ways I5, I6 of the cabinet. 1 Y i The drawer or container III is likewise advantageously constructed of sheet metal and includes a rectangular bottom or base member I'I of relatively large area, a rear wall member I3 Ywhich may be integral with the bottom, a front wall member I9 which may be spot-welded to the bottom, and side walls 20 also'spot-welded to the bottom. The side walls desirably extend rearwardly beyond the rear wall as shown. The side walls 20 are desirably angularly bent upon themselves as at 2| along each marginof the bottom I'I to provide longitudinally-directed runners reducing the friction between the drawer and the guide-ways I6 of the cabinet and upon which the drawer is carried. Also along their longitudinal upper edges the side members 2U are, in accordance with my invention, again angularly bent upon themselves first laterally outwardly and then their free ends directed laterally inwardly to provide channels 22 running from front to rear of the drawer on each side thereof and oiset outwardly of the main wall portion 2D for a purpose` presently described. For a similar purpose also, the front wall I9 is bent angularly forwardly at its upper edge as at 23 to coincide with the channels 22. To reinforce the main front wall member I9, the bottom member I1 may be bent around the member I9 including the offset portion 23 as at 24, 25, respectively, and secured about these parts may be a finishing plate 26 having bentover portions 21 and 28 at the bottom and top thereof respectively, which clamp the parts together and which limit insertion of the drawer into the cabinet II and also provide a verticallyelongated front face for the drawer for purposes of carrying the usual label or other indicia with reference to the contents of the drawer.

So constructed and arranged, the drawer I4 is adapted to receive a plurality, frequently as many as one hundred or more, of large sheets 29 fiat-lying and superposed one upon the other desirably in vertical alignment, which sheets may generally be tracings as filed in a drafting room, or blueprints, maps, or the like.

It will be understood that the relatively shallow but large area space provided between the wall members already referred to is but slightly greater than the area of the sheets 29, so that the sheets are thus stacked in substantially vertical alignment, which guards against fraying of the edges of the sheets due to irregularity of stacking; and to further so maintain the sheets and also to guard against curling of the edges of the sheets, I provide a cover member 3) which in accordance with my invention is flexible and which I have here represented by a strong curtain-like member of fabric imitation leather material and of substantially the area of the sheets 29. This cover or protector 3D is permanently secured along the rear wall of the drawer as by having its rear edge clamped between a rearwardly overhanging portion 3| of the rear wall I8 and a similar portion 32 of a partial closure 33 for the drawer, the screws 34 clamping these parts together.

The partial closure 33 is of importance to the practice of my invention and extends transversely across the drawer atits rear portion above the channels 22 and may be bent around these channels as best shown in Fig. 5. The front edge of this partial closure 33 may be bent back upon itself as at 35 both to reinforce the parts and also to avoid a sharp edge of the metal of this part which might be likely to cut the exible fabric cover 30.

To retain this cover 30 at its forward end in association with the front edges of the sheets when the sheets 29 are not being referred to, I have shown the material of the cover sewn upon itself as at 39 to receive therethrough a metallic rod 31 which extends at each side of the drawer slightly beyond the cover and is received in the horizontally aligned vertical slots 38 in the side wall members 20.

When access is desired to one of the sheets 29, in accordance with my invention, the drawer I4 need only be partially withdrawn from the cabinet I I as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, a stop 39 normally preventing complete withdrawal of the drawer. As limited by this stop, the drawer is normally withdrawn to an extent where it is adequately supported by the cabinet but so that the major part of the drawer and the partial closure 33 is exposed. Thereupon, to expose the sheets, the cover 30 may be folded back upon the partial closure 33 which provides a rest surface or platform for this purpose, and with the cover may be folded such of the sheets 29a, if any, as are next above a particular sheet such as the sheet 40 (Figs. 3 and 4)-which it may be the desire to remove. To support the cover and next-uppermost sheets in elevated position above the sheet 40 throughout the greater part of the area of. the sheets, I provide novel supporting means? comprising a bar 4I spanning the sheets trans-- Versely and carried by the drawer to be moved into and out of position beneath the cover and sheets which are folded back so as to leave the sheet 4U substantially free.

As here shown, the bar 4I is desirably a transverse part of a frame-like member 42 advantageously constructed of a rod metal material bent into rectangular form and having side parts 43 which are received and move slidingly in the channels 22 and are integral with the forward bar portion 4I and which space from said forward bar portion 4|, the transverse member 44 also integral therewith.

In the normal position of the cover 30 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bar portion 4I is received in the forwardly-offset portion 23 of the front wall member so as to be out of the way of the front edges of the cover and sheets, and the other transverse member 44 of the frame 42 is positioned intermedially between the front and rear edges of the cover and sheets and approximately about one-third of the way back from the front to the rear of the drawer.

To secure access to the sheets, the cover member 30 is first released from the slots 38. To lift the bar 31 from these slots, I desirably provide cut-out portions 45 in the front edge of the cover exposing the rod 31 as at 46 to a suicient extent to be readily grasped by the fingers. Thus, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, the cover may be first folded back upon itself over the part 44 of the frame. Next the sheets 29a (representing those above the sheet 40 to which access may be desired) are also folded back over the part 44 of the frame with the cover 3D. Then, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4, the free edges of the cover and the sheets 29a; are moved backwardly to be received on and partially supported by the partial closure or platform 33. In said movement, the cover and sheets 29a will retract with themselves the frame 42 by reason of the transverse portion 44 of the frame being engaged by the bight of the cover and sheets, as best indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4.

Next the frame 42 is manually pushed back still farther until the forward bar-like portion 4I of the frame is moved into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 where it is in Contact beneath the folded portions of the cover and sheets 29a fully supporting these portions in elevated position well above the sheet 4U. To limit the backward movement of the bar portion 4I the rearmost portion 44 of the frame may abut the stops 41 struck out of the side walls 20 as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

Thereupon the sheet 40 may be readily removed from the drawer without substantially disturbing the vertical alignment of the rear edges of the sheets 29 or 29a.v Although the rear edges of the sheets 29a are not elevated out of contact entirely with the sheet to be removed, the area of contact is so materially reduced that the sheet 4D may be readily slipped from beneath the same, and my improved supporting means including the bar 4I, being in frictional contact with the sheets 29a on their underside, this bar exercises a restraining influence upon the rear edges of the sheets 29a which substantially counteracts any tendency to aforward drag thereon when the sheet l0 is slipped from beneath the same.

After the sheet 40, for example, has been removed, or Vhas been removed and it or another sheet reinserted in its place,A the frame 42 may beslid forward again as by being grasped bythe fingers at the bar 4I and drawn back into position, indicated in full lines in Figs. l and 2. During this step, the rear Itransverse part 44 of the frame will of course follow the part 4| and will re-engage the cover 30 and folded sheets 29a in the bight of the fold and will re-layf them in superposed position upon the lower sheets 29, the foldedportons ofV the cover and sheets 29a slipping around the part M'and falling naturally into place without any disturbance of their rearmost edges. Since the rearmost edges of these sheets have been undisturbed, the front edges `will portion of the partial closure or platform 33 movable from back to front of the drawer. ForA instance, I may provi-de a plate dil as shown in perspective in Fig. l0 of sufficient width to span the drawer and the channels 22 and having-laterally inturned flanges 49 providing grooves which slidingly lreceive the channels 22. At its front edge but terminating shortnof the walls 20, the plate (i8 may have a short depending flange 5l! which, as shown in Fig. 7, may hook over the transverse part M of the frame 42, being drawn by the frame forward of the fixed portion 5l of the partial closure. Thus, as shown in Fig..8, when :the cover member and sheets 29a are first folded back, their free ends may'rest immediately upon the plate 48 and the plate and free ends of the cover and sheets may then be moved together rearwardly by sliding the plate along the edge of the drawer to the position shown in Fig. 9 which corresponds in function to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. To permit ready retraction of the plate 48 the plate may be provided at its rear edge with an upstanding flange 52 against which the rod 3l of the cover may lie during its movement. Upon retraction of the plate d8, the frame 4Z is also partially retracted.

When it is desired to remove the drawer I4 entirely from the cabinet, the stop 39 may be manually released from engagement with the inner face of the front Wall of the cabinet. To accomplish this, the stop 39 may be pivoted as by a longitudinally extending portion 39a upon one of the walls 2l) in a bracket 53 which may be spotwelded to the wall as at 54, the hinge-like part 39a of the stop being extended in a crank or handle part 55 by which Vthe stop 39 may be rotated into a vertical position which will clear the front wall of the cabinet. It will be understood that in its normal position the stop 39 extends out beyond the channel 22 to engage the cabinet, whereas when swung into vertical position it is within the vertical projection of the channel so as to be unengaged by the cabinet. It will also be understood that the handle part 55 of the releasable stop will be normally within the vertical projection of the channel 22 so as not to interfere with inward and outward movement of the drawer in the cabinet, and when the drawer is partially withdrawn to its limit to engage the stop 39 with the cabinet, the handle part 55 will be outside or forward `of the front face of the cabinet so as to be readily accessible to the hand, and as shown at 56 (Fig. 3) ,may be swung up into the releasing position as explained and claimed in the Geimer Patent No. 1,569,010.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the details of construction shown for the purposes'of illustration. Furthermore, it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly as various combinations and sub-combinations may be advantageously employed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, the Vcornbination with a relatively shallow container adapted to receive a substantial number of separate normally flat-lying sheets, of a member slidable from front to rear along the container in the vicinity of the upper portion thereof into position between some of the sheets and other ofthe sheets folded back upon themselves, said member receiving the said other sheets thereon, and a channel in the container receiving the member for slidable movement, said channel being spacedV above some of said sheets, said member being also reciprocable in said channel to a position offset forwardly out of the way of the flat-lying sheets.

2. In a` device of the class described, the combination of a flat base upon which a plurality of sheets may be superposed, a platform elevated above the base at the rear thereof, a flexible cover member secured at its rear edge below the platform normally substantially covering the sheets and adapted to have its front portion folded back upon said platform to be supported thereby,fa member carried by the base movable into position between the cover member and the base to elevate thecover member thereabove, and means carried by the base supporting the said member in'said position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a relatively shallow rectangular sheet container having a front wall, side walls and a flat base, a sheet supporting bar extending between the side walls and slidable therealong above the base from front to rear of the container, and channels in the front and side walls receiving the bar, said channels bei-ng offset outside the area of the base between said walls.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a relatively shallow rectangular sheet container having front and rear walls, side walls, and a flat base, a partial closure for the container, and a sheet supporting bar extending between the side walls and slidable therealong from front to rear of the container between the front wall and the partial closure.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a relatively shallow rectangular container having a flat base, front and rear walls, side walls, a partial closure for the container at the rear thereof, said container being adapted to receive a plurality of superposed flat-lying sheets, a flexible cover for the sheets secured at the rear of the container beneath the partial closure and normally extending to adjacent the front wall, and a bar extending between the side walls and slidable therealong from front to rear of the container between the front wall and the partial closure, said bar being adapted to be moved into position beneath the cover when the cover is folded back on the partial closure and to support the cover elevated from said base.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the flexible cover is of a fabric material and has a rod extending transversely thereof at its forward end and there are means on the container at its forward end interengaging with said rod to secure the cover in position.

'7. The structure of claim 5 wherein the side walls are oppositely channeled from front to rear thereof in the vicinity of their tops and the bar is in the form of a rectangular frame having side parts slidable in said channels, and transverse parts extending across the side walls and spaced apart by said side parts whereby the forward end of the cover may be raised between the said transverse parts and the cover, upon rearward movement as described, engages the rearmost of the transverse parts in the movement of the cover to move the frame rearwardly of the container.

8. In a device of the class described, a drawer adapted to receive a plurality of relatively large sheets in superposed normally at condition, a partial 'fixed closure for the drawer at the rear thereof, said partial closure providing' a rest surface at the rear of the drawer when the drawer is partially exposed, a eXible cover of fabric material secured at its rear beneath the partial closure and having a rod extending transversely thereof at its forward end, vertical slots in the drawer at its forward end receiving the ends of the rod to maintain the cover in position over the sheets, a frame slidable along the top of the drawer from front to rear, channels in the drawer receiving the frame for sliding movement the forward ends of the cover and a portion of the sheets being adapted to be raised between the parts of the frame and folded back upon the rest surface, partially retracting the frame therewith, the forward portion of the frame being then manually movable beneath the folded portions of the cover and folded sheets to elevate the bight of the sheets and to frictionally grip the sheet nearest thereto whereby the next sheet may be removed from the drawer whereupon the frame may be pulled forward to drop the cover and the folded sheets back into original position.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein a forward portion of the partial closure is slidable from front to rear of the container on the side walls and engages the frame to retract it and is itself engaged by the frame to be advanced thereby.

10. The structure of claim 3 wherein another sheet supporting bar is provided rearwardly of the rst bar and parallel therewith, said second bar being connected with the rst bar for movement therewith in said channels.

11. The structure of claim 3 wherein a bar is provided rearwardly of the rst bar and parallel therewith, said second bar being connected with the rst bar for movement therewith in said channels, and wherein a partial closure for the container is slidable along the top thereof parallel with said bars and engages the said second bar to retract it and is itself engaged by the said second bai` to be advanced thereby.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a container adapted to receive a substantial number of flat-lying flexible sheets, of a member carried by the container reciprocable in a plane substantially parallel with the normally flat-lying sheets into position between the sheets for supporting some of the sheets at their forward portions elevated above and spaced from the remainder of the sheets over a substantial area of the sheets, and means on the container determining said plane of reciprocation for the member above some of said sheets, said member being also reciprocable in said plane on the container from sheet supporting position to a position offset forwardly out of the way of the sheets.

GEORGE E. FROELICH.

Images