US2091448A

US2091448A - Kitchen case

Info

Publication number: US2091448A
Application number: US57649A
Authority: US
Inventors: Landaw Oak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-01-06
Filing date: 1936-01-06
Publication date: 1937-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 1954-08-31

Description

O. LANDAW KITCHEN CASE ug. 3l, 1937.

Filed Jan. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 31, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIQE Claims.

This invention relates to kitchen cases, and has for its primary object to adjustably mount a case on U-shaped supports in a manner whereby the height thereof may be adjusted readily and 5 simply.

A further object is to provide an article of this character including bendable U-shaped tubular metal supports whose upright portions are secured at adjacent corners of the article by means l0 affording opportunity for independent height adjustment of each upright portion and reshaping of each support as a whole, whereby irregularities in a supporting surface at the various corners of the article may be accommodated.

A further object is to provide an article of this character with novel means for adjustably interconnecting the same with a support.

A further object is to provide a case of this character with hollow members at the tops of the corners thereof into which the upper ends of supports adjustably connected thereto extend and are hidden, whereby the upper ends of the supports are concealed and the corners of the case are continuous and complete in appearance in all adjustments of the support.

A further object is to provide an article of this character with a novel corner construction.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View of the case in front elevation.

Figure 2 is a View of the case in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the case with the top thereof removed.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View of the case taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and illustrating the interior corner structure of the case.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the top of the case.

Figure '7 is a side view of the case illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which the supporting member may be adjusted to compensate for 45 irregularities in a supporting surface, and with parts broken away to illustrate a hinged mounting of the top of the case. I

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the nu- 50 meral I0 designates the side walls, II the front wall, and I2 the rear wall of the case. These walls are connected by vertical Stiles I3 rigidly secured thereto and positioned diagonally therebetween in the interior of the case. Stiles I3 are 55 eoextensive with the vertical dimension of the (Cl. B12-1) Walls and are preferably secured thereto in spaced relation to the side edges thereof. The side or vertical edges of each wall are each preferably disposed in the same plane as the inner face of the adjacent Wall, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, to provide a vertical guideway at each corner of the case. A bottom I4 is supported within the case by cleats I5 secured to the walls adjacent the lower end thereof. A top I6, preferably of the configured sheet metal type with marginal depending flanges receiving a tensioning or stretch- Ing frame I l, is removably mounted on the upper end of the case. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, vertical pins I8 are secured to the side walls Ill to project from the upper edges thereof, and holes I9 are formed in the top frame I'I to fit over said pins and thereby accurately position the top relative to the case while at the same time permitting removal of said top from the case.

A pair of U-shaped tubular metal supporting members, each comprising spaced vertical portions 20 and a horizontal central base portion 2l, are secured to the case. One of the supports is positioned at each side of the case with the vertical portions 20 thereof fitting into the front and rear guideways at the corners of the case. Each Vertical portion of the supporting member may be provided with a pair of bosses 2@ or other means,` one adjacent the upper end thereof and the other spaced below the first at a point adjacent the case bottom Ill, for the reception of screws 24. Each supporting member is provi-ded with a pair of spaced button-like members 23 at the bottom and opposite ends of base portion 2| thereof. The Stiles I3 are each provided with a pair of spaced, aligned, Vertical slots 2t, and the vertical edges of the walls of the case are each provided with a pair of spaced elongated beveled surfaces 2l positioned opposite said slots. The screws 24 are provided with heads 25 and mount washers 28 which are pressed against the stiles I3 by said heads. The Shanks of the screws eX- tend through the slots 26 and the passages provided by the beveled surfaces 2l, and are threaded into the bosses 22 and terminate within the tubular supporting members. It will be understood, of course, that the screw construction above described, which is intended to draw the tubular support into frictional supporting engagement with the case, is, though preferred, merely illustrative of means for this purpose.

Hollow vertical members 29, preferably of U-section, are secured to the case to span the corners thereof. The upper edges of the members 29 terminate ush with the upper edges of the walls of the case, and the lower edges thereof preferably lie in a horizontal plane adjacent the lower ends of the slots 26. The members 29 cooperate with the guideways between the vertical edges of adjacent walls of the case to form hollow enclosures for the upper ends of the vertical portions 2li of the supporting members.

To assemble the case, the vertical portions of the supporting members are disposed in the l0 adjacent corner guideways of the case and in proper relation thereto for the caseheight de-l sired. The screws 2li are then threaded into the supporting members, and, with the heads thereof seating on washers 28 at the inner face l5 of the Stiles i3, serve to draw the vertical portions of the supporting members into tight frictional locked engagement with the vertical edges of the adjacent case walls. By the use of two or more securing means disposed at each 20 corner of the case, and adjacent both the upper and lower ends thereof, the supporting members are locked to the case securely and operatively for their purpose. Also, the inward drawing of the supporting members relative to the case serves 275 to provide a nice appearing intertting relation of case and supporting member throughout the full extent of interfitting relation thereof, particularly where the support forms the corners of the case below the members 29.

Irregularities in a supporting surface are frequently found, and a case will not stand firmly upon such surfaces unless the length of the supports or legs, in a four-point support, is adjusted to compensate for such irregularities. To

that end, the supporting members herein employed are preferably bendable in order that they may be secured to the case with one vertical portion 2l] in a different vertical position than the other, whereby said member is reshaped to position the central or base portion 2| in parallel relation to the supporting surface and thus insure engagement of the two button members 23 of each with the supporting surface. The reshaping of the supporting member to compensate for angularity of a supporting surface designated by line 3@ is illustrated in Fig. 7.

The top I6 is preferably removably mounted on the case to permit easy access to the screws 24 for adjustment of the supporting members. However, it will be obvious that the top may be connected to the back wall l2 of the case by hinges 35, as illustrated in Fig. 7, for the same purpose.

The corner members 29 serve to hide the upper ends of the vertical portions 20 of the U- shaped supporting members. These latter members are so formed that the ends of portions 20 thereof will be .positioned at or slightly below the level of the upper end of the case Ywhen adjusted to provide minimum case height, and the upper ends of slots 26 in stiles I3 serve asstops to prevent positioning of said supporting members above the height permissible therefor, whereby said supporting members cannot be so positioned that they interfere with proper mounting of the top i6 on the case. The lengths of the slots 26 and of members 29 are so proportioned to each other that the lower ends of said slots serve as stops to limit the extent to which the case can be raised relative to the supporting members at a point at which the upper ends of supporting member portions 2! remain above the lower ends of members 29. In this way the upper ends of the supporting members are concealed in all adjustments thereof, and the upper portion of the assembled case has the same Complete or 1inished appearance in all height adjustments thereof. It will be understood, of course, that the vertical dimension of the members 29 may vary according to individual preference, the only requirement being that they extend from the upper end of the case a dimension at least as great as the major limit of adjustment of the supporting members relative to the case.

I claim:-

1. A kitchen case comprising a plurality of walls arranged with the vertical edges of each substantially flush with the inner faces of the walls adjacent thereto, a vertical member secured to each pair of adjacent walls and arranged diagonally therebetween at the interior of the case, a distortable U-shaped tubular support having parallel uprights seating between the vertical edges of said adjacent walls at adjacent corners of said case, and a pair of spaced securing means seating against each diagonal member and drawing said uprights inwardly, said securing means being positioned adjacent the upper and lower ends of the case whereby each upright is maintained in full Contact with the vertical edges of the wall throughout the coextensive portion thereof.

2. A kitchen case comprising a plurality of walls arranged with the vertical edges of each substantially iiush with the inner faces of the adjacent walls, vertical members each secured to adjacent walls and arranged diagonallytherebetween at the interior of the case, each of said members having a pair of spaced, vertical, elongated slots therethrough, a U-shaped metal tube having uprights arranged between said wall edges to form corners for said case, and securing means extending through said slots and seating against said diagonal member for drawing said uprights into friction engagement with the edges of said walls and locking said-uprights in parallel relation.

3. A casev comprising a plurality of angularly disposed walls whose adjacent vertical edges are arranged to provide vertical V-shaped guideways, Y

vertical members disposed interiorly of said case and each interconnecting adjacent walls, each.

member having a vertical passage therethrough, the adjacent corners of the vertical edges of said walls being beveled to provide a passage therebetween opposite said iirst mentioned passage, a

U-shaped metal tube having uprights mounted in f,

said guideways, and spaced means carried by said uprights extending through said passages and seated against said members for drawing said uprights into full, firm frictional engagement with the wall edges, the'vertical position of eachL upright relative to said walls being individually selected.

4. A case having a corner comprising a pair of angularly disposed walls whose adjacent vertical edges are arranged to provide a V-shaped guide-vv way, a vertical support seating in said guideway, means foradjustably positioning said support in said guideway within predetermined limits, and means secured to said walls at the upper end thereof and cooperating with said guideway toi form an enclosure for the upper end of said support, said last named means extending from the upper end of said walls to a point below the lower limit of adjustment of the upper end of said support.

5. A case having a corner comprising a pair of angularly disposed walls whose adjacent vertical edges are arranged to provide a V-shaped guideway, means for adjustably positioning a support in said guideway within predetermined limits, and`v a U-sectioned member spanning said guideway and extending from the upper end of said corner to a point below the lower limit of adjustment of the upper end of said support.

6. A case having a corner comprising a pair of angularly disposed walls whose adjacent vertical edges are arranged to provide a V-shaped guideway, a support adjustably mounted in said guideway, means for limiting the downward adjustment of said support relative to said case', and means spanning the upper end of said guideway and concealing the upper end of said support, said last named means terminating at a point below the position of the upper end of said support when adjusted to the maximum extent permitted by said limiting means.

'7. A case having a corner comprising a pair of angularly disposed walls Whose adjacent edges are arranged to provide a V-shaped vertical guideway, a support seating in said guideway, securing means for said support, a vertical member disposed interiorly of said case and provided with a vertical elongated slot through which said securing means extends, and means secured to the upper end of said case to span said corner and enclose the upper end of said support, said last named means having a vertical dimension at least equal to the length of said slot whereby it conceals said support end in all vertical adjustments thereof.

8. A case having Vertical recessed guideways at two corners thereof, a distortable U-shaped member comprising spaced vertical portions seating in said guideways and an intermediate base portion, and means for independently and adjustably securing said vertical portions in rm frictional engagement with said guideways to position said base portion at any desired angle to said guideways.

9. A case having two vertical corners thereof provided with vertical guideways, a U-shaped metal tube comprising spaced Vertical portions seated in said guideways and an intermediate base portion, means for adjustably securing said vertical portions in full frictional parallel relation to said guideways, said tube being flexible to permit Variations in the bend between the vertical and base portions thereof to accommodate securing of said vertical portions in different relations to said case to accommodate inclination of a supporting surface.

10. A case as set forth in claim 9I including means secured to said case at said corners to span the upper ends of said guideways and vertical tube portions, said last named means being of a vertical dimension whereby they terminate below the lowest limit of adjustment of said vertical tube portions.

OAK LANDAW.