US2302243A - Convertible cabinet construction - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1942. A Mn-ZEL 2,302,243

CONVERTIBLE CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 3l, 1941 4f i Dg/@15% arrwys Patented Nov. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE CABINET CONSTRUCTION v Albert Mitzel, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,821

(Cl. S12-164) 5 Claims.

This invention relates to convertible cabinets or the like adapted to provide a support and housing for a device or articles, and further adapted to be converted to render the device or articles accessible for use, and to further provide in said converted condition a working top and shelves. Such cabinets are well adapted for wide, general use in kitchen, shop, small apartment or elsewhere where it is desired to compactly house and conceal a working device and other articles while making provision for an extended working surface, table or bench.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple and eicient cabinet of the class described adapted to conceal a device or a number of articles when not in use, and being constructed to be swung open so as to render accessible the device in position for use as well as to conveniently position additional shelving or supporting surfaces.

A further object is the provision in combination with a table top or the equivalent of one or more swingable enclosure members and one or more swingable shelves associated therewith adapted to form with said table top an ornate cabinet in closed position and adapted to form with said top and shelf an enlarged Working surface with a bin or additional support associated therewith when swung to open position.

More specifically, it is an object to provide in combination with a table twop or the like, a Vertical cabinet comprising two cooperating enclosure members hinged for upward swinging and abutment of opposing edges to form an ornate box-like cabinet above said top in closed position, and constructed to be swung downwardly to actuate the downward swinging of hinged side shelves connected with said table top when the device is converted.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of my invention applied to the table top of a kitchen cabinet or the like with the cabinet closed;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section of the same, showing the cooperating enclosure members swung to downward Position with the shelves extended, the dotted lines indicating the closed position of the termediate position of one of the enclosure members as it actuates `the upward swinging of the shelf, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cabinet in the converted position of Fig. 2.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing is applied to a conventional type of cabinet, indicated as an entirety by the letter C, of substantially waist height and provided, as shown, with a base 4, vertical side walls 5, a vertical rear wall 6, and a pair of hinged doors I adapted to close the front of said cabinet and conceal the shelves 8 and utensils or articles disposed on said shelves or otherwise housed within the cabinet C. It will, of course, be understood that my convertible cabinet structure may be associated with a working surface or top of any table, bench or other device having a supported, substantially horizontal working surface.

Cabinet C, as shown, has a top made up of two boards or equivalent members -9 and I0. The lower top member 9 is preferably of the width of the side walls 5 and has secured flush against the top thereof the upper horizontal board I0 which, as shown, is somewhat shorter and slightly narrower than lower member 9. The upper board I0 is secured to member 9 with its front and rear edges IIlb spaced inwardly a short distance from the corresponding edges of top member 9 and with its side edges I0a spaced for some distance inwardly from the side edges of member 9.

The member I0 forms a working surface upon which various articlesl or a machine or device may be supported for working, and, as illustrated, a food mixer M is shown mounted thereon.

Hinged to each of the side edges Illa are shelves I I of widths equal to the width of the Working top I0. The hinges I2 for said shelves are applied as shown in Fig. 2 with their axes disposed at the top of top member IU so that the shelves II when swung downwardly may be disposed in the plane of the top member I0 as continuations or extensions of the working surface, it being understood that shelves II are of similar thickness to the member I0. In horizontal positions shelves II rest upon the end portions of top member 9 and with the cooperation of the attached hinged leaves are supported thereby.

A pair of semi-box-like enclosure members I3 are hinged to the side edges of the top member 9 and cooperate when closed to form an ornate housing for the device or articles supported on working top I0 as well as a means for concealing enclosure members as Well as illustrating an in- 55 and actuating shelves II. Each of the enclosure members I3 is provided with a front wall I3a, a

similar rear wall I3b, a top wall I3c and a side wall I3d, said side walls I3d forming the ends of the housing when the cooperating members or sections I3 are disposed in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1. The front and rear walls I2a and I3b, respectively, of each enclosure member are spaced apart to snugly surround the front and rear edges of shelves II and to embrace at their lower edges when closed, the front and rear edges IIlb of the working top IIJ Vresting upon the adjacent marginal longitudinal portions of the lower top member 9 and being supported thereon. In such position the two enclosure sections I3 preferably abut at their opposing front, top and .back edges forming a continuous enclosure about the working top I0. The hinges I@ for enclosure sections I3 are secured, as shown in Fig. 2, to the side ends of lower board 9 with the axes of the hinges disposed some distance outwardly and a short distance below the axes of hinges I2, although in parallel relationship therewith.

On the inner surfaces of boththe front and rear walls I3a and I3b of each of the enclosure members and adjacent the tops I3c thereof and spaced from the side walls I3cZ a distance slightly greater than the thickness of shelves I I, are shelfretaining studs I5 which may, if desired, have rubber covere-d heads and which may be screwed or otherwise secured into the walls I3a and I3b.

The front walls I3a of the two enclosure sections are preferably provided with aligned handles or knobs I6 to facilitate swinging of the enclosure members fromvthe upper or closed position outwardly and downwardly to the positions shown in Fig. 2.

In converting my cabinet from the usual ornate closed position shown in Fig. l1 to the working position of Fig. 2, the two enclosure sections I3 are swung outwardly and downwardly on hinges I4 to the position shown in Fig. 2 with the side walls I3d or ends resting against the vertical walls or legs 5 of the supporting cabinet or table structure. To prevent marring of the walls, small cushioning studs II may be provided at appropriate points on cabinet or table walls 5. The two sections I3 may be conveniently swung in unison to the converted position by using the fingers of two hands simultaneously for swinging the sections I3 outwardly in opposite directions.

By reference to the dotted positions of the enclosure members and shelf members II in Fig. 2, it will be noted that the shelves I I when the device s closed are disposed with their outer ends contacting the side walls I3d of the enclosure members and standing upwardly in slightly less than perpendicular relation to the working top I0 and disposed outwardly of the shelf-retaining studs I5, said studs preventing swinging of the shelves II to a complete vertical position in the closing of the sections I3. Thus, when the enclosure sections I3 are opened, shelves II swing by gravity with the enclosure members contacting the side walls I 3d at different areas along the surface thereof until the enclosure members I3 are in the completely open position shown in Fig. 2 when the bottom of the shelf members lie ush against the lower table top member 9 and are supported thereby with the help of hinges Illa, forming at that time extensions of the working top I0 and lying in the same plane therewith, and together more than doubling the working surface then provided.

In the upward swinging movement of the enclosure sections I3. due to the relationship of the axes of r shelf hinges Illa and enclosure-sectionhinges III, the shelves swing in unison with the sections I3, and their outer edges or ends are spaced some little distance from the top walls I3c of the enclosure sections (see Fig. 2) until sections I3 are swung upwardly substantially past the dotted position indicated as X and into a D0- sition close to the closed position At such time the shelf members I I at their outer ends lie ush against the side walls i3d of the enclosure seotions a slight distance below the shelf-retaining studs I5, whereupon the final closing movement of the sections I3 through the relationship of the axes of hinges Illa and I4 causes relative projection of the shelves II upwardly with reference to enclosure members I3, confining the ends of shelves II between the shelf-retaining studs I5 and the side walls I3d and thereby preventing the shelves from continuing to swing upwardly to the vertical position and retaining the shelves in the position previously described where gravity will cause downward swinging of said shelves in unison with said sections when my device is opened.

In the closed position the device or articles supported or mounted on the working top I0, as well as the shelves I I, are completely covered and hidden by an ornate appearing cabinet comprising the table top (members 9 and I0) and the enclosure sections I3.

It will, of course, be understood that an integral piece comprising a working top may be substituted for the two boards 9 and I0 utilized, provided with rabbeted edges or other equivalent construction to receive and support the shelves II in horizontal extended position and to provide for the relations of the hinged axes of hinges IIJa and I4, as previously related.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a simple, comparatively inexpensive and eicient ornamental cabinet quickly convertible from a closed housing position to a working position rendering accessible devices or articles disposed therein and providing additional working surfaces such as shelves as well as bins or additionalshelving provided by the enclosure members I3 in their converted positions.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a table or the like having a horizontal top,convertible cabinet structure comprising, a swingable shelf hinged to one of the side edges of said top for disposition horizontally at the side of said -top and also for disposition in upstanding position, means associated with said top for supporting said shelf in horizontal position, and a box-like enclosure member having a front, a top and an end wall hinged from the upper portion of said table on an axis adjacent to and parallel to the axis of said shelf, said enclosure member covering at least, a portion of said top and forming a housing in conjunction therewith in its normal position, said housing concealingsaid shelf disposed in upstanding position, the hinge means for said enclosure being permissive of swinging movement of said enclosure through approximately degrees to permit swinging of said enclosure member to a position at the side of and below said top.

2. In combination with a table or the like having a horizontal top, convertible cabinet structure comprising, a swingable shelf hinged to one of the side edges of said top for disposition horizontally, substantially in the plane of said top and also for disposition in opstanding position, and a box-like enclosure member having a front, a rear, a top and an end wall hinged to said table or the like on an axis disposed outwardly of and somewhat below but in parallel relation with the axis of said shelf hinge, the front and rear walls of said enclosure member being spaced apart to straddle said shelf, and said enclosure member being swingable above said top to cooperate therewith in forming a housing, said end wall of said enclosure member being disposed to engage said shelf and raise the same in such upward swinging movement, and said top having means underlying said shelf to support the same in substantially horizontal position.

3. A convertible cabinet comprising, a horizontal top, a shelf hinged to one of the side edges of said top for positioning horizontally and also for disposal in upstanding position, a pair of boxlike cooperating enclosure members each having a front wall, a top wall and an end wall, said enclosure members being each approximately half the length of said top to cover the same together and to form a housing thereover, the end walls of said enclosure members being hinged at their lower edges to said top on axes below the working surface of said top and disposed outwardly from the side edges of said working surface, the end walls of said enclosure members being wider than said shelf and one of said enclosure members housing said shelf and swinging the same upwardly when said cabinet is closed, and means for limiting the upward swinging of said shelf to a position short of the vertical.

4. A convertible cabinet comprising, a horizontal top, a pair of shelves hinged to the respective side edges of said top for positioning horizontally and also for disposal in upstanding position extending above said top, said top hav' ing means for underlying said shelves to support the same in substantially horizontal positions, a pair of box-like cooperating enclosure members each having a front wall, a top wall and an end wall, said enclosure members being each approximately half the length of said top to cover the same together and to form a housing thereover, the end walls of said enclosure members being hinged at their lower edges to said top on axes disposed somewhat below and outwardly of but in parallel relation with the axes of said shelves, the hinges for said enclosure members being permissive of approximately 180 degrees swinging movement, the front edge of each of said shelves being disposed slightly inwardly of the vertical plane defined by the inner side of the front wall of the corresponding enclosure member, and the end wall of each of said enclosure members being disposed to contact and upwardly swing the adjacent shelf when said enclosure member is raised to its normal position, and means for limiting the upward swinging movement of said shelves to a position slightly short of the vertical.

5. In combination with a table or the like having a horizontal top provided with a rabbeted side edge, a shelf hinged to the upper portion of said rabbeted edge and disposable horizontally substantially flush with said top, the horizontal portion of said rabbeted edge supporting said shelf when in such position, and a box-like enclosure member having a front, a top and an end wall, said end wall being hinged to the lower and outwardly disposed portion of said rabbeted edge on an axis parallel to the hinge axis of said shelf, said enclosure concealing said shelf when swung to a position above said top, said end wall of said enclosure in upward swinging movement engaging said shelf to raise the same to an upstanding position.

ALBERT MITZEL.

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