US2321921A - Medicine cabinet attachment - Google Patents

Description

June 15, 1943. R. H. LATHROP' l MEDICINEr CABINET ATTACHMENT Filed April 10, 1940 Patented June 15, 1943 UNiTED: STATES PATENT `orifice MEDICINE CABINET ATTACHMENT Robert lHQLathrop, Niantic, Conn.

Application April 1940, Serial No. 328,889

7 Claims. (Cl. 312-193) My invention vrelates to a device constructed for attachment to a medicinecabinet for the purposey of creating a compartment therein for .the safe keeping of particular' medicines, more especially of poisonous character, and an object of the invention, among others, is the production of an attachment of simple and inexpensive construction that may be readily .attached to cabinets in actual use, that shall be lsecure against accidental access or meddlesome entry, as by children, to its interior, and that shall have means ior ensuring locking of the compartment each time aftervaccess is had thereto.

One form of an attachment embodying the invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which-.- n

' Figure 1 is a View in front Yelevation of a cabinet equipped with my improved attachment,

the lower part of the door of the cabinet being broken off. n Y I Figure 2 is an isometric View on enlarged scale showing the attachment with parts separated but ready to be united. v.,

Figure 3 is a front View on enlarged scale of a portion of a cabinet showing the attachment secured therein and closed. o

Figure 4 is a View in horizontal section through a portion of the cabinet showing Athe attachment in place therein,

Figure 5 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the broken line 5-5 of'Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a similar View on a plane denoted by the broken line 6--5 of Fig. 3, the cabinet door being omitted in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. It is a matter of convenience to have a com partment in a medicine cabinet that may be secure from meddlesomev access, especially by children, but nevertheless there are a vastnumber of cabinets in use at the present time not equipped with such compartments. It will be seen that if such cabinets could'be readily sup- -plied Wtih means for creating such compartments a most desirable result will have been gained..

`My improved attachment, effects this purpose tachment shown isometrically in Fig, 2 may be attached toone of the shelves, as shown in Fig. 1or, in the caseiof cabinets having little or no anges at the bottom the attachment may be secured to the bottom and occupy the space under the bottom shelf. This attachment comprises a bottom plate I I shown herein of a Width substantially that of the shelf to which it is secured, although this may be of such lesser width as may be desired. It is provided with an upturned edge I2 and overturned clamp-,plates I3 having clamp screws I4 extending therethrough to engage the upper surface of a shelf or cabinet bottom, these clamp screws being preferably thumb screws. The space between the bottom plate and the clamp plates receives the outer edge of the shelf or cabinet bottom, as shown in Figs. 5 and Y6. Y Hinge knuckles I5 for the re-` ception of a hinge pintle are formed on the upper edge of the upturned part I2 and a tongue I6 is extended from such upturned part, the upper end of the tongue being bent inwardly and provided With a hole that constitutes a keeper for a lock bolt now to be described.

A partitioning member is secured in any suit able manner to the bottom structure just described, this partitioning member comprising a front plate I8 and cheek pieces or ends I9 bent at substantially right angles to the front plate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A iiange 20 is formed at the bottom of the cheek pieces to serve as a stop which by contact with the plates I3 serve to limit the upward movement of the front plate or door to its closed position. Hinge knuckles 2| are formed'on the bottom edge of the front plate I8 to cooperate with theknuckles I5 to receive a hinge pintle to hingedly attach said front plate to the bottom structure. A lock 22 secured to the inner face of the front Plate I8 has a lock bolt 23 which may be'operated by means of a :ey ina key slot 24 to enter the keeper Il and thereby retain the partitioning member in its closed position, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing.

"'There isl commonly a space between the front edges of the shelves and the door of the cabinet and the plate I8 is mounted to occupy this space and' permit the door of the cabinet to be closed in the usual manner, and the front plate or door I8 of the attachment being locked in its raised and closed positions as shown in Fig. 3 the chamber created by the compartment within the cabinet is secure from meddlesome pilfering.

To ensure that the front'plate will always be in its closed position when not in use the locking bolt 23 is in the form of a latch bolt, having a beveled end that when it engages with the eeper will cause the bolt to be retracted, and a spring common to locks of this type Will cause the bolt to engage the keeper when the nose of the bolt is positioned opposite the hole in the keeper. To carry out the purpose just mentioned a spring 25 is arranged on the hinge of the front plate I8 to raise and close the partitioning member whenever force to keep it open is released, in this event movement of the latch bolt automatically engaging the keeper and thereby locking the compartment. back edge of the bottom I l and are bent over the back edge of the shelf 9 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 as an aid in retaining the attachment in place.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention together with` the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claim: v

l. In combination with a cabinet having a compartment therein, a cabinet attachment comprising a base member, a door having hinge knuckles at its lower edge for hingedly securing gthe door to said base member to close a compartment within a cabinet, said base member having an upturned front edge with a projection therefrom to form a keeper and also having knuckle members, means for connecting said hinge knuclrles and knuckle members, means Within the compartment for securing said base member to a cabinet member, and a lock on said door having a bolt to engage said keeper to lock th door in its closed position.

2. An attachment for a cabinet having a chamber therein and a shelf in said chamber with a door to close said chamber, said attachment comprising a base member, a door hingedly secured to said base member to swing into closed position inside of said cabinet door to close the space above said base member within the cabinet, a cheek piece secured to the door'of said attachment and extending inwardly to form an end wall for said space, means Within said attachment to secure said base member to said shelf, and cooperating means upon the door of said attachment and the base member for locking the attachment door in its closed position.

3. A separate article of manufacture comprising an attachment for a cabinet having a compartment comprising sides, said attachment including a base comprising the bottom wall of a compartment-forming structure of a size having a cross section substantially approaching that of the cross sectional area of a cabinet to receive the attachment, a door comprising a front hingedly attached to the front edge of said base, and a cheek piece extending backwardly from said front at one end thereof substantially to the rear wall of the cabinet and positioned to form one side of a space Within the attachment spaced Tongues 26 are extended from the,

apart from one side of the compartment within the cabinet.

4. A separate article of manufacture comprising an attachment for a cabinet having a compartment comprising sides and a shelf, said attachment including a base comprising the bottom wall of a compartment-forming structure of a length and width to form the bottom of a space Within the attachment of a size substantially approaching that of the cross sectional area of a cabinet to receive said attachment, a door comprising a front hingedly attached to the front edge of said base, an end piece extending backwardly from said front edge at one end thereof vsubstantially to the rear wall of the cabinet and positioned to form one side of a space Within the attachment independently of a compartment space Within the cabinet, means for removable attachment of the front edge of said base to the bottom of the shelf of the cabinet, and means for removable attachment of the back edge of said base to the bottom of the shelf of the cabinet.

5. A separate article of manufacture comprising an attachment for a cabinet having a main compartment above a shelf thereof, said attachment including a front plate and side pieces projecting backwardly from opposite ends of said plate substantially to the rear wall of the cabinet to constitute an auxiliary compartment-forming structure upon the shelf of said cabinet, a base member, means for removable attachment of said base member to the shelf of said cabinet, and a hinged connection between said base member and said compartment-forming structure for pivotal attachment of the latter to the base member.

6. A separate article of manufacture comprising an attachment for a cabinet to form an auxiliary compartment therein, said attachment including a front plate and side pieces projecting backwardly from opposite ends of said plate substantially to the rear wall of the cabinet to co'nstitute an auxiliary compartment-forming structure upon the shelf of a cabinet and Within a main compartment above said shelf, a base member of a width substantially that of said shelf, means for removable attachment of said base member to said shelf, and a hinged connection between said base member and said compartment-forming structure for pivotal attachmentI the front edge of said shelf of the cabinet, means for removably securing said base member to the' shelf, and a hinged connection between said base member and said compartment-forming structure for pivotal attachment of the latter to the base member.

ROBERT H. LATI-EROP.

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