US2342298A

US2342298A - Drawout mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2342298A
Application number: US416195A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold E Pearson
Original assignee: REALTY IND CORP
Current assignee: REALTY AND INDUSTRIAL Corp; REALTY IND CORP
Priority date: 1941-10-23
Filing date: 1941-10-23
Publication date: 1944-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1961-02-22

Description

Feb. 22, 1944. H. E. PEARSON DRAW-OUT MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR //6w0z.a E/QWmsv/V BY K290 M ATTORNEY Feb. 22, '1944. H. E. PEARSON 2,342,298

' DRAW-OUT MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 22, 1944 DRAVVOUT MECHANISM Harold E. Pear-son, Bethlehem, Pa.,.assignor, by mesne assignments, to Realty and Industrial Corporation, Convent, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey .ADDlicationOct-ober23, 1941, seminarians (01. 45-47) ,4 Claims.

This invention is applicable to various uses where a unit :is normally positioned within a housing and adapted torbe withdrawn therefrom foraccess to the unit. The invention is applicable to drawout units having circuit breakers mounted thereon, also to units having various .other devices mounted thereonor carried thereby such as relays,.instruments,and the like. It is likewise applicable todrawers of filing cabinets .and to variousother devices of the same general character.

The main objectlof r-the invention is .to provide a simple form of structure-generally applicable to various uses and which may be conveniently and economically imanufactured. Another object is to .provide a sturdy structure, which will be durable under longcontinued use. Other objects and advantages will beunderstood from the following description :and accompanying drawings showing certain embodiments and applications of the invention.

Fig. 1 is. a sectional view of a housingcontaining a .drawout unit with my improvement appliedthereto and shown in sideelevation'; Fig. 2

is a similar .view showing -the unit .partly withdrawn; Fig. 3 "is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig.' l. showingaportion ofthe mechanism at one sideof theunit; Fig. 4 is a frontelevation of the housing and unit in its inner position; Fig. 5 is a side view partly in section showing the invention applied to a filing cabinet; and Fig. 6 is a, similar view showing the-drawer of the cabinet partly withdrawn. r

.Referringto "Figs. 1 to 4, the-invention is-shown applied to a .drawout unit of a circuitsbreaker switchboard. iSuchswitchboards-are formed of a steel framework and provided with various compartments side byside and also-one about the other. .Ineach compartment is housed a movable unit which may support one or more circuit breakers, relays, instruments or other electrical devices. Such devices require inspection from time .to time .and occasional repair or replacement of parts. In the v,oaseof circuit breakers, the units are withdrawnfrom the operating position to an intermediate .test position for checking its performance and also to ,a :fully withdrawn position when conditions require it.

In Figs. 1 to ,4 .a portion .of the frame of .a switchboard is showniormed'ofrsupporting angle irons l andpartitions 2 whichprovide a number of compartments for receiving the, Various removable units. The movable unit of one compartment is shown as made of i3, .framework'of angle irons 3 whichsupports ja panel board 4 on tion "lb extending at right-angles to-each other.

the front of the framework. This panel supports the circuit breaker and controlling relays or other apparatus-on its front with various connections extending through the panel and removably engaging fixed terminals and connections Kinthe rear of the compartment supported bythe main frame. As such parts are well known and form no-part of the presentinvention, theyare not particularly shown.

The frame of the movable unitis provided at its top "portion and on each side with a pairof outwardly extending rollersfi which engage the interior of channel bars- 6. Thesebars are fixedly supportedbythe'main frame of the switchboard and serve as supporting guides for the, movable unit as it is moved outwardly or rearwardly in its compartment.

At each side {of the compartment and at its lower front portions is an angularly shaped element '1 having one portion 1a andanother por- The element is provided with a slot "lc having portions at right-angles to each other andextending alongthe length of the angularly related portions 1a and 'lb. The element-1 isalso provided with another 'slot 1d extending in a 'di agonal direction at the knee of the element] and displaced somewhat from the slot/1c. "As particularly shown in Fig.3, theslot 'ld'is freely engaged by a roller or cross-pin 8 which is retatablymountedbetween a pair of plates 9 spaced apart from each other and fixedly supported on the lower partition-2 of the main frame. The element 1 is rotatableon the pin ii and is also slidable on this pin during a portion ofthemovement of the unit when moved outwardly or inwardly. A pin it) is fixed to the lower front portionof theframeof themovable unit at ea-ch side thereof. These pins extend outwardly and form arfixed bearing for'therespective rollers =Il whichengage the slots 'lc.

Fig. lshows the-position of the parts when the unit is inzits innermost position. 'I'he rollers H are then .at theends of their respective slots lo in the portions ia of thetwo elements l. .The pins 8 are then at'the ends of their respective slots 1d and the longer legs =1 bare extending upwardly and the shorter legs la are extending horizontally towards the rear of the compartment. A pair of stops l2 are fixed to the main frame at opposite sides of the movable unitand extend inwardly so as to be engaged by projections 13 fixed to the portions lb when the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 1. At this time themovable unit. is not only supported -by=the rollers and the guide rails 6 but also by the rollers H and the elements 1, the stops I2 serving to maintain them rigidly in the position shown.

When the movable unit, or drawout unit, it moved outwardly from its compartment by any suitable means, not shown, the unit moves along the rails 6 and the rollers ll slide or pass forwardly along the the lower straight portion of the slots 10. When the rollers reach the curved bend of the slots 10, they give the elements Ta rotatable movement about the pins 8 and as the rollers ll .pass along the bend of the slots 1c,

the elements 1 not only turn about the pins 8 but also slide along the pins by the provision of the slots lot. This movement results in the longer legs 1b assuming a horizontal position while the shorter legs la assume a vertical position and the pins 8 are then located in the opposite ends of the slots 1d. This new position of the parts is shown in Fig. 2 and it should be noted that the radius of the curved portions of the slots 1c is made such as to permit this angular movement of the elements I. At the time of completion of this rotatable movement, the stops I2 are engaged by projections 14 which are fixed to the portions 1a and'then serve to support the elements 1 in their new position in conjunction with the pins 8. Supporting blocks l5 may also be provided on the main frame so as to be engaged bythe lower edges of the portions Tb when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. This position may serve as an intermediate test position for the circuit breaker and other controlling devices carried by the panel 4 of the movable unit. This'unlt may readily be moved forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 during which movement the rollers II will travel along the front portions of the slots To; and in the outermos't' position of the unit the rollers II will be positioned at the front ends of the slots thereby serving to support the front portion of the unit while the rear rollers 5 will serve to support the rear portion of the unit. The unit is then readily accessible for any necessary adjustments or repairs of the parts on both the front and back of the panel-4.

When it is desired to return the unit to its normal operating position, the reverse action of the guiding and supporting elements 1 takes place. The rearward movement first causes the rollers H to pass along the slots 10 until the curved portions of the slots is reached at which time the elements 1 are turned angularly and the pins 8 then assumea position at the opposite ends of the slots 1d. The elements 1 then assume the position shown in Fig. 1 and-the continued movement of the unit will result in the rollers H assuming a position at the ends of the slots '70 at which time the unit is in its innermost position.

It is apparent that the elements '1 and their cooperating parts serve as guides and supports for the movable unit in all positions thereof by a simple form of structure which may be economically manufactured and conveniently assembled. The elements 1 during the rearward movement of the unit, are withdrawn within the com-partmentand thereby avoid the necessity of any outwardly projecting parts when the unit is in its operative position. In some cases a cover plate I541 may be secured to the outer edges of the portions lb of the guiding and supporting elements so that when the unit is in its innermost position the plate [5a will serve as a cover plate for protection of the apparatus carried by the panel 4. The plate Hat is shown broken away in Figs. 1 to 4 and it may be extended to any amount desired.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the parts corresponding to those already described are similarly numbered. Here a filing cabinet unit is indicated having the usual casing I6 forming the compartment in which the drawer I1 is adapted to be closed within the compartment and withdrawn from the compartment for access to the files or other contents. The front of the drawer l'la, or movable unit, is shown as having a handle [lb and the drawer is likewise provided with a rear upwardly extending portion I'Ic which extends to the top of the compartment. Fig. 5 shows the drawer in the closed position with the front ofthe drawer resting upon an inturned edge Ilia of the compartment, the position of the other parts corresponding to those already described with reference to Fig. 1. When the drawer is withdrawn, the movement is the same as that already described with referenceto' the previously described figures. Fig. 6 shows the position of 'the parts after the elements I have been turned from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6. In this position the portions lb of the elements rest upon the inturned edge l6a of the compartment. The drawer may be further withdrawn from the position shown in Fig. 6 until the rollers l I reach the front ends of the slots 10 at which time the drawer will be in its fully withdrawn position for access-to its contents. g When the drawer is moved inwardly the reverse action takes place.

Various other applications of the invention may be made-as well as various modifications for adaptation to particular uses without departing from the scope of the invention. Instead of providing rollers engaging the slots in the rotatable elements, bearing pins or projections from the drawout unit may be used to slidablyengage the slots; also instead of providing slots within the rotatable elements,-the rollers. or bearing pins may slidably engage the edges of the rotatable elements, the limiting positions being def ned by turned up edges at the ends of the elements. In other words open sided slots may sometimes be utilized and various other changes made to suit particular requirements.

I claim:

1. The combination of a supporting compartment, a drawout unit, a guiding andsupporting element having a slot, said slot having portions at an angle to each other, a projection connected to the drawout unit and slidably engaging said slot, said element having a second slot, and an element slidably engaging said second slotand connected with the supporting compartment.

2. The combination of a'supporting compartment, a drawout unit, a guiding and supporting element having guiding paths at an angle to each other, means carried by said unit engaging said element along said paths and .slidable thereon. and connecting means between said element and said compartment and supported by said compartment, said connecting means comprising a pivotal and slidable connection.

3. The combination of a supporting compartment, a drawout unit, a guiding and supporting element having guiding paths at an angle to each other and also having an additional guiding path, means supported by said compartment and engaging said additional guiding path for rotatably and slidably supporting said element, and means carried by said unit engaging said element along said paths at an angle to each other and slidable thereon. 1

4. The combination of a supporting compartment, a drawout unit-guiding and supporting elements on opposite sides of said unit respectively and each having guiding paths at an angle to each other, means carried by said unit and engaging said paths of the respective elements and slidable thereon, and connecting means between said elements respectively and said compartment and supported by said compartment, said connecting means each comprising a pivotal and slidable connection.

HAROLD E. PEARSON.