US2378114A - Filing cabinet - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1945. C. VANl DoNK FILING CABINET Filed April 8, 1942 conwsuus ATTO INVENTORMk HNA DoNK RNEYS Patented June 12, 1945 UNITEDv STATES PATENT vOFFICE 2,378,114l y j FILING CABINET Cornelius H. Van Donk, Green Bay, Wis@V l' .application April s, 1942, serialNol Isaacs r, 1 c1aim. (ci. 31e-192)' y fp,

vMy invention refers to iiling cabinets having stationary drawers or trays, and more particularly to Illing cabinets wherein a hinged top cover and a hinged front panel are included to lfacilitate access to flle contents stacked within the tray or drawer.

The object of my invention is to provide Asome means associated with the front panel and cover, wherein said cover may be swung to open position to free the front panel for independent manual swing. Thus, when the cover is open, the operator can readily inspect the file contents and separate the same at the desired point for extraction of a document. The front panel is swung in the same manner as a book. Hence, the proper index tab is found, and the contents is opened at the proper place by outward swing of the panel. It will be noted that under normal conditions, the front panel remains in a vertical position holding the file material in a corresponding position for inspection 'of the index.

As far as I am aware, cabinet 'files of this general type are constructed in such a manner that when the cover is raised, the frontpanel is automatically tilted forward, and the le contents will also'drop forward and rest upon the front panel in such a position that the iile contents or index is obstructed at the angle of vision. The man terial or contents will necessarily have to be swung back in order to visualize the index, where- I by the contents can be readily inspected.

'I am also familiar with a cabinet wherein the tray or drawer is horizontally slidable in and out,

Vthe cabinet having a swinging front panel under control of mechanism associated with the top swinging cover, whereby the tray is under control `of the cover movement, permitting manual swing of the front panel when the cover is open,

t andarranged with certain spring control, whereby the front panel is closed incidental to closure the top cover.

It will be notedthat this mechanism primarily embodies a'movable or slidable drawer, which is expensive inl manufacture, and the lever and spring mechanism for controlling the movements is also complicated and expensive, bearing in mind that springs inA their use for closing thefront panel, due to crystallization, lose their resiliency and are frequently broken. Furthermore, the springs associated with rthe front panel, when weakened, fail to give the desired compression of the le contents when the drawer is closed.

While the front panel in the above structurey may be manually swung when the drawer is distended, it should be borne in mind that even though thafront panel is capable of manual movement backand forth, the structure is impractical front panel is capable ofswinging back and forth' independent of the top cover `to permit more clearance of the file contents when the file is open for use, due to the fact that the front panel does not necessarily remain inclined outwardly when the le is inu'se. The front panel may be swung closed to its vertical position after the document sought has been removed. f

Due to thefact that this type of iile is freoluently positioned at the' side of the operators chair. and the front panel is in open position, should theoperator desire to leave the chainii would be Vnecessary to push the file out f the way. Under such conditions, the front of a le of my construction would be manually closed, and the same condition would occur in theevent that the le were flush with the front of the desk.

It is alsoapparent that the manual backward and forward movement ofsaid front panel will permit the material therein to be readily nested` in its vertical position after each operation to fa.-l cilitate ready reference to documents.

Briefly, for accomplishing the desired function, I employ broadly any mechanical means associated withthe front swinging panel and the top swinging cover, whereby `the Lfront panel isl independently moved back and forth when the top cover is open. When the top cover is closed, movement of the same will positively close the front panel.

Hence, the mechanism for accomplishing this feature mayiembody any kind of llink. motion directly connecting the swinging elements, or some mechanism indirectly 'connecting the same.

With the above and nother objects in view, my inventionconsists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as willv be hereinafter fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawing and subsequently claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a, diagrammatic sectional elevation of a filing cabinet embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modiiied form of actuating mechanism indirectly connected to the swinging cover.

Referring by characters to Figure I1 of the drawing, A indicates the cabinet having a bottom B and a front panel C and a swinging top cover D. The top cover is connected to the rear cabinet wall by a hinge l having a barrel extension 2, which isslidably mounted upon a rod 3 carried by the top cover. The front panel C is provided with a hinge pivot 4 at its lower end and is preferably formed with wings 5. However, any suitable slide hinge extension mounted upon a track mayl besubstituted for. the barrelextem sion mentioned.

As shown in this exempliication of my invention, the side walls of the cabinet have pivoted thereon bell crank levers 5', the arms of which ence to each other. It will also be noted when the cover is fully closed it engages the panel actuating lever and locks said panel in its closed position.

Figure 2 of the drawing illustrates a modied form of my invention wherein the actuating bell crank lever B is directly engaged by the cover D when the latter is closed, and said engagement is effected through the adjusting bolt 1". The link 8. inthisexemplication.of thernechanismis connected to. one armpf the bellcrank .andthe wing 5 of the front panel.

In this instance, the cover D is directly connected to the cabinet by a. hinge l. Hence, said are connected by links 6 to barrel extensionsof 15'.. coveri'sfonly capable of swinging movement upon the hinge members l. The other arm of each bell crank lever is connected by a pinlto a`lirrk 8',"th'e\ pin being slidable in a slot 9 forme'dzattheassogciated end of the link. The other end of each link 8 is pivotally connected to the front panel" C through the .winniv In order to permitfree Swinging'ainovement;of:`

movement is permitted throughs the: rod-an'd-- hinge Y. connection, butf these. elements; form no partof my invention...

When the top cover isswung,downwardlyzin-its closed position, however; thefpin'.: 'l-v of.; the; bell.

crank lever. Eifr will engage vthe .rea-r.v end-oi?.-theslotA 9 and, thus,l positively; close.` the frontpanelggas: indicated in full lines in Figure 1.,

In order to provide a limited-adjustment1cf the closing movement .of the- 4panel; C,- ,I provide a set. screw l which .is adapted: torengagecthespin; l, whereby the. desired adjustment is had. to thus;

insure squeezing. or compression: of .the1'leicomy its hinge, asindicated in dotted lines. It will be noted that the top cover D, in this case, is not connectedVV by links. to the swinging front panel, and it only serves as an engaging means for the bell` crank" lever E', whereby the front panel is positively.- closed; incidental to closure-a of thetop cover.:` Hence, thewfront panel.y may.4 be.xfr.e'elyev` swung...backA and forth when. thefcover isopen',l iti beingunderstood .that saidffronttpanel, in.v all infr` stances, isfrictionallyheld in .its nzianual.swingv ing .movement, itzbeing understood that thezpanel is limited in? its. extreme outward..l movement: by.:

stops; indicated at X, .Gr.- a-rryfotherl suitable. means..

It; should. be understood! that anyflever front. coveractuating. means,- in practice, maybe suit.. ably.y encased .to presentiV smooth iside; wallsffor thcf or decreased'whenthe' top `cover Dis swung dow-na wardlyto4 enga-ge thefupper. edge-of the panel.- 0.x.

This.- featurefis importan-t, bearinggin: mind when@ thecabi-net cell .is loaded: and the parts;v mayf 4D come loose, they areethuscapableotzexertinggpresatents when .the cover is '.closed. It .is to.beunder; stood, however-,- that ,any mechanicalmeans forv such .adjustment may; beemployed.-

With particular:reference..tofFigure:2;. ittsho'uldr.

sureso Y asi to insurefproper closing;

WhileI have. shown several: formsf of mecha.;- nismior: accomplishing. the. desiredfresults; it; is; understoodv thatv I may. vary; such forms: withinf be notedswhemthe covertD is'.-svvunggopenr owing; 'la theknowledgeoftheskilled mechanicandwithinl.

to the-fact that the closing mechanism: of; the

panel issfreeffrom said fcoven,.thisspanelz-may be:

manually swung .to a-.p osition; asindicatedinl dot.- ted lines.` The stack-of. recordscontainedkin .the

cabinet box, which. mayr be tightlyg packed=,-, are 1 then i loosened so. thatt the:v operator -rnayiopenrthe same at anyy point and;swing,the forwardvolume inanangular positiom The indexesfatithis dif-- ing. the panel backwardly; tof close; un: thestackz dded to saidz thescope of the claim.

I. claim':

A filing; cabinet. comprising aabody,having.;ai`

top -cover hingedfto the bodyA adjacent to; its-rearf end and a front swinging panel hinged. at .itsplowerl end: tf1-saidv body,lmeansr operatively connecting saidcover and .paneltogether including.' aA bell.`

Hence, .when the lid. is closedwshomd thestack; @ofthe Cover. and an adjustable pin extendinafromf be of increased. volumeffromfbackzto front,.the

panel may not closefullydueto theengagementof the cover against the gend-of; the. leverz'Cf. In

this event the adjustingyscrewl wouldibe man.-v

ipulated to permit full closureof.thewcoverand said; adjustment would also permitsqueezingrof thevolume of. records from'backtofront, whereby the cover and panel would be closed-.with-.referf-

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