US2501491A

US2501491A - Follower for filing compartments

Info

Publication number: US2501491A
Application number: US686661A
Authority: US
Inventors: George M Beno
Original assignee: RECORD FILES Inc
Current assignee: RECORD FILES Inc
Priority date: 1946-07-27
Filing date: 1946-07-27
Publication date: 1950-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 1967-03-21

Description

Patented Mar. 21, 1950 FOLLOWER FOR FILING COMPARTMENTS George M. Beno, Rocky River, Ohio, ass'ignor to,

Record Files, Inc., Wooster, Ohio, a corpora.-

tion of Ohio Application July 27, 1946, Serial No. 686,661

2 Claims.

This invention relates to followers for filing compartments and the like, and more particularly to adjustable followers adapted to support the correspondence, cards or other material contained in the compartments or drawers of filing cabinets.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of an improved follower which embodies a unitary locking mechanism to lock the follower firmly in any desired position in the filing compartment. Another object is the provision of such a follower which can be manufactured very economically by simple bending and forming operations from a single piece of sheet metal. Another object is to provide such a follower which has ample strength to resist the forces imposed upon it. A further object is to provide a one-piece follower and locking device which can be readily installed in or removed from a filing compartment.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred form thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 illustrates a follower embodying my invention installed in a filing compartment such. as a drawer of a filing cabinet, parts of the drawer being broken away for convenience in illustration; Figure 2 is a rear elevational view showing the assembly of Figure 1, the view being taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and illustrating the manner in which the follower is locked in position within the compartment.

A preferred form of follower embodying my invention is shown in the drawings as installed in a filing compartment indicated in general at Ill. The compartment, which in this example is a drawer of a filing cabinet, may be of more or less conventional construction comprising a [bottom portion I l, side walls l2 and conventional front and back members which are not shown in the drawing. The upper edges of the side walls I2 are provided with inwardly and downwardly extending flanges [4, thus providing inverted channels I 5 extending along the upper edges of the side portions l2. This construction strengthens and stiffens the side portions and as will appear below, the locking parts of the follower engage within the channels l5.

The follower itself, indicated in general at IT, preferably is a unitary member formed of sheet metal and consists of a body portion I9 disposed substantially vertically in the compartment and having a beaded top portion 20 to provide stiffness, a lower rearwardly and horizontally extending flange 2| which rests on the bottom of the compartment and is arranged to slide thereon, and rearwardly extending

side flanges

22 and 23, the flanges 22 forming part of the locking mechanism as will appear below, and the flanges 23 being provided for strength and stiffness. In addition, the main vertical portion IQ of the follower may be further stiffened by elongated vertical indentations 24 which may be formed therein during the operations of stamping and bending the follower.

It will be noted that the flanges 22 are provided at their upper ends with outwardly offset portions 26 having their edges 21 curved downwardly and rearwardly from the highest portions 28 thereof, the highest portions preferably being substantially in the plane of the body'portion l9. As shown best in Figure 3, the follower is dimensioned so that when it is in a vertical position with the bottom flange 2| resting on the bottom ll of the filing compartment there is only a very slight clearance between the highest point 28 of the offset portion 26 and the base of the channel l5 within which it is disposed. With this arrangement, a force applied to the follower in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 will tend to rotate the follower in a clockwise direction,'and under the influence of such a force the follower will tend to rock about the pointA at the rear edge of the lower flange 2|. As this edge is offset vertically from the upper corner 28, the rocking motion tends to raise the corner 28 into engagement with the base of the channel l5, thus locking the follower against further rocking movement. In addition, the force exerted by the corner 28 against the base of the channel l5 will react through the follower against the bottom wall H of the compartment, thus retaining the follower by fric-' tional engagement against bodily movement in the direction of the arrow. By this construction, the follower is locked securely in position against pressure exerted upon it by papers within the compartment and supported by the front face of the follower.

While the follower may be locked in any desired position within the drawer, it also may be moved readily to different positions of adjustment merely by rocking the follower in the opposite direction (counterclockwise, in Figure 3). Such movement will give ample clears. ce between the base of the groove I5 and the:

26 because the rear comer of the member 26 is out off in an arcuate shape as shown at 21. If the follower is rocked forwardly to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 3 with the members 26 entirely out of engagement with the channel l5 and the downwardly extending portion M, then the follower may be readily removed from the drawermerely by turning it out of its transverse; position with respect to the drawer until it can'be lifted out of the drawer without having the parts 26 engaging the flanges M. Installation of the follower in a compartment is carried out by inserting the follower into the drawer in an oblique position, then turning it until it is normal to theside walls l2 of the drawer and then rocking itinto a vertical portion with the members 26 disposed within the channels I 5.

It is to be noted that the flanges 22 on the sides of the follower are disposed above and in eng'agement with the bottom flange 2i Thus these flanges reinforce the bottomflange against bending and provide a secure and rigid lock, the locking forces being transmitted through the side flanges 22 between the base of the channel and the bottom wall H. The locking forces are exerted preponderantly upon the bottom wall H immediately adjacent the side walls; thus the side walls of the compartment reinforce the bottom wall against deflection by these forces. The offset arrangement of the portions 26 makes the installation of the device simple, and the onepiececonstruction not only reduces manufacturing cost, but eliminates waste of space within the filing compartment and increases ease of operation. Thus it will be evident that I have provided a simple and sturdy follower for filing com partments which attains the objects heretofore noted. Various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope'thereof. Accordingly, it is to be understood that my patent is not limited to the preferred form of my invention disclosed herein or in any manner other than by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A follower for a filing compartment having a bottom wall and side walls, said side walls having inwardly extending flanges disposed above thelevel of the bottom wall, said follower comprising a unitary sheet metal member having a substantially plane body portion adapted to be disposed substantially vertically in the compartment to support papers and the like against the front face thereof, a bottom flange extending at right angles to said body portion rearwardly therefrom, side flanges extending at right angles to said body portion and disposed entirely rearwardly therefrom, said side flanges engaging and supporting said bottom flange and each having an outwardly offset upper portion adapted to engage one of said inwardly extending flanges, each offset portion terminating and being highest at a point lying substantially in the plane of said body portion and having the upper edge thereof curved downwardly and rearwardly from the highest point thereof, the distance from the bottom of the follower to the highest point of each offset portion measured in the plane of said body portion being substantially equal to the distance from the bottom of said compartment to the underside of said inwardly extending flanges, whereby engagement between the highest points of said offset portions and said inwardly extending flanges, and between said bottom flange and said bottom of said compartment locks said follower against rearward movement in response to forces exerted on the front face thereof, the curved upper edges of said offset portions permitting the follower to be rocked forwardly and released from looking engagement with said compartment.

2. A follower for a filing compartment having a bottom wall and side walls, at least one of said side walls having an inwardly extending flange disposed above the level of the bottom wall, said follower having a substantially plane body portion adapted to be disposed substantially vertically in the compartment and to support papers and the like against the front face thereof, a bottom flange extending at right angles to said body portion rearwardly therefrom, a side flange extending at right angles to said body portion and disposed entirely rearwardly therefrom, said side flanges having an outwardly offset upper portion adapted to engage said inwardly extending flange, said offset portion being highest at a point lying substantially in the plane of said body portion and having the upper edge thereof extending downwardly and rearwardly from the highest point thereof, the distance from the bottom of the follower to said highest point measured in the plane of said body portion being substantially equal to the distance from the bottom of said compartment to the underside of said inwardly extending flange, whereby engagement between said highest point and said inwardlyextending flange, and between said bottom flange and said bottom of said compartment locks said follower against rearward movement in response to forces exerted on the front face thereof, the downwardly extending upper edge of said offset portion permitting the follower to be rocked forwardly and released from looking engagement with said compartment.

GEORGE M. IBENO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS