US2566186A

US2566186A - Rotatably mounted drawer

Info

Publication number: US2566186A
Authority: US
Inventors: Glenn D Gillett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-04-24
Filing date: 1947-04-24
Publication date: 1951-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 1968-08-28

Description

Aug. 28, 1951 4 G. D. GILLETT 2,565,186

ROTATABLY MOUNTED DRAWER Filed April 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

/ IN VEN TOR.

GLENN D. G/LLETT BY Arron/v5) G. D. GILLETT ROTATABLY MOUNTED DRAWER Aug. 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1947 INVENTOR. GLENN 0. GILLET'T ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1951 ROTATABLY MOUNTED DRAWER Glenn D. Gillett, Belle Haven, Va., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy pplica ion pri 2 1947, Ser al No- 439 8 This invention relates particularly to improvements in slides for supporting withdrawable f components in cabinets and the like. A

' An object of the invention is to provide a movmovable supports, and

able support that is sturdy and dependable, simpie to operate, and easy and inexpensive to make. Another object is to provide a support whereby the object supported can be moved substantially horizontally, and can also be rotated about an axis.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as, its construction, arrangement and operation, will be apparent from the following description and claims in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation view of one form of drawer slide embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view show-. ing the individual .parts of the drawer slide of Fig. 1. in spaced relationship, to clarify the manher in which the parts cooperate; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of the latch operating mechanism for the latchpins shown in Figs. l and 2, illustrated in inverted position for convenience in viewing the parts. t

It is frequently desirable to install material or equipment in the drawers of a cabinet, or. the like, in order to talt eadvantage of the economy of space afforded by this arrangement and also in order to make the equipment accessible for reference, adjustment, repairs, or maintenance, as the nature of the equipment may require or permit. For example, the practice is widespread to store plans, literature, and correspondence in filing cabinets, the drawers of which are supported on track-like structures that permitmore or less complete withdrawal of the drawers from the housing structure while still offering support for the weight of said drawers. It is also becoming increasingly the practice to mount the components of mechanisms, especially of those that are electrical or electronic in character, in structures of this fundamentaltype. The particular advantage of so doing lies in the accessibility of units when necessity arises to replace electronic tubes and so forth, without requiring the provision ofpermanent (and otherwise wasted) access spaces above and around each unit of the equipment.

I -he present invention greatly augments the convenience afforded by the drawer-in-cabinet construction, in that it makes Possible the orientation of each unit (drawer) in a plurality of positions so that the front, back, top and bottom 8 Claims. (01.1 312-323) a are equally accessible, and any of these canbe placed in the most' advantageousposition for the work to be accomplished. For example, in.elec

jtronic equipment particularly, while electronic tubes are known to be of limited life, and the provision of easy access to such tubes is of paramount importance, it is nevertheless also very desirable to be able to replace or change other circuit components which may become exhausted or which may not be suitable for a new condition of operation that was not anticipated'at the time the unit was originally assembled. The complexity of circuits ineurrent use, and other considerations such as the need for shielding certaincomponents and the desirability of keeping lengths of connections to a minimum, preclude'mounting many of the circuit elements on the top of the chassis, and recourse must be had to sub-chassis installation. It is therefore highly desirable to be able to position the unit so that its normally-under side is at the front or on top for ease in working thereon.

The manner in which the present invention enables this'to be done will beevident from the following description and from the annexed drawing, in which I0 is a case slide} adapted to be fixedly installed in the case or housing of the cabinet. rollers M which enable it to roll within case slide l0, and it is a pan slide adapted to roll on rollers I4 and to carry pan support 18 rotatably mounted on support pin 2!].

Pan slide [6 is also provided with one or more latch pins 22 hat engage any of a plurality of holes 24, per mitting pan support l8 to be placed in one of several positions and locked in place through engagement ofa' pin 22 in a selected hole 24. Disengagement of pins 22 from holes 24 can be er.- fected by exerting thrust directed to the right (as viewed in Fig. 3)on;1atch-operating bar 26 against the tensionof spring 38. Thoconstruc tion of the latch mechanism as shown in Fig. ,3 is merely one of many possible arrangements, but it has been found to be convenient to make and to use. Bar 26 is slidably attached to pan slide l6 by the engagement of slots 30 in said bar with pins or rivets 28 that are firmly fastened to said pan slide, and is. normally urged to the left by tension o pr .8, act twe n. ea moun ed on the pan slide and tab 36 on the latchoper ating bar. Bar 25 also carries inclined members 32 which engage latch pins. 2.2 atslots 3:14 formed in the latch pins, so that displacement of bar 2 6 to the right causes. upward movementof. pins 32 (asviewedinFig. a This motionin t efae;

I2 is an extension slide provided with v tual installation results in withdrawal of pins 22 from holes 24, thereby freeing pan support l8 for rotation about support pin 20. Conversely, the release of bar 26 permits spring 38 to draw the said bar to the left and to cause downward motion of pins 22 (as viewed in Fig. 3), which corresponds to the urging of said pins into engagement with holes 24 in the actual installation. The usual installation comprises a right-and a left-hand member of the kind described, providing bilateral support for the equipment carried. It may be convenient in some cases to omit the latching provision on either side so as to facilitate operation by one person. Obviously, the slides and the rotable coupling thereto of pan support 18 can be made in a variety of ways without materially departing from the principle underlying this invention. For example, the sup- 7 port for a lightweight and inexpensive item might comprise a plain fiat or angle member of metal or wood, adapted to slidelengthwise in a groove provided in the. housing of the cabinet, and pro: vided with a hole instead of pin 20, to receive either end of a rod that passes through or under the equipment being supported and that is fastened thereto. A more elaborate variation for heavy equipment might have ball-bearing mounting instead of pin and might also have carefully machined ball races and bearing balls substituted for the substantially fiat track surfaces of slides 10, l2, l6 and for rollers I4, respectively. In any event, if the supported equipment is relatively heavy, it is desirable for support pin 20 or the equivalent to be approximately aligned with the center of gravity of the equipment in order to minimize the upsetting tendency of unbalanced weight. Provision can also be made in a variety of ways for ensuring that the left-and righthand members of a pair of slides advance substantially equal distances from the housing of the cabinet when the assembly is withdrawn, so that the equipment is not cocked laterally. One way to do so is to couple the rearward ends of left and right pan slides by a rigid member fixedly attached to both of them.

In the stowed position, slides l0, l2, and it are substantially co-extensive, whereas in the extended position pan slide l6 projects beyond extension slide l2 about one-half of its length, while extension slide l2 projects beyond case slide l0 about one-half of its length. It is usually convenient to provide, on the equipment supported by pan support [8, handles upon which tractive effort may 'beexerted to withdraw the equipment from the stowed to the extended position, but in case it is desired not to install handles on the equipment, another arrangement may be adopted such as the provision of a front plate joining left and'right pan slides I6 and having a handle or handles thereon.

In operation, the drawer containing the equipment is withdrawn from the cabinet structure by grasping the aforementioned handle or handles and pulling the movable assembly outward. As thus is done, rollers [4 roll within case slide l0 and carry with them extension slide 12, on which they are rotatably mounted. Pan slide I6 simultaneously rolls on rollers l4, thereby progressing outward substantially twice as fast as does extension slide 12, so that at complete extension of the movable assembly the extension slide is in substantially mid-position between case slide I0. and pan slide it, enabling it to continue to support the weight of the latter. Latches of any convenient type may optionally be provided for securing the movable members in the stowed or in the extended position.

When the slides are sufliciently extended, the operator may apply thrust to latch-operating bar 26 by pressure of a forefinger in the direction of further extension of the slides, and this results in transverse motion of latch pins 22, causing disengagement of the pins from holes 24 in pan support l8. The pan support and the equipment mounted thereon are then free to rotate about support pin 20, and the user can readily cause such rotation to take place until a desired orientation of the parts is achieved, whereupon he releases bar 26, and spring 38 urges it in the opposite direction, causing pins 22 to engage with other holes 24 at locations compatible with such desired orientation. For replacing the equipment within the cabinet, similar steps are taken in reverse sequence.

Changes can be made in the above-described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims. j

The invention described herein may be manu factured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim: V

1. A horizontally slidable and vertical-1y tippable drawer support comprising slidable supporting means; drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means; locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at any selected one of a plurality of angles with th horizontal; and means for releasing said looking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a position at said one angle to a position at another such angle; said locking means comprising aperture-providing means at tached to said drawer-supporting means, means movable into and out of the apertures of said aperture-providing means, and means for moving said movable means.

2. A horizontally slidable and vertically tippable drawer support comprising slidable supporting means; drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means; locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at any selected one of a plurality of angles with the horizontal; and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a position at said one angle to a position at another such angle; said locking means comprising aperture-providing means attached to said drawer-supporting means, means movable into and out of the apertures of said aperture-providing means, and means for moving said movable means, said apertures being circumferentially disposed about the axis of rotation of said drawer-supporting means. 1

3. A horizontally slidable and vertically tippable drawer support comprising slidable supporting means; drawersupporting means rotatably carried bysaid slidable means; locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at any selected one of a plurality of angles with the horizontal; and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby canbe moved from a position at said one angle to a position at another such angle; said locking means comprising an element having apertures disposed on a circle th center of which is on the axis of rotation of said drawer-supporting means, pins supported by said slidable means and movable into and out of said apertures, and means for moving said pins.

4. In a structure including a movable drawer supported upon a horizontally slidable and vertically tippable drawer support, the improvement comprising slidable supporting means for supporting the weight of the drawer in an extended position, drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means, locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at an angle with the horizontal, and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawersupporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a tilted position at said angle to a tilted position at another angle or to a horizontal position, said releasing means comprising an element movable in the direction of extension from the structure of said slidable supporting means for effecting release of said locking means.

5. In a structure including a movable drawer supported upon a horizontally slidable and vertically tippable drawer support, the improvement comprising slidable supporting means for supporting the weight of the drawer in an extended position, drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means, locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at a plurality of angles with the horizontal and in a horizontal position, and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a tilted position at said angle to a tilted position at another angle or to a horizontal position, said releasing means comprising an element movable in the direction of extension from the structure of said slidable supporting means for effecting release of said locking means.

6. In a structure including a movable drawer supported upon a horizontally slidable and vertically tippable drawer support, the improvement comprising slidable supporting means for supporting the weight of'the drawer in an extended position; drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means; locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at a plurality of angles with the horizontal and in a horizontal position; and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a tilted position at said angle to a tilted position at another angle or to a horizontal position; said locking means comprising aperture-providing means attached to said drawersupporting means, means movable into and out of the apertures of said aperture-providing means, and means for moving said movable means; and said releasing means comprising an element movable in the direction of extension from the structure of said slidable supporting means for effecting release of said locking means.

7. In a structure including a movable drawer supported upon a horizontally slidable and vertically tiltable drawer support, the improvement comprising slidable supporting means for supporting the weight of the drawer in an extended position; drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means; locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at a plurality of angles with the horizontal and in. a horizontal position; and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a tilted position at said angle to a tilted position at another angle or to a horizontal position; said locking means comprising apertureproviding means attached to said drawersupporting means, means movable into and out of the apertures of said aperture-providing means, and means for moving said movable means, said apertures being circumferentially disposed about the axis of rotation of said drawersupporting means; and said releasing means comprising an element movable in the direction of extension from the structure of said slidable supporting means for efiecting release of said locking means.

8. In a structure including a movable drawer supported upon a horizontally slidable and vertically tippable drawer support, the improvement comprising slidable supporting means for supporting the weight of the drawer in an extended position; drawer-supporting means rotatably carried by said slidable means; locking means for locking said drawer-supporting means at a plurality of angles with the horizontal and in a horizontal position; and means for releasing said locking means whereby said drawer-supporting means and a drawer supported thereby can be moved from a tilted position at said angle to a tilted position at another angle or to a horizontal position; said locking means comprising an element having apertures disposed on a circle the center of which is on the axis of rotation of said drawer supporting means, pins supported by said slidable means and movable into and out of said apertures, and means for moving said pins; and

said releasing means comprising an element movable in the direction of extension from the structure of said slidable supporting means for effecting release of said locking means.

GLENN D. GILLETT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 651,739 Woodrufi June 12, 1900 658,310 Babb Sept. 18, 1900 1,014,831 Long Jan. 16, 1912 1,094,962 Arens et a1. Apr. 28, 1914 1,195,291 Stubbers Aug. 22, 1916 2,337,159 Friedl Dec. 21, 1943 2,486,764 Singer Nov. 1, 1949