US2702553A

US2702553A - Magnetic follower

Info

Publication number: US2702553A
Application number: US271914A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans W Regenhardt; Frank R Wells
Original assignee: RECORD FILES Inc
Current assignee: RECORD FILES Inc
Priority date: 1952-02-16
Filing date: 1952-02-16
Publication date: 1955-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1972-02-22

Description

Feb- 22, 1955 H. w. REGENHARDT ET A1. 2,702,553

MAGNETIC FoLLowER Filed Feb. 16, 1952 United States Patent O MAGNETIC FOLLOWER Haus W. Regeuhardt and Frank R. Wells, Wooster, Ohio,

assiguors to Record Files, Inc., Wooster, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 16, 1952, Serial No. 271,914

4 Claims. (Cl. 129-28) This invention relates to a follower for use in the drawer of a tiling cabinet or the like and, more particularly, to a follower adapted to grip the bottom of the drawer.

In a follower for a filing cabinet drawer, it is desirable to provide means precluding or at least minimizing the likelihood of displacement of the follower due to the action of the rearwardly directed forces that are imposed on the follower by the contents of the drawer. Accordingly, most followers other than those of the very simplest construction are provided with mechanical means of some sort whereby they may be manually locked in the desired position. This, however, makes for difficulties when it becomes necessary to relocate the follower in the drawer, as, for example, when it is desired to move the follower to the rear to make room for additional material. In such case, the follower must be manually unlocked, moved axially of the drawer, and, when the new position has been attained, again manually locked in position. To simplify this time-consuming series of operations is one of the objects of the present invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a magnetically held follower such that although ordinary rearwardly acting forces imposed upon it by the contents of the drawer will not displace it, the follower may nevertheless be dislodged manually by a simple upward pull. A further object is to provide a magnetically held follower provided with means which act to preclude substantial displacement of the follower under the inlluence of rearwardly acting forces of abnormally great magnitude. Still a further object of the invention is to provide cooperating means of this kind that do not come into operation until needed and, in the meanwhile, do not interfere with relocation of the follower. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows and from the accompanying drawings.

In such drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical central section through a drawer provided with a follower of the kind to which the invention relates, such drawer being of steel or other magnetic metal or at least having a suitable metallic bottom portion. Figure 2 is an elevation with parts in section seen as if from line 2-2 of Figure l. Figure 3 is an upward-looking perspective of the follower of Figures l and 2 in a reversed position; that is to say, as seen from a point below and forward of the face of the follower that normally comes into contact with the contents of the drawer, such perspective showing the construction of those parts of the follower that immediately overlie the bottom portion of the drawer.

The front end of the drawer, which is of conventional construction, appears Figure 1, wherein it is designated 1. It includes rearwardly turned flanges 1a and 1b and an oppositely facing plate 1c. Cooperating with front end 1 and with a rear end of any suitable type (not shown) are two

side walls

2 and 3, likewise of conventional construction.

Side walls

2 and 3 are provided with guide anges 2a and 3a, respectively. Formed integrally with

side walls

2 and 3 is bottom portion 4, on which the follower seats and to which it is held as hereinafter explained. While it is desirable that bottom portion 4 be integral with

side walls

2 and 3, the latter may, if desired, be of a non-magnetic material such as wood to which magnetic bottom portion 4 is rmly attached in some convenient manner.

lee y Formed in bottom portion 4 is an axially extending rack 5 (Figures 1 and 2) which may be co-extensive with or may begin near one end and terminate near the opposite end of the drawer. Rack 5 is narrow as compared with the width of the drawer, taking the form of a long strip that runs lengthwise of the bottom portion 4 along the center line thereof as indicated in Figure 2. lt is convenient to form rack 5 so that it projects downwardly as shown from bottom portion 4, but it may, if desired, be formed separately and welded, riveted or otherwise fastened to the upper face of bottom portion 4. If the latter, some components of the rack need not be of metal; preferably, however, at least serrations 6 (Figure l) are of a metal such as steel having a capacity to resist rearwardly acting forces imposed on the follower by the contents of the drawer, such as cards 7.

The follower itself consists, in the form shown, of an upwardly extending part 8, preferably of sheet metal, which has a forwardly-facing surface 8a that comes into contact with cards 7 and a rearwardly-facing surface 8b on which is mounted the reinforcement 8c and any handle, grasping portion, or like element that it is desired to incorporate in the follower. At the base of upwardly extending part 8 is a rearwardly extending part 9, which, among other things, serves to hold upwardly extending part 8 in generally upright position; along its sides are the rearwardly extending reinforcing flanges 10 and 11 seen in Figure 2. As seen in plan, rearwardly extending part 9 may be of any suitable configuration; i. e., square, rectangular, triangular, or of almost any other desired shape. In the drawings it is shown as T-shaped, being made up of a substantially horizontal transversely extending portion 9a (Figures 2 and 3) and a downwardly inclined rearwardly extending portion 9b (Figures l and 3), the two being integral with each other and with upwardly extending part 8. The included angle a between upwardly extending part 8 and horizontal portion 9a of rearwardly extending part 9 will in general be a right angle, although in some cases it may be desired to have it somewhat more or somewhat less than Rearwardly extending portion 9b of part 9 is provided with a tang-like projection 9c that closely overlies rack 5, being held out of actual engagement with it except as hereinafter described.

Attached to the bottom of transversely extending portion 9a of rearwardly extending part 9 of the follower is an elongated magnet 12 of the horse-shoe type, such magnet extending transversely of the follower from a point near one end to a point near the opposite end of portion 9a. The bight in the magnet therefore extends at right angles to portion 9b of the follower and the longitudinal axis of bottom portion 4 of the drawer. Magnet 12 is aixed to portion 9a of rearwardly eX- tending part 9 of the follower by any suitable means as, for example, by bolting or gluing it in place. Although such treatment is not necessary, the magnet may, if desired, be covered with a fibrous flock to deaden sound and llinimize the likelihood of scratching bottom portion Between the ends of the magnet is a cut-away portion 13 of height sufficient to permit the magnet to pass over rack 5 in bottom portion 4. The width of cut-away portion 13 should be slightly greater than the width of rack 5. Cut-away portion 13 in effect divides magnet 12 into two half-magnets, 14 and 15, one on each side of the longitudinal axis of bottom portion 4. As shown in Figure 3, half-magnet 14 has two transversely extending poles 14a and 14b; similarly, half-magnet 15 has two transversely extending poles 15a and 15b.

Poles

14a, 14b and 15a, 15b are formed as flat surfaces that seat squarely on bottom portion 4 and, by magnetic attraction, tend to grip the follower firmly in position in the drawer.

Assuming the state of affairs illustrated in Figure l, in which the rearwardly acting forces imposed by cards 7 are not suiciently great to displace the follower against the resistance provided by magnet 12, if it is desired to relocate the follower, it is only necessary to grasp upwardly extending portion 8 in one hand, lift the follower upward, move it in the desired direction to the intended new position, and allow magnet 12 to seat on avoaess bottom portion 4 of the drawer. By virtue of the presence of cut-away portion 13 in magnet 12, there is no interference at any time between magnet 12 and rack 5. Both before and after relocation, the follower is held in its normal upright position with tang-like projection 9c on rearwardly extending part 9 entirely out of contact with serrations 6 of rack 5.

If, however, the rearwardly acting forces imposed by cards '7 on upwardly extending part 8 of the follower momentarily become excessively great, as may happen when a heavily loaded drawer is pulled forward too quickly or when it is closed and hits the back stop, magnet 12 may become dislodged as a result of annular displacement of the follower in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure l. Such displacement of the follower; i. e., tilting of the follower, is promptly followed by mechanical engagement between tana-like projection 9c on rearwardly extending portion 9b or part 9 and the serrations 6 of rack 5, thereby precluding any considerable amount of rearward movement of the follower as a whole. Thus these parts cooperate with each other to keep the contents of the drawer in substantially upright position. Rearward slipping of the follower; i. e., rectilinear movement of the follower unaccompanied by dislodgement of magnet 12, does not ordinarily come about in the absence of suddenly applied rearwardly acting forces of the kind above described, this for the reason that the gripping action of magnet 12 on bottom portion 4 ,of the drawer is suilicient to prevent such rearward slipping.

Thus the invention provides a magnetically-held follower having parts normally out of contact with the drawer that come into engagement with the drawer when required to prevent substantial rearward movement of the follower in case forces of sufficient magnitude to displace it are suddenly imposed upon it.

Numerous departures from what has been described may readily be made without departing from the principle of the invention; for example, it is entirely practicable to provide two tracks S rather than one such rack, one of them at the base of each of

side walls

2 and 3. In some circumstances, instead of a single magnet provided with one or more cut-away portions, two or more separate magnets may be employed; indeed, in a wide drawer several such magnets suitably spaced from each other may be aligned transversely of the axis of the drawer beneath the rearwardly extending part of the follower. Other changes will of course suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by summarization in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A drawer for filing, storage or the like having a bottom portion of magnetic metal; a rack integrally formed in said bottom portion, said rack extending axially of said bottom portion from a point near one end thereof to a point near the other end thereof; a removable follower cooperating with said drawer, said follower having an upwardly extending part backing the contents of the drawer, a rearwardly extending part holding the upwardly extending part in generally upright position, and a downwardly extending projection at the rear end of the rearwardly extending part for coacting with said rack; and, fixed to the rearwardly extending part of the follower near the forward end thereof, a transversely extending magnet of the horse-shoe type spanning the follower from a point near one side thereof to a point near the other side thereof, said magnet having a cut-away area where it overlies the rack in the bottom portion of the drawer and, on opposite sides of said cut-away area, flat areas seating on said bottom portion below the level of said downwardly extending projection in such manner as to keep said downwardly extending projection from making contact with the rack until extraneous forces dislodge the magnet.

2. A metal drawer for tiling, storage or the like having side, end and bottom portions of magnetic metal; a series of transversely extending serrations forming an integral rack in said bottom portion, said rack extending axially of the bottom portion of the drawer from a point near one end thereof to a point near the other end thereof; a metal follower cooperating with said drawer, said follower having an upwardly extending part backing the contents of the drawer, a rearwardly extending part holding the upwardly extending part in generally upright position, and a downwardly extending projection at the rear end of the rearwardly extending part for coacting with said rack; and, fixed to the rearwardly extending part of the follower near the forward end thereof but below the level of such forward end, a transversely extending magnet of the horse-shoe type spanning the follower from a point near one side thereof to a point near the other side thereof, said magnet having cut-away portions where it overlies the axially extending rack in the bottom portion of the drawer and, on opposite sides of said cut-away portions, two like sections seating on and adapted to grip the bottom portion of the drawer below the level of said downwardly extending projection in such manner as to keep said downwardly extending projection from making Contact with the rack until extraneous forces dislodge the magnet.

3. A drawer for filing, storage or the like having a bottom portion of magnetic material, a rack integrally formed in said bottom portion, said rack extending axially of said bottom portion from a point near one end thereof to a point near the other end thereof, a removable follower cooperating with said drawer, said follower having an upwardly extending part backing the contents of the drawer, a rearwardly extending part holding the upwardly extending part in generally upright position and a downwardly extending projection at the rear end of the rearwardly extending part for coacting with said rack, and xed to the rearwardly extending part of the follower near the forward end thereof, magnetic means spanning the follower from a point near one side thereof to a point near the other side thereof, said magnetic means being positioned on the follower on each side of the rack whereby the magnets do not extend over the rack and at areas of said magnetic means seating on said bottom portion below the level of said downwardly extending projection in such manner as to keep saidl downwardly extending projection from making contact with the rack until extraneous forces dislodge the magnets.

4. A metal drawer for ling, storage or the like having side, end and bottom portions of magnetic material, a series of transversely extending serrations forming an integral rack in said bottom portion, said rack extending axially of the bottom portion of the drawer from a point near one end thereof to a point near the other end thereof, a metal follower cooperating with said drawer, said follower having an upwardly extending part backing the contents of the drawer, a rearwardly extending part holding the upwardly extending part in generally upright position, and a downwardly extending projection at the rear end of the rearwardly extending part for coacting with said rack, and iixed to the rearwardly extending part of the follower near the forward end thereof but below the level of said forward end a plurality of spaced aligned magnets spanning the follower from a point near one side thereof to a point near the other side thereof, said magnets being spaced on the follower on each side of the rack whereby the magnets do not extend over the rack, said magnets having portions thereof engaging and gripping the bottom portion vof the drawer below the level of said downwardly extending projection in such a manner as to keep said downwardly extendlng projection from making contact with the rack untll extraneous forces dislodge the magnets.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,160,104 Bodenstein Nov. 9, 1915 1,743,600 Cubberley Ian. 14, 1930 2,557,398 Teetor June 14, 1951