US2763523A - Machine posting stand with revolving posting tray - Google Patents

Description

Sam., W, 'W56 A. n. MARTHN mm. @63,523

MACHINE POSTING STAND WITH REVOLVING POSTINGTRY Filed July 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet E.

1N VEN TOR. A 5h05 y ,EL AWA ,e7/fw g ,em/Amm ffl/fag@ United States Patent O MACHINE POSTING STAND WITH REVOLVING POSTING TRAY Ashby R. Martin, Mobile, Ala., and Raymond E. Krueger, Topeka, Kans.

Application July 26, 1955, Serial No. 524,497

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-32) This invention relates to office equipment, and more particularly to an improved office cabinet provided with means for supporting a posting tray r the like thereon and arranged so that said means may be readily rotated to a convenient position when desired.

A main object of the invention is to `provide a novel and improved office cabinet provided with .a revolving top adapted to receive a loose-leaf machine posting tray, or the like, so that the posting tray or similar object can be rotated rapidly to a convenient position with respect to the operator while permitting access to the cabinet, the improved cabinet being simple in construction, being easy to operate, and providing a great saving in time and space.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet provided with a revolving top support adapted to carry a posting tray, or the like, the cabinet being provided with drawers for containing `signature cards and similar objects, the revolving top being readily rotatable to a convenient position with respect to the operator and being readily movable so :that access may be rapidly obtained to the drawers in `the cabinet without disturbing the operator, the revolving top permitting the tray to be made available to operators on either side of the cabinet, the cabinet being relatively inexpensive to manufacture, being rugged in construction, and being neat in appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved machine posting cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view to an enlarged scale taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross sectional vew taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved posting cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention, said cabinet being generally rectangular in shape and being provided with a pair of slide ing drawers 12 and 13 which are interiorly arranged with suitable partitions to receive signature cards and other data. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the upper drawer 12 may be provided with longitudinal partitions 14 defining respective longitudinal spaces for signature cards, and the lower drawer 13 may be provided with suitable spacer elements 15, 15, defining a le folder space therebetween.

The rectangular main body of the cabinet is designated generally at 16 and is provided with the top wall 17. Designated at 18 and 19 are respective vertically aligned bearing elements which are secured in registry to the bottom and top surfaces of the central portion of top wall 17 and which rotatably receive and support a verti cal shaft 20, the top wall 17 being suitably apertured 2,7 63,523 Patented Sept. 18, 1956 to allow said shaft to `extend therethrough to the lower bearing member 18. Secured to the top end of the `shaft 20 is a horizontal plate member 21, and secured `on said horizontal plate member 21 is a generally rectangular horizontal platform 22, said platform beingprovided with the depending marginal flange 23 extending completely therearound and defining a depending skirt at the edges of the rectangular platform 22.

Secured on the top surface of the platform 22 are the spaced side angle brackets 23' and the respective front and rear end angle brackets 24 defining a rectangular enclosure adapted to receive a posting tray, `account book, or the like, designated in dotted View at 25 in Figure l. The side angle brackets 23 and the end angle brackets 24 are arranged to define a rectangular enclosure, as illustrated, whereby the tray 25 will be securely supported on the platform 22, but may be readily lifted from said platform when necessary.

Designated at 26 is a generally circular cup member which is secured on the top wall 17 of the cabinet body 16 concentrically with the shaft 2) and the bearing elements 18 and 19, the shaft 20 extending through the horizontal bottom wall 27 of the cup member 26, as is clearly shown in Figure 2. Said bottom wall 27 is secured to the top Wall 17 of the cabinet in any suitable manner, as by being fastened thereto by the same bolts 28 which are employed to secure the flanges of the bearing elements 18 and 19 to the top wall 17.

The annular vertical wall of the cup member 26 thus concentrically surrounds the bearing element 19 and the shaft 20, and is of substantial diameter. Said annular wall is formed with the uniformly spaced, upwardly facing notches 29 in its top portion. Designated at 30 is a transverse horizontal rod member which is located outwardly adjacent the annular vertical wall of cup `member 26 and which extends through the depending skirt element 23 and is `rotatably supported at its end portions in said depending skirt member. The end portions `of the `rod 30 are provided with ` suitable knobs 32, 32, including transversely extending pins 33, permitting said knobs to be readily grasped and rotated by an operator. Rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of the rod 30 is the laterally projecting locking finger 34 which is lockingly engageable in the notches 29, the finger 34 being biased into such locking engagement by a coiled spring 35 connected between an upwardly projecting pin 36 secured to the rod 30 and a depending lug 37 formed in the platform 22. As shown in Figure 4, the spring 35 biases the rod 30 in a direction to urge the finger 34 into locking engagement with a notch 29 in the top portion of the vertical annular wall of cup member 26.

Designated at 39 is a leaf spring secured at 40 to the underside of the tray member 22 and extending beneath and frictionally engaging the rod member 30, the leaf spring 39 being located immediately beneath the finger 34 and being engageable with the mid portion of the rod member 30 to provide a resilient support for said mid portion.

The platform 22 is provided with a removable cover plate 41 to provide access at times to the bearing member 19 for lubricating shaft 20 and the bearing members when required.

As above explained, the finger 34 locks the platform 22 in a fixed position, When it is desired. to rotate the platform, for example, to allow an operator to obtain access to the posting tray 25 from the side of the cabinet, the operator rotates the knob 32 at said side to elevate the finger 34 and release the platform 22. The platform 22 may be then swung to the desired position with respect to the operator, after which the knob 32 is released, allowing the finger 34 to lock the platform 22 in its adjusted position. When an operator on the other side of ICC the cabinet desires access to the tray 25, the operator may rotate the tray to the desired position thereof by following the same procedure outlined above, namely, by rotating the knob 32 on said opposite side to release the finger 34 and allow the tray 25 to be rotated to the desired position, after which the knob 32 may be released, again locking the tray in adjusted position. Thus, operators on both sides of the cabinet may use the posting tray without substantially interfering with each others operations, and at the same time, the front of the cabinet is unobstructed, allowing access to the drawers 12 and 13 by any person requiring same.

Designated at 50 is a suitable, generally rectangular removable housing or cover which is engageable over the platform 22 in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 to house and protect the platform when desired. The housing 50 is provided with the inturned peripheral flange 51 whose side portions are engageable with suitable positioning blocks 54 secured to the top wall 17 of the cabinet 16 on opposite sides of the platform 22, whereby the inturned ilange 51 may serve to properly position the housing 50 over the platform 22, in the manner shown in dotted view in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, grooved guide elements 53 are provided at one end of the top wall 17, suitable positioning blocks 54 being provided at the other end of said top wall to cooperate with the inturned flange 51 at the respective ends of housing S0.

While a specific embodiment of an improved machine posting cabinet with a revolving posting tray platform thereon has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tray support of the type comprising a top wall, means on said top wall defining a vertical bearing, a vertical shaft journaled in said means, a horizontal platform secured on said shaft, respective depending flanges on the opposite sides of said platform, and means on said platform to supportingly receive a posting tray or the like, the improvement comprising an upstanding notched wall secured to said top wall around said shaft beneath said platform, a horizontal rod member extending rotatably through said depending flanges outwardly adjacent said notched wall and being supported in said flanges, an arm on said rod member lockingly engageable with said upstanding notched wall, spring means connecting said rod member to said platform and urging said rod member to rotate in a direction to bias said arm into locking engagement with said notched wall, and handle means on the opposite ends of said horizontal rod member whereby said rod member may be manually rotated from opposite sides of the platform.

2. In a tray support of the type comprising a top wall, means on said top wall defining a vertical bearing, a vertical shaft journaled in said means, a horizontal platform secured on said shaft, respective depending ilanges on the opposite sides of said platform, and means on said platform to supportingly receive a posting tray or the like, the improvement comprising an upstanding notched wall secured to said support around said shaft beneath said platform, a horizontal rod member extending rotatably through said depending flanges outwardly adjacent said notched wall and being supported in said flanges, an arm on said rod member lockingly engageable with said upstanding notched wall, spring means connecting said rod member to said platform and urging said rod member to rotate in a direction to bias said arm into locking engagement with said notched wall, a leaf spring secured to the underside of said platform and frictionally engaging said rod member and handle means on the opposite ends of said horizontal rod member whereby said rod member may be manually rotated from opposite sides of the platform.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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