US2889179A - Drawer slide - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1959 N. A. GUssAcK 2,889,179

DRAWER SLIDE l Filed April 1o, 195e i IN V EN TOR.

Nafhan A. Gussack BY ATTORNEY naw nited States Patent DRAWER SLIDE Nathan A. Gussack, Manhasset, N.Y. Application April 10, 1956, Serial No. 577,408

7 Claims. (Cl. 30S- 3.8)

This invention relates to drawer slides and, more particularly, to an improved, fully self-contained drawer slide stably supporting the drawer in all extended positions while providing for simple release of the drawer from its support.

Roller type drawer slides are used with cabinet drawers to provide easy operation and to permit full extension of the drawer. The usual arrangement of the slide includes a pair of telescoped, generally channel-shape sections with balls interposed therebetween. As the ball spacer used with the ball bearings restricts the degree of relative longitudinal motion of the two telescoped sections, drawer supporting rollers have been provided on the top edges of the outer sections to provide for full extension of the drawer.

This known type of drawer slide has the disadvantage that it is not self-contained. Furthermore, with this type of slide, there is a possibility for the drawer to tilt when its center of gravity is moved outwardly.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel drawler slide is provided which is self-contained, permits full extension of the drawer, and completely inhibits tilting of the drawer when its center of gravity is moved outwardly. In addition, a novel, easily operated latch arrangement is provided for selectively disconnecting the drawer from its slide.

More specifically, the invention slide in addition to the inner and outer telescoped, generally channel-shape members, includes a mounting plate or angle carrying rollers riding in the inner channel and freely movable therealong. However, the mounting plate or angle remains normally assembled with the inner channel by virtue of a spring biased latch carried by the plate or angle and operable, upon pulling out of the drawer, to interengage with latch keeper means on the inner channel or track. This latch positively limits outward movement of the drawer, but is so designed that, upon inward movement of the drawer, the latch readily disengages the keeper means and rides inwardly along the inner track. By operating the latch against its spring bias, the latch may be disengaged from its keeper means to permit the drawer to be detached from the slide.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a multi-drawer cabinet provided with the invention drawer slide;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the slide;

Fig. 3 is an inside elevation view of the slide;

Figs. 4 through 8 are sectional perspective views taken on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a View corresponding to Fig. 8 but illustrating a drawer mounting plate instead of a mounting angle; and

Fig. l is a partial inside elevation View of a modified form of the slide.

Referring to Fig. 1, a drawer slide 10 embodying thev As best seen in Figs. 2 through 8, the drawer slide 10` comprises an inwardly facing outer channel 20 secured to the inner surface of cabinet 11, an inwardly facing channel center track 30 telescoped in channel 20, and a support `angle 40 secured to drawer 15 and carrying rollers engaged in center -track 30. A spring biased latch 50 carried by support angle 40 is arranged to releasably engage keeper means of track 30 to limit outward movement of angle 40 relative to track 30.

Channel 20 has a base 21 and outwardly convex legs or ilanges 22. Base 21 is formed with apertures 23 equi-spaced longitudinally thereof to receive fasteners (not shown) securing channel 20 to a vertical inner surface of cabinet 11 with base 21 engaging such surface. At the inner end of channel 20, flanges 22 have aligned holes 24 receiving a pin 26 serving as an inner abutment. At the outer end of channel 20, ears 27 are bent inwardly from each flange 22 to form outer abutments.

Center track 30 is generally a channel having a base 31 and outwardly concave anges 32. Flanges 22 and 32 form facing runways for balls 25 disposed between the telescoped channels 20 and 30 and separated by ball retainers 35. An aperture 33 in base 31, somewhat larger than apertures 23 of channel 20, provides access to insert fasteners in apertures 23 and to secure the fasteners to cabinet 11. This provision allows the members 20 and 30 to remain assembled at all times, whether mounted in a cabinet or not.

At the inner end of track 30, flanges 32 have aligned apertures through which projects a pin 36 carrying a cushioning bumper 37 engageable with pin 26 at the inner limit of movement of track 30. Outward ymovement of track 30 is limited by engagement of the projecting ends of pin 36 with the inner ends of ball retainers 35, the outer ends of retainers 35 engaging ears 27 on channel 20. For a purpose to be described, base 31 of track 30 has a substantially rectangular aperture 38 near its outer end.

Support angle 40 has a wide vertical leg 41, arranged to engage a side of drawer 15, and a short horizontal leg 42 arranged to underlie the lower edge of each side of the drawer. The inner side of Vertical leg 41 is formed with identical outwardly projecting apertured bosses 43 receiving headed pins 44 carrying concave surfaced rollers 45 engaging flanges 32 of track 30. At intervals along its length, flange 41 has apertures 46 to receive fasteners securing angle 40 to drawer 15.

Near the outer end of angle 48, a horizontal tongue 47 is struck outwardly therefrom. Tongue 47 is apertured to receive a rivet or pin 48 serving as a pivot for latch 50. Latch 50 is pivoted to tongue 47 near the outer end of the latch, and a leaf spring 51 staked to the latch and engaged with flange 41, biases the long inner end of latch 50 outwardly. This inner end of the latch is shaped as a nose 55 having an abrupt shoulder 56 as its outer edge and a tapered inner end 57.

When support angle 40 is inserted into center track 30, rollers 45 engage track flanges 32. The short outer end 56 of latch 50 engages flange 41 to limit outward extension of nose 55 by spring 51. As nose 55 reaches the outer end of track 30, its tapered end slides along base. 31 biasing latch 50 inwardly. When nose 55 reaches aperture 38 in base 31, the nose snaps into the aperture. However, if angle 40 is pushed further into track 30, the tapered inner end 57 of nose 55 moves the nose inward` ly to ride along base 31.

Upon outward movement of angle 40, nose 55 will snap Patented June 2, 1959 Y channel 20. All' three elements, 20, 310,1 40 'of slide 10" are interengaged as a unit at all' times except when-latch 50lis purposely released to withdraw angle 40.

Fig. 9' shows an alternative drawer supportarrangement in which angle 40 is replaced by a ilat plate or strip 40 'which' may be attached lto the sideof drawer 15. Except that plate 40 has no iiange underlyingthe draw# er, its construction is identical Vto that of'angle 41)"and latch 50'is mounted, in the same way, on tongue 47".'

Fig. l() 'shows an alternative arrangement of the inner abutment means. not carry pin 36 and bumper 37. Instead, ears 39are bent'out of'the inner ends of ilanges 32 to engage a bumper ZScarried by pin 26 on channel y20.'

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown :and described in detail 'to illustrate the application ofthe invention principles, it will be understood that'the invention may be embodied votherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed:

1. A drawer slide comprising, in combination, an outer channel adapted to be secured to a cabinet wall or the like; a channel track telescoped in said outer channel' and having outwardly concave anges, said track opening inwardly of the slide; anti-friction bearing means between said outer channel and track; interengageable abutment means operative to limit relative longitudinal movement of said outer channel and said track; a relatively elongated drawer support element adapted to `be secured to a drawer; roller means mounted on and spaced longitudinally of said element and engaged with# in said track, said roller means having concave peripheral surfaces fitting the inner convex surfaces of the flanges of the track and said element substantially closing the In this arrangement, track 30 does` open side of said track; and releasable latch means interconnecting said track and element, upon outward movement of said element relative to said track, to limit such outward movement to a degree wherein said roller means remain engaged within said track.

2. A drawer slide as claimed in claim 1 in which said element comprises an angle.

3. A drawer slide as claimed inclairn 1 in which said element comprises a vertically disposed plate.

4. A drawer slide as claimed in claim 1 in which said latch means comprises a spring biased-latch -member pivoted on said elementengageable with stop means on said track upon outward movement of said element.

5. A drawer slide as claimed in lclaim 1 in which said latch means comprises a spring biased latch member pivoted on said element and including a shoulder engageable in an aperture in said track upon outward movement of saidV element.

6. A drawer-slide as claimed inclaim 1 in which said latch means comprises a relatively elongated latch member pivoted on said element intermediate its ends for movement about a vertical axis toward and away from said track and including catchvmeans on one end engageable in an aperture in said track upon outward movementof said element; and spring means'biasing said one end of said member toward said track; said one end of said member being movable away from said track to disengage said element from said track.

7. A drawer slide as claimed in claim 6 in which said References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,537,067 Card May 12, 1925 2,430,141 Reeves Nov. 4, 1947 2,582,471 West Ian. 15, 1952 2,671,699 Vignos Mar. 9, 1954 2,692,802 Kurtzon etal. Oct. 26, 1954

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