US2926978A - Utility cabinet - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1960 Filed Aug. 16, 1956 FIGJ- O. J. MITCHELL UTILITY CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Orrin J. Mitchell 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o. J. MITCHELL UTILITY CABINET F l G .3.

FIG.4.

March 1, 1960 Filed Aug. 16, 1956 INVENTOR. Orrin J. Mitchell s n (am FIG.6.

FIG.7.

United States 4 Patent UTILITY CABINET Orrin J. Mitchell, Le Roy, N.Y., assignor to Union Steel Chest Corporation, Le Roy, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application August 16, 1956, Serial No. 604,442

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-108) This invention relates ,to improvements in articles of furniture and more particularly is directed to a new and novel construction for a chest or cabinet containing a multiplicity of removable drawers or receptacles.

Many business establishments handle a multiplicity of small articles which are required to be kept in individual containers or receptacles forconvenient selection when required for sale. Also in homes and workshops there are many small items which are handled daily or required daily for use and which are at the present time kept in a miscellaneous assortment of receptacles or containers which, as a usualthing, have no orderly arrangement by which the contents can be found easily and quickly when wanted for use.

The employment of suitable compact units having a number of individual compartments within which to keep various small items in business establishments or in homes, for work or for play, as in the pursuit of various hobbies, accordingly would make the work less tedious and would give more pleasure in the following of hobbies which so many people now have.

ice 1 the present invention, While they rnay be and are produced in different sizes, that is, to have different numbers of drawers or compartments, such as 12-drawer units or 24-drawer units, if it should be desired to assemble several of such units in a stack, no means is provided for securing one unit to or upon the other or for locking the several stacked units together.

It is, of course, known that there are available cabinets of metal, or other material, having individual drawers or compartments or drawers divided into smaller compartments, which are designed for containing assorted articles and such cabinets are used in some business houses and in homes and also in hobby shops or workrooms. However, such cabinets, which are usually formed of sheet metal, because of the manner of their construction, are costly and, therefore, many persons, even in business establishments, prefer to make their own arrangements for keeping small articles in the desired separated relation.

In the light of the foregoing it is, accordingly, a particular object of the present invention to provide, in the manner as hereinafter set forth, a new and novel cabinet structure embodying a multiplicity of receptacles or drawers, which is designed in a unique manner whereby it can be constructed preferably of sheet metal, in

' an easy and inexpensive manner, and may, therefore, be

retailed at a relatively low cost, thus putting the cabinet within the financial reach of persons who might not be otherwise able to afford the same.

Metal cabinets of the type of the present invention are conventionally fabricated by having the several parts thereof secured together by welding, which accounts for a considerable amount of the cost of construction and t which cost, of course, must be reflected in the retail cost Another object, in'the light of the foregoing, is to provide an improved cabinet unit wherein a novel means is provided for elfecting a locking coupling between the base of one unit and the top of another similar unit upon which it may be placed so that the two units, or more if desired, will, in effect, become one and can be handled as such.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structure having a number of individual drawers, wherein a new and novel means is employed for coupling drawer supporting shelves with vertical side walls of the cabinet shell or frame, mechanically and without welding.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structure embodying shelf-supporting side walls wherein each side wall has a base portion designed to be modified by the user of the cabinet in a way which facilitates the securing of the cabinet to and upon the top of another cabinet of like construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structure embodying side walls, drawer supporting shelves and a top wherein such elements are designed to be stamped from suitable sheet metal and formed in such stamping to provide in the side walls and shelves elements adapted to be interlocked in the assembly of the parts whereby the side walls are securely coupled together by the shelves.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so longassuch changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of one complete cabinet unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in vertically spaced relation with the upper portion of a second and similar cabinet unit and illustrating the manner in which the units are coupled or locked together when stacked one upon the other;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a complete cabinet unit shell or frame without the drawers;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cabinet unit illustrating particularly the bendable tongues provided to facilitate the coupling of the bottom of one cabinet with the top of an underlying one;

d Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. l; d p, p

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 4 through a portion only of the cabinet structure and illustrating in broken lines one drawer therein; 7 d

Fig. 6 is a detail section illustrating the locking coupling between the bottom flange of one side wall of a cabinet and the top panel of an underlying cabinet;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the rear portion of a drawer showing the stop means carried by the back wall thereof for limiting the in and out sliding movemerits of the drawer on its supporting shelf; and

Fig. 8 is a detail section on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5, showing the 3 lock which is effected between a side wall strap and a shelf tongue.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral generally designates a 12-drawer cabinet unit constructed in accordance with the present invention. In this connection it is to be pointed out that while a unit has been shown with three shelves having four drawers on each, making a 12-drawer unit, there is no intention to limit the invention to any particular size or any particular number of drawers in the unit as it will be readily obvious from the hereinafter set forth description that the drawers may be made of different sizes and that the unit shell or frame can be made to receive a lesser number of drawers than are here shown or a greater number. Preferably the units are made in 12 and 24 drawer sizes but, of course, as above stated, other sizes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In Fig. l of the drawings there is Shown one full or complete unit above and in spaced relation with the top part of a second unit of like construction. This figure in addition to showing the unit and its various elements, is intended also to illustrate how one unit may be deposited upon the top of another and securely fastened or coupled thereto in the manner hereinafter set forth in detail.

The cabinet 10 embodies the two side walls or side wall plates 12; a number of shelves each of which is generally designated 14 and which is supported between the side walls, and a top plate or panel which is generally designated 16 and which finishes off the top of the cabinet, connecting the top ends of the side walls 12 together.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, each of the side walls 12 is formed by pressing or stamping to provide the vertical edge flanges 18 which in the assembled cabinet are turned inwardly and which form an integral part of the plate body constituting the wall. These flanges run the full length of the wall.

The bottom portion of the wall 12 is inturned and the inturned portion thereof is provided, intermediate the opposite sides of the wall, with cut-away portions spaced apart to provide the recesses 21 defining therebetween a tongue 22 and leaving the inturned flange portions 20 on opposite sides of such tongue, the purpose of the tongue being hereinafter set forth.

Between the flanges 18 the metal of the wall is cut and pressed inwardly to form a series of vertically spaced pairs of loops or straps 23. In the present illustration there are three pairs of such loops or straps since there are three of the shelves 14 to be supported thereby in the manner hereinafter described, but it will be readily understood that where a cabinet is constructed having a greater number of shelves, the pairs of straps or loops will be increased as required. Also while there are shown on each side wall two of the loops or straps for supporting the end of a shelf, more of such supporting loops may be provided if desired.

Each of the shelves 14 is also formed from a single sheet or body of metal of desired gauge or weight and as shown in Fig. 4, each of these shelf bodies has a portion turned to form a longitudinal edge flange. One of these flanges is designated 24 and is located at the back of the cabinet and the other flange is designated 25 and extends across the front of the cabinet. This front flange for each shelf has a portion of its longitudinal edge turned in slightly to form a narrow lip 26 so that there is thus formed a round or smooth edge at the bottom of the flange 25 which not only gives rigidity to the shelf but also protects the user of the cabinet against injury which might occur by striking the hand against the lower part of the flange.

In addition to the longitudinal front and back flanges each of the shelf plates has an end portion downturned forming the transverse end flanges 27. Each of the flanges 27 is cut part of the way through its width adjacent to each end to form the two spaced notches 28 and to thereby form adjacent to each end of the flange 27 a locking tongue 29. These tongues are spaced the same distance apart as a pair of side wall straps or loops 23 so that in the assembly of the parts to form the cabinet the tongues 29 at the ends of the shelves can be easily slipped into the proper straps by which the shelves are supported.

Each of the shelves is also provided with cut-outs 30 extending in the transverse direction of the shelf and the material of each cut-out is turned up to form a guide rib 31 for one side of a drawer. In the present case, as four drawers are shown in Fig. 1, there will be five of these guide ribs so that each drawer will be located between and guided by a pair of the ribs.

The top panel which forms the top of the cabinet is provided along its front and back edges with a downturned longitudinal front and back flange 32 and 33, respectively, and with the transverse side flanges 34 which are connected or joined to the front and back flanges. In the formation of the top panel the sheet metal is preferably pressed or drawn so that the front, back and side flanges are all pressed or drawn therefrom and are accordingly in one piece with no seams or openings at the corners as will be readily apparent. The front flange 32 of the top panel is slit in a transverse direction, as indicated at 35, through a portion of the width of the flange and the material of the flange between these slits is turned in to form the tongue 36 which corresponds to the inturned tongues 26 of the shelves. However, this inturned tongue 36 terminates shore of the ends of the flange 32 of which it forms a part so as to facilitate the placement of the top panel 16 in position in assembled relation with the side walls, as hereinafter described.

The top panel 16 of the cabinet has formed therethrough adjacent to each side flange 34, a slot 37 which is of the proper dimensions to receive a lock tongue 22 carried by the side wall of another cabinet when such lock tongue is arranged in the proper position as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the assembly of the present cabinet structure or of the shell or frame in which the drawers, each of which is generally designated D, are housed, the bottom one of the shelves 14 is first engaged at one end with a side wall 12 by placing the end of the shelf between the side wall flanges 18 above the lowermost loops 23 and then slipping the shelf down between the flanges 18 so as to cause the tongues 29 thereof to enter the adjacent loops 23. The opposite side 12 is then placed in vertical position at the other side of the shelf and such other side of the shelf is in a like manner coupled with the adjacent side wall by engaging the tongues or tabs 29 in the lowermost pair of the in-struck loops 23. This procedure is then repeated with the next higher shelf and when the two ends of that are secured to the side walls by the loops 23, the next higher shelf is similarly placed between the walls 12 and coupled thereto. With the shelves and two side walls now joined together or assembled in the manner stated, the cabinet shell or frame at this point in its construction is placed on one side in a suitable die and the loops 23 are forced down against the tongues 29, passing therethrough. This pressing action forces each of the tongues or tabs 29 slightly into the opening 23', see Fig. 8, from which the loop 23 was cut. This in-pressed or deformed portion 29 of the tab thus becomes securely locked in the opening and its removal from the supporting loop is prevented. After all of the loops of one side wall have been pressed in the manner stated to lock the tabs in the openings 23', the partially assembled unit is inverted and the same procedure followed for the loops and tabs of the opposite wall. The cabinet will now be completed with the exception of the placing of the top panel in position.

The top panel is placed over the top ends of the side walls so that the side flanges 34 are located across the outer sides of the side walls and the front flange 18 of each side wall will be located at its top end between the adjacent side flange 34 and the adjacent end of the inturned tongue 36. After thus assembling the parts the top panel is secured to the side walls by spot welding the end portions of the front and back flanges 32 and 33 to the side wall flanges 18 as indicated at 38.

The cabinet shell or frame is now complete and ready to receive drawers D. Each of these drawers is slid into position between a pair of guide flanges 31 and in order to prevent the drawer from being pushed all the way through, the back wall 39 thereof is provided with a suitable upstanding tab 40 which functions as a stop.

While this tab may be formed in any suitable manner,

it is shown in Fig. 7 as having two spaced fingers 41 which may engage against the rear side of the back wall 39 of the drawer and a central forwardly offset finger 42 which engages against the inner side of the back wall 39. This tab may be of any suitable material and secured in position in any desired manner. It will be seen upon reference to Fig. 4 that after the tab or stop 40 has been placed on the back wall of each drawer, it will strike the back flanges of the overlying shelves or top panel when the drawer is pushed in and when the drawer is pulled out the tab will strike the inturned tongues of the front flanges.

It will be readily obvious that each drawer can be easily inserted into the cabinet structure between its guide flanges 31 by tilting the drawer so as to engage the stop 40 under and behind the inturned tongue 26 of a shelf or tongue 36 of the top, after which the drawer can be dropped to a level position and slid into place.

When it is desired to place one of the cabinets upon the other and lock the two cabinets together so that they cannot be separated, the locking tongues 22 of the bottom flanges 20 carried by the side walls of the cabinet which is to be on top, are bent to extend downwardly below the flanges 20, as shown in Fig. 1, where one cabinet is in elevated position above the top of another. These down-turned tongues 22 will then be in the proper position to extend downwardly through the slots 37 in the top panel of the lower cabinet. After positioning the one cabinet upon the other with the tongues 22 in the slots 37, the top drawers of the bottom cabinet can be removed from each end of the top row and a suitable implement inserted between the top panel of the bottom cabinet to engage the tongues 22and bend them upwardly against the underside of the top panel 16 of the lowermost cabinet as illustrated in Fig. 6.

In this figure the bent portion of the tongue 22 is designated 22' and it will be seen that when so bent the top and bottom cabinets will be securely locked together.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided by the present invention a novel cabinet construction wherein the several parts forming the side walls, shelves and top wall or panel may be easily and quickly assembled and firmly locked together. In such assembling operation the necessity of spot welding is eliminated except for the connection of the front and back flanges of the top panel to the adjacent flanges 18 of the side walls.

It will also be seen from the foregoing that a person after having purchased one of the cabinet units and findmg that more drawer space is required, can obtain a second cabinet unit and easily arrange one upon the other and securely lock them together in the manner described so as to have in effect a single structure, though made up of two separate units and, of course, others can be added to any desired extent.

I claim:

1. A cabinet structure comprising two spaced side walls, a top wall connecting said side walls, shelves sup ported in vertically spaced relation by and between said side walls, a plurality of drawers supported on each shelf for sliding movement in a transverse direction thereon, means for limiting the in and out sliding movements of the drawers, said top wall having a slot therein adjacent .to each side Wall, a locking tongue carried by each side wall at the bottom thereof and having an initial position in which it extends inwardly in approximately right angular relation to its side wall, said tongue being bendable to a position to extend downwardly substantially coplanar with its wall and being of a form and positioned to extend into a slot of the top wall of an underlying cabinet, each of said side walls having an inturned bottom edge flange forming a supporting base, each of said base forming flanges having spaced portions cut away whereby the portion lying between the cut-away portions functions in one instance as a supporting part of the base and in another instance after being bent forms said tongue.

2. A utility cabinet, comprising two side walls each having an inturned bottom flange forming a supporting base and vertical front and back edge flanges directed inwardly, a bottom shelf having downturned front, back and end flanges and extending between the side walls and confined at each end between the side wall front and back flanges, said end flanges lying in close proximity to the side wall bottom flanges and each being cut out to form downwardly extending tongues, each side wall having instruck loops in each of which a tongue is locked, at top wall having an encircling downturned flange and extending between the side walls, the top portions of the side walls lying within the top wall flange and said flange lying across the top ends of the side wall front and back flanges, means securing the top wall flange to the side walls, an intermediate shelf between the bottom shelf and the top Wall and having downturned end flanges, said last mentioned end flanges each being cut out to form downwardly extending tongues, each side wall having other instruck loops in each of which one of the last mentioned tongues is locked, and drawer units supported upon each shelf for sliding movement transversely thereof.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said top wall flange along the front of the cabinet has an inturned lip portion which terminates at each end against the edge of a side wall front flange.

4. The invention according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate shelf has a downturned front and back edge flange, stop means carried by and projecting upwardly from the back part of each drawer unit on the lower shelf for limiting inward and outward movements of the unit by contact with the front and back flanges of the overlying intermediate shelf, and other stop means carried by and projecting upwardly from the back part of each drawer unit on the intermediate shelf for limiting inward and outward movements of the latter units by contact with the parts of the flange of the top along the front and back part thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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