US3539236A

US3539236A - Pedestal desk with drawer lock

Info

Publication number: US3539236A
Application number: US779434A
Authority: US
Inventors: Regis R Miller
Original assignee: Haskell Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Haskell Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1968-11-27
Filing date: 1968-11-27
Publication date: 1970-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1987-11-10

Description

United States Patent Regis R. Miller Penn Hills Township, Pennsylvania 779,434

Nov. 27, 1968 Nov. 10, 1970 Haskell Manufacturing Co. Inc. Verona, Pennsylvania a corporation of Pennsylvania inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee PEDESTAL DESK WITH DRAWER LOCK 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 312/221, 312/218 Int. Cl E051) 65/46 Field of Search 312/104, 215 to 221 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,630 11/1939 l-learn 312/218 2,860,025 11/1958 l-lutzelman. 312/221 2,882,112 4/1959 Jarvi 312/221 3,371,974 3/1968 Vermeersch 312/218 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney- Brown, Critchlow, Flick and Peckham ABSTRACT: One or more drawers of a pedestal desk are locked by a vertical locking bar that has a vertical slot in its upper end. Extending lengthwise of the desk through this slot for operating the bar is a longitudinally movable horizontal actuating bar provided with a recess extending downwardly from its top. The recess has a wall inclined lengthwise of the actuating bar for sliding engagement with the upper end of the slot when manually operable means move the actuating bar lengthwise, whereby the locking bar is lowered and raised to and from locking position.

Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Sheet 1 of2 IN VENTOR. AEGAS- A. 41/1 LER llllllll'lhll llll ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1970 v 3,539,236

Sheet, 2 012 I 'INVENTOR.

256/5 R. M/L L ER ATTORNEKS.

PEDESTAL DESK WITH DRAWER LOCK It is among the objects of this invention to provide a pedestal desk with a locking mechanism that is simple and inexpensive in construction, that is easy to operate, that is reliable and secure, and that requires but little space.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlG. l is a front view of the desk with the drawers unlocked;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a locked drawer; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the locking mechanism.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a horizontal rectangular metal frame 1 is provided with a flat top 2 serving as the work surface of the desk. The corners of this top are supported by four legs 3, and the back legs are connected by a vertical back panel 4. At each end of the desk the front and back legs are connected by a vertical end panel that forms the outer side of a U-shape sheet metal enclosure for a set of drawers 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner panels 6 of the two enclosures define the central knee-hole space in the desk. The opposite sides of each drawer are provided with tracks that have outwardly projecting longitudinal flanges 7. These flanges project between the flanges of channels 8 that are attached to upright stiffeners 9 secured to the sides of the drawer enclosure. Between the drawer track flanges 7 and the lower flanges of the channels there-are the usual runners (not shown) so that the drawers may be pulled in and out easily.

In accordance with this invention, the front portion of the upper flange of each inner channel 8 is cut away to expose the drawer track flange, which is provided with an opening 11 therethrough. When the drawer is closed, it can be locked by a laterally projecting member or finger 12 that extends down into the opening close to its rear wall, which constitutes a locking surface. The finger is secured to a vertical member 13 that can slide up and down the outer faces of the adjoining track channels 8. To guide and hold the locking bar formed by members 12 and 13, a tongue 14 struck out of each channel extends around the bar, with its free end extending back into the opening formed by the tongue.

The upper end of each locking bar is provided with a vertical slot 16 as shown in FIG. 3. Extending through this slot there is a horizontal actuating bar l7'that extends lengthwise of the desk in the area surrounded by the desk top frame 1. The bar is supported and held on edge by channellike brackets 18 mounted on top of the inner panels 6 of the drawer enclosures. The vertical flanges of these brackets are provided with slots 19, through which the ends of the actuating bar extend and in which the bar can slide, Each locking bar extends up through an opening 20 in the bottom of the overlying bracket, and the actuating bar extends through bar slot 16 to support the locking bar.

Between the sides of each bracket 18 the actuating bar is provided with a recess 22 that extends downwardly from its top. This recess has a lower wall that is inclined lengthwise of the bar for sliding engagement with the upper end of locking bar slot 16. At the lower end of this recess the end wall of the recess is substantially vertical. When the locking bar is at the bottom of the recess, the locking fingers are disposed in the openings 11 in the drawer tracks and the drawers are locked.

To unlock the drawers, the actuating bar is moved in a direction to cause the inclined walls of its recesses 22 to raise the locking fingers 12 out of locking engagement with the drawers. This movement of the actuating bar preferably is caused by the upper end of an arm 24, the lower end of which is mounted on a rotatable member 25 journaled in the side flanges of an inverted channel 26 that connects the inner panels of the drawer enclosures. The arm extends up through a longitudinal slot 27 in the channel. When this rotatable member, which may be provided with a key slot 28 for receiving a key to turn it, is turned it will swing the upper end of the arm lengthwise of the actuating bar. The upper end ofthe arm is provided with a projecting pin 29 that engages the actuating bar in a notch 30. The arm may be protected, and the central portion of the actuating bar supported and guided by a channellike bracket 31 rigidly mounted between channel 26 and the flat top of the desk.

When arm 24 is swung to the right in FIGS. 1 and 3, its pin compels the actuating bar to move to the right to raise the locking bars and thereby unlock the drawers. When the arm is swung in the opposite direction, the pin will move the actuating bar in the opposite direction and thereby allow the locking bars to descend by gravity and lock the drawers.

in the desk disclosed herein, manual operation of the actuating bar causes it either to lift a pair of locking bars to unlock the drawers, or to allow the locking bars to drop by gravity into locking position. The locking mechanism therefore is very simple in construction and operation, yet dependable.

I claim:

I. A pedestal desk comprising a work surface, a drawer beneath said surface provided with a locking surface, tracks supporting the drawer, a vertical locking bar beside the drawer extending above one of the tracks, said bar being movable vertically between upper and lower positions and having a vertical slot in its upper end, a longitudinally movable horizontal actuating bar supported beneath said work surface and extending lengthwise of the desk and through said slot for supporting the locking bar, the actuating bar being provided with a recess extending downwardly from its top, the recess having a wall inclined lengthwise of the actuating bar for sliding engagement with the upper end of said slot, and manually operable means for moving the actuating bar lengthwise to cause said inclined wall to raise and lower the locking bar, the locking bar being engageable in one of said positions with said drawer locking surface to hold the drawer closed.

2. A pedestal desk according to claim 1, in which said actuating bar recess has a substantially vertical wall at the low end of said inclined wall.

3. A pedestal desk according to claim 1, in which said manually operable means include a pivoted arm, means for swinging the arm lengthwise of said actuating bar, and means for operatively connecting the swinging arm with the actuating bar to move that bar.

4. A pedestal desk according to claim 3, in which said armswinging means include a rotatable member secured to the arm for swinging it, said member being provided with a key slot for receiving a key to turn that member.

5. A pedestal desk according to claim 3, in which said lastmentioned means includes a notch in the actuating bar receiving said arm.

6. A pedestal desk according to claim 1, in which said locking bar includes a vertical member and a laterally projecting member, the laterally projecting member being disposed above said drawer locking surface while said vertical member is in its upper position and being disposed in front of said surface while the vertical member is in its lower position.

7. A pedestal desk according to claim 6, including means below said laterally projecting member slidably receiving said vertical member to hold and guide the locking bar.

8. A pedestal desk according to claim 6, including means below said laterally projecting member slidably receiving said vertical member to hold and guide the locking bar, said lastmentioned means being secured to the outside of said one track.

9. A pedestal desk according to claim 1, in which said drawer is at one end of the desk, a second drawer is located at the opposite end of the desk and has a locking surface, tracks support the second drawer. a second vertical locking bar is beside the second drawer and has a vertical slot in its upper end, said actuating bar extends through that slot and is provided with a recess having an inclined wall for raising and lowering the second locking bar, and said manually operable means are located between said drawers.