US3703325A

US3703325A - Filing cabinet construction

Info

Publication number: US3703325A
Application number: US876517A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howard A Schnarr
Original assignee: Massey-Ferguson Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Massey-Ferguson Industries Ltd; Hauserman Inc
Priority date: 1969-11-13
Filing date: 1969-11-13
Publication date: 1972-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1989-11-21
Also published as: GB1318372A; FR2071766A5; CA921539A

Abstract

A filing cabinet is provided with pivotable and slidable doors which may be retracted within the cabinet to provide access to the roll-out file drawers. The doors comprise sheet metal envelopes closed at the ends by unitary plastic end caps which each include a handle depression, a locking tab, and a stop tab for locating the doors in the closed and retracted positions. The door front surface is substantially entirely planar and includes an internal rigidifying structural member so that in a partially retracted position, the door may be utilized as a posting shelf. The cabinet further includes means for indicating the partially retracted position of the door.

Description

United States Patent Schnarr 1 Nov. 21, 1972 [54] FILING CABINET CONSTRUCTION 3,133,768 5/1964 Klakovich ..312/323 72 I t 2 H d A. s h w t l O Barstow 1 fi gf'g j 3 er 1,408,938 3/1922 Hall ..312/203 [73] Assignee: Massey-Ferguson Industries Limited, primary Examiner gobby Gay Qanada v Assistant Examiner-Garry Moore [22] Filed; No 13, 1969 Attorney-Gerhardt, Greenlee & Farris [21] App]. No.: 876,517 [57 ABSTRACT I A filing cabinet is provided with pivotable and slidable [52] US. Cl ..312/307 doors which may be retracted within the cabinet to [51] hit-l Cl. ..A47b 88/00 provide access to the rolbout fi drawers The doors [58] d of Search 312/307 5 6 comprise sheet metal envelopes closed at the ends by 31 l 1 unitary plastic end caps which each include a handle depression, a locking tab, and a stop tab for locating [56] References cued the doors in the closed and retracted positions. The UNITED STATES PATENTS door front surface is substantially entirely planar and includes an internal rigidifying structural member so 702,348 6/1902 Forster ..312/109 that in a partially retracted position, the door may be 1,407,948 2/1922 Rand "312/323 utilized as a posting shelf. The cabinet further includes gggot etnal means for indicating the partially retracted position of erse th d 2,630,364 3/1953 Gleason ..312/323 6 2,936,206 5/1960 Wilmer et a1. ..312/322 3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 2 1 lll ul 2 18 A :jlz

llllllm 3 i 'J imlllwl... f wl 48 2 Y PATENTEDNIJ'YEHQYZ 3.703.325

SHEET 1 of 3 I/WHIHI ATTORNEYS.

Pmmtnunv u I 3.703325 SHEETBUFB SO /AME? FILING CABINET CONSTRUCTION This invention relates generally to filing cabinets and more particularly to a door construction therefor.

Conventional stacked filing cabinets, such as a fivehigh unit, normally include a separate posting shelf which may be withdrawn from the cabinet for use. These cabinets further normally include doors that are flexible, have exterior handles and are provided with a plurality of stops to locate the doors in the various positions. Such filing cabinet doors normally slide on the metal door edge or are provided with separate bearing means. Such constructions are characterized by many separate parts which must be welded or mechanically joined together and can easily get out of alignment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a filing cabinet door construction which eliminates the need for a separate posting shelf, has a reduced number of parts to facilitate assembly, and is structurally more rigid than previous constructions.

In accordance with this invention, a filing cabinet having an opening is provided with a trailer bar, Cooperating guide means on the trailer bar and the cabinet enabling sliding movement of the trailer bar within the cabinet between extended and retracted positions toward and away from the opening, a door pivoted to the trailer bar for movement between a closed position closing the opening and an open position extending perpendicularly from the cabinet, and guide means on the door and cooperable with the cabinet guide means to enable movement of the door between the open position and the stored position within the cabinet as the carriers move between the extended and retracted positions and is characterized in that the door and the door and cabinet guide means have sufficient structural rigidity to enable movement of the door to a position intermediate the open and stored positions in which the door extends partially outwardly of the cabinet for use as a posting shelf.

This invention further features means for indicating the location of the door in the intermediate position. A yet further feature is that the door comprises a sheet metal envelope having plastic end caps which include locking and stop tabs and the guide means for the door.

These and further objects and features of this invention will become more readily apparent upon reference to the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet embodying a door construction according to this inven tion;

FIG. 2 is a exploded cut-away perspective view of a door and trailer bar according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing details of construction;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken generally along lines 44 of FIG. 3 showing details of the indicator;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken generally along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing further details of the indicator;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken generally along lines 6-6 of FIG. 3 showing details of the trailer bar stop;

FIG. 7 is a partially broken away detail view of the lock mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 9-9 of FIG. 3 showing the door stop tab.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a filing cabinet 10 is formed of a sheet metal cabinet having a front opening 12 and includes a plurality of conventionally mounted sliding file drawers or trays 14 which are movable outwardly of the cabinet for access thereto. Each of the trays 14 is provided with a covering

door

16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 which may be selectively moved to a closed position, illustrated by

doors

16, 20,

24,to close the opening 12 or may be opened, as illustrated by door 22, and moved to a retracted position, illustrated by door 18, to provide access to the trays 14.

Since the construction of all doors is identical, the construction of door 18 will be detailed, with reference to FIG. 2. The door 18 comprises a continuous sheet metal envelope including a front wall 26, a rear wall 28, and connecting top and

bottom walls

30 and 32, respectively. The continuous sheet of metal is bonded together at 34 by spot welding on the rear wall 28 to conceal the seam. The front wall 26 of the door is substantially entirely planar except for an indicia means 36 at the upper right hand comer. The rear wall 28 further includes a lateral depression 38 adjacent the bottom wall 32 for use as a handle.

Interiorly of the door 18 a hat-shaped structural member 40 is bonded to the insides of front and

rear walls

26, 28 and extends laterally of the door to rigidify the door. The sheet metal envelope defines an opening 42 at each end, the openings receiving unitary plastic end caps 44 which are bonded therein. Each of the plastic end caps 44 forms the door sliding guides and includes an elongated depression 46 for use as a handle, a stop tab 48 which will be later described, and a locking tab 50 which will be later described. At its upper end, each of the end caps 44 includes a hole 52 which receives a pivot pin 54 formed integrally on a plastic guide member 56. The plastic guide members 56 are attached to the ends of an elongated U-shaped trailer bar 58 so that the pins 54 and holes 52 pivotally mount the door 18 on the trailer bar 58.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the operation of the doors will now be explained. The trailer bar guides 56 are received at either side of the cabinet within elongated guide channels 60 mounted on the cabinet. Their movement may be controlled by a cable control system, including trailer bar rollers 62, which forms no part of this invention and will not be further described. The door may be swung from the vertical closed position, shown by door 20, about pins 54 up to a horizontal position shown by door 22, by grasping depressions 46. The door can then be pushed back within the cabinet, whereupon the end caps 44 enter the guide channels 60 and function as door guides. The door is then shoved all the way back into the cabinet to the fully retracted position, shown by door 18. Movement to this position is controlled by the integral stop tabs 48 which extend laterally beyond the opening 12 and thus engage the edge of the cabinet 10, as shown in FIG. 9. To close the door, depression 38 is grasped and the door is withdrawn from the cabinet until an angled stop member or finger 64 depending from the trailer bar 58 engages a stop member 66 mounted on the channel 60, FIG. 6. This disengages end caps 44 from channels 60 and the door is then pivoted about pins 54 to the closed position, shown by door 20.

The tabs 48, as noted earlier, have a dual function. In the door closed position, door in FIG. 3, the tabs 48 are gravity-biased into engagement with the edge of the cabinet to position the door in the closed position. The shape and location of the structural member 40 within the door is such that the center of gravity C.G. of the door is located just outwardly of a plane extending vertically beneath the

pivot

52, 54 of the door to provide the gravity bias to hold the door closed.

As noted earlier, a door may be used as a posting shelf. When a door has been retracted within the cabinet a sufficient distance so that the end caps 44 have sufficient contact with channel members 60 to support the door, the reinforced door may be utilized as a posting shelf or writing surface, as shown by door 22 in FIGS. 1 and 3. In this position the indicia means 36 is retracted within the cabinet and only a planar surface is exposed. To indicate that the door 22 has reached this position, the stop member 64 on trailer bar 58 engages a bent spring metal detent clip 70, riveted at '72 to the cabinet inner wall, to cause increased resistance to further movement of the door 22 within the cabinet. This provides a physical indication that the door has been moved to a position for use as a posting shelf. Upon further movement of the door, stop member 64 will cam the clip 70 out of the path of travel and permit movement of the door to the fully retracted 7 position, as indicated by the door 18 in FIG. 3. Upon subsequent movement of the door outwardly, the stop member 64 strikes the back side of the clip 70 and cams it out of the way to permit the complete withdrawal of the door outside the cabinet for subsequent movement to the closed position, indicated by door 20 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the means for locking the doors will now be described. The upper right hand corner of the cabinet mounts a lock cylinder 74 which is operable to reciprocate an elongated lock bar 76 which mounts at spaced intervals along its length locking pins 78. In the closed position of the door shownin FIG. 8, the locking tab 50 of end cap 44 extends inwardly of the cabinet so that a recess 80 therein is located immediately above the lock pin 78. Upon rotation of cylinder 74 the bar 76 is reciprocated upwardly so that the pin 78 enters the notch 80 to secure the door in its closed position.

Thus the end caps 44 have manifold functions. These unitary pieces include pivot holes 52 for pivoting the door to trailer bar 58, a finger grip depression 46, a dual purpose stop tab 48, and a locking tab 50, and also form an end closure for the sheet metal envelope and serve as guides for sliding the doors on channels 60. The structure of the door is sufficiently rigid to enable additional use as a posting shelf. In conjunction therewith, the finger 64 and the detent clip 70 provide means for indicating that the door has attained a position sufficient to support itself for use as a posting shelf. Further, the construction of the door is such that the center of gravity lies outwardly of the door pivot to maintain a gravity biased engagement of the stop tab with the cabinet to maintain the door in closed position.

It is thus readily apparent that the door construction of this invention provides many improvements in filing cabinet construction and features a reduced number of assembly parts, structural rigidity, and elimination of a separate posting shelf.

I claim:

1. A filing cabinet having an opening, a trailer bar, a cooperating guide means on the trailer bar and the cabinet enabling sliding movement of the trailer bar within the cabinet between horizontal extended and retracted positions toward and away from the opening, a door pivoted to the trailer bar for vertical movement between a vertical closed position closing the opening and horizontal open position extending perpendicularly from the cabinet; said door having a center of gravity at a point intermediate its ends and outwardly of the pivot point to cause said door to swing into and normally remain in closed position by gravity; guide means on the door and cooperable with the cabinet guide means to enable movement of the door between the horizontal open position and a stored position within the cabinet as the trailer bar is moved between the extended and retracted positions, characterized in that the door and the door and cabinet guide means enable movement of the door to a position intermediate the open and stored positions in which the door extends horizontally partially outwardly of the cabinet for use as a supporting shelf, cooperating detent means on said door and cabinet for physically indicating said intermediate partial retracted position of said door, said detent means comprising a finger member and a resilient detent member, one of said members being mounted for resilient engagement with said finger on the other of said members upon movement of said door to a posi tion intermediate its open horizontal position and its stored position to provide flexible resistance to further movement of said door into completely stored position to thereby indicate that said door is in a horizontal shelf position; said resilient detent member being movable out of engagement with said finger member upon further movement of said door towards said stored position past the intermediate shelf position, said door including spaced front and rear walls and an interior structural member extending laterally of the door between the walls to provide structural rigidity, the front wall having a substantially planar portion forming an upper shelf surface in the intermediate position, the rear wall of said door including a lateral depression near the door outer end to provide a hand grip for facilitating movement of the door from stored to open position, the door being formed of a continuous piece of sheet metal open at opposite ends and the door guide means comprising end caps closing the open ends, the end caps including elongated depressions providing hand grips to enable movement of the door from closed to open positions, each end cap including an integral locking tab cooperable with a movable lock bar mounted on the cabinet to selectively lock the door in closed position.

2. A filing cabinet having an opening, a trailer bar, a cooperating guide means on the trailer bar and the cabinet enabling sliding movement of the trailer bar within the cabinet between horizontal extended and retracted positions toward and away from the opening, a door pivoted to the trailer bar for vertical movement between a vertical closed position closing the opening and horizontal open position extending perpendicularly from the cabinet; said door having a center of gravity at a point intermediate its ends and outwardly of the pivot point to cause said door to swing into and normally remain in closed position by gravity; guide means on the door and cooperable with the cabinet guide means to enable movement of the door between the horizontal open position and a stored position within the cabinet as the trailer bar is moved between the extended and retracted positions, characterized in that the door and the door and cabinet guide means enable movement of the door to a position intermediate the open and stored positions in which the door extends horizontally partially outwardly of the cabinet for use as a supporting shelf, cooperating detent means on said door and cabinet for physically indicating partial retracted position of said door, said detent means comprising a finger member and a resilient detent member, one of said members being mounted for resilient engagement with said finger on the other of said members upon movement of said door to a position intermediate its open horizontal position and its stored position to provide flexible resistance to further movement of said door into completely stored position to thereby indicate that said door is in a horizontal shelf position; said resilient detent member being movable out of engagement with said finger member upon further movement of said door towards said stored position past the intermediate shelf position, the door including spaced front and rear walls and an interior structural member extending laterally of the door between the walls to provide structural rigidity, the front wall having a substantially planar portion forming an upper shelf surface in the intermediate position, said walls being formed of sheet metal interconnected by top and bottom walls and defining end openings, the door including end caps closing the openings, each end cap including an integral stop tab extending laterally beyond the cabinet opening and engageable with a cabinet exterior surface for locating the door in the closed position, and the internal structural member is positioned within the door to locate the doors center of gravity in closed position outwardly of a plane extending vertically beneath the pivot axis to provide a gravity bias maintaining engagement of the stop tabs with the cabinet surface.

3. The filing cabinet of claim 2, wherein each stop tab engages an exterior cabinet surface to locate the door in the stored position.

Claims

1. A filing cabinet having an opening, a trailer bar, a cooperating guide means on the trailer bar and the cabinet enabling sliding movement of the trailer bar within the cabinet between horizontal extended and retracted positions toward and away from the opening, a door pivoted to the traiLer bar for vertical movement between a vertical closed position closing the opening and horizontal open position extending perpendicularly from the cabinet; said door having a center of gravity at a point intermediate its ends and outwardly of the pivot point to cause said door to swing into and normally remain in closed position by gravity; guide means on the door and cooperable with the cabinet guide means to enable movement of the door between the horizontal open position and a stored position within the cabinet as the trailer bar is moved between the extended and retracted positions, characterized in that the door and the door and cabinet guide means enable movement of the door to a position intermediate the open and stored positions in which the door extends horizontally partially outwardly of the cabinet for use as a supporting shelf, cooperating detent means on said door and cabinet for physically indicating said intermediate partial retracted position of said door, said detent means comprising a finger member and a resilient detent member, one of said members being mounted for resilient engagement with said finger on the other of said members upon movement of said door to a position intermediate its open horizontal position and its stored position to provide flexible resistance to further movement of said door into completely stored position to thereby indicate that said door is in a horizontal shelf position; said resilient detent member being movable out of engagement with said finger member upon further movement of said door towards said stored position past the intermediate shelf position, said door including spaced front and rear walls and an interior structural member extending laterally of the door between the walls to provide structural rigidity, the front wall having a substantially planar portion forming an upper shelf surface in the intermediate position, the rear wall of said door including a lateral depression near the door outer end to provide a hand grip for facilitating movement of the door from stored to open position, the door being formed of a continuous piece of sheet metal open at opposite ends and the door guide means comprising end caps closing the open ends, the end caps including elongated depressions providing hand grips to enable movement of the door from closed to open positions, each end cap including an integral locking tab cooperable with a movable lock bar mounted on the cabinet to selectively lock the door in closed position.

2. A filing cabinet having an opening, a trailer bar, a cooperating guide means on the trailer bar and the cabinet enabling sliding movement of the trailer bar within the cabinet between horizontal extended and retracted positions toward and away from the opening, a door pivoted to the trailer bar for vertical movement between a vertical closed position closing the opening and horizontal open position extending perpendicularly from the cabinet; said door having a center of gravity at a point intermediate its ends and outwardly of the pivot point to cause said door to swing into and normally remain in closed position by gravity; guide means on the door and cooperable with the cabinet guide means to enable movement of the door between the horizontal open position and a stored position within the cabinet as the trailer bar is moved between the extended and retracted positions, characterized in that the door and the door and cabinet guide means enable movement of the door to a position intermediate the open and stored positions in which the door extends horizontally partially outwardly of the cabinet for use as a supporting shelf, cooperating detent means on said door and cabinet for physically indicating partial retracted position of said door, said detent means comprising a finger member and a resilient detent member, one of said members being mounted for resilient engagement with said finger on the other of said members upon movement of said door to a position intermediate its open horizontal position and its stored pOsition to provide flexible resistance to further movement of said door into completely stored position to thereby indicate that said door is in a horizontal shelf position; said resilient detent member being movable out of engagement with said finger member upon further movement of said door towards said stored position past the intermediate shelf position, the door including spaced front and rear walls and an interior structural member extending laterally of the door between the walls to provide structural rigidity, the front wall having a substantially planar portion forming an upper shelf surface in the intermediate position, said walls being formed of sheet metal interconnected by top and bottom walls and defining end openings, the door including end caps closing the openings, each end cap including an integral stop tab extending laterally beyond the cabinet opening and engageable with a cabinet exterior surface for locating the door in the closed position, and the internal structural member is positioned within the door to locate the door''s center of gravity in closed position outwardly of a plane extending vertically beneath the pivot axis to provide a gravity bias maintaining engagement of the stop tabs with the cabinet surface.