US3722972A - Fiberglass filing cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved filing cabinet is provided which lends itself particularly to a double-walled fiberglass construction. The filing cabinet of the invention includes a molded fiberglass base which defines a rectangular frame normally disposed in a vertical plane. One or more file drawers are supported within the frame above one another, the support of each drawer being effectuated by elongated strips mounted on the ends thereof. The strips are supported in depressions formed in the inner wall of the frame, the depressions having the shape of an inverted triangle, so as to permit each drawer to be independently tilted out from the frame for access to its interior, and then to be tilted back to an upright position within the frame.

Description

Deeds et ai.

[ 1 Mar. 27, 1973 I 1 FEBERGLASS FILING CABINET [73] Assignee: Architectural Pottery, Los Angeles,

Calif.

[22] Filed: June 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 157,278

3,510,188 5/1970 Brown .3l2l325 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg At!0rney]essup & Beecher [57] ABSTRACT An improved filing cabinet is provided which lends itself particularly to a double-walled fiberglass construction. The filing cabinet of the invention includes a molded fiberglass base which defines a rectangular frame normally disposed in a vertical plane. One or more file drawers are supported within.the frame above one another, the support of each drawer being effectuated by elongated strips mounted on the ends thereof. The strips are supported in depressions formed in the inner wall of the frame, the depressions having the shape of an inverted triangle, so as to permit each drawer to be independently tilted out from the frame for access to its interior, and then to be tilted back to an upright position within the frame.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented March 27, 1973 ll ailil J J INI M V FM n u M FmERGLASS FILING CABINET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The improved filing cabinet of the invention is intended to replace the prior art unsightly metal filing cabinets which are presently in widespread use in business offices, and in other establishments. The sliding drawers of the prior art file cabinets are replaced in the structure of the present invention by tiltable drawers. The tiltable drawers are supported in a vertical frame in a simple, yet sturdy manner. The entire assembly of the present invention may be composed of a fiberglass material, and not only has it a more attractive appearance than the prior art filing cabinets, but it is less subject to damage, is less expensive, and its tiltable drawers require but a fraction of the space required by the sliding drawers of the prior art cabinets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a file cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale, and partly in section, of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the file drawers of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the inner wall of the frame, taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and showing a depression which is molded within the inner surface of the side wall of the frame for supporting the file drawers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The file cabinet of the invention includes a base which defines a vertical frame, the frame having a top 100, and spaced side walls 100 and 10b. The base 10 and its associated frame may be formed of fiberglass in accordance with usual fiberglass molding techniques. The frame preferably has a double-walled configuration, similar to that described in copending application Ser. No. 8,237.

During the fiberglass molding process, depressions 12 such as shown in FIG. 4, are formed in the inner surfaces of the side walls 10a and 10b. A plurality of file drawers 14 are supported in the frame, as shown in FIG. 1, one above the other, and with their ends adjacent the inner surfaces of the side walls 10a and 10b of the frame. Appropriate dividers, as shown, may be positioned in the file drawers. The depressions 12 are provided in the frame adjacent each end of each of the drawers 14. The drawers each have a strip 16 secured to each end, and which extend into the corresponding depression 12.

The'strip 16 may be secured to the ends of each file drawer by means, for example, of screws 18. A convenient assembly procedure is to place the strip 16 in the corresponding depression 12, and then insert the adjacent file drawer 14. After the file drawer is in place, the screws 18 may then be screwed into the corresponding strip 16 from the interior of the drawer.

The double-walled feature of the frame 10a permits the depressions 12 to be formed conveniently in the inner surface of the side walls and 10b. The depressions 12 may be formed during the molding process in any manner known to the art, for example, by placing inserts on the mold which are shaped to conform with the inverted triangular shapes of the depressions 12.

The invention provides, therefore, an improved filing cabinet which is relatively inexpensive to construct, and which results in an attractive assembly, and one in which ,the drawers are tiltable, so as to require a minimum of clearance space.

It is evident that although a particular embodiment of the invention is shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended to cover such modifications in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A. filing cabinet comprising a base member defining a rectangular frame having side walls with at least one depression formed in each of said side walls, and each of said depressions having the general shape of an inverted triangle, the depression in one of said side walls being horizontally aligned with a corresponding depression in the other of said side walls; at least one drawer supported within said frame with the ends thereof adjacent respective ones of said side walls, said drawer being tiltable in said frame between an upright position and an inclined position; and a pair of strip members respectively mounted on the ends of said drawer and extending into the corresponding depressions in said side walls.

2. The filing cabinet defined in claim 1, in which said frame is formed of fiberglass material.

3. The filing cabinet defined in claim 1, in which said strip members are mounted on the ends of said drawer by screws extending from the interior of said drawer through the respective ends thereof.

Claims (3)

1. A filing cabinet comprising a base member defining a rectangular frame having side walls with at least one depression formed in each of said side walls, and each of said depressions having the general shape of an inverted triangle, the depression in one of said side walls being horizontally aligned with a corresponding depression in the other of said side walls; at least one drawer supported within said frame with the ends thereof adjacent respective ones of said side walls, said drawer being tiltable in said frame between an upright position and an inclined position; and a pair of strip members respectively mounted on the ends of said drawer and extending into the corresponding depressions in said side walls.

2. The filing cabinet defined in claim 1, in which said frame is formed of fiberglass material.

3. The filing cabinet defined in claim 1, in which said strip members are mounted on the ends of said drawer by screws extending from the interior of said drawer through the respective ends thereof.

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