US3860119A

US3860119A - Hanging file support structure

Info

Publication number: US3860119A
Application number: US320582A
Authority: US
Inventors: David Irvine; Earl Barlow; John K Carnes; William F Schmidt
Original assignee: LIT NING PRODUCTS CO
Current assignee: Hunt Manufacturing Co; Hunt Holdings Inc
Priority date: 1972-08-28
Filing date: 1973-01-02
Publication date: 1975-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1992-01-14

Abstract

A combination of separate components fabricated for shipment in knock-down form which may be readily assembled to provide a simple secure support frame for hanging file folders, often referred to as suspension files. Four corners of the structure comprise junctures of the longitudinal side bars, crossbars, and leg supports for the structure. The leg support member is generally U-shaped and has a Z-shaped configuration near the top of each leg of the U to support the other members joined thereto. Both the leg support and the side bar are fabricated with elongated apertures near their ends. The crossbar is provided with an extended tongue member shaped to fit the elongated apertures of the leg support and side bar for each corner juncture. On assembly, the tongue member of the crossbar is forced into the apertures of the associated side bar and leg support with a loose press-fit which holds the entire unit assembled. The side bars preferably are fabricated with additional apertures and predetermined break lines so that the structure may be adapted to fit in file drawers of various lengths or, if desired, to be mounted transversely in a file drawer. In an alternative arrangement, the side bars are provided with recessed notches arranged to match and engage the crossbars for added rigidity.

Description

United States Patent [191 Irvine et al.

1 HANGING FILE SUPPORT STRUCTURE [75] Inventors: David Irvine, Lookout Heights, Ky.;

Earl Barlow; John K. Carnes, both of Cincinnati, Ohio; William F. Schmidt, Dry Ridge, Ky.

[73] Assignee: Lit-Ning Products Co., Florence,

22 Filed: Jan. 2, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 320,582

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 284,227, Aug. 28,

1972, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 211/45, 211/175, 211/177, 211/184, 312/184 [51] Int. Cl B.42f 17/08 [58] Field of Search 211/11, 45, 46, 162, 175, 211/177, 184, 143; 312/184; 248/165 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,278,403 3/1942 Jonas 312/184 2,336,802 12/1943 Posner 211/45 X 2,810,388 10/1957 Conley et al 211/46 X 2,852,028 9/1958 Patterson et al... 211/162 3,208,456 9/1965 Peebles 312/184 3,266,496 8/1966 West et a] 211/46 X 3,356,228 12/1967 Woodhouse.... 211/45 3,606,023 9/1971 Edmunds 211/177 X 3,651,950 3/1972 Carter 211/177 3,734,300 5/1973 Carter 211/177 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 968,265 9/1964 Great Britain 312/184 1,168,660 9/1958 France 312/184 51 Jan. 14, 1975 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant ExaminerThomas .1. Holko Attorney, Agent, or FirmHenry M. Bissell [57] ABSTRACT A combination of separate components fabricated for shipment in knock-down form which may be readily assembled to provide a simple secure support frame for hanging file folders, often referred to as suspension files. Four corners of the structure comprise junctures of the longitudinal side bars, crossbars, and leg supports for the structure. The leg support member is generally U-shaped and has a Z-shaped configuration near the top of each leg of the U to support the other members joined thereto. Both the leg support and the side bar are fabricated with elongated apertures near their ends. The crossbar is provided with an extended tongue member shaped to fit the elongated apertures of the leg support and side bar for each corner juncture. On assembly, the tongue member of the crossbar is forced into the apertures of the associated side bar and leg support with a loose press-fit which holds the entire unit assembled. The side bars preferably are fabricated with additional apertures and predetermined break lines so that the structure may be adapted to fit in file drawers of various lengths or, if desired, to be mounted transversely in a file drawer. In an alternative arrangement, the side bars are provided with recessed notches arranged to match and engage the crossbars for added rigidity.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures HANGING FILE SUPPORT STRUCTURE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 284,227, filed Aug. 28, 1972, for HANGING FILE SUPPORT STRUCTURE, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to suspension file support structures, and more particularly to such a structure adapted for mounting within a file drawer to support hanging files therein.

2. Description of the Prior Art Hanging or suspension type file systems have been in use for many years and particularly comprise a support frame of some type having a pair of longitudinal side rails which support pockets for file folders and other items that are to be filed within the drawer. The pockets hang from cross members adapted to engage the side rails and which are movable therealong and may be readily removed if desired.

It is virtually essential that the support frames be so designed as to permit shipment in knock-down form and ready assembly for use as desired. Being designed to fit within a file drawer without diminishing the space to be occupied by the files therein, storage of the units within the drawers in use is no problem. However, if they are to be removed from the drawers, they must be capable of disassembly, since otherwise their generally rectangular parallelepiped configuration results in their occupying substantially as much volume as the drawer from which they are removed. Furthermore, although they must be capable of easy assembly and disassembly and must occupy a minimum of space in the knockdown form for shipping or storage, they must be capable of assembly into a strong, rigid structure, since they are used to support the weight of the file folders and storage pockets within a full-size file drawer.

One common type of suspension file frame which has enjoyed popularity in recent years utilizes a lever-type of locking mechanism for securing and retaining the various components of the unit together upon assembly. An example of such may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,356,228 of W. T. Woodhouse. This uses a pivotable lever coupled to a threading mechanism for tightening the assembled unit to rigidly lock the components of a joint together. A similar structure which has been on the market for several years utilizes a cam-ramp and lever assembly which locks a pair of gripping surfaces together to establish a rigid corner joint. Such mechanisms are more expensive to manufacture, are more cumbersome, and sometimes are too complicated for certain office personnel to use readily, and may also exhibit a tendency to come unfastened in use.

Other types of file folder support frames have beenv developed which rely on other types of arrangements to develop a desired fastening at the corner joint. British Pat. No. 791,837 describes a unit utilizing a threaded member to lock a rail in position within a slot. U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,496 of West et al. describes a slotted support member in which specially shaped side rails may be mounted. However, such units do not provide an entirely satisfactory answer to the problems of ease and economy of fabrication, ease and simplicity of assembly, and strength and rigidity of the joints and support structure for hanging file folders, all of which problems must be resolved in exemplary fashion to achieve a truly satisfactory and commercially successful structure of the type described herein.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved configuration of hanging file support frame which is simple and cheap to manufacture, may be readily assembled by anyone of normal intelligence and manual dexterity, and results in a strong, rigid structure which is self-support and selfretaining in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, arrangements in accordance with the present invention accord to the structure described in the abstract of the disclosure hereinabove, which abstract is incorporated herein by reference. There are three basic components, repeated in pairs, for a single file folder support frame: a side rail having rectangular slots near its two ends, a U-shaped support member having Z- shaped configurations with rectangular slots near its two ends, and a crossbar having its two ends shaped to form an elongated tongue portion of rectangular crosssection with transverse dimensions coordinated to fit within the rectangular apertures of the' side bar and support member. The longitudinal dimension of the tongue portions is as to extend through the side bar and the support member without protruding beyond to any undesirable extent.

To assemble the three components at a corner joint, the tongue portion of the crossbar is first moved through the aperture of the side bar and then into the aperture of the support member. The dimensions of the respective components are such that the three components are held together by frictional engagement resulting from the loose press-fit of the tongue portion of the crossbar within the apertures in the side bar and the support member while at the same time the side bar and crossbar are supported by the support member, both by virtue of the engagement of the tongue portion of the crossbar. through the side bar into the slot of the support member and by the fact that the side bar bears against the horizontal part of the Z-shaped portion of the support member. Thus by virtue of the interlocking relationship of this configuration, a very secure and rigid support frame is provided which can be easily assembled and disassembled as desired.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, the side rails are provided with additional slots and break lines at selected points so that one may shorten the side rails to fit various sizes of file drawers and, indeed, may adapt the unit for mounting transversely of a file drawer rather than longitudinally if desired, simply by using a pair of pliers or like tool to bend the side rail at the break line corresponding with the length desired. The slot adjacent the break line thus selected then becomes the slot which is used for engagement with the crossbar and support member in setting up the frame for the desired length.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, in alternative embodiments thereof, additional arrangements by way of structural configuration are provided for developing increased rigidity of the joints of the assembled units. These may comprise recessed notches along the side bars to mate with the cross-section of the U-shaped support members, as well as the provision of a U-shaped channel for at least the end portions of the cross-bars to engage the joint portions of the crossbars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A better understanding of the present invention may be had from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a-file drawer, partially broken away, showing an arrangement in accordance with the invention in conventional use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the invention as assembled for use;

FIG. 3 is an expanded view of a portion of the arrangement of FIG. 2 shown disassembled for further detail;

FIG. 4 is an outline view of an alternative configuration of a portion of the invention for use in the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an expanded view of the portion of the arrangement of FIG. 2 showing the use of the alternative structure of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of an alternative element which may also be used in the arrangement of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a hanging file support structure 10in accordance with the present invention comprises a pair of side bars 12, a pair of crossbars 14, and a pair of end supports 16. These are assembled in the configuration shown and are designed to be placed in a conventional file drawer such as the unit of FIG. 1 and provided with file pockets 22 for the storage of file folders therein. The file pockets 22 are provided with members24 for slidably engaging the side rails 12 so that the pockets 22 may be moved to various positions on the support structure 10 and may be inserted and removed as desired.

From the details shown in FIG. 3, which is an expanded, exploded view of a joint of the support structure 10, it will be noted that the end of the side bar 12 is provided with a rectangular slot 30, while the end of the support structure 16 is provided with a slot 31. The end of the crossbar 14 is cut to develop an extended rectangular tongue portion 32 and 'a pair of shoulders 34. The

slots

30, 31 are alike in dimensions and adapted to receive the tongue portion 32 with slight frictional engagement so that the three components l2, l4 and 16 are held together upon assembly but may be disassembled upon the application of a slight force to pull them apart. The shoulders 34 bear against the side bar 12 adjacent the slot 30 and maintain the side bar 12 against the end of the support member 16 to hold it in position, also ensuring that the side bar 12 receives vertical support from the horizontal part 36 of the Z- shaped end portion of the support member 16. The extended tongue portion 32 of the crossbar 14 is provided near its outer extremity with a tapered section 38 to assist in guiding the tongue portion 32 into the

slots

30, 31 and thus facilitate assembly of the three

components

12, 14 and 16 into a suitable joint for the support structure 10.

Additional slots

40 and 41 are provided in the side rails 12 adjacent associated

break lines

42 and 43, respectively. These are intended to be used for breaking off portions of the side rails 12 if the device 10 is to be shortened for use in a smaller drawer or, in the case of the slot 41 and break line 43, where the support structure 10 is to be mounted transversely, rather than longitudinally, in a drawer such as 20 (FIG. 1).

The fashioning of the end support member 16 in a U- shaped configuration such that both vertical legs thereof are joined by the bottom member advantageously serves to add rigidity to the unit by eliminating all-lateral stress on the joints of the

members

12, 14 and 16. With this arrangement, the only torsional stress that the structure 10 is likely to encounter is in a plane normal to the crossbar 14, and such torsional stress is resisted by virtue of the configuration of the

slots

30, 31 and the rectangular extended tongue portion 32 which effectively control such forces.

FIG. 4 shows the outline of an alternative configuration of a side rail 12A and FIG. 5 is an expanded view, similar to FIG. 3, showing the use of the side rail 12A in a corner joint for the structure 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The side rail 12A is similar to the side rail 12, shown in previous figures, except that it is provided with recessed notches bounded by teeth 52. As indicated in FIG. 5, the side rail 12A may be assembled to an associated crossbar 14 and U-shaped support member 36 by positioning the elements in a juxtaposition such that a selected notch 50 with adjacent teeth 52 straddles the support member 36. The longitudinal dimension of the notch 50 substantially equals the corresponding dimension of the support member 36. Insertion of the crossbar 14 tongue portion 32 as previously described completes the joint for the support structure 10 but with added rigidity therefor provided by virtue of the interlocking relationship between the support member 36 and the notch 50 of the side bar 12A.

FIG. 6 shows an alternative crossbar 14A which may be used if desired. This is shown as a U'shaped channel portion 54 constituting at least part of the crossbar 14A near the end thereof in a position to engage and overlie the corresponding segment of the U-shaped' support member 36. The channel portion is dimensioned so as to bear against both edges of the support member 36 when joined together. The crossbar 14A may be provided with the extending tongue portion 32 as in FIGS. 3 and 5.

Although there have been described above specific arrangements of a hanging file support frame in accordance with the invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art may be considered to be within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A file support structure comprising at least one pair of side members, at least one pair of cross members, and at least one pair of support members, said at least one pair of side members having apertures therein, each member in said at least one pair of support members having at least two apertures therein, one positioned toward each extremity of said each support member, each member in said at least one pair of support members having a shape whereby said at least two apertures are generally aligned in opposition to each other, said at least one pair of cross members each having a tongue portion configured to engage the apertures by insertion therein;

each support member being generally U-shaped with a flattened bottom section to provide added rigidity to the structure and including a Z-shaped portion adjacent each extremity of the support member with the aperture being located in the outermost end of the Z-shaped portion and with the middle part of the Z-shaped portion being adapted to support the side member vertically upon assembly therewith.

2. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said apertures are rectangular in outline and the crosssectional dimensions of the tongue portion of each cross member are rectangular and dimensioned so as to fit within the apertures with frictional engagement on the interior surfaces of the apertures.

3. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein each cross member is provided with at least one shoulder adjacent said tongue portion for bearing against a side member and retaining it adjacent a support member.

4. A structure in accordance with claim 3 wherein said tongue portion further comprises a tapered end for facilitating insertion of said tongue portion within the aperture of an adjacent member.

5. A file support structure comprising at least one pair of side members, at least one pair of cross members, and at least one pair of support members, said at least one pair of side members having apertures therein, each member in said at least one pair of support members having at least two apertures therein, one positioned toward each extremity of said each support member, each member in said at least one pair of support members having a shape whereby said at least two apertures are generally aligned in opposition to each other, said at least one pair of cross members each having a tongue portion configured to engage the apertures by insertion therein;

each of said side members having along an edge thereof at least one recessed notch bounded by teeth spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the dimension of each of said support members in the direction aligned with a side member.

6. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein each side member further comprises a plurality of additional apertures aligned along the side member and a plurality of break lines respectively located between adjacent apertures to permit shortening of the side member by predetermined increments by breaking off sections thereof at the break lines.

7. A structure in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of said side members includes a plurality of adjacent recessed notches along one edge thereof separated by teeth which are spaced apart by distances equal to the dimension of a support member extending in the direction aligned with a side member.

8. A structure in accordance with claim 5 wherein each of said cross members includes along at least a portion thereof a U-shaped channel portion dimensioned and positioned to engage a portion of a support member at the junction therewith.

Claims

1. A file support structure comprising at least one pair of side members, at least one pair of cross members, and at least one pair of support members, said at least one pair of side members having apertures therein, each member in said at least one pair of support members having at least two apertures therein, one positioned toward each extremity of said each support member, each member in said at least one pair of support members having a shape whereby said at least two apertures are generally aligned in opposition to each other, said at least one pair of cross members each having a tongue portion configured to engage the apertures by insertion therein; each support member being generally U-shaped with a flattened bottom section to provide added rigidity to the structure and including A Z-shaped portion adjacent each extremity of the support member with the aperture being located in the outermost end of the Z-shaped portion and with the middle part of the Zshaped portion being adapted to support the side member vertically upon assembly therewith.

2. A structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said apertures are rectangular in outline and the cross-sectional dimensions of the tongue portion of each cross member are rectangular and dimensioned so as to fit within the apertures with frictional engagement on the interior surfaces of the apertures.

5. A file support structure comprising at least one pair of side members, at least one pair of cross members, and at least one pair of support members, said at least one pair of side members having apertures therein, each member in said at least one pair of support members having at least two apertures therein, one positioned toward each extremity of said each support member, each member in said at least one pair of support members having a shape whereby said at least two apertures are generally aligned in opposition to each other, said at least one pair of cross members each having a tongue portion configured to engage the apertures by insertion therein; each of said side members having along an edge thereof at least one recessed notch bounded by teeth spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the dimension of each of said support members in the direction aligned with a side member.