US731223A - Knockdown furniture. - Google Patents

Description

No. 731,223. PATENTED JUNE 16; 1903.

J. RICHARDS.

KNOGKDOWN FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1902.

no MODEL.

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MM W M11166 R'xchcttds I I B9 4 52 I UNITED STATES Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

KNOCKDOWN FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,223, dated June 16, 1903. Application filed July 7, 1902. Serial No. 114,585. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, haveinvented certainnew and useful Improvements in Knockdown Furniture; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in knockdown furniture, and more especially to sectional bookcases; and its object is to provide improved means for connecting the parts forming the shelves and end sections, to provide improved means for supporting and operating the front of the sections, to provide a cheap and simple device, and to provide the same with certain new and useful features, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a device embodying my invention with parts broken away and partially in vertical section;'Fig. 2, a detail of one side of the same, partially broken away and partiallyin vertical section; Fig. 3, a perspective detail of theadjacent ends of the end sections, and Fig. 4. the same of portions of one of the shelves.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

To provide simple and effective means for connecting and alining the end sections to each other and for supporting the shelves and holding the ends of the case in parallel vertical planes, I provide the adjacent and abutting ends of each end section with opposing dovetail recesses adapted to receive a dovetail tenon on the end of the shelf, a part of each tenon being recessed into'the respective adjacent ends-of the end sections, whereby the end sections are connected and alined and the shelf is supported in place and also ties the respective ends of the case together, thus dispensing with all special fastenings of metal and at the same time effectively anddetachably securing the ends and shelves in place. To hold the ends in vertical planes and at right angles to the shelves, the backs are formed square at the ends and abut against the ends and are provided with tongues engaging grooves in the ends, whereby the backs are held in place and the ends held vertical. provided with similar recesses to engage the shelftenons, and all the parts when assembled are firmly secured and substantially held in place without the use of special fastenings of metal or other fastenings than the described arrangement of dovetail recesses, dovetail tenons on the ends of the shelves, and the backs abutting against the opposite end sections.

I have shown two tenons to each end of a shelf; but obviously more or less may be used at pleasure.

To support and operate the front of each section, I provide a stud on each end section projecting inward therefrom and supportingstrips extending horizontally rearward in the plane of each stud and inclined ways at their forward ends, on which strips and studs the door is. supported in a horizontal position within the upper part of each sec- The base and top sections are tion when open and vertical strips engaging the fronts and preventing the same from swinging inward when closed. I also provide each front with suitable inclined recesses in each end and near the upper angles thereof 'to receive the studs. Said recesses open laterally inward, whereby the studs are freely entered into and removed from said recesses as the inner edge of the front traverses the ways, and the door is pivoted directly above its center of gravity,'and thus closes with less violence and at the same time is properly supported in place when closed. I prefer'to use friction-rolls on said studs, as shown.

Referring again to the drawings, A represents the end sections of the case, adapted to be arranged in vertical planes and one above the other.

B represents the opposing dovetail recesses in the adjacent ends of the end sections, each pair of recesses being only sufficient to receive one of the tenons on the shelf,whereby each tenon is partially within the respective adjacent ends of two end sections.

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0 represents the shelves, provided with the dovetail tenons D at the respective ends adapted to engage and fit within the recesses B.

A is the base-section, and A the cap-section, also provided with the recesses B,whereby they are held in place by the tenons on the shelves.'

Erepresents the fronts, each provided with the laterally open and inclined recesses F in their respective ends and within the planes of its inner and outer sides and adapted to engage the studs G, projecting inward from the end sections A and pivotally support the front thereon.

H represents the horizontal supporting- 'are readily assembled or detached without the use of tools and when assembled form a stable structure. The front when closed is pivotally supported on the studs directly above its center of gravity, and'when raised to a substantially horizontal position and slid inward it will traverse the studs on the inclined forward side of the recesses and run the door upward and inward upon the studs, and the rear of the front will be supported on the strips H when fully run into the case, the inclined ways H serving to engage and guide the rear edge of the door in case it is inad vertently raised too high at the outer side, and when drawn forward in like horizontal or slightlyinclined position thestudswill reenter the recesses and again pivotally support the front. It will also be observed that any one front can be readily detached without disturbing any other part of the structure by carrygening the front or lower side of the same high enough and drawing the same outward,where by the rear or upper edge engages the inclines H and prevents the studs from rentering the recesses in the front or by holding the front high enough to prevent such reentering of the studs into the recesses.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a knockdown sectional structure, the combination of abutting end sections having dovetail recesses partially in each section, and shelves having dovetail tenons formed on the ends thereof and detachably inserted in said recesses and partially within the respective abutting end sections.

2. The combination of a case, studs projectinginward from the ends of the case, supports at the rear of the studs, downwardly and forwardly inclined ways, and a front to the case having laterally-open recesses in its respective ends, to detachably engage the studs,and pivotally support the front thereon.

3. The combination of a case, studs projecting inward from the ends of the case,strips at the rear of the studs and in the same plane, inclined ways between said strips and studs and extending below the plane of the studs, and a front to the case, having inclined and laterally-open recesses in its ends andbetween its inner and outersurfaces to detachably engage the studs.

4:. A knockdown sectional bookcase, consisting of end sect-ions having opposing dove-' tail recesses in their adjacent ends and vertical grooves at the back, backs having tongues adapted to engage said grooves, shelves having dovetail tenons adapted to engage said dovetail recesses and to project partially Within the respective end sections, studs projecting inward from the end sections, supports at the rear of said studs and in the same plane, and a front having laterally open and inclined recesses in its respective ends, and between its inner and outer surfaces to engage the studs and pivotally support the fronts thereon.

5. In a knockdown sectional structure, the combination of abutting end sections having recesses partiallyin each section, and shelves having integral projections detachably inserted in said recesses and partially within the respective abutting end section, the abutted edges of the end sections lying in mutual en- 1 gagement throughout their entire length.

6. In a knockdown sectional structure, the combination of abutting end sections having laterally-opening recesses partially in each section, and shelves having integral projections snugly fitting the end walls of the recesses and partially within the respective abutting end sections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.-

JAMES RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MOULTON, EDWARD R. MONROE.

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