US3179480A - Filing drawer construction - Google Patents

Description

A ril 20, 1965 J. H. BRINKER 3, 9 4

I FILING DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 4, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN H. BRINKER,

A FTORNEYQ.

April 1965 J. H. BRINKER 3,179,480

FILiNG DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 4, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIHIIJHIHHHHH/HHHI 0 Fig.6 30 Fig.7

INVENTOR JOHN H. BRINKER,

BY WW,JG- PM ATTORNEY.

April 20, 1965 J. H. BRINKER FILING DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 4, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I: 9(- 26r f Ii W]. "11 2/0 220 39 22a i I MIL '4' 22a 1 lml ii l Fig.8

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United States Patent 3,179,480 FILING DRAWER CONSTRUCTION John H. Brinker, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Globe-Wernicke Co., Division of Globe-Wernicke Industries Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,579 1 Claim. (Cl. 312214) This invention relates to a filing drawer construction. More particularly it relates to a construction which makes possible the easy replacement of the front finish panel of the file drawer where such replacement is desired for any reason.

There are a number of conditions in which it is desirable to be able to replace just the front finish panel of a filing drawer rather than an entire drawer. By way of example, file drawers are now often constructed such that longitudinal dividers may be inserted therein over a false bottom so as to convert an ordinary file drawer into a subdivided drawer. Generally provision is made for the insertion of either one longitudinal divider to make a two-compartment drawer or two longitudinal dividers to make a three-compartment drawer. When this is done, however, the difliculty is that the usual file drawer front is provided with a single centrally disposed label holder. Thus, it would be very desirable to be able to replace thefront finish panel of the drawer with one having perhaps two label holders or three label holders when converting the filing drawer to a two-compartment or threecompartment drawer.

Another example is one which arises from the availability of new materials. Thus there is now available a vinyl covered sheet metal wherein the vinyl may be provided in various colors and textures. This makes possible the coordination of colors and textures in the interior decoration of oflfices. Under these circumstances it is desirable that the drawer fronts be capable of being changed when it is desired to change the decor. Drawer fronts may thus be furnished in a variety of colors and finishes, painted or otherwise coated, and this variety and interchangeability makes possible the color coding of records or files.

Of course, there is always the possibility that a particular drawer front may be damaged as by being dented or scratched without any damage accruing to the structure of the drawer itself. Presently it is necessary to replace the entire drawer, whereas it should only be necessary to replace the front finish panel.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drawer construction wherein the front finish panel of the drawer is detachably secured to a false front which forms an integral part of the drawer structure. It is another object of the invention to provide for a simple and easy removal and replacement of drawer fronts without the need for special tools or equipment.

These and other objects of the invention which will be described in more detail hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications are accomplished by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which the following is a description of an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to the drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view as seen from the rear of a finish front panel according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view as seen from the front of a drawer having a false front panel to which the panel of FIG. 1 is detachably secured. FIG. 2 is drawn to a smaller scale.

3,179,436 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 ICC FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the drawer of FTG. 2 on a reduced scale.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary crosssectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 adjacent the front of the drawer.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view on a small scale of the completely assembled drawer with the finish front in place.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front portion of the drawer as seen from the right in FIG. 5 also on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a drawer according to the invention provided with dividers and a false bottom to make a compartmented drawer having three compartments.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the same taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Briefly, in the practice of the invention, the drawer may be of conventional configuration having a bottom panel 10, side Walls 11 and 12, a rear wall 13, and a false front panel 14. The specific design and construction of these panels and walls does not constitute apart of the present invention. The members above described may be secured together as for example by spot Welding into a unitary drawer forming relationship.

The rear wall 13 may be provided with the slots 13a and the false front panel with the slots 14a for the insertion of longitudinal dividers such as those indicated at 15 in FIG. 9.

The false front panel 14 is provided with a top flange 16, side flanges 17 and 18 and a bottom flange 19. The bottom wall 10 will be provided with a struck out lug or the like as indicated at 20. In the particular embodiment shown, there are two such lugs (see FIG. 3), one near each of the sides of the drawer. The purpose of these lugs will be described hereinafter. 21 indicates the conventional central longitudinal bottom channel through which a guide rod may pass as indicated at 22. To this end the front panel is provided with the deformation 23 and the finish front panel will be provided with the aperture 24- through which the guide rod 22 extends as at 25. All of this is conventional.

The finish front panel is indicated generally at 26 and as best seen in FIG. 1 it is provided with the top channel 27, the side channels 28 and 29 and the bottom channel 30. Extending rearwardly from the bottom channel 30 is a flange 31 having the cut-out portions 32. The flange 31 is actually in two parts in order to clear the bottom channel 21 previously referred to. Extending rearwardly from the side channels 28 and 29 are the guide flanges 33 and 34 and the guide tabs 35 and 36.

By reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, it will be understood that the finish front panel 26 is secured to the false front panel 14 by engaging the top channel 27 over the top flange 16. The guide tabs 35 and 36 and 33 and 34 respectively engage on the outsides of the side walls 11 and 12 and the rearwardly extending flange 31 of the bottom channel 3t abuts against the bottom panel 10 with the securing lugs 20 passing through the apertures 32 in the flange 31. It will be clear that in order to change panels it is only necessary to pry the flange 31 over the abutment 20, swinging the finish front panel counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 6 and lifting the top channel 27 off the top flange 16. A different finish front panel can then be assembled to the drawer by a reverse procedure. The finish front panel will of course be provided with the usual drawer pull indicated at 37, which may be provided with a suitable latching or trigger mechanism if desired and with the usual label holder 38. If the drawer, as is usually the case, is provided with the lateral channels 11a and 12a, it will be clear that the guide tabs 35 and 36 will be savaaeo spaced outward from the guide flanges 33 and 3 so that in the assembled conditions the guide tabs 35 and 36 bear snugly against the channels 11a and 12a while the guide flanges 33 and 34 bear snugly against the side walls 11 and 12. 7

In FIGS. 8 and 9 there is a somewhat schematic showing of how a conventional drawer as shownin FIG. can be converted to a compartmented drawer. A false bottom structure is secured in the bottom of the drawer and this structure provides for a desired number of guide channels 21a which have the same function as the chan nel 21 heretofore described. In the particular embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, the drawer has been subdivided into three equal compartments. It could of course be divided into two compartments by using a different false bottom structure and by securing a single dividing wall 15 in the central one of the slots 14a. It can also be divided into compartments of unequal size by using asuitable combination of the various slots 14a and 13a. In any event, each of the channels 21a will carry a guide rod 22a having the same purpose as the guide rod 22. Each of the compartments may then be provided with a suitable follower 39 of any desired construction.

When a drawer is converted, for example a three compartment drawer as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the particular finish front panel 26a will be provided with three label holders 38a. If the drawer is divided into two compartments, it is a simple matter to change the front finish panel to one having two label holders.

It will now be clear that ifit is desired for any one of the various reasons described above to replace the front finish panel of the file drawer, this can be done with the greatest of ease and a new panel having the desired number of label holders or a desired finish or color may be assembled to the drawer.

Itwill be understood that the description herein is exemplary only and that modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. There is therefore no intention to limit the invention otherwise than as set forth in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A filing drawer having a bottom panel, side walls each provided with a longitudinal stiffening channel, a rear wall and a false front panel, said panels and walls being secured together in drawer forming relationship, and a detachable front finish panel bearing a pull and at least one label holder, said false front panel having forwardly directed top, bottom and side flanges, and said bottom panel having adjacent said false front panel a securing abutment, said front finish panel having rearwardly directed top, bottom and side channels, said bottom channel having a rearwardly directed flange provided with means cooperating with said securing abutment, said top channel engaging over the top flange of said false front panel and the rearwardly directed flange on said bottom channel bearing against said bottom panel when said forwardly directed top flange is seated within said top channel and said side channelsare disposed outside the respective side flanges, said side channels being provided with rearwardly extending guide flanges bearing against the outside of the respective side walls of saiddrawer, and each of said side channels being provided with a rearwardly extending guide tab bearing snugly against said stiifening channels on said drawer side walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,757,293 5/30 Card 312-214 1,842,398 1/32 Furlong 312-320 X 2,167,995 8/39 Preston 312257 2,309,882 2/43 Bescherer 312--320 X 2,720,683 10/55 Schwenker 3 12-257 3,024,075 3/62 Howe 3 12214 3,097,030 7/63 Hartley 312-214 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

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