US1073274A - Locking mechanism for superposed drawers. - Google Patents

Description

P. S. MILLIOE. LOOKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED DRAWBRS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.28, 1910.

1,073,274, Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

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WHQZ M FT v \I Era" P. s. MILLIGE. LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED DRAWERS. APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 28, 1910.

1,073,274.. Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC, 28. 1910. 1,073,274. Patented Sept. 16,1913.

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" IT D STATES PAT PAUL s. ,MILILIGE, or HAMILTON, "or-no, AssrGNoR 'ro rInE-ritoor, FURNITURE nun oolvsrrwc'rron COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A oonronn'rromor NEW YORK.

' LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED DRAWERS.

filing cabinets and desks, or the like, and es-:

pecially intended for use in articles of this character made of metal. I have illustratedthe same applied to a Vertical filing cabinet of metal construction. 1

In the selling of'articles of this character some customers desire the same provided with lockingmechanism, while others prefer the same without the locking mechanism applied. thereto. It is an item of considerable expense however, for a dealer to carry stock including the articles with and also without locking mechanism, and users frequently desire locking mechanisms applied after purchase of the articles, and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a locking mechanism for the reception of which the article may be prepared in its manufacture, so that the locking mechanism may be applied to the article at any time without the necessity of reconstruction, as

by the simple addition of parts, inorder that a dealer or customer may supply the locking mechanism without the necessity of reconstruction or the employment of tools,

with the exception possibly of a screw-driver for screwing the parts to be attached in place.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a lockin mechanism in which the locking keepers or the respective drawers are connected for combined movement and may be separately automatically locked irrespective of the locked or unlocked condition of the remaining drawers.

It is'a further object of my invention to j ing the same for instance in locking or in unlocking positions, and, further, to provide a lock operable upon the connection for Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Decemberm, T910. Serial No. 599,651.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

maintaining the same with the locking keepers controlled thereby in locked positions.

In the drawings: Figure 1 IS an inside elevation of my improved device showing the same applied to avertical filin cabinet with '2. .Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved device, applied toa vertical filing cabinet. Fig. 3 is an outside side elevation of the front end of the vertical filing cabinet, partly broken away, showing my improved device applied thereto, and in locked relation. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing my, improved device in unlocked relation. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of my improved device partly broken away, the filing cabinet being shown in vertical section on the line y-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same on the line-w-m of Fig. 3; and, Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line 'w w 0 Fig. 3.

1 represents the framework of the article to which my improved device is applied, which, as stated, may be a vertical filing cabinet, desk, or the like, and is instance as the metal framework of a metal construction upright filing cabinet, which may comprise a standard 2 shown as a front standard of the framework, which standard may be able by unscrewing the screws 6 by which it is secured to the framework.

7, 7 represents the drawers, instanced as the filing drawers of the cabinet shown, and which are arrangedto slide in and'out in suitable manner, as on a suspension frame 8.

9 is the front wall of the drawer shown, comprising, the forward wall 10 and the rear wall 11, shown as formed up of sheet metal. The drawers are shown in superposed relation. l

12 are lockin dogs or keepers which are pivoted to the rame at 13, and are prefer ably provided with keeping faces 14; adapted to engage with the keeping. parts of the drawers, preferably at the front of the same the keepers l2-be1ng instanced as receive through'e'ecesses 15 in the rear wall 11 of the drawer-fronts. The sides of the drawers are shown as provided with inwardly extending longitudinal recesses 16 which accommodate the locking keepers.

The locking dogs are connected for combined movement for bringing the dogs into locking positions, but preferably in such,

ing received between the head of the screw and the locking dog, and the screw being preferably a shoulder-screw, the shoplder of which is received against the locking dog forpermitting ease of movement between the dog and bar. The slot 24 is preferably a curved slot, substantially on the arc of swing described from the pivot of the locking dog for permitting ease of movement v i of thelatter. A spring 25 between the locking dog and the bar normally urges the dog into locking position. This spring is shown as a spiral spring, one end of which is received about the screw 26 threaded into the screw 23, and the other end of which is received about a screw 27 threaded into the bar. In the construction shown the descent of the bar brings all of the locking dogs into unlocked relation, the upper walls of the slots 24 in the bar making contact withthe screws 23, which are secured to the heels 28 of the locking dogs, for causing these heels to be depressed and thereby raising the keeping parts on said dogs out of range of the keeping parts on the drawers, the pivots of the dogs being shown as'located between the said heels and the said keeping. parts thereon.

For imparting longitudinal movement to the upright bar I provide a bell-crank lever 31 pivoted at 32, at the angle thereof, to the framework, this pivot bemg shown as a releasable shoulder-screw threaded into a sleeve 33 secured in the framework.

34 is a link to which the bell-crank lever is articulated by an articulation 35. shown as a s'houlder-screw, the said link being also articulated to theupright bar on an articulation 36, shown asa shoulder-screw.

3-7 is a manually manipulated part, shown as a button, articulated at 38 to the bellcrank lever. A spring 39 may be employed for normally urging the bar into unlocking relation in the present instance, resulting in an outward movement of the button, the spring being shown as a coiled "spring received about the sleeve 33 and having a hooked end 40 received about the'bell-crank lever at one end, the otherend 41 of the spring being received against the framework.

42 is an obstruction, shown as a part of the link 34, which is arranged to be received across the keeper 43 of a lock 44, for normally keeping the bar in locked relation,

when movement of the obstruction is prevented "by the keeper of said look. This lock is preferably a spring-lock, that is, a lock having its keeper f'normally urged outwardly by a spring, as see the spring 45.

The keeper of the lock i sarranged to be held in unobstructing position by having the obstruction 42 pass in front thereof, when the locking mechanism is placed in unlocked relation. This obstruction is shown as a forwardly project-ing part of the link 34, which is preferably projected laterally from the body of the link by a lateral bend 46, so as to position the obstruction at the side of the moving parts-of the bell-crank lever and into range of the keeper of the lock. The push-button and escutcheon 47 of the 'lock are preferably received respectively through the front of the framework, as through apertures.48 '49 of an escutcheon-plate 50, suitably secured to the casing as by releasable screws 51.

The parts which are shown-as holding the locking mechanism in place are the screws 13, which serve as pivots for the locking dogs, and the screw 32, which serves as a have simple threaded connection. with the framework, are shown as shoulder-screws, and are easily removed from their threaded apertures 52 5-3 in the framework, and when they are removed the entire locking dogs and bar and connected mechanisms may be removed from the frame. easily removable if desired, by removing the 115\ The lock is also screws 54 by which the lock is secured to the framework. The openings left in the escutcheon-plate may be closed if desired, or a substitute escutcheon-plate may be put in place of the one having the openings therein, by manipulating the screws 51 by means of which the escutcheon-plate is secured to the framework.

The drawers are adapted'to slide above shelves 55 and the suspension frame 15 adapted to slide in side channel-pieces 56,

uprights of the framework.- Access from the compartment in which a given drawer slides to the compartment above or below the same is prevented, and the locking dog .105" pivot for the bell-crank lever. These screws secured for instance to the front and rear v is fully pushed in.

for any particular drawer, is removed out of range of manipulation IEIOIILSflld compartment above. or below the same.

When the connecting, bar is placed for locking position of the dogs, any of the drawers desired may be closed and locked, or

certain of the drawers may remain open,

the locking dogs for the latter however being in such relation that when these latter drawers are closed, they will also be locked without afi'ecting the locked relation of the previously locked drawers.

The locked relation of the locking mecha the dogs, and thespring connecting-said connecting bar and the dogs draw the rear ends of said locking dogs with-the locking bar, in the movement of the latter, thereby bringing the locki ng dogs into locking positions Each of the locking dogs however, is still free to yieldingly move against the tension of the spring, when the keeping part of'the drawer is received against the keeping part of the locking dog, thereby insuring instant locking of each drawer which While I have instanced the movement of the connecting bar as an upward movement for bringing the dogs into locking positions, it is obvious that a downward movement of the same may accomplish the same purpose by reversing the positions of the keeping parts on the locking dogs, and causing the latter to lock by an upward movement instead of a downward movement as instanced in the drawings. Other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. a

My improved device is exceptionally simple and easily applied, is strong and durable,

. and is so constructed and arranged that the same may be applied or not to the case when manufactured, as may be desired, and if not applied at the time of manufacture, may be applied at any time subsequent without reconstruction.

Each of the cases manufactured, whether supplied with the locking mechanism or not at the time of manufacture, is provided with the threaded apertures for receiving the pivots 13 and 32, and the screws 54 for the lock, suitable provision being preferably made in the framework for the push-button 37 and escutcheon 47 of the look, as by providing the escutcheon-plate with the openings 48, 49, the framework being providedwith registering openings 57, '58, the drawers also being provided'with the recesses 15 shown as in the rear wall of the front of the This drawer. The outward appearance of the case is the same, whether the locking mech; anism be present 01' not, and the locking mechanism may be applied at any time by the mere insertion of the screws 13 and 32 and the screwing on of the lock 44. The side is readily removable for the purpose by unscrewing the screws 6.

It will be further noted that I show the 1 locking mechanism located between the front parts of the framework and drawers, thereby avoiding lost motion and avoiding fur-. ther the danger of surreptitious opening of the drawers incident to old constructions where locking mechanisms are employed at the rear of the drawers, and due for instance to looseness in the drawer-parts or to springing of the parts or connections between the fronts of the framework and drawers and the points at which said locking mechanisms in said old constructions are located, all of which objections are removed in my improved device.

Having thus fully described my inven- I tion, what I claim as new and desire to se-. cure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a metal filing cabinet, the combina tion of a framework having superposed drawebopenings and comprising side uprights at the front of said framework formed up out of sheet-metal with inner rearwardly extending flanges which form the side walls of said superposed draweropenings, superposed drawers in said drawer-openings, locking dogs pivoted in superposed relation to one of said inner rearw'ardly extending flanges, and coacting means at the front ends of said drawers for said locking dogs. I

2. In a metal filing cabinet, the combination of a framework having superposed drawer-openings and comprising side uprights at the front of said framework formed up out of sheet-metal with inner rearwardly extending flanges which form the side walls of said superposed draweropenings, superposed drawers in said drawer-openings, locking dogs pivoted in superposed relation to one of said mner rearwardly extending flanges, coacting means at the front ends of said drawers for said locking dogs, means for normally urging said dogs into locking positions, and connecting means between said dogs for causing their simultaneous operation; I

3. In a metal filing cabinet, the combination of a framework having superposed drawer-openings and drawer-spaces and comprising side uprights at the front of said framework formed up out of sheet-metal with inner rearwardly extending flanges which form the side walls of sald superposed drawer-openings, superposed drawers in said drawer-openings, locking dogs pivoted in superposed relation to one of said inner rearwardly eat/ending flanges,- eoactmg means at the front ends of sand drawers for said locking dogs means for normally locking dogs being distanced from the hori-- zontal located. a

4'. In a metal filing cabinet, the combination of a framework having superposed planes in; which said shelves are drawer openings, superposed drawers in said drawer-openings, and su erposed locking dogs pivoted to the inner ront ends of said framework, said drawers res actively comprising hollow sheet-metal ronts formed with a sheet-metal front wall and a sheetnietalrear wall, said sheet-metalrear walls havingopenin therein the walls whereof form keepers ior said dogs, and said dogs received in said hollows .of said sheet metal fronts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL S. MILLIOE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD SoU'rHwoRTH, LILLIAN BURNE'rr.

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