US2733112A - Sectional cabinet construction - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1956 T. M. DUNHA'M SECTIONAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION J17 v5.27 Far Z /WM s Mfiwwmvr p? 52 5 Filed April 15, 1953 SECTIONAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION Thomas M. Dunham, Aurora, 11]., assignor to Aurora Equipment Company, Aurora, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 15, 1953, Serial No. 348,869

2 Claims. (Cl. 312111) This invention relates to a cabinet construction and more particularly to super-imposed interchangeable cabinets adapted to be conveniently interlocked in stacked relation.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved cabinet structure whereby super-imposed or stacked cabinets may be readily interlocked one to the other and also held against relative lateral displacement.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided in a sectional cabinet construction, super-imposed cabinets, each having a top, a bottom and spaced sides, the top at one end of the cabinets having projected therefrom adjacent its side edges a pair of upwardly extending tabs, each generally aligned with a side of the cabinet for engaging over the side of the cabinet immediately thereabove to prevent relative lateral displacement of the super-imposed cabinets, the sides of the cabinet each having a slot vertically aligned with the tabs of the super-imposed cabinets and each tab having a prong interlocked over an edge of the slot in the side of the upper cabinet engaged by the tab.

Another feature of the invention relates further to interlocking the super-imposed cabinets at their other ends by a tab extending from one engaging over the edge of a slot in the other so that the super-imposed cabinets are interlocked at at least three spaced points or areas.

Other objects and features of this invention may more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing two superimposed cabinets embodying the features of this invention and showing the cabinets equipped with slidable drawers;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the drawers omitted and with the cabinets separated in the process of assembling together;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed cross-sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing generally how a rear tab on one cabinet engages a side of the upper cabinet and has a tang interlocked over the edge of a slot in the upper cabinet; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken generally on the line IV-IV of Figure 2 showing the front tab and slot arrangement of the cabinets and illustrating the tab in interlocking position.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference character 1 designates generally a sheet metal cabinet which is adapted to be arranged instacked formation. For purposes of simplicity, I have, in Figures 1 and 2, only shown two cabinets although it will be appreciated that any suitable number may be super-imposed one upon the other in stacked relationship. Since the cabinets I are all substantially identical in construction, it is believed that the same numerals may be used on corresponding parts or elements of each of the cabinets.

Each of these cabinets includes a top 2, vertical spaced United States Patent 2,733,112 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 sides 3, and a bottom 4 with the front end formed open to receive a drawer D (Figure 1). The drawer D is of the slidable type and more specifically is the subject matter of my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 339,833, filed March 2, 1953.

The drawer D is of the type adapted to accommodate tiny parts although it is to be understood that the cabinets may be used for other types of drawers or as mere bins or shelving if so desired without departing from the spirit and intent of this invention.

The top 2 has punched from it, adjacent the rear end of the cabinet, a pair of spaced upwardly extending tabs 5 which are generally aligned with the sides 33. Each of these tabs has punched centrally of it a prong or tang 6 adapted to be turned over and around the edge of an opening 7 in the side of the cabinet immediately thereabove as shown in Figure 3. It will be noted from Figure 3 that when the tab 6 is interlocked around the edge of the opening 7, the tab 5 is also in engagement with the outer surface of the side 3 of the upper cabinet. In this manner the cabinets are held against relative lateral displacement by the tabs on opposite sides of the cabinet.

In order further to accentuate the interlock between the super-imposed cabinets (Figure 4), the bottom of each cabinet is provided with a downwardly depending tab 8 adjacent the front or open end of the cabinet which is adapted to project through an aperture or slot 9 in the top 2 of the lower cabinet. This tab 8 is adapted to be turned around and interlocked with an edge of the aperture or slot 9 in the same manner as the prongs 6 are interlocked with the edges of opening 7.

While 1 preferably form the tabs 5-5 and 8 by punching them from the metal of the cabinet, it will, of course, be appreciated that they could be made otherwise as long as they are integral with or secured to the cabinet. Also, while the cabinet 1 may be made from one piece of sheet metal, it is, of course, appreciated that it could be made otherwise and with other materials without departing from the spirit and intent of this invention.

In shipping the cabinets the tabs 55 may be temporarily disposed in the plane of the top 2 and similarly the tab 8 may be temporarily disposed into the plane of the bottom 4 so that each cabinet may be readily packaged in flat form without having any interference from projecting tabs. Of course, upon arrival at destination and installation of the cabinet, the tabs 55 may be turned upwardly and the tab 8 may be turned downwardly as and for the purposes previously described.

From the foregoing, it is clear that not only do I provide for the interlocking of the super-imposed cabinets at three spaced points but, in addition, through the means of the spaced side tabs 5 I am enabled to utilize the tabs as abutments to prevent relative lateral displacement of the super-imposed cabinets.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sectional cabinet construction including superimposed cabinets, each having a top, a bottom, and spaced side walls, connecting means between said cabinets comprising pre-formed tabs and prongs formed from the material of the cabinet and deformable into parallelism with the planes of the side walls for overlapping engagement with the superimposed cabinet side walls, said superimposed cabinet side walls having preformed slots laterally alignable with said prongs and tabs, each of said prongs being pressed over the edge of a slot aligned therewith into tight fitting engagement therewith to prevent relative lateral displacement of the superimposed cabinet, said superimposed cabinets having their contacting bottom and top walls provided with a pre-formed prong integral with the material of one of said contacting walls and deformable at the time of assembly from the plane thereof into a pre-formed slot in the other wall, said latter prong being pressed over the edge of the cooperating slot to firmly secure the cabinets to one another in a vertical direction.

2. In a sectional cabinet construction including superimposed cabinets, each having a top, a bottom, and spaced side walls, connecting means between said cabinets comprising'pre-formed tabs and prongs formed from the material of the cabinet and deformable into parallelism with the planes of the side walls for opposed overlapping engagement with the superimposed cabinet side walls, said superimposed cabinet side walls having preformed slots laterally alignable with said prongs and tabs, each of said prongs being pressed over the edge of a slot aligned therewith interiorly into the cabinet for substantially concealed tight fitting engagement therewith to prevent relative lateral displacement of the superimposed cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 768,364 Hines Aug. 23, 1904 907,507 Kerr Dec. 22, 1908 920,670 Scott May 4, 1909 1,308,647 Stuck July 1, 1919 2,043,893 Hedges June 9, 1936 2,169,769 Regenhardt Aug. 15, 1939 2,203,716 Bergman June 11, 1940 2,386,115 Holthouse Oct. 2, 1945

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