US3306324A

US3306324A - Drawer fabricating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3306324A
Application number: US392772A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lillywhite Estelvin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-08-28
Filing date: 1964-08-28
Publication date: 1967-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-28

Description

I DRAWER FABRICATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ES EL V/A/ L/LLYWH/TE MAL/044577 1 72455276:

Feb. 28, 1967 E. LILLYWHITE 3,306,324

DRAWER FABRICATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1967 E. LILLYWHITE DRAWER FABRICATING APPARATUS Filed Au 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Rm & s O/ V M r 5 EW PEN VY E52 2 u A 1 H 4 a N m n I W W F myw S 7 E M f v 8 5 w My United States Patent 3,306,324 DRAWER FABRICATING APPARATUS Estelvin Lillywhite, 2523 East 3150 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 Filed Aug. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 392,772 4 Claims. (1. 1443) This invention relates to a drawer fabricating apparatus and, more particularly, to a drawer fabricating apparatus which is characterized by the fact that it will cut and shape the front, back and sides of a drawer during a single traverse of said front, sidesand back through said apparatus so that the drawer may be completely assembled without the necessity for the utilization of auxiliary fasteners.

It is well know to those skilled in the art that drawers for furniture, cabinets and the like are customarily fabricated by the utilization of various types of woodworking tools and it is necessary to handle the component parts such as the front, back and sides, of the drawers being fabricated repeatedly, in order that the necessary cuts can be formed therein.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a drawer fabricating apparatus which is characterized by the fact that it is capable of providing all the necessary cuts in the components of a drawer, so that the drawer may be completely assembled after the front, back and sides thereof have been put through the apparatus of my invention.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a drawer fabricating apparatus which is characterized by the incorporation of cutting and shaping means adapted to sequentially form mortise and tenon joints in the front, back and extremities of the sides of a drawer, and grooves in the front, back and sides of said drawer so that said sides, front and back and associated bottom may be operatively associated with each other without the necessity for the utilization of auxiliary fastening means.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a drawer fabricating apparatus of the aforementioned character which is designed to form double mortise and tenon joints in the front, back and opposite extremities of the sides of a drawer so that said front, back and sides may be translated sequentially through the apparatus and the double mortise and tenon joints formed therein without the necessity for the utilization of auxiliary sawing or cutting means.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of the aforementioned character which includes saw means adapted to provide corresponding grooves in the front, back and sides of a drawer in order that the respective portions of the bottom of the drawer may be received in said grooves.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus of the aforementioned character which incorporates a plurality of shapers and associated saw means, said shapers being adapted to cut mortises and tenons in the extermities of the front, back and sides of the drawer, said apparatus also incorporates saw means adapted to cut grooves in the lower edges of said front, back and sides to facilitate the reception of the respective portions of the bottom of the drawer in said grooves.

A further object of my invention is the incorporation in the apparatus of adjustment means adapted to facilitate the adjustment of the shaper means incorporated in the apparatus so that mortise and tenon joints of predetermined sizes and depths may be formed therein.

Another object of my invention is the provision of adjustment means ope-ratively connected to the saw means of the invention and adapted to completely retract or adjust said saw means in order that the saw means may be rendered inoperative during the cutting of the mortise and tenon joints in the front, back and sides of the drawer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing an apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view illustrating a typical drawer fabricated by the utilization of the apparatus of the invention;

-FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating an adjustment means for the saws incorporated in the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional, end elevational view of the adjustment means illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating a typical drawer fabricated by the utilization of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 77 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 99 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vew taken on the broken line 1010 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 1111 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view showing the adjustment means for the shapers and saw means of the apparatus;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 14 14 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 1515 of FIG. 14; and,

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 16-16 of FIG. 12.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 12 and 5 thereof, I show an apparatus 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention and including a substantially rectangular frame 12 supporting a bed 14. The apparatus 10 may be utilized in fabricating a wide variety of different types of furniture components but is particularly adapted for utilization in fabricating the components of a drawer 16 such as that illustrated generally in FIG. 2 and specifically in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

The drawer 16 includes a front 18, a back 20, sides 22 and a bottom 24. The component parts of the drawer 16 and, particularly, the front, back and sides thereof, are maintained in operative relationship with each other by double mortise and tenon joints 26 which are best illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings and which are characterized by the provision of two tenons 28 and two mortises 30 at each joint adapted to receive said tenons, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings. In adidtion, the front, back and sides of the drawer 16 incorporate grooves 32 adjacent the lower edges thereof which are adapted to receive the corresponding edges of the bottom 24 of the drawer.

The apparatus 10 is constructed and designed to shape and cut the front 18, back 20 and sides 22 of the drawer 16 in such a manner as to create the double tenon joints 26 and grooves 32 in said front, back and sides in order that a complete drawer may be fabricated in the apparatus 10 without the utilization of auxiliary woodworking tools, as is necessary with conventional expedients.

Mounted for rotation .on a spindle 34, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 of the drawings, is a compound shaper 36, said shaper being adapted to form a lip 38 on the drawer front 18 and being adapted, also, to bevel the opposite extremities of said drawer front. Of course, the dual shaper 36 may also be utilized to provide a lip on a cabinet door or similar article. Associated with the dual shaper 36 is a fence or guide means 42 which is adapted to guide the drawer front 18 as it is subjected to the shaping action of the dual shaper 36.

A sheave 44 is secured to the lower extremity of the spindle 34 and has a belt 46, as best shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, entrained thereupon and said belt is driven by an electric motor 48 to cause corresponding rotation of the dual shaper 36. The spindle 34 may be mounted in any conventional type of mount such as the pillow block 52 shown schematically in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

From the dual shaper 36, the drawer front 18 is engaged simultaneously with a shaper 56 and saw 58, said shaper and saw 56 and 58, respectively, being driven by the electric motor 48 and being adapted to form the mortises 30 in the drawer front 18. Fences or guide means 62 are provided which are associated with the shaper 56 and saw means 58 to guide the drawer front in its passage across the shaper 56 and saw means 58.

Each extremity of the drawer front 18 can be engaged upon the dual shaper 36 and shaper 56 and saw means 58 to form the corresponding cuts in each extremity of the drawer front 18.

Saw means 78 is located downstream from the shaper 56 and saw means 58 to form the groove 32 in the back of the drawer front 18 for receiving the forward extremity of the bottom 24 of the drawer 16 and a fence or guide means 82 is associated with the saw means 78 to facilitate the longitudinal movement of the drawer front 18 into operative engagement with saw means 78. The saw means 78 is driven from the electric motor 48 by a conventional belt and sheave combination indicated generally at 84 in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Located at the opposite extremity of the bed 14 is a shaper 86 which is adapted to form a bevel 88 on the upper edge of each side 22 of the drawer 16, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 11 of the drawings. Associated with the shaper 86 is a fence or guide means 92 adapted to guide the sides 22 of the drawer 16 as they are translated transversely of the bed 14 of the apparatus 10.

Mounted adjacent fence or guide means 94 is a dual shaper 96 and associated saw means 98 which, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 of the drawings are adapted to cut tenons 28 and mortises 30 in the opposite extremities of the sides 22 of the drawer 16. The shaper 86 is driven, as best shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, by an electric motor 102 through a sheave and belt drive 104. The dual shaper 96 is driven, as best shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, by a belt and sheave drive 106 from the shaper 86 while the saw means 98 is driven by a belt and sheave drive 108.

Mounted adjacent fence or guide means 112 is saw means 114 which, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and of the drawings, is adapted to fabricate the grooves 32 in the drawer sides 22 adjacent the lower edges thereof for the reception of the associated edges of the bottom 24 of the drawer 16.

Illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings is adjustment means 120 for utilization in conjunction with any one of the

saw means

78 and 114 to permit the location of the saw means to be adjusted to determine the location of the grooves 32 formed thereby. The adjustment means 120 includes a pair of lead screws 122, which engage corresponding nuts 124 supporting a transversely movable table 126. Secured to the upper surface of the table 126 is a pillow block 128 for the spindle 130 of the saw means 7 8. Sprockets 132 are secured to the outer extremities of the lead screws 122 and have a drive chain 134 entrained thereupon. Therefore, when a handle 136 is rotated, the sprockets 132 and the associated lead screws 122 will be correspondingly rotated to cause corresponding inward or outward movement of the table 126 and the pillow block 128 mounted thereupon, which, of course, results in corresponding movement of the associated saws 78.

Illustrated in FIGS. 12 through 16 of the drawings are various adjustment means for the shapers and saw means incorporated in the apparatus 10 and for the fence or guide means associated with said shapers and saw means, For instance, there is illustrated in schematic plan form in FIG. 12 of the drawings an adjustment means 140 for the saw means 58 and a corresponding adjustment means 142 for the shaper 56. Also illustrated is adjustment means 144 for fence or guide means 146 associated with a shaper so that when the position of the shaper is adjusted, the fence or guide means 146 can be correspondingly adjusted with reference to the bed 14 of the apparatus 10.

The adjustment means 140 of the saw means 58 includes a supporting bracket 152 pivotally mounted on a rod 154. Bodily withdrawal of the saw means 58 from the associated opening 59 in the bed 14 can be accomplished by merely raising or lowering the bracket 152 by pivoting it upon the associated supporting rod 154. This is accomplished by moving a knob 156 in a corresponding slot 158.

Raising or lowering the saw means 58 upon the bracket 152 to adjust it in the opening 59 is accomplished by rotation of lea-d screws 164, which are rotated by a crank 166 and are engaged in nuts 168 secured to the pillow block 172 for the saw means 58.

Lateral adjustment of the saw means 58 is accomplished by rotating the knob 156 which rotates a threaded rod 174 in a corresponding nut 176 secured to the pillow block 172. Therefore, the location of the saw means 58 with reference to the edges of the opening 59 in the bed 14 can be adjusted.

The adjustment means for the fence or guide means 146 is illustrated in FIG. 13 of the drawings as including a rotatable knob 178 adapted to rotate rod 182 having a threaded extremity 184 engaged in a nut 186 which is secured to a bracket 188. Bracket 188 has its upper extremity operatively secured to the fence or guide means 146 and is adapted to shift said fence or guide means with reference to an associated opening 192 in the table 14. Therefore, the location of the fence 146 with reference to the bed or table 14 of the apparatus 10 can be adjusted to control the depth of cuts made by the saw means or shapers incorporated in the drawer fabricating apparatus 10.

The adjustment means 142 for a typical shaper 56 permits the shaper 56 to be moved laterally with respect to the bed 14 upon a carriage 202 which is slidable on ways 204 by means of a linkage 206 which includes a bell crank 208 controlled by a vertically movable knob 210. The bell crank 208 is connected by a link 212 to the carriage 202 and upward or downward movement of the knob 210 with reference to an elongated slot 222 will cause corresponding up or downward movement of the bell crank 208 to locate the carriage 202 with reference to the bed 14 of the apparatus 10.

It is possible, therefore, by the utilization of the apparatus 10 of my invention, to fabricate all of the components of the drawer 16 by passing successively through the apparatus 10 and it is not necessary to utilize auxiliary woodworking tools of any kind. Of course, while I have not described automatic means for causing the movement of the various components of the drawer 16 through the apparatus 10 it would, of course, be obvious to those skilled in the art that by the utilization of automatic conveyors the various components of the drawer 16 may be translated through the apparatus 10 with a facility equal to that with which a worker may cause such components to be translated through the apparatus 10.

I claim:

1. A drawer fabricating apparatus comprising an elongated bed; ject through the bed and is mounted on a horizontal first guide means; axis beneath the bed. a first pair of shapers for forming mortises in selected 3. A drawer forming apparatus according toclaim 1,

pieces of drawer material, said first pair of shapers further including comprising a first rotary cutting member above the 5 a pair of other guide means extending substantially bed and mounted on a vertical axis extending upendwise to the first and second guide means; wardly through said bed; and a second rotary memadditional rotary cutting members each having a cutber having a cutting edge adapted to extend upwardly ting edge adapted to extend upwardly through the through the bed and mounted on a horizontal axis bed, with one being arranged adjacent to each of the beneath the bed, said first and second rotary cutting 10 other guide means, whereby longitudinal grooves for members being arranged such that they cut into maa drawer bottom are cut into each piece of material moved along the first guide means with crossing terial moved from the first and second guide means cuts, to thereby form a pair of mortises extending at along the adjacent other guide means; and right angles to one another; means for driving the said additional rotary cutting a second guide means; members. a second pair of sha-pers for forming tenons in other 4. A drawer forming apparatus according to claim 3,

pieces of drawer material, said second pair of shapers further including comprising third and fourth spaced rotary cutters means for adjusting the position of each of the guide mounted on a single axis and a fifth rotary cutter means on the top of the bed parallel to the axes of mounted on a separate axis, said fifth rotary cutter the rotary cutting members having a cutting edge being arranged with respect to said third and fourth adapted to project through the bed; and rotary cutters to Cut into material m0ved al g the means for adjusting the position of each of the rotary Second guide means a Spaced distance from the maXicutting members vertically, longitudinally, and transmum depth of cuts made in the material by the said versely with respect to the bed. third and fourth cutters, the material between the third and fourth cutters and between the fourth and References Cited by the Examiner fifth cutters thereby fotrming tenons extending at UNITED STATES PATENTS right angles to one anot er; and power means for driving said first and second shapers. 2 2232 et :22 Wh2e.re1iXn drawer forming apparatus accordlng to claim 1, 2,616,459 11/1952 Johnson 144 203 X the third and fourth rotary cutters are positioned above 3008501 11/1961 Hammer 144 3 :23 am extendmg upwardly thmugh WILLIAM w. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

the fifth rotary cutter has a cutting edge adapted to pro- W. D. BRAY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A DRAWER FABRICATING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BED; FIRST GUIDE MEANS; A FIRST PAIR OF SHAPERS FOR FORMING MORTISES IN SELECTED PIECES OF DRAWER MATERIAL, SAID FIRST PAIR OF SHAPERS COMPRISING A FIRST ROTARY CUTTING MEMBER ABOVE THE BED AND MOUNTED ON A VERTICAL AXIS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID BED; AND A SECOND ROTARY MEMBER HAVING A CUTTING EDGE ADAPTED TO EXTEND UPWARDLY THROUGH THE BED AND MOUNTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS BENEATH THE BED, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROTARY CUTTING MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED SUCH THAT THEY CUT INTO MATERIAL MOVED ALONG THE FIRST GUIDE MEANS WITH CROSSING CUTS, TO THEREBY FORM A PAIR OF MORTISES EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER; A SECOND GUIDE MEANS; A SECOND PAIR OF SHAPERS FOR FORMING TENONS IN OTHER PIECES OF DRAWER MATERIAL, SAID SECOND PAIR OF SHAPERS COMPRISING THIRD AND FOURTH SPACED ROTARY CUTTERS MOUNTED ON A SINGLE AXIS AND A FIFTH ROTARY CUTTER MOUNTED ON A SEPARATE AXIS, SAID FIFTH ROTARY CUTTER BEING ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID THIRD AND FOURTH ROTARY CUTTERS TO CUT INTO MATERIAL MOVED ALONG THE SECOND GUIDE MEANS A SPACED DISTANCE FROM THE MAXIMUM DEPTH OF CUTS MADE IN THE MATERIAL BY THE SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CUTTERS, THE MATERIAL BETWEEN THE THIRD AND FOURTH CUTTERS AND BETWEEN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CUTTERS THEREBY FORMING TENONS EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER; AND POWER MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAPERS.