US2339627A - Storage cabinet - Google Patents

Description

a :1 ED 11 IEI Jan. 18; 1944. T. M. EDISON 2,339,627

STORAGE CABINET Filed April 5 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Him h |IIIH= Mu MINIMUM Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT emer- STORAGE CABINET Theodore M. Edison, West Orange, 7 Application April 5, 1941, Serial :No. 386,984 6 Claims. (01. 312 -152) This invention relates to cabinets, and especially to cabinets for the storage of material-such for example as metal stockin the form of strips, rods or tubes and the like, of random lengths.

Such material is most commonly stored in horizontal arrangement. This proves quite unsatisfactory, however, in many respects. Any at tempt at an efiicient space utilization results in the material being visible only from the ends, so that it is impossible to know the lengths of the several pieces without withdrawal for inspection. Withdrawal of material, either for inspection or for use, is a burdensome operation unless the material being withdrawn is near the top of its group. It is attended by scratching of the pieces of material against each other. The floor-length requirement-already large if long pieces are to be stored-is eifectively doubled by the room needed for withdrawal. The floor-area requirement can be minimized only by vertical pyramiding of compartments, attended with the necessity for climbing to see and withdraw material in and from the upper compartments.

It is an object of my invention to provide a cabinet, for the storage of material of the class described, in which these and other disadvantages of the horizontal storage arrangements are obviated.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a cabinet in which the stored material is readily visibl without disturbance. 7

It is an object to provid a cabinet from which the desired pieces of stored material may be removed with great ease and with aminimum of abrasion against and disturbance of other material.

It is an object to provide a cabinet requiring a minimum-floor length and floor-area. v

It is any object to provide a cabinet from which the stored material may be removed without the requirement for appreciably more area than that oceupiedby the cabinet itself.

It i an object to provide a cabinet of the class describedwhichshall be of simple construction, and adapted to various volume requirements with a minimum number of special parts.

It is an object to provide a cabinet of the class described which shall be of exceptional sturdiness and of which. the load shall be well distributed over itsbase area.

7 It is an object to provide a cabinet of th class described which may be lockedup in extremely simple fashion.

It is an object to provideavariety of individual constructional featuresiaci-litating the loading and unloading of the cabinet, without compromise-of its simplicity of construction.

'It is an object ino'st-efiicient y o utilize the space within the cabinet.

It is an object to provide-an especially large ratio of visible area to volume of the storage space.

In the description of my invention hereinafter set forth, reference is had to the accompanying drawings,inwhich: v I

Figure 1 is a front elevational viewer a cabinet in which'my invention has been embodied, with the sections of the cabinet shown in their normal positions; g 1

Figure 2 is atop-plan view of the cabinet, with the several sections similarly positioned;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the cabinet, with all but one of the lefthand sections in their displaced positions and. with that one section 'inpartially displaced position;

Figure 4 is a. vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure. 3;

Figure 6 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line B6 of Figure 5;

V Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the sections of the cabinet; and

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of one of the sections.

In embodying .my invention I formfia cabinet comprising a number of vertically pivoted sections each of which may be subdivided, as will hereinafter appear, to form several side-by-side vertical compartments each of relatively small cross-sectional area; in these compartments the material is stored. Each of the compartments has an openside or face, the material normally I being retained from falling out of this side by appropriate cross-members hereinafter explained; some of these, however, are readily removable, so that longpieces. of material may be removed sideways while maintaining their vertical orien-.

tation.

There is preferredly contemplated, for the several sections, a normal arrangement such that the open faces of an the compartments will be hidden, and the cabinet may be said to be closed. In order to expose the open compartment faces of any section, it isdesirable that the section be swingable to a displaced position which brings the plane of those facesinto a substantial angular relationship (such as degrees) with the nearestvertical surface. I have :foundthat a very satisfactory'arrangement of the sections, to

tends)those sections to the side of the desired. one, in the direction in which that one must be swung, being first similarly swung. i

An especially desirable arrangement of cabinet is one wherein the sections in the lefthand portion of the cabinet normally extend diagonally forwardly and leftwardly, and those in the righthand portion diagonally forwardly and rightwardly. When the cabinet is fully closed there will be a rearwardly directed wedgeor V-shaped space between the lefthand and righthand sections. The operation of exposing the open compartment faces of any section then amounts simply to swinging as many sections as are required to shift this wedge-shaped space from its normal central position to just beyond the section in question.

Further, the generally triangular" spaces respectively existing between the extreme sections and the usually desirable right-angular end members of the cabinet may be utilized-equipped with shelving, for example-and either may be exposed by the samemanipulation of sectionsas is required for access to the contents of its respectively adjacent section.

Having thus described the more. general'arrangement of a cabinet according to my invention, I may refer to the'drawings in presenting a more detailed description of a typical embodiment. The base of the cabinet, designatedas I, may be a horizontal plate having itsrear edge reinforced by an upturned flange la, and having angle irons 2' welded to it at its respectiveextremities. Vertical end members 3 may be secured to the angle irons 2; each of theseend members may have a portion- 3a folded inwardly for a distance along the back of the cabinet, and this portion may be secured to the base flange la so that the bottom of each end section is very thoroughly secured to the base I. Between the end members at the top of the'cabinet is secured a top rail 4; this rail may be the horizontal portion of an angle iron, whose vertical portion 4a hangs down at the rear of the rail and forms the actualmeans of its attachment to the portions 3a of the end members 3. Means are provided in'the stationary portion of the cabinet for establishing respective pivoting axes for the several sections. Thus at the base I each such axis maybe established by a respective post 6 secured to the base'and extending upwardly therefrom to engage a hole (hereinafter mentioned) in the bottom of the respective section. At the rail 4 each axis may be established I tion l3, from the rear vertical edge of which there are successively right-angularly folded a relatively narrower rear portion 14 and a still narrower flange l5, and from the forward vertical edge of which there are successively folded a forward portion E2 and a flange Ii, the latter parallel with the wing portion i3. The angle which each forward portion I2 forms with the respective wing portion 13 may be that obtuse angle (for example, approximately degrees) which (or the supplement of whichyit isintended that the section shall form with the plane of the pivoting axes when the cabinet is closed. If this angle be so chosen, and if the width of the forward'portion [2 be made substantially equal to thedistance between successive pivoting axes, then when the cabinet is closed the forward portions l3 of successive sections will form a substantially continuous single plane.

' It will be understood that the occupation of the intended angular position by either extreme section upon cabinet closure may be insured by so placing the pivoting axis of that section that the section then substantially abuts against some portion of the end member 3. For example, the forward edge of each end member 3 is desirably reinforced and finished with a narrow inwardly extending flange 3b; and the edge between flange H and forward portion E2 of the adjacent section may substantially abut against the inner edge of, and be aligned with, this flange 31) when the cabinet is closed-and at that time each successive'section will be in substantial abutment against its predecessor.

The individual sections as so far described may be interchangeably employed for the righthand and lefthand portions of the cabinet-the end of the section which is used for the top in equipping one portion of the cabinet being used for the bottom in equipping thetother portion. Because of the identity, excepting for the complementary arrangement, between the righthand and'lefthand complete sections, further description will be confined to a reference to the particularly illustrated one, of the lefthand sections.

It may here bementioned that the ability to employ the same structure lI-l2-l3l4-I5 interchangeably for the righthand and lefthand sections is an important manufacturing convenience in the handling of the large metal sheet work which is required in their formation. And it may also be pointed out that with the similarly formed sections used in the two cabinet portions, the two substantially continuous planes which the forward portions l2 form in the respective portions when the cabinet is closed, though spaced from each other, are aligned with each other.

The individual sections may be further described, with special attention to the arrangements for retaining each section in the cabinet. To the top marginal area of the inside surfaces of the portions l2-l3-l l of each section there may be weldeda suitably formed reinforcing strip It. To the inner surface of the portion of this strip which is in contact with the rear section portion l4 there may be welded a heavy vertical tube I1; this may extend for a distance below the strip 16, and may be further welded to the rear section portion I4 below that strip (as well as to a partition hereinafter mentioned) for thorough security. The tube l1 extends upwardly beyond the top of the section, and forms a post for pivotally engaging the hole 5 in top rail 4.

Slightly above the bottom of the section there is 18a welded to the wing portion l'3,and'a. wider upturned flange l8b along its other side, the end portions of the latter flange being welded to the inside surfaces of flanges II and ii. In the horizontal portion of the Z-bar l8, close to the rear section portion? and in alignment with tube l1 aboven1entioned;may be a hole l 9'adapted to fit around and-be pivotally engaged by the post 8 abovementioned.

Animportant feature of the construction isthat the load of each section and its contents-is not carried by the pivoting means 5--I"| and 6-19- these being employed simply to establish the lateral'position andpivoting axis of the section, and being free of lateral strain (excepting such incidental and minor strain thereon as may result from an asymmetrical loading of the section). The load of the sectionand its contents is carried by a large castor 20, held to the center of the bottom of the Z-bar l8 by a suitable castor bracket 20a, and having a horizontal axis substantially intersecting the pivoting axis of the section. Throughout the range of'swinging' of the section the castor travels over the forward port'ion of the-base I. This portion, being relatively removed from the reinforcing flange l a, is relatively flexible; and accordingly it may yield sufliciently to establish essentially flrm=contact with the floor on which the cabinet rests, undereach section. This construction not only provides a large bearing area for the several sections, but also involves a minimum demand for rigidity in the upper stationary portions of the cabinet.

The rail -4 is positioned {so that, when the section is in place in the cabinet, the railis at a distance above the top of the section slightly greater than the extension of post 6 above the bottom of the Z bar l8. Accordingly the section is readily removed by raising it sufliciently to clear post 5, then swinging its bottom portion slightly forwardly, and finally lowering the section that the tube l1 disengages the hole in the rail.

Each section may be vertically divided into compartments, three compartments C having been illustrated in the drawings. For this purpose vertical partitions 2| may be secured in place in the section, as by welding of a flange 2 la of each to the inside surface of the wing portion i3. These partitions may extend from the wing portion to the plane of the flanges H and I5 of the section. While only two partitions 2| are required to create the three compartments, I prefer to employ a third in a plane adjacent to the forward side of the pivot tube l1 and hole l9, thereby obviating an excessively deep pocket behind the flange l5. This third partition may also be welded to the flange I 5, and in turn the pivot tube I! may be welded to it for additional security.

Attention may now be given to the storage of material in the compartments. I have found it desirable that the bottom of the compartment be slightly yieldable, to avoid damage to the ends of material which may be dropped into final position and for allied reasons, but at the same time not permanently deformable. To meet this specification I employ. a relatively thin sheet metal bottom 22, resting on a block 23 of non-metallic material such as hard wood, and this in turn resting on a slab 24 of rubber which rests on the 2- bar [8. While this bottom construction may be provided integrally for the three compartments of each "section, with the partitions '2 l terminating immediately thereabove, 'I have preferred to carry the partitions down to the Z-bar l8 and to provide the described bottom construction separately in each compartment.

For retaining relatively short pieces of material from falling out of the open faceof the compartment, I provide strips such as 25 secured (between flanges II and i5) horizontally across those faces of the compartments at relatively low levels. Such pieces of material are loaded into the compartment by inserting them downwardly behind the strips 25, and their bottoms are retained behindthe flange l8b of theZ-bar (which of course extends upwardly above the level of the bottom of the compartment). I have found, however, that occasionally a piece of material is inserted in such an orientation that its bottom comes into line with the top of that flange, so that it would tend to catch thereon or even to deflect outside thereof, instcad'of passing therebehind. Accordingly I have found it desirable to provide a guiding flange 26 extending upwardly and outwardly for a short distance from the top of the Z-bar flange It. This, in cooperation with the strip 25 a short distance thereabove, effectively insures the bottom of the material passing into the desired position behind the Z-bar flange.

While the strips 25 alone are eifective to prevent relatively short pieces of material from falling out of the open compartment face, they do not alone preclude the top portions of material from leaning out substantially beyond that facesince the bottoms of the material might rest relatively near the wing portion 13. To prevent this last condition, and thereby to preclude the top portions from leaning appreciably outwardly, I slope the bottom of the compartment downwardly toward the flange I827. This is conveniently done by forming the wood block 23 in wedge shape.

This practise, however, heightens the tendency of material, particularly thin material, to catch in the angle between the compartment bottom and the flange i827. I have found that this tendency may be, eliminated by bending the metal bottom 22 upwardly, at its edge adjacent flange I81), into a vertical portion 22a. secured against that flange. Further, an especially simple way of providing the guiding flange 26 abovementioned is to form it outwardly and upwardly from the top edge of the vertical portion 22a just men- .tioned, the flange 26 thus being integral with the bottom 22.

The use of the fixed strips 25, while desirable near the bottom of the compartments, is undesirable at higher levels since it would interfere with the insertion and removal of relatively longer pieces of material. Accordingly at higher levels I employ a small number of coil springs 27, tensicned horizontally across the open faces of the individual compartments. These springs are readily removable; and arrangements are provided to accommodate them at adjustable heights, so that a minimum number may be made most effective. These arrangements are the provision, in flanges H and I 5 and in the two partitions 2i on either side of the central compartment, of

a vertical series of holes 28 into which the ex: tremities of the springs may be hooked.

It will be understood that while thesprings will be removed for the loading or unloading of the very longest pieces of material, their deformable nature permits them to be left in place during the loading and unloading of even medium -le'ngth pieces without significantly impairing the latitude :of "manner of handling the material. And it will be understood that the stored material, and in particular the longer pieces, will seldom rest in contact with the retaining means (strips 25 or springs 21), in view of the sloping bottom 22.

The tops of the compartments are left open, so that material even longer than the height of the sections may be stored. But since notall the material to be stored is likely to be long, it is usually desirable for an eflicient use of the space within the section to increase the number of the compartments by subdividing the height of at least one of them. To do this there may be secured in place at a desired height, for example in the center compartment, a basket 29. This may be formed with a bottom 290. having downhanging side flanges 29b, and an integral face portion 290 having inwardly turned flanges 29d, the several flanges being adapted to be bolted to the partitions 2! on either side of the compartment.

Within the space bounded by the end members or housings 3 and the adjacent extreme sections when they are in substantial abutment against those housings, there may be provided further utilization or material-holding means. Usually it is desirable to have a certain number of shelves for storage of bulkier but unelongated material; and essentially triangular, flanged shelves 3!! have been illustrated as distributed throughout the height of these .end housings.

The section construction and mutual arrangement above described lends itself readily to locking of the cabinet. Thus to the front flange 3b of each of the end housings there may be loosely pivoted a respective bar 3!, the free end of'which is provided with an elongated hole 3ia; and a respective hasp 32 may be carried by each of the inmost sections of the two portions (righthand and lefthand) of the cabinet. The bar 3|, normally hanging vertically downwardly in front of 3b, may be swung up to horizontal position and its hole 3|a engaged over the respective hasp 32 when the respective portion of the cabinet is closed; and a padlock 33 then looked through the hasp effectively locks up that entire portion of the cabinet.

Handles 34 may be provided on the forward portions H! of the several sections; if they are placed at mid-height, they become included in the reversible portion of each section.

It may be pointed out that for different cabinets of different numbers of sections, the only parts which need to be peculiar to the individual cabinets are the base I and the rail 4 and lock bars 3iand these are peculiar only in respect of length.

Labels 35, held by holders 35a, may be provided on the forward portions of the several sections, indicating the nature and sizes (for example, the diameters) of the material stored therein. In connection with the arrangement of the contents of the several sections, I have found that a great improvement in ease of identification of the material within each section may be achieved by a departure from the usual practise of placing adjacent each other (which, as applied to my cabinet, would mean in the same section) materials of immediately consecutive diameters (e. g., A 1% 7 This practise leads to confusion at the time of withdrawal of a desired piece-for the differences in diameter are too small to be detected by eye, and one must either rely on actual measurement or on the material having been stored in a and in section #5, 4'',

special Way within the section (which may'not actually be the case, and which furthermore may Instead of following this rial, up to a considerable number such for example as five, in respective successive sections, the next series of a similar number of consecutive diameters in those same consecutive sections, and so on, for example for a total of three series. Typically, the sequence of usual diameters from up to A might be stored in five sections'as follows: In section #1, in section #2, %4", /32, %2"; in section A2", %i", he"; i s n %4". A6". %2". I general, the groups of diameters in the several sections will tend to constitute uniform geometric progressions-in the example given, in

the ratio of approximately 1:1.4:2. Obviously material of any one of the diameters in any section may be readily distinguished by inspection from material of the other diameters within that section.

While I have disclosed my invention in terms of a particular embodiment, I do not intend that all its aspects shall be limited by the details of that embodiment; but rather in the appended claims I undertake to express the proper scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a cabinet construction comprising a stationary portion, the combination of a plurality of vertical sections respectively pivoted to said stationary portion in their rear portions along vertical axes which are disposed substantially in a single plane, and a stationary end housing ineluded in said stationary portion and extending forwardly essentially at right angles to the plane of said pivoting axes at a distance from the pivoting axis of the nearest of said sections, each of said sections comprising a wing portion and a forward portion extending from the forward edge of said wing portion at an obtuse angle thereto in the direction of said end housing, said nearest section being swingable to bring its forward portion into substantial abutment against said end housing and each of the other sections being swingable to bring its forward portion into substantial abutment against the next section nearer said end housing.

2. In a cabinet construction comprising a stationary portion, the combination of a plurality of vertical sections respectively pivoted to said stationary portion in their rear portions along vertical axes which are disposed substantially in a single plane, and a stationary end housing included in said stationary portion and comprising an end part extending forwardly essentially at right angles to the plane of said pivoting axes at a distance from the pivoting axis of the nearest of said sections and a front part extending from said end part in the direction of said sections substantially parallel to said plane, said nearest section being swingable into substantial abutment against said end housing and each of the other sections of said plurality comprising a wing portion and a forward portion extending from the forward edge of said wing portion at an obtuse angle thereto in the direction of said end housing and being swingable to bring the forward portion of each into substantial abutment against the next section nearer said end housing, whereby the cabinet may be closed, said forward portions and the front part of said end housing then being dis posed at least substantially in a single plane.

. 3. In a cabinet construction comprising a stationary portion, the combination of a plurality of vertical sections respectively pivoted to said stationary portion in their rear portions along relatively closely adjacent vertical axes disposed substantially in a single plane, each of said sections comprising a uniformly wide wing portion and a forward portion extending from the forward edge of said wing portion at a uniform obtuse angle thereto for a distance substantially equal to the spacing between successive pivoting axes, the directions of the forward portions of the sections in the righthand and lefthand portions of the cabinet being rightward and leftward, respectively, whereby the cabinet may be closed, with the forward portions of the sections in said two portions of the cabinet respectively forming substantially continuous surfaces separated from each other but in the same plane.

4. In a cabinet construction comprising a stationary portion, the combination of a plurality of Vertical sections respectively pivoted to said stationary portion in their rear portions along vertical axes disposed substantially in a single plane, and two stationary end housings included in said stationary portion extending forwardly essentially at right angles to the plane of said pivoting axes at a distance to the right and at a distance to the left of the righthand and lefthand end sections, respectively, said end sections being swingable into substantial abutment against the respective said end housings, each of the sections intermediate said end sections comprising a wing portion and a forward portion extending from the forward edge of said wing portion at an obtuse angle thereto, the directions of the forward portions of the said intermediate sections in the righthand and lefthand portions of the cabinet being rightward and leftward, respectively, and those sections being swingable to bring the forward portion of each into substantial abutment against the next section nearer the respective end housing.

5. In a cabinet construction comprising top and bottom stationary elements, the combination of a cabinet section adapted to receive material to be stored; means pivoting a top portion and a bottom portion of said section to said top and bottom stationary elements respectively along a vertical axis, said two section portions being displaced from the horizontal center of said section and being rigidly interconnected, and said section being freely movable up and down along said axis; and a caster assembled on a horizontal pivoting axis to the bottom of said section, said caster receiving the entire vertical thrust of said section, and the place of assembly of said caster to said section bottom being at least substantially directly beneath the center of gravity of said section whereby to at least substantially free the entirety of said section-pivoting means from lateral thrusts.

6. In a cabinet construction comprising a stationary portion, the combination of a plurality of sections adapted to receive material to be stored; casters assembled on horizontal pivoting axes to the bottoms of the sections respectively; a plurality of means pivoting the rear portions of the respective sections to said stationary portion along respective vertical axes while permitting sufiicient section movement along those axes so that said casters always receive the entire vertical thrust of the respective sections; and a bottom portion included in said stationary portion, having a, relatively rigid rear part with which the lower parts of said pivoting means are associated, and comprising a relatively less rigid plate extending forwardly from said rear part, adapted to rest on a floor, and forming a base on which said casters may travel and which under their loads deforms over low regions of the floor to provide continued firm support from the floor for said sections.

THEODORE M. EDISON.

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