US3529878A - Case for storing articles - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1910 s. o. BLOWERS 3,529,878

CASE FOR STORING ARTICLES I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1968 Sept. 22 1970 s. o. BLOWERS CASE FOR STORING ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May a. 71968 V b z f mw a 7 a w 1 Z w W I 5w p [/7 1 M 9 5 o; L v 1 1 I 1 I, 1 W

United States Patent O 3,529,878 CASE FOR STORING ARTICLES Stanley Owen Blowers, Cambridge, England, assignor to Kerridge Joinery Limited, London, England, a British company Filed May 6, 1968, Ser. No. 726,654 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 1, 1967, 54,692/ 67 Int. Cl. A47b 47/00, 87/02 US. Cl. 312-107 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a storage unit comprising at least two drawer cases stacked one above the other and having upper and lower walls provided with sockets. The sockets are designed to receive locating pins by which the sockets in the lower wall of the upper case are registered with corresponding sockets in the upper wall of the lower case. Each socket is by one end firmly anchored in said wall and protrudes inwardly into the case, the said end being provided with a head containing a counterbore of larger diameter than the inner hole of the socket. Each pin connecting an upper and lower case has a head adapted to be received in the counterbore and two tapered shanks extending in opposite directions from the head, each projecting into one of the adjacent sockets.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION This invention relates to a store-case in the form of a chest of drawers and comprises a novel unit construction which enables a unit of required size to be built up from a number of similar units.

According to the invention each unit consists of a drawer-case having upper and lower walls in which there are sockets designed to receive locating pins by which the sockets in the lower wall of one drawer case are registered with corresponding sockets in the upper wall of an underlying case when the cases are stacked. This enables a rigid chest to be built of a number of superposed units.

In one embodiment of the invention, each drawer case or sleeve contains a single slidable tray or drawer made of plastic material designed to slide on runners provided for it within the drawer case. Each drawer case has upper and lower walls, side walls and a rear wall made of wood, plastic or other material. Each wall may be solid or may consist of an open framework.

In addition to the runners for supporting the drawer the sleeve is formed with internal guide rails which engage the side of the drawer and guide it in its sliding movement. These guide rails are spaced away from the side walls of the sleeve sufliciently to leave room for four tubular sockets formed on the upper wall of the sleeve adjacent the four corners thereof and four similar sockets formed on the lower wall of the sleeve. These sockets are in the form of open-ended tubes formed integrally with the sleeve and projecting inwardly from the upper and lower walls of the sleeve.

Each socket consists of a tubular body which is preferably tapered and joined to the wall of the sleeve by a relatively large head containing a counterbore in communication with the hole through the tubular body. It is thus adapted to receive one half of a locating pin which has two tapered shanks projecting in opposite directions from a head so made that one half of the head is received into the counterbore.

The locating pins are used to hold superposed sleeves in mutual alignment by inserting pins in the sockets in the upper wall of one sleeve and then lowering a superposed sleeve into position so that the upper halves of the pins 3,529,878 Patented Sept. 22, 1970 are received into sockets in the lower wall of the superposed sleeve.

To fill the sockets in the upper wall of the uppermost sleeve so as to produce a flush top, special pins may be provided having only one tapered shank joined to a head constructed to fit into the counterside flush with the top. Further pins having only one tapered shank but with deeper heads may be provided for fitting into sockets in the lower wall of the lowermost sleeve so as to form feet therefor.

The locating pins may conveniently be moulded from a plastic material.

So that the invention will be better understood a typical example in accordance with it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of storage cabinet embodying storage units according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail of a storage unit according to the invention, and

FIG. 4 is another detail.

Referring to the drawings FIG. 1 shows a storage cabinet comprising three separate units 1 standing on a base 2 and having a top cover 3. Each unit 1 is in the form of a slidable drawer 4 in a sleeve 5 the sleeve having upper, lower and side walls 6, 7, and 8, respectively.

The drawer 4 is designed to slide on runners 9 provided on the inside of lower wall 7. In addition the sleeve is formed with internal guide rails 10 which depend from the upper wall 6 and which engage the side of the drawer and guide it in its sliding movement. These guide rails are spaced from the side walls 8 sufficiently to leave room for four tubular sockets 12 depending from the upper wall 6 adjacent the four corners thereof and four similar sockets 13 upstanding from the lower wall 7. The sockets are in the form of open-ended tubes preferably formed integrally with the sleeve.

Each socket consists of a tubular body 16 which is tapered and has a head 17 adjacent the sleeve wall, which head has a counterbore 18 in communication with the base of the tubular body.

For stacking one unit upon another a locating pin 20 (FIG. 3) is employed which engages in the sockets. Each locating pin has a central head 21 and tapering shanks 22 projecting in opposite directions therefrom. The head 21 is so designed that when a tapering shank 22 is engaged in a socket one half of the head is received in the counterbore 18, the other half being engaged in the corresponding counterbore of a socket in an adjacent sleeve.

Thus the locating pins are used to hold superposed sleeves in mutual alignment by inserting pins 20 in the upper wall of one sleeve and then lowering a superposed sleeve into position so that the upper halves of the pins are received into the sockets in the lower wall of the superposed sleeve.

To fill the sockets in the upper wall of the uppermost sleeve so as to produce a flush top, special pins 24 (FIG. 4) may be provided having only one tapered shank 22 joined to a head 25 constructed to fit into the counterbore flush with the top. Further pins similar to pins 24 having only one tapered shank but with deeper heads may be provided for fitting into sockets in the lower wall of the lowermost sleeve so as to form feet therefor.

The sleeve together with its runners 9 guide rails 10 and sockets 12 can conveniently be moulded as an integral unit from a synthetic plastic material. Similarly the pins can also be moulded from plastic materials.

What I claim is:

1. A storage unit comprising at least two drawercases, each case having upper and lower walls; open ended tubular sockets in said walls designed to receive freely insertable locating pins by which the sockets in the lower wall of one drawer-case are registered with corresponding sockets in the upper wall of an underlying drawer-case when the cases are stacked; each socket having a first end provided with a head and secured in one of the said walls, the second end projecting inwardly from said wall, a counterbore in the head in communication with the base of the socket; each of said pins having a head of a thickness such that any one half of the head is received in said counterbore, and having two tapered shanks extending in opposite directions from the head and adapted to be received in the hole in the socket beyond the counterbore; the portions of the sockets in each drawer-case which receive said shanks being internally tapered.

2. A storage unit comprising at least two drawer-cases, each case having upper and lower walls; open ended tubular sockets in said walls designed to receive freely insertable locating pins by which the sockets in the lower wall of one drawer-case are registered With corresponding sockets in the upper wall of an underlying drawercase when the cases ae stacked; each socket having a first end provided with a head and secured in one of the said walls, the second end projecting inwardly from said wall, a counterbore in the head in communication with the base of the socket; each of said pins having a head of a thickness such that any one half of the head is received in said counterbore, and having two tapered shanks extending in opposite directions from the head and adapted to be received in the hole in the socket beyond the counterbore; the sockets in the upper wall of the uppermost drawer-case and in the lower wall of the lowermost drawer-case each containing a pin having a head adapted to fit into the counterbore and a tapered shank protruding from the head and received in the hole in the socket beyond the counterbore.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,952 4/1943 Halferty 182178 2,988,411 6/1961 Vannice 312111 3,000,680 9/1961 Zelenko 312-111 3,012,762 12/1961 Norris 312107 X 3,275,392 9/1966 Fiterman 312-111 X 3,302,749 2/ 1967 Heaphy et al. 182-178 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 312-111

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