US2884295A - Card mounting means for horizontally mounted doors of filing cabinets and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1959 F. s. Foo'rE, JR.. ET AL 2,884,295

CARD MOUNTING MEANS Foa HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED nooRs oF FILING lCBINETS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIOR. FRANC/5 S. FOUTE', Jl?.

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v F. E, ET CARD MOUNTING MEANS FOR HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED DOORS OF FILING CABINETS AND THE LIKE Filled Nov. 25, 1957- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANC/5 S. FOOTE, Jl?. HARRY W. LE CLA/RE ATTORNEY United States Patent O CARD MOUNTING MEANS FOR HORIZONTALLY MGUlIJ'iIE) DOORS 0F FILING CABINEIS AND Francis S. Foote, Jr., Berkeley, and Harry W. Le Claire, Atherton, Calif., assignors to Tab Products Co., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 25, 1957, Serial No. 698,473 2 Claims. (Cl. S12-234.1)

in rows perpendicularly to a wall as in conventional drawer filing.

Filing cabinets of the character described are finding widespread and increasing acceptance because of certain space advantages. Thus, conventional drawer typeling cabinets require drawers of considerable depth, that is to say, drawers which are quite long from front to rear. For example, in a conventional legal tile, the depth of the file is about 28". Therefore, the file must project inwardly into a room in excess of 28". Also, a working space must be left in front of a file of this character to allow pulling out a file drawer -to its maximum extent, and to allow room for a person working on a file.

Shelf type filing cabinets overcome this disadvantage because Ithe files are spread out laterally, parallel to a wall, rather than being arranged in rows which extend perpendicularly to a wall.

However, shelf type filing cabinets have several disadvantages. Thus, it is frequently desired lto equip such cabinets with doors or front covers. To be completely satisfactory such doors must be retractable. Often times a customer will purchase a set of open filing cabinets and will later wish to equip them with doors. This presents a particularly difficult problem because it is more difiicult to mount doors after the cabinets have left the factory. The doors provided should be sturdy and should operate smoothly. Careless handling of doors mus-t be allowed for.

An improved means of mounting doors of shelf type filing cabinets is described and claimed in a divisional application, Serial No. 768,726, filed October 2l, 1958, entitled Door Mounting for Filing Cabinet.

The present invention is directed to an improved means for mounting identificationcards on the doors of shelf type filing cabinets.

In filing cabinets of the character described wherein files are supported on shelves, it is desirable to mount the doors of the shelves so they can swing about a horizontal axis between a vertical, closed position and a horizontal open position, and so they can be pushed in from their horizontal, open position to a retracted position. When it is desired Ito close such a door, it will be pulled out and then swung down.

In doors of this character a problem exists in mounting identification cards on the doors to indicate the nature of the contents. If an outside pocket or holder is employed it is disadvantageous because it protrudes and is., among other things, likely to catch on clothing. If the card holder is mounted on the inside of a door and requires access from the rear, it is difficult to insert and remove an identification card. Unlike a vertically hung door (whose rear surface is easily accessible when the door is open) the rear surface of a horizontally hung door is diiiicultly accessible even when the door is open.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved shelf type filing cabinets.

It is a particular object of the invtntion to provide shelf type filing cabinets having horizontally mounted, retractable doors in which an improved mounting means is provided for mounting identification cards.

It is a further particular object of the invention to provide a card mounting means for horizontally mounted doors which are situated on 'the inner surface of a door, yet which are accessible from the front surface for insertion and removal of identification cards and the like.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

One form of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a shelf type filing cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention and having retractable doors which are equipped with the novel card mounting means of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of one of the retractable doors of the cabinet of Figure l showing our novel means employed to mount an identitication card.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 8 showing the mounting means of Figure 8 in end elevation.

Referring now to the drawings and first to Figure l a filing cabinet is there shown and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. l-t comprises a top 11, two side walls 12, a rear wall 13, a base 14, divider elements 15, shelves 16 and retractable doors 17. Slots are shown at 26 for mounting the divider elements 15. Handles are show-n at 57a for manipulating the doors 17. The doors are of the horizontally swinging, retractable-extensible type which may be mounted by any suitable means but preferably by the means described and claimed in our divisional application Serial No. 768,726.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the novel card mounting means of the present invention is illustrated. As there shown, a generally rectangular opening 70 is formed in the front face 55 of each door 17 and a rim 71 is provided which is pressed inwardly along the lower right side (as viewed in Figure 2) at 72, along the bottom. at 73 and along the upper left side at 74. These depressed areas 72, 73 and 74 abut the inner surface of the face 55 to which they are secured by means of soldering, welding or otherwise. It will, therefore, be apparent that a pocket 75 is provided having open areas 76 at the top, 77 at the upper righ-t and 78 at the lower left. It is an important advantage of the pocket 75 that it is accessible from the front of a door. Thus an identification card such as shown at 79, which is rectangular and has dimensions slightly greater than the opening 70, can be inserted from the front as follows: It is first rotated counterclockwise so that its long sides (which are normally horizontal) are at an angle of about 45 and it is inserted within the opening 70. The upper end of the rotated card will pass through the open spaces 76 and 77 of the pocket 75. The card is pushed up until its lowermost end (the lower left-hand corner) has cleared the bottom of the opening 70. The card is then rotated back 45 to its normal position with its bottom edge resting on the depressed area or ledge 73 and its side edges confined by the depressed areas 72 and 74. By this means, it will be apparent, a card can be inserted and removed without the necessity of reaching behind a door. Yet the pocket 75 is entirely within the door and no outwardly projecting structure is required. Also the card is securely confined and `will not drop out with the door 17 in anyof` its normal positionsjie., vertical and closed, horizontal and open or inclined.

It will, therefore, be apparent that a card mounting means has been provided which is especially useful in connection with tiling cabinets and the like having horizpntally swinging doors, such mounting means being accessible from the front of a door whose rear is diticultly accessible, such` means involving no projections from the front surface.

We c laim:

1. A door construction of the character described comprising a front panel having a generally rectangular opening to expose an identification card and a frame xed tothe inner surface of said panel to provide a holder for snch card, said frame having a bottom contact portion and two en d contact portions in Contact with the inner face o f said panel and having two other end portions and a top portion spaced from such inner face, said contact portions being so arranged that a card can be inserted and removed from the front of the panel, without access to the rear thereof, by rotating the card during insertion and removal, said contact portions serving to provide bottom support for and to prevent endwise movement of an inserted card.

2. A cabinet construction of the character described comprising side walls and a door having a panel formed with a rectangular opening for exposing an identification card, means mounting said door on said side Walls for rotation about a horizontal axis between a vertical, closed position'and ahorizontal position and for-retraction within the cabinet and movement out of the cabinet when in horizontal position, and a pocket for holding an identitication card, said pocket being in the form of a frame, being located in registry with said rectangular opening, and having contact portions in contact with the inner surface of said panel and noncontact portions spaced from such surface, said contact portions comprising a bottom portion adjoining the bottom edao of Said opening and a lower side portion and an upper side portion adjacent the lower part of one side and the upper part of the other side, respectively, of said opening; said noncontact portions permitting insertion and removal of a card from the front of the panel and without access to the rear thereof by rotating the card; said contact portions serving to confine an inserted card and to prevent dropping and endwise movement of such card.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 391,751 Kinnear Oct. 23, 1888l 705,957 Osborn July 29, 1902 972,923 Ritter Oct. 18, 1910 1,156,644 Vetter Oct. 12, 1915 1,474,424 Maxey Nov. 20, 1923 2,241,884 Noble May 13, 19741 i FOREIGN PATENTS 1,107,206 France Aug. 3, 1955 1,110,373 France Oct. 12, 1955

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