Knockdown cabinet assembly

A composite wood and metal knockdown cabinet assembly is characterized by component parts which can be assembled by the user merely with the aid of a screwdriver. The component parts of the assembly comprise a pair of prefabricated sheet metal side frames each composed of a rear and front vertical metal member which are each end-lap fastened at or near each end to horizontal metal U channel members, horizontal wood braces across the front of the cabinet end-lap fastened to the front vertical members of the side frames, one or more drawers and/or wood shelves supported by all the vertical members of the side frames and optionally wood door hinges attached conjointly to a front metal vertical member and to a horizontal front wood or metal brace. The pair of sheet metal side frames can be used to assemble cabinets of any desired width and/or number of shelves or drawers, or combinations of drawers and shelves. There is also disclosed an improved hinge for mounting a door on the cabinet and an improved combination wood and metal drawer. Additionally, the sheet metal side frames have provisions permitting individual cabinets to be joined together into a row of cabinets of any desired length and to be precisely vertically aligned with each other. Another disclosed feature of the sheet metal side frames are height adjustable shelf supporting means which in conjunction with shelves having unique corner configurations enable the shelves in one cabinet to be positioned in abutting relationship to the shelves of adjacent cabinets and thus provide if desired a substantially continuous horizontal shelf area extending along the entire length of a row of mounted cabinets. Another disclosed feature is the provision of particular metal brackets and clamps cooperating with the cabinet's metal side frames and top panel for respectively hanging and clamping the wall cabinets against a wall surface which enable mounting of the cabinets in most instances (depending on the weight of a given cabinet) by an individual without the aid of others or the need for interim scaffolding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an improved cabinet assembly of the knockdown 
type and is particularly directed to a composite wood end metal cabinet 
assembly wherein a pair of sheet metal side frames of a novel 
configuration establishes a rigid frame construction for supporting 
shelves and/or drawers and optionally doors and wherein the outer faces of 
the cabinet's drawers and doors have aesthetically pleasing wood or 
simulated wood surfaces. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Knockdown type cabinets of all metal construction, all wood or of wood and 
metal construction have been known for a number of years. The individual 
components of such cabinets as packaged for shipment to the ultimate user 
are a fraction of the bulk of factory assembled cabinets and thus their 
shipping costs are more economical. Final assembly of the cabinets is 
relatively easy in the instance of the all metal type knockdown cabinets 
as in most instances their individual parts are easily fastened together 
by nuts and bolts. Knockdown cabinets of all wood construction offer the 
most difficulty in assembly and usually require glue or other adhesives to 
hold together the framing members or special clamping fixtures in order to 
effect acceptable alignment of the individual parts. Moreover the wood 
framing members of all wood knockdown type cabinets may shrink or warp on 
aging or split from improper screw insertion. Assembly of combination wood 
and metal knockdown cabinets compares favorably with the all metal 
knockdown cabinets but the cabinets of this type do not provide for 
adjustable positioning of shelves or drawers, or for a combination of 
shelves or drawers, or for a combination of drawers and shelves in the 
same cabinet. 
Accordingly a major object of this invention is to provide composite wood 
and metal knockdown cabinet assembly having metal side frames adapted to 
accommodate without change or further modification thereto either a 
plurality of shelves, or of drawers, or a combination of shelves and 
drawers and which can be readily assembled by the user merely with the aid 
of a screwdriver. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a composite wood and metal 
knockdown cabinet assembly wherein a pair of metal side frames and wood or 
metal cross-bracing result in an assembled cabinet characterized by 
structural rigidly and precise alignment. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide a composite wood and 
metal knockdown cabinet assembly having aesthetically pleasing wood 
exterior facings while substantially retaining the structural strength and 
rigidity of an all metal knockdown cabinet. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide a knockdown metal 
and wood drawer assembly having a wood drawer front. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide door hinges for the 
composite wood and metal cabinet assembly functioning as connectors for 
the metal side frames and the horizontal wood bracing. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a composite wood and metal 
knockdown cabinet assembly which does not require messy glues or adhesives 
or clamps to insure a precision aligned assembled cabinet structure 
capable of satisfactorily supporting customary loading of its shelves 
and/or drawers. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide cabinets having 
sheet metal side frames enabling a plurality of assembled wood and metal 
cabinets to be positioned in a row of any desired length and fastened 
together in precise vertical alignment against a wall surface. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a composite wood and 
metal cabinet assembly shelving of such configuration that when installed 
in a row of parallel mounted cabinets, the shelves in each cabinet can 
abut against the side edges of shelves in adjacent cabinets and thereby 
provide a substantially continuous surface for articles having a longer 
length than the width of an individual cabinet. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide metal hangers and 
brackets for securely attaching the composite wood and metal wall cabinet 
assemblies against a wall surface whereby but one person in most instances 
is able to install the cabinets without requiring help from another person 
or construction of interim scaffolding. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to improvements in knockdown composite wood and 
metal cabinets which can be readily assembled and then installed by 
relatively unskilled persons in homes, offices, stores, laboratories, 
garages and any other places having a need for cabinets characterized by 
precision alignment, structural strength and rigidily of the assembled 
cabinet. The invention includes per cabinet a pair of rectangular shape 
sheet metal side frames preassembled at the factory each from a pair of 
spaced vertical members having a particular modified U shaped 
cross-section and that are lap joined together at their lower and upper 
ends by respective lower and upper horizontal members having a U shaped 
cross-section. At the cabinet assembly side, the side frames are attached 
to front upper and lower metal or wood cross braces, the ends of each 
cross brace being inserted into the U channels of the metal frames 
horizontal members and a back panel is attached to the rear surfaces of 
the metal side frames. Upon completion of the assembly of the 
aforementioned components, there is obtained an aligned structure highly 
resistant to shape distortion. Inherent features of the sheet metal side 
frames provide the assembler with a choice in going ahead with the 
assembly of a cabinet containing only shelves, or only drawers or any 
combination of shelves and drawers. Doors to enclose shelf areas of the 
cabinet are pivotally attached by semi-concealed hinges fastened to the 
front surface of a metal side frame and in addition to a front cross brace 
to further enhance the structural rigidity of the cabinet. Shelves for use 
in the cabinets have unique corner configurations to interlock with 
surfaces of the vertical members of the metal side frame in order that the 
shelves after installation are restrained from fore and aft movement as 
well as side to side movement. The corner configuration of the shelves can 
be further modified to provide for shelves in adjacent cabinets to abut 
against each other to form a substantially continuous shelf area extending 
through a plurality of adjacently mounted cabinets. Additionally there are 
disclosed metal hangers for supporting wall cabinets on a wall surface, 
said brackets having an upturned flange for engagement with a slot in the 
bottom surface of a rear horizontal cross brace and metal clamps wherein 
one end flange thereof is bent around a portion of a rear vertical member 
of the side frame and the other end flange running parallel to the wall 
surface has a terminal right angle lip bearing against the front surface 
of the back panel, said second flange having an aperture permitting entry 
of a screw for attachment of the clamp to the wall surface. The vertical 
members of the metal side frames have spaced apertures along their length 
enabling adjacent cabinets to be bolted together in a precise vertical 
aligned manner to form a continuous row of cabinets.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 8 and 16 illustrating a preferred embodiment of 
the invention as incorporated in a base cabinet assembly, attention is 
initially directed to FIGS. 2, 3a, 3b and 3c illustrating novel features 
in the design of the cabinets sheet metal side frame, generally indicated 
by the reference character 15. In the subsequent description it is to be 
understood that like reference characters refer in all instances to like 
parts. The sheet metal side frame 15 is a factory prefabricated structure 
comprising parallel spaced vertical members 20, lower U channel member 22 
and upper U channel member 24, each horizontally bridging the space 
between vertical members 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 each vertical 
member 20 has along a major portion of its length a modified U shaped 
cross section wherein one leg 26 of the U is longer than the other leg 28 
of the U and that each leg has a terminal right angle bend 30 extending 
partly across the base 32 of the U and parallel thereto. Provisions are 
made at the upper portion of vertical member 20 and again at its bottom 
end to enable respectively upper channel cross-brace 24 and lower channel 
cross-brace 22 to be end-lap fastened, as by resistance welding, to 
interior surface, of the long U leg 26 of vertical member 20. Such 
provisions include elimination of the right angle bend 30 on the longer 
leg 26 of the U for a distance along the length of vertical member 20 
corresponding to the width of the U channel cross-braces 22 and 24 whereby 
the exterior surfaces of cross-braces 22 and 24 at each end portion can be 
lap positioned against the interior surface of the longer leg 26 of the U 
cross-section of vertical member 20 and with the terminal ends of each U 
channel cross-brace 22 and 24 abutting against the interior surface of the 
U base 32 in vertical member 20. When either U channel crossbrace 22 or 24 
has side walls of greater width than the U base 32 of vertical member 20, 
then as most clearly shown in FIG. 2 in the instance of bottom U channel 
cross-brace 22 having a side wall of greater width than U base 32 in 
vertical member 20 in addition to the elimination of the right angle bend 
30 on the longer U leg 26 of vertical member 20, elimination is also 
required of a corresponding length of the shorter leg 28 of vertical 
member 20. Having bottom U channel crossbrace 22 with wider side walls 
than upper U channel cross brace 24 is an optional feature utilitzed when 
it is desired to increase the base footing area of the cabinet in order to 
diminish loading per unit floor area space. The flat sheet metal blank 20 
as shown in FIG. 3a has been stamped out to eliminate those portions which 
would interfere with endlap fastening of the U channel cross braces 22 and 
24. The dotted lines in FIG. 3a indicate where the sheet metal would be 
bent to form the aforesaid modified U shaped cross-section. The U channel 
cross-braces 22 and 24 are simple shapes respectively formed by bending 
along the dotted lines the flat sheet metal blanks illustrated in FIGS. 3b 
and 3c. 
Upon the welding together of the two vertical members 20 to the end 
sections of the U channel cross-braces 22 and 24, one obtains a unitary 
sheet metal frame highly resistant to compression or bending stresses, and 
capable of satisfactorily supporting with minimum deflection all normal 
loads placed on the shelves or in the drawers within their designed use. 
Nominally 24 gauge steel sheet is of adequate strength and the rigidity 
for use in forming adequately strong side frames 15, but even lighter 
gauge sheet steel can be used when the cabinets assembled therefrom are to 
meet with less rigorous use conditions. Extruded aluminum shapes can also 
be used as functional equivalents of the sheet metal vertical members 20 
and the cross-braces 22 and 24 when the higher costs of aluminum shapes 
are acceptable in view of their resistance to corrosion and greater 
stiffness per unit weight. 
Assembly of the base cabinet can be conveniently inititated by attaching 
cross-bracing rear panel 34 which may be of sheet metal, plastic laminate, 
plywood, fiber board or the like by sheet metal screws (not shown) to the 
rear edges of side metal frames 15, the screws first entering apertures 39 
in the rear panel 34 and then into predrilled screw apertures (not shown) 
in vertical member 20. In the next step, front upper cross-brace 42 which 
may be of wood or metal is positioned between opposed metal side frames 
15, 15 in such manner that each end portion thereof enters a slot 44 
formed in vertical member 20 by removal of its short U leg 28 for a 
distance corresponding to the vertical width of front top cross-brace 42 
and abuts against the interior surface at the U base of upper U channel 
cross brace 22. The front top cross-brace 42 is then fastened against the 
interior surface of the U base 32 of each vertical member 15 by a screw 
(not shown) passing first through aperture 37 in vertical member 15 and 
then into aperture 45 in front top cross-brace 42, whereby two surfaces 
(one side and one end) of front top cross brace 42 contact two planar 
interior surfaces of upper U channel side cross brace 24 and the interior 
surface at the U base 32 of vertical member 20 thereby insuring structural 
rigidity of side frame 15. One of the screws for insertion in aperture 37 
of vertical member 20 on the hinge side of the frame is not tightened at 
this stage of assembly as will be explained later. In the next assembly 
operation front bottom cross-brace 47 of wood or metal is similarly 
positioned between opposed metal side frames 15, 15; it has a vertical 
width corresponding to the interior vertical width of lower side U channel 
brace 22. Accordingly, when front bottom cross-brace 47 end portion is 
fully inserted through slot 49 formed in vertical member 20 by removal of 
its shorter U leg 28 to abut against the interior U base of lower U 
channel side cross brace 22, four surfaces of front bottom cross-brace 47 
(three sides and one end) are in contact with three interior planar 
surfaces of side cross-brace 22 and one interior surface of vertical 
member 20 being the U base 32 of vertical member 20. Screws (not shown) 
passing first through apertures 36, in vertical member 20 and then into 
screw receiving apertures 48, 48a in bottom cross-brace 47 are used to 
fasten bottom front cross-brace 47 to the interior surface 32 of vertical 
member 15 in such manner that each end of bottom crossbrace 47 abuts 
against the three interior planar surfaces of lower U channel brace 22. 
Conveniently, the next assembly operation entails mounting of hinges 50 at 
the bottom edge and at the top edge of door 56 indicated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 
8. As there illustrated hinge 50 is mounted on the left top edge 56a of 
door 56 and to the front surface of vertical member 20. Hinge 50 comprises 
a door flat leaf 51 having a lateral projection 54 extending outwardly 
beyond the exterior face of door 56. Cabinet leaf 52 has an L 
cross-section shape, one angle side of which has a lateral projection 55 
extending outwardly to the same extent as projection 54 on flat cabinet 
leaf 51 and the other angle side of leaf 52 has slotted apertures 60, 60a 
to provide, upon insertion of screws (not shown), lateral alignment 
adjustment of door 56 to the cabinet frame 15. A pivot pin 53 located in 
the lateral projection areas 54,55 of the two leaves establishes an axis 
of rotation for door 56. Pivot pin 53 is upset at each end to securely 
fasten together both leaves 51 and 52 with cabinet leaf 52 being 
superimposed on door leaf 51. A nylon washer 57 or similar low friction 
plastic washer such as polyethylene or polytetraflourethylene located 
between the two hinge leaves and held in place by pivot pin 53. Washer 57 
serves to minimize friction impeding movement of door 56. Cabinet lead 52 
towards its end opposite to its lateral projection 55 has a stamped 
indentation 58 forming on the other side thereof a small projection 58a 
having a height slightly in excess of the thickness of plastic washer 57 
in order that when door 56 is closed against the cabinet frame, the 
pressure applied by projection 58a against the exposed surface of door 
leaf 51 tends to hold door 56 in a closed position. A further feature of 
hinge 50 is the stamped planar depression 62 on the side angle of cabinet 
lead 52 which attaches to the cabinet frame 15, said depression being 
located at the end thereof opposite lateral projection 55. Planar 
depression 62 projects rearwardly a sufficient distance to bear directly 
against the front surface of front cross brace 42 which is set back from 
the front end of vertical member 20 a distance equal to the thickness of 
the sheet metal of the vertical member. This set back exaggerated for 
purposes of clarity is illustrated in FIG. 7. In the absence of planar 
projection 62, tightening of the screw passing through aperture 60a would 
cock hinge 50 from its desired flat to flat position against the flat 
front surface of vertical member 20. 
The configuration of hinge 50 as illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 adapts it 
to be used as the top door hinge when mounted on the left side of door 56 
or as the bottom door hinge when mounted on the right side of door 56. 
Adaptation of hinge 50 to function as the bottom hinge on left side door 
mounting or the top hinge for right side door mounting merely involves 
during manufacture repositioning the lateral projection 55 on cabinet leaf 
52 from its left end position as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 to the right 
end and similarly reversing the position of stamped indentation 58 and 
planar offset 62. Door leaf 51 is simply inverted whereby its outer planar 
surface becomes the inner surface in contact with the door edge. 
After hinges 50 have been mounted on the top and bottom edges of door 56 
and secured in position by screws (not shown) inserted through apertures 
59 of hinge door lead 51, door 56 can then be attached to the front of one 
of the vertical members 20, after removal of the untightened screw 
previously inserted in aperture 37 on the hinge side vertical member 20 to 
temporarily position one end of upper front cross brace 42. The removed 
screw is first inserted into aperture 60 in cabinet leaf 52, then into 
aperture 37 in front vertical member 20 and then into screw receiving 
aperture 45 of upper front cross member 42. Another screw (not shown) is 
inserted in apertures 60a of cabinet leaf 52 and then into screw receiving 
aperture 45a of upper front cross member 42. Once these two screws have 
been tightened, cabinet leaf 52 is securely fastened to two cabinet frame 
members (20,42) and in turn frame members 20, 42 are rigidly locked 
together whereby both frame members function together in preventing 
cabinet frame distortion from the weight of the door. 
A second hinge 50 is similarly fastened to the bottom edge of door 56 and 
to front vertical member 20 and bottom front cross-brace 47 with two 
screws (not shown). One screw being first inserted through aperture 60 of 
door hinge leaf 52, then through aperture 36 in vertical member 20 and 
there into screw receiving aperture 48a in bottom front cross brace 47. 
The other screw is first inserted through aperture 60a of door hinge leaf 
52 and then into screw receiving aperture 46, in bottom cross-brace 47. 
Bottom wood shelf 64 having reentrant angle cutouts 65 at each of its four 
corners has a length and breadth substantially equal to the overall 
breadth and length established by the cabinet metal side frame members 15 
and horizontal front braces 42, 47 and thus rests on the top surfaces of 
lower front cross brace 47 and both lower U channel side braces 22, 22. 
Reentrant right angle cut-outs 65 or notches in shelf 64 are of such 
dimensions that one arm of the right angle is adjacent to the shorter U 
leg 28 of vertical member 20 and the other arm of the right angle is 
adjacent to the right angle bend 30 on said leg. To facilitate entry of 
bottom shelf 64 within the cabinet framework, the shelf is held at an 
angle from the horizontal while the lower edge thereof is positioned 
between the two vertical members 20, 20 of a metal side frame 15, and then 
the opposite edge of the shelf is lowered until it also is positioned 
between the two vertical members 20, 20 of the other metal side frame 15. 
One or more other wood shelves 67 having a reentrant right angle cut-out 
65 on each of its four corners can be similarly installed in the cabinets 
at selected elevations and suspended therein by shelf supporting brackets 
69 having a shaft extension insertable into apertures 71 punched through 
the shorter U leg 28 each vertical member 20. Shelf brackets 69 may be of 
metal or plastic material as for example molded nylon. 
As an alternate to the wood shelves 67 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, attention is 
directed to the wood shelves 162 shown in FIG. 17. Shelves 162 each have 
two progressive right angle reentrant cut outs or notches 167, 169 at each 
of the four corners of said shelves whereby the edges of first right angle 
cut out 167 respectively bear against the exterior surface of short U leg 
28 of vertical member 20 and right angle bend 30 on said U leg and the 
edges of the second right angle cut out 169 bear against the terminal edge 
of the right angle bend 30 on longer U leg 26 and the exterior surface of 
said right angle bend, and with the side edge of shelf 162 being flush 
with the exterior surface of long U leg 26. In as much as there are no 
side panels attached to the metal side frames of the cabinets shown in 
FIG. 17, it is therefore feasible to insert in anyone of the cabinets an 
article having a longer length then the front width of an individual 
cabinet and have it extend through the open area of metal side frames 15 
or 110 into one or more adjacent cabinets and thereafter be able to fully 
close any doors attached to said cabinets. Furthermore it is rather 
obvious that the close abutting relationship of the several shelves 162 to 
each other in the several cabinets significantly contributes to the 
overall stiffness and rigidity of the cabinets. Installation of shelves 
162 is conducted in essentially the same manner previously described for 
installation of shelves 67. 
Means for supporting one or more drawers in cabinet 10 are a pair of metal 
drawer rails 73, one for each side of the drawer. Rails 73 have an U 
cross-sectional shape and have a length extending for the depth of cabinet 
10. Apertures (not shown) at the ends of rails 73 register with 
rectangular shaped apertures 75 in shorter U leg 28 of vertical member 20 
and enables rails 73 to be fastened against said leg by means of a speed 
clip or spring nut (not shown) hooked into aperture 75. Screws (not shown) 
are inserted first through an aperture in rail 73, next through aperture 
76 in vertical member 20 and then through the threaded screw receiving 
flange of the speed clip. Additional drawer rails 73 may if desired be 
mounted at lower elevations in the cabinet corresponding to the placement 
of other rectangular shaped, speed clip receiving apertures 75 as shown in 
FIG. 2 whereby a cabinet can be assembled having only a plurality of 
drawers or a combination of a plurality of drawers and of shelves, or 
exclusively shelves. 
A preferred drawer 77 for use in the cabinets of this invention is 
illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b. Drawer 77 comprises a side forming metal 
stamping 79 having on its upper edge an outwardly extending reinforcing 
flange 95 along its length. The bottom edge of stamping 79 has been 
press-formed to produce a U cross-sectional shaped channel 83 which 
provides a slot into which wood drawer bottom 81 can be inserted. Side 
metal stamping 79 can be shipped flat to reduce shipping bulk. When 
assembly begins at the site for the cabinet, the portion of the stamping 
which will form the rear side of the drawer is bent at right angles at the 
points 84 where reinforcing flange 95 and channel 83 have been precut, and 
drawer front mounting flanges 93 are bent outwardly at a right angle. Wood 
drawer front 85 is secured by screws to flanges 93 after handle 87 has 
been attached by screws to the front face of drawer front 85. Angle 
bracket 89 is screw attached to the lower edge of the rear face of drawer 
front 85, and supports the bottom surface of wood drawer bottom 81 after 
it has been inserted into the slot of U channel 83. A nylon plastic clip 
drawer slide 91 is snapped into a clip receiving notch 92 in U channel 83 
near the rear of the drawer. The forward end of drawer 77 is supported by 
another drawer slide 91 snapped into a notch (not shown) at the forward 
end of drawer rail 73. The upper face of angle bracket 89 is screw 
attached to the bottom surface of wood drawer 81. 
An alternative drawer 97 of conventional construction but suitable for use 
in the cabinets of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. This drawer of 
all sheet metal construction except for its wood drawer front 85 cannot be 
shipped in the flat but must be preassembled at the factory and requires 
resistance welding of the metal sheet 98 forming the bottom and two sides 
to two shaped metal bottom rails 99 and to a metal rear side panel 100. 
Because of the bulkiness of preassembled drawer 97 as compared to the flat 
packaging possible with drawer 79 of FIGS. 4a and 4b, drawer 97 is more 
expensive to ship. 
During the next assembly step metal angle top rails 102 are each fastened 
to the top ends of vertical members 20 by passing bolts (not shown) 
through apertures 103 in top rails 103 and through apertures 104 near the 
top end of vertical members 20. The bolts are then each secured with a 
lock nut (not shown). The angle top rails 102 function as a mounting 
surface for a wood top or plastic panel or for a countertop. As shown in 
FIG. 1 there are no side panels attached to metal side frames 15 because 
base cabinets when used in kitchens extend from wall to opposite wall and 
thus the sides of cabinets 10 are not visible. However, if the positioning 
of cabinet 10 in a room does not expose one or both sides, panels of 
plywood, fiber board, or plastic laminates can be screw attached to the 
sides. 
As a finishing and protective means against accidental kicking of front 
cross-brace 47 a protective panel 63 of a plastic laminate, or of sheet 
metal e.g. brass, extruded aluminum or chrome plated steel having on its 
back surface a pressure sensitive adhesive can be pressed against the 
exposed surface of front bottom cross-brace 47 and held in place by the 
adhesive. 
A further embodiment of the invention incorporating the basic featues of 
the previously described metal side frames 15 is illustrated in FIGS. 9, 
10 and 11 depicting a cabinet 108 which is normally attached to a wall 
surface and hence this type is referred to as wall cabinets by the trade. 
The rectangular metal side frames 110 for cabinet 108 best shown in FIG. 
10 comprises two spaced vertical members 112 each having a modified U 
shaped cross-section extending practically for the full length of the 
member except for small end portions to be described subsequently. The 
modified U shape consists of two legs 114, 116 of the U, one leg 116 being 
shorter than the other leg 114 and each leg having a terminal right angle 
bend 118 extending partly across and parallel to the base of the U. The 
longer leg 114 of the U cross-section constitutes the exterior face and 
the shorter leg 116 the interior face of metal frame 110. Apertures 120 
spaces along the length of short U leg 116 are for the purpose of 
receiving shelf supporting brackets 69. Apertures 122 in long leg 144 are 
used when two cabinets are to be hung side by side and fastened together 
by nuts and bolts inserted through apertures 122. 
As shown in FIG. 11a the vertical member 112 is formed from a stamped sheet 
metal strip. The stamping operation cuts out apertures 120, 122 and 138 
and in addition shears off at each end portion a short section of the 
right angle bend 118 on the long leg 114 of the U and a short section of 
the short leg 116 including its right angle bend 118. The dashed lines in 
FIG. 11a indicate where the metal strip is bent in a series of right 
angles to form the modified U shaped cross section observable in FIG. 10. 
Vertical members 112 are joined in parallel spaced apart relationship by 
horizontal upper and lower U channel cross braces 124, 126 respectively 
prepared from the flat metal strip depicted in FIG. 11b bent as indicated 
at right angles on the dashed lines to form the modified U cross section 
shaped channel. Each cross brace 124, 126 is end-lap fastened as by 
welding to the end portions of vertical members 112 which have no right 
angle bend on the longer U leg 114 and which are devoid of the shorter leg 
116 and its right angle bend 118, in such manner that the exterior U base 
surfaces of braces 124, 126 make a welding contact with the interior faces 
of the longer U leg 114 of vertical members 112, and the ends of each 
cross brace 124, 126 abut against the interior surface of the U base 119 
in vertical member 112. 
Assembly of cabinet 108 is initiated by sliding one side of rectangular 
shaped bottom wood panel 130 into the slot of bottom U channel cross brace 
126 and rectangular shaped top wood panel 132 into the slot of the top U 
channel cross brace 128 of one of the metal side frames 110. The opposite 
sides of panels 130 and 132 are respectively inserted into corresponding 
slots of the opposite metal frame 110. Panels 130 and 132 each have a 
thickness corresponding to the width of the U base 128 in metal channel 
braces 126 and 128 in order to provide a strong snug fit of the respective 
parts. 
In the nest assembly step a back panel 134 of wood or metal having 
apertures 136 about its perimeter is fastened to the rear of cabinet 108 
by screws (not shown) passing through apertures 136 of panel 134 and 
apertures 140 in the U base section 119 of vertical member 112 and then 
into the rear edges of wood panels 130, 132. Additional fastening of back 
panel 134 to the rear of cabinet 108 is performed by inserting sheet metal 
screws (not shown) through apertures 136 in panel 134 and into screw 
receiving apertures 138 in the U base section 119 of vertical member. 
Screws (not shown) are then inserted in apertures 140 in the left front 
vertical member 112 and into the front edges of wood base and top panels 
130, 132 respectively. 
Hinges 50 as previously described are right side mounted on the top and 
bottom edges of door 56 and then each attached to the front right side of 
cabinet 108 by two wood screws (not shown), one screw being inserted first 
through aperture 60 of hinge 50, then through aperture 140 in front 
vertical member 112 and then into the front edges of wood base and top 
panels 130, 132 respectively. The other wood screw is inserted through 
aperture 60a of hinge 50 and screwed into screw receiving apertures 141 at 
the front edges of panels 130, 132. Optionally a magnetic catch 144 can be 
installed on the upper surface of wood bottom panel 130 and a catch plate 
145 on the rear face of door 56 so aligned thereon to mate with magnetic 
catch 144 upon the door being closed. 
Rectangular shaped wood shelves 67 having reentrant right angle cut-outs 65 
on each corner as previously described are positioned in the cabinet and 
are supported on shelf supporting brackets 69 whose shaft extension is 
inserted into apertures 120 of vertical metal member 112. If cabinet 108 
is to be wall mounted, shelf installation is preferably postponed until 
after cabinet 108 has been secured to a wall surface in order to 
facilitate the mounting operation which employs a pair of hanging brackets 
150 and a pair of clamping brackets 152. 
The metal hanging bracket 150 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 13 has a 
right angle shape with an upturned lip 151 on one edge thereof for 
engagement with a plough cut slot 155 extending across the bottom surface 
of top panel 132 and spaced parallel from back panel 134. Hanging bracket 
150 is fastened to a wall surface be screws (not shown) passing through 
apertures 156 in the vertical leg of bracket 150 and into the wall. U 
shaped cut-outs 155 at the top end of back panel 134 provide a passageway 
for entry of the horizontal leg of hanger bracket 150 into the interior of 
cabinet 108 whereby the brackets lip 151 can be brought into engagement 
with slot 155 in top panel 132. Once thus engaged the horizontal leg of 
bracket 150 prevents downward movement of cabinet 108 and bracket lip 151 
inhibits fore and after movement. Metal clamping bracket 152 provides 
further assurance against downward or fore and after movement of cabinet 
108. As best shown in the cross section view in FIG. 14, bracket 152 has a 
projection running parallel with surface 116 of vertical member 112, a 
right angle band running parallel to bend 118 of vertical member 112, a 
reverse right angle bend running parallel to back plate 134 and an 
upturned lip 159 to bear against the front face of back panel 134. 
Clamping bracket 152 is fastened to a wall surface by means of a screw 
(not shown) passing through aperture 160 in bracket 152, then aperture 162 
in back panel 134, and finally into a room wall. When thus fastened, the 
right angle bend on bracket 152 running parallel to bend 118 on vertical 
member 112 applies rearward directed pressure against bend 118 forcing the 
rear of cabinet 108 firmly against the room wall surface while the screw 
passing through aperture 160 of bracket 152 and apertures 162 of back 
panel 134 further sustains cabinet 108 against downward movement. 
It is of course quite apparent that the metal side frames 15 of base 
cabinet 10 and side frames 110 of wall cabinet 108 can be used without 
alteration in the assembly of cabinets of any desired width, which is 
determined only by the dimensions of the front cross members 47, 42 top 
and bottom panels 132 and 130 respectively and back panels 34 and 124. In 
order to avoid the need for a plurality of different width back panels 34 
and 134, an alternate means for providing adjustable back bracing support 
is shown in FIG. 16 as installed in a base cabinet otherwise identical to 
cabinet 10 in FIG. 1. The adjustable back bracing means comprise a pair of 
equal length metal bars 164 held together at their mid points by a rivet 
165 but otherwise free to rotable. Apertures (not shown) at the end of 
each bar enable screws to be inserted therein and in turn through selected 
screw receiving appertures 138 spaced along the length of vertical member 
112. By opening or closing the angular position of the two bars 164, a 
narrower or wider spacing of side metal frames 15 or 110 can be effected. 
With a frame work utilizing metal frames as the basic load carrying and 
alignment means, the cabinets of this invention are stronger, more durable 
and easier to assemble than comparable all wood cabinets. Furthermore, no 
unfavorable weight penalty incurs from the employment of metal frames in 
as much as it has been found that the cabinets of this invention weigh 
practically the same as comparable all wood cabinets and in some instances 
even less. The term wood as used in this specification and appended claims 
is to be understood as inclusive of solid wood, resin bonded particle 
board, plywood fiber board and wood substitutes such as plastic laminates. 
It is also to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the 
specific preferred embodiments disclosed in the specification, but extends 
also to those modifications readily apparent to those skilled in the art.