Abstract:
A cabinet installation tool includes a frame of adjustable depth to be engagingly mounted across the top of a base cabinet, a vertical support member carried by the frame, a horizontal plate mounted atop the vertical support member for engaging the bottom of a wall cabinet, and means for adjusting the height of the vertical support member, so that by using one or more of the tools a single person may mount a wall cabinet following installation of the base cabinet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to built-in cabinets and more particularly to a tool for the installation of wall cabinets. 
     Under the current practice for installing kitchen and vanity-type cabinets, where both base cabinets and wall cabinets are to be installed, the base cabinets are first placed in proper position on the floor, leveled, and then secured against the wall. One person can generally accomplish this task. However, when the upper wall cabinets are installed three persons are generally required, two to hold the wall cabinet in position and a third person to check the height and level adjustment of the wall cabinet and then to secure the cabinet to the wall or soffitt structure. Thus, it has been difficult or sometimes impossible for a single individual to properly align and install wall cabinets. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly described, a cabinet installation tool according to the present invention comprises a frame engagingly mounted across the top of a base cabinet, means for engaging the bottom of a wall cabinet, and support means connecting the frame to the wall cabinet engaging means for supporting the wall cabinet at a preselected height above the base cabinet, whereby the wall cabinet may be mounted by a single person. 
     A tool according to the present invention may include means for adjusting the depth of the frame to accommodate base cabinets of varying depths and means for slidably adjusting the height of the wall cabinet engaging means. It will thus be seen that by using one or more of the tools described herein, a single person may properly align and install a wall cabinet by supporting the wall cabinet on a tool or tools, leveling the wall cabinet, securing the wall cabinet to the wall, and then releasing the thumbscrews and removing the tool or tools for use in installing additional wall cabinets in other locations. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of cabinet installation tools according to the present invention in operative engagement with base and wall cabinets. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the frame portion of a cabinet installation tool according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a side plan view of an entire cabinet installation tool according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a front plan view of a vertical support member of a tool according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of the front portion of the frame member in engagement with the front wall of a base cabinet. 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a vertical support member according to the present invention in engagement with the bottom of a wall cabinet. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures, FIG. 1 shows a pair of cabinet installation tools 10 engagingly mounted on a base cabinet 14 and supporting a wall cabinet 12. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a cabinet installation tool according to the present invention includes a horizontal frame 20 and a vertical support member 21. The frame 20 includes a pair of subframes 23 and 30. Subframe 23 is a rectangle comprising parallel rods 27 and 28 fixed at their ends to L-shaped flanges 24 and 25. The L-shaped flanges 24 and 25 are oriented so that one leg of the &#34;L&#34; is perpendicular to the rods 27 and 28 and so that the other leg of the &#34;L&#34; extends horizontally over the rods. Similarly, a second subframe 30 comprises parallel rods 35 and 36 fixed in the same manner to L-shaped flanges 32 and 33. 
     The subframes 23 and 30 are slidably interconnected in the same horizontal plane, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5. Rods 27 and 28 pass through holes 40 and 41, respectively, in L-shaped flange 33, and rods 35 and 36 pass through holes 42 and 43, respectively, in L-shaped flange 25. A set screw 44 is threaded through the horizontal leg of the L-shaped member 33 directly above the rod 27 so that the relative position of the two subframes may be fixed at any desired position by tightening the set screw 44. 
     A rail 45, preferably comprising wood, is snugly fitted against the legs of the L-shaped flange 24, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. Slots 47 and 48 are provided in the rail 45 to accommodate rods 27 and 28. The rail 45 provides a surface for supporting the frame 20 on the front wall 49 of a base cabinet 14. A vertical plate 51 extending upwardly and downwardly beyond the rail 45 is fixed by any suitable means, such as bolts 56, to the rail 45 and the L-shaped flange 24 perpendicular to rods 27 and 28. An L-shaped clamp support member 52 is fixed to the vertical plate 51 above the rail 45 and extends below the rail 45 between the rods 27 and 28. The clamp support member 52 supports at its lowermost extent a thumb screw clamp 53 which may be screwed against the front wall 49 of the base cabinet 14 to clamp vertical plate 51 against the wall 49. 
     At the opposite end of the frame 20, a similar rail 60 is fitted into L-shaped flange 32. Slots 61 and 62 accommodate rods 35 and 36 of subframe 30 and the rail 60 is attached to flange 32 by screws 65. The rail 60 provides an appropriate surface for resting upon the back wall of the base cabinet 14. 
     Mounted across rods 35 and 36 of subframe 30 are a pair of parallel plates 67 and 68. The plates 67 and 68 are welded to rods 35 and 36 but move freely over rods 27 and 28. Another pair of parallel plates 72 are welded between plates 67 and 68 inside of rods 35 and 28. To the plates 72 is bolted by bolt 73 a socket member 70 which includes a square vertical opening 75 therethrough. A pair of set screws 77 are provided through the vertical wall of socket member 70 so that the vertical support member 21 passing through the opening 75 may be secured as described below. The position of plates 67 and 68 on rods 35 and 36 limits the relative sliding motion of the subframes 23 and 30, in that L-shaped flange 25 may travel from rail 60 to plate 68. Therefore the position of plates 67 and 68 is preferably selected so that when the frame 20 is fully extended and flange 25 is adjacent plate 68, the frame 20 has a length which is equal to the standard depth of a kitchen base cabinet. The lengths of the subframes 23 and 30 are preferably selected so that when the length of frame 20 is fully contracted, and the flange 25 is adjacent the rail 60, the length of frame 20 will be equal to the depth of a standard vanity base cabinet. 
     Since a standard kitchen base cabinet is 24 inches deep and a standard vanity base cabinet is 21 inches deep, in the preferred embodiment of the invention the frame when fully contracted is 21  inches long and the plate 68 is mounted 3 inches from the rail 60. The socket member 70 is preferably mounted with its center 6 inches from the end of the subframe 30 so that the vertical support member 21 will be centered with respect to a standard 12 inch depth wall cabinet. 
     The vertical support member 21 comprises a square shaft 80 which is of a cross-sectional size to be matingly received by the opening 75 in the socket member 70. A horizontal wall cabinet support plate 83 is perpendicularly attached to shaft 80 at one of the ends of the shaft 80. The connection between plate 83 and shaft 80 may be made by any suitable means, such as a bracket 84 which slidably receives shaft 80 and includes set screws 86 for securing shaft 80 within bracket 84. The wall cabinet support plate 83 preferably has a rectangular shape and has a length approximately equal to the depth of the cavity 13 located in the underside of the standard wall cabinet 12, as shown in FIG. 7. 
     In using the present invention to install a wall cabinet, one or two cabinet installation tools according to the present invention may be utilized depending on the width of the wall cabinet to be installed. The frame 20 is slidably adjusted and fixed by tightening set screw 44 at a length which allows rails 45 and 60 to rest upon the front and back walls of the base cabinet. When the frame is resting on the base cabinet, the thumb screw clamp 53 is tightened to hold the vertical plate 51 against the front wall 49 of the base cabinet, thereby securing the frame 20 in position on the base cabinet. 
     The vertical support member 21 is then placed in proper position by inserting vertical shaft 80 downwardly through the opening 75 in the socket member 70 of the frame 20. A scale 81 on the face of the vertical shaft 80 allows easy vertical adjustment of the vertical support member 21 at the proper height for various wall cabinets. When the proper height of vertical support member 21 has been selected, it is secured within the socket member 70 by tightening set screws 77. If the wall cabinet is too wide to be supported by a single cabinet installation tool, a second tool is placed into position in the same manner. A single person may then lift the wall cabinets and set them onto the wall cabinet support plates 83 which will support the wall cabinet with stability and without assistance. The same person is therefore free to attach the wall cabinet to the wall of the room in the usual manner. 
     When using tool 10 to install wall cabinets above base cabinets with drawers, the drawer of the base cabinet is simply pulled out slightly whenever necessary to permit shaft 80 to extend downwardly into the base cabinet. However, socket 70 could be made more elongated so that its set screws 77 are located at a higher position, and shaft 80 could then be shortened so that it would not need to extend downwardly into the base cabinet. In this case socket 70 could either be detachably mounted to bolts 73 or hinged (not shown) at its base to plate 67 so that it could be folded forward, to permit compact packaging of tool 10. 
     While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined in the appended claims.