Abstract:
A storage cabinet comprises: a container having a floor, upright side walls and a rear wall attached to and extending upwardly from the floor, and a ceiling attached to the side walls and rear wall, the floor, side walls, rear wall, and ceiling defining a storage cavity; a vertical support member extending upwardly from the floor; at least one door pivotally attached to one of the side walls and movable between an open position, in which the cavity is accessible from a position forward thereof, and a closed position, in which the door contacts the support member and prevents access to the cavity from a position forward thereof; and a latching mechanism attached to the support member. The latching mechanism includes two release members protruding forwardly from the support member, wherein an upper one of the release members is positioned above a lower one of the release members. The release members are movable in unison from a latched position, in which the latching mechanism latches the door in the closed position, and an unlatched position, in which the latching mechanism allows the door to move to the open position. In this configuration, an operator carrying a load with both hands can choose to unlatch the door by hand or by foot, depending on which method is more convenient.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention is directed generally to storage cabinets, and more particularly to locking systems for storage cabinets. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
   Large storage cabinets used in the construction industry are often formed of steel sheet. Such cabinets typically include opposed side walls, a rear wall, a floor, a ceiling, and one or two doors that are pivotally mounted on the front edges of the side walls to provide access to the cabinet from the front. The floor, walls and ceiling of the cabinet can be formed either from a single sheet of steel that is bent at intersecting edges of these surfaces or from multiple pieces of sheet steel that are welded together. Often, such a cabinet will also include one or more shelves which facilitate the storage of tools and other items. Also, many cabinets have bolsters underlying the floor, and some will include casters beneath the bolsters. The doors of the cabinet are typically formed of a single sheet of steel and, with the exception of narrow finishing flanges around the edges, they are relatively flat. Typical sizes for such a cabinet can range from 40 ft 3  to 60 ft 3  or even larger. Exemplary storage cabinets include those sold under the name JOBOX® by Delta Consolidated Industries, Jonesboro, Ark. and those sold under the name JOBMASTER® by Knaack Manufacturing, Crystal Lake, Ill. 
   As noted above, many storage cabinets of the type described above have doors pivotally attached to the front edges of the side walls to alternatively allow and prevent access to the cavity of the cabinet from the front. Generally such cabinets have a vertical support member that is mounted to and extends from the floor to the ceiling. The support member is positioned such that it spans the gap between the free edges of the doors when they are closed. Each door will typically have an engaging member of a latch (such as a hook) attached near its free edge that interacts with a latching mechanism attached to the support member. As an example, one latching mechanism includes horizontally-disposed pins that engage with hooks on the doors and thereby latch the doors in place. The pins are mounted on a vertical rod that is slidably mounted to the rear surface of the support member. The pins can be raised to unlatch the doors via a lever or knob that extends forwardly from the vertical rod through a vertical slot in the support member. 
   Many cabinets will also include a locking system that enables the doors to be locked in the latched position. One such locking system (illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,290,281 and 5,076,078 to Weger, Jr.) includes a “pocket” located in the vertical support member that houses a padlock. The padlock is disposed horizontally within the pocket, with the “key insertion end” of the padlock body being exposed for forward access through the pocket, and the shackle of the padlock extending toward the cavity of the storage cabinet and being restrained by a bracket within the pocket. The body and shackle surround an upright notched member that is attached to and moves vertically with the latching mechanism. When the padlock is locked, the body engages the notch of the notched member, so vertical movement of the latching mechanism is prevented (i.e., the doors of the cabinet are locked and remain locked). When the padlock is unlocked, horizontal movement of the body away from the shackle creates sufficient space for the notched member to become disengaged from the body, and the latching mechanism is free to move vertically to unlatch the doors of the cabinet. This type of locking configuration is particularly desirable for storage cabinets used and left overnight at construction sites, as the pocket protects the lock from being destroyed by someone severing the shackle with a bolt cutter or a similar tool. 
   One difficulty with the latching and locking mechanisms of current storage cabinets is the inconvenience of opening the cabinet when an operator&#39;s hands are full. Even if the cabinet is unlocked and the latching mechanism is free to move, the operator is forced to reach with his hand to grasp and pull the latching lever. If many items are being carried, or if an item being carried is particularly heavy or bulky, the operator may be forced either to set down some or all of his load or to balance the load with one hand and arm in order to unlatch the doors of the cabinet. 
   Another performance issue of current latching systems presents itself when the operator wishes to close the doors. With the system described above, often the latching mechanism will remain in the unlatched position after unlatching, either simply by friction or through a subassembly designed for this purpose. An operator opens the doors by moving release lever to the unlatched position, at which time both doors would have the opportunity to open. Often, both doors tend to open; this is particularly true if the cabinet is positioned on uneven ground, with the front of the cabinet being lower than the rear of the cabinet. If the operator reaches in to gather items from within the cabinet and has his hands full, closing and latching the doors is difficult, because the latch remains in the unlatched position until actively moved back by the operator. A related problem occurs when the operator wishes to open only one door; with the latching mechanism in the unlatched position, the door that he wishes to remain closed will have a tendency to open unless he actively moves the release lever back to the locking position after opening the door he wishes to open. 
   Another shortening of the current cabinets is the tendency of the bolsters to fracture when casters are mounted thereunder. The bolsters are typically formed of a single sheet of steel bent into the shape of an open rectangular box. The cabinets are often loaded sufficiently that bolsters of this structure may have inadequate strength to support the load; as a result, the bolsters fail at the mounting locations of the casters. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention can address the shortcomings of prior latching systems by enabling the operator to unlatch the doors by using either of an upper release member (which is positioned at a height convenient for operation by hand) or a lower release member (which is positioned at a height convenient for operation by foot). One embodiment of such a storage cabinet comprises: a container having a floor, upright side walls and a rear wall attached to and extending upwardly from the floor, and a ceiling attached to the side walls and rear wall, the floor, side walls, rear wall, and ceiling defining a storage cavity; a vertical support member extending upwardly from the floor; at least one door pivotally attached to one of the side walls and movable between an open position, in which the cavity is accessible from a position forward thereof, and a closed position, in which the door contacts the support member and prevents access to the cavity from a position forward thereof; and a latching mechanism attached to the support member. The latching mechanism includes two release members protruding forwardly from the support member, wherein an upper one of the release members is positioned above a lower one of the release members. The release members are movable in unison from a latched position, in which the latching mechanism latches the door in the closed position, and an unlatched position, in which the latching mechanism allows the door to move to the open position. In this configuration, an operator carrying a load with both hands can choose to unlatch the door by hand or by foot, depending on which method is more convenient. 
   A preferred embodiment of the storage cabinet includes two doors, each of which includes a front panel that is forwardly spaced from said support member, and the upper and lower release members are of a length such that they do not protrude forwardly beyond the front panels of the doors. This protects passers-by from snagging clothing on the release levers. 
   In another embodiment, a storage cavity of the present invention includes a container, a support member and at least one door as defined above, and further includes a latching mechanism having at least one release member protruding forwardly from the support member and being movable from a latched position, in which the latching mechanism latches the door in the closed position, and an unlatched position, in which the latching mechanism allows the door to move to the open position. The latching mechanism also includes a generally vertically disposed post that is slidably mounted on the support member for vertical movement relative thereto. The post is attached to the at least one release member. The latching mechanism further includes a biasing unit (for example, a spring) that biases the latching mechanism toward the latched position. This configuration enables the latching mechanism to move from the unlatched position to the latched position without the operator actively causing this action. This feature can assist in keeping one or more doors of the cabinet closed. 
   Another aspect of the present invention is a bolster assembly that can be used with storage cabinets of the type described above. Such a bolster assembly includes: a lower channel having a horizontally-disposed floor and opposed upright side walls; a front bracket having a horizontally-disposed floor and an upright front wall, wherein the front bracket floor is attached to and overlies a front portion of the lower channel floor; a rear bracket having a horizontally-disposed floor and an upright rear wall, wherein the rear bracket floor is attached to and overlies a rear portion of the lower channel floor; a front castor attached to and underlying the front portion of said lower channel; and a rear castor attached to and underlying the rear portion of said lower channel. A bolster assembly of this configuration can provides a reinforced mounting location for the casters that reduces the tendency of the bolster to fail under load. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a storage cabinet of the present invention with the doors in the closed position, the latching mechanism in the latched position, and the padlock locked. 
       FIG. 2  is a cutaway perspective view of the storage cabinet of  FIG. 1  with the latching mechanism in its latched position. 
       FIG. 3  is a cutaway perspective view of the storage cabinet of  FIG. 1  with the latching mechanism in the unlatched position. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the storage cabinet of  FIG. 1  with the doors in the open position and the latching mechanism in its latched position. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial side section view of the latching mechanism and support member of the storage cabinet of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  5 - 5  thereof with the latching mechanism in its latched position. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged partial side view of the support member and latching mechanism of  FIG. 5  taken along lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 3  with the padlock unlocked and the latching mechanism in its unlatched position. 
       FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the support member and latching mechanism of  FIG. 5  with the latching mechanism in its unlatched position. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded rear perspective view of the support member and latching mechanism of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 9  is a rear view of the support member and latching mechanism of  FIG. 5  with the latching mechanism in its latched position and the padlock in a locked condition. 
       FIG. 10  is a bottom, partially exploded, perspective view of the floor, bolsters and casters of the storage cabinet of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like components throughout. Some layers, thicknesses, and other dimensions may be exaggerated for clarity. 
   Turning now to the drawings, a storage cabinet, designated broadly at  20 , is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 . The cabinet  20  includes a generally horizontal floor  22  supported by three bolsters  102 , two side walls  24   a,    24   b  that rise vertically from opposite lateral edges of the floor  22 , a rear wall  26  that rises vertically from the rear edge of the floor  22 , and a ceiling  28  that extends horizontally between the top edges of the side walls  24   a,    24   b  and the rear wall  26 . The floor  22 , sidewalls  24   a,    24   b,  rear wall  26  and ceiling  28  define a storage cavity  29 . 
   The floor  22 , side walls  24   a,    24   b,  rear wall  26  and ceiling  28  are formed of a single piece of sheet steel bent into the illustrated box-type shape; those skilled in this art will recognize that, although such unitary construction is preferred, the cabinet  20  of the present invention may be formed of multiple pieces of material. If sheet steel is employed, a sheet thickness of between about 12 and 22 guage is preferred. 
   Each of the side walls  24   a,    24   b  includes a recess  30  within which a pivoting handle  31  is mounted; such recesses and handles are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,134 to Weger, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Three shelves  32  are mounted within the cabinet  20  to facilitate the storage of items therein (of course, the floor can also be used for storage). 
   The cabinet  20  further includes two doors  34   a,    34   b,  each of which is pivotally interconnected with a front edge  24   f  of a respective sidewall  24   a,    24   b  via a “piano hinge” type pivot  35 . Each door  34   a,    34   b  is pivotable between an open position (see  FIG. 4 ) in which the cavity  29  is accessible from a position forward thereof, and a closed position ( FIGS. 1 through 3 ), in which the door  34   a  confronts the front edges of the floor  22 , side walls  24   a,    24   b  and ceiling  28  and prevents forward access to the cavity  29  from a position forward thereof. The doors  34   a,    34   b  are mirror images of each other about a vertical plane P that extends perpendicularly to the rear wall  26 . As such, only the door  34   a  will be described herein, with the understanding that the discussion is equally applicable to the door  34   b.  It should also be understood that, when describing a component of the door  34   a  relative to the “front” or “rear” of the door  34   a,  these directions are the same as the front and rear directions of the cabinet  20  and refer to the orientation of the components of the door  34   a  when the door  34   a  is in the closed position shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . 
   The door  34   a  includes a front panel  36 , side and handle panels  37 ,  38  that extend rearwardly from the front panel  36 , and top and bottom panels  39   a ,  39   b . Preferably, the front panel  36 , the side and handle panels  37 ,  38 , and the top and bottom panels  39   a ,  39   b  are formed of a single piece of sheet steel, but other configurations, including multi-piece configurations, may be suitable for use with this invention. 
   The handle panel  38  includes an elongate vertical recess  40  that serves as a handle for the door  34   a ; the configuration of the handle panel  38  and recess  40  is described in co-assigned and co-pending application Ser. No. 09/241,685, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The handle panel  38 , side panel  37 , and top and bottom panels  39   a ,  39   b  are between about 2 and 8 inches in width, thereby providing the door  34   a  with a sufficient depth that the three shelves  42  of similar depth can be included for storage of small items (for example, spray paint cans). 
   Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the door  34   a  includes upper, middle and lower hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  that are attached to the handle panel  38  and extend rearwardly therefrom when the door  34   a  is in its closed position. Each of these hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  includes on its lower edge a cutout portion  46  and a ramped portion  48  located rearwardly of the cutout portion  46  ( FIG. 5 ). The ramped portion  48  slopes upwardly from front to rear. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that other configurations and structures for engaging a pin, such as barbs, fingers, and the like, including those that may lack ramped portions, may also be suitable for use with the present invention. 
   Referring still to  FIG. 4 , and referring also to  FIGS. 5-9 , a support member assembly  50  extends vertically from a central portion of the front edge of the floor  22  to a central portion of the front edge of the ceiling  28 . The support member assembly  50  includes a support member  51  having a front panel  52  that is sized such that, when the doors  34   a ,  34   b  are in their closed positions, the front panel  52  spans the gap between the handle panels  38  of the doors  34   a ,  34   b ; preferably, this gap is between about ½ and 10 inches. The front panel  52  includes upper and lower release member slots  54   a ,  54   b  that are oblong and generally vertically oriented, and also includes at its upper portion a rectangular, horizontally-oriented lock aperture  56 . 
   Transitional sections  57   a ,  57   b  extend rearwardly from the front panel  52 , and recessed sections  58   a,    58   b  extend laterally from respective rear edges of the transitional sections  57   a ,  57   b . Each recessed section  58   a,    58   b  includes upper, middle and lower hook apertures  60   a ,  60   b,    60   c  approximately equally spaced along the height of the recessed sections  58   a,    58   b.  The support member  51  also includes side panels  62   a,    62   b  that extend rearwardly from the lateral ledges of the recessed sections  58   a,    58   b.  Each side panel  62   a,    62   b  includes three shelf notches  64  that receive and support the front edges of the shelves  32  of the cabinet  20 . 
   Preferably, the support member  51  is formed of a single piece of sheet steel having a thickness of between about 12 and 22 gauge, but those skilled in this art will recognize that other materials and configurations can be used to form the support member  51 . 
   Referring again to  FIGS. 5-9 , the support member assembly  50  also includes upper, middle and lower carrier post guides  66   a,    66   b,    66   c  which are mounted to the rear surface of the front panel  52  in vertical alignment with one another. Each carrier post guide  66   a,    66   b,    66   c  includes an aperture  67 ; these apertures  67  are also vertically aligned with one another. Three U-shaped pin guards  68  are mounted to the lateral surfaces of the side panels  62  at a height that enables them to shield the hook apertures  60   a ,  60   b,    60   c  from the rear. Two pin cam plates  70  are mounted to the inward surfaces of the transitional sections  57   a ,  57   b  at the height of the hook apertures  60   b  and extend rearwardly therefrom. Each pin cam plate  70  includes a tapered aperture  72  that has an inclined edge  74  such that the aperture  72  is narrower at its upper end then in its lower end. 
   A lock channel  76  sized to receive a padlock is mounted within the lock aperture  56  of the front panel  52 . The lock channel  76  includes in its side walls an aperture  79  that is generally vertically aligned with the apertures  67  of the carrier post guides  66   a,    66   b,    66   c.  Shackle bolt holes  78  are included in each side wall of the lock channel  76 . A shackle bracket  77  is mounted in the rear portion of the lock channel  76  and attached to the lock channel  76  via a bolt  76   b  inserted through the shackle bolt holes  78  and apertures  76   c  in the shackle bracket  77 ; two shackle apertures  81  are positioned in the side walls of the shackle bracket  77 . 
   Referring still to  FIGS. 5-9 , a latching mechanism  80  is positioned rearwardly of the support member  51 . The latching mechanism  80  includes an elongated, vertically disposed carrier post  82  that extends through the apertures  67  of the carrier post guide  66   a,    66   b,    66   c  and the aperture  78  of the lock channel  76 . Mounting of the carrier post  82  within these apertures enables the carrier post  82  to slide vertically relative to the support member  51 . The carrier post  82  includes several notches in its front edge: a lock notch  84  at its upper end at the level of the lock aperture  56 ; three pin notches  86   a,    86   b,    86   c  that are approximately equally spaced along the length of the carrier post  82  and located at the heights of respective hook apertures  60   a ,  60   b,    60   c;  and two release member notches  88   a,    88   b,  one of which is positioned between the pin notches  86   a  and  86   b  at the level of the upper release member slot  54   a , and the other of which is positioned below pin notch  86   c  at the level of the lower release member slot  54   b . Those skilled in this art will appreciate that configurations for a vertically slidable member other than the illustrated carrier post  82  may also be used with the present invention. For example, such a member may be formed of multiple pieces, take a shape that is nonlinear, include components for mounting pins that differ from the illlustrated configuration (such as the pins being welded directly to the member), and include a different locking structure (or lack one entirely). 
   The latching mechanism  80  also includes three horizontally disposed pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c,  which are mounted within respective pin notches  86   a ,  86   b ,  86   c  on the carrier post  82 ; these pins extend laterally in both directions from the carrier post  82  and terminate adjacent the side panels  62  of the support member  51 . An upper hand release member  92  is mounted within a nut  94 , which is in turn mounted in the hand release member notch  88   a  of the carrier post  82 . The hand release member  92  extends forwardly from the carrier post  82  through the upper release member slot  54   a  in the front panel  52 . The hand release member  92  is preferably mounted at a height of between about 48 and 72 inches above the underlying surface to be convenient for operation by hand. Similarly, a lower foot release member  96  is mounted in a nut  98 , which is in turn mounted in the lower lever notch  88   b;  the foot release member  96  extends forwardly through the foot release member slot  54   b . The foot release member  96  is mounted at a height of between about 3 and 24 inches above the underlying surface to be convenient for operation with a foot. It is preferred that the hand and foot release members  92 ,  96  protrude from the support member  51  no further than the front panels  36  of the doors  34   a ,  34   b . This configuration can eliminate any “appendage” from protruding forwardly beyond the doors  34   a ,  34   b  that can snag a person&#39;s clothing. A finger  100  is attached to the carrier post  82  just above the middle carrier post guide  66   b  and extends rearwardly therefrom. 
   A spring  101  is attached at its lower end to the finger  100  and extends upwardly to attach to a shelf  32 ; preferably, the spring  101  is in tension when so mounted, such that the carrier post  82  is biased upwardly. Those skilled in this art will recognize that the spring  101  can be mounted to other structures in the latching mechanism  80  and cabinet  20 , can be a compression spring if mounted to a point below the finger  100 , and can comprise another type of biasing unit such as an air cylinder. Also, if the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  or other pin-engaging structure were inverted, such that the cutout portions  46  face upwardly, the spring  101  may be mounted to bias the carrier post  82  downwardly. 
   Turning now to  FIG. 10 , three identical bolsters  102  are mounted to the lower surface of the floor  22 . As seen in  FIG. 10 , each bolster  102  includes a lower channel  104 . The lower channel  104  includes a floor  105  and two side panels  106  extending upwardly therefrom. A rear bracket  107   a  includes a floor  108  that rests upon and is welded to the upper surface of the floor  105 , a front panel  109  that extends upwardly from the front edge of the floor  108 , and a rear panel  110  that extends upwardly from the rear edge of the floor  108 . A front bracket  107   b  includes a floor  111  that rests on and is welded to the upper surface of the floor  105 , a front panel  112  that extends upwardly from the edge of the floor  111 , and a rear panel  113  that extends upwardly from the rear edge of the floor  111 . The rear panel  109  of the rear bracket  107   a  is aligned with the rear edges of the side panels  106 , and the front panel  112  of the front bracket  107   b  is aligned with the front edges of the side panels  106 . 
   A castor plate  115 , upon which is mounted a castor  116 , is mounted to the underside of lower channel floor  105  below each front bracket  107   b  and each rear bracket  107   a.  The caster plates  115  are mounted via bolts  117 , which extend through apertures in the floors  105 ,  108 ,  111  and into weld nuts  118  or other threaded fasteners mounted to the upper surfaces of the floors  108 ,  111 . 
   When the cabinet  20  is in a latched and locked condition ( FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  9 ), the doors  34   a ,  34   b  are in their closed positions ( FIGS. 1 through 3 ), with the handle panels  38  facing each other. The carrier post  82 , and in turn the upper, middle and lower pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c,  are raised into a latched position; the latched position is maintained by the section of the spring  101 , which urges the carrier post  82  upwardly until upward movement is restrained by contact between the middle pin  90   b  and the upper end of the pin cam plate apertures  72 . The upper, middle and lower hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  extend through, respectively, the hook apertures  60   a ,  60   b,    60   c  and engage, respectively, the upper, middle and lower pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c.  A padlock L rests on the lock channel  76 . The body B of the locked padlock L resides in and engages the lock notch  84  of the carrier post  82 , thereby preventing vertical movement of the carrier post  82 . The shackle S of the padlock L extends through the shackle apertures  81  such that forward and rearward movement of the shackle S is constrained. 
   When the padlock L is unlocked (typically with a key inserted into the key end thereof), the shackle S of the padlock L loosens relative to the body B, such that the body B is free to slide forwardly and disengage from the lock notch  84  ( FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  7 ). This action frees the carrier post  82  for sliding vertical movement within the carrier post guides  66   a,    66   b,    66   c;  however, the upward biasing of the spring  101  on the carrier post  82  retains the doors  34   a ,  34   b  in their closed positions. 
   The doors  34   a ,  34   b  of the cabinet  20  can be opened by the application of a downwardly-directed force on either the hand release member  92  or the foot release member  96  (depending on which is more convenient for the operator). In either event, the force lowers the carrier post  82 , and, in turn, the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c,  to an unlatched position in which the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c  disengage from the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  (see  FIGS. 3 and 6 ). Once the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  are disengaged from the pins  90   a ,  90   b ,  90   c , the doors  34   a ,  34   b  can be opened with a light horizontally- and forwardly-directed force on the handle panels  38  ( FIG. 4 ). Once the hand release lever  92  and foot release lever  96  are released, they return (as do the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c ) to the latched position due to the upwardly-directed biasing force applied by the spring  101 . 
   The doors  34   a ,  34   b  can be closed without actively operating the latching mechanism  34 . As the doors  34   a ,  34   b  are moving to the closed position, the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  contact the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c.  The ramped portions  48  of the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  drive the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c  downwardly. Notably, the downward movement of the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c  is facilitated by the interaction between the middle pin  90   b  and the inclined edges  74  of the pin cam plates  70 ; in this configuration, the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c  are urged downwardly and rearwardly and are unlikely to stick in place due to contact with the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c . After the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c  travel rearwardly a sufficient distance that the cut-out portion  46  of each hook is above its respective pin, the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c  rise in response to the biasing of the spring  101  to engage the hooks  44   a ,  44   b ,  44   c , thereby latching the doors  34   a ,  34   b . Again, this movement is facilitated by the inclined edges  74  of the pin cam plates, which urge the middle pin  90   b  (and, in turn, the upper and lower pins  90   a ,  90   c  and the carrier post  82 ) forwardly, with the result that a firm interaction between the pins  90   a ,  90   b,    90   c  is achieved. The cabinet  20  can then be locked by pushing the body B of the lock L into the shackle S, which forces the body B into the lock notch  84  of the carrier post  82 . The inclined edges  74  of the pin cam plates  70  also assist in keeping the carrier post positoned forwardly so that interaction between the body B and the lock notch  84  is snug. 
   As can be seen by the foregoing discussion, the storage cabinet of the present invention enables an operator to unlatch the cabinet through the use of either the hand release member  92  or the foot release member  96 . As such, an operator approaching an unlocked, latched cabinet  20  with his hands full of items can still unlatch the doors  34   a .  34   b  to access the cavity  29  of the storage cabinet  20 . 
   Further, the biasing of the carrier post  82  toward the latched position enables an operator to close the doors  34   a ,  34   b  by simply pushing them closed rather than operating the latching mechanism  80 . This configuration also increases the likelihood that a door that the operator wishes to remain closed will do so, as he need not actively move the latching mechanism to the latched position to maintain that door in a latched condition. The likelihood of a door opening undesirably increases with doors such as those illustrated herein that, because they include shelves that can be heavily loaded, may have sufficient weight to swing open without the operator applying a force thereto, so the configuration of the present invention can be quite advantageous for such cabinets. 
   Finally, the structure of the bolsters  102  provides additional strength and rigidity above the castor plates  115 . As such, the likelihood of fracture associated with the mounting of the castor plates  115  can be reduced. 
   The foregoing is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.