Patent Publication Number: US-2006006770-A1

Title: Storing and transport apparatus with interchangeable drawers for instruments and accessories for machining surfaces

Description:
The present invention refers to a storing and transport apparatus with interchangeable drawers for instruments and accessories for machining surfaces.  
      Fixed furniture units or drawer units are known that comprise drawer modules for storing instruments and accessories for machining surfaces, said modules being made with a fixed part and an extractable part.  
      In the case in which some objects contained in the modules are to be used in a place far from where the drawer unit is, it is necessary to remove them and take them to the working area. When the objects to be used are numerous said transport becomes problematic.  
      For brief sections the whole extractable part can be removed and taken to the working area, but, if the distance is long and the material contained in the extractable part is heavy, said transport operation is not easy.  
      Trolleys are also known comprising at least one drawer module that contains tools and/or accessory devices, said module being constituted by a fixed part and an extractable part.  
      Currently it is possible to transfer the material contained in the modules of the drawer unit into the modules of the trolley and vice versa. An operation of this kind is definitely not easy, above all in the cases in which the material to be transferred is heavy and comprises various pieces.  
      In addition the continuous moving of tools or similar creates untidiness which is certainly to be avoided above all in very big workshops.  
      The object of the present invention is to make an apparatus that permits instruments, accessories and other work material, to be stored and transported simply and economically without encountering the above mentioned problems.  
      In accordance with the invention this object is achieved with an apparatus for storing and transporting instruments and accessories for machining surfaces, characterised in that it comprises at least one fixed furniture unit or drawer unit and at least one movable trolley including drawer modules made up of one fixed part and one extractable part fitted with gripping means, the extractable part having identical external dimensions in all the modules and the fixed part including a housing position complementary to the extractable part of said modules.  
      Basically the housings of the fixed parts of the modules of the drawer unit and of the trolley have the same dimensions so that the extractable parts of the drawer unit can be inserted into the trolley and vice versa. 
    
    
      The characteristics of the present invention will appear even more evident from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof illustrated as non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  shows an axonometric view of a fixed unit or three-module drawer unit with the extractable parts partially extracted from the fixed part;  
       FIG. 2  shows a front view of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  shows a view in section according to the line III-III of  FIG. 2 , with the extractable part of the upper module completely contained in the fixed part;  
       FIG. 4  shows a view in section according to the line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 5  shows a front view of a trolley according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  shows a side view of  FIG. 5  with the extractable part of the intermediate module partially extracted and sectioned;  
       FIG. 7  shows a view in section according to the line VII-VII of  FIG. 5 ;  
       FIG. 8  shows an axonometric view of an extractable part of the trolley or of the drawer unit with the gripping means in a rest position;  
       FIG. 9  shows an axonometric view of an extractable part of the trolley or of the drawer unit with the gripping means raised for transporting it;  
       FIG. 10  shows a front view of three drawer units side by side. 
    
    
      The storing and transport apparatus for instruments and accessories for machining surfaces that is shown in the drawings comprises a fixed furniture unit or drawer unit  1  and a trolley  2 . Naturally it can also comprise several fixed units and several trolleys of the same type as those illustrated.  
      The drawer unit  1  ( FIGS. 1-4 ), that is resting on the ground with feet  6 , comprises overlaying modules  3  held together by removable connecting means  30 , each module  3  being constituted by a fixed part  4  and an extractable part  5 .  
      The fixed part  4  has an internal housing  41  and on the upper external surface guides  7  inside which protuberances  8  positioned on the lower external surface of the extractable part  5  slide.  
      The trolley  2  ( FIGS. 5-7 ), comprising a support framework  20 , wheels  21  and feet  22 , also has overlaying modules  9  held together by removable connecting means  31 , each module  9  being constituted by a fixed part  10  and by an extractable part  11  fitted with a rotating handle  40  ( FIGS. 8-9 ). A removable case can be overlaid and fixed to the above mentioned modules, or to some of them.  
      Similarly to the drawer unit  1 , in regard to the trolley  2 , the fixed part  10  presents an internal housing  42  and on the upper external surface guides  12  inside which protuberances  13  positioned on the lower external surface of the extractable part  11  slide.  
      The novelty of said apparatus consists in the fact that the fixed parts  4 ,  10  and the extractable parts  5 ,  11  of the drawer unit  1  and of the trolley  2  are identical.  
      This means that the extractable parts  5  and  11  are interchangeable, that is the extractable part  11  of the trolley  2  can be inserted in the fixed part  4  of the drawer unit  1 , and the extractable part  5  of the drawer unit  1  can be inserted in the fixed part  10  of the trolley  2 .  
      Thanks to this apparatus it is possible to pull out an extractable part  5  from a fixed part  4  of the drawer unit  1 , which contains useful material for a certain job, in a place far from the drawer unit  1  itself, and insert it in a fixed free part  10  of the trolley  2 . The wheels  21  thus permit the material needed to be transported to the work area.  
      The extractable parts  5 ,  11  can be moved from the drawer unit  1  to the trolley  2  or vice versa, as they can also be manoeuvred independently, thanks to the rotating handle  40 .  
      The invention thus permits considerable flexibility in the use of the material contained in the modules  3 ,  9  with a consequent saving of time in organising work and greater tidiness.  
      It is also possible to put together several drawer units  1  (three in the case illustrated in  FIG. 10 ) placing them side by side so as to cover a wall partially or totally. At any time a single drawer unit  1  can be detached or another can be added.