Improvements in or relating to Filing Cabinets and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Filing Cabinets and the like.
A communication from THE YAWMAN AND ERBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of
Rochester, New York, United States of America.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM SCHAFER, of 14 to 16, Ropemaker Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Managing Director of The Shannon, Limited, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
:-
This invention relates to filing cabinets and the like and has for its object
to construct a lock-up cabinet which may be composed of two or more separable
parts or units.
According to this invention each unit provided with a device by means
of which all the drawers in the unit can be locked simultaneously, these
locking devices being so arranged that a cabinet may be built up of a series of
units placed one upon the other when the locking devices can be coupled up so
as to enable all the drawers in each unit of the cabinet to be locked simul-
taneously. The units are so constructed that certain portions of one unit will
engage the unit upon which it is placed, devices being provided for securely
connecting together units when placed one upon the other and when placed
laterally side by side.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation showing the general arrangement of
the cabinet and the locking device.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail of the locking device.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the locking device coupling.
Figure 5 is a side view of the same.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing details in the construction of the
cabinet.
Figure 7 is another view of the fastening device shown in Figure 6 in the
disengaged position.
Figure 8 is a perspective view showing another construction of fastening
device for connecting the lateral walls of two adjacent units.
Figure 9 is a front view of the fastening device for connecting together the
sides of two units when placed one upon the other.
Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a plan of the same fastening device.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The cabinet is built up of two or more parts or units each of which is formed
of a casing comprising a back wall A and lateral or end walls A¹. This casing
is preferably divided vertically by partitions A and has running from end to
end between the walls A¹ bars B preferably of semicircular cross section which
pass through the partitions A2 through ends resting in recesses in the end
walls A. These bars B constitute the front ends of guides C upon which run
the drawers D which fit into the various compartments of the unit. The lowest

page_text: bar in each unit is so arranged that considering the bar as divided longitu-
dinally one half projects below the plane in which lie the lower edges of the
back A, end walls A and partitions A2 of the casing. The top edges of the
end walls A are provided with semicircular recesses A³ and the top edges of
the partitions A2 have semicircular notches A cut in them so when one unit
is placed upon the top of another, the lower half of the bar B which projects
beyond the bottom of the upper unit will rest in the recesses A" and notches A
thus causing the two units to engage with one another.
Figure 6 shows a portion of the bottom edge of the end wall A' of a unit
in position above the corresponding end wall of a second unit and ready to be
dropped into place when the lower half of the end of the bar B will rest in the
recess A³.
Each unit is provided with a locking device comprising several vertical bars E
connected together by longitudinal bars E', the vertical bars sliding in guides E2
mounted on the back wall A. of the casing. On the front face of the bars E are
a series of downwardly projecting fingers or hooks E³ corresponding in number
to the drawers in each unit which are provided with eyes or projections D'
with which the hooks E3 can engage, thereby locking the drawers. On the lower
end of that vertical bar which lies in or nearest to the centre of that unit which
is intended to form the bottom-most of a series is a projecting pin E* upon
which is mounted a roller E5 which lies in a slot Fi cut eccentrically in a
plate mounted upon the end of a rod G carried in suitable bearings. This
rod has formed or keyed upon it a collar G₁ slotted or recessed for the reception
of the bolt H¹' of a lock H. The end of the rod G projects from the front of
the cabinet and is provided with a handle G2 by which it can be turned when
unlocked, this turning movement causing the bars E to be raised and the hooks E³
to be disengaged from the drawers, leaving the latter free to be opened.
The central or main vertical bar E of the locking device in each unit is cut
at its ends into some such form as shown at E so that the lower end of the
main bar of the locking device of one unit may be caused to engage with the
upper end of the corresponding bar of the locking device of another unit beneath
it, the ends of the bars E when thus engaged being maintained in engagement
by means of a sleeve E7 which is passed over the coupling being prevented from
descending too far by a projection E8 on the lower end of the upper bar. When
the bars E of two units are connected together in this manner all the drawers
in the units can be locked or unlocked simultaneously.
The lowermost unit preferably rests upon a suitably shaped base J which
encloses and carries the rod G and lock H. The uppermost unit may be
surmounted by a cornice K which closes in the top of the cabinet.
The walls of the several units may be connected together in various manners
in order to prevent the units from being drawn apart or separated when the
cabinet is in use. A convenient device for connecting the end walls of two
'adjacent units is shown in Figures 6 and 7, the device comprising a semicircular
plate L provided with a flange L' on its underside around the semicircular edge.
A semicircular groove A5 is cut in the upper edge of the end wall A¹ of each
unit in such a position that when the units are placed side by side these semi-
circular grooves will combine to form one endless circular groove. The plate L
has a curved slot L2 in it and is secured to the upper edge of the end wall of
one of the units by a screw L³ passing through the slot L2, the flange L' of
the plate lying in the groove A³. When the units are separated the plate L
lies in the position shown in Figure 7, but when the two units are to be con-
nected together the plate L is turned round into the position shown in Figure 6,
the flange L by engaging with the semicircular groove A5 in the upper edge
of the wall of the adjacent unit binding this unit to that to whose wall the
plate L is attached. This device prevents the units from being drawn apart
in a horizontal direction but does not hinder their separation if one can be
lifted up. This, however, is prevented by the device shown in Figures 9, 10

page_text: and 11, which comprises two plates M and N which are attached to the upper
and lower side walls respectively of the units. The plate is provided with
a projection M', the plate N being provided with a similar projection N¹ which
is however longer than the projection M¹. These projections are in the form
of flat tongues which, when the units are in place one upon the other, butt up
against each other. The projection № carries on it a sleeve №2 of a size adapted
to enclose the projection M and bind it closely to the projection N' when
the walls of the units will be securely connected together so that they cannot
be lifted apart from one another unless the sleeve №2 be moved and the
projection M¹ be disengaged. The extremity of the projection N¹ is
turned down as at N³ or otherwise shaped to prevent the sleeve N2 from
falling off. It will be seen that by combining this device with that shown
in Figures 6 and 7 the walls of the units can be securely connected together
so that the units cannot be separated without removing some of the drawers so
as to enable access to be had to the fastening devices M'N¹ and L, which of
course cannot take place if the drawers are closed and locked.
In Figure 8 is shown a device which may be used in place of that illustrated
in Figures 6 and 7 for connecting together the end walls of two units. In a
recess in the top edge of one wall A¹ is placed a plate O having a flanged edge 0¹.
A filling piece O2 is placed upon the plate O and a second plate 3 is placed
upon the filling piece and all three parts 00203 are secured firmly to the
wall A by one or more screws 0. The plate 03 is smaller than the plate 0.
and with the filling piece 02 and the flange 01 of the plate O, forms a groove
within which can lie the flange P of a plate P secured by a screw P² to the
top edge of the side wall A' of the unit which is to be placed next that unit
which carries the device formed of the parts 0020³. As will be seen this
device locks the two walls together in such a manner as to prevent their being
drawn apart in a horizontal direction while if two other units similarly con-
nected are placed on the top of two which have been connected by this device,
the upper units when fastened to the lower units by devices such as those shown
in Figures 9, 10 and 11, will cause all the parts of the cabinet to be securely
bound together. The plates 03 and P are preferably slotted as at 0³ and P³
to allow of adjustment, the securing screws 0 and P2 passing through these
slots.
Suitable recesses are preferably formed in the under edges of the side walls
of the units in order to receive the heads of the screws or other parts of the
fastening devices L or OP which may project above the plane of the upper
edges of the side walls. Such a recess is indicated in dotted lines at Q.
It is to be understood that the details of cabinets constructed in accordance
with this invention may be considerably varied to meet requirements; thus the
bars B may of course be made square or of other suitable section instead of
round while the shape and size of the compartments for the reception of the
drawers D may be varied to suit the kind of drawer with which the cabinet is
to be fitted. It will be seen that with units constructed as above described
cabinets of various shapes and sizes may be built up, all the drawers being
under the control of a single lock such as is represented at H since the locking
devices in each unit are connected together by couplings such as E6 E7 and the
units themselves bound together upon fastening devices MN1 N2 and L or 003 P.
A cabinet thus made up can be enlarged at any time by the addition of one
or more units or altered in shape by re-arrangement of the parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A lock-up filing cabinet or the like comprising two or more separable units
Bubstantially as described.
2. In a filing cabinet or the like the combination of two or more units each

page_text: provided with a locking device so constructed that the locking devices of all the
units may be connected together and simultaneously controlled.
3. In a filing cabinet or the like the combination with separable units of fasten-
ing devices such as M' N N or L L' or 0 0³ P for the purpose of connecting
together the walls of adjacent units substantially as described.
4. In a filing cabinet the combination with a base containing locking mechanism
such as FGH of two or more units each provided with locking devices such as
E E³ which can be coupled together so that the locking devices in all the units
may be simultaneously controlled by the mechanism FGH substantially as
described.
5. The combination of two or more units a base a cornice devices for fastening
together the walls of the units and locking devices for the drawers of the units
the whole forming a lock-up filing cabinet or the like substantially as described.
6. The complete lock-up filing cabinet or the like substantially as described
or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of December 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.