Improvements in Cabinets, Drawers, and Pigeon Holes, and in the Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cabinets, Drawers, and Pigeon Holes, and in the
Manufacture of the same.
I, Walter GRIFFITHS, of Highgate Square, Moseley Road, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object "Improvements in cabinets, drawers, and pigeon
holes and in the manufacture of the same, by which I provide a neat compact
and portable cabinet which can be hung on the wall and used in place of a dark
room, for the various purposes required in photography, or the interior may be
so arranged as to form a writing cabinet or for other purposes. In the case of the
drawers and pigeon holes, a saving in space is effected with increased strength
while at the same time the cost of manufacture is reduced and the drawers are
perfectly mouse and rat proof.
I will describe my invention as applied to a cabinet for photographic work,
the body of which I form of a size suitable for hanging upon the wall, and within
this body I provide a number of divisions forming compartments for the recep-
tion of the various articles required in use. To the front of this I hinge a frame
to open and to this frame I hinge folding doors to the top and bottom the one
at the top opening upwards and the one at the bottom downwards so as when down
it may be supported to form a desk or table. In the case of a cabinet for photo-
graphic purposes I attach a sleeve of light proof material to the before mentioned
frame and doors sufficiently large to allow of the head and body being inserted,
for developing, and which is secured round the waist by an elastic band. In the
top door or flap I provide a portion of coloured glass for the purpose of the
required light as also a similar small window in the top of the cabinet for enabling
the negative to be examined. In cases where the cabinets are used for writing
or other such purposes, the intermediate hinged frame and sleeve is dispensed
with and the doors are hinged top and bottom to the cabinet itself. In the case
of drawers the body of the drawer consists preferably of sheet zinc, each body
being formed from one piece of such material in the following manner. Portions
of the sheet are cut away to allow of the sides and back being turned up, which
is effected in each case with a sharp angle, the two ends of the sides which then
project beyond the back of the drawer being, bent round the back at each side,
while the top part of the back is then bent over to assist in retaining the ends
of the sides in position. A portion of these ends is cut away at an incline so as
to form a neater finish. The top edges of the sides are bent over inwards to form

page_text: a flange at right angles to the sides thus stiffening the drawer and at the same
time forming a sufficiently broad face to the top to work smoothly against the
runners.
The front of the drawer is preferably formed of wood which is provided with a
groove down each end while the front edges of the sides are also turned inwards
at right angles, so that the grooves of front can readily be slid on to the said
flanges where a single tack readily retains it in position. I may of course form
the front of metal but for appearance I prefer wood. The bottom of the drawer
may be stamped up to form a raised bottom to stiffen the metal. In the case of
the pigeon holes I form each pigeon hole complete in itself with top bottom &
sides of stout straw mill or other board covered if desired with any suitable
material, and placed side by side, a continuous lath being placed back and front
between each tier. To hide the joint in the centre of each division and at the
same time strengthen them I fix lengths of channel zinc made to fit the front
of the divisions tightly and which is provided with an eye top and bottom pro-
jecting on to the lath to which they are sprigged. The same arrangement of
channel may be applied to the divisions under the tiers in which case a portion
of the metal would be cut out to form space for label.
1
100
Improvements in Cabinets, Drawers, and Pigeon Holes, and in the
Manufacture of the same.
I, WALTER GRIFFITHS, of Highgate Square, Moseley Road, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, 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 statement:
My invention has for its object improvements in cabinets drawers and pigeon
holes and in the manufacture of the same by which I provide a neat compact
and portable cabinet which can be hung on the wall and used in place of a dark
room for the various purposes required in photography or the interior may be
so arranged as to form a writing cabinet or for other purposes. In the case of the
drawers and pigeon holes. a saving in space is effected with increased strength
while at the same time the cost of manufacture is reduced and the drawers are
perfectly mouse and rat proof.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings upon which I have
fully illustrated the nature of my said invention.
Figure 1 is a view of a cabinet for photographic work shewn open and ready
for use.
Figure 2 is a vertical section through same.
Figure 3 is a view of same when closed.
Figure 4 is a vertical section through Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a view of the drawer.
Figure 6 is a reduced plan of the metal as cut ready for forming the drawer.
Figure 7 is a section through front of drawer on the line 1.
Figure 8 is a section through top flange of drawer on line 2.
Figure 9 is a view of a portion of a nest of pigeon holes finished complete.
Figure 10 is a similar view to Figure 9 but with the metal facings removed.

page_text: Figure 11 is a view of the junction ends of the metal facings disconnected
from each other.
I will describe my invention as applied to a cabinet for photographic work the
body A of which I form of a size suitable for hanging upon the wall and within
this body I provide a number of divisions a' forming compartments for the recep-
tion of the various articles required in use. To the front of this I hinge a
frame A to open, and to this frame I hinge the folding doors A3 and A' at the
top and bottom the one at the top opening upwards and the one at the bottom
downwards so that when down it may be supported to form a desk. In the case
of a cabinet for photographic purposes I attach the sleeve B of light proof material
to the beforementioned frame and doors A3 and A* sufficiently large to allow of
the head and body being inserted in the aperture 6₁ for developing purposes and
which is secured round the waist by an elastic band 62. In the trap door or flap A³
I provide a portion of coloured glass C for the purpose of the required light as
also a similar small window D in the top of the cabinet for enabling the negatives
to be examined. In cases where the cabinets are used for writing or other such
purposes the intermediate hinged frame A³ and sleeve B is dispensed with and
the doors A3 and A+ are hinged to the top and bottom of the cabinet itself. In
the case of the drawers shewn at Figure 5 the body of the drawer E consists
preferably of sheet zinc each body being formed from one piece of such material
in the following manner. Portions of the sheet are cut away at e¹ and e² to allow
of the sides e³ and back being turned up which is effected in each case with
a sharp angle. The two ends e of the sides which then project beyond the back
of the drawer being then bent round the back at each side while the top part es of
the back is then bent over to assist in retaining the ends e5 of the sides in position.
A portion of these ends is cut away at el to an incline so as to form a neater finish.
The top edges e of the sides are bent over inwards to form a flange at right angles
to the sides thus stiffening the drawer and at the same time forming a sufficiently
broad face to top to work smoothly against the runners, and a further bend to this
flange may be provided as shewn by Figure 8 if desired. The front F of the
drawer is preferably formed of wood which is provided with a groove f¹ down
each end while the front edges 8 of the sides and bottom are also turned inwards
at right angles so that the grooves of front can readily be slid on to the said flanges
where a single tack f2 at each side readily retains it in position. I may of course
form the front of metal but for appearance I prefer wood. The bottom of the
drawer may be stamped up to form a raised bottom to stiffen the metal. In
the case of the pigeon holes I form each pigeon hole H complete in itself with top
bottom and sides of stout straw mill or other board covered if desired with any
suitable material and placed side by side a lath K being placed back and front
between each tier. To hide the joint in the centre of each division and at the
same time strengthen them I fix lengths of channel zine N made to fit the front
of the divisions tightly and which are provided with eyes n at top and bottom
projecting on to the lath to which they are sprigged or screwed. The same arrange-
ment of channels M is applied to the divisions under the tiers in which case a
portion m¹ of the metal is cut out to form spaces for labels, and eyes m² are formed
in the stampt ends m³ whereby the whole of the four ends of the face plates M
and N are secured by one screw or sprig.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The combination of a cabinet having doors A3 and A* with drawers such
as shewn by Figures 5, 6 and 7 and pigeon holes such as shewn by Figures 9, 10
and 11 substantially as herein set forth.
2nd. The cabinet A for photographic purposes having doors A³, and A' and
sleeve B substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and illustrated upon
the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3rd. The drawers E formed from one piece of sheet metal and with or without
wood front substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and illustrated.
4th. Pigeon holes H of straw mill or other similar board having the channel
facings such as M and N substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and
illustrated.
Dated this 6th day of August 1898.
LEWIS WM. GOOLD,
Agent for Applicant, 5, Corporation Street, Birmingham.