Improvements in Drawer Cases and Drawers for Holding Catalogues, and for other Uses.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drawer Cases and Drawers for Holding Catalogues,
and for other Uses.
I DAVID EDGAR HUNTER of Cambridge, County of Middlesex, Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, in the United States of America, Inventor do liereby 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 :-
In catalogue and other similar cases containing a series of drawers, it is customary
to separate the drawers by division strips and runs upon which the drawers are
supported and made to slide.
These division strips and runs are usnally of such thickness that when the case
contains several drawers arranged vertically, the aggregate thickness of the several
division strips and runs equals or exceeds the depth of one or more drawers, and
represents so much waste or unutilized space.
In many instances where it is desirable to provide as many drawers as possible
in a restricted space, as for example, in a safe or vault, it becomes a great desideratum
to utilize for drawers the waste space represented by the several division strips
and runs.
Additional space is wasted by the prevailing custom of employing wood-drawer
bottoms set into grooves formed in the sides a short distance from their lower edges,
the aggregate thickness of the several bottoms, together with the aggregate waste
space between the bottom grooves and the lower edges of the sides, ropresenting
usually more than the depth of one or more drawers.
The prime object of this invention is to improve the construction of catalogue and
other drawer cases and drawers, and the means for hanging the drawers, whereby
the waste space referred to may be utilized for additional drawers and the largest
number of drawers concentrated in the smallest possible space.
The invention also comprehends a novel method of retaining inclined card
blocks in position in the drawers.
Fig. 1, of the drawings represents a case of drawers constructed in accordance
with this invention.
Fig. 2, a vertical cross sectional detail taken on the dotted line, Fig. 1, the
parts being shown on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 8, a cross sectional detail on an enlarged scale.taken on the dotted line y-y.
Fig. 4, a vertical longitudinal section through the middle of one of the drawers.
Fig. 5, a vertical cross sectional detail taken on the dotted line -z, Fig. 4, and
Figs. 6 and 7, details showing one method of constructing the sides of the
drawers.
Referring to the drawings, the case or frame A may be of any desired shape and.
construction, it being a simple shell formed without the usual division pieces to
separate the drawers.
In the embodiment of my invention herein shown, I have secured to the inner
faces of the sides of the case, suitable parallel cleats or runs a, properly spaced for
the several drawers, and between these runs slide the auxiliary slides b, preferably of
the form, commonly known as the "Taylor" slide, the slides being guided both
top and bottom by the cleats or runs.
Tongues 6' in the upper edges of the slides, run in suitable grooves in the under

page_text: aldes of the runs, and serve to limit the movements of the slides when the latter are
drawn out.
The slides are cut down for a greater part of their longth to leave a shoulder b³,
and the slides are also provided with a rabbet & terminating in a shoulder b* near the
outer end of the slide.
The drawers D of suitable or desired shape are arranged between the several
pairs of slides b, and are provided with long side cleats d which rest upon the tops
of the slides and support the drawers, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said cleats
extending nearly or quite to the front of the drawer so that when the latter is closed
it will rest at its front end upon the supporting slides and thereby be prevented from
sagging.
Plates or ears d' on the cleats d run in the rabbets and by contact with the
shoulders. provent the withdrawal of the drawers beyond a certain point.
Referring to Fig. 1, when a drawer is pushed into the case, it is supported
throughout the entire length of the cleats à upon the slides b, which latter rest
throughout their entire lengths upon the runs a.
The drawer is thus firmly supported when pushed into the case.
When the drawer is withdrawn from the case, it first slides out on the slides b
until the ears d' strike the shoulders on the slides which causes the drawer and
slides to be thereaftor withdrawn together, until the tongues on the slides reach
the ends of the grooves & and prevent further withdrawal of the slides and drawer,
the parts being then in the positions shown by the bottom drawer, Fig. 1.
In this position it will be seen that in the construction shown, the slides are
firmly supported by their inner ends between the runs a, so that the slides cannot
sag, and as the drawer rests throughout almost its entire length upon the slides,
the drawer cannot sag, the slides serving not only as carriers for the drawer, but
also to prevent the drawer being withdrawn too far.
By carrying the drawers at the sides in this manner, the usual division strips
and runs between the drawers are dispensed with, and the drawers. placed one
immediately above another.
In order to obviate the usual waste of space which results from the employment
of thick wood drawer bottoms, set into grooves in the sides of the drawers, I have
provided the drawers with thin sheet metal bottoms e, secured in suitable manner,
as by screws, to the lower edges of the sides, front and back, of the drawer, and
preferably set in flush with the said lower edges.
By dispensing with division strips and the thick wood drawer bottoms, as above
described, I am enabled to gain, as a rule, at least one additional drawer in every
three or four.
Prior to this invention it has been customary to employ card blocks having dowel
pins in their undersides adapted to be dropped into one or another of several sets of
holes in the drawer bottom to retain the blocks in desired positions.
Such a construction is however, impracticable with the thin metallic bottoms which
I propose to use, for the pins, if of sufficient length to possess any holding properties
could protrade through into the drawers beneath.
I therefore provide the card blocks with side pins
grooves formed in the inner faces of the sides of
adapted to enter longitudinal
the drawers, said grooves at
regular intervals having notches into which the pins on the card blocks may be
dropped to retain the blocks in adjusted position.
To adjust the block it is raised sufficiently to clear the pins from the notches f³,
when the pins may be moved along in the grooves until the block has reached the
desired position when the pins are dropped into the proper notches to retain the block
in a new position.
In order to form the grooves and the notches so as to present a clear and
smooth appearance, I prefer to form the same as indicated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.
Referring to Fig. 6, I take a board which is to form the side of a drawer and split
the same from end to end through the middle, as indicated by the full lines 5.

page_text: I then rabbet each part of the board, as shown in Fig. 7, and cut through the
raised portion 8 to form the notches.
The two parts are then glued together, as in Fig. 5, to form the completed side
for the drawer.
This invention is not limited to the particular embodiment of the invention herein
employed to illustrate the invention, for it is evident the invention may be embodied
in other forms than the particular one herein shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In drawer cases and drawers for holding catalogues and for other uses.
1. The case, the drawer carrying slides, and runs for and on which the same may
slide in the said case, combined with the drawer having its sides between said 'slides
and having long supporting cleats projecting from its sides freely resting upon the
said slides, co-operating portions of said drawer and slides constituting stops to limit
the direct outward movement of the drawer, said cleats extending nearly or quite to
the front of the drawer, substantially as described.
2. The case, and runs secured thereto, combined with slides rabbeted along their
outer sides at their upper edges, the rabbets terminating in stops at either end
thereof, and a drawer resting upon said slides, long supporting cleats projecting
from its sides resting upon said slides, and vertical ears on the drawer'to run in said
rabbets and co-operate with said stops, substantially as described.
3. A drawer for card, catalogue or similar case, having grooves channeled length-
wise in the inner faces of its opposite sides, shallow notches being provided in the
lower edges of said grooves, said notches having parallel, vertical walls to prevent
lateral movement of the pins held thereby, combined with a block adapted normally
to rest on the bottom of the said drawer, said block having at either end a pin
projecting laterally therefrom into the adjacent grooves, being positively held thereby
against removal, said pins being adapted to rest in said notches when the said block
is in normal position, substantially as described.
4. A drawer case and drawers supported therein so as to utilize the waste space
represented by usual divisions, strips and runs, substantially as described and shown
by the drawings.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.