IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING OR SECURING CHESTS AND NESTS OF DRAWERS, WARDROBES, OFFICE TABLES, BOOK CASES STATIONERY, PLATE AND OTHER CHESTS, CABINETS CASES AND FRAMES "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Mander of Birmingham in the county of
Warwick Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING
OR SECURING CHESTS AND NESTS OF DRAWERS, WARDROBES, OFFICE TABLES,
BOOK CASES STATIONERY, PLATE AND OTHER CHESTS, CABINETS CASES AND
FRAMES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Mander at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May 1883.
RICHARD MANDER of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING OR SECURING CHESTS AND NESTS OF DRAWERS,
WARDROBES, OFFICE TABLES, BOOK CASES, STATIONERY, PLATE AND OTHER CHESTS,
CABINETS, CASES AND FRAMES.'
"
My Invention consists of the arrangements hereinafter described for locking,
fastening or securing chests and nests of drawers, wardrobes, office tables, book
cases, stationery, plate and other chests, cabinets, cases and frames, whereby the
sum or whole of an assemblage of adjacent or contiguous tiers or nests of drawers,
trays, doors or other objects are locked or fastened, or unfastened at one operation,
and at the same time; instead of fastening or unfastening each individual drawer,
tray, door or other object separately
I will describe my invention as applied to a chest of drawers
My Invention consists firstly, in fastening or unfastening the sum of a series
of adjacent sliding boxes or trays, called "drawers," within a case or chest, the
said drawers being disposed in rows placed one above another.
The fastening or securing is effected as follows.
On the end or other convenient part of the case or chest of drawers, a longitu-
dinal opening is cut away, exposing a portion of the ends of the drawers. And
within this longitudinal opening a hinged door or flap shuts (and locks) the said
hinged door crossing laterally the whole range of the drawers to be fastened, that
is to say; from the bottom to the top of the series. Pegs or studs are situated at
equi-distant points upon the inside face of the supplementary side hinged door or
flap described, which respective pegs or studs take into corresponding holes formed
Pin I

page_text: To
in the exposed sides of the drawers. And when the hinged side door or strip is
shut and locked by a key or snap bolt, the pegs or studs lie within the holes in the
drawers, and thereby fasten or prevent the drawers from being withdrawn
from the case or chest in which they are contained. By the means described
the whole series of drawers are locked, or fastened simultaneously.
unfasten the sum or assemblage of drawers, the side door or flap is unlocked,
and turned outwards upon its hinges, withdrawing the pegs or studs out of the
holes or recesses in the sides of the drawers, and simultaneously unfastening the
whole of the series, which can now be opened individually or collectively by drawing
out, and again replaced by pushing in. Or the pegs or studs on the inside face or
surface of the fastening door or flap may pass through corresponding holes in the
sides of the case or chest, instead of cutting away a portion of the said case or
chest for the door or flap to fit in.
The fastening flaps or strips may be made to draw outwards when unfastening
or pushed in, when fastening. Or the said locking strips may be operated, by an
upward or downward sliding movement instead of turning upon joints or hinges.
My Invention consists secondly in fastening, the parrallel tiers of drawers as
before described, by the following arrangement of parts.
A longitudinal opening is formed in the end of the case or chest, and a hinged
door or flap, shuts into the opening as before described in the first part of my
invention. Each drawer of the series of drawers, has a gapped or recessed rib or
overhanging flange or ledge running along the end of the said drawer, in the
direction of its length, the said gap or opening is equal to the width of the fastening
door or flap, so that when the door is closed and locked its plain inside face, and a
portion of its side edges takes into, and fills up the gaps or openings in the ribs or
'ledges on the ends of the drawers, and thereby retains and holds the whole series
of parallel adjacent drawers in their fixed or fastened position. The arrangements
described are equally applicable to the fastening of tiers or series of adjacent doors
or other objects. Instead of drawers in tiers, as described, or both drawers, doors,
or objects may be combined. Where double rows or tiers of drawers are arranged
side by side, like fastening arrangements are arranged on both sides of the case or
chest.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Mander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1883.
:
RICHARD MANDER of Birmingham in the county of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING OR SECURING CHESTS AND NESTS OF DRAWERS,
WARDROBES, OFFICE TABLES, BOOK CASES, STATIONERY, PLATE AND OTHER CHESTS,
CABINETS CASES AND FRAMES."
My invention consists of the arrangements hereinafter described for locking,
fastening or securing chests and nests of drawers wardrobes, office tables, book
cases, stationery, plate and other chests cabinets, cases, and frames, whereby the
sum or whole of an assemblage of adjacent or other contiguous tiers or nests of
drawers, trays, doors or other objects are locked, fastened or unfastened at one
operation and at the same time; instead of fastening or unfastening each individual
drawer, tray, door or object separately.
I will describe my invention as applied to a chest of drawers.
My invention consists firstly in fastening or unfastening the sum of a series of
adjacent sliding boxes or trays "called drawers" within a case or chest, the said
drawers being disposed in rows placed one above another. _
The fastening or securing of the drawers is effected as follows:-
}
On the end or other convenient part of the case or chest of drawers a longitudinal
opening is cut away, exposing a portion of the end of the drawers. And, within
this longitudinal opening, a hinged door or flap shuts (and locks) the said hinged
door crossing laterally the whole range of the drawers to be fastened, that is to say;
from the top to the bottom of the series. Pegs or studs are situated at equidistant
points upon the inside face of the supplementary side hinged door or flap described;
which respective pegs or studs take into corresponding holes formed in the exposed
sides of the drawers. And when the hinged side door or strip is shut and locked
by a key or snap bolt; the pegs or studs lie within the holes in the drawers; and
thereby fasten or prevent the drawers from being withdrawn from the case or chest
in which they are contained. By the means described the whole series of drawers
are locked or fastened simultaneously.
1
To unfasten the sum or assemblage of drawers the side door or flap is unlocked,
and: turned outwards upon its hinge, withdrawing the pegs or studs out of the holes
or recesses in the sides of the drawers, and simultaneously unfastening the whole
of the series, which can now be opened individually or collectively by drawing out,
and again replaced by pushing in.
Or the pegs or studs on the inside face or surface of the fastening door or flap
may pass through corresponding holes in the sides of the case or chest, instead of
cutting away a portion of the said case or chest for the door or flap to fit in..
My invention consists secondly in fastening the parallel tiers of drawers as before
described by the following arrangement of parts.
A longitudinal opening is formed in the end of the case or chest and a
hinged door. or flap shuts into the opening as before described in the first
part of my invention. Each drawer of the series of drawers has a gapped
or recessed rib or overhanging flange or ledge running along the end of the
said drawer, in the direction of its length; the said gap or opening is equal to
to the width of the fastening door or flap; so that when the door is closed and
locked; its plain inside face, and a portion of its side edges take into, and fills up
the gaps or openings in the ribs or ledges on the ends of the drawers, and thereby
retains and holds the whole series of parallel adjacent drawers in their fixed or
fastened position.
:
The fastening flaps or strips may be made to draw outwards, when unfastening,
'
;'

page_text: or pushed in when fastening. Or the said locking strips may be operated by an
upward or downward sliding movement, instead of turning upon joints or hinges.
The arrangements described are equally applicable to the fastening of tiers or
series of adjacent doors or other objects, instead of drawers in tiers as described; or
both drawers, doors or objects combined
Where double rows or tiers of drawers are arranged side by side, like fastening
arrangements are employed on both sides of the case or chest.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings the manner in which the same is to be
performed.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a chest of drawers constructed according
to my Invention, fitted with locking or fastening devices; whereby the whole of
the adjacent drawers contained therein, are fastened, locked or unfastened at one
operation and at the same time. The collective fastening arrangement being shown
out of action, with the drawers unfastened and one of them withdrawn. Figure 2
shows the same partly in vertical section with the drawers locked or fastened; and
figure 3 a horizontal section of figure 2. Figure 4 shows a horizontal section of
the chest with the drawers unfastened. Figure 5 shows a modification of figure 1
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
A is the chest, and B, B, B the drawers; which are capable of being withdrawn
from the said chest only when the side door or flap C is open as shown in figures 1
and 4. The drawers B are each provided with holes formed in their exposed sides,
into which said holes, corresponding studs or pins C² on the inside of the door
or flap C takes, when shut into the cut away part of the chest A². On the
bottom open draw, figure 1 being pushed into its chest, the whole series can now
be simultaneously fastened and locked, by the door or flap C being turned upon
its hinge and shut into, the cut away part A³, which crosses laterally the ends B³
of the whole series of drawers; and so compelling the pegs or studs C² on the
door C, to take into, and engage with corresponding holes B' in the ends of the
drawers; the door C being locked by a key or other fastening. The whole series
of drawers are simultaneously fastened or enclosed within the chest A, and cannot
be withdrawn therefrom, until the side door C is again turned outward upon its
hinge, withdrawing the pegs C2 from out of the holes or recesses in the sides of the
drawers, as represented again in figures 1 and 4, the drawers are then capable of
being withdrawn individually by drawing out and again replaced by pushing in
as desired.
+
Figure 5 shows a modification, in which holes pass through the sides of the
chest instead of having a cut away part as before described and represented; so
that the pegs C of the hinged flap C, are of sufficient length to pass through the
holes D and terminate in corresponding holes or recesses in the ends of the
drawers, and locked thereto by a key or snap fastening. Or the flap C figure 5
may be made to draw out instead of turning upon a hinge on withdrawing the
pegs from the drawers as before described.
Figure 6 represents a perspective view of another chest of drawers for the same
purpose as that last described. The said figure shows the drawers unfastened, and
with one of the drawers withdrawn. Figure 7 is the same, with the whole of the
drawers locked or fastened within the chest or case. Figure 8 is a horizontal
section with the drawers unfastened, and figure 9 the drawers fastened. Figure 10
is a portion of the framing of the chest showing the groove in which the drawers
slide
J
A is the chest and E are the drawers; each drawer of the series has a gapped
or recessed rib or flange E³, running along the one end E2 in the direction of its
length. The gapped or cut away part E is equal in width to the fastening
door C; so that when the door C is closed and locked, its plain inside face and a
portion of its side edges take into, and fills up the openings or gaps E* in the ribs
or ledges E³, and thereby retains and holds the whole series of parallel adjacent
drawers within their frame or chest as represented in figures 7 and 9 of the

page_text: accompanying drawings. The flanges of the drawers take and slide within
grooves or channels F, formed in the inside ends of the chest as represented. The
ribs and grooves on the non-fastening end of the chest are intact or un-cut away,
as shown at figures 8 and 9. The simultaneous releasing of the series of drawers
being effected as described in the first part of my invention.
Figure 11 shows a modification of the last described arrangement. The locking
of the drawers being effected by a sliding gapped rod G which moves up and
down, crossing the ends of the drawers. When the drawers are required to be
fastened, the solid un-cut away parts come behind or fill up the gaps in the ribs of
the drawers, and holds or secures them in their locked positions; so long as the
solid part of the locking bar lies within the gaps of the ribs, as represented in the
said figure 11; the bar being shown in its unfastened position.
Where double rows of drawers are arranged side by side, like fastening
arrangements as described and represented are employed on both sides of the chest
or case.
The above arrangements are equally applicable to the locking of tiers of doors,
instead of drawers; or both drawers and doors combined.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be
varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my
Invention of improvements in fastening or securing chests, and nests of drawers,
wardrobes, office tables, book cases, stationery, plate and other chests, cabinet cases
and frames
First. Fastening and unfastening collectively, the sum of a series of adjacent
sliding boxes or trays, called drawers; disposed in rows placed one above another,
and situated within a case or chest. The fastening or securing being effected by
means of a supplementary locking hinged side door or flap, operating and working
in the ways as described and illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Secondly. The several general arrangements or combinations of parts herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, for fastening,
locking and unfastening simultaneously or otherwise, tiers or rows of adjacent
drawers, doors and other objects (or both drawers and doors combined) confined
within a case, chest or frame. The whole being construced, [sic] arranged, combined
and operating substantially as described and illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Mander have bereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of November, in the year of Our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three:
Witness
HENRY SKERRETT
Patent Agent
6 Livery Street
Birmingham.
RICHARD MANDER (L.S.)