Cabinet construction

April 18, 1939.

W. P. GRAY

2,155,128

CABINET CONSTRUCTION

Filed Feb. 25, 1937

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Patented Apr. 18, 1939

2,155,128

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,155,128

CABINET CONSTRUCTION

Walter Park Gray, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Crosley Corporation, a corporation of Ohio

Application February 25, 1937, Serial No. 127,738

Claims. (Cl. 29—148.2)

My invention relates to the manufacture of cabinet or box-like constructions of ornamental character, the main body portions of which are formed from sheet stock by a bending, stamping 5 or forming operation, and in the preferred embodiment of a single piece of sheet stock such, for example, as sheet metal, although other sheet stocks such as hard fiber and the like may, of course, be employed. I shall describe my inven10 tion in connection with the manufacture of a radio cabinet of generally rectangular cross section and comprising five sides, there being an open side.

It is an object of my invention to provide a 15 simple, economical but sturdy construction of this character which nevertheless is highly ornamental. The various other objects of my invention will be set forth hereinafter or will be clear to one skilled in the art upon reading these 20 specifications. For a better understanding oi the exemplary form of the invention, reference is now made to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material from which the cabinet may be made. 25 Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the blank completely shaped and one of the corner members in place.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken across a corner of the cabinet of Fig. 2 along the lines 3—3. 30 Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken across a corner of the cabinet along the lines 4—4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along a corner lengthwise as along the lines 5—5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of a portion of a body member and a portion of a corner or edge member.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of the under side of the corner or edge 40 member of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken across a corner of a cabinet and showing a different form of corner or edge member.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I take 45 a piece of suitable sheet material and by dies or otherwise cut it into the form of a suitable blank for making the body of a cabinet. The central portion of the blank will form one side of the body and projecting therefrom there are 50 the portions which form the contiguous sides.

These latter portions have side edges designed to be bent to form engagement means. The blank is formed generally into the shape of the desired box or cabinet and then edge or corner mem55 ners are put in place thereon. These edge or corner members join the edges of contiguous side portions of the blank and have engagement with the turned-over portions thereof. The edge or corner members are of ornamental shape, preferably. They may be put-in place in a num- 5 ber of ways. If preformed of metal, wood, Bakelite or other synthetic resin, they may be engaged with the side members at a corner of the box or cabinet and driven into place, or the edge or corner members may be cast in place by 10 putting the blank in a suitable mold and forcing into interstices of the mold a suitable molding composition such as a phenolic resin composition or a casting metal, or a die casting metal or the like. 15

Coming to the specific embodiment of my invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 a blank I so shaped as to provide a panel member 2 and contiguous side members 3, 4, 5 and 6. Each of these side members has extensions 7 designed to 20 be bent over as will hereinafter be described. The blank is cut out intermediate adjacent ones of these extensions as at 8.

The blank by means of suitable forming dies may be pressed or otherwise formed into the 25: shape indicated in Fig. 2 where the several panel members 2 to 6 inclusive.are caused substantially to lie at right angles to each other. Preferably, for appearance sake, the corners of the cabinet structure are rounded as indicated at 9. The ex- 30 tensions 7 on the panel members are bent inwardly as clearly shown in this figure, and the cut-out portions 8 are now so disposed as to permit, if desired, the driving in of the edge or corner members. These members when shaped 35 as hereinafter set forth, are driven in from the side of the structure occupied by the panel 2. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown an edge or corner member of a preferred style. This may be thought of as a preformed corner member de- 40 signed for incorporation into the structure of Fig. 2 after the blank has been formed up as shown. The corner member consists of a body 10 which may, if desired, be generally quarterround in cross section. The under surfaces indi- 45 cated at II are so formed as to pass the edges adjacent the cut out 8. The outer surface indicated generally at 12 may be formed with any desired ornamental configuration. Adjacent the edges of the device are two slots 13 and 14 de- 50 signed to receive the turned-over portions 7 of the side walls. At the extreme end of the device there is an enlargement extending about the end. This is indicated at 15 in the several figures and its purpose is to mask the edges ad- 55 a, 165,128 jacent the cut out portion 8 so as to finish oft the completed cabinet. It will be noticed in Figs. 6 and 7 that the underside of this extension forms a sort of shoulder which is higher ₅ than the surface 18 of the member adjacent the grooves 14, by the thickness of the sheet stock in the portion 8.

Hie relationship of this corner or edge member to the blank body will be appreciated best 10 from the sectional views in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In these figures like indicia have been used to indicate like parts.

In the particular construction shown, the engagement of the turned-over portion 7 in the .., grooves 11 and 14 may be a frictional engagement, or it may be an engagement tightened by the springiness of the walls and produced by a slight over bending in forming up the blank, or the wall members may be fastened to the 2o edge or corner members in any way desired, as by pinning or the use of screws, bolts or rivets. If the edge or corner members are made of metal, the wall members may be fastened to them by soldering, ordinary brazing, hydrogen brazing, welding or otherwise. Also it will be within the scope of my invention to provide on the edge or corner members an additional rib portion shown at 17 in Fig. 3, giving to the slots 13 and 14 an L-shape configuration so that the side walls, 30 after the edge or comer members have been driven in from the end, cannot be dislodged therefrom.

It is, however, also within the scope of my invention to place the formed up blank in a mold 35 and cast or press suitable comer members in place. Such construction is shown In Fig. 8 where the ends of the side wall members 1 and 8, for example, have been embedded in a cast member 18 having portions contacting with over40 lying and underlying If desired, the edges adjacent the cut out portion 8.

Finally it will be noted that in making my construction, and in using the edge or comer member shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the blank may 4S be partially formed up and then during a later stage of the formation the turned-over extensions 7 of the side walls may be given a press fit in the grooves 18 and 14 by means of suitable dies.

SO Hie particular type of structure shown is, as has been indicated, a radio cabinet. The radio set may be placed therein through the open side and may have on that side an ornamental panel containing the various controls and the loud M speaker grill, or if preferred, the panel member 2 or any of the side members may be cut out to form passageways from the control means, and cut out: also to form a loud speaker grill in which the open side of the cabinet may be left open.

•0 It will also be understood that the particular exemplary embodiment of my invention is not a limitation thereon and that my invention may be employed in the manufacture of all sorts of boxes and cabinets, particularly those designed 66 for permanent use and to have a decorative as well as a durable character. Thus, by way of an example, cabinets for surgical apparatus may readily be formed in this way.

It will be understood that modifications may TO be made in my invention as desired, without departing from the spirit of it, and that the par ticular ornamental or utilitarian configurations either of the panel members or of the edge or corner members do not form a limitation upon my Invention.