Sliding drawer construction

July 30, 1963

3,099,501

F. HILLSON ETAL

SLIDING DRAWER CONSTRUCTION

Filed July 11, 1960

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3,099,501

Patented July 30, 1963

United States Patent Office

3,099,501

SLIDING DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Frank Hillson, 48 Brentwood Drive, Verona, N.J., and Rubin Krivisky, 4 Sherman Drive, Spring Valley, N.Y.

Filed July 11, 1960, Ser. No. 41,850

Claims. (Cl. 308—3.8)

Our invention relates to sliding drawers generally and specifically to a sliding drawer construction having a greatly simplified structure wherein the component parts need not be fabricated or prepositioned relative to each other with a high degree of precision.

A typical sliding drawer assembly commonly employs a single, overhead rail to which the drawer is operatively engaged. Others employ complex interconnected rail assemblies having a large number of precision parts. These constructions require the component parts to be fabricated with a high degree of precision. Moreover, it is necessary to provide a variety of other supports and guide members independently secured to the sliding drawer and cabinet frame. Since all of the component parts cooperatively interfunction, they must be prepositioned with a high degree of precision, a costly and timeconsuming procedure. Still further, both the drawer and the cabinet frame are subject to change in shape and size with the passage of time. Thus, parts initially fabricated and prepositioned with care no longer function properly.

Therefore, it is among the objects and advantages of our invention to provide a sliding drawer construction in which the component parts need not be fabricated nor prepositioned with a high degree of precision.

Another object of our invention is to provide a sliding drawer construction in which a sliding drawer is both supported and -guided at both its front and rear.

A further object of our invention is to provide a sliding drawer construction in which the front of the drawer is both supported and iguided by a stationary supportguide fixedly secured to a pair of generally parallel guide rails attached to a cabinet frame.

Yet a further object of our invention is to provide a sliding drawer construction in which the rear of the drawer is both supported and -guided by adjustable, movable support-guides secured thereto and operatively engaged with a pair of opposed, generally parallel guide rails.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a sliding drawer construction in which both guide rails secured to the cabinet frame as well as the movable supportguides secured to -the sliding drawer are each adjustable to accommodate for changes in both shape and size of the cabinet frame and the sliding drawer.

Yet another -object of our invention is to provide a sliding 'drawer construction in which the sliding drawer may be easily removed from the cabinet frame without the removal or loosening of any parts but cannot be accidently disengaged therefrom.

Another object of our invention is to provide a sliding drawer construction in which the component parts may be easily fabricated of inexpensive materials and assembled with a minimum of effort and time.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by our invention one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a channeled guide rail employed in our sliding drawer construction;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective showing a pair of channeled -guide rails and the rearmost portion of a sliding drawer;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational, cross-sectional view of an adjustable, movable support-guide secured to a sliding drawer and cooperatively engaged with a channeled guide rail;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the adjustable, movable support-guide shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective of the front end of a channeled 'guide rail with an angled mounting plate secured thereto;

FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective of a frictionless, stationary support-guide;

FIGURE 7 is a view in perspective of another adjustable, movable support-guide.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, our invention comprises a pair of opposed, -generally parallel guiderails 11, 11 secured to a cabinet frame on opposite sides of a sliding drawer compartment. The guide-rails 11, 11 are provided with an -upper longitudinal horizontal flange 12, and a lower longitudinal, horizontal flange 13 which, with the rear wall 14 of the guide rail 11, collectively define a longitudinal, generally U-shaped channel 15. The -rear wall 14 of the -guide rail 11 is provided with a plurality of holes 16, 16 etc. to accommodate screws by means of which the -guide rail 11 may -be secured to the cabinet frame. The flanges 12 and 13 terminate before the end of the -guide rail 11 to provide a bendable extension 17 formed -integrally from the rear wall 14 of -the -guide rail 11. The extension 17 is provided with at least one vertical slot 18 to accommodate a screw.

A downwardly projecting lip 19 is formed from the upper flange 12 of the guide rail 11 a short distance from the front end. The lower flange 13 is provided with an arcuate depression 29 immediately beneath the lip 19. The lower flange 13 is also provided with a flat depression 21 at the -front end of the rail 11.

An angled mounting plate 22 is attached to the guide rail 11 in the flat depression 21 of the lower flange 13. The mounting plate 22 is comprised of a top horizontal leg 23 the rear edge of which is provided with a projection 24. The projection 24 passes through an opening 25 in the rear wall 14 of the guide rail 11. The top leg 23 of -the mounting plate 22 has a thickness equal to the depth of the flat depression 21 -below the level of the lower flange 13 and a length and width equal to the length and width respectively -of the said depression. A vertical leg 26 is formed integrally with -the top le-g 23 and generally perpendicular thereto. A -bottom horizontal leg 27 is formed integrally with -the vertical leg 26 and generally perpendicular thereto projecting away from the channel 15. The vertical leg 26 is provided with a hole 28, and the bottom, horizontal leg 27 is provided with a hole 29. The mounting plate 22 may be secured to the -guide rail 11 by a -tap weld -through the top leg 23. The projection 24, engaged within the opening 25 in the rear wall 14 of the -guide rail 11, proves additional structural strength for the weld as well as means for positioning the mounting plate 22 on the guide rail 11.

A stationary support-guide 39 is secured to the mounting plate 22. The support-guide 30 is comprised of a vertical member 31, and a horizontal member 32 formed integrally with the vertical member 31 at its bottom and generally perpendicular thereto. The vertical member 31 is provided with a beveled inner surface 33 and a cylindrical projection 34 on its opposite side. The horizontal member 32 is provided with an upper beveled surface 35 and a cylindrical projection 36 on its lower side. The cylindrical projections 34 and 36 are, respectively, -frictionally -engaged within holes 28 and 29 in the mounting plate 22 -thereby securing the -guide 30 thereto. The vertical member 31 is so dimensioned that it does not project upwardly beyond the level of the top leg 23 of the mounting plate 22. Thus, the top

3,099,501 leg 23 lies adjacent to the lower flange 13, thereby forming a flat, continuous surface.

An adjustable support-guide 37 is secured to each side of a sliding drawer 38 near the bottom rear. The supportguide 37 comprises a base plate 39 which is secured to 5 the side of the drawer 38 by means of screws 4®, 41. Screw 40 passes through a simple hole in the base plate 39 whereas screw 41 passes through an arcuate slot 42 thereby permitting the base plate 39 to pivot upwardly and downwardly about screw 40. A roller 43 is secured j q to the base plate 39 between the screws 40, 41, by means of a flat head rivet 44. The roller 43 is provided with a first cylindrical recess 45 in its front and a second cylindrical recess 46 in its rear joined by a passage 47. The rivet 44 is provided with a flat head 48 which lies within jg the first recess 45 and a shank 49 formed integrally with the head 48, extending through the passage 47. The shank 49 connects integrally with an axle 50 of reduced diameter thereby defining an annular shoulder 51. The axle 50 passes through a hole 52 in the base plate 39 and is se- 20 cured thereon by a rolled-over end 54. The base plate 39 is provided with a countersink 53 to accommodate the rolled-over end 54 of the axle 50 so that the new surface of the base plate 39 presents no projections. The roller 43 is free to rotate on the rivet 44. The annular shoulder 25 51 projects beyond the roller 43 and lies closely contiguous to the outer surface 55 of the base plate 39 thereby lending structural support to the axle 5®. The roller 43 has a width slightly less than the depth of the channel 15 in the guide-rail 11 and a diameter slightly less than the 30 height of the said channel. In addition the roller 43 may be provided with an annular flange 56 on its face adjacent to the base plate 39 the diameter of which is slightly greater than the height of the channel 15.

A simple alternative, adjustable support-guide 57 is 35 shown in FIGURE 7. Support-guide 57 is provided with an upper beveled surface 58 and a lower beveled surface 59. A pair of vertical slots 60, 61 lie between the upper surface 58 and lower surface 59. The guide 57 is secured to the sides of the drawer 38 in approximately the 40 same position as guide 37 shown in FIGURE 3 by means of screws 62, 63. The guide 57 has a maximum height across the beveled surfaces slightly less than the height of the channel 15 in the guide-rail 11 and a width slightly less than the depth of the said channel. 45

The guide-rails 11, 11, the angled mounting plate 22, and the base plate 39 of the support-guide 37 may be fabricated of any number of inexpensive, malleable metals. The stationary-support guide 30, the roller 43 of the support guide 37, and the entire support-guide 57 may be gg conveniently fabricated of some low friction, synthetic material. We have found that both nylon and polyethylene are suitable materials.

In operation, the angled mounting plate 22 is welded to the guide-rail 11 in the factory. The stationary support- 55 guide 3® may be factory secured to the mounting plate 22 or supplied separately to be secured later. The length of guide-rails 11, 11 is adjusted to the depth of any particular drawer compartment by bending the extension 17 inwardly toward the channel 15. The guide-rails 11, 11 are positioned on opposite sides of the drawer compartment at approximately the level of the bottom of the drawer 38 and are secured to the cabinet frame by a screw passing through the hole 16 nearest the front end. The rails 11, 11 are then positioned approximately horizontally and secured at their rear by means of a screw passing through the slot 18 in the extension 17. The guiderails 11, 11 are positioned precisely horizontally by sliding the rear extensions 17 upwardly or downwardly on the screw in the vertical slot 18 before the screw is firmly tightened.

It is extremely difficult to position both of the guiderails 11, 11 at exactly the same level. Moreover, the drawer 38 may not have a truly flat bottom or be perfectly mitered. However, our drawer construction is pro4 vided with means to easily adjust the cooperative parts to accommodate for irregularities and imprecise prepositioning. The base plate 39 of the support-guide 37 is secured to the side of the sliding drawer 38 at its bottomrear. The particular level of the support-guide need not be predetermined with a high degree of precision to accommodate the exact level of each guide rail 11 in which it rides or for irregularities in the shape of the drawer itself. Once both screws 4® and 41 have been engaged with the sides of the drawer 38 the level of the supportguide 37 may be easily adjusted by pivoting the base plate 39 about screw 4® before the screws are securely tightened. It should be noted that screws 40 and 41 may be partially tightened before the roller 43 is engaged within the channel 15 in the guide rail 11. Thereafter, the drawer 38 need only be pressed downward with a slight force until each roller firmly engages its respective channel. Each base plate 39 is then positioned at the proper level to accommodate for both the exact level of its guiderail 11 and any irregularities in the shape of the drawer 38. The drawer 38 is then withdrawn and the screws 40 and 41 tightly screwed to preserve the particular position of each base plate 39. The support-guide 57 shown in FIGURE 7 may -be positioned in a similar manner.

Many drawer constructions are provided with some frictionless support or guide means at the -front of the drawer compartment. However, in the past, it has been necessary to precisely preposition the front support-guides with respect to some rail system, the drawer, and some rear support system. Such a procedure is not only difficult and time-consuming but, moreover, provides no means to accommodate for changes in the shape of the drawer or the cabinet frame. We have found that the problem may be solved by securing our front support-guides 30' to the guide-rails 11, 11 proper, thereby fixing their positions relative to each other. Irregularities in the shape of the drawer 38 or imprecise prepositioning of the guiderails 11, 11 may be accommodated by means of the adjustable rear support-guides 37, 37. The horizontal member 32 of the guide 3® engages the bottom of the drawer 38 whereas the vertical member 31 engages the side of the drawer below the roller 43 of the movable rear support guide 37. Although the level of the horizontal member 32 of the stationary support-guide 30 is fixed with respect to the guide rail 11, the distance between the horizontal member 32 of the support-guide 3® and the bottom of the roller 43 of the movable support-guide 37 may be adjusted by raising or lowering the level of the base plate 39 as aforesaid. Thus, there is provided an easy method by which our construction may accommodate for irregularities in the shape of the drawer and cabinet frame thereby eliminating the costly and time-consuming procedure of fabricating parts to fine tolerances and precisely prepositioning them on the drawer and the cabinet frame. In our construction, only one part need be adjusted to accommodate for all irregularities or imprecise prepositioning of parts, and this part itself may be adjusted by simply inserting the drawer and lightly pressing it into position in the cabinet frame.

₆₀ Our drawer may be easily removed from the cabinet without loosening or detaching any parts. Tn addition, means are provided to prevent accidental removal of the drawer. The lip 19 projecting downwardly -from the upper flange 12 of the guide-rail 11 will engage the roller 43 of the movable support-guide 37 before the drawer 38 can be removed from the cabinet, thus preventing accidental withdrawal. However, by merely lifting slightly on the front of the drawer 38, the roller 43 disengages the lip 17 passing downwardly into the arcuate depression 2® of the lower flange 13, and out of the open end of the ^{i J} channel 15.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially sim⁷⁵ ilar function; such substitutes may be known as proper

3,099,501 substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein. 5