Drawer glide

June 27, 1967

3,328,107

K. H. GUTNER

DRAWER GLIDE Filed Sept. 14, 1955

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United States Patent Office

3,328,107

Patented June 27, 1967

3,328,107 DRAWER GLIDE Kenneth H. Gutaer, 591 Roger Williams, Highland Park,. III. 60035 . Filed' Sept. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 579,401 4 Claims. (Cl. 312—347) ing the drawer, we find side panels 13, a rear panel 14 and a bottom panel 15. The inventive fitting is designated generally by the numeral 16 and is seen at its rear end to be attached as by a staple 17 (see FIG. 2) to the rear panel 14 and at its front end to be secured by an angled staple 18 to the bottom 15 and the front panel 11 with the extreme forward portion of the fitting 16 being inserted within a slot or recess 19 provided on the rear face of the front panel 12. Conventionally the groove in the rear face of the front panel 11 which receives the •bottom panel 15 is 14 deep and Vs wide—this may be augmented by the supplemental centering groove 19—see FIG. 7.

The fitting 16 is seen in enlarged form in FIG. 2 and includes as a major portion a generally channel-shaped or C-shaped part 20. The C-shaped part is defined by side walls 21 and 22 (see FIG. 6), a transverse wall 23 integral with the side walls 21 and 22, and confronting, inwardly-extending integral flanges 24 and 25 provided, respectively, at the ends of the side walls 21 and 22. It will be appreciated that in use, the fitting is positioned exactly oppositely to pictured so that the side walls 21 and 22 depend downwardly and at their lower edges are equipped with the flanges 24 and 25. This can be appreciated from a consideration of FIG. 3 wherein the cooperating guide 26 is seen in phantom line and which is adapted to receive in partially-enveloping relation the channel-shaped portion of the fitting 16.

At, its rear end, the fitting 16 is equipped with a tab portion is integral with the wall 23 and is equipped with a plurality of transversely-elongated slots or apertures 28. For installation, the tab is bent at generally right angles to the wall 23 (upwardly in actual practice) is illustrated in FIG. 2 and the re-oriented tab 27 is seen to be equipped with a staple 17 extending through one of the slots 28. In actual practice, a plurality of staples may be employed. The integral neck portion 29 connect27 provides a means for adapting the fitting to drawers of varying depths. It will be appreciated that with wood drawers, variations in depth of as much as V inch may be encountered so that a fitting that permits forming the is of considerable advantage in installation.

For the installation, the drawer front panel 11 is advantageously equipped with a central slot 19 in its rearwardlyfacing side. This provides the means for locating the fitting this location I provide a lug 30 (see FIG. 2) at the forward end of the fitting 16. The lug 30 additionally may be slit and upset as at 31 to provide a tab portion which fits relatively snugly within the supplemental centering 55 slot 19 so as to further insure proper seating of the fitting 16. The wing portions 32 (see FIG. 2) extend into an elongated slot in the front panel 11 that serves to mount and position the bottom panel 15 in conventional fashion.

The manner of establishing the tab portion 31 is indi60 cated schematically by means of the chain arrows applied to the enlarged view of the forward end of the fitting 16 as seen in FIG. 6. Additionally, the fitting 16 adjacent the lug 30 is equipped with a pair of openings 33 which receive the previously-mentioned angled staple 18 in se65 curing the fitting 16 to the bottom panel 15 and front panel 11.

For further facilitating installation, I angle or bevel the rear edges of the side walls 21 and 22 as at 34 at the extreme rear portion of FIG. 2. The side walls are seen facilitates the ensleevement of the fitting 16 on the guide 26.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A member having a C-shaped cross-section installable on the underside of a drawer to co-act with an elongated dresser guide having a T-shaped cross-section, the member having an elongated throat portion connecting the main body part of the member with a foldable end part adapted to be secured to a drawer back so that the member is installable on drawers of different size.

holdmg power, particularly when a drawer is partially 35 along afine p^dTa^gThe ^ withdrawn hie IQ narflAII InrHr trna z-»£ J_______ » ·π , .,. -_ - . .. .. ^r.

Background of invention

The problems of installation of a drawer slide center about the fact that drawers, conventionally constructed of wood, can vary in dimension substantially notwithstanding.mass-production techniques. Drawers from one dresser to the next may vary by as much as % inch. To provide a glide element that is versatile for fitting into such an arrangement has resulted in complex structures. The ultimate is to provide a simple structure yet one that is versatile and this is achieved by the instant invention and Γ ' ‘ tant object of the invention.

Besides providing compatability between simplicity and versatility for installation, the same requirements apply to operation or use. In use, there must be strength and withdrawn. This is particularly true of dresser drawers which are sizable and therefore exert a cantilever effect on the mounting means. Further, there must be easily reinsertion of the drawer. In the past, many expedients of these have successfully combined simplicity and therefore.economy with satisfactory operation, i.e., again versatility in various phases of the operation. The provision of a fitting which achieves this combination of advanta- _ _{a LllaL ln|T ule}

8^eous results constitutes another object of the invention. 45 re-oriented tab at a plurality of points along its length

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be -----+ · ...... ^b seen in the details of construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention is explained in conjunction with an x·» · · j? i * **.* alo xvcii viiciy me hllhih XG is uQUIppvCl yVltll n the provision of such an element constitutes an impor- 30 .flared-tab portion generally designated 27. The flaredTHTIt Anipnr λ,γ the . .. . . . xxwxw»x i „ v χ·ι·- j · xi ,., ,. j ’ -----^j —uv vnipiMj-uu. iuc luucgiai jucuK puruon zy connecthave been utilized m the slide or glide mechanism and none 40 ing the channel-shaped portion 20 with the tab portion or these, have, snrressfnlhr __.: + 1____ ^{1 r} . . . . . p«»uvu

τ. j. *. , ' .----- oauv. piuviucs means iui locating tne mung illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in 50 16 centrally of the length of the drawer and to facilitate WlllCn fHic Innofirin T nrnvlAa η 1„/» Irt T7T/-1 _x 4.1. _ r.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer (open-side down) and which shows the inventive fitting;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, in fragmentary form, of the fitting of. FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the fitting which also shows, (in phantom line) a cooperating guide provided as part of the dresser;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear portion of the fitting.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the end of the fitting adapted to be secured to the rear of the drawer and in a condition prior to securement;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the front end portion of the inventive fitting; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mounting of the fitting front end.

In the illustration given and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 10' designates generally a drawer ______________ ______ ~ _o±uv »&lt;u_{ia alc aC}cn adapted to be mounted in a dresser or the like. The 70 to extendat an^gie of about 25°*to the vertical andtitis* drawer may be of conventional form having a front panel “ 11 equipped with the usual handle or pull 12. Complet3,328,107

Once installation of the fitting 16 is achieved, on the guide 26, I provide an advantageous “hold close” means in the form of elongated indentations 35 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 6). The metal (which may be 24-gauge. sheet steel) is deformed by dies to provide the elongated ribs or guide- : gripping means 35. It will be appreciated that these, elements 35 come into play as the drawer is substantially closed to make sure that there is a tight—but releasable grip of the fitting relative to the guide 26 when the drawer is pushed shut. 1

On the other hand, when the drawer is substantially extended or removed from its housing within the dresser, there occurs a substantial cantilever weight which tends to spread the side walls 21 and 22 of the fitting. This, is effectively resisted by reinforcing means provided adjacent the rear end of the fitting in the form of outwardlyextending substantially perimetric ribs 36 (see particularly FIG. 2). The ribs 36 in addition to reinforcing the side walls 22 and 21 against outward deformation also reinforce the flanges 24 and 25 against downward flexing which would cause them to lose their ensleeved relation relative to the guide 26.

In the practice of the invention, I can construct the fitting 16 of advantageously light metal such as the previously-mentioned 24-gauge sheet steel without, loss of strength and rigidity. The combination of steel in the fitting and wood in the guide makes for easy movement of the drawer while preserving simplicity of construction and economy. Advantageously the fitting 16 can be developed by using the progressive-die technique wherein the workpiece advances essentially transversely of its length, being formed successively in various portions. The die development includes providing the grooves or slots 35 which may be indentations of the order of about 0.020 inch. Also, during the course of manufacture, I incorporate rust inhibitors in the quick-drying type oil and a silicone for easier sliding operation.

After manufacture, the installation is relatively straightforward since the forwardly-extending lug 30 is merely positioned within the slot 19 after which the tab 27 is folded upwardly by creasing the fitting 16 at an appropriate position along the neck 29. Staples are applied as at 18 and 17 for the front and rear portions, respectively. The engagement of the fitting with the guide 26 is facilitated by the beveled or angled side walls as at 34 and further, the flanges 24 and 25 are also undercut or beveled as at 37 (see FIG. 4). Further, the edges 34 and 37 are flared outwardly to facilitate mounting of the fitting 16 on the guide 26. .

While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention has been set down for the purpose of illustration, many variations in the details herein given may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.