Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to drawers for desks,
tables or the like and to a method of making such
drawers.
Desk drawers, for example, are often of relatively
complex construction and are difficult to assemble. A
modern desk drawer may be made mainly of sheet metal
parts bolted or welded together and fitted with a wooden
front. Although the metal parts themselves can be
manufactured rapidly by machine on a mass production
basis, the time required to assemble the parts is relatively
high, which makes for a high labour cost factor. Similar
problems apply with other t~pes of conventional drawers.
An object of the present invention is to provide
a drawer which can be assembled substantially more quickly
and easily than conventional drawers. A further object
is to provide a method of making such a drawer.
The back and sides of the drawer according to the
invention are formed from a single extruded panel bent
transversely along tw~ lines spaced longitudinally of the
panel so as to define two side sections and a back section
arranged at appropriate mutual angular orientations. The
front of the drawer is secured to the outer ends of the
side sections. Each said section is formed along its lower
margin with an inwardly-directed channel receiving the -
side and rear marginal portions of the bottom of the drawer.
Each side section is also formed with at least one out- -
wardly directed rib extending parallel to said channel in
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the section and defining a runner for use in slidably
locating the drawer in use.
The invention also provides a method of making a
drawer. The first step is to form a single extruded panel
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of a length equal to the sum of the lengths of the back
and sides of the drawer to be made and of a width equal
to the required height of the said back and sides.
Along one longitudinal margin, the panel has a continuous
i channel facing to one side of the panel. At least one~
continuous rib extends parallel to said channel at the opposite
- side of the panel to define a runner for slidably locating
the drawer in use. The said rib and the back ~f the channel
', are cut through at said opposite side of the panel along
' ; 10 two rectilinear parallel lines disposed normal to the
longitudinal edges of the panel so as to divide the panel
into three sections disposed end to end and intended to
~;, form respectively one side, the back, and the outer side
of the drawer. The side sections of the panel are then
bent inwardly about said lines to positions in which the
side sections are disposed at the required angular
orientations with respect to the said back section with
the portions of the said channel on the side sections -
facing one another. A bottom panel is then engaged in
-' 20 the portions of the said channel on the side and back
section and finally a front panel is secured to the outer
~-~ ends of the side sections.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now
be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view from one end of partof an extruded panel used in making a drawer according
to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view from one side and
- 30 above of the complete panel, and indicates how the panel
is to be bent to form the sides and back of the drawer;
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Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the
drawer, showing how the extruded panel is fitted with
a bottom panel and a front panel.
Fig. 4 is a detailed view of part of Fig. 3 and
illustrates how the front panel is secured to the extruded
panel;
- Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrates
an alternative method of securing the front panel to the
~'~ extruded panel; and,
Fig. 6 is a detail view of one end of the front
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f, panel and illustrates an alternative method of securing
-~ the bottom panel of the drawer to the front panel.
Reference will first be made to Fig. 1 which shows
one end of an extruded aluminum panel 20 used to form the
sides and back of a drawer. Fig. 2 shows the complete
i panel at a subsequent step in the sequence of operations
involved in making a drawer. As can be seen from Fig. 2,
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the panel 20 is of relatively narrow elongate form. The
length of the panel is substantially equal to the sum of
~ 20 the required lengths of the sides and back of the drawer. -
,` The width of the panel is equal to the required height
~- of the said sides and back.
- Referring back to ~ig. 1, the panel 20 includes a
back wall 22 formed along one longitudinal margin with a
- channel generally designated 24 which faces to one side
of the panel 20. An angle-section formation 26 extends
along the opposite longitudinal margin of wall 22 at the
opposite side of the panel. A pair of continuous parallel
ribs 28 extena along the panel intermediate the channel 24
- 30 and the formation 26 at the same side of the back wall
22 as the formation 26. As will be described, when the
panel is in use, it is positioned so that the ribs 28
are external to the drawer and the channel 24 faces
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~nwardly. In the assembled drawer, the ribs 28 serve
as runners for slidably locating the drawer in a desk
or the like in use. The channel 24 is of generally
square shape and defines a slot 30 of a width to receive
a bottom panel of the drawer. Formation 26 includes a
wall portion 32 which, when the drawer is assembled,
forms the visible upper edge of the sides and back of
the drawer. This gives the sides of the drawer an
appearance of greater width than would be the case in the
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absence of the formation. The ribs 28 are provided for
~ the purpose of slidably locating the drawer in a desk,
¦ table or the like in use.
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Assuming the panel 20 has been cut to the required
~- length, the next step is to cut through the ribs 28 and
~- the base 31 of the channel 24 down to the level of the
back wall 22, along two rectilinear parallel lines 34, 36.
These lines are disposed normal to the longitudinal edges
of the panel at distances from the respective ends of
the panel equal to the required lengths of the respective
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sides of the drawer. In other words, the lines 34, 36
~,~ in effect divide the panel into three sections 38, 40
and 42 which are disposed end to end and which will
respectively form one side, the back and the other side
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of the drawer. In addition to the cuts, a small portion
is cut off each end of the channel 24, each of the ribs
28, and the formation 26 so as to leave plain portions
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44 of the wall 22 exposed at each end of the panel.
'~ Each of the portions 44 is formed with two rectan-
,~- gular tabs 46 which are bent upwardly at right angles
to the back wall 22 of the panel in Fig. 2. Before bending,
r~,'.. ~ each tab is formed with a transverse slot 48 to receive a screw
for securing the panel to a front panel of the drawer as will
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be described. Portions 22a of the back wall 22 remain
after the slotted tabs 46 have been bent up (see Fig. 3).
~` The rib 28 nearest the formation 26 includes, in
each section 38, 42 of the panel, two small rectangular
; tabs 49a, 49b. Each tab 49a, 49b is formed by cutting
! through the rib and then bending towards the formation
~- 26 a portion of the rib adjacent the cut. The purpose
' of these tabs will be described later.
The side sections 38 and 42 of the panel are now
bent downwardly in the directions of the arrows in Fig. 2
to the ghost outline positions 38' and 42' respectively.
; ; In these positions, the side sections 38 and 42 are disposed
-~ at right angles to the back section 40. The cuts along
lines 34 and 36 through the channel 24, the ribs 28 and
, the formation 26 ensure accurately-positioned and well-
defined bends. Further, the channel, ribs and formation
1 1 stiffen the sections of the panel and prevent them bending
~ other than at the correct locations.
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~ Fig. 3 shows the panel 20 in its bent configura-
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~-~ 20 tion ready to be fitted with a bottom panel 50 and a front
~' panel 52. The bottom panel 50 is engaged with the panel 20
by engaging the side margins of the bottom panel in the
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s ~ portions of the slot 30 of channel 24 along the lower margins
of the side sections 38 and 42 and sliding the panel along the
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i slot portions. When the bottom panel is in its fully engaged
~ position, the rear end margin thereof engages in the portion
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of slot 30 along the lower edge of the back section 40 of
- panel 20. Finally, the front panel 52 is fitted to the outer
- ends of the side sections 38 and 42 of the panel 20. The front
; 30 panel 52 is made of wood and is formed with a horizontal groove
53 to receive the front margin of panel 50 and with two
parallel vertical grooves 54 at positions to receive the
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- plain end portions 44 of the wall 22 of panel 20.
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Finally, the front panel 52 is secured to the panel 20 by
screws 56 (Fig. 4) passing through the slots 48 in the tabs
46 in the plain end portions 44 of panel 20 and screwed into
the rear face of the front panel 52. The provision of slots
in the tabs 46 as opposed to holes has the advantage of
allowing adjustment of the positions of the screws.
Referring back to Fig. 3, the tabs 49a, 49b referred to
above project upwardly from the rib 28 which is uppermost in
the assembled drawer. The tabs 49a nearest the front of the
drawer are provided for co-operation with a lock mechanism in
the desk or the like in which the drawer is used. Tabs 49a
are provided at both sides of the drawer so that the drawer
can be used as a right hand or left hand drawer, although the
lock mechanism will co-operate with one of the tabs only.
The rearmost tabs 49b serve as drawer stops for co-operation
with latch members in the desk or other article of furniture in
which the finished drawer is used. In Fig. 3, one of these
latch members is indicated in chain lines at 58. A similar
member will be provided for co-operation with the tab 496 at
the other side of the drawer, although this tab is not visible
in Fig. 3. When the drawer is inserted into the desk or the
like, the tabs 49b deflect the latch members 58 and the latch
members fall down behind the tabs, which act as stops preventing
the drawer being completely withdrawn from the desk or the like.
Fig. 5 shows an alternative method of securing the front
panel 52 to each of the side sections 38 and 42 of panel 20.
Primed reference numerals have been used in Fig. 5 to denote
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parts corresponding to parts of the previous figures. In the
- Fig. S embodiment, the end portions 44' of the side sections of
the panel 20' are plain li~e-~ the folded tabs 36 of the previous
-~ embodiment are omitted), and the portions are formed with
pre-punched holes 60 to receive staples 62 driven into the
ends of the front panel 52' and positioned so as to penetrate
- the holes 60. Accurate positioning of the staples can be
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~ffected using a simple jig to position the front panel
with respect to a staple gun. Pre-drilled holes such
; as those indicated at 64 may be provided in the front
panel to receive the staples.
Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative method of securing
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; the bottom panel of the drawer to the front panel. Double
primed reference numerals have been used in Fig. 6 to
i~ denote parts which correspond with previous figures. In
this embodiment, the front panel 52" has no transverse
~'~ 10 slot to receive the front edge of the bottom panel 50".
Further, panel 50" is dimensioned such that its front
edge abuts the rear face of the panel when the drawer is
assembled. In this case, the front marginal portion of
the bottom panel 50" is supported on a fillet 66 which
~` is secured to the rear face of the front panel 52" and
~` to the bottom panel 50". The fillet 66 is secured to the
i panels by adhesive. One or more staples may additionally
be driven through the fillet into the front panel. This
method of securing the bottom panel 50" to the front panel
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52" has the advantage that it allows adjustment of the
position of the front panel during final assembly.
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It is finally to be noted that the preceding
description refers to specific embodiments of the
invention only and that many modifications are possible
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within the broad scope of the invention. For example,
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~; the materials used for the various parts of the drawer
- may vary. In the example described, the panel 20 is
made of aluminum, although other suitable soft metals
~4!,,,, may be used in other cases. Further, materials other
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~; 30 than wood may be usea for the bottom panel 50 and the
; front panel 52.
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Within the braad scope of the invention, it
is not essential to form cuts in the extruded panel
~` to facilitate bending thereof. In some situtions,
it may be more convenient to bend the panel using
available bending equipment.
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`~' Methods other than those specifically described
?~i may be used for attaching the front panel 52 to the
side section~ of the panel 20. For example, a
suitable adhesive could be employed. Also, it is, of
course, to be understood that the dimensions of the
panel 20 may vary. In the case of, say, a deep drawer
intended to contain files, panel 20 might be of ten
inches in width. At the other extreme, a shallow drawer
might require a panel of only two inches in width.
Apart from the question of width, the length of the
~- various sections will, of course, vary, depending on
~ 1- the size of drawer required.
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The shapes of the channel, the formation 26 and
the ribs 28 can also vary. For example, in another
20 embodiment, it may be desirable to provide a rounded
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i; upper edge on the side sections of the drawer, in which
case formation 26 will be of rounded configuration.
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