Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~065729
This is a division of Application Serial Number
278,977 filed May 24th, 1977.
The present invention relates to a filing system
; for vertically suspending large documents and more particularly
relates to a filing cabinet and a mounting strip attachable
to the documents and mountable on rods in the filing cabinet.
The prior art is replete with filing cabinets
for vertically hanging drawings and the like on opposed,
horizontally extending pins which are attached to opposite
supporting members in the filing cabinet. Many of the filing
cabinets disclosed in the prior art utilize curved, or pivoting
bar support arrangements. In practice, both of these arrangements
are completely impractical and unusable with large quantities
~¦ of drawings. As a result, large amounts of storage space is
¦ either wasted or the drawings are damaged when too many ofthem are stored in these types of filing systems. Naturally,
if a large number of drawings must be safely stored, a large
number of incompletely filled filing cabinets must be used with
the large attendant increase in cost of the filing system.
Many other conventional filing systems use a male and female
mating bar assembly which also has tremendous practical diffi-
~-~ culties. Drawings kept in male and female mating bar assemblies
are difficult to separate and to extract a particular drawing.
Additionally, it has been found that in a fully loaded cabinet
of this type, the female bar tends to jam within its cooperating
male bar and thus causes damage to the cabinet and renders it
unusable. Filing cabinet systems of the foregoing type for
suspending drawings, documents, sheets and the like are disclosed
in the following references: Adams, U.S. Patent 1,335,415
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disclosing curved male and female supporting bars; Rlitsche,
U.S. Patent 1,170,975 disclosing a pair of curved, interconnect-
ing opposed supporting bars; Mobus, U.S. Patents 2,205,903 and
2,711,941 disclosing male and female pivoted supporting bars;
and Rubissow, U.S. Patent 3,292,982 disclosing telescopic male
and female supporting bars which are either straight or curved.
Other types of vertical filing systems disclose
horizontal oppositely projecting supporing bars which are
attached to relatively movable lathes or vertical dividers.
These types of filing systems are disclosed in the Barnhart
U.S. Patent 1,416,661 and the Barker Canadian Patents 832,899
and 832,900 through 832,902. These systems have at least two
major disadvantages. Firstly, it is extremely difficult to
view one of the suspended documents without removing it from the
filing cabinet and secondly the maximum number of documents
storable in this type of filing system is greatly reduced because
of the internal dividers and lathes.
The prior art also discloses a plethora of means
for hanging the documents from the supporting bars. For example,
in the aforementioned Rubissow and Barker patents, the documents
` themselves are perforated with the resulting holes being reinforced.
This system has the obvious disadvantages of permanently disfiguring
the documents and relegating the documents for use in only one
type of filing cabinet. Other filing systems use expensive and
bulky clips which are rigidly attached to the documents. Two
; such clips are disclosed in the Dannheiser U.S. Patent 923,412
~` and the aforementioned Adams patent. Still other conventional
i systems use sheet protectors which totally encompass the drawing
or the upper part thereof, such as disclosed in the Ambert
Canadian Patent 504,088, or in the aforementioned Mobus patent.
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All of the foregoing suspension means are bulky, which reduce
the number of storable documents; preclude the document from
being universally storable; tend to catch on the supporing
bars; and/or can damage the document if not carefully used.
An integrated filing system according to the
present invention has advantageous features for overcoming the
foregoing and other disadvantages. The present filing system
can economically and efficiently store twice as many vertically
hung documents as the prior art systems. A filing cabinet of the
present system is of rugged and sturdy construction, yet has
an overall small weight so that it is easily movable. When opened,
documents can be easily viewed without removing them or can be
easily removed without damaging the remaining documents. The
present system overcomes the disadvantages of conventional systems
which, when overloaded, did not permit easy access or removal of
the stored documents and which usually resulted in the documents
being torn or otherwise damaged.
The present invention also provides a means for
vertically suspending the documents in a file cabinet which
occupies very little additional space, is rugged, easily slides
over and is removable from the document supporting bars, and
is extremely lightweight. The attachment means does not result
in a disfigurement or damage to the document and can be readily
attached to or removed from the document and reused with another
document. It is extremely inexpensive and can be easily stored
in large numbers for future attachment and use with documents
to be suspended in a filing cabinet.
A filing cabinet acoording to the present invention
~ comprises a first frame having a first base and a first vertical
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~ 30 side mountcd at the bottom end thereof to one end of the first
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base. A second frame, having a second base and a second vertical
side mounted at the bottom end thereof to one end of the second
base, is slidably receivable by the first frame such that the
other end of the second base is cooperatively engaged with the
other end of the first base. As such, the first and second frames
can be relatively separated to open the filing cabinet and can
be relatively combined to close the filing cabinet. At least
two, laterally spaced apart groups of horizontally extending
canilevered bars are provided with first ones of each group of
bars being rigidly mounted to the top end portion of the first
side and second ones of each group of bars being rigidly mounted
on the top end portion of the second side. Documents are conjoint-
ly suspended from the bars at one end of the document.
A means for suspending documents comprises an
elongate strip attachable along the bottom thereof to the docu-
ment. The strip has therein has a plurality of spaced apart
groups of spaced apart oval orifices, each orifice for receiv-
ing respective ones of the bars in the filing cabinet.
These and other objects of the present invention
will clearly be understood from the following description of
the preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example, with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabi-
net in accordance with the present invention in the closed position;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the filing cabi-
net depicted in Figure 1 in the open position;
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the filing
cabinet in the closed position.
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the filing
cabinet in an extended partially opened position;
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Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the pull-
out half of the filing ca~inet;
Figure 6 is a plan view of the filing cabinet with f
the top removed;
Figure 7 is a partial side elevational view, partly
in cross-section with parts removed, and taken along line 7-7 in
Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a partial side elevational, cross-
sectional view with parts removed of a second embodiment of the
invention;
Figure 9 is a side elevational view of an elongate
strip according to the present invention which i8 attached to
a document or sheet and which is used in combination with a
filing cabinet of the present inventiona
:~ . A filing system for vertically suspending sheets
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or documents is disclosed in the several views wherein like
numerals represent like elements and comprises in combination
a filing cabinet 10 and an elongate strip 12 that is attachable
to a document 14 so that document 14 can be vertically suspended
20 in filing cabinet 10. Filing cabinet 10 is comprised of a first
, o~ main frame or unit 16 and a removable second or pull-out frame
~ or unit 18 so that it is slidably received by a main frame 16.
f Neans for suspending the documents comprises a plurality of
cantilevered bars 20 rigidly mounted at the upper ends of main
, frame 16 and pull-out unit 18. Filing cabinet 10 also comprises
. hinged sides 22 and a hinged top 24.
. With reference to Figures 1 through 6, main frame
16 comprises a horizontal base 26 and a vertical side 28 mounted
at the bottom end thereof to the rearward end 30 of base 26.
30 Base 26 comprises a welded U-shaped frame 32 made from square
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channels, a horizontal, transversely extending stabilizer bar
34 rigidly attached proximal the forward end of U-shaped frame
32, and a pair of longitudinally extending vertical sides 36
securely mounted to U-shaped frame 32. Two horizontal tracks
38 are rigidly mounted to the inward faces of base sides 36.
A resilient molding 40, best seen in Figure 8, extends along the
inward surface of each arm of frame 32 for protecting main frame
base 26 as pull-out unit 18 is moved relative thereto.
Mounted on the bottom of main frame 16 at each
corner thereof are four 4 inch swivel casters 41. A lower
gusset plate 42 is rigidly attached, for example by welding,
at each side of base 26 to both base 26 and vertical side 28
and provides rigidity and strength to main frame 16. As shown
in Figure 7, an upper gusset plate 44 is rigidly attached at the
` upper end along each edge of vertical side 28 and provides a
; mounting for top 24.
Vertical side 28 of main frame 16, as best shown
in Figures 2 and 7, comprises a frame 46 preferably comprised of
sheet metal, rigidly attached, for example by welding, to frame
l 20 46. Mounted to the top of frame 46 is a smaller hollow square
! channel 50 to which a piano hinge 52 for mounting top 24 is
attached.
As best shown in Figures 2 and 5, pull-out unit
18 comprises a horizontal base 54 and a vertical side 56 mounted
at the bottom end thereof to the forward end 58 of base 54. Two
. gusset plates 60, welded between vertical side 56 and base 54
provide rigidity for vertical side 56. Base 54 comprises a U-shaped
frame 62 preferably made from hollow square channels welded together
! and a transversely extending stabilizer bar 64. A resilient
~ 30 molding 66 is fixedly attached on the outward sides of base 54 for
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engagement with resilient molding 40 when pull-out unit 18 is
moved relative to main frame 16.
Adjustably mounted to base forward end 58 of pull-
out unit 18 are two spaced apart 4 inch fixed casters 68.
Rigidly mounted on each side of the rearward end of pull-out
unit base 54 is an upstanding bearing mounted bracket 68.
Two vertically spaced apart rollers 70 are rotatably mounted
on bracket 67 for engagement on either side of track 38 on
main frame 16. Thus, with rollers 70 engaging track 38, the
forward end of pull-out unit 18 is slidably supported by base
26 of main frame 16.
As best seen in Figures 1 and 6, vertical side 56
of pull-out unit 18 is comprised of a sheet metal back 72
rigidly mounted, for example by being welded, into a frame 74
of four hollow, square channel members. A transversely extending
pull-out bar 76 is rigidly mounted on the outside or forward side
of back 72 for providing a means for pulling out pull-out unit
18 and opening filing cabinet 10. A locking system 78 permits
the locking of file cabinet 10 in the closed position and comprises
a conventional drop bolt 80 and operating handle 82 together with
appropriate linking members (not shown).
Bars 20 from which documents 14 can be suspended
comprise, in the preferred embodiment, three-quarter inch
round, straight bars mounted at one end and having a rounded
distal end, as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. In one embodiment
j of the invention, bars 20 are arranged into four laterally -
~ spaced apart bars 84 and 86, respectively. The first bars 84
`~ are rigidly mounted at the top end portion of main frame side
28, for example by weld 88 and spot welds 90 to frame 46.
Second bars 86 are similarly rigidly mounted at the top end
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portion of pull-out unit side 56. First and second bars 84
and 86 are preferably mounted at the same vertical height on
their corresponding vertical sides 22 and 56 so that they are
substantially coplanar. It can thus be seen that first and
second bars 84 and 86 conjointly suspend documents 14 at one
end of the documents.
Elongate strip 12 is best seen in Figure 9 as
comprising a plurality of pairs of oval orifices 92. The number
of pairs of orifices 92 and the spacing between the pairs, as
well as the spacing of the orifices in each pair, is equal in
number and spacing to bars 20. It is preferable that elongate
strip 12 be manufactured from a suitable plastic material such
as a thin thermoplastic polyester, for example "MYLAR" (a
tradmark of DuPont) and which consists essentially of polyethylene
terephthalate. An elongate strip 12 made from the presently
preferred "MYLAR" material is flexible, yet is resistent to tears
and physical decomposition. Such a strip can be easily mounted
,J along the bottom end thereof to the top portion of a document 14
with means such as an adhesive tape 94, with staples, or with
other similar fastening means.
An alternative embodiment in which the rearward
)i end of pull-out unit base 54 is telescopically, slidably mounted
¦ to main frame base 26 is depicted in Figure 8. An upstanding
! bracket 96 is mounted to the sides of base frame 62 of pull-out
unit 18. Rotatably mounted~on bracket 96, for example with a
` bolt 98 and a nut 100, are two vertically spaced apart rollers,
` an upper roller 102 and a lower roller 104. Upper roller 102
engages along the top thereof, an angle bracket 106 that is rigidly
mounted for example by being welded to main frame base 26. Lower
roller 104 engages along the bottom thereof, a smaller hollow
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square channel 108 that is rigidly mounted on the top of the
arms of frame 32 for example by being spot welded. The alternative
embodiment for supporting the rearward end of pull-out unit 18
provides a greatly stiffened filing cabinet which can be easily
opened and closed even when fully loaded.
The filing system of the present invention can be
easily used to efficiently and safely suspend large numbers of
documents. An elongate strip is securely fastened to the top
portion of each document, the document preferably being centered
between the ends of the strip. The filing cabinet is then unlocked
by rotating handle 82 and pulling out pull-out unit 18 using bar
76. Pull-out unit 18 is pulled out far enough so that there is
a small space between the distal ends of first and second bars
84, as shown in Figure 2. Hinged sides 22 can be opened for easy
access to the interior of the filing cabinet 10 if filing cabinet
10 is of the large, "walk-in" type or hinged top 24 can be opened
in smaller models. Strip 12 is then suspended from either first
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ba;~ 84 or second bars 86 and filing cabinet 10 can then be closed.
Should it be de~ir~ble to only observe a suspended document without
removing it from the filing cabinet 10, pull-out unit 18 is only
-~ withdrawn an amount to ensure an overlap between first and second
bars 84 and 86, as shown in Figure 4. Even when filing cabinet
10 is fully loaded with documents, upwards of 3,000 documents
easily being storable in a larger filing cabinet, the documents
can be readily separated as a result of the almost frictionless
contact between the elongate strip 12 and bars 20 and because of
the oval shape of orifices 92. Further in this regard, it is
noted that when a filing cabinet is fully loaded, the weight of
the documents tends to warp bars 20 and the sides of main frame
16 and pull-out unit 18. Whereas conventional round orifices and
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conventional suspension means would bind up, the oval orifices
92 can accommodate for the disalignment and warping of bars 20
and filing cabinet 10.
Althoughthe invention has been described in
detail with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that variations
and modifications may be effected within the scope and spirit
of the invention.
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