Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~074384
The invention relates to drawers and
especially to drawers adapted for the accommodation
of so-called "suspended filing" systems.
It is an object of the present invention
to provide means whereby a suspended filing drawer
may be constructed using components of a standard
relatively shallow drawer thereby obviating the
need to construct a custom built drawer for filing
purposes.
The invention provides a suspended filing
drawer having a relatively low bac~ and sides form-
ing a low section and a relatively high front; the
back and sides being formed from hollow extruded
panels having their ends open; means received in the
open ends for so interconnecting the back, sides and
front of the drawer that the back, sides and front
may be stored and transported in a disassembled
condition; and a file supporting assembly detachably
connected to the low section and to the front, the
file supporting assembly including a pair of spaced
horizontal rails mounted so as to extend parallel
to and above the sides of the drawer; a pair of
spaced vertical bars connected to the horizontal
rails and supported on the rear of the low section
to extend upwardly to the horizontal rails; a hori-
zontal bar detachably interconnecting the rear ends
of the horizontal rails and extending parallel to
the back of the drawer; first fastening devices
fixed to the rear of the drawer front for detachably
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receiving the respective rails; and second fastening
devices carried by the rear of the low section for
detachably receiving the lower ends of the respective
vertical bars, whereby the file supporting assembly
is bodily removable from the drawer.
Preferably, the means for interconnecting
the back, sides and front of the drawer comprise cor-
ner pieces having projecting lugs engageable in the
open ends of the hollow extruded panels, the lugs being
provided with detents engageable in holes formed in
the panels so as to lock the parts together.
The side and back walls may constitute
components utilised in the assembly of a normal rela-
tively shallow drawer such as those used in kitchen
and bedroom furniture. In this way a filing drawer
may be constructed utilising components common to other
types of drawer thereby reducing production costs.
Preferably means is provided for attachment
of an addltional horizontal bar in a position adajcent
and parallel to the front wall of the drawer. By ap-
propriate selection of the spacing of the respective
pairs of horizontal bars, the drawer may then be adapted
to accommodate files extending longitudinally or trans-
versely.
An embodiment of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of suspended
filing drawer according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification of
the drawer shown in Fig. l;
Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the suppor~ bars
incorporated in the file suspending assembly;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a front attachment
member utllised to secure the file supporting assembly
to the drawer;
Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on the centre line
of the device shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an attachment device
for mounting the file supporting assembly on the rear of
the drawer; and
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a clip member forming
part of the file supporting assembly.
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a suspended filing
drawer comprising sides 10, 11 a back 12 and a fronttl3,
the sides and back being of the same relatively low height
and the front being considerably higher. The sides and
back comprise extruded panels having longitudinal recesses
14 approximately midway of their height, the recesses in
the side walls ~orming tracks or channels for engagement
with drawer runners forming part of a cabinet or other
structure to which the drawer is to be fitted. The
sections above and below the channels 14 are hollow and
the sides and back are interconnected by corner pieces 15
having projections (not visible) which engage in the
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~074384
hollow ends of the panels to secure same together. The
projections may be secured in place by means of adhesive
but are preferably secured by means of detents w~ich
project therefrom and engage in holes formed in the side
and back walls. In this way the parts may be assembled
without the use of adhesive and can be taken apart sub-
senuently if required. The forward ends of the drawer
sides are secured to the drawer front by means of fixing
members 16 screwed to the rear of the drawer front 13
and having projections which engage in the ends of the
side walls. These fittings may be retained in position
by adhesive or by detents of the kind referred to above.
Before attachment of the drawer front 13, a floor panel
may be engaged in inwardly directed grooves (not visible)
formed towards the lower edges of the side and back walls.
Supported on the drawer thus formed is a file supporting
assembly comprising a pair of horizontal bars 18 extending
parallel to and above the side walls 10, 11. The bars 18
are formed with integral extensions 19 which are disposed
at 90 to the bars 18 and are supported at their lower ends
on the side walls 10, 11 adjacent to the rear wall 12.
The forward ends of the bars 18 are connected to the front
wall 13 by fastening devices 20 one of which is shown in
greater detail in Figs. 5 and 6. This comprises a plastic
moulding having a base plate 22 provided with hales 23
adjacent its ends through which screws may be passed to
secure the fitting to the reaf face of the drawer front.
1074384
The base plate 22 carries a locating member 24 the upper
face of which is provided with a slot 25 of inverted hook
shape engageable with complementary formations 26 at the
forward end of the bars 18. The arrangement is such that
once engaged with the fastening devices the bars 18 can
only be removed upwardly to disengage the formations 26
and slots 25.
The lower ends of the vertical bars 19 are supported
on the sides of the drawer adjacent to the rear wall by
locating devices 30 one of which is shown in greater detail
in Fig. 7. Each device is of generally inverted U-shaped
form having spaced legs 31 engageable over the upper edge
of the drawer side and spaced so that the device is a
tight fit thereon. A slot 32 is formed in the upper end
of the device 30 and is dimensioned to correspond in cross-
section to that of the bars 19. The lower ends of the bars
may thus be engaged in the slots 32 and are restrained against
movement in all directions other than upwardly.
A further horizontal bar 35 interconnects the bars 18
adjacent the rear of the drawer and extends parallel to
the drawer back 12. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1
of the drawings, this bar 35 serves to rigidify the file
supporting assembly and when in place suspended files
indicated at 36 in the drawings may be engaged with the
bars 18 so as to extend across the drawer, that is parallel
to the back and front walls. The cross-bar 35 is locked
to the bars 18 by locking devices (not shown in ~ig. 1 or
Fig. 2) engaged over the co-operating parts of the two
1074384
bars at opposite ends of the cross-bar. One such locking
device is shown in detail in Fig. 8 and comprises a body
40 having upper and lower projecting lugs 41 formed with
interned lips L~2 defining a recess 43 for accommodation
of the associated ~ar 18 and having a vertical slot 44 for
accommodation of the free end of the associated cross-bar 35.
The locking devices secure the bars 18 and 35 against
relative movement in all directions.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,
an additional cross-bar 37 extends between the bars 18 in
a position adjacent and parallel to the drawer front 13.
In this instance the cross-bars 35 and 37 are so spaced as
to accommodate the ends of a suspended filing system shown
at 38 in ~ig. 2 which is supported on the cross-bars 35,
36 with the files extending longitudinally of the drawer.
It will be appreciated that by appropriate spacing of the
bars 18, 35 and 37 the same basic drawer construction can
be utilised to accommodate either form of suspended filing
by removing or inserting the cross-bar 37 as required.
~ iling drawers of the kind described possess several
advantages compared with conventional filing drawers.
Since they can be constructed in "knock-down" form they may
be readily transported and stored utilising the minimum of
space and can then ~e erected by the purchaser when required.
By utilisation of sides and back of a standard depth corres-
ponding to that of drawers for purposes other than suspended
filing~ there is no need to construct custom built suspended
filing drawers and manufacturing costs are therefore sub-
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stantially reduced. When constructed from extruded plasticsmaterials the drawers are extremely light and a further
advantage resides in the fact that the file supporting assembly
may be removed bodily from the drawer and fitted to another
drawer without disturbing the filing system itself.
Various modifications may be made without departing
from the invention. For example the sides and back of
the drawer need not be formed from extruded plastics
material and need not be of "knock~down" construction.
Different forms of file supporting assembly could be
utilised and could be attached to the remainder of the
drawer in different ways. File supporting assemblies
could be produced to fit various different sizes and
depths of standard drawer by altering the height of the
vertical bars 19 and the widths of the or each cross-bar.
The file supporting assembly could also be adapted for
supporting files of different widths by providing different
lengths of side bars or by providing for attachment of the
cross_bars in different positions.
