Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 FIELD OF THE INVE~TION
The present invention rela-tes to a knockdown hanglng
folder arrangement which can be assembled in a number of
dif~erent manners to support different si~es of hanging
folders in different sizes of file cabinets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are presently available, different types of
hanging folder frames which can be adjusted for different
sizes of hanging folders. ~ typical arrangement is one
which includes telescopic support frame members which
telescope to different positions for adjustment of the
arrangement.
In this prior art arrangement the telescopic frames
are somewhat complex making them both costly and awkward
to work with. For example, they may lock in a specific
position from which they are difficult to release. If
the locking positions are worn, they will not effectively
provide an adjustment stop so that it becomes difficult
to accurately adjust the system to accommodate a speciPic
size of hanging folder.
Secondly these telescopic frames include inherent
structural weaknesses as a result of -the moving parts
required to make the frames telescope. Accordingly they
are often rickety which is highly undesirable for
supporting heavy loads of hanging folders.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVEN~ION
The present invention provides a structure which is
inexpensive and simple relative to the prior art
arrangements discussed above. However, at the same time
the structure of the present invention is e~tremely
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1 efficient and sturdy for the supporting of hanging
folders.
~ore particularly the present invention provides an
invertible structure for use as an upright support in
supporting side rails for hanging folders from the side
rails. When the structure is upright it has vertically
spaced ends with first horizontally spaced support means
adjacent one end and second horizontally spaced support
means of different spacing from the first horizontally
spaced support means adjacent the other end.
According to this arrangement the structure of the
present in~ention is adapted to provide support of the
side rails in one spaced relation by the first
horizontally spacea support means for hanging folders of
one size in one upright position and to pro~ide support
of the side rails in a different spaced relation by the
second horizontally spaced support means for hanging
folders of a different size when the structure is
inverted.
The upright support structure itself includes no
moving parts so that it is uncomplicated in its
construction. ~his provides substantial benefits from
both a cost and a strength standpoint. ~urthermore the
repositioning of the rails to accommodate different sizes
of hanging folders is a simple operation when working
with the structure of the present invention.
~ccording to an aspect of the present invention the
structure is specifically designed to accommodate either
letter or legal sized hanging folders with the second
horizontally spaced apart support means being spaced for
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1 supporting the rails to hang the legal size folders in a
legal size cabinet and at the same time being spaced to
fit within a letter sized filing cabinet when the
structure is inverted and the rails are supported to hang
letter size folders.
~RIEF DISCUSSION OF ~HE DRAWI~GS
~ he above as well as other advantages and features
of the present invention will be described in greater
detail according to the preferred embodiments of the
present invention in which:
Figure 1 is a front perspective vie~ looking down on
a filing cabinet fitted with a folder hanger arrangement
with folders supported therefrom according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one assembly of
the folder hanger arrangement of Figure 1, removed from
the cabinet and substantially free of folders;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an alternate
assembly with the supporting structure inverted from that
shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an end view from the inside of a legal
sized filing cabinet with the folder hanger arrangement
assembled as shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is an end view from the inside of a letter
sized filing cabinet with the folder hanger arrangement
assembled in the Figure 2 position;
Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a
connecting member for connecting the rails and the
supporting structure as used in either of the folder
hanger arrangements of Figures 2 and 3;
1 Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of an
adaptor plug which is useable with -the connecting member
of Figure 6 to accommodate a different size hanging
folder from those shown in Pigures 2 and 3;
Figure 8 is an interior view of the assembly at the
connecting member when connecting the support frame and
one of the rails of the folder hanger arrangement:
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a section of one
of the rails used in the folder hanger arrangement of
Fi.gures 2 and 3;
Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective view of one of
the connecting member supports of the frame members of
Figures 2 and 3;
Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8 arranged for
metric sized folders;
Figure 1~ is again a view similar to Figures 8 and
11 showing a comparison of the fitting of the connecting
member in the metric and the letter si~e hanging folder
positions;
Figure 13 shows assembly of one of the connecting
members, one of the rails and a support of one of the
upright support frame members when in an assembled
packaging position;
Figure 14 is a plan view of the entire folder hanger
arrangement assembled in the packaging position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figures 2 and 3 show a knockdown folder hanger
arrangement which includes two upright support frame
members 3, four connecting members 15 and a pair of
elongated rails 29. In Figure 2 the arrangement is
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1 assembled for hanging letter size hanging folders whereas
in Figure 3 the arrangement is assembled for hanging
legal size hanging folders. Figures 11 and 12 show a
further set-up where the arrangement is arranged for
hanging metric size hanging folders which are larger than
letter and smaller than legal size folders.
The folder hanger arrangement shown in the drawings
is one which can be used independently or can be set up
as shown in Figure l in a filing cabinet. In Figure 4
the arrangement is set up for hanging legal size hanging
folders in a legal size filing cabinet whereas in ~igure
5 the set up is arranged for hanging lettar size hanging
folders in a letter size filing cabinet.
As mentioned above, the arrangement is knockdown so
that the upright frame members, the connecting members
and the rails are all totally separable from one another
however, all of these ccmponents are easily interfitted
for assembly of the arrangement with the frame members
being constructed for inverting to enable different
assemblies of tha arrangement according to the size of
hanging folder to be used with the arrangement.
More particularly each of the frame members 3, which
acts as an upright support structure for the entire
arrangement, includes first and second hori~ontally
spaced support means in the form of two sets of supports
Sl and S2 as seen in Figures 2 and 3. These sets of
supports are at the vertically spaced ends of the upright
frame members which are designed for switching of the up
and down positioning of each of the sets of supports.
For example~ in Figure 2, the frame members are in a
l first upright orientation where sets of supports Sl are
in an up position for supporting the rails to receive the
letter size hanging folders. In Figure 3 the frame
members are inverted to a reversed upright orientation to
switch the positions of the supports so that supports S2
are in the up position for supporting the rails to
receive the legal size hanging folders. The difference
between the two sets of supports is that supports S2 have
an increased horizontal spacing relative to supports Sl.
Therefore when supports S2 are used, the file suppor-ting
rails 29 when supported in position are spaced by a
greater distance than when supports Sl are used. This i8
consistent with the fact that legal size f'olders are
larger than letter size folders.
Each frame member construction is somewhat wedge
shaped with the supports Sl and S2 extending laterally
from the wedge. The wedge in each of the frame members
includes a first trans~erse end rod 5 at the short end of
the frame member, a second transverse end rod 7 at the
longer end of the frame member and a pair of side rods 9
which angle outwardly from the short to the long end of
the frame member. The side rods include 'bent end
portions 11 and 13 at the short and long ends of the
-frame members respectively. These bent end portions are
welded to the outer ends OI the transverse rods and
cooperate in forming the sets of supports Sl and S2.
A typical support S2 is shown in ~igure 10 of the
drawings. Here it will be seen that the bent end portion
l3 of side rod 9 is welded directly to the outer end
region of transverse rod 7 in forming the suppor-t S2. It
1 will also be seen that the transverse rod extends
slightly beyond end portion 13 of the side rod. Each of
the supports is deliberately set up in this same manner
where the transverse end rod projects outwardly beyond
the bent ends of the side rod. The purpose for this
construction is that the transverse rod has a fixed
length and therefore provides an accurate guide for the
maximum span across the sets of supports at either end of
each frame member. This feature is highly desirable to
assure that the arrangement is assembled at an accurate
spacing for receiving the different si~es of hanging
folders.
Figure 10 also shows the feature that both the side
rods and the end rods are cylindrical with a rounded or
circular configurationO Figure 6 shows one of the
connecting members 15 which is adapted to fit to the
support as shown in Figure 10. More specifically each of
the connecting members includes stem portion 17 and a
head 21. The s-tem portion has a pair of side by side
semi-circular openings 19 which are designed for pushing
of the stem over any one of the supports. As will be
seen in Figure 6, the interior of the stem includes a
stop 20 which is designed to abut against the extending
end of the projecting rod at each support. This provides
an accurate locating of each of the connecting members
which are fitted as endcaps over the supports to either
side of the upright frames or support members.
Each of the connecting member heads 21 is provided
with a blind ended opening or recess 23. Recess 23 is
designed to receive the rail members 29 as shown in
33~6~
l Figure 9 which are pushed directly into the head of the
connecting members. This as well as the interconnection
between the connecting members and the supports is in the
form of a friction fit where the components lock tightly
onto one another to ensure that once the system is
assembled it does not slide apart. As a preferred
feature of the present invention, the connecting members
or endcaps are made from a plastic or nylon material
which is particularly suited for the force fitting of the
components -to one another.
It will now be understood how -the selective assembly
of the arrangement is accomplished. For example, in
order to assemble the arrangement as shown in Figure 2,
the upright support structure frames are turned such that
supports Sl are in an up position. The caps or
connecting mambers 15 are pushed onto these sets of
supports with all of the heads on the caps positioned
such that the blind ended openings 23 face inwardly with
the rails 29 fitted in the caps.
For purposes of arranging the Figure 3 assembly the
endcaps with the fitted rails are pulled from the sets of
supports Sl. The frame members are inverted so that
supports S2 are in an up position and the caps and rails
are pushed back into position on the now up supports S2.
It will be noted that the sets of supports in the down
position act as feet at the base of the assembly.
In order to assemble the arrangement for metric size
folders the sets of supports Sl are used in the up
position and a plug 25 as shown in Figure 7 is
interfitted between the supports and the rail caps. This
1 plug is placed within the opening 19 of the rail cap and
effectively acts as a spacer between the stop 20 wlthin
the rail cap and the end of the support as shown in
Figure 11. Figure 12 shows -the fitting of the cap on the
support in dotted lines for a letter size hanging folder
and in solid lines for a metric size hanging folder.
Here it will be seen that the endcap is located in a
laterally extended position for the metric folders
relative to the letter size folders which is due to the
fact that the metric folders are larger than the letter
folders.
It is to be appreciated that other types of metric
plugs can be used. For example, a single plug is equally
effective for fitting into the endcap between the end of
the straight rod and the interior stop within the cap,
where as mentioned above, the straight rod provides the
accurate guide for positioning of the endcap.
One of the very unique and desirable features of the
present invention is that all three of the assemblies
described above, i.e. the letter, metric and legal size
assemblies, require only a minimum number of components
including the two rails, the four endcaps and the adaptor
plugs with the endcaps being moveable to either end of
the frame members. Furthermore the frame members
themselves do not have any moving components and are
therefore economic in their own construction while at the
same time being extremely sturdy.
In most applications the folder hanger arrangement
will be used within a filing cabinet. For this purpose
the rails, as shown in Figure 9, are constructed for easy
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1 length ~election according to the depth of the filing
cabinet. More specifically the rails are provided with a
plurality of weakened notched regions 31 to one end of
the rails allowing the rails to be trim or broken along
the notches. The rail itself has a rolled form
construction as shown in Figure 9 so that it is very
strong to support substantial loads placed on the rail
while at the same time the rail has a hollow in-terior to
ease the cutting or breaking of the rail at a desired
length. The rail has an oval shape which will
frictionally fit within the endcaps as shown in Figure 8
of the drawings. However other shapes such as a
rectangular rail and correspondingly shaped opening in
the cap can also be used.
~ hen the assembly is set up for legal size hanging
folders as shown in Figure 3, and that assembly is fitted
into a legal size filing cabinet as shown in Figure 4,
the wide end of the arrangement is up and the narror end
of the arrangement is down. Therefore this assembly
presents no problems whatsoever to fitting within the
wider legal size filing cabinet. However, the fitting
into a letter size drawer as shown in Figure 5 has more
critical considerations~ Specifically when the frame
members are inverted the wider sets of supports S2 must
be narrow enough to fit within the base of the filing
cabinet and accordingly these sets of supports have a
span which must be no greater than the span across the
endcaps when they are set up at the narrower sets of
supports Sl. In the embodiment shown the distance
between the rails when set up for letter size files is
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1 slightly greater than the lateral span at -the base of the
system with the S2 supports in -the down position.
As most manufacturers will appreciate, many
consumers do not like purchasing unassembled items.
Accordingly the embodiment of the invention shown in
Figures 13 and 14 provides a packaging assembly of the
frame members, rail caps and rails. In this set up
either of the sets of supports can be used however, it is
more practical to use the narrower sets of supports Sl to
allow a narrower packaging. In this packaging assembly
the projecting end of rod 5 at each of the supports Sl is
partially seated in the endcap as shown in Figure 13
where the bent end portion of the side rod remains
totally out of the stem of the cap. The rails 29 are
totally seated in position within the heads of the
endcaps.
~ his partial fitting of the supports in the caps is
a first stage fitting which allows the frame members to
be swung into the Figure 14 position where they lie in
the same plane as the rails 29. ~his of course enables a
relatively flat box to be used for packaging in this
position. After removing from the package or box the
frame members are swung down to their upright positions
by virtue of the fact that only the single extension at
each of the supports is seated in position and that
single extension through its circular or rounded shape
will allow rotation within the correspondingly shaped
opening at the stem of the caps. After the frame members
have been turned down to the appropriate position the
entirc support including the inwardly located bent end of
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1 the side rod is lined up with the full opening in the
stem of the caps for the second of the two stage fitting
where the caps are pushed entirely onto the supports such
that the frame members are locked against any further
swinging movements.
From the description above it will be well
appreciated that the folder hanger arrangement of the
present invention is one which can be easily assambled,
broken down and reassembled without requiring any tools
whatsoe~er. Furthermore the locking together of the
components is not dependent upon any complicated locking
actions so that the arrangement is not subject to jamming
of the components. In addition the accuracy of the
location oi` the components is ensured by simply
assembling the structure as shown in Figure 8 where the
ends of the rails are seated as far as possible into the
heads of the caps and the supports of the frames are
pushed into the stop position within the stems of the
rail caps.
From a versatility standpoint the folder hanger
arrangement of the present invention is adapted such that
it will work in both legal and letter size drawers so
that it will fit with essentially any presently available
filing system. Furthermore the dimensions of the
arrangement can be quite easily altered through the use
of different sizes of adaptor plugs to accommodate
different types and si~es of filing systems from those
described above.
Therefore, although various preferred embodiments of
the present invention have been described herein in
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1 detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that variations may be made thereto withou-t departing
from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the
appended claims.
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