US2407055A - File drawer follower - Google Patents

Description

p 1946- B. c. BRADNER I 2,407,055

FILE DRAWER FOLLOWER Filed Nov. 6, 1945 if \x w l l I I l 5 ymhox 0/ a6. fd fi/ M Patented Sept. 3, i946 FILEDRAWER FOLLQWER I Burke 0. Bradner, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne ;,assignments, to Clarence E. Threedy, Chicago,

111., as trustee Application November 6, 1943, Serial No. 09.175 Q This invention-relates to the hereinafter described improvements in'file drawer followers, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved" construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture. i

File drawers with which are associated followers of the type to which this invention relates, in their standard construction comprise, in addition to front, side, and end walls, a bottom wall; and it is upon this bottom wall that the followers which I am familiar bear with excessive force in order to clampingly fix the follower in cardsupporting position. Such followers bear upon the side walls as well asthe bottom wall. In such cases, by actual experience I have found that due to the excessive pressure exerted upon the clamping parts of the follower in order to hold the follower in place, the side walls sometimes buckle and invariably where the bottom wall is made of a relatively thin, single, dr veneer strip or sheet of wood, it, being weaker than the side walls, will buckle outwardly. This buckling of the side and/or bottom wallsresults in a disturbed mounting of the cards or other file matter in the drawer. Most of all, it eventually severs the glued or otherwise secured abutting edges of the drawstructure. As a consequence, the life of the file drawer is greatly shortened and the drawer itself rendered inefficient for its purpose. This is especially true when it is noted that the buckling of the walls or bottom prevents the drawer from being mounted in its respective drawer-receiving space or pigeonhole.

It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide a file drawer follower which will eliminate these known defects.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a file drawer showing my improved follower associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the file drawer showing an end view of the follower embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional detail view of the file drawer showing my follower associated therewith;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail View of 5 Claims. (01112949) l 2 the fileldrawer illustrating a vertical sectional detail view of the follower;

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of the base block of the follower; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of the cap portion of the follower.

The drawing illustratesthe preferred form of construction by which the several objects of my invention are accomplished. In this drawing is illustrated a file drawer In of a standard construction,. except as hereinafter noted. This drawer l0 includes side walls II and front and back walls l2 and I3, respectively, the back wall l3 having the usual hand opening M formed therein. This drawer further includes a bottom wall I5. In this drawer is adapted to be mounted file matter |6 which may take various forms but which is shown, in the present instance, as in the form of cards. These cards are retained in a stacked position within the drawer ID by the follower IT. This follower comprises a cap portion I8 and a base portion Hi. The cap portion l8 comprises a card-engaging wall 20. Secured to one face of this wall 20 is a pressure block 2| having a portion cut therefrom to provide a recess 22 and a depending rib 23. Extending from the opposite end portions of this block 2| are lugs 24 whichare adapted to slide in grooves 25 formed in the opposed faces 26 of the side walls I I. 7

In the medial portion of this block 2| is formed a transverse recess 21 housing the cam portion of a lever 29. This lever 29 has a bearing 3|! which receives a pintle 3|, the ends 32 of which are pressed or otherwise fixed in the openings 33 formed in the wall 20 and the block 2|. The lever-29 is eccentrically mounted with respect to the pintle 3| so as to provide the cam portion 28.

The block 2| is glued or otherwise fixedly secured to the wall 20.

The cam head or portion 28 is adapted to bear against a projection 35 formed as an integral part of the base block 36 of the follower. This projection 35 engages in the recess 22. The base block 36 is slidably connected to the card-engaging wall 2|] by means of a lateral projection 31 which engages in a recess 38, the recess 38 being wider than the thickness of the projection 31, whereby the block 36 may have the proper downward movement relative to the wall 20. This arrangement unites the follower into a complete unitary structure whereby the same may be expeditiously mounted and removed from its position in the file drawer.

The opposite end portions of the base block 36 have laterally extending lugs 39 which engage in grooves 40 formed in the opposed faces of the side walls II.

The grooves 25 and 40 are so spaced with respect to each other as to support the follower in a position with the base block 36 slightly spaced as at 4| above the top surface of the bottom IS, the arrangement being such that when the lever 29 is manipulated to bear the cap l8 and base block 36 away from each other, no part of the follower will engage the bottom wall. Consequently the bottom wall will not be caused to buckle during the operation of the follower in card or file matter supporting position within the drawer If I It is apparent from the description herein that the bearing or wedging action of the lugs 24 and 39 is upon the walls of the grooves 25 and 40. Consequently it is obvious, as in the case with reference to the bottom l5, that no pressure is transmitted to the side walls H which would cause the side walls to buckle and consequently I distort the shape of the drawer.

While I have illustrated and described the prevention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a drawer comprising side walls having parallel grooves formed in each of the opposed -faces of such walls, a follower mounted in said drawer and comprising sections adapted to have vertical movement in opposite directions with respect to each other and including lateral projections engaging said grooves and adapted to bear on adjacent walls of said grooves when moved in said opposite vertical directions, and means for moving said sections in said opposite vertical directions.

2. In combination, a drawer comprising side walls having parallel grooves formed in each of the oposed faces of such walls, a follower mounted in said drawer and comprising sections adapted to have vertical movement in opposite directions with respect to each other and having horizontal slidable connection with respect to each other and including lateral projections engaging said jacent walls of said grooves when moved in said oposite vertical directions, and means for moving said sections in said opposite vertical directions, said follower being slightly spaced from the bottom of said drawer.

4. A follower comprising a cap portion, a base portion, said cap portion comprising a transversely extending recess, a projection on the base portion and operable in said recess, said cap portion having a second transversely extending recess, a rib on said base portion slidably positioned in said second recess, the width of said second recess being larger than the thickness of said rib to permit freedom of movement of said rib through a predetermined space, and a cam bearing lever carried by said cap portion and engaging said projection for moving said base portion a predetermined distance relative to said cap portion.

5. A follower for a file drawer, which drawer comprises sidewalls, front and end walls, and a bottom wall, with each of the sidewalls provided with spaced parallel longitudinally extending grooves on its inner face thereof, comprising sections adapted to have vertical movement with respect to each other and provided with lateral projections slidably engageable in said grooves, and camming means carried by one of said sections and adapted to engage the other of said sections to bear said projections against adjacent walls of said grooves to clamp said follower in a position with said drawer, said follower being supported by said projections and said side walls with its lower edge portion slightly spaced above the bottom Wall of said drawer to avoid pressure being applied on said bottom wall when said camming means is manipulated to bear said projections against said adjacent walls of said grooves.

BURKE C. BRADNER.

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