US2459571A - Cabinet with device for locking an instrument base - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1949. E. MIHALEK' ETAL 2,459,571-

CABINET WITH DEVICE FOR LOCKING AN INSTRUMENT BASE Filed Aug. 23, 1945 Patented Jan. 18, 1949 CABINET WITH DEVICE FOR LOOKING AN INSTRUMENT BASE Emery Mihalek and Charles Szyper, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to 0. D. Jennings & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 23, 1945, Serial No. 612,242

v 8 Claims.

This invention relates to cabinets and more particularly to cabinets having latching means detachably to hold an operating mechanism in place in the cabinet.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide fa cabinet havin latching means in which the cabinet cannot be closed except-when the latching means is in latching position.

Another object is to provide a cabinet having latching means with an operating lever so positioned that in the latch releasing position thereof a portion of the operating lever extends into the space normally occupied by the cabinet closure.

Still another object is to provide a cabinet in which the closure engages the latching means and holds it in latching position.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the ac...)mpanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a sectional view through a cabinet embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial section illustrating the latching means in latching position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the latch in released position; and

Figure 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the cabinet comprises a bottom wall Ill, a top wall H, a fixed end wall [2, and side walls l3 forming a complete cabinet structure with an opening in one end thereof. The cabinet may contain any desired type of operating unit including a base l6 of a size to fit into the cabinet and carrying any desired type of mechanism, illustrated as a compressor l4 driven by a motor 15. At the fixed end I2 of the cabinet the base I6 is adapted to fit beneath brackets IT to hold the base in place in the cabinet.

The entire operating mechanism may be inserted through the open end of the cabinet which is then adapted to be closed by a closure plate l8 having a narrow bottom edge portion to fit into a slot I9 in the cabinet bottom plate Ill. Any desired type of latching or locking mechanism, indicated generally at 2|, may secure the upper part of the closure l8 to the cabinet top wall.

In order to hold the base l6 securely in place in the cabinet, a latch is provided to engage the base adjacent the open end of the cabinet. The latch, as shown, comprises a supporting plate 22 connected to the cabinet side wall and slidably supporting a latching bar 23 for vertical sliding movement. The lower end of the latching bar is cut out, as shown at 24, to engage the base 16 so that when the latching bar is depressed the operating mechanism is securely held within the cabinet. The latching bar 23 is normally urged upward to a released position by a spring 25, so that the operating mechanism can be removed from the cabinet.

The latch is controlled by an operating: lever 26 pivoted to the supporting plate at 21 and having a cam shaped lower end to engage the upper end of the latching bar and move it downwardly toward its engaging position. When the operating lever is turned counter-clockwise to the position shown in Figure 3, it permits the spring to raise the latching bar above the base l6 so that the operating mechanism can he slid out of the cabinet.

The latching bar is formed with an angular end portion 28 of such a length that when the latch is in its engaged position, as shown in Figure 2, the end of the angular portion will lie against the inner surface of the closure I8. Thus, when the latch is engaged and the closure is inserted, full engagement of the latch is insured so that when the closure is in place the operating mechanism will be securely held within the cabinet. When the closure is removed and the operating lever turned to latch releasing position, as seen in Figure 3, the end portion 28 of the operating lever projects into the opening in the end of the cabinet into the space normally occupied by the closure. Therefore, when the latch is in its released position, the closure cannot be inserted in the opening in the cabinet. This insures that the cabinet cannot be closed except when the operating mechanism is properly secured therein.

Movement of the operating lever to its latched and released positions is limited by a stop finger 3| carried by an extension of the bracket 22. The

finger is so placed as to engage the lever in both extreme positions of its movement, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, to prevent excessive turning.

To insure release of the latch when the: operating lever is turned to the release position, a lifter actuated by the operating lever is provided. As shown, the lifter comprises an arm 32 carried by the latch bar 23 and having thereon a finger or lug 33 to engage the lever 26. When the lever is turned to its release position the end thereof will engage the finger 33 and positively raise the latch bar. Thus proper release of the latch even in the event of sticking or failure of the spring 25 is insured.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that it is illustrative only and is not intended to be a definition of the scope of the invention. reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination with a cabinet adapted to contain a unit and having an opening therein, a removable cover fitting in the opening to close it, a latch mechanism in the cabinet to engage the unit to hold it in the cabinet, and including an operating member movable to latch engaging and latch releasing positions, the operating member lying adjacent the opening in the cabinet and extending into the space normally occupied by the cover when in latch releasing position whereby the cover cannot be placed in the opening when the latch is released.

2. In a cabinet adapted to contain a unit and having an openin therein, a removable cover fitting in the opening to close it, a latch mechanism in the cabinet to engage the unit to hold it in the cabinet, and including an elongated operating member pivoted in the cabinet adjacent the opening to move to latch engaging and latch releasing positions, an end portion of the oper-- atlng member in the latch releasing position extending into the space normally occupied by the- 4. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet struc:

ture adapted to contain a unit and having an opening therein, a closure to fit into the opening,

a latch in the cabinet adjacent the opening to engage the unit and hold it in the cabinet, and a pivoted operating member for the latch having a curved end portion to fit against the inside of the closure when the operating member is in latch engaging position and to project into the space normally occupied by the closure when the operating member is in latch releasing position.

5. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet structure adapted to receive a unit and having an opening therein, a closure fitting the opening to close it, a latch bar slidable in the cabinet adjacent the opening to engage the unit and hold it in the cabinet, a spring connected to the latch bar to urge it to a position to release the unit,

and an operating lever pivoted adjacent the latch bar to urge it intoengagement 'with the unit, the operating lever having an end portion movable into the space normally occupied by the closure when the lever is in a position to release the latch bar.

6. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet structure adapted to receive a unit and having an opening therein, a closure fitting into the opening to close it, a latch bar slidable in the cabinet to engage the unit and hold it in the cabinet. an operating lever pivoted in the cabinet and engageable with the latch bar to urge it into latching engagement with the unit when the lever is turned to one position, and a lifter carried by the latch bar and engageable with the lever to move the latch bar out of engagement with unit when the lever is turned to another position.

7. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet structure adapted to receive a unit and having an opening therein, a closure fitting into the opening to close it, a latch bar slidable in the cabinet to engage the unit and hold it in the cabinet,

- an operating lever pivoted in the cabinet and en- ,g'ageable with the latch bar to urge it into latching engagement with the unit when the lever is turned to one position, and a lifter carried by the latch bar and engageable with the lever to move the latch bar out of engagement with the unit when the lever is turned to another position, an end portion of the lever projecting into the space occupied by the closure in said other position to prevent'closing of the opening.

8. In a cabinet adapted to contain a unit and having an opening therein, a. removable cover fitting in the opening to close it, a latch member movably mounted in the cabinet to engage the unit to hold it in the cabinet, a spring urging the latch member to a position to release the unit, and a movable operating member to move the latch member to a position to engage the unit, a portion of the operatin member projecting into'the opening when the operating member is in a position to permit the spring to move the latch member to its release position to prevent the cover from closing the opening.

EMERY MIHALEK. CHARLES SZYPER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name I Date Siegel May 28, 1940 Number

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