US2778704A - Open top cabinet with card holder - Google Patents

Description

W. H. JOACHIM OPEN TOP CABINET WITH CARD HOLDER Jan. 22, 1957 5 'ShetS-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 19 53 llnlllllllllllrlllV II I! I INVENTOR. 4 c HIM ATTORNEY' Jan. 22, 1957 w. H. JOACHlM 2,778,704

OPEN TOP CABINET WITH CARD HOLDER Filed Nov. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. l" wit/AM Mug/A7 My AT TORNEY Jan. 22, 1957 w. H. JOACHlM OPEN TOP CABINET WITH CARD HOLDER S Sheets-Sheet 3 Flled Nov. 16, 1953 VENTOR.

AT TORNEY United States Patent 2,778,704 OPEN TOP CABINET WITH CARD HOLDER William H. Joachim, Rockville Centre, N. Y. Application November 16, 1953, Serial No. 392,280

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-309) The present invention relates primarily to a tool cabinet and more particularly to a movable tool cabinet of the type generally employed in garages, service stations, and other places where repairs, adjustments, and other services are performed on automobiles and the like.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a tool cabinet that is readily movable to the place where work is to be done such as on automobiles in a garage, and which has provision for containing in proper order all the tools normally employed in servicing or adjusting automobiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the above type and including the feature of providing a convenient writing table surface upon which a serviceman can readily keep an account of time, parts and material employed on a service or repair job.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet with the above features and including a holder for displaying instruction cards containing, for example, lubricating, oiling and greasing instructions with the card positioned so as to be readily readable While the servicenman is performing the various services.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet with a removable card file or file box wherein various cards listing information for servicing various .types and makes of automobiles can readily be kept.

The above and further objects and features of the invention will be more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in the latter of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet of the present invention, showing mainly the front and right side there- :of and with the top shown in its open position;

.Fig. 2 is a front view of the cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of the cabinet :taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

r'Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the cabinet taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '5 is a small detailed View taken on line 5.5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6lis a-sect-ional view taken on'li-ne 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the cabinet is indicated in general by the numeral 11, and may be of any dimensions desired within its intended purposes, and preferably of such a height that the top forms a convenient writing and checking surface for-a mechanic or Serviceman when standing. Obviously, while these dimensions are those preferred, the size of the cabinet may be varied to suit different purposes and the described size and embodiment thereof is for illustrative purposes. I

Attached to the bottom of the cabinet 11 at the rear thereof are a pair of wheels 12 which together with shoes or legs 13 at the front corners support the cabinet. A handle 14 is secured to the front of the cabinet, and by means of the handle the front of the cabinet may be raised and the cabinet readily wheeled about. With rollers or wheels 12 only at the rear of the cabinet, it

2,778,704 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 will not have a tendency to freely roll, which is a great advantage in cabinets of this type and particularly when the cabinet is employed on an incline or sloping floor as they sometimes are.

The cabinet 11 has a frame of suitable rigidity which may be of angle iron, for example, to which are attached side panels 14' of sheet metal. The frame gives the cabinet the required rigidity and the side panels 14' add to the ridigity. Extending between the two side panels at the lower edges thereof is a bottom plate 16. The plate 16 is suitably secured to the side panels 14' and to the frame to strengthen the cabinet, and has the front edge 17 bent down at right angles to strengthen the same and prevent unnecessary bending thereof.

Suitably secured to the frame above the bottom plate 16 is a horizontal shelf 18, similar in size and construction to the bottom plate. The bottom plate 16 and shelf 18 thus form two open- faced compartments 19 and 20 in the lower section of the cabinet 11 which may be used, for example, to contain tools and certain supplies that would be employed and used in the servicing of an auto mobile. The rear of the compartments 19 and 2.0 are closed by the back 21 of the cabinet 11.

As shown in the side sectional view, Fig. 3, the horizontal panel 22 forming the upper part of the compartment 20 has secured thereto a pair of spaced apart drawor guides 23. Slidably mounted in the guides 23 is an open front drawer 24, hereinafter referred to as the grease gun drawer, with a handle 26 at the lower front thereof. Since theback panel 21 of the compartments 1? and 20 extends only to the top of the compartment 20, the drawer 24 is slidable into and out of the cabinet 11 from the rear thereof. Secured to the bottom of the grease gun drawer 24 adjacent the front thereof is a section of sheet metal 27, Fig. 5, with a nunrber of curved depressions therein extending toward the back of the drawer. The curved depressions in the sheet metal 27 serve to hold grease guns placed therein in alignment and in proper position to prevent damage thereto. Thus the grease gun drawer 24 keeps the grease guns placed therein in proper position and in alignment with one another and prevents the same from rolling about in the cabinet. When the drawer 24 is pulled out, the grease guns thereon are readily available for use and convenient to the person employing the same.

Located above the handle 14 in the front of the cabinet 11 is an opening in which slides a drawer 28 hereinafter referred to as the small tools or small parts drawer. A l1andle 29 formed by bending the front of the drawer 28 out and down serves as a convenient means for operating the drawer. Guides 31 on the upper side of a horizontal panel 32 guide the small parts drawer 28 in its movement, and a lu-g 33 cooperates with the back of the drawer to prevent the drawer from normally being drawn out too far so as to tip down and spill the con- "ice tents thereof.

. thus forms a top or lid for a compartment 38 in the forward section of the upper part of the cabinet. 11. The front top 34 is shown in its lifted position in Fig. 1, and it is held in this position by a stay rod 39, the upper end of which may be anchored in the underside of the front top 34, and the lower end anchored in the upper edge of one of the side panels 14. The compartment 38 may be used to contain work orders or work sheets U upon which work performed and parts and supplies used are recorded.

The back top section 41 is hinged at 42 at the rear of the cabinet 11 and has a pair of rods such as 43 secured to the upper surface thereof which support a card holder 44. The card holder is rigidly supported by the rods 43 at a slightly tilted angle so that information on a card contained in the holder may be easily read by a person standing at the front of the cabinet. The card holder 44 includes a pair of members 46 at the edges thereof and a fiat panel 47 extending between the two members'46. The flat panel 47, which may be of Lucite or a similar plastic, supports the cards placed in the card holder, and the members 46 are spaced a slight distance from the face thereof. Thus channels are formed at the sides of the card holder whereby a card may be slid into the holder and held in place therein. A notch 43 in the upper central section of the panel 47 enables the top of the card to be grasped for easy removal thereof from the holder by sliding it out of the channels formed by the members 46 and the face of the panel. A curved tray 49 at the front lower edge of the card holder 44 provides a convenient pencil holder for the servicemen who may use it in checking or entering items on the work sheets supported on the front top section 34 of the cabient. Pivotally secured to the underside of the top section 41 are a pair of links 49 which extend into slots or openings 50 in the top of the side sections. The links 49 have bent lower ends 51, Fig. 3, which engage the top side sections of the cabinet when the top section 41 is opened to limit the opening thereof.

'When the top section 41 is opened to its limit, as shown in Fig. 1, the weight of the card holder 44 is such as to hold it in its open position. In this position the card holder 44 is at a slight slope and normally a card therein will not slide out by itself due to the friction between it and the members 46. Spring leaf friction members can be provided, if desired, to hold the card in the holder when in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The cards for the holder 44 may contain in addition to general electrical and motor servicing information, instruction and data for greasing and oiling automobiles.

'With this latter data and instructions printed in an inverted position on the cards with respect to the other information thereon, the latter will be properly presented to the Serviceman while working from the back of the cabinet with the top section 41 open. The data containing the greasing instruction, for example, may be printed on the back of the cards and the serviceman would turn the card over when proceeding to a greasing operation in addition to opening the top section 41. The grease gun drawer 24 has substantial length so that it can be drawn out of the cabinet sufficiently, and the overlying card holder 44 when the top section is open does not I 4 attendant to readily select the card desired and place it in the card holder 44. Normally each card will contain the information necessary for the servicing of a particular make and/or model of automobile.

A U-shaped member 55 is attached to the back of the cabinet above the grease gun drawer 24 and has openings 56 in the upper surface thereof. The member 55 thus provides a convenient support and holder for oil cans or the like.

From the above description it can be seen that the invention provides a cabinet that is highly useful in the servicing of automobiles and provides a cabinet which greatly facilitates the servicing operations.

While the invention has been described in but a single illustrative embodiment, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed thereon as are imposed by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a cabinet comprising a plurality of open top compartments, individually associated hinged cover members for said compartments, said cover members when in a closed position being in a common plane slightly inclined toward the front of said cabinet with the forward one of said cover member-s providing a smooth writing surface on the top thereof, the second one of said cover members being hinged at the back edge of said cabinet and having rigidly secured thereto on the upper surface thereof and extending upwardly therefrom with said cover member in a closed position a substantiallyflat card holder, said card holder with said second cover member in a closed position being inclined slightly .toward the back of said cabinet, said card holder including means for holding flat cards at the inclined angle to present the same in a readily readable position from the front of said cabinet, means for limiting the open position of said second cover member to less than a vertical posit-ion with the weight of said card holder thereon biasing the same in its limited open position, said card holder with said second cover in an open position extending substantially beyond the back of said cabinet and presenting the card therein in an upwardly inclined position when viewed from the back of said cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 447,661 Burk Mar. 3, 1891 573,089 Haynes Dec. 15, 1896 628,346 Mosher July 4, 1899 1,760,854 Wright May 27, 1930 2,453,129 Hinton Nov. 9, 1948 2,608,190 Winning Aug. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,736 France Nov. 6, 1923 273,909 Switzerland June 1, 1953 956,837 France Aug, 15, 1947

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