US2807829A - Hinge structure - Google Patents

Description

W. E. GOEBEL HINGE STRUCTURE Oct; l, 1957 Filed March 9. 1954 INVENTOR.

WALTER E. GOEBL HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent vOffice 2,307,829 Patented Oct. 1, 1957 2,807,829 HINGE STRUCTURE Walter Ernst Goebel, Norwalk, Conn., assigner to American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application March 9, 1954, Serial No. 415,057 2 Claims. (Cl. 16163) This invention relates to a new and novel hinge structure and more particularly to a cabinet hinge structure that is particularly adapted to be used when there are abutting cabinet structures.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and novel hinge structure that permits the hinge axis to move away from the stationary member simultaneously with rotation of the movable member about the pivotal axis of the hinge so that the pivoted closure member can have a wide opening movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hinge structure that has an interchangeable leaf member which permits the hinge to be assembled for either clockwise or counter-clockwise movement of the movable member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hinge structure that is simple and economical to manufacture, sturdy in construction, and easily assembled.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and claims which form a part of this specication.

In the accompanying drawing to be taken as part of the specification, there is fully and clearly illustrated one preferred embodiment of this invention in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view in section ofa pair of substantially abutting cabinet structures, one of the structures having its door member in section and the horizontal portion of the shelf member removed and showing the hinge structure in closed position,

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and showing portions of the hinge structure in sections, f

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 and showing the supporting arm positioned in and supported by the guide member,

Fig. 4 is a planview similar to Fig. 1, but showing the hinge structure in open or expanded position, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the door member and cabinet structure showing the hinge structure in open position as in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing by numerals of reference, there is shown a pair of cabinet structures 1, 1 having vertical side walls 2 and vertical front wall portions 3. The vertical front portions 3 are shown as being bent from the vertical side walls 2, but could be constructed as independent portions of the cabinet `structure 1. Se-

cured to the side walls 2 andthe wall portions 3 are shelf or horizontal liner members 4 having vertical flanges 5. The shelf members 4 have vertical flanges 5 with horizontal slots 6 therein. The front wall portions 3 have horizontalslots 6,al therein. The cabinet structures may have their adjacent side walls 2 abutting each other land have the front wall portions 3 parallel to each other and on the same vertical plane. Positioned in front of and substantially closing the openings in the front wall portions 3 garejdoor or movable members 8 and 8a, each having afront portion 9 and a rear portion 1t). Each rear portion 10 has a horizontal slotted portion 10iL and a surrounding indented edge or sidewall portion 11, the front portion 9 having a surrounding inbent flanged edge orsidewall portion 12. The front portion 9 is secured to the rear portion 10 by means of the flanged por-tion 12 being positioned in the indented portion 11 thereby forming the integral door member 8, with a surrounding side wall13.

A guide and supporting member or block 14 having flat securing portions 15 and 16 lying in a single plane and a recessed channel portion 17 positioned therebetween, is secured to the underside of the horizontal shelf member 4 by means of a plurality of rivets 18. The rivets 1S pass through a plurality of apertures 19 in the guide member securing portions 15 and 16 and through aligned apertures in the horizontal shelf member 4. It is to be understood that the guide member securing' portions 15 and 16 may be secured to the horizontal shelf 4 by any conventional securing means, such as by spotwelding, for example.

The door or movable member 8 and also the door member 8a is pivotally secured to the front of its cabinet structure 1 in overlying relation to its opening in the front Wall portion 3 by means of a plurality of vertically alined hinge structures 2t). Although the detailed construction of only one hinge structure is shown in this disclosure, it is to be understood that any number of hinge structures may be used to secure the door members to their cabinet structures. The hinge structure 20 has a pair of leaf member 21 and 22. The leaf member 21 has a supporting portion 23 and a ylaterally extending arm 24. The supporting portion 23 is supported by andk reciprocally movable in the Irecessed channel portion 17 of the guide member 14 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The yarm' surface 26. Portions of the horizontal surface26 adja-A cent to the intersection of the side edge portions 29. and 30 and the rear edge portion 2S are bent upward in relation to the horizontal surface portion 26 `and form stop or abutment members 32 and 33. A pair of actuator apertures 34 and 35 extend through the horizontal surface 26 adjacent to the abutment members 32 and 33, respectively, and are positioned along a longitudinal axis of the horizontal surface portion 26. A pair of pivot pin apertures 36 and 37 extend through the horizontal surface 26 at a position inward of said actuator apertures 34 and 35 and on the longitudinal axis of the horizontal surface 26. The leaf member 22 is secured to the inner surface of the rear door portion 10 with the horizontal surface 26 parallel to and aligned with the lower edge of the slot 108 by means of rivets 37'a or any other conventional securing means. The arm portion 24 of the leaf member 21 is positioned in overlying parallel relation with the horizontal surface 26, and the pivot pin aperture 25 is aligned with the pivot pin aperture 36 in the leaf member 22. A pivot pin 38 extends through the aligned apertures 25 and 36 and pivotally or rotatably secures the door member 8 to the Icabinet structure 1. A hook-shaped actuator member or push rod 39 comprises an elongated arm portion 40 and a relatively shorter arm portion 41 with a curvedk portions 40 and 41 have rounded end portions with securing apertures 43 and 44 respectively therethrough. The actuator member 39 is positioned with the larm portion 40 parallel and adjacent to the underside of the securing portion 16 of the guide member 14. The aperture 43 is aligned with an aperture 44a in the supporting Y member securing portion 16 and a pivot pin 45 extends through the aligned apertures 43 and 44a and pivotally or rotatably secures the actuator member 39 tothe guide member 14. The arm portion 41B extends through the slots 6 and 6a in the flange 5 and the wall portion 3,

respectively. The other arm portion 41 is positioned adjacent to and parallel with the underside of the horizontal surface 2,5, and the aperture 44 is aligned with the aperture 34 in the leaf member 22 to receive a pivot pin 46 securing the other arm 41 to the leaf member 22.

The door member 8a is pivotally supported in the` same manner as described for door member 8, but certain parts of the hinge structure are reversed, the members 21 and 39 being pivoted to or by pins in the apertures 37 and 35, respectively, as will be apparent and is also later described.

Operation When the door member 8 is in the closed position and the hinge member 20 is assembled and secured as heretofore described, the supporting portion 23 of the leaf 21 extends through the slot 10FL in the rear door portion 10 and through the slots 6 and 6a in the flange 5 and the frontwall portion 3, respectively. The supporting portion 23 extends through and is supported in the guide member channel portion 17 and is reciprocally movable therein upon opening and closing of the door member 8. When the door member 8 is rotated from a closed position to anopen position, the door pivots in a counterclockwise direction around the pivot pin 3S so that the verticalfside Wall 13` tends to rotate toward the front wall portion 3. In a conventional hinge structure with a hidden` or offset hinge point or axis, it would be necessary to position the door a sufficient distance from the front` wall portion so that the door side wall 13'will not bind against the front portion 3. In the hinge structure shown in this disclosure, the actuator rod 39 limits the inward movement of and holds the door side wall 13 away from the frontwall portion 3. When the door is rotated counter-clockwise about the pivot pin 38, the actuator member 39` causes the door member 8 to move away from the front wall portion 3. The pivot pin 38, instead of remaining stationary as in conventional hinge structures, moves away from the front portion of the cabinet structure a distance sufficient to permit the door membertorotate and open widely, to say, 155 degrees of movement, without the vertical side wall portion 13 of the door member 8 binding against the front of the cabinet structure. As the door member is rotated toward an opening position, the pivotal point, signified by initial position of the pivot pin 38 moves away from the cabinet structure. The movement of the pivotal point or axis is due to the arcuate swing of the actuator member 39 restraining or causing the supporting leaf member portion 23 to move reciprocally outward in the guide portion 17 of the guide member 14 and continue, as a bodily moving pivot or axis, to support the door structure. Thus, the new and novel hinge structure herein shown and described permits the door member 8 to be positioned in closed position closely adjacent to the front ofthe cabinet structure and further does not have the disadvantages of a limited yopening movement.

As shown in Fig. 4, the door member will, upon rotation a given number of degrees, be stopped from further rotation by the abutmentk member 32. Thus, as the door member rotates about the pivot pin 3S, the abutment member 32 rotates toward the arm 24 of the leaf 21. As the predetermined angle of opening is reached, thestop member 32 is in contact with an edge of the arm 24 which prevents further opening movement of the door member. Itshould be noted that degrees of opening movement of the door member 8 may be varied by the position of the stop member 32. This type of stop means has a particular adaptation orI use when cabinet structures are positioned adjacent to each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and an angle of limitation isrequired, so that upon complete opening of one of the` door members, theA front door portion 9 will not strike the front portion of the other door member and possibly damage the` same.`

Another feature of this invention is the interchangeal ability of the leaf member 22. As shown in Fig. 1, the arm portion 24 is secured to the leaf member 22 by means of the pivot pin 38 passing through the aperture 25` in the arm portion 24 and the aperture 36 in the leaf member 22. However, upon reversal of the direction of the arm 24, which may be accomplished by the opposite insertion of the supporting portion 23 in the channel portion 17, the aperture 25 in the arm portion may be aligned with the other pivot pin aperture 37 in the leaf member 22. The thrust or actuator member 39 would also be reversed so that its aperture 43 would underlie the supporting member aperture 45*L and be pivoted on the repositioned pin 45, the arm end portion 41 being pivoted by the pin 46 passing through the apertures 44 and 35. ln this position of the parts, the arm 24 will engage the stop member 33 to` limit clockwise `opening movement of the door member 8@ at substantially 155 degrees of movement. In this position, the hinge would be operable to open in in a clockwise direction instead of a counter-clo"l:\vise direction as shown in the left hand assembly in Fig. l. It is to be understood that although only one embodiment and use of this hinge assembly has been described, this is not to be taken as a limitation, as the use of this hinge member is not confined to cabinet structures, but may be used wherever a hinge structure of this type would be required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. A hinge structure comprising a guide member having an open-ended channel extending across said member, a leaf member having an elongated supporting portion reciprocally tting in said channel, the sides of said channel holding said supporting portion against lateral movement, one end of said supporting portion projecting from said channel and having a laterally extending arm, a second leaf member having a flat body portion lying parallel to and against said arm, a pivot pin extending through the free end of said arm and through said body portion to pivotally connect said leaf members together, an actuator member pivotally connected solely to said guide member and to said body portion, a pivot pin connecting one end Iof said actuator member to said guide member, and a pivot pin connecting` the other end of said actuator member to said body portion.

2. A hinge structure comprising a guide member having an open-ended channel extending across said member, a leaf member having an elongated supporting portion reciprocally fitting in said channel, the sides of said channel holding said supporting portion against lateral movement, one end of said supporting portion projecting from said channel and having a laterally extending arm, at second leaf member having a hat body portion lying parallel to and against said arm, said body portion having two circular apertures therethrough adjacent one end thereof, a pivot pin extending through the free end of said arm and through one of said circular apertures to pivotally connect said leaf members together, an actuator member pivotally connected solely to said guide member and to said body portion, a pivot pin connecting one end of said actuator member to said guide member, and a pivot pin extending through the other end of said actuator member and through the other of said circular apertures.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,335,400 Soss Mar. 30, 1920 1,853,595 Asbury Apr.` 12, 1932 2,031,526 Den-ruth Feb. 18, 1936 2,373,178 Economides Apr. .10, 1945 2,554,083 Berg May 22, 1951 2,578,610 Stone Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,120 Germany Ian. 18, 1926

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