Drawer suspension apparatus

Claim 2

A drawer suspension apparatus comprising: a. a substantially C-shaped drawer rail formed in channel section and comprising a side wall, an upper panel joined to said side wall along the upper marginal edge thereof, an inturned flange marginally joined to said upper panel opposide said side wall for formation of a drawer rail groove, and a lower panel joined to said side wall opposite said upper panel, b. a substantially C-shaped case rail formed in channel section and comprising a side wall, an upper panel joined to said side wall along the upper marginal edge thereof, a lower panel joined to said side wall opposite said upper panel, and an inturned flange marginally joined to said lower panel opposite said side wall for formation of a case rail groove; said case rail being interfitted with said drawer rail such that the upper panel of said case rail faces said drawer rail intermediate the upper panel and lower panel of said drawer rail and the lower panel of said drawer rail faces said case rail intermediate the upper panel and the lower panel of said case rail, c. a substantially S-shaped intermediate rail formed in channel section and comprising an upper wall portion, an upper panel joined on said upper wall portion along the upper marginal edge thereof, a middle panel joined to said upper wall portion opposite said upper panel, a lower wall portion joined to said middle panel opposite said upper wall portion, and a lower panel provided with a medial opening and joining said lower wall portion opposite said middle panel; said intermediate rail being interfitted between said drawer rail and said case rail with its upper panel coextending with the upper panel of said drawer rail and intermediate the upper panel of said drawer rail and the upper panel of said case rail, and the lower panel of said intermediate rail coextending with the lower panel of said case rail and positioned intermediate the lower panel of said case rail and the lower panel of said drawer rail, d. a roller rotatably disposed within said medial opening in the lower panel of said intermediate rail to ride within said case rail groove and support the lower panel of said drawer rail, and e. a retainer fitted within said drawer rail groove for limiting the movement of said drawer rail relative to said intermediate rail.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, the upper panel of said case rail and the lower panel of said drawer rail cooperating with the upper, middle, and lower panels of said intermediate rail to define four ball raceways, and said apparatus further comprising at least one ball bearing within each of said raceways.

Claim 4

A dRawer suspension apparatus comprising a drawer rail, a case rail and a intermediate rail each formed in channel section; said drawer rail and said case rail each being substantially C-shaped in cross section, each comprising two parallel panels joined by a wall, with a groove formed on one panel of said two parallel panels, said groove facing the non-grooved panel of said two parallel panels; said intermediate rail being of substantially S-shape in cross section having three parallel spaced panels connected by two parallel walls, each end panel having a groove facing the intermediate panel of said three panels; said drawer rail and said case rail being incorporated together adjacently, and extensibly along their longitudinal axes, and inversely disposed in cross section such that the said grooved panels are at two ends and face each other and between the said grooved panels lie the said non-grooved panels with the said drawer rail non-grooved panel being adjacent to the said case rail grooved panel and vice versa; said intermediate rail disposed between said drawer rail and case rail in such a way that one said intermediate rail grooved panel lies parallel between said drawer rail grooved panel and said case rail non-grooved panel and the other said intermediate rail grooved panel lies parallel between said case rail grooved panel and said drawer rail non-grooved panel; wherein each said intermediate rail grooved panel cooperates with each of said adjacent non-grooved panels respectively to form a raceway for ball bearings; and wherein said non-grooved intermediate panel of said intermediate rail cooperates with each of said non-grooved panels of said case rail and said drawer rail respectively to form raceways for ball bearings, each of said raceways being provided with at least one ball bearing; and wherein a roller is fitted rotatably within the groove of either one of said case rail panel groove or of said drawer rail panel groove, said roller being retained by the said intermediate rail panel which is adjacent to said either one panel; and wherein at least one retainer is fitted slidably within the groove of the other one of said either case rail panel groove or drawer rail panel groove said retainer being removably mounted on the said intermediate rail panel which is adjacent to said other one panel.

Claim 5

A dRawer suspension apparatus comprising a drawer rail, a case rail and a intermediate rail each formed in channel section; said drawer rail and said case rail each being substantially C-shaped in cross section, each comprising two parallel panels joined by a wall, with a groove formed on one panel of said two parallel panels, said groove facing the non-grooved panel of said two parallel panels; said intermediate rail being of substantially S-shape in cross section having three parallel spaced panels connected by two parallel walls, each end panel having a groove facing the intermediate panel of said three panels; said drawer rail and said case rail being incorporated together adjacently, and extensibly along their longitudinal axes, and inversely disposed in cross section such that the said grooved panels are at two ends and face each other and between the said grooved panels lie the said non-grooved panels with the said drawer rail non-grooved panel being adjacent to the said case rail grooved panel and vice versa; said intermediate rail disposed between said drawer rail and case rail in such a way that one said intermediate rail grooved panel lies parallel between said drawer rail grooved panel and said case rail non-grooved panel and the other said intermediate rail grooved panel lies parallel between said case rail grooved panel and said drawer rail non-grooved panel; wherein each said intermediate rail grooved panel cooperates with each of said adjacent non-grooved panels respectively to form a raceway for ball bearings; and wherein said non-grooved intermediate panel of said intermediate rail cooperates with each of said non-grooved panels of said case rail and said drawer rail respectively to form raceways for ball bearings, each of said raceways being provided with at least one ball bearing; and wherein a roller is fitted rotatably within the groove of either one of said case rail panel groove or of said drawer rail panel groove, said roller being retained by the said intermediate rail panel which is adjacent to said either one panel; and wherein at least one retainer is fitted slidably within the groove of the other one of said either case rail panel groove or drawer rail panel groove said retainer being removably mounted on the said intermediate rail panel which is adjacent to said other one panel.

Claim 6

A drawer suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said retainer is adapted to limit the movement of said drawer rail relative to said intermediate rail.

Claim 7

A drawer suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said either one panel groove is the case panel groove, and is lower in relationship to the said rail panel groove.

Claim 8

A drawer suspension apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said either one panel groove is the case panel groove, and is lower in relationship to the said rail panel groove.