US3784274A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Drawer and support system
Assignee: Ajax Hardware Manufacturing Corp
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Filing: 1971-10-29
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Granted: 1974-01-08
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Expires: 1991-10-29
Abstract
Abstract A drawer of molded plastic construction in combination with alternative support systems, as well as alternative design of the front panel of the drawer, provides storage versatility meeting a myriad of end uses. The drawer has one of two front panelled configurations; in the first case being adapted to receive a wood or other material facade carrying a drawer pull and in the other instance having an integrally molded handle or pull facility to lend itself for other end uses. The drawer may be manufactured in several sizes, but the unique design of the drawer makes each of the drawers compatible with other drawers of the same size to make them nestable or stackable. The unique configuration of the drawer permits use of the drawer in structures defining oversize drawer receiving openings or, in more economical structures, permits the use of the drawers in spaced relationship utilizing only side supports therefor. The single drawer configuration with exception of the front panel, permits the drawer to be mounted wholly on conventionally found side channelled or guides and at the same time permits alternative mounting of the drawer on a single track or rail super-positioned over the drawer by the means of a simple bracket member carrying a wheel to engage the track and which is receivable by the rear wall of the drawer. In the latter installation, the drawer is self-closing and selfaligning.
Inventors
- 👤 G Read
- 👤 F Holmes
- 👤 W Moore
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 02:06
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47B; A47B88/00; A47B88/40; A47B88/402; A47B2210/00; A47B2210/0002; A47B2210/0051; A47B2210/0062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
189 words
In a drawer and support system, the combination of an integrally molded drawer having side, front, rear and bottom walls, said front wall being adapted for modification to a selected configuration by a panel member and having at least one receiving member comprising an integral protuberance having a dovetail configuration to be received by at least a complementary groove provided in said panel member; the opposed side walls of said drawer having integral, outwardly directed lateral guide flanges at the upper edge portions thereof for selective coaction with and engagement by side track members of a support system for sliding support of said drawer; said flanges having end portions adjacent said front and rear walls inclined upwardly, with respect to said bottom wall, to lie outside the plane of a majority of the remainder of said lateral flanges; the rear wall of said drawer being adapted to centrally receive a mounting bracket for alternate selective mounting of said drawer in rolling relationship on a single track, said walls being of a configuration to permit stacking and nestled relationship of said drawer with other drawers of like construction and size.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
189 words
In a drawer and support system, the combination of an integrally molded drawer having side, front, rear and bottom walls, said front wall being adapted for modification to a selected configuration by a panel member and having at least one receiving member comprising an integral protuberance having a dovetail configuration to be received by at least a complementary groove provided in said panel member; the opposed side walls of said drawer having integral, outwardly directed lateral guide flanges at the upper edge portions thereof for selective coaction with and engagement by side track members of a support system for sliding support of said drawer; said flanges having end portions adjacent said front and rear walls inclined upwardly, with respect to said bottom wall, to lie outside the plane of a majority of the remainder of said lateral flanges; the rear wall of said drawer being adapted to centrally receive a mounting bracket for alternate selective mounting of said drawer in rolling relationship on a single track, said walls being of a configuration to permit stacking and nestled relationship of said drawer with other drawers of like construction and size.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said drawer is fabricated of high impact strength plastic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said bottom wall is provided with reinforcing webs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rear wall has an integral, outwardly extending flange portion depending along an upper edge of said rear wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
169 words
In a drawer and support system, the combination of: a molded drawer having side, front, rear and bottom walls, said front wall being adapted for modification to a selected configuration; the opposed side walls of said draweer having integral, outwardly directed lateral guide flanges at the upper edge portions thereof for selective coaction with and engagement by side track members of a support system for sliding support of said drawer; the rear wall of said drawer having an integral, outwardly extending flange portion depending along an upper edge of said rear wall and being adapted to centrally receive a mounting bracket for alternate selective mounting of said drawer in rolling relationship on a single track, said rear wall being provided with an integral central slot having the lateral edges thereof inwardly directed to captively receive said mounting bracket having a tablike portion for said alternate mounting, said walls being of a configuration to permit stacking and nestled relationship of said drawer with other drawers of like construction and size.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
169 words
In a drawer and support system, the combination of: a molded drawer having side, front, rear and bottom walls, said front wall being adapted for modification to a selected configuration; the opposed side walls of said draweer having integral, outwardly directed lateral guide flanges at the upper edge portions thereof for selective coaction with and engagement by side track members of a support system for sliding support of said drawer; the rear wall of said drawer having an integral, outwardly extending flange portion depending along an upper edge of said rear wall and being adapted to centrally receive a mounting bracket for alternate selective mounting of said drawer in rolling relationship on a single track, said rear wall being provided with an integral central slot having the lateral edges thereof inwardly directed to captively receive said mounting bracket having a tablike portion for said alternate mounting, said walls being of a configuration to permit stacking and nestled relationship of said drawer with other drawers of like construction and size.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said lateral guide flanges in cross-section having a depending skirt-like configuration and the exterior edge forms a reinforced track for engagement by a support system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the terminal portion of said lateral guide flanges have upwardly extended inclined portions for easy mounting of said drawer with a support system and to contribute to self-closing thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system in accordance with claim 7 wherein a locking groove is provided in said lateral guide flanges to prohibit further normal outward planar movement of said drawer on said support system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said drawer is supportable within a structure having an over-sized receiving opening and a front panel member is releasably secured to the front wall of said drawer to mask said over-sized receiving opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said front wall of said drawer has integrally molded receiving members to receive said front panel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said integrally molded receiving members comprise parallelly spaced protruberances having a dovetail configuration to be received by complementary grooves provided in said front panel member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said front panel is provided with integrally molded, elongated wedge-like projections parallelly spaced to said protruberances to effect wedging engagement of said front panel and said front wall of said drawer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said front panel is of wood construction and carries a drawer pull extending from the exterior surface thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
75 words
The system in accordance with claim 12 including a wheel-carrying member support bracket secured in said center slot of said rear wall, the wheel thereof engaged in a superpositioned central rail track in rolling engagement therewith and said support system additionally includes freely rotatable bearing side members oppositely secured to the lateral edges of said over-sized receiving opening and aligned to engage said tracks formed by said lateral guide flanges in free rolling relationship therewith.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said superpositioned central rail is positioned to cause said drawer to normally move to the closed position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
The system in accordance with claim 13 wherein the support system additionally includes side track members extending the depth of said over-sized receiving opening and being oppositely positioned on the sides thereof to be slideably engaged by said tracks formed by said lateral guide flanges and form a sliding path through which said drawer is moved.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
101 words
The system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said front wall is provided with a dovetail configuration to receive a demountable front panel of the same or different material as said drawer and is supportable within a structure having at least side supports to form a receiving opening at least as wide as the overall width of said drawer and side track members are provided extending the depth of said opening and are secured in opposed relationship to be slideably engaged by said tracks formed by said lateral guide flanges and form a sliding path through which said drawer is moved.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system in accordance withh claim 8 wherein said front wall of said drawer is provided with an integrally molded, centrally located pull handle.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
78 words
The system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said drawer is supportable within a structure having at least side supports to form a receiving opening at least as wide as the overall width of said drawer and side track members are provided extending the depth of said opening and are secured in opposed relationship to be slideably engaged by said tracks formed by said lateral guide flanges and form a sliding path through which said drawer is moved.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said drawer is of a high-impact strength easily molded plastic.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system in accordance with claim 5 including a mounting bracket having a tab-like portion which comprises a molded member having an upstanding portion having a through bore and encircling boss with a rotatable wheel fixedly secured thereto and a lower integrally connected plate defining said tab-like portion and being offset from said upstanding portion.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said wheel is of molded plastic and is retained in said through bore on a metal axle.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system in accordance with claim 21 wherein said boss acts as a bearing for saId wheel and said wheel is configured to ride in an elongate superpositioned track and carry said drawer through an opening and closing path within a support structure.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system in accordance with claim 23 wherein a reinforcing web is provided between said upstanding portion and said offset tab-like portion.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system in accordance with claim 24 wherein the configuration and thickness of said plate-like portion is sufficient to be received by said lateral edges of said center slot in tight, flush engagement.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said plate-like portion has converging side edges and said slot is congruently shaped to effect friction-fit engagement therebetween.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system in accordance with claim 26 wherein said rear wall of said drawer adjacent said center slot is provided with an abutment stop and said reinforcing web of said mounting bracket has a flat adapted to engage said stop upon securement of said bracket within said center slot.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system in accordance with claim 27 wherein the upper edge of said plate-like portion is flush with the upper edge of said rear wall of said drawer when secured within said center slot.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said superpositioned track extends the depth of said drawer receiving opening and has a forward opening slot to receive said wheel in captive relationship therewith upon inward movement thereof.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system in accordance witlh claim 29 wherein said track has a V-shaped lower wall forming said groove within which said wheel travels.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a drawer the combination of: integrally molded side, front, rear and bottom walls, said front wall being adapted for reception of a demountable front panel member to a selected final configuration; the opposed side walls of said drawer having integral outwardly extending lateral flanges at the upper edge portions thereof for engagement with guide means to guide said drawer in a support system, said lateral flanges, in cross-section, having a depending skirt-like configuration, and said flanges having end portions adjacent said front and rear walls inclined upwardly, with respect to said bottom wall, to lie outside the plane of a majority of the remainder of said lateral flanges.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a drawer the combination of: integrally molded side, front, rear and bottom walls, said front wall being adapted for reception of a demountable front panel member to a selected final configuration; the opposed side walls of said drawer having integral outwardly extending lateral flanges at the upper edge portions thereof for engagement with guide means to guide said drawer in a support system, said lateral flanges, in cross-section, having a depending skirt-like configuration, and said flanges having end portions adjacent said front and rear walls inclined upwardly, with respect to said bottom wall, to lie outside the plane of a majority of the remainder of said lateral flanges.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 31 wherein said front wall of said drawer has at least one receiving member to receive said front panel member.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 32 wherein said at least one receiving member comrpises a protruberance having a dovetail configuration to be received by complementary grooves provided in said front panel member.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
39 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 33 wherein said drawer is of molded construction and at least one elongated wedge-like projection is provided to effect wedging engagement of said front panel member and said front wall of said drawer.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
31 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 34 which additionally includes a second receiving member to act in cooperation with said at least one receiving member to receive said front panel member.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
26 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 35 wherein said receiving members are integrally molded with said drawer and are in substantial parallel relationship with each other.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
15 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 36 which additionally includes a second elongated wedge-like projection.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
25 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 37 wherein said wedge-like projections are integrally molded with said drawer and are parallely spaced to said receiving members.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
24 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 31 wherein said drawer is of plastic molded construction and said bottom wall is provided with reinforcing webs.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
21 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 39 wherein said lateral flanges forms a reinforced track for engagement with said guide means.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
31 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 40 wherein the upwardly extending inclined portions of said flanges adjacent said front wall facilitates self-closing of said drawer when mounted on a support system.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
33 words
The drawer in accordance with claim 41 wherein a locking groove is provided in said lateral flanges to prohibit further normal outward planar movement of said drawer when mounted on a support system.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-07-09 | 1978-01-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-07 | 1981-07-09 | 1982-01-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-07 | 1985-07-09 | 1986-01-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |