Anti-tilt mechanism

Claim 2

In a file cabinet of the type having a plurality of drawers supported by said cabinet in linear alignment with each other for horizontal movements between closed and open positions and an anti-tilt mechanism for preventing opening of other drawers after a first drawer has been opened, the improvement wherein said anti-tilt mechanism comprises: a plurality of latch means carried one on each of said drawers, each said latch means including abutment means and stop means, each said abutment means having leading and trailing surfaces relative to its path of travel as its associated drawer is moved towards open position; an elongated rod mounted in and by said cabinet to extend perpendicular to an immediately adjacent said drawers for rotary movements about its own longitudinal axis; and a plurality of cam members fixed for simultaneous rotation with said rod and spaced therealong one in operative association with each of said latch means, each said cam member having an operator finger and an interlock-return finger, said cam members having a first drawer unlatched condition when all of said drawers are closed wherein their operator fingers are disposed in operative alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their interlock-return fingers are removed from such alignment and a second drawer latched condition wherein their interlock-return fingers are disposed in operative alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their operator fingers are removed from such alignment, said cam members being movable from said first condition into said second condition upon movement of said first drawer into open position by driving surface engagement of said leading surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned operator finger, said cam members being returned to said first condition from said second condition upon return movement of said first drawer to closed condition by driving surface engagement of said trailing surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned interlock-return finger, said other drawers being prevented from being opened while said first drawer is in open position due to surface engagement of said leading surface of their associated abutment means with their operatively aligned interlock-return fingers and saiD interlock-return fingers of said cam members operatively associated with said latch means carried by said other drawers surface engaging with said stop means of said other drawers to prevent movement of said interlock-return fingers from operative alignment with said abutment means in a direction away from said first condition.

Claim 3

The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said cam members when in said first and second conditions are angularly spaced through about 45* of rotation of said rod, and said fingers of each of said cam members are arranged in an essentially right angular relationship.

Claim 4

The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said anti-tilt mechanism includes resiliently deformable means for releasably retaining said cam members alternately in said first and second conditions, said resiliently deformable means being of generally U-shaped configuration and having a base portion positionally oriented relative to said rod by said cabinet and having leg portions formed with facing surfaces disposed in engagement with surfaces of a square cross-sectioned portion of said rod, said resiliently deformable means being deformable upon rotation of said rod to move said cam members between said condition thereof.

Claim 5

The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said stop means associated with each said drawer comprises an outwardly facing surface of a side wall of said drawer and said abutment means associated with each said drawer comprises a flange fixed to said side wall adjacent a rear end portion thereof to extend forwardly in a diverging relationship relative to said outwardly facing surface.

Claim 6

The improvement according to claim 4, wherein said rod is of square cross-sectional configuration and said anti-tilt mechanism includes resiliently deformable means for releasably retaining said cam members alternately in said first and second conditions, said resiliently deformable means being a generally U-shaped spring device having a base portion positionally oriented relative to said rod by said cabinet and a pair of leg portions, said leg portions having facing surfaces thereof arranged to alternately engage planar surfaces and junctures of adjacent planar surfaces of said rod when said cam members are in said first and second conditions, said spring device being deformable during rotation of said rod to move said cam members into said first and second conditions.

Claim 7

The improvement according to claim 1, each of said latch means comprises a flange member fixed to its associated drawer and formed to define said stop means and said abutment means.

Claim 8

The improvement according to claim 6, wherein each said flange member is fixed to a side wall of its associated drawer and includes a flange portion disposed parallel to said side wall for defining said stop means and another flange portion joined to a rearwardly disposed edge of said flange portion and extending forwardly and in a diverging relationship relative thereto to define said abutment means.

Claim 9

The improvement according to claim 7, wherein said rod is of square cross-sectional configuration and said cam members are releasably retained alternately in said first and second condition by resiliently deformable means, said resiliently deformable means being a generally U-shaped spring device having a base portion positionally oriented relative to said rod by said cabinet and a pair of leg portions, said leg portions having facing surfaces thereof arranged to alternately engage planar surfaces and junctures of adjacent planar surfaces of said rod when said cam members are in said first and second conditions, said spring device being deformable during rotation of said rod to move said cam members into said first and second conditions.

Claim 10

In a file cabinet of the type having a plurality of drawers supported by said cabinet in linear alignment with each other for horizontal movement between closed and open positions and an anti-tilt mechanism for preventing opening of other drAwers after a first drawer has been opened, the improvement wherein said anti-tilt mechanism comprises: a plurality of latch means carried one on each of said drawers, each of said latch means including abutment means and stop means, each said abutment means having leading and trailing surfaces relative to its path of travel as its associated drawer is moved towards open position; an elongated rod mounted in and by said cabinet to extend perpendicular to and immediately adjacent said drawers for rotary movement about its own longitudinal axis; a plurality of cam members fixed for simultaneous rotation with said rod and spaced therealong one in operative association with each of said latch means, each of said cam members having an operator finger and an interlock-return finger, said cam members having a first drawer unlatched condition and a second drawer latched condition, said cam members when in said first condition having their operator fingers disposed in operative alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their interlock-return fingers removed from such alignment and when in said second condition having their interlock-return fingers disposed in operative alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their operator fingers removed from such alignment, said cam members being movable from said first condition into said second condition upon movement of said first drawer into open position by driving surface engagement of said leading surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned operator finger, said cam members being returnable to said first condition from said second condition upon return movement of said first drawer to closed position by driving surface engagement of said trailing surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned interlock-return finger, and movement of said other drawers into open position when said first drawer is open being prevented by wedging surface engagement of their associated abutment means and stop means with operatively aligned interlock-return fingers of said cam members with which said latch means of said other drawers are operatively associated.

Claim 11

In a file cabinet of the type having a plurality of drawers supported by said cabinet in linear alignment with each other for horizontal movement between closed and open positions and an anti-tilt mechanism for preventing opening of other drAwers after a first drawer has been opened, the improvement wherein said anti-tilt mechanism comprises: a plurality of latch means carried one on each of said drawers, each of said latch means including abutment means and stop means, each said abutment means having leading and trailing surfaces relative to its path of travel as its associated drawer is moved towards open position; an elongated rod mounted in and by said cabinet to extend perpendicular to and immediately adjacent said drawers for rotary movement about its own longitudinal axis; a plurality of cam members fixed for simultaneous rotation with said rod and spaced therealong one in operative association with each of said latch means, each of said cam members having an operator finger and an interlock-return finger, said cam members having a first drawer unlatched condition and a second drawer latched condition, said cam members when in said first condition having their operator fingers disposed in operative alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their interlock-return fingers removed from such alignment and when in said second condition having their interlock-return fingers disposed in operative alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their operator fingers removed from such alignment, said cam members being movable from said first condition into said second condition upon movement of said first drawer into open position by driving surface engagement of said leading surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned operator finger, said cam members being returnable to said first condition from said second condition upon return movement of said first drawer to closed position by driving surface engagement of said trailing surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned interlock-return finger, and movement of said other drawers into open position when said first drawer is open being prevented by wedging surface engagement of their associated abutment means and stop means with operatively aligned interlock-return fingers of said cam members with which said latch means of said other drawers are operatively associated.

Claim 12

A file cabinet comprising in combination: a cabinet frame; a plurality of file drawers; means for supporting said drawers on said frame in vertical alignment and for horizontal movements between open and closed positions; and an anti-tilt mechanism for preventing opening of other of said drawers after a first of said drawers has been opened, said mechanism including an elongated rod supported within and by said cabinet frame to extend vertically and immediately adjacent a side wall of each of said drawers and for rotary movements about its own longitudinal axis, a plurality of latch means carried one on each of said drawers, each said latch means including an abutment means and stop means, each of said abutment means having leading and trailing surfaces relative to its path of travel as its associated drawer is moved horizontally towards open position, and a plurality of cam members fixed for simultaneous rotation with said rod and spaced vertically therealong one in operative association with each of said latch means, each said cam member having an operator finger and an interlock-return finger, said cam members having a first drawer unlatched condition when all of said drawers are closed wherein their operator fingers are disposed in alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their interlock-return fingers are removed from such alignment and a second drawer latched condition wherein their interlock-return fingers are disposed in alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operAtively associated and their operator fingers are removed from such alignment, said cam members being movable from said first condition into said second condition upon movement of said first drawer into open position by driving surface engagement of said leading surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned operator finger, said cam members being returned to said first condition from said second condition upon return movement of said first drawer to closed position by driving surface engagement of said trailing surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned interlock-return finger, said other drawers being prevented from being opened while said first drawer is in open position due to surface engagement of said leading surface of their associated abutment means with their operatively aligned interlock-return fingers, and said interlock-return fingers of said cam members operatively associated with said latch means carried by said other drawers surface engaging with said stop means of said other drawers to prevent movement of said interlock-return fingers from operative alignment with said abutment means in a direction away from said first condition.

Claim 13

A file cabinet comprising in combination: a cabinet frame; a plurality of file drawers; means for supporting said drawers on said frame in vertical alignment and for horizontal movements between open and closed positions; and an anti-tilt mechanism for preventing opening of other of said drawers after a first of said drawers has been opened, said mechanism including an elongated rod supported within and by said cabinet frame to extend vertically and immediately adjacent a side wall of each of said drawers and for rotary movements about its own longitudinal axis, a plurality of latch means carried one on each of said drawers, each said latch means including an abutment means and stop means, each of said abutment means having leading and trailing surfaces relative to its path of travel as its associated drawer is moved horizontally towards open position, and a plurality of cam members fixed for simultaneous rotation with said rod and spaced vertically therealong one in operative association with each of said latch means, each said cam member having an operator finger and an interlock-return finger, said cam members having a first drawer unlatched condition when all of said drawers are closed wherein their operator fingers are disposed in alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operatively associated and their interlock-return fingers are removed from such alignment and a second drawer latched condition wherein their interlock-return fingers are disposed in alignment with said path of travel of said abutment means of said latch means with which said cam members are operAtively associated and their operator fingers are removed from such alignment, said cam members being movable from said first condition into said second condition upon movement of said first drawer into open position by driving surface engagement of said leading surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned operator finger, said cam members being returned to said first condition from said second condition upon return movement of said first drawer to closed position by driving surface engagement of said trailing surface of its associated abutment means with its operatively aligned interlock-return finger, said other drawers being prevented from being opened while said first drawer is in open position due to surface engagement of said leading surface of their associated abutment means with their operatively aligned interlock-return fingers, and said interlock-return fingers of said cam members operatively associated with said latch means carried by said other drawers surface engaging with said stop means of said other drawers to prevent movement of said interlock-return fingers from operative alignment with said abutment means in a direction away from said first condition.

Claim 14

A file cabinet according to claim 10, wherein said rod is of non-round cross-sectional configuration, each said cam member is formed with an aperture extending vertically therethrough, said aperture having a configuration corresponding to said rod configuration for slidably receiving said rod while constraining its cam member for rotation with said rod, and means are fixed to said frame for constraining said cam members from vertical movement downwardly along said rod.

Claim 15

A file cabinet according to claim 11, where the last said means are apertured to rotatably receive said rod and constrain horizontal deflection thereof intermediate upper and lower ends of said rod.

Claim 16

A file cabinet according to claim 12, wherein said rod is of square cross-sectional configuration and said cam members are releasably retained alternately in said first and second conditions by resiliently deformable means, said resiliently deformable means being a generally U-shaped spring device having a base portion positionally oriented relative to said rod by said cabinet and a pair of leg portions, said leg portions having facing surfaces thereof arranged to alternately engage planar surfaces and junctures of adjacent planar surfaces of said rod when said cam members are in said first and second conditions, said spring device being deformable during rotation of said rod to move said cam members into said first and second conditions.

Claim 17

A file cabinet according to claim 13, wherein said stop means associated with each said drawer comprises an outwardly facing surface of the side wall of said drawer, and said abutment means associated with each said drawer comprises a flange fixed to its side wall adjacent a rear end portion thereof to extend forwardly in a diverging relationship relative to said outwardly facing surface.

Claim 18

A file cabinet according to claim 13, wherein each said latch means is defined by a flange member, said flange member being fixed to the side wall of its associated drawer and including a flange portion disposed parallel to said side wall for defining said stop means and another flange portion joined to a rearwardly disposed edge of said flange portion and extending forwardly and in a diverging relationship relative thereto to define said abutment means.