US2213319A - Lid support - Google Patents

Description

P 1940- A. F. LICKTEIG 2,213,319

LID SUPPORT Filed Aug. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 jwuowtow Alberfffliplifeiq dimtwlao p 1940- A. F. LICKTEIG 2,213,319

LID SUPPORT Filed Aug. 9, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 2 -f'fgq'j' 1 6 23 1 8 16 awe/Wm Alevilflicaeq (tune/1 4 P 1940- A. F. LICKTEIG 2,213,319

LID SUPPORT Filed Aug. 9, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jrumrvfom .56

Albcrlii Ziokfciq Patented Sept. 3, 1940 Albert F. Lickteig, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor Grand Rapids Brass Company,

Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application August 9,

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to lid supports and more particularly to supports for horizontally hinged lids of cabinets or the like and which supports include means for counterbalancing the weight of the lids to insure smooth opening and closing of the lids and furnish support for the lids in partially open positions.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide an improved lid supporting device of the character above indicated, to provide such a device which may be readily adjusted after installation in a cabinet to counterbalance the weight of the cabinets lid, to provide such a device which may be readily and conveniently in stalled in the cabinet, and to provide such a device which is attractive in appearance, effective in use and economical inmanufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an inside elevational View of the lid support installed on a cabinet, the cabinet and lid thereof being shown fragmentarily in vertical section;

Figure 2 is a sectional View thereof on line 2- 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional View through the lidsupporting device on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of the device, an assembly screwthereof I being omitted in this View;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a pin element of the device;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a spring washer element thereof; t

Figure '7 is a central horizontal sectional view of the device partially disassembled and illustrating a method and means for adjusting the counterbalancing effect of the device;

Figure 8 is an inside elevational view of amodified form of the lid support;

Figure 9 is a sectional view thereof on line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a sectional View thereof on line ||l|0 of Figure 8; and t Figure 11 is a sectional view thereof on line of Figure 10.

Referring to Figures 1-7 of these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, a cabinet having a side wall H and rear wall I2 is provided with a closure for the open top thereof her-c shown as a lid l3 mounted on the rear wall l2 by means of hinges l4.

A housing i5 is secured to the side wall H of l the cabinet as by wood screws l6 passing there- 1939, Serial No. 239,100

ing therein a recess l'i, an elongated chamber It having a reduced annular portion is, and a bearing through the wall therof coaxial with 1, the annular portion ll! of the chamber I8. "A pin 2|, shown per se in Figure 5, comprises a shank 22 having a longitudinal slot 23 therethrough, an enlarged annular circumferential flange 24 rotatably bearing in the reduced annular portion iii of the chamber I8, a bearing portion 25 journalled in the bearing 20 of the housingand extending slightly beyond the bearing to form a shoulder 26, a reduced portion 21, and a peripherally serrated outer end portion 28; Y

A flat spiral spring 29 disposed in-the chamber I: N3 of the housing I5 is provided with a turned-' over inner end 30 fixedly seated in the slot 23 of the shank 22 of pin 2|,,the outer end 3| of the spiral spring 29 being fixedly hooked over a post 32 cast integrally with the housing l5.

A base plate 33 is snugly fitted in the recess of the housing l5, and is secured therein by means of studs 34, 35 integrally cast on the housthrough, said housing comprising a casting havlog and on the post 32 respectively, said studs extending through apertures in the base plate and being swaged to securely join the housing and the base plate. This base plate is provided with a boss 35 which forms a bearing forthe shank 22- of 25, a cap 3'! being interposed between the shank 22 and boss 35. The side wall H of the cabinet is provided with a bore 38,

- drilled at the time of installation of the lid support, which bore accommodates the boss36 of the base plate 33. v

I A radially undulated spring metal washer 39, shown per se in Figure 6, is interposed between the enlarged annular flange 24 of pin 2| and the bottom of the reduced annular portion I9 of the chamber !8 in the housing It. This spring washer 39 urges the pin 2| toward the base plate 33 thus properly positioning the fiat spiral spring 29 in the chamber I8 and restraining the pin 2| against longitudinal movement relative to the housing I5. Said spring washer 39 further serves as a stabilizing brake, exerting suflicient pressure on the parts to maintain the lid 3 in its set position above a predetermined angle.

' An arm dilis'provided at one end thereof with i fixedly secured against relative rotating movement.

An assembly screw 42 has its shank 43 threaded in an internally threaded central opening 44 in the pin 2|, the head 45 of said assembly screw 42 securely engaging the arm 40 therebetween and between the shoulder 26 on the pin 2| thus fixedly securing the arm 40 on the pin 2|.

A link 46 is pivotally connected at 41 to the outer end of the arm 40 and is pivotally con nected at 48 to a bracket 49 secured to the lid [3 wrench 59 (see Figure '7) may be passed through in the arm 40 and threaded the opening 4! into the internally threaded central opening 44 in the pin 2!. By means of the wrench 59 thus inserted, the pin 2| may be manually turned to adjust the tension of the spiral spring 29 and when the required tension is achieved, arm 40 is replaced on the pin 2! and the tension is maintained by the engagement of the serrations on' the arm with the serrations on the pin.

The assembly screw 42 is replaced after the fiat spiral spring has been so adjusted as to counterbalance the weight of the lid so that the lid will remain in any open position or will fall smoothly and softly to closed position, as desired. Preferably the spiral spring is adjusted to maintain the lid in open position above a prescribed angular inclination of the lid, below which prescribed angular inclination the spiral spring is increasingly tensioned thus cushioning the closing movement of the lid under its own weight.

It will be seen that the housing I5 is symmetrical with respect to a horizontal center line, and that therefore identical parts may be installed on the opposite side wall of the cabinet from the wall I l shown in the drawing, by merely inverting the housing [5 and reversing the position of the spiral spring therein.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 8-11, the arm 46 is freely rotatably mounted on a bearing portion 5! of the pin 21 but is coupled to the pin 2I by means of a disk 52 having an internally serrated central opening 53 engaging the peripherally serrated outer end portion 28 of the pin 2, said disk 52 having radial ratchet teeth 54 thereon engaging radial ratchet teeth 55 on the arm 40 A spring Washer 56 interposed between the disk 52 and assembly screw 42 is compressible to permit relative movement in one direction between the disk 52 and arm 46 and said movement may be effected to increase the tension on the flat spiral spring 29 without removing the assembly screw 42 by manually engaging the teeth of a spanner wrench (not shown) into circumferential sockets 51 in the disk 52 and turning the wrench.

The invention may be further modified, and as likewise shown in Figures 8-11, by forming the housing of stamped metal parts comprising a main stamping 53 secured to the side wall H of the cabinet 10 as by screws I6 and a secondary stamping 59 having tongues 60 extending through slots 6| in the main stamping 58, these tongues being clinched to rigidly secure the stampings together. In this construction,

the pin 21 has a bearing 62 in the main stamping 58, a bearing 63 in the secondary stamping 59, and a bearing 64 in the base plate 33 and the spring metal washer 39 is here interposed between the main stamping 58 and a washer 65 abutting the circumferential flange 24 on the pin 2| In Figures 8, l0 and 11 is shown a stop for limiting the upward movement of the hinged lid I3 of the cabinet, said stop comprising a stud G6 on arm 40 adapted to abut a projection 61 on the main stamping 58 to stop the arm 40 at a predetermined elevated position.

While but several specific embodiments of the invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the constructions shown may be altered or omitted Without departing from the spirit of this invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A counterbalancing device for a horizontally hinged lid of a cabinet or the like comprising a housing mounted on the cabinet and having a chamber therein and a horizontal bearing through the wall thereof, a base plate secured to the housing and having a horizontal bearing therein in alignment with the bearing in said housing, a pin rotatably disposed in said bearings and projecting outwardly beyond the housing, a spiral spring disposed in the chamber and having its inner end fixedly secured to the pin and having its outer end fixedly secured to I the housing, an arm mounted on the outer end of the pin and turnable with the pin, and a link pivotally secured at one end thereof to the outer end of the arm and pivotally secured at the other end thereof to said lid.

2. A counterbalancing device for a horizontally hinged lid of a cabinet or the like comprising a housing mounted on the cabinet and having a chamber therein and a horizontal bearing through the wall thereof, a base plate secured to the housing and having a horizontal bearing therein in alignment with the bearing in said housing, a pin rotatably disposed in said bearings and projecting outwardly beyond the housing said pin having a circumferential flange, a spring interposed between said flange and the housing, a spiral spring disposed in the chamber and having its inner end fixedly secured to the pin and having its outer end fixedly secured to the housing, an arm mounted on the outer end ofthe pin and turnable with the pin, and a link pivotally secured at one end thereof to the outer end of the arm and pivotally secured at the other end thereof to said lid.

3. A counterbalancing device for a horizontally hinged lid of a cabinet or the like comprising a housing mounted on the cabinet and having a chamber therein and a horizontal bearing through the wall thereof, a base plate secured to the housing and having a horizontal bearing in alignment with the bearing in said housing, a pin rotatably disposed in said bearings and having a peripherally serrated portion projecting outwardly beyond the housing, a spiral spring disposed within the chamber and having its inner end fixedly secured to the pin and having its outer end fixedly secured to the housing, an arm having an internally serrated opening therein adapted to engage the peripherally serrated outer end portion of said pin in selected turned positions of the arm relative to the pin, and a link pivotally secured at one end 7 thereof to the outer end. of the arm and pivotally secured at the other end thereof tosaid lid.

4. A counterbalancing device for a horizontally hinged lid of a cabinet or the like comprising a housing mounted on the cabinet and having a chamber therein and a horizontal bearing through the wall thereof, a base plate secured to the housing and having a horizontal bearing in alignment with the bearing in said housing, a pin rotatably disposed in said bearings and having a peripherally serrated portion projecting outwardly beyond the housing, a spiral spring disposed Within the chamber and having its inner end fixedly secured to the pin and having its outer end fixedly secured to the housing, an arm having an internally serrated opening therein adapted to engage the peripherally serrated outer end portion of said pin in selected turned positions of the arm relative to the pin, an assembly screw removably threaded in said pin for securing the arm against movement relative to the pin, and a link pivotally secured at one end thereof to the outer end of the arm and pivotally secured at the other end thereof to said lid.

5. A counterbalancing device for a horizon.- tally hinged lid of a cabinet or the like which has a bore in its side, said device comprising a housing mounted on said side and having a base plate With a boss extending into said bore and forming a bearing for the hereinafter mentioned pin, a pin mounted in the housing turnable in the bearing formed by said boss, a spiral spring within the housing having its inner end secured to the pin and its outer end secured to the housing, an arm mounted on the pin turnably therewith, and a link pivotally connected with the outer end of the arm and with the lid.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG.

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