US3008790A - Sliding drawer guide - Google Patents

Description

N w. 1 61 E. w. SIMONS 3, 08,7

SLIDING DRAWER GUIDE Filed Oct. 29, 3 s s l F I G.|

I I i I I4 I 2 l 36 6| 6 I /V l 2 I I I 24 //I I I n 7' l l I A INVENT OR.

Elizabeth W. Simons BY M k Mm Try 5.

Nov. 14, 1961 E. w. SIMONS sunmc DRAWER GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet '2 Filed Oct. 29, 1958 INVENTOR.

- FIG..3

Elizabeth W. Simons FIG.4

United States Patent Ofiice 3,008,790 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 3,008,790 SLIDING DRAWER GUIDE Elizabeth W. Simons, Sedgefield, Rte. 3, Box 371, Greensboro, N.C. Filed Oct. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 770,887 8 Claims. (Cl. 312--332) This invention relates generally to the class of furniture and particularly furniture of the type embodying one or more sliding drawers and the invention is directed particularly to a new and novel improvement in sliding guide units for a drawer.

' This application is a continuation-impart of my prior application Serial No. 758,094, filed August 29, 1958, and now abandoned.

In furniture of the type of bureaus, chiffoniers, and all other types wherein drawers form a part thereof, it is a frequent occurrence to have such drawers stick or be jammed or become diflicult to move in and out as a result of the wood material of which the drawers are constructed absorbing moisture. While it is known that various types of guides have been devised for maintaining a drawer properly centered between side members of the structure in which it is mounted, such guides themselves frequently absorb moisture and are thereby caused to stick, as a result of which force has to be employed for moving the drawer, frequently resulting in damage to the furniture.

It is a particular object of the present invention, in view of the foregoing, to provide a new and novel guide unit adapted to be interposed between the bottom of a drawer and an underlying supporting rail, which unit is so constructed as to permit relative expansion and contraction due to moisture absorption and drying out of the slide parts without interference in any way with the proper centering of the drawer in the furniture and without interference with the free sliding movement of the drawer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a drawer guide unit which can be completely or fully constructed as a unit separate and distinct from the article of furniture or from the drawer with which it is to be used and which can be readily installed in the article of furniture between the bottom of a drawer and an underlying support without altering the adjacent conventionally constructed par-ts of the furniture so that the guide may be built into the furniture at the time of its construction or it may be attached or set in place in the furniture after it has been completely constructed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and novel drawer guide unit which, when installed, will permit the free and easy in and out movement of the drawer, as hereinbefore stated, and which will also limit the outward movement of the drawer when the latter is moved in a straight line outwardly on its supporting rails, whereby to prevent the accidental complete withdrawal of the drawer from the furniture structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and novel sliding drawer guide of the character defined in the preceding paragraphs, which will permit the drawer to be readily completely removed from the supporting furniture structure when the drawer has been drawn straight outwardly to the limit of its movement, by the simple action of laterally moving the drawer, or cocking the drawer to a slightly angular position which will result in the placement of the relatively movable parts of the guide in a position which will permit such full removal of the drawer.

The invention generally contemplates the provision of a sliding guide unit for a drawer consisting of a runner bar and a guide embodying a pair of spaced parallel elongate members between which the runner bar is adapted to have rectilinear movement, wherein the spacing between the parallel parts of the guide is materially greater than the width of the runner bar, with yieldable elements interposed between an edge of the runner bar and one of the parallel members of the guide which will constantly urge the runner bar into an interengaged sliding coupling with the opposite elongate member whereby the accidental disengagement of the runner bar from the guide is prevented.

More specifically the invention as generally outlined above embodies in the said interengaged sliding coupling, one embodiment wherein said coupling consists of a groove formed in the said opposite elongate member to receive a tongue carried by the runner bar and in a second embodiment such interengaged sliding coupling consists of an under-cut face in the said opposite elongate member against which is slidably positioned a bevelled or chamfered surface of the runner bar.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a portion of an article of furniture showing partially in front elevation and partially in section the drawer therein and certain adjacent parts, and further illustrating one embodiment of the slide of the present invention in operative position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken in a horizontal plane transversely of the structure shown in FIG. 1 and substantially on the line 22 of that figure;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, but showing the drawer drawn out to the limit permitted by the sliding guide unit;

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 but showing the drawn-out drawer angled or cooked to one side in a position to permit disengagement of the parts of the slide and to permit the complete removal of the drawer from the article of furniture;

FIG. 5 is a view in top plan on an enlarged scale of the sliding drawer guide unit removed from its association with the drawer and furniture body and showing the slide or runner bar in retracted position in the guide portion of the unit;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of FIG. 5 and on the same scale as that figure;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 77 of FIG. 5 and on the scale of that figure;

FIG. 8 is a detail top plan view on an enlarged scale, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the inner end of the runner bar angled with respect to the guide portion of the unit;

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 and illustrating in top plan a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 1111 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a view in top plan of the forward end portion of the guide and illustrating the rear end portion of the runner bar at the limit of its outward movement in the guide and the manner in which such outward movement is stopped by the construction of the associated parts;

FIG. 13 is a view in top plan corresponding to FIG. 8

and illustrating the manner in which the inner end portion of the runner is cocked in the channel between the parallel members of the guide to permit the removal of the runner from the guide.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral generally designates in FIGS. 1 to 3 a portion of an article of furniture having a drawer or drawers as a part thereof such, for example, as a bureau, chiifonier or the like.

The specific details of construction of the article 10 form no part of the present invention outside of the association of certain suitable parts necessary for mounting the invention in the furniture structure for connection with a drawer thereof. Accordingly it will be understood that the structure here illustrated is one of a preferred design wherein are found suitable or required parts for mounting the slide unit.

Again referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 12 designates conventional back corner frame posts while the numeral 14 designates front corner frame posts and as is conventional, these frame posts at their lower ends are formed to provide supporting feet or legs, not shown. Extending between and connecting the back frame posts 12 is the back wall panel 16 while the numeral 18 designates the lateral or side wall panels which extend between the back posts 12 and the adjacent front posts 14. Secured in the area defined by the posts and panels, in horizontal position, are one or more vertically spaced drawer supporting frames, each of the two here shown in FIG. 1 being generally designated 20. Each of these drawer frames embodies the horizontal back rail 22, the horizontal side rails 24 and the horizontal front rail 26.

The side rails 24 function in conventional structure as drawer supporting rails and the front rail 26 also functions in the same manner with the side rails for slidably supporting the drawer between the pair of frames, the drawer here being generally designated 28.

In the structure here illustrated there is shown a dust panel which is generally designated 3% and which forms a horizontal filler for each drawer frame, the panel embodying a central bar 31 which is positioned midway between the side rails 24 and extends from front to rear of the structure between the back and front rails 22 and 26 to which it is secured at its ends. This dust panel also includes the thin sheets 32 of wood or other suitable material each of which is secured between a side of the bar 31 and the adjacent rail 24 and between the front and back rails, as illustrated.

The drawer here shown is of conventional construction embodying the side walls 33, the back wall 34 and the front or face wall 35, all joined together in the manner shown. In addition the drawer embodies the bottom panel 36 which is secured at its edges or at its edge portions in the front, back and side walls of the drawer in a horizontal plane spaced above the bottom edges of the drawer walls and, as will be seen upon reference to FIG. 1, the bottom edges of the side walls constitute runners which rest and slide upon the top surfaces of the two underlying side rails 24.

In the construction here illustrated, the front wall panel or face wall 35 of the drawer extends slightly above the top plane of the drawer so that this extended top portion of the face wall 35 substantially covers the front rail 26 of the drawer frame lying above the drawer, when the drawer is closed.

In accordance with the present invention, in the first embodiment thereof, there is provided the unitary slide and guide structure which is generally designated 37. This unit or unitary structure 37 consists generally of two cooperating and relatively movable parts which are identified as the guide part or portion 38 and the slide or runner bar 39. The guide portion comprises two long track rails 40 and 41 which are disposed in spaced parallel relation upon, and are connected or joined together by, a relatively thin bottom plate 42.

The track rails 40 and 41 have opposing faces 43 and 44 respectively and one of these faces, here shown as the face 44 of the track rail 41, has cut therein pairs of oblique slots 45, each pair of such slots being arranged to converge inwardly from the rail face 44 as illustrated.

Each pair of slots 45 functions to slidably receive the ends of a long bowed leaf spring 46, the end portions of the spring engaging in the slots being designated 47 and, as will be readily seen, the major portion of the bow of each spring lies in the runner bar guide space 48 provided between the faces 43 and 44 of the rails.

The face 43 of the other rail, here designated the rail 40, has formed therein the longitudinally extending groove 49.

At one end of the rail 40, here designated the front end, a short inwardly projecting guide wall 50 is formed which extends or projects into the guide space 48 and the forward end of the groove 49 terminates in the transverse abutment shoulder 51 at the inner or rear end of the inwardly projecting wall 50. The shoulder 50 has a straight inner face 52 which parallels the face 43 and in this face 52 there is formed the longitudinal tapered slot 53 which has its greatest depth at the rear end of the shoulder and at the junction of the face 43 with the abutment shoulder 51 and decreases in depth forwardly to the end of the rail 46) and consequently to the forward end of the inwardly projecting Wall 50.

The guide runner 39 comprises a long flat bar having approximately the same as or slightly greater thickness than the rails 40 and 41. This bar has a straight flat edge face 54 which extends throughout its length and the op posite side of the bar has a flat face 55 which extends from the forward end 56 of the bar through the major portion of the length of the bar where the bar is increased in Width to form the laterally extending runner foot portion 57 which bears against the face 43 of the rail 41. This foot portion 57 has formed along its lateral or side portion the tongue 58 which slidably engages in the groove 49 when the runner bar is in position in the guide space 48.

It will be seen that the inwardly projecting wall 50 projects from the face 43 to approximately the same extent which the runner foot projects from the face 55 of the runner bar and also it will be seen that the width of the runner bar is materially less than the width of the space 48 in which it is retained for rectilinear movement. However, the width of the runner bar is greater than the width of the space between the faces of the springs 46 and the face 43 of the rail 40 and consequently when the runner bar is inserted between the rails in the manner shown, the springs will be put under compression and they will function to maintain the face 55 of the runner bar in firm sliding engagement with the face 52 of the shoulder and likewise maintain the lateral face of the runner foot 57 in sliding engagement with the face 43 of the rail 41 As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the drawer slide and guide unit is placed in position for use by securing the guide portion upon the top and lengthwise of the middle bar 31 in the drawer supporting frame 20. The'forward end portion of the plate 42 may be secured by a screw 59 or other suitable means to the top of the front rail 26 and the rear end of the plate 42 will be secured in a suitable manner, as by means of a staple 6t] driven through the plate into the back rail 22. The runner bar 39 is, of course, secured in a suitable manner, as by means of screws 61, against the under side of the drawer bottom 36.

It will be seen from the foregoing that with the parts assembled in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, when the drawer to which the runner bar 39 is attached is drawn out, the runner foot carried tongue will slide in thegroove 49 until it contacts the top or abutment wall 51, thus preventing the drawer from being completely withdrawn accidentally.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing that any expansion which may take place in the runner bar 39 or the track rails 40 and 41, or both, will be compensated by the leaf springs 46 yielding to the greater pressure exerted upon them by the movement together of the faces 44 and 54 respectively of the track rail 41 and runner bar, and the drawer with the attached runner bar may still be readily slid in and out as desired.

In the event that it is desired to fully remove the drawer to which the runner bar 39 is attached, this can be accomplished as illustrated in FIG. 3, that is, by first pulling the drawer out as far as it will be permitted to come by the abutment wall 51, and then angling or cocking the drawer laterally so as to bring the forward end of the tongue 58 into line with the rear tapered end of the groove 53 formed in the guide shoulder 50. This angling of the bar 39 will be permitted by the outermost spring 46 being slightly compressed as will be readily apparent, and when the tongue 58 has been aligned with the slot 53 it may then be drawn through the slot and the complete separation of the runner bar from the guide and removal of the drawer consequently effected.

FIGS. 9 to 13, inclusive, illustrate the second embodiment of the present invention wherein there is illustrated a slightly different formation or construction of the runner bar and the guide member which opposes the bar on the side thereof remote from the springs.

In this second embodiment, the unitary slide and guide structure is generally designated '75. As in the first described embodiment, this second unit consists generally of two cooperating and relatively movable parts which are identified as the guide part 76 and the slide or runner bar 77. This guide part or guide portion comprises a long base body '78 having securedlongitudinally of the top thereof the track rails 79 and 80 which are in spaced parallel relation, as shown.

One of the track rails 79, as is clearly illustrated, has cut therein, from the inner face 81 thereof, two pairs of obliquely extending slots 82, the slots of each pair being in inwardly convergent relationship and each pair of slots receives the ends of a bowed leaf spring 83 which projects into the channel or space 84 which is provided between the track rails for the reception of the runner bar 77.

The runner bar 77 has a straight back face 85 against which the bowed springs 83 engage and as in the first described embodiment, these springs, by engaging different sides or faces 85 of the runner bar, normally urge the runner bar transversely of the channel 84 and into sliding engagement with the inner surface of the opposite track rail 80.

The track rail 80 has the face thereof which is directed into the channel 84 and which opposes the runner bar 77, under-cut, as indicated at 86. This under-cut face is flat and extends from the top edge of the rail to the bottom thereof or to the surface of the bottom plate 78 as is clearly shown in FIG. 10.

The under-cut face 86 lies in one plane from the rear end 87 of the guide 76 to within a short distance from the forward end 88 thereof where it joins, by the transversely extending inwardly projecting shoulder 89, with the inwardly offset under-cut surface 90 which is parallel with the major undercut face 86.

The runner bar 77 is of approximately the same length as the guide 76 and is of an over-all or transverse width materially less than the width of the channel 84 between the top edge of the under-cut face 86 of the rail 80 and the inner face 81 of the rail 79, as is shown in FIG. 9.

As previously stated, the back face 85 of the runner bar bears against the bowed springs 83. The opposite longitudinal side of the runner bar is beveled or chamfered to form the inclined :face 91 which, when the runner bar is lying flat on the bottom plate 78, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, is parallel with the under-cut face 86 of the rail 80. This chamfered face 91 of the runner bar extends from the forward end of the bar to a location short or inwardly of the rear end of the bar and at the rear end of the bar the side thereof directed toward the under-cut face 86 is extended transversely of the runner bar to form the runner foot portion 92 and this runner foot portion has an inclined or chamfered surface 93 which is parallel with and offset with respect to the face 91. The formation of this runner foot or laterally offset portion which is provided with the short chamfered surface 83 provides the stop shoulder 94 which lies in a plane perpendicular to the face 91.

The width of the forward stop shoulder 89 and of the shoulder 94 which forms a part of the runnerbar, is the same and, therefore, it will be seen that when the runner bar is in position in the channel 84 the under-cut face 90 extending forwardly from the stop shoulder 89 and the chamfered surface 93 of the runner foot 92 will lie in the same plane and the intermediate and opposingly related faces 86 and 91 will be spaced apart but in parallel planes. This relationship ofthe faces is clearly shown in the sectional views forming FIGS. 10 and 11.

It will be apparent that whereas in the first embodiment the interengaging portions of the runner bar and the guide member embody a groove in the guide member and a tongue forming a part of the runner bar, in the second embodiment just described the interengagement between the runner bar and the guide member embodies the undercut surfaces 86 and 90 of the guide member and the chamfered surfaces 91 and 93 of the runner bar and that these surfaces overlapping one another as they do, prevent the lifting of the runner bar out of the channel 84, but swelling of either the guide member or the runner bar 75, due to dampness or the like, will not cause a binding between the parts and interfere with the smooth sliding movement of the runner bar in the guide for the reason that the runner bar is free to move slightly transversely of the channel toward and against the resistance of the springs 83.

As will be seen upon reference to FIG. 12, when the runner bar 77 which will be secured to the under side of a drawer in the same manner as the runner bar 39 is secured, or in any other manner, is drawn outwardly by the outward movement of the drawer to which it is attached, such outward movement will be stopped when the shoulder 94 of the runner bar reaches and comes in contact with the stop shoulder 89 of the guide member 80. Thus, as in the first embodiment of the invention, the device will function to prevent accidental withdrawal of the drawer from the article of furniture to which it is attached.

If the drawer to which the runner bar 77 is secured is to be removed from the article of furniture of which it forms a part, then the same maneuver is effected as was illustrated and described in connection with the first embodiment. In FIG. 13 there is illustrated the manner in which the lateral shifting or cocking of the drawer with the attached runner bar will effect the positioning of the runner bar so that the shoulder 94 will easily pass the stop shoulder 89. The width of the channel permits this action as will be readily understood, and as shown here in this FIG. 13, when the runner bar is cooked, the adjacent spring will be compressed so that the runner bar takes a slanting position in the channel and then the laterally projecting runner foot can be slid out of the channel past the inwardly projecting portion 89 of the guide member.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that in addition to the runner bar being secured to the bottom of the drawer as stated, the guide 75 will be secured to a fixed underlying part of the furniture structure so that it cannot have any movement relative thereto, but will be held stationary while the drawer and the runner bar shift inwardly and outwardly in the opening and closing of the drawer.

In the illustration of the two embodiments of the invention there have been shown in each embodiment only 7 two of the runner bar engaging springs, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this number as it will be apparent that use may be made of three or more springs of shorter length, if desired.

The drawer guides of the present invention not only permit the drawer to slide in and out freely regardless of weather conditions which, with other types of slides, might have certain undesirable eifects, but the interengaging coupling between the runner bar and a guide member on one side thereof prevents objectionable downtilting of the drawer when the same is in fully opened position. 'Also the stop against which the runner bar foot engages in the pulling out of the drawer will function in a sense as a warning whereby the inadvertent disengagement of the runner bar and guide and the pulling out of the drawer from the case, may be avoided. At the same time, the arrangement of the guide shoulder 50 of the first embodiment with the channel therein and of the inwardly projecting portion 89 of the second embodiment, with respect to the cooperating portions of the runner bars, permits easy removal of the drawer for cleaning, repairing or changing lining papers.

I claim:

l; The combination with an article of furniture having a sliding drawer part and a stationary support part upon which the drawer part slides, of a guide unit comprising an elongate guide element fixed to one of said parts between the same and the other part and paralleling the path of reciprocal movement of the drawer part, said guide element having two spaced parallel members forming a runner bar guide channel having a width materially less than the width of the drawer part, a runner bar element secured to said other part of the article of furniture and lying longitudinally in said channel whereby relative reciprocal movement of the elements occurs upon sliding movement of the drawer part, the runner bar element having a width materially less than the width of the space between the paraller members, resilient thrust means carried by one of the two spaced parallel members and applying lateral thrust to the runner bar element urging the latter toward the other one of the members, a sliding coupling between the runner bar element and said other one of the said two parallel members comprising portions of said runner bar element and the said other one of the members having overlapping engagement one with the other, cooperating means between said overlapping portions for limiting the outward movement of said drawer part, and said sliding coupling including an undercut face of the said other one of said two parallel members and which face extends through the major part of the r length of said other one of the members and is directed toward and is in opposed relation with a longitudinal side of the bar element and a longitudinally extending and laterally projecting portion of said longitudinal side of the bar element at the end of the latter remote from the front of the drawer and said laterally projecting portion having a chamfered surface underlying and slidably engaging said undercut face.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the means limiting the outward movement of the drawer part comprises a longitudinally extending portion of the said other one of said members at the end thereof adjacent to the front of the drawer and projecting beyond the undercut face of the said other one of the two parallel members and toward the adjacent side of the bar element and providing a shouldered inner end to be engaged by an adjacent end of the said laterally projecting portion of the bar element and said longitudinally extending portion of said other one of the two parallel members having an undercut face paralleling the first undercut face and said bar element having the side thereof adjacent to said other one of the two parallel members chamfered from the said laterally projecting portion thereof to the end thereof adjacent to the front of the drawer for sliding engagement with the undercut face of said longitudinally extending portion of the said other one of the two parallel members.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a sliding drawer guide for an article of furniture comprising a guide unit having a front end and a rear end and embodying an elongate guide element having two spaced parallel elongate members coupled together to form a runner bar guide channel, a runner bar disposed longitudinally in said channel and having a front end and a rear end and having a width materially less than the width of the space between said parallel members, resilient thrust means carried by one of the two spaced parallel members and applying lateral thrust to the runner bar element urging the latter toward the other one of the members, a sliding coupling between the runner bar element and said other one of the said two paraliel members, said coupling comprising portions of said runner bar element and the said other one of the two members having overlapping engagement one with the other and maintaining the runner bar against movement from between the parallel members in a direction perpendicular to its length but permitting longitudinal movement of the runner bar between the members, and cooperating means between said overlapping portions for limiting longitudinal movement of the runner bar outwardly from between the parallel members, the said guide unit being designed to be interposed between the bottom of a sliding drawer part and a stationary support part of an article of furniture upon which the drawer part slides, to extend from the front toward the back of the drawer part and said guide element and runner part element being designed to be secured one to the sliding drawer part and the other to the underlying drawer supporting part.

4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein the said overlapping portions comprising said sliding coupling consist of. a groove formed in a surface of the said other one of said parallel members which opposes the bar element and a tongue projecting from and extending longitudinally of the bar element for a short portion of the length of the bar element at the rear end of the latter and slidably engaging in said groove.

5. The invention according to claim 3, wherein said overlapping portions comprising said sliding coupling include an undercut face of the said other one of said parallel members and which face extends through the major part of the length of said other one of the parallel members and is directed toward and is in opposed relation with a longitudinal side of the bar element and a longitudinally extending and laterally projecting portion of said longitudinal side of the bar element at the rear end of the latter and said laterally projecting portion having a chamfered surface underlying and slidably en gaging said undercut face.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the means limiting longitudinal movement of the runner bar outwardly from between the parallel members comprises a longitudinally extending portion of the said other one of said members at the forward end of the guide element and projecting beyond the groove toward the bar element and providing a shouldered inner end to be engaged by an adjacent end of the tongue and the last said longitudinally extending portion having a groove in the surface thereof adjacent to the bar element and leading obliquely from the first groove toward the bar element to receive the tongue and facilitate the disposition of the bar element at an angle to the parallel members and removal of the bar element from between the parallel members.

7. The invention according to claim 5, wherein the means limiting longitudinal movement of the runner bar outwardly from between the parallel members comprises a longitudinally extending portion of the said other one of said members at the forward end of the guide element and projecting beyond the undercut face of the said other one of the two members and toward the adjacent side of the bar element and providing a shouldered inner end to be engaged by an adjacent end of said laterally projecting portion of the bar element and the said longitudinally extending portion of said other one of the two members having an undercut face paralleling the first undercut face and said bar element having the side thereof adjacent to the said other one of the two members chamfered from the said laterally projecting portion thereof to the forward end thereof for sliding engagement with the undercut face of said longitudinally extending portion of the said other one of the two members.

8. The combination with an article of furniture having a sliding drawer part and a stationary support part upon which the drawer part slides, of a guide unit comprising an elongate guide element fixed to one of said parts between the same and the other part and paralleling the path of recipnocal movement of the drawer part, said guide element having two spaced parallel members forming a runner bar guide channel having a width materially less than the width of the drawer part, a runner bar element secured to said other part of the article of furniture and lying longitudinally in said channel whereby relative reciprocal movement of the elements occurs upon sliding movement of the drawer part, the runner bar element having a width materially less than the width of the space between the parallel members, resilient thrust means carried by one of the two spaced parallel members and applying lateral thrust to the runner bar element urging the latter toward the other one of the members, a sliding coupling between the runner bar element and said other one of the said two parallel members comprising portions of said runner bar element and the said other one of the members having overlapping engagement one with the other, cooperating means between said overlapping portions for limiting the outward movell) ment of said drawer part, the said overlapping portions comprising said sliding coupling consisting of a groove formed in the surface of said other one of said spaced parallel members which opposes the bar element and a tongue projecting from and extending longitudinally of the bar element for a short portion of the length of the bar element at the end of the latter remote from the front of the drawer and slidably engaged in said groove, and the said means limiting outward movement of the drawer part comprises a longitudinally extending portion of the said other one of said parallel members at the end thereof adjacent to the front of the drawer and projecting beyond the said grooved surface toward the bar element and providing a shouldered inner end to be engaged by an adjacent end of the tongue and the last said longitudinally extending portion having a groove in the surface thereof adjacent to the bar element and leading obliquely from the first groove toward the bar element to receive the tongue and facilitate angling of the drawer part and removal of the latter from said supporting part.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 357,006 Hoffman Feb. 1, 1887 419,496 Brown Jan. 14, 1890 430,908 Williams June 24, 1890 432,371 Clapp July 15, 1890 549,852 Merz Nov. 12, 1895 873,914 Vikoren Dec. 17, 1907 1,409,330 Aper Mar. 14, 1922 2,257,822 Stickley Oct. 7, 1941

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