Anchor clip for preventing tipping of storage cabinets

• US 5,176,437 A
• Filed: 03/11/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stanley Works The New Britain CT
• Original Assignee: Stanley Works Limited (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Remington, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREEN, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/667,425
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 312/351.1, 312/351.5, 312/351.3, 248/500, 248/680, 248/681, 241/458, 241/290, 241/291
• US Class Current: 312/351.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2097/008 Anti-tip devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/08 connected to the floor

Abstract

A system for preventing storage cabinets and the like from tipping when drawers of the cabinet are opened using an anchor clip for cooperating with the feet on the cabinet to latch the cabinet in vertical position.

Claims

1. An anchor clip for preventing tipping of storage cabinets of the type having at least one foot with a "V" cut-out at a rear end thereof and a hole spaced inwardly therefrom, said anchor clip comprising a plate-like member having a hole therethrough intermediate the ends thereof for receiving an anchor bolt, a raised "V" portion on the underside of said plate-like member adjacent the rear end and extending longitudinally thereof, to mate with the "V" cut-out in the cabinet foot for positive alignment, and a raised portion on the under side of said plate-like member adjacent the front end thereof and shaped to be received in the hole in the cabinet foot to latch the cabinet in position.

2. An anchor clip according to claim 1 wherein the front end of said plate-like member on the underside is inclined upwardly.

3. An anchor clip according to claim 1 wherein the hole in said foot is circular and said raised portion on the underside of said plate-like member adjacent the front end thereof is half-moon shaped so as to be received in the circular hole in the cabinet foot.

4. An anchor clip according to claim 3 wherein said raised portion on the underside of said plate-like member adjacent the front end thereof is a lanced, half-moon shaped member.

5. An anchor clip for preventing storage cabinets from tipping when drawers of the cabinet are opened, the cabinet having a pair of spaced feet for supporting the cabinet, the bottom of the feet having a rear end with a notch and a hole spaced inwardly therefrom, said anchor clip comprising a plate-like member having a hole for receiving an anchor bolt, a raised portion on the underside of said plate-like member adjacent the rear end thereof to mate with the notch in the cabinet foot for positive alignment, and a second raised portion on the opposite side of said hole from said first-named raised portion, said second raised portion being shaped for being received in the hole in the cabinet foot to latch the cabinet in position.

6. A system for preventing storage cabinets from tipping when drawers of the cabinet are opened, the cabinet having a pair of spaced feet in the form of elongated channels for supporting the cabinet, the bottom of the channels having a rear end with a "V" notch and a hole spaced inwardly therefrom, an anchor clip for each of said feet, each anchor clip comprising a plate-like member having a hole for receiving an anchor bolt, a raised "V" portion on the underside of said plate-like member to mate with the "V" notch in the channels for positive alignment, and a raised portion on the underside of said plate-like member on the opposite side of said hole from said "V" portion for being received in the hole in the channels to latch the cabinet in position.

7. A system according to claim 6 including an anchor bolt extending through the hole in each said anchor clip and the "V" notch in each of the channels, the lower end of each said anchor bolt being anchored in the floor supporting the channels of the storage cabinet, a threaded nut on the upper end of each said anchor bolt, and a lock washer on each said anchor bolt between said anchor clip and said threaded nut to permit each of the channels to slide under said anchor clip to latch the cabinet in position.

8. A method of using the system according to claim 7 comprising the steps of aligning the anchor clips relative to the rear end channels of the cabinet, pushing the cabinet backwards in the direction of the clips so that the bottom rear end of the channels pass under the raised portion of the clips and the "V" portion of the clips mate to the "V" notch in the channels thereby positively aligning the clips so that as the backward motion of the cabinet is continued it allows the raised portion on the underside of the clips to be received in the holes in the channels and thereby latch the cabinet in position.

9. A system according to claim 6 wherein the hole in the bottom of the channels is circular and the raised portion on the underside of the plate-like member on the opposite side of the hole from the "V" portion is half-moon shaped for being received in the circular hole in the channels.