Patent Application
20080087872
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel cabinet lift which provides improved performance and is easier to manufacture. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent of the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings where in:
Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved cabinet lift invention 20 is illustrated in
In greater detail, the improved adjustable post mechanism 22 having the four adjustable plates 24-24′″ and has a frame 28 with four fixed V-shaped plates 28′-28″″ fixed between upper and lower plates between 29 and 29′ to slidably support the four adjustable plates 24-24′″ so that they may move or slide radially inward and outward on the V-shaped plates 28′-28″″ of the frame. The frame has an elongated screw 30 in the center of the four radially extending adjustable plates 24-24′″ The screw 30 has a lower nut 32 and an upper nut 34. The lower nut 32 has an annular adjacent to the lower tapered four central inner edges 33 of the plates to engage said lower tapered inner edges of the plates as the screw 30 is not threaded adjacent the lower nut 32.
The upper nut 34 is threaded onto the upper end of the screw 30 and has a pin 34″ projecting outward and downwardly from the upper nut 34 so as to engage one of the four adjustable plates 24-24′″ depending upon its position, so as to allow only limited movement of the nut relative to the screw to approximately the 45 degree space between the plate thereby effectively fixing the upper nut relative to the screw 30. The upper nut 34 has tapered annular surfaces 34′ which opposes the tapered annular surfaces 32′ at the lower end of the lower nut 32 so that the tapered upper and lower surfaces34′ and 32′ of the upper and lower nuts can simultaneously can engage the tapered upper and lower surfaces 33 and 33′ surfaces of the plates, if the lower nut is drawn toward the upper nut 34.
The threading of the screw 30 into the upper nut 34 acts to draw the upper nut 34 downward towards the lower nut 32. Simultaneously this action draws the lower nut 32 upward while moving the screw 30 upward in the threading action. A coil spring 36 is mounted coaxially on the screw 30 and acts to engage the very nose 30′ of the nuts, adjacent the upper and lower cam surfaces of upper and lower nuts; so that, though turning or threading the lower nut toward the upper nut will act to raise the screw toward the upper cam surfaces 34′, thereby bringing the upper and lower cam surfaces of the nuts 32 and 34 toward one another, the coil spring pressure of spring 36 will act to keep the nuts apart so as to prevent free movement of the lower nut except by deliberate manual action by the operator threading the nuts together.
The tapered lower surfaces of the lower annular nut and the tapered annular surfaces 34′ of the upper nut 34 acts to simultaneously engage the upper and lower tapered four surfaces 33 and 33′ upper nut 34 acts to simultaneously engage the upper and lower tapered four surfaces 33 and 33′ of the plates to cam the upper and lower edges outward to slide the four plates outward, when the screw is turned to thread or draw the nut 34 toward the upper end of the screw 30. The outward camming causes the plates to slide outward and engage in the four inner corners 23′ of the beam 23 to lock the frame 28 to the beam 23 for the engagement process or operation.
Conversely turning the screw 30 in the opposite direction lowers or lengthens the screw relative to the bolt and thereby allows the four plates to freely separate and move radially inward from the four corners of the post to release the post mechanism from the beam.
A tension spring 37 surrounds the exterior of the four adjustable plates urging them inwardly towards one another so that when the screw 30 is rotated to cause the cam surfaces of the nuts to move away from one another, the tension spring 37 will urge the plates toward one another following the contour of the cams. Thereby the cams, tension spring, and coil spring, in cooperation with one another act to adjust the adjustable plates 24-24′″ radially inward and outward into the four internal corners 23′ of the square beam 23 with the adjustable post mechanism 22 being adjustable by the screw 29 which may be turned by a conventional Allen wrench.
By moving the four adjustable plates 24-24′″ outward by means of the screw 30 being turned by the Allen wrench, the plates can fit tightly into the four inner corners 23′ of the beam 23 to provide a solid connection so that the beam 23 will not teeter on the adjustable post mechanism 22. Yet by turning the screw 30 in the opposite direction the four adjustable plates 24-24′″ can be retracted towards one another to enable the beam to be freely removed from the adjustable post mechanism 22.
lower nuts 34 and 32 simultaneous and evenly engaging the upper and lower tapered inner edges of the plates outward, it causes the plates to move outward with the upper and lower outer edges of the plates evenly and in equal strength for the entire height of the outer edges engage the inner corners of the beam in flush relation.
The base 21 is also provided with four caster wheels 38 for rotatively supporting the base.
A brake mechanism 39 for the cabinet lift invention 20, is provided to prevent the base 21 of the lift invention from moving while the lift is in operation. The brake mechanism 39 has a lateral downwardly extending gripping members 42 and 42′.
A U-shaped brake 43 has an elongated center piece 43′ with parallel lateral outer ends 44′ and 44″ is pivotally mounted to the base 21 at its outer ends 44′ and 44″. The lateral outer ends 44′ and 44″ of the U-shaped member 43 are pivotally mounted on a pair of stub shafts 45. Downward extending gripping members or brake pads 42 and 42′ are fixed to the other end portion of the outer ends 44′ and 44″. A coil spring 46 is mounted on one of the stub shafts 45 and encircling the stub shaft with its one end 46′. The one end 46′ is a non rotatable relation to one stub shaft 45 and extends outwardly with its other end 46″ engaging pin 47 as shown in
A handle 48 has a shaft 49 which is pivotally mounted to the horizontal beam 21′ of the base 21 to pivot on the beam about an axis of shaft 49. The shaft 49 has a lateral plate 50 fixed laterally to the shaft 49. An adjustable screw 51 has one end pivotally mounted to the lateral plate 50 at pivot point 52. A projecting flange 53 is fixed to the cross brace 54 of the U-shaped brake 43. The adjustable screw 51 at its other end is mounted in an aperture 55 of the projecting flange plate 53 to move freely in the aperture An adjustable screw 51 has one end pivotally mounted to the lateral plate 50 at pivot point 52. A projecting flange 53 is fixed to the cross brace 54 of the U-shaped brake 43. The adjustable screw 51 at its other end is mounted in an aperture 55 of the projecting flange plate 53 to move freely in the aperture 55.
The rotation of handle 48 in a counter clockwise direction when viewed from
The movement of the handle 48 counterclockwise from its position shown in
The rotation of the handle 48 is a clockwise direction when viewed from
The movement of the handle clockwise past center unlocks the brake allowing the spring 46 to raise the U shape brake 43 upward off the ground back to its position shown in
The base 21 can be provided without caster wheels with a shorter post or square beam 23 for use in mounting upper cabinets on a wall after the floor cabinets have been installed, by placing the base on the counter of the floor cabinets, and then putting the upper cabinets on the vertically adjustable platform 25 which can be raised and lowered which sliding platform may be slidably mounted on a shorter square beam 23 of the device.
It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and accordingly it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings but only as set forth in the appended claims wherein:
