US2594645A - Shower bath cabinet - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1952 J. P. HARNER SHOWER BATH CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1946 w mwuuw I IIIIIIl/llll'I/l/IA III I/fll /l lIl /l'lll Inventor L75 5 E H'R/VEEL By @pw 406% Wan/ y Em April 29, 1952 HARNER 2,594,645

SHOWER BATH CABINET Filed May 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invefito 7 0 5' E 1564 ENE R April 1952 J. P. HARNER 2,594,645

SHOWER BATH CABINET Filed May 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 j J55 EEC 13N555 Patented Apr. 29, v 1952 SHOWER BATH CABINET Joe P, Harner, Nevada, Mo., assigncr to The W. F. Norman Sheet Metal Mfg. 00., Nevada, Mo.

Application May'16, 1946, Serial No. 670,140

3 Claims.

My invention relates to novel and useful improvements in a shower bath cabinet, and more specifically consists in an improved door and hinge arrangement therefor.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a shower bath cabinet having a door hinge which will not freeze or bind under the conditions to which it is exposed.

An important purpose of the invention is to devise a shower bath cabinet wherein the doors are normally positioned selectively in either the complete open or closed position.

Another important aim of my invention is to afford a door hinge for a shower cabinet which has ample bearing area, is easily attached and which may be economically constructed of sheet metal.

Yet another very important intention of the invention is to formulate in a shower cabinet an improved water-tight seal between the doors and the cabinet.

These, together with numerous other objects of the invention, which will become later apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by my device, a preferred embodiment of which has been disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, parts being broken away, illustrating my improved shower bath cabinet;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front elevational detail view of a hinge strip and door;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail in vertical section, taken substantially upon the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail in rear elevation of the hinge strip and a hinge retaining plate;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the detail nate in folded or inturned tubular vertical columns l6 constituting door jambs. A threshold l8 connects the base of the columns I6 while a transverse bracing member 20 at the top completes the door frame. A pair of inwardly opening panels 22, attached to the door jambs in a manner to be subsequently described, closes in a Water-tight relation with a splash plate 24 extending upwardly from the threshold l8. A shower spray head 26 is supplied by a water line 28 under control of a valve 36 in a conventional manner.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a pair of hinge plates 32 are secured to the rear of the front wall l4 and extend the full height of the cabinet, each consistin of a metallic strip having a vertical central semi-circular, outwardly bowed groove 34. One vertical marginal edge of thestrip is turned in upon itself at 36 while the other marginal end is angularly disposed, as at 33 to define a wedge surface. Across its upper and lower extremities, the hinge strips are fiattened at 4!], being provided with horizontal slots 42, through which extend bolts 44 for securing the strips to the cabinet in laterally adjustable positions. With the hinges attached, the strips are positioned by inserting their inclined surfaces 38 into the open edges of the tubular columns l6 (see Figure 2), and are wedged tightly therein, whereupon the bolts 44 are secured, locking the hinge strips in adjusted position.

A plurality of vertically spaced horizontal hinge slots 46 are located in the groove 34 and have their lateral extremities depressed and inclined downwardly from their mid-points as at 48 (Figure 4) The door panels 22 are folded back on their vertical edges to form on their adjacent edges a flattened fold of material at 50 and terminating in a tubular bead 52. Their opposite vertical edges are similarly folded back at 54 and terminate in vertical tubular beads 56. The folds 54 are horizontally slotted at 56 at positions corresponding to those of hinge slots 46, to receive the ends 58 of hinges 66 which are secured thereto by rivets or bolts 62. The hinge comprises an angularly disposed portion 64 which extends through and rides upon the convexly curved lower wall of slots 46. At its extremity the hinge is laterally enlarged and rolled upon itself to form cylindrical trunnions 66 which are rotatably and reciprocatingly received in the semi-circular groove 34.

As the door 22 is swung on its hinge 60*, the trunnions 66 will rotate in the semi-cylindrical hinge groove 34 while the angular portion 64 will bear upon the lower surface of the hinge slots 46.

As soon as the member 84 passes the mid-point of the slots, the Weight of the door will bias the hinge down the inclined surface and to the ex tremities 48 of the slots, whereby the doors will normally rest in either their fully closed or fully open positions. During this lateral movement of the hinge, it will be evident that the cylindrical trunnions move vertically in the groove 34 as the hinge moves up and down the incline to and from the extremities 88. By this reciprocating movement, not only are the doors biased to either extreme of their travel, but the hinge. trunnions and groove are kept free from freezing in position.

The adjacent flattened edges 50 are disposed to overlap each other when the panels 22 are closed, either door overlapping the other and forming a water-tight seal therewith.

It will be understood that with the doors and hinges assembled in the above-mentioned construction, the trunnions 66 being retained in the semi-circular bearing recesses 34 by the abutting action of the wall 14 as shown in Figure 2, an operative device is produced which is suitable for most purposes. However, in some instances a hinge of superior strength and with more positive retention of the hinge trunnions may be preferred, and for those purposes I provide a hinge retaining strip 68 which is bolted or secured in any desired manner, as at 19 to the rear of the hinge strip 82 (see Figure 6). The retaining strip is provided with a vertical substantially semicylindrical bearing recess 12, generally complementary to the groove 34 and cooperates therewith in journalling the trunnions 66 .during use and is primarily useful in positioning the hinges in the hinge strip prior to and during assembly of the invention.

The cabinet of my invention is particularly chara'cterized by its light-weight, portable construction and may expeditiously be formed of light-weight metals or plastics. The enclosed hinge construction is well protected from damage by the water spray and the doors and splash board cooperate to render the device Water-tight during operation. The hinge plate 32 slotted at 40 is adapted to form a tight wedge fit with the door jamb.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but may avail myself of any modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shower bath cabinet. including a door frame having a pair of door jambs, said door jambs constituting integral extensions of the side walls of said cabinet and including vertical tubular columns formed of inturned marginal portions comprising tubular beads, a detachable vertical hinge strip secured to each door jarnb and having an edge seated in said tubular column, a plurality of hinges secured to said strip and a door panel secured to the hinges of each strip, each hinge strip having a vertical, semi-cylindrical hinge groove formed therein, said hinges having trunnions seated in said groove, a plurality of horizontal slots in said semi-cylindrical memher, said hinges extending through and being guided and supported by the walls of said slots, the lower wall of said slots being vertically depressed at their ends to urge said hinges and panels by gravity to alternative open and shut position.

2. A shower bath cabinet including a door frame having a pair of door j ambs, said door jambs constituting integral extensions of the side walls of said cabinet and including vertical tubular columns formed of inturned marginal portions comprising tubular beads, a detachable vertical hinge strip secured to each door jamb and having an edge seated in said tubular column, a plurality of hinges secured to said strip and a door panel secured to the hinges of each strip, each hinge strip having a vertical, semi-cylindrical hinge groove formed therein, said hinges having trunnions seated in said groove, said hinge strip having one vertical marginal portion inturned upon itself to form a reinforcing and spacing bead, the othen vertical marginal end portion being inclined to said first portion, said second portion being wedged into said tubular column, and securing means for attaching said hinge strip to said cabinet.

3. A shower bath cabinet including a door frame having a pair of door lambs, said door jambs constituting integral extensions of the side walls of said cabinet and including vertical tubular columns formed of inturned marginal portions comprising tubular beads, a detachable vertical hinge strip secured to each door jamb and having an edge seated in said tubular column, aplurality of hinges secured to said strip and a door panel secured to the hinges of each strip, each hinge strip having a vertical, semi-cylindrical hinge groove formed therein, said hinges having trunnions seated in said groove, said hinge strip having one vertical marginal portion inturned upon itself to form a reinforcing and spacing bead, the other vertical marginal end portion being inclined to said first portion, said second portion being wedged into said tubular column, and securing means for attaching said hinge strip to said cabinet, said securing means comprising flattened upper and lower terminals of said hinge strip and transverse slots in said flattened terminals for laterally adjustable attachment to said cabinet.

J OE P. HARNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 193,208 Arnold July 17, 1877 407,366 Mix July 23, 1889 444,299 Mills Jan. 6, 1891 919,150 Garber Apr. 20, 1909 1,253,798 Dunner Jan. 15, 1 918 1,420,481 Goblet June 20, 1922 1,659,305 Vance Feb. 14, 1928 1,734,810 Jeffers Nov. 5, 1929 1,748,849 Schmidt Feb. 25, 1930 1,776,648 Bates Sept. 23, 1930 2,071,085 North Feb. 16, 1937 2,115,816 Koerner May 3, 1938 2,152,746 Levan Apr. 4, 1939 2,321,118 Zechiel June 8, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France 1930

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