Retractable step and tool cabinet incorporating same
AssigneeSnap-on Tools Corporation
InventorsGeorge R. Slivon, Gene E. Olson, Steven R. Wente
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool cabinet has rollers depending from a bottom wall for rolling engagement with an underlying floor. A retractable step is carried by a support arm which extends laterally from the step and has an upstanding shaft portion which extends through an axial bore in a spiral cam which is fixed to the bottom wall of the cabinet. The shaft has a cam follower pin which extends therefrom and is slidably engageable with a spiral cam surface on the cam for accommodating simultaneous pivotal swinging movement and vertical movement of the step between a stowed position disposed beneath the cabinet and above the floor and a use position extending from beneath the cabinet in engagement with the floor.
Claims15
A tool cabinet comprising a housing including a plurality of drawers and a bottom wall, support structure depending from said bottom wall for supporting said housing a predetermined distance above a floor, a retractable step, and mounting means on said housing coupled to said step for supporting said step below said bottom wall, said mounting means including pivot means for accommodating pivotal swinging movement of said step between a stowed position disposed underneath said housing and a use position extending from underneath said housing and engageable with the floor, said pivot means including means operable in the stowed position of said step for preventing non-pivotal movement of said step into engagement with the floor.
A tool cabinet comprising a housing including a plurality of drawers and a bottom wall, support structure depending from said bottom wall for supporting said housing a predetermined distance above a floor, a retractable step, cam mechanism carried by said housing and defining a cam surface inclined with respect to the floor, cam follower means for engagement with said cam surface to move along said cam surface between raised and lowered positions, and connection means for connecting said step to said cam follower means for movement therewith between a retracted position above the floor when said cam follower means is disposed in the raised position of said cam follower means and a use position in engagement with the floor when said cam follower means is disposed in the lowered position of said cam follower means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.