Abstract: A freestanding appliance cabinet of the type having a door hinged to swing outwardly to provide access to the inside of the cabinet has an anti-tip member supported within the cabinet for movement of the cabinet to a tip-preventing position. The anti-tip member is interconnected with the door so that it is moved outwardly to its tip-preventing position when the door is open. The anti-tip member is adapted to provide support to the cabinet whereby tipping of the cabinet in a forwardly direction in response to force exerted downwardly on the open door surface is prevented. The anti-tip member has means operable to lock the member to the cabinet in the event that a tipping force is exerted on some part of the cabinet other than the door to further prevent tilting of the cabinet.

Abstract: A panel assembly comprising a panel with at least one double wall construction corner having a cut-away corner formed by the removal of a portion of the panel at the intersection of the corner forming walls, and a molded plastic snap-in corner plug which is inserted in the cut-away corner to substantially fill the corner, providing a smooth transition surface across the corner, the transition surface being shaped to provide the desired corner contour; and a method of fabricating such a panel assembly.

Abstract: A thrust bearing assembly for a horizontally disposed drive shaft including an annular thrust bearing loosely carried on the drive shaft, and a drive ring drivingly connected to the drive shaft for rotational and axial motion with the shaft and operative to transmit the axial and rotational motion of the shaft to the annular thrust bearing. Preferably, the annular thrust bearing is formed of a powdered metal or carbon graphite composition. The drive ring includes fingers formed at its periphery projecting toward the thrust bearing. Slots for receiving these fingers are provided at the periphery of the annular thrust bearing. When assembled on the drive shaft, the drive ring is fixedly attached to the drive shaft adjacent the annular thrust bearing with the fingers engaged in the thrust bearing slots.

Abstract: A movable toekick panel is utilized in a front loading dishwasher in substitution of the usual immobile toekick panel. The disclosure is directed to a decorative toekick panel for a dishwasher which utilizes a stabilizing support structure that advances relatively forward of the dishwasher when the dishwasher is moved rearwardly. A pivotal or flexible toekick panel is described which swings forward with the advance of the horizontally rotatable casters or other front supports of the dishwasher as the dishwasher is moved rearwardly. The caster can be positioned further forward under the dishwasher than conventional casters with such a movabe toekick panel.A method for assembly of the toekick panel is also disclosed.