Abstract: A sealed system is provided for facilitating the transfer of material through a port in a barrier wall separating two different environments without contamination of the cleaner of the two environments by the dirtier. The system includes a door closing a port in the barrier wall in leak-proof sealed engagement. A transfer medium for containing or receiving the material to be transferred through the port is provided with a removable cover in leak-proof sealed engagement within a transfer medium ring connectable in leak-proof sealed engagement with a stationary ring defining the passage through the barrier wall which is closed by the door. Sealing rings are provided between the door and transfer medium cover, and between the transfer medium ring and stationary ring to ensure against passage of contaminants from one environment to the other. For certain pharmaceutical applications, a heating element is provided in the stationary ring to sterilize the interfaces between abutting parts.

Abstract: A plastic skid has longitudinally extending plastic rails and plastic cross members which extend transversely between the rails. The rails are injection molded and have an upper flange engageable with cargo to be supported on the skid and a lower flange engageable with a support surface. Each rail has a width characterized by the width of the upper flange and the lower flange. An integral longitudinal web extends between the upper flange and the lower flange of a rail. The web has a width which is substantially less than the width of the rail. An integral rib is provided on the web for enhancing the stiffness of the rail. The cross members are injection molded and have a tapered opening. A series of posts are integral with the rails and each engage a corresponding one of the cross member openings. The posts are ultrasonically welded to the cross members within the openings.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a storage compartment having a door at its front end which is hinged to swing about a horizontal pivot axis disposed along a lower edge of the door. The hinge is mounted on a slidable member for forward and rearward sliding movement. The door is connected to the refrigerator body by a pivoted arm arrangement which is connected to the slidable member to cause the hinge to be slid forwardly when the door is opened, and to be slid rearwardly when the door is closed. The slidable member can be connected to a slidable food-supporting tray to cause the tray to slide along with the slidable member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rugged and inexpensive filing cabinet constructed from thin, prefinished metal and the method for making the same. All component parts including the case envelope, case back, kickplate, drawers and drawer supports are designed to be cut from a minimum of four discrete coils of metal with waste attributable to trimming or removal of excess metal maintained at a minimum. Ruggedness and strength are maintained, despite the relative thinness of the metal, because the vertical corners and other potentially critical areas subjected to increased stress are reinforced with structural elements adhesively bonded in place. Certain structural elements also function as jigging members during the adhesive bonding of the component parts. In addition, the design of the present invention provides a versatile and adaptable end product due to the interchangeability of certain component parts.

Abstract: Furniture including a pop up table feature, wherein a glide track and interlocking pin and detent structure in opposing interior panels of a base cabinet are used to permit the table and mobile cart portions of the furniture to be easily disassembled from the stationary base cabinet of the device. Other embodiments of the present invention may include an upper and/or lower set(s) of alignment/locking blocks that mobile cart portions of the device to be securely closed and positioned into the stationary base cabinet. Other embodiments of the present invention include the use of set of spring-biased or locking guide pins attached to the table, guide pin exit ports as well as other means to permit the unit to be readily disassembled, while providing stable yet collapsible storage and work areas.

Abstract: A combination storage cabinet and L-shaped work station assembly. The assembly includes a base having a top work surface. An arcuately-swingable, pedestal-mounted top is supported above, overlies and is spaced upwardly of the top surface of the cabinet. In a second position, the top is pivotally displaced about a fixed vertical axis to extend outwardly in a horizontal plane and normally of a principal horizontal axis of the cabinet to expose the top work surface of the cabinet and to form, with the cabinet, an L-shaped work station. Walls depend skirt-like from two adjacent edges of the top to define a visual screen for hiding from view office components which may conveniently be allowed to remain in place on the top work surface of the cabinet when the assembly is in a closed mode.

Abstract: Adjustable refrigerator shelving includes a shelf rail for supporting a partial width shelf within a refrigerated compartment on first and second, spaced shelf tracks vertically oriented in the compartment. The tracks releasably engage with a number of support brackets for cantilevered support of one or more shelves at a plurality of vertically spaced locations. The shelf rail is adapted for releasable engagement with the shelf tracks and is interposed between the partial shelf and the shelf tracks for horizontally adjustable support of the partial shelf. The shelf rail includes rearwardly projecting hooks at each of two opposing ends for releasable engagement with the shelf tracks. Locking tabs may be included on the hooks to retain the shelf rail on the tracks, while a rub strip is provided between the partial shelf and the shelf rail, along a top edge of the shelf rail.

Abstract: An apparatus for rack mounting electronic components includes a frame structure defining a storage compartment having a front access opening and a pair of rack rails pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the frame structure for movement between a retracted position in which the rack rails lie entirely within the frame structure and an extended position in which the rack rails project out from the frame structure. Connected between the rack rails and the sides of the frame structure are slide members which are capable of locking the rack rails at the extended position and at a number of discrete angular positions intermediate the extended and retracted positions. With electronic components mounted to the rack rails, pivoting the rack rails from the retracted position to the extended position will provide access to the rear panels of the these components to facilitate the completion of electrical interconnections and maintenance and repair procedures.

Abstract: When an operating unit (10) of a vehicle-mounted electronic equipment is attached to its equipment body (20), a first engaging portion (18) and a second engaging portion (24) of engaging means are engaged and the operating unit is turned around the engaging means in a direction in which the operating unit contacts the equipment body substantially completely. In this case, a releasing member (11) moves a locking member (4) to a releasing position. Under such situation, a locking portion (7) of the operating unit and a locking portion (6) of the equipment body are aligned in position. The locking member (4) is then turned to a locking position where the locking means is locked to thereby complete the attachment of the operating unit to the equipment body.

Abstract: A pallet comprising a flat top member (1) having depending sides (2, 3, 4, 5,) and a base member comprising eight generally triangular elements (6 to 13, 30 to 33, 40 to 47) each formed from closely packed elements of single-face corrugated paperboard in which the corrugations are perpendicular to the top member (1), and forklift openings (14 to 29) formed in the edges of the base elements. In another form the pallet is formed from a single winding of single-face corrugated paperboard to define a central square opening 52, a pair of opposed generally triangular openings 53, 54, a pair of opposed truncated triangular openings 55, 56 at 90.degree. to the triangular openings 53, 54, a further pair of larger truncated triangular openings 57, 58 located at 45.degree. to the preceding pair, a further pair of slightly larger truncated triangular openings 59, 60 at 90.degree. to the preceding pair, two further opposed pairs of larger triangular openings 61, 62, 63, 64 at 45.degree.

Abstract: A metallic transporting appliance, such as a flat pallet, a skid, or a box pallet, is designed so that a thin metal plate is used entirely for the pallet and skid and for the side wall of the box pallet. The thin metal plate is subjected to burring so as to have sufficient durability, thereby contributing to the reduction of the amount of wood for conventional wooden pallets in order to preserve natural resources. The metallic transporting appliance includes a main plate made from a thin metal plate having plural pairs of bores each formed at a predetermined interval therebetween in a flat surface thereof, with a slit formed between each pair of bores to couple the bore pair. The main plate has a plurality of elongated hole portions, each having a bottom hole with a flange provided by burring those portions where the bore pairs are coupled with the associated slits. This main plate is also adapted for the deck board of a skid.

Abstract: A storage device for thin, flat objects, includes a housing for supporting the device on a support surface, a stationary magazine non-rotatably mounted in said housing, said stationary magazine having a plurality of radially oriented storage spaces, a wall for retaining said objects in said storage spaces, said wall including a wall having an opening, said wall being at least partially rotatable relative to said storage spaces so as to selectively align said opening with a desired storage space for insertion and removal of an object and a removal assembly attached to said wall for removing objects from said storage spaces through said opening.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes an adjustable utility compartment and sliding shelf. Particularly, the refrigerator includes a door having an inner door panel including a rear wall extending between opposite vertical sidewalls. The utility compartment is removably mounted to the inner door panel adjacent a first one of the sidewalls. A shelf trim piece extends between the sidewalls and is spaced forwardly of the panel rear wall. A storage shelf is of a length shorter than a distance between the sidewalls. The storage shelf is slidably positioned between a ledge on the panel rear wall and the shelf trim piece for slidable lateral movement between a usable storage position located between the utility compartment and a second one of the sidewalls and a non-usable retracted position beneath the utility compartment.

Abstract: The invention is a plastic essentially rectangular modular pallet assembly, the parts of which are also modular, comprising front and rear vertical transverse stringer members and top and bottom horizontal longitudinal deckboard members having alternating longitudinally-extending flat strip areas and longitudinally-extending channels or concavities on the surfaces thereof, wherein the longitudinal flat strip areas and channels or concavities of the top and bottom surfaces of deckboard members lie in vertically opposed relation to each other, the stringers comprising, on upper and lower deckboard-abutting surfaces, integral deckboard fastening studs, top and bottom deckboard members having apertures therein in flat surface strip areas thereof near the ends thereof which are adapted to receive the deckboard fastening studs, the deckboard fastening studs being received in the apertures and secured therein, the front and rear stringers of the pallet as well as sides of the pallet having openings adapted to receiv

Abstract: A snap-on shelf for use in a refrigerator has a shelf panel with a perimeter edge and a perimeter rim molded about the perimeter edge. Attachment clips are molded in one piece with the perimeter rim and releasably couple with a support frame for supporting the shelf panel. In one embodiment, attachment clips may be arranged at front and back rim regions for a fixed shelf configuration. In an alternative embodiment, attachment clips may be arranged at left and right sides of the perimeter rim and slidingly engage the frame for a sliding shelf configuration. Further, the shelf panel may be a separate piece from the perimeter rim or may alternatively be molded in one piece with the perimeter rim and the attachment clips. As another option, a slide for receiving and supporting a separate member in sliding engagement under the shelf panel may be used. As a further option, the attachment clips and perimeter rim may be adapted for use with a preexisting support frame.

Abstract: A movable storage system has one or more storage units, a plurality of flexible track elements conformable with an irregular supporting surface, and an individual base structure which supports each storage unit for movement along the track elements through roller members associated with particular track elements. The flexible track elements have a pair of cylindrical longitudinally extending track members supported by a flexible base. The roller members or wheels have a generally U-shaped external contour which encompasses the track elements and prevents derailing of the storage units.

Abstract: A computer work station comprises a fixed position work surface having an enlarged monitor opening therein, a recessed component support pan attached to the work surface under the monitor opening, and a raisable monitor support mechanism mounted in the component pan that supports the monitor platform. The monitor lift mechanism is an extendable folding frame that is counterbalanced with a spring mechanism to offset the weight of the monitor such that the monitor can be raised or lowered simply by lifting or lowering the monitor platform manually, with the monitor remaining in place after its position has been adjusted. The component pan provides a recessed support and storage space for the monitor and other components. An adjustable work surface is mounted at the front of the fixed work surface by means of an adjustable mounting mechanism located in the pan and having cantilever arms extending out of the pan. A separate docking station can be provided for a lap top computer.

Abstract: A drawer catch construction for a drawer and cabinet combination includes a plastic drawer catch comprised of spaced parallel legs which is fitted through an opening in the back side of the drawer and cooperates with a bar positioned on the inside of the cabinet to latch the drawer closed.

Abstract: A sequentially operable drawer slide arrangement comprises a stationary cabinet slide rail, an intermediate slide rail guided on the cabinet slide rail by a roller mounted on the cabinet slide rail for sliding movement with respect to the cabinet slide rail between a retracted and an extended position, a drawer slide rail guided on the intermediate slide rail by a roller mounted on the intermediate slide rail for sliding movement with respect to the intermediate slide rail between a retracted and an extended position, and a mechanism for sequencing the sliding movements of the intermediate and drawer slide rails between said positions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically inserting and ejecting electrical connectors of electronic component test trays from electrical connectors in a panel of an environmental test chamber, e.g. an oven, at the beginning and end of a test period to facilitate loading and unloading the test trays. The electronic components are inserted into test trays so that electrical connections are made with test tray conductors which terminate at a test tray connector. The trays are loaded into the oven in an insertion cycle by manually sliding them onto lateral tray supports with the tray connector ends aligned with mating electrical connectors in the panel of the test oven. The insertion cycle of a track guided, carriage mounted, inserter/ejector mechanism is commenced wherein the mechanism is advanced from tray to tray to sequentially insert the tray connectors into the panel mounted connectors until all trays are inserted. The oven door is closed and the test is conducted.