HandleFixed to the drawer front to pull the drawer out.
Drawer frontThe face of the drawer, which carries its handle and label.
Label holderHolds a card naming what the drawer contains.
LockA keyed lock that locks every drawer at once.
DrawerThe steel box the files sit in.
Hanging filesFolders with hooks that hang from the rails.
Top drawer pulled out 3
Drawer slide (suspension)Three telescoping parts let the drawer come fully out.
Cradle strip (file rail)A rail on each side that the hanging files hook over.
Drawer stop (outstop)Stops the drawer being pulled clean out of the cabinet.
Follower block 1
Follower block (compressor)Slides forward to keep folders standing upright.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-24. (1) Wikipedia, Filing cabinet, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filing_cabinet : drawers on a drawer slide with an outstop that keeps the drawer from being pulled completely out; a handle and a label holder on the front of each drawer; a keyed lock; a follower block at the back of the drawer that keeps files upright; a three-member suspension that lets the drawer extend fully; hanging file folders on rails. (2) Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 3313 (1983), Steel filing cabinets for general office purposes, https://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.3313.1983 : the drawer and drawer front, drawer suspension and suspension slides, handles, label holders fixed to the drawer fronts, locks and a locking mechanism for all drawers, a clutch compressor plate or cradle strips, suspension holders running on the cradle strips, and a positive stop to prevent withdrawal. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work
How it works
Each drawer of a filing cabinet has a front with a handle and a label holder, and runs out on a drawer slide. Inside, hanging files hook over cradle strips, or a follower block keeps folders upright.
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Why the drawer comes all the way out
The drawer slide has three parts that telescope, so the whole drawer clears the cabinet. A stop on the slide keeps it from coming off.
Rails or a follower block
A drawer for hanging files has a cradle strip along each side for the hooks. An older drawer has a follower block instead, a plate slid up behind loose folders.
Lost the key? A cam lock turns only with its key; a plunger lock can be pushed in to lock without one.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a filing cabinet called?
Each drawer has a drawer front, a handle and a label holder, and runs on a drawer slide with a stop. Inside are cradle strips for hanging files or a follower block. One lock at the top locks every drawer.
What is a follower block in a filing cabinet?
A plate at the back of the drawer that slides forward against the folders, so they stand upright at the front. It is also called a compressor.
What are the rails in a file drawer called?
Cradle strips, or file rails: a pair of bars along the top of the drawer's sides. Hanging files hook over them, so the files hang rather than stand.