US554685A - Folding wheel-pedestal - Google Patents

Description

G. T. HARTSON. FOLDING WHEEL PEDESTAL.

No. 554,685. Patented Feb 18, 1896;

iJNrrn STATES ATENT Fries.

FOLDING WHEEL-PEDESTAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 554,685, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed April 22, 1895. Serial No. 546,797. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. HARTSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Eaton Rapids, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding VVheel- Pedestals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective (inverted) view of my folding wheel-pedestal. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showing it folded up as when not in use. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device opened up and ready for use, the dotted lines showing the pedestal as folded. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the vertical plane indicated by the broken line marked a: so in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of one of the folding trucks or wheel-bearings, with its retaining-sprin g.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to pedestals or supports for show-cases, heavy articles of furnituresuch as sideboards, bureaus, &c.-and other articles intended for exhibition in a store, warehouse, art-gallery, &c. and has for its object to construct a movable pedestal or support in such a manner that when not in use it can be easily folded up, so as to occupy but little room, and put away.

IVhen the pedestal is to be used, it can be folded out and arranged ready for use in a few moments of time; and with this object in view my invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of the folding wheel-pedestal, which will be hereinafter more fully and at length described.

This device is made in two parts or sections A and A, each of which is in the nature of a box having a flat top a a and rectangular sides and end pieces. (Shown respectively at b b and c 0'.) Upon the sides are securely fastened the hinge-plates B and B, through the ears 0 and O of which are inserted the hinge-pins or pintles D and D. This construction of the hinge permits of the part or I box A being folded over or doubled upon the part A when the pedestal is folded or closed, as illustrated on Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. NVhen thus folded together, the device has the outward appearance of a square or rectangular box, the two parts being fastened or locked together by means of a hook and staple E or any other suitable fastening device.

In the outside corners of each of the parts A and A is placed a plate or block F, which form. bearings for the trucks G and G. There are two of these trucks, one appertaining to each part A and A, and as they are substantially of the same general construction the description of one will answer for both.

Each truck consists of a rectangular frame or bearing H, of wrought-iron or other suitable metal, reinforced by a V-shaped brace I, the diverging ends of which are connectedto the sides of the truck -frame at the hingebolts J J, by which the trucks are hinged to the bearing-blocks F F, one on each side. At the lower corners of the truck-frame G are located square brackets K K, for the purpose of strengthening and reinforcing that part of the truck, and into the-compartments formed by these brackets are inserted the screwthreaded shanks L of the swiveled casterbearings L, which are provided with caster- Wheels Z, of any approved size and material. The bearingsiL are swiveled upon the lower end of the stem L, and the latter may be adjusted vertically in its bearings in the corners of the truck-frame by means of adjustable setnuts M and washers m; so that by adjusting these nuts and washers, the projecting part of the stem or shank L of each caster may be lengthened or shortened at will, thereby raising or lowering that end of the pedestal from the floor or ground higher than the opposite end when it is desired to place the platform A A in a slanting position longitudinally.

WVhen this device is to be used, the parts A and A are opened, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby forming a rectangular plat form, which may be either horizontal or inclined, upon which the article to be exhibited is mounted. In that position the truckframes G G stand approximately at right angles to the platform and are maintained in that upright position by means of spring stops or stays placed at each corner, each of which consists of a bent flat spring or leaf-spring N, into the free end of which is inserted a laterally-projecting stud or pin 'It. The other end of the fiat spring Nis pivoted to the inner side of its appropriate box, and by raising the free end of the spring and slipping the pin or into an aperture n in the adjacent side of the truck-frame it will be observed that the spring will act as a brace or stay to hold said frame in its vertical or upright position. By again disengaging the stud n from its aperture n the truck can be folded down again into the box, so as to be out of the way when the parts A and A are folded together and closed, as shown in the drawings.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that my folding wheel-pedestal is exceedingly simple in construction, and can be either opened or closed up by any person of ordinary intelligence in a few moments of time. \Vhen folded together it occupies but little room, and can then be used (if desired) as a low stand or platform for the display of goods, or for other purposes. 3y means of the adj ustable caster-bearings at one end the platform formed by the two hinged and contiguous sections A and A may be adjusted to an inclined or slanting position longitudinally at will, and as the castenbearin gs are swiveled the p1atfor1n,with the article or articles placed thereon, can readily be moved upon an even springs engage, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES 'l. llAR-TSON.

Nitn esses:

ALANSON OSBORN, F. H. DE GOLIN.

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