US1191687A - Mechanic's trestle. - Google Patents

Description

F. L. GILLETT.

MECHANICS TRESTLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-25,1916.

Patented July 18, 1916.

F. L. GILLETT MECHANICS TRESTLB,

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 191s.

Patented July .18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTOR/VEYS FRED L. GILLETT, OF'MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

MEGHANICS TRESTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July is, 1916.

Application filed April 25, 1916. Serial No. 93,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED L. GILLEIIT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Mechanics Trestle, of which the following'is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mechanics trestles and has particular reference to a device of this character adapted for many different and specific operations, and embodying features of construction whereby it is capable of use not only by different workmen, but for many difierent purposes. More definitely stated, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a trestle com prising two relatively movable side parts hinged together in a vertical central plane and adapted to be locked in gripping position as a result of the introduction of a board or other device between the aw portions of said sides.

Another object of the invention is to provide a'trestle for use by a carpenter, which when set in erect position upon the floor will automatically assume a definite rigid form, adapting it for'the purpose of taking the place of an ordinary miter box for sawing either a right or a' left miter as well as a square cut, the saw being guided between the jaw portions of the trestle and also being held by the trestle while the work 7 is being changed from one form of out to the other, so as to always be in place for a succeeding out.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trestle having means for manipulating it from either side and also of an easily collapsible nature for transportation and storage purposes, and providing furthermore a compartment for the workmans ordinary hand tools while the trestle is in collapsed and portable position or form.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in whichf Figure 1 is a perspective view indicating the trestle in normal erect position with the aws adjacent each other; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the device folded' or collapsed ready for transportatlon or storage; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal central section indicating the adaptation of the device for holding the edge of a door for the application of av mortise lock or the like and providing at the same time, a seat for the workman and a shelf beneath the seat for the tools usually used; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device indicating its adaptation for the holding of a riser of any suitable form or height.

The trestle is shown herein as comprising a pair of side parts A and B of substantially equal form of construction. Each side part includes a pair of legs 10 having their upper ends connected by a longitudinal jaw piece 11 and provided'below the j aw with a shelf member 12 having connected to its outer edge a flange member 13, shown as projecting downwardly from the shelf member and mortised into the outer edges of the legs bringing its outer surface flush with said outer edges.

The shelf members 12 of the opposite parts of the trestle are connected by hinges 14 whose axes lies in alinement with each other in the vertical plane of the meeting edges ofthe shelf members 12. The upper ends of the legs 10 are beveled as shown at w 10 above the axis of the hinges 14. to permit the jaws 11 to come close together when the lower ends of the legs are separated on opposite sides of the vertical longitudinal plane. I prefer, however, that the aws do not come into actual contact with each other, th swinging movement of the legs in this direction being limited by two pairs of toggle levers 15 at the opposite ends of the tiestle. Each toggle lever is shown pivoted at 16 at the left hand side of the lower end of a leg 10, the free end of the lever extending thence upwardly or across into cooperation with the opposite leg lying in the same plane as the leg to which the lever-is pivoted. The toggle links of each pair are thus spaced from each other on the opposite sides of the end legs and are pivoted together by a bolt the legs or into the space formed by the beveling of the legs at 10 A transverse cleat 19 is secured to the inner face of each plunger 18 and the transverse cleat cooperates with the inner faces of the end legs, whereby the plunger is prevented from tilting outwardly. The inward movement of each plunger furthermore is prevented in a direction toward the opposite plunger by contact between the upper end of the plunger and the ends of the shelf members 12.

Having thus set forth the mechanical construction of my improved trestle, I will now briefly set forth a few of its advantages and means of operation, as shown in Fig. 1, the device is adapted to stand squarely and firmly upon the floor as would be determined by the spreading apart of the lower ends of the legs. This spreading may be effected by downward pressure upon the free ends of the toggle levers 15 at either side of the device. Such movement is stopped by a lug 20 formed upon any of the legs 10. The spreading also may be effected by clownward pressure upon the upper ends of the plungers 18, either by the hand of the operator or by means of a board or other device indicated at 21. This board may represent a board to be dressed or otherwise worked while being clamped between the jaws 11, or it may constitute a riser for transforming the trestle into a support for a drawing board 22, or a platform for supporting the workman or work to be performed by him. When used as a clamp with the aws 11 gripping the board or riser 21, the introduction of the board or riser into place upon the plungers will force the plungers down wardly. The downward movement of the plungers will straighten the toggle levers and hence automatically cause a powerful gripping of the jaws upon the sides of the board. The greater the downward pressure applied upon the board while working upon it, the greater will be the gripping effect.

When, however, the trestle is not used as a clamp and is standing in normal erect position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with a slight space between the jaws, it is adapted primarily to take the place of a miter box, the saw being adapted to operate vertically between the jaws and through the crack between the shelf members 12. The saw is thus guided in the vertical plane above referred to by cotiperation with both the jaws and the shelf members, and also is always held by the trestle in this plane while the workman is preparing the material to be cut or mitered. The upper surfaces of the jaws lie in the same plane when the trestle is in its normal'position and said surfaces are scored by transverse and diagonal marks 23 and 24, representing the positions in which the material may be held for cutting transverse and miter cuts, when the material is held temporarily against a pair of pins not shown, but which are adapted to be stuck into holes 25 formed in the jaws adjacent the ends of the scores. In other words, for mitering of the oppositeends of a piece of picture molding, pins Wlll be stuck in the holes at the ends of the diagonal marks The molding will be held then against one pair of pins to form the right hand miter and then against the other pair of pins for the cutting of the other miter, but all this time the saw will be held in the place already indicated. Obviously for forming a transverse out, the work will be held against a pair of pins stuck in the ends of the score 23.

As shown in Fig. 8, the device in collapsed position is easily handled and occupies a minimum amount of space and in this position the crack between the shelf members 12 is of the minimum width, adapting the device as a compartment for holding the usual workmans tools while he is carrying the trestle inverted from one place to another. Likewise it will be noted that while the device is used as a holder for the edge of a door, as shown in Fig. 4., the jaws serve as a seat for the operator and the shelf members 12 will support his tools. The door is adapted to be gripped by being received in the enlarged portion 26 at one end of the jaws.

I claim:

1. The herein described trestle comprising two similar side parts, each side part comprising a pair of legs, a aw member secured to the upper ends of said legs and a shelf member below the jaw members, hinges connected to the shelf members for securing the said parts together for relative movement of the jaws toward or from each other, and pairs of toggle levers connected to the lower ends of the legs to move the jaws forcibly toward each other.

2. The herein described mechanics trestle comprising the combination of a pair of similar side parts, each side part comprising a pair of legs, a aw member connected to the upper ends of the legs, a shelf mem ber beneath the jaw and a side flange meeting the outer edge of the shelf member, a pair of hinges connecting the shelf members with their inner edges adjacent each other whereby the side parts are adapted to move relatively to each other around a longitudinal axis, said shelf members and side flanges forming a tool holder when the trestle is collapsed, connections between the opposite legs of the several parts, and means movable downwardly at the end of the shelf members to actuate said connections to spread the legs, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein described trestle compris- 1ng supporting members movable toward and from each other, a pair of jaws connected to the upper ends of said supporting members and movable relatively to each other as a result of the aforesaid movement of the supporting members, said jaws lying substantially in the same plane when closest together and provided with horizontal and diagonal marks and having pin holes at the ends of the marks, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein described trestle comprising supporting members, hinges connecting the supporting members for movement relatively to each other around a longitudinal central axis, a pair of jaws connected to the upper ends of the supporting members and movable relatively to each other, pairs of toggle levers connecting the lower ends of the supporting members, a vertical plunger pivotally connected to each pair of toggle levers, the upper ends of the plungers eX-' tending into the spaces between and beneath said jaws in position to be engaged and forced downwardly by an article to be held between the jaws, and means to maintain the plungers in upright position.

FRED L. GILLETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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