US1203260A - Foot-supporting attachment for desks, &c. - Google Patents

Description

H. V. POLLARD.

FOOT SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR DESKS, &c. APPLTCATION FILED use. 2. 1915.

Patented Oct. 31, P316.

UNTTED STATES PATENT orrron.

HENRY v. POLLARD, OF WEST soivrnnvrnnn,MASSACHUSETTS.

FOOT-SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOB, DESKS, 860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY V. POLLARD, a subject of the Dominion of Canada, residing at West Somerville, in the county of 5 MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Foot-Supporting Attachments for Desks, &c., of which the following is a specification. This invention has for its chief object to ena'blea structure such as a desk to be provided with a pair of foot rests located at opposite sides of the leg-receiving space under the top and between the ends of the desk, the rests being so arranged that the user of the desk may change the position of his feet and legs by elevatinghis feet above the floor and thus obtain relief from the fatigue inci dental to long sitting with the feet resting on the floor.

The invention is embodied in a foot-supporting attachment having the characteristics hereinafter described.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis; specification: Figure 1 represents a front view of a portion of a desk having a pair of foot-supporting attachments embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the said attachments; Fig. 3 represents a side view of one of the attachments and a portion of the guide rod on which it is mounted, said parts appearing as viewed from the left of the line 3--3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents a plan view showing a modified form of attachment and guide rod, the latter being attached to the desk; Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of another modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the views.

In the drawings, 0 represents the leg-receiving space of a desk, said space being located imder the top 7) and between the end portions 0, 0.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is represented by Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Referring to said figures, 12 represents an elongated bracket, which may be formed as a casting or otherwise, and is adapted for connection with a vertical portion of the desk forming one end of the space a, the outer end of the connected bracket projecting into the leg-receiving space, as shown by Fig. 1. Said outer end is formed as a heeli l l 1 i Serial No. 64,695.

Said foot rest, which is suitably elevated above the floor, is preferably trough-shaped, presenting a concave upper side conforming. approximately to the curvature of the rear portion of the heel, and inclined down wardly from the edge nearest the front side of the desk, as clearly shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3.- The lower edge of the inclined portion of the rest is preferably provided with a stop 13 adapted to bearon the tread face of the heel (Z, and limit the movement of the heel toward the rear of the space a. The. concave form of the rest enables it to prevent sidewise displacement of the heel in either direction. It will be seen therefore that the rest is adapted to support a boot or shoe heel above the floor and against displacement in difierent directions. As the connecting means in the embodiment of the invention now being considered I have provided a horizontal guide rod 14 having ears 15 at its ends, which are perforated to re-' ceive attaching screws whereby the rod may be secured to a vertical portion'of the desk, the ears 15 being offset inwardly from the rod. The inner end of the bracket 12 is provided with a runner 16 embracing and adapted to slide on the rod 14, said runner as here shown being a tubular portion of the bracket having a bore loosely encircling the rod. To maintain the bracket with its heel rest end suitably projected, I provide the inner end of the bracket with a downwardly projecting car 17 which is in sliding contact with the vertical portion of the desk to which the rod 14 is attached.

The bracket is enabled by the described connecting means to stand at various distances from the front of the desk, so that it may be adjusted in accordance with the length of the legs of the user. Owing to the fact that the foot rest portion projects outwardly from the plane of the rod 14, the weight of a foot resting on the bracket causes the runner 16 to bind on the rod 14, so that when the bracket is once adjusted it is not liable to be accidentally moved from its adjusted position.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent a modification, the ear 17 being omitted and the runner designated 16 being formed to embrace a guide rod 14 which is angular in cross section, the rod being therefore adapted to slidingly support the bracket in its projected position without contact between an part of the bracket and the desk.

In case the described adj ustability of the bracket is not desired, the inner end of the bracket may be provided with an integral car 19, as shown by Fig. 6, said ear being provided with holes for screws whereby it may be attached to a vertical portion of the desk.

As shown by Fig. 1, when two of the described attachments are provided, one will be formed with reference to a right and the other to a left boot or shoe.

The invention is not limited to use with a desk, and may be used with any other structure adapted to support the bracket and permit its use in the manner described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. As a foot supporting attachment for a structure such as a desk, an elongated bracket having means at its inner end engageable with said structure to hold the outer end of the bracket projected therefrom, said outer end'being formed as a heel rest.

2. As a foot supporting attachment for a structure such as a desk, an elongated bracket having connecting means at its inner end engageable with said structure, and formed at its outer end as a heel rest, said connecting means having provisions for permitting a limited sliding movement of the bracket.

3. As a foot supporting attachment fo a structure such as a desk, an elongated. bracket having a runner at its inner end and a guide embraced by said runner, and adapted for attachment to said structure, the bracket being formed at its outer end as a heel rest, means being provided for holding the said outer end projected from said structure.

4. As a foot supporting attachment for a structure such as a desk, an elongated bracket having a runner at its inner end and a guide embraced by said runner, and adapted for attachment to said structure, the bracket being formed at its outer endas a heel rest, the inner end of the bracket being formed to slide on said article and hold the said heel rest projected therefrom.

5. A foot supporting attachment comprising a guide rod adapted to be attached horizontally to a structure such as a desk, and an elongated bracket having at its inner end a runner embracing and adapted to slide on said rod, and an ear adapted to slide on said structure and hold the outer end of the bracket projected therefrom, the said outer end being formed as a heel rest.

In testimony-whereof I have affixed my signature.

HENRY V. POLLARD.

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

Washington, D. G. i

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