US1530726A - Folding table - Google Patents

Description

March 24, l925. 1,530,726

F. KOENIGKRAMER FOLDING TABLE y Filed May 28. 1919l 2 sheets-smeg 1 March 24, 1925.

FOLDING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1919 Klr. J.

Patented Mar 24,l 1925.

UNITED s PATENT OFFICE;

FREDERICK ROENIGKRAMER; oR-GINGINNATI,01110,;Ass1enon To JOHN v. MeMANrs, or KIRKsvILLE. MISSOURI.

FOLDING TABLE.

Appncatien ined nay 2s, 1919. serial no. 300,413.

Be it known that I.l FREDERICK KOENIG KRAMER, a citizen otthe fUnited States, re-` siding at Cincinnati, inthe county of Hamilton and State `of Chio, haveinvented certain Tables, of which the following is a specification. .y

Myl invention r lates to improve'ments in 'folding or portable tablesrnsuitable forja variety of purposes,` as for instancathe administration ofv osteopathic treatments. One ot its objects is to provideatableiot light weightadapted to fold, up and havethe appearance ,of a suitcase or traveling case,

and. which isat the same timepfsutiicient Strength and rigidity to be safely` employed as a table to support heavy weights, as for instance adult patients =for osteopathic treatments. `Another object is to provide improved mechanism to .attach the legs in folding relation tothe table. Another object is to provide, improved truss vmeans to support the central or vhinge `section ofthe table relative to the ,ends or leg supporting sections thereof.` vAnother object is to 'provide improved leg braceymechanism `and releasing ,and guidingmeans therefor. Another object isto .provide a table which can be readily and conveniently .extended and folded. My invention also coinprises cerf tain details 'of form, combination and ar-I rangement, all of which will be fully set orthin the description of the accompany` ing drawings, in which pz' g f Fig. 1 is aA bottom plan of my improved,

table with one pairof legs in extended andiV the other pair in folded position., y l

Fig. 2 is aside elevation Lof the table in its face down, position latter having been unfolded and before being set uponi itslegs. Fig. 3 isa sectional detail .longitudinally of one of the table sections illustrating the `olding and brace mechanism'. l p

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of vthe table iii `position for use. I i Y. Fig. 5 isa central vertical section of the table in folded position. y l e Fig. 6 isaperspectfve view of a pair of hinge straps detached.. y

Fig. 7 im. dean ningpeijsp'eeeve er' tiie' brace locking and releasing, means;

y -Fig-8 is a detail inperspect-ive ot a portion ofthe brace releasing means.

Fig. 9 is adetail in perspective ot apoi-, :f

tion of the, truss supporting means.

- The accom an inv drawinos illustrate the preferred embodiment ot my invention,` in which A' and A represent two sections ot a table top which are hinged together at their meeting ends by hinge memberslll` and 15, which vare preferablyin the 'form ot metal hinge straps extending nearly the entire length of the respective top sectionsat op Vpositesides thereof, and thereby forming a reenforcement -for. the'top sections. and a pointof attachmentl pivotally securing lthe folding legs` 16 and 17 to the respectivetop sections'. The -tOpsectiOns .are Apreferably constructed of wood in the form ofshallow rectangular boxes, which told together so as to encompass and contain the legs and brace and truss members. .The leg members 16 are lunited and braced relative to each other by brace rods 18 and 19 preferably connected together` ,where they cross keach other. "Aliinge rod 2O servesto connect the legs16 to thel hinge straps 14, said straps being provided with offsets 21 with perl'orationsfor the passage ot the rod 20, and providing room between the straps andthe side walls of the top sections to `receive and house nuts or blocks 22 which, are threaded to the ends of the rod 20. Between the legs 1,6 and the offsets 21 and pivotally mounted on. the rod 2O aremetal blocks 24k through which'the truss rods 34 also pass and are movable endwise. i

Brace rods 26 are bent at right angles at oneend yand pivotally .connected tothe legs at 27 and held against displacement relative-'to the` legs by -means of nuts 28 thread* ed tothe bentends 'of said. brace rods. At the opposite ends4 thebrace rods 26 have short sections bent outwardly *atk right angles, and which lbear yieldingly against the inner `Afaces ofthe vside rails of the top section dueto the' vresiliency ot said rods 26.

z Short sections ot channel iron 30 arefsecured to the side rails Vof the ,tpsection vbetween of the rods 26 are guided when the legs are unfolded and caused to enter and lock in `recesses 32 through the members 30. The` edges of members at the entrance to said are provided outside the blocks 24 with lock nuts and 36 vwhich limit the endwise movement of the rods 34 through the blocks 24 and thns transmit strain from said blocks to the members 33 tending to support vthe central portion of the table from its ends against any7 strain or weight applied near the center of lthe table. Thetruss members 33 and truss rods 34 constitute truss mechanisms at opposite sides ofthe table which are automatically folded and extended as the table is folded or'extended by reason of the pivotal and sliding` connections between the truss mechanisms and the table. lf desired in place of the lock nuts 35 vand. 36, the end of the rod 34 mayT be upset and formed into a head 36 as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the adjustment of the rods 34 as to length attained by threading the rod 34 into thev forked head 34 at the inner or opposite end thereof. The construction. mounting, bracing, and connection of the trussrods for the legs 1? are the same as described for the legs 16. In v'order to hold the rods .26

against accidental. or other displacement, I preferably string the rods 84 so as to pass inside of the rods 26, or with the rods 26between the rods 34 and the sideV rails of the top sections,v thus positively guiding the free ends of rods 26 on opposite. sides,

In practice in setting` upthe table. it is placed on the floor closed asshown in Fig. 5, and the top sections thrown open to the. position shownin Fig. 2, then the legs 16 are lifted into a vertical position and then the legs 17 lifted to a similar position andthe table lifted and set upon its legs as shown in Fig. 4. I f desired the exterior of the top sections may be provided with upholstering material 40 as shown in Fig. 4.

When it is desired to fold the ta ble.'it is Erst placed'top down on the tloor as shown in Fig. 2, then the operator b v placing his foot for an instant upon the loop 41 of the bent rod 42 causes a partial rotation of said rod in its bearings, whereby the ends 43 of said rod entering between the free ends of the brace rods 26 and the ribs ofthe member 30 act as cams and lift the outwardly turned free ends of rods 26 out of the recesses 32 and permit the legs 16 to be folded into ythe top section A. The loop 41 of the Leser/2e Vof the top sections, while the rods 34 are thrust endwise through their recesses in the blocltsu24 to permit said movement of the member 33. When the table is unfolded as indicated in Fig. 4 the lock nuts 35 are drawn tight against the 4blocks 24 at the upper ends of the legs 16- and v17' so that the e rods 34 and member 33 are under tension. It will be noted that the loops 41 are bent at 45 to an obtuse angle, and that the bearings 46 areplaced some'distance from tho ends of the loop'4f1. These provisions are Yso that the rod 42 will have a normal position of rest when the table is unfolded, yin which the extreme ends 43 Iof rod 42 are in engagement with the ends of rods 26'nnd the bends 45 rest under slight tension against the inside of the top board with the loop 41 extended 'outwardly from the top board. llVhen the end loopis pressed in contactwith the top board. the bend 45 acts as a fulcruni but also enables aypartial rotation 'of rod 42 to take place, and as soon as pressure on loop 41 is released it tends to return to normal position. The hinge straps, legs, and truss mechanism can all be assembled together and then slipped into position with reference to the top sections and bolted in posit-ion tothe side rails thereof.

Metal brackets 50 attached to the upper ends of the legs 16 andk 17 as illustrated in Figsjl, 2, and 3, Vserve, when the legs are in the unfolded position to cover or cap the ends ofthe truss rods 34 or 84 and the lock nuts 35 and 36 orthe heads 36` and to thus prevent movementendwise of the rods 34 or 34 relative to they blocks24, and in this manner prevent top sections Av and Aftrom folding upon theirhinge connections should an attempt be made to lift the table b v grasping it at some point intermediate of the egs to lift it from they Hoor. Vhen the legs are folded into the t-op sections lthe members 50 move with the legs soas to uncap the ends ofthe truss rods and permit them to` move endwisey in theblocks 24as the top sections fold together.

rlhe mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modifica tion without departing from the principle of mv invention.

What I claim is: l

1. A folding table comprising a pair of top sections hinged together by hinge straps which extend along the inside of the side rails of said top sections to-'near the opposite ends of said top sections-and also contraseras stitute vmeans of attachment for folding legs to support saidV top sections in he open position and to fold Within said top sections in the closed position, and brace rods pivotally connected at one end to said legsfinek provided near theirl opposite ends with legs' adapted to be folded Within said top sections, brace rods connected at one end to said legs intermediate of their ends and at 'their opposite ends being turned outwardly and movable in guide channels carried by said top sections. locking recesses at one extremity of said channels to engage the outwardly turned ends of said braces, and means carried by said top sections Vto release said brace rods from said locking recesses in pairs when it is desired to fold said table.

3. A folding table comprisinga pair of top sections hinged together at their adjacent ends upon a single hinge axis with legs adapted to be folded within said top sections, a truss member pivotally attached to said top sections at the hinged ends thereof, truss rods pivotally connected to said pivotally attached truss member..` andi-extend; ing to and having sliding relation with the opposite ends of said top sections.

4. In a folding table a folding truss mechanism comprising truss members adapted to be folded Within the top sections of the table having triangularlv arranged points of attachment one of vvhich serves .to attach said members tothe hinged ends of the top sections and the other tvvo of which serve to pivotally connect thereto truss rods which rods are in turn connected near opposite ends of the respective top sections in sliding relation thereto.

5. In a folding table a folding truss mechanism comprising truss members adapted to be folded Within the top sections of they table having triangularlv arranged points of attachment one of which serves to attach said members to the hinged ends of the top sections and the other tivo of which serve to connect truss rods to said truss member, and truss rods respectively connected atone end to saidtruss member and at the opposite end to the outer end of one of the top sec` tions, the connection at one end of said truss rods being a sliding connection.

6. A folding table comprising a pair of top sections hinged together atone end and provided near their opposite ends with legs adapted to be folded Within said top sections, brace rods connected at one endl to said legs intermediate of Vtheir' ends and at their opposite: ends beingntnrned outwardly and movable in guide chaY nels-carried by said top sections, locking recessesat one tremity of said channels to engagethe out:- Wardly turned ends `of said ybraces,means carried by the top .sections to release s? 'd brace `rods from said lockingrecessesw vit is desired. to foldthe table,v and folding truss mechanism serving to support the cen'- tral portion of said table from its ends, and

.also to prevent lateral displacement of said brace rods.

7. In a folding table a folding truss mechanism comprising truss members adapted to be folded Within the top sections of the table Vhaving triangularly arranged points of attachment one of which serves to attach said members to the hinged ends of the top sections and the other tvvo of Which serve to connect'truss rodsto saidtruss member7 and truss rods respectively pivot-ally connected at one end to said truss member and at their i opposite ends by sliding connections to the outer ends ofthe respective top sections, folding legs to support said table, and means controlled by the movement of said legs to lock said truss rods against sliding movement vvl'ien said legs `are in the Aunfolded .p0-

sitiOn.

' 8. A folding table comprising arpairof top sections'hinged together at one end and provided near theiropposite ends with legs adapted` to'befolded Within said top sec-.-

tions, brace members to lock said legs in their unfolded position, a folding truss mechanism comprising truss members hinged to said top` sections fand pivotally connected to truss rods respectively connected by sliding connections to the outer ends of said vtop sections, and means controlled by the position of said legs to lock said truss rods against sliding movement relative to the top sections when said legs are in their un! folded positions.

9. A folding table comprising a pair of top sections hinged together by hinge straps which extend along the inside of the side rails .of said top sections to near the opposite ends of `said respective topsections to constitute means of attachment for folding table legs and also form With said top s ections guide channels to guide the free endsV of brace rods carried by said table legs, table legs hinged in pairs to the outer ends of said hinge straps, brace rods pivotally attached at one end to said table legs with their opposite ends held resiliently in saidguide channels to travel from open to folded position, and locking recesses at the ends of said guide channels into which the free ends of said brace rods automatically enter when the table legs are in the open position.

10. A folding tablel comprisingv a pair of top sections hinged together at one end and provided near their opposite ends with legs adapted to be folded Within said top seothe open position, and means carried by said tions, brace rods connected Aat one end to top sections to release said brace rods from 10 said legs intermediate of their ends and :it their looked relation in pairs When it is det-lieir opposite ends movable alongguides sired to fold said table. v i carried by said topseotions, means to auto- In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my matically look said brace rods at one exsignature.

tremity of their movement along said i guides to firmly look the. table and legs in FREDERICK KOENIGKRAMER.

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