US1776551A

US1776551A - Article of furniture

Info

Publication number: US1776551A
Application number: US378705A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward H Cooley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-07-16
Filing date: 1929-07-16
Publication date: 1930-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1947-09-23

Description

Sept 1 E. H. COOLEY 1,776,551

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed July 16, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 23, 1930. E. H. COOLEY ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1929 Sept. 23, 1930. E. COOLEY 1,776,551

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed July 16, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 23, 1930 EDWARD H. OOOLEY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Application filed July 16,

'5 More specifically, and in one form of embodiment, my invention relates to a combination desk and table, comprising a structure provided with a foldable top, adapted to be extended when the structure is to be used 10 as a table, and to be retracted and wholly or partially concealed from view when it is desired to convert the structure into a desk.

An object of my present invention is to provide a piece of furniture of the character 15 indicated which is simple, durable and inexpensive in construction and whose parts may be readily and easily manipulated into their several operative positions.

Other and further objects of the present 20 invention will sufliciently appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings hereto appended which form part of this application for-Letters Patent, and in which like reference characters indicate the same parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of embodiment of my present invention with the parts disposed for use as a desk;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view-of the same structure with the top extended to form a table of one form; l

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3, but with the top rotated through 90 to form a table of another form;

Fig.5 is a perspective view of the table shown in Fig. 4, showing certain concealed parts in dotted lines;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a modified form of embodiment of my invention when in use as a desk; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the manner of converting the desk shown in Fi 6 into a table. I

Re erring to the drawings, 1 indicates generally an article of furniture having legs, a top, and if desired, drawers. This article of furniture may be designed for use as a desk, buflI'et, bureau, table or the like. In each fig- 1929. Serial 160. 878,705.

ure of the drawings I have shown this much of the structure embodied in a form suitable for use as a desk, but it is to be understood that my invention is by no means limited to use in connection with desks. Any type of furniture having a plane top surface may serve as the under structure of a piece of furniture constructed according to the principles of my present invention. The desk structure shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be merely by way of exemplification, and it is to be understood that the word desk as used in this application for Letters Patent is intended to include any article of furniture having a plane top surface, as above specified.

Mounted on the under top 2 of the desk is a desk top 3, which may be rotated through 90 or more about a pivot 4 fixed in the under top. In a desk structure having an oblong top such as those illustrated in the drawings, this pivot is positioned either centrally of the top, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, or eccen trically thereof, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The purpose of so locating the pivot, and the effect of positioning it centrally or eccentrically, will be hereinafter explained.

Along the rear edge of the desk top 3, a hinge or series of hinges 5 serves to connect to the desk top one leaf 6 of a table top. A companion leaf 7 is hinged to leaf 6 along their upper horizontal edges, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of the hinges 8. I perfer to employ hinges 8 of the type used on spinet desks, as shown in the drawings, which will allow the two hinged edges of the

leaves

6 and 7 to make flush contact "with each other and lie in a single plane when in their extendedposition, as shown to advantage in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 7.

When it is desired to convert a desk as shown in Fig. 1, into a table,

leaves

6 and 7 are rotated through 90 about hinge 5 to place them in planes parallel with that of the desk top 3. Rear leaf 7 may then be rotated through 180 about the hinges 8 to dispose it in thesame plane as leaf 6, as shown in Fig. 3, and then the two leaves, together with desk top 3, rotated through 90 about the xpivot 4 to assume the position shown in Figs.

position of maximum a 4 and 5; or, if desired, after leaves6 and 7 are lifted into parallel, superposed horizontal planes, they may be rotated with desk top 3 through 90 about pivot 4, and then opened up b rotating upper leaf 7 through 180 about .t e hinges 8 to assume the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Whichever mode of operation is followed, there results a table having a width equal to the length of the

leaves

6 and 7, and a length, equal to twice their height when in the retracted positions shown in Fig. 1. Small support blocks 9 of a thickness equal to the thickness of the desk top 3 are secured to the under sides of the

leaves

6 and 7 to'fill the space between the leaves and the under to 2 when the leaves are in their extended position. Spacer blocks 10, having an upper beveled or rounded edge, are secured to the rear of the supporting structure 1 just below the under to 2 forthe purpose of camming the leaves 6, into accurate vertical relation to the desk top 3 when retracted, and thereby ull'ge'the front ed s of

tops

2 and 3 into para elism.

T: will be noted that the structure illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 differs in two respects from that shown in the other figures; first, the pivot 4 is positioned eccentrically of the desk top 3; and secondly, the

leaves

6 and 7 when in their folded back position extend only to the level of the desk top 3. I have discovered that a constant inverse relation exists between the degree of eccentricit of the pivot 4 and the height above the des top of the

leaves

6 and 7, or in other words, the farther the pivot 4 is removed from the geometrical center of the desk top 3, the smaller will be the hei ht of the

eaves

6 and 7 projecting above t e desk top 3. Figures 6 and 7 show the iivot 4 placed at its 1 owable eccentricity, so that the upper edges of the

leaves

6 and 7 when in their folded back positions are flush with the level of the desk top. It will be apparent that when the pivot is located at any point intermediate between the positions shown in Figures 4 and 6, the height of the

leaves

6 and 7 above the level of the desk top 3 will vary accordin 1y.

It will be appreciated tint in the eccentric pivot form it is desirable to employ a desk top whose long dimension is exactly twice its short dimension, and which is of course of rectangular shape, so that when the desk top is rotated 90 about the pivot the hinge 5 will lie along the transverse axis of the under top 2, making the top formed by the

extended leaves

6 and 7 symmetrical with the under top. I accomplish this symmetrical positioning of the extended leaves by locating the eccentric pivot 4 at a oint in the desk top 3 which is at once equi istant from the longitudinal and transverse axes of the desk top and from the rear or hinged edge thereof. This is the point of maximum eccentricity of the pivot. Intermediate points for the location of the eccentric pivot lie along a line joining this point with the center of the desk top, or in other words, a line which bisects the angle formed b the intersection'of the two axes of the des top.

Conversion of a desk as shown in Fig. 6 to a table is accomplished in the same man nor as the structure shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, 'i. e., the leaves are lifted to a horizontal position, the desk top is then rotated 90 about the pivot-4, and the upper leaf It is to be noted that in the eccentrically I pivoted 'form of structure shown in Figs. 6 and 7, only one su port block 9 is re uired, since the rotated diesk top 3 sufiicient y underlies the leaf 7 when in its extended position, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

A further modification is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to provide an article of furniture having anextended table top which will be narrower than those previously described. According to this form of the invention, the desk top 3 is made in three parts, consisting of fixed end portions and a central pivoted portion, the latter being bounded by curved ed cs 11, 12, which are arcs of a center forme by the pivot 4. The length of the

leaves

6, 7, ma then be reduced to a length equal to the diameter of the rotatable portion of the desk top, as indicated by the dotted lines 13, 14. Hinges 8 will necessarily be located in approximately their dotted line position in Fig. 1.

The advanta es and mode of operation of an article of furniture with parts so constructed will be obvious, the leaves being raised and turned to form an extended table top exactly as has been ex lained in connection with the previously escribed forms of embodiment. In the present modification,

supporting blocks 9 are dispensed with, the

fixed end portions of the des top adequately serving their purpose. It will be evident that the reduction in the length of the leaves will result in forming a narrower table top when the leaves are in their extended position, while the reduction of the dimensions of the rotatable portion of the desk top will prevent any portions thereof from extending beyond the edges of the table top when the leaves are in their extended-position.

It is to be understood that my present invention is capable of exemplification in other 1 supporting structure having an un and further modifications not shown or described in this a lication for Letters Patent, but all such mod i cations in so far as they embody the principle of the present invention ,5 are to be deemed within the scope and pur- View of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of furniture comprising 9. er top, a desk top rotatably mounted thereon, and a plurality of leaves hin ed to each other and to one edge of the des top.

- 2. An article of furniture comprising a supporting structure having an under top, a desktop overlying the under top and pivoted thereto, and a plurality ofleaves hinged together, one of said leaves being hinged to the desk top. 4 3. An article of furniture comprising a supporting structure having an under top, a rectangular desk top having a length twice as great as its-Width overlying the under top and pivoted thereto at its center, and a'plurality of leaves hin 'ed to each other and to one edge of the desk top.

4; An article of furniture comprising a supporting structure having an under top, a rectangular desk top overlying the under top and pivoted thereto at a point equidistant from the longitudinal an transverse axes thereof, and a pluralit of leaves hinged to each other, one of sai leaves being hinged to the desk top.

as 5. An article of furniture com rising a supporting structure having an under top, a i desk top overlying the under, top and rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality of leaves hinged to each other and to one edge of the 40 desk to and normally depending therefrom,

and a inge connection between said leaves whereby said leaves are adapted to overlie the desk top in a single plane when lifted to a horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

EDWARD H. 000 EY.