US1871686A - Table leg lock - Google Patents

Description

Aug 16, 1932.

G, w. HAMBRooK ETAL TABLE LEG LOCK Filed oct. 31. 1931 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 -ZUNITBSITES G LVARINMEG. co., or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, 'A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS y i rientri Lne- LooxY v Thisinvention relates to the artf'of col-` lapsible tables, such as card`tables,.that arev commonly constructed with inwardly fold-. able hinged legs, and the inventionhas `reference more particularly to an improved devicel forautomatically locking the legs in fullyextended position, when Vthe table. is to be used'.` v

The principal object of the invention has rf been to provide a very simple, strong and re liable table leg lock, which will automatically lock the .leg in'eXtended position when, the table is upright, and will automatically unlock the leg when the table is laid onits side or inverted, thus doing away with the 11e-j cessity of hand manipulated ,lock devices at present extensively employed.

Our invention, its manner of use,and the advantages inherent therein will all rbevread-V go; ily understood by persons familiar with ta bles of this type from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in whichw'e have illus-V trated one simple and approvedembodiment "2-, of the invention, and wherein v:-,--

Fig. .1 is a vertical section throughthe cor-` ner of the table and the; upper portion of the leg, showing the latter in extended Or voper-v n ative'position, and locked.

Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the leg unlocked and folded beneath 'the top of the table. 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a plane at right angles to that of Figs. 1 and-2, on the i line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of a member which forms the'inner end and bottom walls of a housing in which the leg is pivoted.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of a keeper for the gravityactuated locking member designed to prevent its accidental escape.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a corner portion of the flat table top, which preferably is of sheet steel. Attached to the under side of the corner portion of the table top, as by cap screws 11, is a corner bracket,

preferably taking the form of a hollow housing comprising parallel side walls 12, an outer end wall 13, an inner end wall 14, and a bottom wall 15. The inner end wall 14 and bot- Applicapton ledbctober 31, 1931.` .Serial No. 572,289.

tomwall 15 arerconveniently made in a single structure shown` in detail in Fig. 4, the

upper end ofv the wall 14 having an integraly attaching flange 16 and tappedfholes 17 to receive cap screws 18f-by which it is secured to the bottom of the table top. The bottom ywall 15 is unitedto an inwardly directed flange 19 on the lower endy of the Outer end wall 13V as by a cap screw 20. This bottomy wall 15 of the housing is formed with a holey GEORGE w. HAMBROOK AND wennenl n. CLARIN. OF onroneohttnvors, Assrencas 'roY 21, the "function of which will later' appear.l

22designates a hollow metal table leg,

thatl is formed with a forked upper end, the1 parallellimbs of the fork being designatedv by 23. '-These'limbs 23 lare entered from beneath into thev housing, lying against the -V play of the limbs 23 of the forked end of the leg when vswinging the latter between folded and extended positions.' Y

. Confinedwithin the housing'is the freely movable gravitysactuated locking member, `which preferably takes the -form of a'steel ball 27." This ball is of slightly less diameterthan the hole 21, and its the seat 26, so that when the. leg 22 vis extended at right angles to the table top, and the table is in uprightposition, the ball comes to rest inthe hole 21 and seat 26, with the lower edge of the hole l21 slightly above the horii zontal plane of the' center Of the-ball, asl shown in Fig. 1, whereby the'leg is securely locked against swinging in either direction.l

Since, in the construction shown, the hole 21 is large enough to permit the ball to passl therethrough, means must be provided to pre vent escape of the f ball when the legV has been folded to a position carrying the seat f 26 beyond the hole 21. The means herein shown for this purpose Yconsists of akeeper member mounted in the upper forked end of the leg which receives and retains theball when the leg is folded. This keeper member,

'ko'Y shown in isolated detail in Fig. 5, preferably comprises a transverse wall 28 formed With oppositely disposed upwardly extending limbs 29 aperturedto fitthe pivot pin 24:, and a pair of depending oppositely disposed limbs iO-which, with the transverse Wall 28,

' the forked extension of the leg so as to swing kwith the latter by-a Vcrosspin` 31 extending through the limb-s 29 and also therli1nbs23:

of the leg. V

To fold the leg the ltable is Alaid on its side, and the leg tilted slightly above the horizont-al. Theball- 27 at once krolls out of its seat, through the hole 21, and into the pocket. The leg is then swung inwardly with the ballin thepocket,

and when the open end of. the pocket has.: passed out of'register with the hole 21, the

ball is trapped in the pocket byjthe opposed inner end wall 14 of the housing, which latter,

Yit will .be.observed, is curved substantially on an arc struck from the axisV of the pivot pin 24. To unfold .the leg, the table. is preferably.'

laid 0n its side, the legis swung outwardly,

bringing the openv end' of the pocket intoV register with the hole 21, and when the table israised to upright position, the ball automatically drops into locking position.l

The device-thus does away with the necessity of separate manual locking A*and unlocking devices, requiring only the placing of the table in a favorable position to allow the lock-V ing ball to move by gravity'into and out of a locking position; the ball at all times being itself locked against escape from the housing by the keeper member.

lhile we have herein shownand described one specific form of the invention,"which, in-

Y practice, has been found to satisfactorily ef-v ,purview of the claims.

fectuate thev stated purpose or object, we do not'limit the invention to the details of structure and arrangement shown, but reserve all such variations, modificationsand mechan-H ed position of the leg, and a gravity-actuatedl ball adapted to occupy said hole and seat in the upright position of the table to thereby lock said leg in extended position. r

2.. The combination with a table top, of housing attached to and beneath said top formed with a hole'in its bottom wall, 'aV leg said housing of' slightly less diameter than saidhole, and a keeper preventing escape of said locking member through said hole when the leg is folded.

3. The combination with a tabletop, of a housing attached to and' beneath said top formed with a holein its bottom wall, leg

pivoted on opposite sides of said housing formed with an internal seat for a locking memberbelow and registering with said hole in thefextended positionofth'e leg, a' freely K Y A ,y j movable', gravity-actuated ball insaid housfrom the extendedfp'osi'- tion (Fig. 1) to the folded position (Eig, 2),

ing offs'lightly less diameter than said hole,

and-a .keper preventing escape of said ball.

throughf'said hole when the leg is folded.'v v 4. The-'combination with. a table top, of` a housingattached ,-to and'beneath saidtop` formed l*with a lhole 'in its bottom Wall,` a leg having a forked uppeivendportion-pivoted within and on opposite sides of saidhousing,

Vsaidleg formed with an Ainternal seat'for av the upper forked portion of said leg serving, 'Y i in cooperation with a Vwall of said housing, to

trap and prevent escapeofsai'd locking me1nI i ber' through said holewhen the leg is folded.'

The combinationwith atabletopyof a housing attached to vand beneath said top.

formed Vwith afhole ini-ts bottom'wall, :i leg i having -a forkedupper end portion Vpivoted within and' on opposite sides of said housing, said leg formed with an internal ball seat below and registering with saidhole in the 'eX-` tended position of the leg, a gravity-actuated ball insaid housing of slightly less diameter than said hole, and a'keeper rigidly mounted in the upper formed portion of said leg, said keeper formed with adownwardly opening` pocket adapted totrap and prevent lescape of said ball through said holefwhen the `leg is' folded. GEORGE W. HAMBROOK.

CLARIN.

ioo

ivoted onvsaid housing formed with a seat or a locking member below and registering with said hole in the extended position of the leg, a gravity-actuatedlocking:member inY

Images