US1911959A

US1911959A - Bridge table suspension tray

Info

Publication number: US1911959A
Application number: US634814A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick E Kern; Ellen C Tilton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-09-26
Filing date: 1932-09-26
Publication date: 1933-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1950-05-30

Description

May 30, 1933. KERN ET AL 1,911,959

BRIDGE TABLE SUSPENSION TRAY Filed Sept. 26 1952 I N VEN TORS:

WM Z4 A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES ear FREDERICK E. KERN AND ELLEN G, TILTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI BRIDGE TABLE SUSPENSION TRAY Application filed September 26, 1932. Serial No. 634,814.

kind referred to cut from a single piece of sheet metal or other suitable flat stock, the same being out out or recessed to provide 15 an opening for accommodating the table leg,

the bifurcated inner ends forming the margins of the leg recess being turned up for engaging the under side of the table, and means being provided for then suspending 2 the tray directly from the said corner of the-table.

Another object is to provide a tray of the kind referred to, the same being formed of a suitable flat stock and adapted to be 2 located at a corner of a square table, partly extended under the corner and partly protruding outwardly from the corner, the protruding portion overbalancing the under portion and forming the tray proper, and

, 3 the under extended portion being formed or otherwise arranged to have a bearing up against the under side of the table, means being also provided for suspending the tray from the corner of the table.

Still another object is to provide a tray of the kind referred to formed of a suitable flat stock in a substantially elongated form, one end thereof being recessed or slotted to provide a leg engaging opening and that end being turned -up and adapted to have a bearing at the under side of the table, the opposite end being extended outwardly as the tray proper, there being a means arranged medially of the structure for suspending the same from the margins of the table.

With these and such other further objects and advantages in view as may be developed from the following specification, attention is now directed to the accompanying drawing constituting a part of the specification,

the same exemplifying several preferred structures or embodiments. of the invention, and wherein V Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of the invention as mounted at the corner of a table, the main portions of the latter being broken away. v

Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, of the form of tray represented in Figure l. V

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tray as shown in Figure 2.

Figure t is an end elevation of the tray as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modification, showing the leg recess formed laterally instead of longitudinally as in Figure 2.

- Figure 6 is a plan view showing table engaging fingers or clips struck out and formed up from the sides of the leg recess, instead of the separate bail as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4;

Figure 7 is a plan view showing table engaging fingers or clips struck out and formed up from transversely defined portions of the tray material in the process of forming the leg recess.

Figure, 8 is a plan view showing table engaging fingers or clips struck outand formed up from the portion of the material constituting outer extended portion, or tray proper.

in Figure 5, this recess is formed laterally across one end. In either case this end of the structure is then turned or bent up as shown at 3 and is thus adapted to bear at a up against the under side of the table 5 upon which the device is mounted, while the body of the tray is positioned somewhat below the top of the table, as shown in Figure 1, and is extended straight out to form and constitute the tray proper indicated at 6. A bail 7, or table engaging fingers or clips 8, 9 or 10, are then provided for suspending the structurefrom the corner of the table. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and i, this element comprises a small rod or wire bail 7, having its ends soldered at 11 to the margins of the tray and then looped up and over to engage the corner of the table, the arrangement being such that the outer end or tray proper 6 overbalances the inner end of the structure, whereby the device is maintained in a straight out position to serve its intended purpose as a tray. In lieu of the separate bail 7 strips 8 may bestruck up from the sides of the leg recess 2 and these strips then turned up and over the top of the table in the form of fingers or clips. Or, similar strips 9 may be struck out transversely from the portion of the material normally filling the recessed end of the blank. Or, such table engaging fingers or clips may be struck out and formed up from the outer tray portion of the blank, as shown at 10. In short, within the contemplation of the invention such fingers or clips may be struck out and formed up from any portion of the blank, as may be found suitable for the purpose. Side flanges 12 may, of course, be turned up along the margins of the tray portion 6, to prevent articles slidingoff. It will be noted that the inner end 3 of the completed tray is spaced substantially from the bail 7, or strips 8, 9 or 10, as the case may be, whereby the point of contact of the end 3 up against the under side of the table 5 is considerably inward of the bearing point of the supporting elements 7, 8, 9 or 10 at the upper side of the table, as clearly indicated in the drawing, so that the outer end of the tray is supported in an out-thrust horizontal manner, upon what may be termed a cantilever principle.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the method of constructing and using the invention will be fully understood. And while I have herein set forth and described certain structural features and forms of the said invention, it is understood that I may vary from the same as desired in matters of structure and detail, not departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In combination with a table or like structure having a rectangular supporting surface, a tray arranged at a corner of said rectangular supporting surface, said tray comprising a sheet of material disposed in a horizontal plane substantially lower than the under face of said supporting surface and having a bifurcated end portion produced by spaced apart upwardly curved extensions which contact with the under face of said rectangular supporting surface at their outer ends only, and a bail in the form of a member of small cross-sectional dimension for contacting with the top face of said supporting surface, said bail being of U-shaped formation comprising substantially parallel upstanding portions which are connected at their lower ends to said sheet of material, and a bridge portion which connects said upstanding portions at their upper ends and extends across the corner portion of said rectangular supporting surface in contact with the top face thereof, said tray being in contact withsaidrectangular supporting surface of the table only at the bridge portion of the bail and at the outer ends of the extensions of said bifurcated portion whereby the minimum damage due to scratching is done tothe table, and said points of contact between the tray and the rectangular supporting surface of the table being offset horizontally j to a substantial degree whereby the tray is maintained in its proper horizontal position with respect to the table upon the cantilever principle.

2. A tray adapted for arrangement at a"; corner of a table or like structure having a rectangular supporting surface, said tray comprising a sheet of material adapted for disposition in a horizontal plane substantially lower than the under face of the rec-1 tangular supporting surface of the structure with which the tray is associated, said sheet of material having a bifurcated end portion produced by spaced apart upwardly curved extensions which are adapted to con-;

tact with the under face of said rectangular supporting surface at their outer ends only, and a bail in the form of a rod of circular cross-sectional shape adapted to contact with the top face of said supporting surface, said bail being of U-shaped formation comprising substantially parallel upstanding portions which are connected at their lower ends to said sheet of material, and

a bridge portion which connects said upstanding portions at their upper ends and is adapted to extend across the corner portion of the rectangular supporting portion of a table in contact with the top face thereof when the tray is in use, said tray being adapted to contact with an associated table only at the bridge portion of the bail and at the outer ends of the extensions of said bifurcated portion whereby the minimum damage to a table due to scratching thereof is done When the tray is applied to the table,

and said bridge portion of said bail and said outer ends of said extensions of said bifurcated end portion which constitute the points of contact between the tray and the table being offset horizontally to a substantial degree whereby the tray is maintained in its proper horizontal position with respeet to a table upon the cantilever princi- In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

FREDERICK E. KERN. ELLEN G. TILTON.