US1933882A - Leg support for folding card tables - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7, 1933. E, c. TURNER LEG SUPPORT Foa FOLDING .CARD TABLES Filed Dec. 14, 1931 d] L Snnentor f l Def/yf 67 75mm BB m@ www Gttorneg Patented Nov. 7, 1933 YUNITED STATES isaiasi Terre Application December 14, 1931 Serial No. 530,945

7 Claims.

My invention relates to leg supports ior folding card tables, and the objects of my invention are: First, to provide a device oi' this class which, although particularly adapted for folding tables, 5 may be used to form supports for legs of other articles of furniture, such as chairs, benches or the like; 1

Second, to provide a device of this class which facilitates the construction of a particularly .losturdy table yet permits the legs thereof to be folded readily and quickly;

Third, to provide a device of this class which is particularly easy to position accurately with respect to the table and be secured thereto, thus ref ducing the time and effort required in the construction of the table;

Fourth, to provide a device of this class which braces the legs in all directions;

Fifth, to provide a device of this class which Yincorporates a novel folding brace means, and

Sixth, to provide on the Whole a novelly constructed leg support for folding card table which is durable, efficient in its action, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these andother objects in view as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists oi certain novel features oi construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly Aset forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ci my device with fragmentarily and viewed from the underside thereof; Fig. 2 is an elevational view o1 one of the frame brace members; Fig. 3 isa similar elevational view of a co-acting brace member; ,'Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through 4 4 of Fig. 1 with the table structure omitted; Fig. 5 is a similar enlarged sectional View through 5-5 of Fig. 8; Fig. 6 is another fragmentary sectional view through 6-6 of Fig. S; VFig 7 is still another fragmentary sectional view through 7 7 of Fig. 8, and Fig. Sis a reduced bottom view of my device with the leg in its folded position.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawing.

Corner plate l, screws 2, hingepin 3, leg bracket 4, screws or bolts 5, brace member 6, pivot pin 7, sliding pin 8, locking plate 9, and spring 10, constitute the principal parts and portions of my novel leg'support for folding card tables.

The table T for which my device is particularly adapted is provided with a depending marginal rim Tl. Four of the leg supports are used to each 60 table, one in each corner. Each leg support inadjacent parts and portions of the table shown.

cludes a corner plate l having a ilat substantially triangular portion la adapted to fit against the under side oi theV table top, and depending marginal walls` lb along two right-angularly disposedy sides ofthe dat portion la. The walls lb iit against the marginal portions Tl of the tableand when secured thereto by means of screws 2 hold the corner plate l in properk relation with the table. f The flat portion oi the corner plate l is provided with a pair of downwardly extruded loop portions lc which are arranged in axial alinernent with each other and in parallel spaced apart rela-Q tion with one oi the depending walls lb. One of the loop portions lc is located contiguous to the' remaining wall lb. This wall is provided with a recess ld abutting said loop portion. A hingepin 3 is supported by the loops le and one endfther'eof extends into the recess 1d. p

The hingepin 3 journals the loop portion la of a leg bracket 4. Said leg bracket i is substantially triangular with its extended apex portion adjacent the right-angular corner'oi the corner plate l. This portion of the le@ bracket e is bent to form a rectangular loop or socket ib which is adapted to receive a leg L. The socket'flb is disposed on the sidel of the bracket towards the wall lb which is parallel with the axis oi said bracket.

when in the folded position shown in Fig. 8. The loop or socket 4b is not'closed but the margin or" the bracket which completes the loop forms ,a flange Llc in spaced relation with the main portion of the bracket. Screws `B'extend through the main portion of the bracket and said flange llc so that the loop or socket may be contracted, thereby rinly holding the leg L. The leg bracket 4 braces the leg in the direction of the axisof the pin 3.

The leg is br ced transversely to the axis of the hingepin 3 by means of a collapsiblebrace structure. This structure includes a brace member 6, the one end of which is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin 7 which extends from the wall por# tion lb disposed at right angles to the hingepin 3. The pivot pin 7 is supported from a boss portion le which is extruded from said wall lb. The brace member 6 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 6a therein which is disposed in slightly downwardly offset relation with its longitudinal axis, as viewed in Fig. l. The extended portion of the slot 5a is turned upwardly, as indicated by 6b, forming a catchportion.v The end of the slot 6a adjacent the pivoted portion of the brace member is enlarged slightly so' as to receive the head of a sliding pin 8. The sliding pin 8 is adapted toshift along the slot 6a and t in the cat-ch portion 6b. Said pin is supported from an extruded boss portion 4d extend- This arrangement enables, the leg L l to lay adjacent the under side: ci the table top u ing from a wall of the socket 4b of the leg bracket 4, as shown best in Fig. 6.

Intermediate its ends the brace memberA 6 is U-shape, as indicated by 6c. Pvoted on the same axis as the brace member 6 is a locking plate 9 which is adapted to fit between the walls of the U-shaped portion 6C of the brace member and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 9c corresponding to the slot 6c; said slot 9a being adapted to receive the sliding pin 8. Adjacent the pivoted end of the locking plate, said locking plate is provided with a hook portion 9b which is adapted to retain one end portion of a spring 1G which is wound around the boss portion 1d and the other end thereof inserted into the U-shaped portion 6c of the brace member so as to engage the cross portions thereof. A spring so positioned tends to spread the extended ends of the brace member and locking plate outwardly from each other. This tendency causes the pin 8 to assume automatically an interlocked position in the catch portion 6b when the leg is shifted to its upright position shown in Fig. l. Upward pressure upon the brace member: 6 against the action of the spring 10 releases the pin 8 so that it may slide along the slot 6a, thereby enabling the leg to move to its folded position, shown in Fig. 8. AIn this position the brace structure is disposed along the side of the leg between said leg and the wall 1b.

The side of the corner plate opposite from the walls 1b is provided with a downwardly oiiset projection 1f which is adapted to be secured to one end of a brace member B disposed adjacent the table top T. A

Once the table top T and marginal rim Tl is constructed it is an extremely simple matter to position the assembled leg supports in the four corners of the table. No measurement or adjustment is needed; the Vcorner plates form their own templates.

With reference to the dotted line view of the brace member or locking plate 9 shown in Fig. 2, it will'be noted that the sliding pin 8 bears against the extended end of the slot 9a so that the locking plate 9 carries the tensional strains. The brace member 6 carries the compression strains by reason of the inward wall of the catch portion or notch 6b. This wall tapers outwardly slight ly from a true arc so that as the slot 9c and notch 6b wears the pin moves deeper, that is, towards the extremity of said notch 6b.

Though I have shown and described a par# ticular construction, combination and arrangement oi parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a furniture leg supporting unit, a cornerY plate includinga flat portion with a pair of rightangularly disposed marginal portions, depending walls extending along said marginal portions, and an offset brace receiving meansy disposed along the remaining side of said corner plate, a bracket hinged to said corner plate, a leg receiving means disposed at one extremity of said bracket, the remaining portion of said bracket forming a brace therefor, and a collapsible brace extending from said plate to said leg receiving means in angular relation with the hinged axis of said bracket.

2. In a furniture leg supporting unit, a substantially triangular corner plate including a iiat portion, depending marginal walls along two sides of said plate and an oiset brace receiving means disposed at the third side of said flat portion, a furniture leg receiving bracket hinged to said corner plate, and a collapsible brace means arranged to secure said bracket in its extended position.

3. In a furniture leg supporting unit, a corner plate, hinge elements formed integrally therewith, a bracket including hinge means arranged to coact with said .hinge elements, a furniture leg receiving socket disposed along one margin of said bracket, and means associated with said socket` for clamping a furniture leg therein, the remainder oi said bracket forming a brace for said socket, and a collapsible brace means arranged to secure said bracket in its extended po.- sition.

4. In a device of the class described, a hinged furniture leg, and a collapsible brace structure therefor including, a pair of brace elements pivotally supported about a common axis, and yieldable means tending to spread the extended ends of said brace elements, said ybrace elements provided with longitudinaliy extending slots, and a means on said furniture leg slidable in said slots.

5. In a device of the class described, a hinged furniture leg, a rotatable brace element provided with a longitudinally disposed slot therein, including a catch notch at one extremity, means on said leg slidable in said slot, and yieldable means associated with the pivoted end of said brace element and extending therealong tending to force said slidable means into said catch notch.

6. In a furniture leg supporting unit, a furniture leg receiving socket, a bracing iin forming an extension of a side of said socket, a hinge element disposed along a margin of said fin, a corner plate, hinge means associated therewith arranged to coact with said hinge element, a collapsible brace structure disposed in angular relation to said hinge means including a pair of brace elements pivotally supported from said corner plate about a common axis, and yieldable means tending to spread the extended ends of said brace elements, said brace elements provided with longitudinally extending slots, and a pin associated with said socket slidable in said slots.

7. In a furniture leg supporting unit, a furniture leg receiving socket, a bracing iin forming an extension of a side of saidl socket, a hinge element disposed along a margin of said nn, a corner plate, hinge means associated therewith arranged to coact with said hinge element, a brace member pivotally connected with said corner plate and extending in angular disposed relation to said hinge means, a longitudinally extending guide means formed by said brace member including a catch portion at the extremityof said brace member, a pin on said socket shiftable along said guide means, and yieldable means associated with said guide means tending to force said pin in said catch portion. l k

EUGENE C. TURNER.

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