US2005716A

US2005716A - Folding article of furniture

Info

Publication number: US2005716A
Application number: US703050A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kovats John
Original assignee: LEG O MATIC Co
Current assignee: LEG O MATIC Co; LEG-O-MATIC Co
Priority date: 1933-12-19
Filing date: 1933-12-19
Publication date: 1935-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1952-06-18

Description

J. KOVATS FOLDING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Dec. 19, 1933 June 18, 1935.

INVENTOR TORNEY IIIIIIIIIII (III/4 'IIIIIIA VIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIA k Patented June 18, 1935 f m 'sr eATENT OFFICE -This invention relates to folding tables, and especially. card or game tables.

Itis an-object-of the'present'invention to pro.- vide an improved mechanismfor supporting fold-.

.5 ing legs in both the extended and foldedtpositions, and improved operating connections for effecting conjoint positioning .of all the legs on the table through the manual operation of any one of the legs and for maintaining the legs either the folded or the extended position. I

- It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for individually maintaining and locking each of the several legs of the table in extended or working position, and yet release all of the legs when any one of them is released to allow all of the legs to be folded simultaneously. A feature of the present invention is the provision of means for automatically completing the movements of the legs as they approach extended or folded position close to the table top and to yieldingly holdthe legs in folded position so that in handling they will not casually swing away from the table top. w

Other features andadvantages will hereinafter p a 1 In the accompanying drawing- 5 Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a table made in accordance with'this invention, with the legs in extended position.

Fig. 2'is a fragmentary view of one corner of a table showing the leg folded against the table top.

Fig. 3 is, a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the leg extended to operative position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fi 3.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the present invention is applied to a card table of the type wherein the legs I0 fold perimetrically within the marginal frame II of the table top I2, the underside of which is shown in Fig. 1. Each leg is secured to a metal plate I3 having a barrel I4 much wider than the width of 'the leg and receiving a pin I5 carried by a bracket I6. The bracket I6 fits in the corner formed by the adjoining sides I la of the marginal frame I I and being secured to these parts serves as a brace as well as a hinge part and mounting plate for the actuating mechanism.

The legs III are moved from folded position shown in Fig. 2 to extended operative position shown in Fig. 3, and vice versa, by an actuating mechanism including a pair of toggle links I land I8 hinged together at IQ for each leg. Each link I! is connected to one of the legs I 0 by a pivot pin 20, and each link I8 is connected to the table top by a pivot pin 2i which is carried by an extension 2210f the bracket It. The toggles. I! and I8 are so positioned and are of such length that when the leg is vertical the common pivot point I9 of eaoh toggle will move down pasta line drawn through the centers of

pivots

20 and 2| and thereby lock the legs in extended or vertical positions-each leg being locked individually of its own toggle.

Each toggle link I8 is connected to aspring 23 having its other end. bearing against the extension 22 of the bracket and: having at this'point a loop receiving a screw 24 for holding the spring against slipping out from engagement with the plate. The spring is so positioned that when the toggle approaches fully extended position the spring will act to throw the toggle to its locking position shown in Fig. 3. 1 It is also so positioned that when the togglefis collapsed and the leg is folded up against the table top as shown in Fig. 2, the spring willurge the toggle link I8 upwardly and hold-the leg in folded position against accidentally falling down. The spring may be strong enough so that,

when its end which engages the toggle link I8 crosses a line between the centers of thepivot pin 2I and the screw 24, it will complete the motion of the toggle and thus complete the mo-- tion of the leg to either extended or folded position, the movement of the toggle beinglimited by a stop pin 25 secure'din the extension 22 and riding in a slot 26 in an'arm 21 integral with the link I8, the ends of the slots engagin'gthe pin to limit the movements of the link I8, toggle; and l When it is desired to swing the legs upwardly to their folded position, the toggle lock may be broken by pressing upwardly against the link I8. However, when the spring 23 is made strong enough to complete the movements of the leg in both directions, considerable force must be applied to the toggle because of the short leverage. To facilitate the breaking of the toggle, the present invention provides an actuating lever 28 pivoted on the pin 2| and having along handle 29. The actuating lever 28 has a portion 30 engaging a shoulder 3| on the link I8. Hence, when the lever is pulled from the full line to the dot-and-dash line position shown in Fig. 3, the links H and I8 are swung to the dotted line positions where the toggle lock is broken and further collapsing movement of the toggle may be effected by power applied to the leg or to the link I8.

The table thus far described may be operated by moving each leg separately from itsfolded This comprises a bell crank lever 32 pivoted.

at 33 on a plate 34 in each corner of the table. The plate 34 may be made integral with the bracket l6, or it may bemade of a separate piece inserted between the bracket l6 and the marginal frame ll. Connecting these bell crank levers are four links 35 so that when one link moves all of the links move. vided with a coupling member 36 slotted to engage a pin 31 carried by the arm 21 of the toggle link l8, and it is by means, of the pin and slot connection between the coupling 36 and the pin 31 that all of the legs are moved simultaneously when any one of the legs is moved. By coupling the connecting mechanism, including the bell cranks 32'-and links 35 to the arm I8 of the toggle, the movement of any one leg incidental to the breaking of the toggles I! and "I8 of that leg will also break the toggle locks of the other legs, and the continued movement of the leg being manipulated will cause the other legs to move simultaneously and to the same extent.

Likewise, when the legs are to be moved from the folded-position shown in Fig. 2 to the extended position shown in Fig. 3, the manual mov-' ing of anyone leg will cause all of the legs to move. 4 1

In order to avoid lateral movement of the toggle links relative to each other, the toggle link I1 is provided with an extension I'Ia lying parallel with and against the link I8 when the toggle links are in their extended positions shown in Fig. 3.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope'of this'invention and portions of the improvements may be-used without others.

Having thus described'the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:--

t 1. In a folding table, the combination of a table top; a'plurality of legs; means for hinging the legs. on the table top-for movementto and from extended and folded positions; a pair of toggle links between each leg and the table top, one of said links being pivoted on each leg and the other of said links being pivoted on the table top; means interconnecting the latter links for simultaneous movement whereby all of the links will Each link is pro-' operate together and all of the legs will be folded and extended simultaneously; and a plurality of springs, one spring acting directly on each pair of toggle links to start and complete the movements thereof. V

a 2. In a folding table, the combination of' a table top; a plurality of legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top for movement to and from extended and folded positions; a pair of toggle links between each leg and the table top for locking the leg in extended position; means interconnecting the toggle connections for the several legs for simultaneous movement; and a manually operable lever having a one-way driving connection withone of the toggle links for breaking the-toggle connections to unlock the legs to permit them to be folded.

3. In a folding table, the combination of a table top; a plurality of legs; means for hinging the legs on the table topfor movement to and from extended and foldedpositions; toggle links connecting each leg to the table top; means yieldingly directly andindependently acting on each pair of toggle links for causing the latter to automatically complete the movement of the leg into either folded or extended positions as the legs approach either the one or the other of said positions respectively; and means acting on said toggle links for interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all by one. p

4. In a folding table, the combination oi a table top; aplurality of legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top for movement to and from extended and folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg to the table top; means yieldingly directly and independently acting on each pair of toggle links for causing the latter to automatically complete the movement of the leg into either folded or extended position as the legs approach either the one or the other of said posi- JOHN KOVATS.