US2031477A

US2031477A - Collapsible drawing table

Info

Publication number: US2031477A
Application number: US31704A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank A Gianninoto; Abraham L Friedman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-07-16
Filing date: 1935-07-16
Publication date: 1936-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1953-02-18

Description

Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE DRAWING TABLE Application July 16, 1935, Serial No. 31,704

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tables, and has for an object the provision of an improved collapsible drawing table.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved collapsible drawing table having a drawing surface held at the proper angle and which is made of a comparatively light material, but which is firm and strong so as to afford .ample support to a person using the table.

It is a further object to provide a satisfactory collapsible drawing table which will be attractive in appearance when assembled so as to provide an ornamental piece of furniture, and which may be collapsed to a convenient size so that it may easily be transported from place to place or be concealed in a closet when not .in use.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, eference should be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the table embodying the present invention with part of the outer surface of one of the uprights broken away to reveal the supporting blades inside the upright;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view of the table in collapsed position;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the base of in partial y coll ps position;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank from which the base of the table may be formed;

Fig, 7 is a plan view of a blank from which the top member of the table may be formed;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of one of the longitudinal supporting blades for the upright members;

Figs. 9 and 10 are elevations of the transverse supporting blades for the upright members; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the supporting blades in assembled position.

Our improved table comprises a top member l5 supported at a suitable angle on a base portion the table l6, both of which are preferably made of relatively light but strong fibrous sheet material such as corrugated cardboard.

To afiord the proper strength and support for a draftsman or artist using the table, we preferably form the top member of two superimposed layers I! and I8 which may be integral as shown inv Fig. 7, the layer I! being folded along the fold line I9 upon the lower layer IS. A pair of downwardly extending flaps 2|] and 2| which a d lding the t p mem in po t on when the table is assembled are formed along the 'upper and lower edges of the top member by folding the superimposed layers upon the fold lines 22 adjacent the lower edge and the top layer upon the fold line 23 adjacent the upper edge of the top member. In the upper layer l1 we provide a series of cutouts 24 of various sizes and shapes which are adapted to receive receptacles of paint and water and various drawing implements and retain them in position on the table. The lower layer l8 serves as a backing for the upper layer and the receptacles and drawing implements will, of course, rest upon and be supported by the lower layer. The cutouts 24 which are to receive receptacles of fluid, however, may be and in fact preferably are continued through the lower layer of material so that the receptacles may be retained in a substantially vertical position The base of the table comprises a pair of

sides

25 and 26 having angularly disposed upper edges slanting downwardly from the rear to the front of the table, a rear member 21 and a front member 28, all of which members may be formed separately and secured together by suitable means, such as adhesive strips or tape, so that the base in collapsing may fold along the points of connection or, if desired, the members may be integral and formed from one blank as shown in Fig. 6. If the base is formed of one blank, then suitable vertical fold lines 29 are provided between the side, front and rear membersalong which the base folds in collapsing, and the two ends of the blank indicated at 30 at the edge of one of the side members and of the front member are secured together, as by the flexible adhesive strip 3|, so that the base may also fold along this line in collapsing.

To provide suitable leg and foot room for a user of the table, a central opening 32 is formed through the table from the front thereof to the rear, and this may be accomplished by severing or slitting the front and

rear members

21 and 28 along vertical lines 33 and 34 and horizontal lines 35 and 36, the severed lines being generally T-shaped so as to provide flaps 31 and 38 which are folded inwardly and secured together at their ends by suitable means, such as the adhesive strips 39, so as to provide the base adjacent its lower end with a pair of spaced four sided uprights indicated at 40. The cutout portion 32 should be of sufficient height and width so as to provide convenient leg and foot room for the user of the table. To provide additional knee space and for ornamental and decorative reasons, the central opening 32 may be provided with the additional cut out portion 4| at its upper end at the front of the table.

Along the upper edge of the front, side and rear members a series of fiaps 42 are provided which are folded inwardly and downwardly to provide additional strength for the table. To retain the various drawing implements on the table and prevent them from rolling off the inclined upper surface, we provide an upstanding strip 43 along the upper edge through the central portion of the front of the table and which is preferably formed integral with the member 28.

The pair of spaced uprights 40 which are provided on either side of the central opening 32 are sufficiently strong to support the table and to retain the top member in proper position so as to provide a suitable drawing surface. However, to add additional strength and also to aid in preventing the table from accidentally collapsing, we prefer to provide a plurality of intersecting supporting blades in each of the upright members extending from the bottom thereof to the top of the table. These blades which are likewise made of a relatively light but strong fibrous material such as corrugated cardboard comprise the longitudinal blades 44 provided with angularly disposed upper edges 45, the forward end of the blades being of substantially the same height as the front member 28 of the table, and the rear end of the blade being of substantially the same height as the rear member 21 of the table, and the transversely disposed blades 45 and 46' which are adapted to intersect the longitudinal blades at right angles, the blade 46 being of greater height than the blade 46'. The longi tudinal blades are formed with a series of slits 41 at their lower ends, while the transverse blades are provided with a series of slits 48 at their upper ends.

The blades are assembled so that a slot in the transverse blade will engage the longitudinal blade above the slot in that blade, while the slot in the longitudinal blade will engage the transverse blade at a point below the slot in the latter blade as more clearly shown in Fig. 11. The assembled blades indicated by the numeral 50 preferably comprise a pair of longitudinal blades intersecting a pair of transverse blades substantially at right angles. Since the table and the longitudinal blades taper from the rear towards the front, the transverse blades are made of different heights depending upon the position at which they engage the transverse blade. Thus the blade 46' is shorter than the blade 46, since it engages the transverse blades at a position forward of the blade 46.

A set of the assembled blades 50 are disposed in each of the uprights 40 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Top member I5 is then placed upon the base with the layer I! in superimposed relation with respect to the layer l8, and the flanges 20 and 2| respectively are inserted into the base member so that they project downwardly, thereby retaining the top in position. The longitudinal blades 44 are preferably provided with cutout portions 49 at their front and rear ends at the upper end so as to accommodate the flaps 20 and 2|. When the top member I5 is thus assembled it will be retained in position at the proper angle due to its engagement with the upper end of the

blades

44, 46 and 46' and due to the interengagement between the flaps 20 and 2| and the upper ends of the blades and the front and rear members of the base portion.

To collapse the table, the top member I5 is lifted upwardly so that the flaps 20 and 2| are pulled out of engagement with the base, and the flap 2| is folded inwardly as shown in Fig. 4. The assembled blades are then removed from the upright members 40 and caused to fold upon themselves as shown in Fig. 4. The base member is then caused to collapse along the fold lines as shown in Fig, 5 until it reaches the fully collapsed position shown in Fig. 4. It will be seen that when the base is fully collapsed only two layers of corrugated cardboard will be superimposed upon each other at any given place. This is due to the fact that the central opening 32 is of the same length from upright to upright as the two

sides

25 or 26 of the table which permits the collapsed upright member 40 to fit wholly within the space provided by the central opening.

In assembling the table the base is first opened to a position where all thecorners are at right angles. The supporting blades are then assembled so that the transverse blades are at right angles to the longitudinal blades as shown at 50 in Fig. 11, and are then inserted in the two upright members 40. The top member [5 is then placed on top of the base with the two fiaps 20 and 2! extending downwardly along the inner surfaces of the front and rear members of the base.

It will be seen that from the structure herein described and illustrated a. collapsible drawing table has been provided which is light yet strong and sturdy, and which can be easily collapsed to a convenient size for transportation or for being concealed in a closet when not in use.

It is to be understood, of course, that many modifications may be made in the herein described and illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a collapsible drawing table, a member including two superimposed layers of relatively light but strong fibrous material, the upper layer providing a drawing surface and being formed with cutout portions to receive receptacles and drawing implements, and the lower layer providing a backing for the upper layer and a support for receptacles and implements disposed in the cut-out portions, and collapsible means for supporting said member so that the drawing surface is disposed at an angle.

2. In a collapsible drawing table, a member including two superimposed layers of relatively light but strong fibrous material, the upper layer providing a drawing surface and being integral with and folded upon the lower surface and formed with cutout portions to receive receptacles and drawing implements, and the lower layer providing a. backing for the upper layer and a support for receptacles and implements disposed in the cutout portions, and collapsible means for supporting said member so that the drawing surface is disposed at an angle.

3. A drawing table comprising a member providing a drawing surface and having a plurality of cutouts therein for receiving receptacles and drawing implements and having a backing supported beneath said cutouts and a collapsible base for releasably supporting said member, said base including a hollow upright having a plu rality of sides, vertical fold lines between said sides along which said upright folds in collapsing, and intersecting vertically disposed members inside said hollow upright extending lengthwise thereof from one end to the other and transversely thereof from one side to the other at right angles to each other and from the bottom substantially to the top of said upright.

4. A drawing table comprising a member including two superimposed layers of relatively light but strong fibrous material, the upper layer providing a drawing surface and being formed with cutout portions to receive receptacles and drawing implements, and the lower layer providing a backing for the upper layer and a support for the receptacles and implements disposed in the cutout portions, said member being provided with a turned down flap along two opposite edges and a collapsible base provided with means to receive said turned down flaps and support said member at an angle, said base including a hollow upright having a plurality of sides, vertical fold lines between said sides along which said upright folds in collapsing, and intersecting vertically disposed supporting blades inside said upright extending lengthwise thereof from one end to the other and transversely thereof from one side to the other at right angles to each other and from the bottom substantially to the top of said upright.

5. A collapsible drawing tab-1e comprising a member including two superimposed layers of relatively light but strong fibrous material, the upper layer providing a drawing surface and being formed with cutout portions to receive receptacles and drawing implements, and the lower layer providing a backing for the upper layer and a support for the receptacles and implements disposed in the cutout portions, said member being provided with turned down flaps along two opposite edges and a collapsible base having front and rear portions with their upper edges in different horizontal planes and connected by side,

portions having angularly disposed upper edges and being adapted toreceive the turned down flaps and support said member at an angle, said base including a pair of hollow uprights spaced apart so as to form a central opening through said table providing foot and leg room for a person using the table, each upright having a plurality of sides, vertical fold lines between the sides along which the uprights fold in collapsing, and intersecting vertically disposed members in each of said hollow uprights extending lengthwise thereof from one end to the other and transversely thereof from one side to the other at right angles to each other and from the bottom substantially to the top of said base.

6. A drawing table comprising a top member including two superimposed layers of relatively light but strong fibrous material, the upper layer providing a drawing surface and being integral with and folded upon the lower surface and formed with cutout portions to receive receptacles and drawing implements, and the lower layer providing a backing for the upper layer and a support for receptacles and implements disposed in the cutout portions, said member being provided with turned down flaps along two opposite edges, and a collapsible base provided with means to releasably receive said turned down flaps and support said member at an angle, said base including front, rear and two side portions, the upper edge of the rear portion being in a higher plane than the upper edge of the front portion, and the upper edges of the side portions being angularly disposed, all of the upper edges being provided with downwardly folded flaps, and said front and rear portions being provided with a central opening extending through the table to provide leg room for a user of the table, and forming two spaced four-sided hollow uprights in which are disposed intersecting members extending lengthwise of the uprights from one end to the other and transversely of the uprights from one side to the other substantially at right angles to each other.

7. In a collapsible table, a base including front, rear and a pair of side members, and vertical fold lines between said members along which the base is adapted to fold in collapsing, said front and rear members being provided with a central opening extending from the bottom of the members upwardly and through the table from the front to the rear thereof affording leg and foot room for a user of the table, and so as to provide a pair of spaced uprights each having a plurality of sides connected by vertical fold lines along which the uprights fold in collapsing, said central opening being of sufficient width so that the uprights do not overlap when in collapsed position.

8. A collapsible drawing table comprising a base member and a member providing a drawing surface supported on the base member so that the drawing surface is disposed at an angle, said base member including front, rear, and a pair of side members and vertical fold lines between said members along which the base is adapted to fold in collapsing, said front and rear members being provided with a central opening extending from the bottom of the members upwardly and through the table from the front to the rear thereof, affording leg and foot room for a user of the table and so as to provide a pair of spaced uprights, each having a plurality of sides connected by vertical fold lines along which the uprights fold in collapsing, said central opening being of sufficient width so that the uprights do not overlap when in collapsed position.

FRANK A. GIANNINOTO. ABRAHAM I. FRIEDMAN.