US2057334A

US2057334A - Collapsible table

Info

Publication number: US2057334A
Application number: US30445A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hannum Charles Ulyssess
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-07-09
Filing date: 1935-07-09
Publication date: 1936-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1953-10-13

Description

c. u. HANNUM- 7 2,057,334

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed July 9, Y 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qct. 13,1936. c. U.,HAI\YINUM 2,057,334

COLLAPS IBTJE TABLE Filed July 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Charles Ulyssess Hannum, Glassboro,N. .1.

Application July 9, 1935, Serial No. 30,445

4 Claims. (Cl. 311-44) This invention relates to the art of table structures, and is particularly concerned with constructions which are .of a collapsible character. At the present time there are available to the public tables which are identifiable as being of a collapsible character, but the severe service conditions under which some of these tables are used have established the unsatisfactory character of the manner in which the table top is supported by the side bars. From the very nature of the collapsible table, it is essential that the side bars connecting the legs be hingedly connected, and due to this hinged connection, the supporting effects at this point are not sufficient to permit the table to stand up under continued usage.

This invention, therefore, has in view, as its primal object, the provision of a collapsible table which includes legs to which are hingedly connected side bars, and which side bars are supported at their extremities by the leg structure in a positive manner separate from the hinged connection.

Another objective of this invention is to provide in a table structure a leg which is designed to have a side bar hingedly connected thereto, and which leg includes a shoulder designed for direct engagement with the extremity of the side bar.

Another end in view is to provide a collapsible table of the character above noted, which may be made in any number of desired sections, and which may be collapsed with the side bars assuming a position parallel to the end bars, whereby the supporting structure of the table may be snugly collapsed into small limits.

Particular features and objects of the invention are associated with the provision of supporting legs in accordance with the above noted precepts, which will accommodate table structures of varying length.

The invention, therefore, comprises a collapsible table including a removable table top and supporting structure consisting of legs connected by end bars and side bars which are hingedly connected to the legs, the side bars being of sectional construction, the sections of which are hinged together and the extremities of which are directly supported by the legs.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and description, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the supporting structure of a collapsible table made in accordance with this invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view bringing out the manher in which the parts interfit as the table is collapsed,

Figure 3 is another plan view showing the parts completely collapsed.

Figure 4 is a perspective illustration of one form of supporting leg,

Figure, 5 is a similar view of another type of supporting leg which is designed primarily for use intermediate the extremities of a. table, while.

Figure 6 is still another perspective view of another form of leg, and I Figure 7 is a perspective showing of a folding table top.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the supporting structure for a table, such as contemplated by this invention, is shown in Figure 1 as comprising three pairs of legs. Each of the pair of legs at the center is referred to by the reference character ll, while the pair at each end is made up of a leg designated I0 and one designated l2. While the drawings illustrate a supporting structure as made up of two sections, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited in this respect, as obviously, as many sections as desired maybe included. v

Referring now to Figure 4, the individual construction of one of the legs 10 is shown as including an enlarged upper portion I3 which is cut out to provide a shoulder I4 which lies in a horizontal plane when the table is assembled. Upstanding from the shoulder I4 is an inner wall I5 which is designed to lie in the plane of the end of the table. Another wall I6, referred to as a side wall, also upstands from the shoulder l4, and this wall is designed to have the face of a side bar engage thereagainst. An abutment for the end of a side bar is also shown in the form of an abutting wall ll, which is connected to the end wall [5 by a hinged wall l8.

When the parts are assembled one of these legs II] is connected to a leg I2 by a bar I9, which has its ends secured to the wall I5 in any preferred manner, as by screws (not shown). The lower edge of the bar I9 engages the shoulders I to provide adequate supporting effects for this end bar.

Referring now to Figure 5, the construction of one of these intermediate side legs II is illustrated, and this form of the leg includes an upper enlarged part 20 which is formed with a shoulder 2|. Upstanding from the shoulder 2| are a pair of

wall sections

22 and 23, which lie in substantially the same vertical plane, and which are spaced apart by an abutment 24 having a face 25 designed to receive a hinge. The abutment 24 also provides

abutting walls

26 and 21.

When the legs II are assembled in the structure, as shown in Figure 1, a cross bar 28 is positioned with its extremities engaging the horizontal shoulder 2| and fitting in the corner defined by the

walls

22 and 21. Again, .the connection between the cross bar 28 and the legs Il may be rendered permanent in any preferred manner, as by the use of screws.

In Figure 6 another type of end leg is shown, being that designated l2 in Figure 1. In this form the upper extremity of the leg is enlarged, as at 29, and provided with a horizontal shoulder 30 from which upstands a side wall 3| and an end wall 32. The end bar l9 connects one of the legs I 2 with one of the legs H] and. one extremity thereof is received in the corner defined by the Walls 3| and 32 at the same time being supported by the shoulder 30.

Extending between the legs l0 and II, and H and I2, on each side of the structure, is a side bar made up of a pair of sections 33 which are hinged together, as shown at 34. These hinges 34 preferably include flanges at 4| which overlap the top edges of'the sections 33 to provide good supporting effects.

The extremities of the sections 33 are received in the corner defined by the walls 16 and I! of the legs ID, a hinge at 35 providing for a hinged connection at this point. It is notable that the underedge of the section 33 is supported by the shoulder l4 whenever the parts are in their opened supporting position. The hinge 35 is connected to the inner face of the section 33 as by screws at 36, and also to the hinge wall l8.

Each of. the sections 33 which are connected to the legs H are hingedly connected thereto in a similar manner by the hinges shown at 31 and 38. It is notable that the arrangement of the

hinges

31 and 38 on each side of the table is reversed, that is, on one side, the hinge 3! is disposed in a right angular position when the parts are open, while at the corresponding connection on the other side, the hinge 38 is opened flat.

The structure shown at Figure 1 may support one or more of the folding table tops shown in Figure 7 as made up of a pair of leaf members 39 which are hinged together at 40. As many of these table top sections as shown in Figure 7 may be included in the structure as occasion demands. They are preferably merely laid on the supporting structure of Figure 1 without being secured thereto in any positive manner. However, if occasion demands, such positive connection may be availed of.

When the table is not in use, the supporting structure in Figure l is collapsed into the position shown in Figure 3, with the sections 33 of the side bars interfitting with each other in the manner clearly brought out in Figure 2. This particular form of nesting of the side bar sections is provided for by the particular arrangements of the hinges. It is noted that each of the hinges 34 which join the sections 33 together provide for relative inward movement of the joint at this point, while the hinges which connect the extremities of the section 33 to the legs provide for breaking of the joint in the opposite direction.

With the arrangement of having at each pair of end legs or intermediate legs a hinge which, when opened, is fiat, together with a hinge which, when open, is in a right angular position, provides for the snug interfitting of the bars clearly shown in Figure 3.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, i s to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated and described, as various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice, within the purview of the appended claims.

I 'claim:

1. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top and sectional side bars, the combination with a supporting leg having an end wall adapted to have an end bar connected thereto, a side wall adapted to have a section of one of the side bars hingedly connected thereto, said end and side walls being disposed substantially at right angles to each other, said leg also having an abutting wall lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the end wall, and a second side wall adapted to have the face of said side bar sec tion in engagement therewith, of an end bar having one end connected to said end wall, a second leg having an end wall to which said end bar is connected, the end walls of the two legs being in the same plane, the second mentioned leg also having a side wall adapted to have a side bar connected thereto disposed at right angles to the end wall, and a pair of hinges, one being connected to the first leg and having a part permanently secured to said side wall, with the other hinge part connected to said side bar section, the other hinge which is connected at the second leg having a part secured to the end bar and another part connected to another side bar section.

2. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top and sectional side bars, the combination with a pair of legs one located on each side of the table, of a bar extending therebetween and connected thereto, of a pair of hinges, one of the hinges being secured at one end of said bar and to a side bar section on one side of the table with the other hinge secured to the leg at the other side of the table and to another side bar section.

3. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top and sectional side bars, the combination with a pair of legs one located on each side of the table, of a bar extending therebetween and connected thereto, of a pair of hinges, one of the hinges being secured at one end of said bar on one side of the table and to one of the side bar sections with the other hinge secured to the leg at the other side of the table and to another side bar section, each of said legs being formed with a horizontal shoulder in engagement with the lower edge of the said bar, said shoulder being continued beneath said hinges.

4. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top and sectional side bars, the com bination with a pair of supporting legs disposed intermediate the extremities of the table, of a cross bar extending therebetween, each of said legs being formed with a horizontal shoulder adjacent to the top end thereof, an abutment defined by a hinge wall and abutting walls upstanding from the horizontal shoulder, side walls also upstanding from the shoulder at right angles to the abutting walls, said side walls being of different lengths, the legs being so arranged that the shorter wall on one side is located directly opposite to the longer wall in the other side, and a pair of hinges, one hinge being connected to the hinge wall on one leg and to a side bar section while the other hinge is connected to the hinge wall of the other leg and another side bar section.

CHARLES ULYSSESS HANNUM.