US2108036A - Adjustable furniture tread - Google Patents

Description

Ffib. 15, 11933., A GOWELL 2,1@8,@36

ADJUSTABLE FURNITURE TREAD Fi ed July 9, 1955 R40; )4. Gan A I INVENTOR- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT nearer ADJUSTABLE FURNITURE TREAD .Paul A. Gowell, New York, N. Y.

Application July 9, 1935, Serial No. 30,454

1 Claim.

of furniture to compensate for any difference in height between one leg and the other legs of the article, or which may be used to level such articles of furniture to prevent rocking when the legs are resting upon an uneven surface.

Another feature of the invention is to provide an adjustable furniture tread which when applied to the bottom of the leg of an article of furniture, may be adjusted to compensate for varied differences in the length of the legs of articles of furniture.

Another object is the provision of an adjustable furniture tread which is frictionally held in an adjusted position after an adjustment has been effected, to prevent accidental disturbance of the adjustment during the shifting of an article of furniture over the floor as is customary when cleaning a room.

A still further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive adjustable furniture tread which may be tapped into position at the bottom of the leg of an article of furniture without necessitating the alteration of the leg, and which may be attached by one unskilled in the art of furniture repair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the leg of an article of furniture with my improved furniture tread in position thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the furniture tread with the parts in separated drawn out position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in which the threads and rubber ring frictionally engage.

Figure 5 is a side elevational View with parts broken away in section to show the use of a rubber tread in association with the article.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral. Ill designates myimlproved adjustable furniture tread'in its entirety, and which includes a cup-shape body H having an integral inner internally screw threaded collar" or wall l2 extending thereinto and disposed in spaced relation to the sidewalls thereof. :The top end of the body l I is substantially flat to fit against the underside of the leg 13 of an article of furniture and extends beyond the plane of the top o-f said collar or wall I2. The bodyv H and collar l2 are joined by a curved'bottom wall l4 while extending upwardly from the top :of the body I I, are'pointed prongs 15 which areidri-ven into the underside of the leg I 3 for the purpose of attaching the device in position when in use.

Adjustably associated with the body II, is a foot member [6, which includes an externally screw threaded sleeve portion H which is open throughout its length. Extending from the top of the threaded sleeve portion is a reduced flange Hi, the exterior of which is knurled as at IS. The externally screw threaded sleeve portion l1 threadedly engages the threads of the threaded. bore l2 and by turning the foot member IE, it will be appreciated that the foot member may be moved inwardly and outwardly relative to the collar H in order to effect an adjustment for the purpose to be presently explained. The foot member 16 is provided with an annular flange- 20 at the bottom end thereof and the lower edge is beveled or rounded as at 2| in order to ride over the surface upon which it may rest. The peripheral edge of the flange Ell is knurled to facilitate the manual turning of the foot member when it is desired to effect an adjustment.

For the purpose of holding the foot member l6 against accidental turning movement after an adjustment has been made, I insert a resilient compressible ring 22 upon the reduced flange l8, and this ring is preferably of rubber, and is of an internal diameter slightly less than the diameter of the reduced flange l8 to require expansion when fitting the same to the flange. The reduced bearing end I8 of the foot member frictionally engages the compressible ring 22 and the friction therebetween is sufficient to prevent accidental turning of the foot member relative to the ring after an adjustment of the foot mem ber has been made.

The exterior diameter of the rubber ring is slightly greater than the diameter of the threads on the body member ll so as to frictionally engage the threads as best seen in Figure 4 of the drawing. The threads of the bore bite into the rubber ring, thus increasing the friction between the ring 22 and the body member II. It will be seen that the rubber ring acts as a frictional connection between the foot member l6 and the body member H to prevent accidental turning of the foot member after the same has been manually adjusted.

In the use of the invention herein shown and described, the same is adapted to compensate for any difference in the height of one leg of an article of furniture and the other legs of such an article, or the same may be used to compensate for any space between the bottom of a leg and the surface on which an article of furniture rests in instances where the floor or supporting surface may be uneven. In view of the simplicity of the device, the same may be manufactured at a relatively small cost, and may be purchased and attached to articles of furniture by persons unskilled in the art of furniture repair.

In some instances it may be desired to cushion the foot member l6 and in Figure 5 I have shown a rubber pad 23 which is formed with a reduced extension 24' which frictionally fits into the lower end of the foot member IS. The pad 23 underlies the flange 2i) and spaces the same from a supporting surface.

Although I have specifically mentioned the device for use in connection with articles of furniture, it will be understood that the same may be used upon the legs of pool tables, game devices, and other articles which must be maintained in a level condition.

Although I have shown and described what I consider to be the most practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes as come within the scope of the appended claim may be resorted to when desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A supporting foot for furniture legs comprising a body member including inner and outer spaced cylindrical walls integrally connected at one end, said connection presenting a curved bottom wall sloping from said outer wall inwardly toward said inner wall, said inner wall terminating short of said outer wall at the opposite end and being internally threaded and said outer wall having prongs projecting from its free end adapted to be driven into the leg for securing said walls outwardly of the bottom of the leg, a foot member including an externally threaded stem threadedly engaged in said inner wall for movement toward and away from the bottom of the leg, a flange on the outer end of said foot member forming an enlarged base, said stem having a reduced inner end spaced concentrically from the threaded surface of the inner wall, and a cylindrical resilient gasket snugly fitted on said reduced inner end of the stem for movement therewith, said gasket projecting beyond the inner end of the stem and having frictional engagement with both the stem and the threads of said inner wall to retain the stem in threadedly adjusted position in the body.

PAUL A. GOWELL.

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