US2187893A

US2187893A - Table top structure

Info

Publication number: US2187893A
Application number: US188241A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry B Richardson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-02-02
Filing date: 1938-02-02
Publication date: 1940-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1957-01-23

Description

INVENTORZ zchardson;

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i 4 (\OM/WIZVATTORNEY- Jan. 23, 1940; H. a. RICHARDSON TABLE TOP STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 2, 1938 Patented Jan. 23, 1940 TABLE TOP STRUCTURE Harry B. Richardson, Roselle, N. J. Application February? 1938, Serial No. 188,241

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in table tops, and is especially adapted for use on kitchen or laboratory tables wherein the top itself is made of formed sheet metal and is coated with a porcelain-like or vitreous coating.

The important feature of the present construction lies in the provision of means whereby to easily attach a wooden-edge framing all round the outer edges of the metal table top, on the under-surface thereof, thereby to assemble the framing and top in a firmly united assembly. Such construction as shown herein, is economical, andsuch portions of the framing as are exposed may be of an ornamental nature.

A further feature of advantage is in the arrangement of the framing, whereby the exposed outer edge portions thereof may extend beyond the coated edges of the table top, thereby to act as a buffer and to thereby protect the said coated edges from chipping. Heretofore vitreous coated table tops have been made with an integral, coated, depending flange all round the top, and this exposed edge, in handling or shipping becomes badly chipped, to the detriment of the appearance of the top. Such chipped places, if the metal table top is made of sheet iron are then subject to rusting, which further spoils the appearance of the top, especially where the coating is of white enamel.

Jf'he provision of a wooden frame edge as herein disclosed, further obviates the manufacturing difliculties encountered in the self-flanging of such table tops, as is now the practice.

As will be noted hereinafter there are several ways of obtaining the desired assembly, but all of the modifications are equivalent in the accomplishment of the desired construction and resultant advantages and economy.

The foregoing and other features of advantage will be apprehended as the herein description proceeds, and it will be obvious that modifications may be made in the disclosed structure without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled to partially sectioned and enlarged to show the coacting parts;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of a table top, showing the framing thereof, as disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the framing clamps;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the metal top and its frame engaging flange;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view, taken transversely in Fig. 2, on the line 66, Fig." 2, W looking in the direction of the arrows. 8-

The present improved construction assembly, as disclosed in Fig. 1, comprises a metal table top I, in the present instance of rectangular formation, having an integral underturned flange 2 all round its peripheral edges. The flanges are 10} so formed as to leave a predetermined space 3 between the table top and said flange, the flange being parallel to the plane of the top I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The wooden framing, generally denoted byW, comprises four strips of wood, or material of a similar nature, best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said strips being matched at their adjacent corners by flattened mortises '1, Figs. 2 and 5. The peripheral dimension of the framing W, when joined at the corners, and in operative assembly to the top I, as viewed in Fig. 2, is slightly larger than the width and length of the top I, so that the outer frame edges E extend protectively beyond the table top edges to protect said edges against chipping of the vitreous coating thereon, during handling and shipping of the finished product.

As a means for holding the frame and top portions in firmly united assembly, a series of metal angle clamps 4, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 3, are provided, one leg of each clamp being provided with a countersunk screw hole 5, whereby to permit of screwing the clampsby wood screws 6 to the inside face of the framing, about as shown in Fig. 2. I

The undrilled legs 4' of the clamps 4, in one form of assembly, are entered and fitted into the space or gap 3 between the flange 2 and top I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then the frame is laidupon the bottom of the top I, the frame is 40 thus ,set on the clamps 4, in about the positions noted in Figs. 2 and 6, and then they are screwed to the inside faces of the frame strips by the screws 6. Other methods of assembling the above structure are also available.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the screwing of the clamps upon the frame tends to I drive the clamps in opposite directions and thereby imposes an expanding pressure of the clamps upon the flanged perimeter of the top I, and thereby locks the top firmly to the frame sections W, and also tends, reactively, to lock the strips of the frame firmly together.

The foregoing improvement will be noted as having a flanged table .tOP. the flange being 55 turned out of the plane of the top to form an exposed edge, with a supplemental under-frame the outer edges of which are exposed and supplement the edge of the table top, the frame having flange and top engaging means to operatively lock the top, flange and frame assembly together.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a horizontal rectangular frame, the outer faces of the frame members being substantially vertical, the upper outer horizontal corner margin of each member being provided with a longitudinal rabbet groove forming an inner longitudinal shoulder and a narrow horizontal face and leaving a wide top face; a sheet metal table top having narrow underturned edge flanges disposed on said narrow face against said shoulder, and forming a rigid rounded outer edge; and a series of metal angle pieces having a fiat portion on said wide top face of each member with its outer end edge engaged over and against the inner margin of said flange and against the-upper, lower and lateral inner face of the rounded outer edge portion of the top; and means for securing the metal angle pieces to the frame.

2. In combination a horizontal rectangular frame, the outer faces of the frame members being substantially vertical, the upper outer horizontal corner margin of each member being provided with a longitudinal rabbet groove forming an inner longitudinal shoulder and a narrow horizontal face and leaving a wide top face; and a sheet metal table top having a vitreous coating thereon and having narrow underturned edge flanges disposed on said narrow face against said shoulder, and forming a rounded outer edge; a series of metal angle clamps having a lower fiat portion disposed adjacent to the inner face of the member and provided with a central countersunk screw hole, and an upper fiat portion rested on said wide top face of each member with its outer end edge engaged over and against the inner margin of said flange and against the inner face of the rounded outer edge portion of the top; and a screw passing through said hole into the member and adjustably forcibly pressing said upper portion against the rounded inner face of the flange; said rounded outer edge being inset from the outer face of the frame, whereby the frame protects the vitreous coating of the rounded edge from chipping.

HARRY B. RICHARDSON.