US2210648A - Ironing board or table - Google Patents

Description

.Aug 6, 1940. E. H. BATTELLE IRONING BOARD OR TABLE Filed March 25, 1937l Patented Aug. 6, 1940v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCI Application March 23,

8 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in an ironing board or table and has for one of its objects to combine a device of this character with an article of furniture, such as a kitchen cabinet, dresser, table, desk or the like, whereby the ironing board may, when not in use, be completely concealed within the article of furniture.

Another object of my invention is to mount the ironing board in a manner that will permit it to be swung into or out of a suitable compartment Without the necessity of lifting or lugging the board or a supporting stand from and to a place of storage and without disturbing the other furniture in the room where the ironing operations are carried on.

Another object of my invention is to pivot an ironing board within a compartment in any suitable article of furniture and to provide means for limiting the outward swinging movement of the board, means to fasten the board in its operative position, means to rigidly support the board in its operative position, and means to close the entrance to the compartment when the board is put away.

The length of the space available within the article of furniture to constitute the compartment for reception of the ironing board and space in a room when the board is used determines, to some extent, the length of the board and whether it is to be a one piece or folding board. Therefore, a still further object of the present invention is to provide a folding ironing board as well as a one piece ironing board each pivoted within a compartment in an article of furniture and partially supported, when in operative position, by a movable element of the article of furniture; such as a drawer or door.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter describedk and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invenion appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a kitchen cabinet constituting an article of furniture with which the ironing boards are combined.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof in the region of the one-piece ironing board looking towards the adjacent end of the cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a similar view in the region of the folding ironing board looking towards the end 1937, Serial No. 132,486

of the cabinet adjacent which said folding ironing board is mounted.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view looking down'on top of the ironing board.

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a brace.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of said brace.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the folding ironing board in extended position.

Fig. 9 is the same kind of View showing the ironing board folded.

Fig. 10 is a face view of another form of brace.

Fig. v11 is a bottom face view of the folding l ironing board. i

Fig. 12 is a bottom face view of the one-piece ironing board.

Fig. 13 is a broken horizontal sectional view of the article of furniture in the region of the entrance above the drawers.

In carrying out my invention l5 represents an article of furniture and for purposes of description only such article of furniture is shown as a kitchen cabinet including a base I6 with drawers il mounted therein and doors i3 normally closing the storage compartments.

In one form of the invention I utilize a straight one-piece or integral ironing board i9 having its inner end reinforced by a plate 20. The ironing board has an aperture 2l, in the form of a hole or slot, adjacent the inner end at either or both sides. Such aperture registers with a pivot 22 of any suitable construction or type and is mounted in any convenient manner to any desirable or suitable part of the article of furniture within a compartment 23 above the drawers Il, which compartment has an entrance opening 2d. This arrangement permits the ironing board I9 to be swung into and housed within the compartment 23 and when thus housed, said ironing board rests on a supporting cross-piece 25 in the article of furniture below the compartment 23. Said cross-piece 25 has an inclined top surface so that as the ironing board is placed in the compartment 23 said ironing board will be slightly elevated to relieve the strain on the pivot The inclination can be provided by slanting the crosspiece or by beveling its top surface.

When the ironing board is in the compartment it is entirely concealed from view by a combined closure and brace 26 which is placed in the entrance 24 where it is held against accidental displacement in any suitable manner. For example, one end has a pin 21 that projects into\a hole 21EL in the article of furniture at one end of the entrance and the other end of lsaid closure and brace has a catch 28, such as a spring pressed ball, Fig. 7, which engages a depression 2ta in the article of furniture at the other endofthe entrance 24. A finger hold 29 of some kind, for example, a ring, is provided on the closure and brace whereby it may be easily removed from the entrance 24.

Upon removal of the closure and brace from the entrance 24 the ironing board may be swung outward into operative position, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, with very little effort and without lifting or carrying either the ironing board or a supporting horse therefor. When the board is in its operative position, the closure and brace is set beneath the outer end of the board with end carrying the pin 21 engaged in the cleat 36 and the pin registering with the hole 3l. The other end of said closure and brace, when used as the brace, rests on the oor and may be propped against the article of furniture or other suitable holding means.

Generally when pulling out the ironing board the drawer vin the region of the pivot is slightly withdrawn and when the board is all the way out the drawer is replaced and the top edge of its outer wall will ride under the wedge block 32 on the bottom of the board and force the latter tightly against the flat top of the article of furniture. At the same time, the front Wall of the drawer will engage the stop 33 to further steady the board and limit its swinging movement in one direction. To insure the board remaining in its operative position a fastening means 34, such as a hook and eye, may be used. One element of the fastening means is carried by the board and the other element is attached to the article of furniture.

In the other form of the invention a folding ironing board 35 is shown and includes an inner section 36 and an outer section 31 connectcd by a hinge 38 arranged so that the outer section 31 folds under the inner section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 9, and when folded said outer section is retained in place by a catch 39 of a suitable formation.

The inner end of the board, and more particularly the inner section 36, is reinforced by a plate 40. The inner section of the folding ironing board has an aperture 4|, in the form of a hole as shown in Fig. 11 or a slot as illustrated in connection with the one-piece board in Fig. 12, as vthis aperture is positioned adjacent the inner end of the inner section at either or both sides. Such aperture registers with a pivot 42, Fig. 3, of any suitable form and which is mounted on the article of furniture in a suitable compartment 43 above one of the doors I8. The compartment 43 has an entrance 44 permitting the ironing board, while folded, to be moved into and out of said compartment. By positioning the board above the door said board will be low enough to be used by a person sitting on a chair.

When the ironing board is in the compartment it may be concealed by a combined closure and brace 45, Fig. 10, or by a removable strip which ts in the entrance 44. Because of the short length of said entrance a separate closure may be used which will be similar to the structure shown in Figs. 6 and 7 or it may be constructed as illustrated.in Fig. 10 wherein the closure and brace is made of two parts 46 and 4l joined together by a hinge 48, so the part 41 is as long as the entrance 44 but when the closure and brace I 45 is used as a brace the part 46 is propped against Of course one pin can be used with the closure and brace 45 as suggested by the showing in Fig. 6 or two pins can be used on the closure and brace 25.

Upon removal of the closure device from the entrance 44 the ironing board may be swung outward and the outer section 37 then opened until it is in endwise alignment with the inner board section 36 as shown in Fig. 1. vWhen the board is in operative position a brace is set under the outer end of the outer board section and said brace may be of a form as shown in Fig. 6 or that illustrated in Fig. 10 or it may be of a type represented by the numeral 52 in Fig. 1. The object of using a brace is to support the overhanging outer end of the board and because of the arrangement of the hinge 38 any weight or .force applied to the top of the board 35 can not cause its collapse.

The door under the folding board can be opened while the board is being withdrawn and then such door is closed which will tighten or clamp the board between the top edge of the door and some other portion of the article of furniture. To assist this clamping action a wedge block 53 is carried by the board so that the closing of the door will press all elements together. Also a stop 54 is carried by the folding i its operative position by a fastening means 55 of suitable formation. This stop can also be utilized to limit the inward swinging movement of the folded board by providing a check 56 in the article of furniture in the path of travel of the stop 54.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that I have provided highly efcient structures wherein either ironing board may be placed in operative positionv or returned to its concealed station with little effort and without lugging or lifting the boards or heavy supporting horses, trestles or frames. The folding board is particularly advantageous in small apartments or in a room Where a considerable number of large articles of furniture are situated because the folded board can be swung past an adjacent article of furniture and then unfolded into a space of suiiicient size to accommodate the full length of the board.

Of course'I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:

1. In a .device of the kind described, the combination with an article of furniture having at least one drawer and provided with a compartment having an entrance above the drawer, a support having an inclined top surface mounted in thearticle of furniture transversely of the 'compartment at the bottom thereof, a pivot at toY mounting of the board on the pivot for swinging movement out of and into the compartment through the entrance and when in the compartment resting on the support, a stop carried by the board to engage the drawer for positioning the board when in its open location, a wedge block carried by the board to cause the board to be pressed tightly in the entrance when the drawer is closed with the board in its open location, a cleat on the underside of the board adjacent its outer end and said board having a hole in the region of said cleat, a combined closure and brace insertable in the entrance and under the board to support its outer end, a pin on one end of said closure and brace to register with the hole in the outer end of the board when used as a brace and to register with a hole at an end of the entrance when used as a closure, and means on the other end of the combined closure and brace to temporarily hold said closure and brace in the entrance to the compartment.

2. The structure in claim 1 wherein the aperture registering with the pivot is elongated longitudmauy of the board.

3. In a device of the kind described, the cornbination with an article of furniture having at least one door and provided with a compartment having an entrance including a portion of the doorway and extending above the door, a pivot at the front of one end of said compartment, a folding ironing board including an inner and an outer section, hinges connecting said sections together to permit the outer section to be folded under the inner section, means to hold said outer section in its folded position, a reinforcing plate on one face of the inner end of said inner section, said board and plate having at least one aperture adjacent the inner end at one side of said inner section to mount the board on the pivot for swinging movement out of and into the compartment while the board is folded and the door open, a stop carried by the inner section of the board to engage the door when the latter is closed for positioning the board when in its operative location, a wedge block carried by the board to cause said board to be pressed tightly between the top of the entrance and the door when the latter is closed with the board in its operative location, a cleat on the underside of the outer section of the board adjacent its outer end, a brace, one end of which is adapted to engage the cleat and the other end propped against a supporting element, means on the end which engages the cleat to project into at least one hole in the region of the cleat, means in the compartment to be engaged by the stop when the board is swung into the compartment for positioning the board when in its inoperative position, and closure means removably mounted in the entrance when the board is in said inoperative position to fully conceal said board.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination with an article of furniture having a compartment therein with the entrance to said compartment above a movable element of said article of furniture, a pivot at the front part of one end of said compartment, an ironing board consisting of two sections hinged together with the outer section adapted to be folded under the inner section, a reinforcing plate on the face of the inner end of the inner section of said board, said board and plate having at least one aperture adjacent the inner end and a side of the board to permit mounting of the board on the pivot for swinging movement through the entrance of the compartment, a stop carried by the board to engage the movable element for positioning the board in its open location, a wedge block carried by the board to cause the board to be pressed tightly in the entrance when the movable element is closed with the board in its open location, and a brace detachably connected to the outer end of the board when the latter is in its operative position to support said outer end.

5. In combination with an article of furniture including a drawer and having a compartment directly above said drawer, a pivot mounted in said compartment, an ironing board journalled adjacent its inner end and adjacent one of its sides on said pivot to swing out of and into said compartment, means carried by the underside of the board to be engaged by a portion of the drawer when said board is in its operative position and the drawer is closed, a Wedge block on the underside of the board to be engaged by the front of the drawer as the latter is closed, and means to brace the outer end of the board.

6. The structure in claim 5, in combination with a cross-piece in the compartment with its top surface inclined upwardly and inwardly for the board to ride on as it is swung into the compartment.

7. fn combination with an article of furniture including a vertically hinged door and having a compartment directly above said door, a pivot mounted in said compartment, an ironing board mounted on said pivot to swing out of and into said compartment, a stop on the underside of the board to be engaged by the upper part oi the door when said board is in its operative position and the door is closed, and a wedge block also on the underside of the board and on which the top edge of the door rides as the latter is closed.

8. In combination with an article of furniture including a movable element and having a compartment directly above said movable element, a pivot within the compartment, an ironing board mounted on said pivot to swing out of and into said compartment, a stop on the ironing board for cooperatin with the movable element when said ironing board is swung outward and said movable element closed, and a wedge block on the underside of the ironing board to be engaged by the movable element as the latter is closed for pressing the ironing board tightly within the err'I trance of the compartment.A

EDITH H. BA'ITEILE.

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