US2244036A - Adjustable desk - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1941. E. WILLIMANIIET AL 2,244,036

ADJUSTABLE DESK .Fil'ed Nov. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Edwin M/fl/flpan I Jean/l. VV////man June 3, 1941. E. WILLIMAN ETAL ADJUSTABLE DESK Filed Nov 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Edwin MOW/man Jean VV/7/l'man ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1941 ADJUSTABLE DESK Edwin Williman and Jean A. Williman, Pescadero, Calif.

Application November 9, 1937, Serial No. 173,618

7 Claims.

This invention relates to desks, particularly to those such as are used in drawing and art classes and in schools generally.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a desk having an adjustable top arranged so that it can be moved from a level horizontal position to a directly vertical one, and held in such positions or at any intermediate angles.

Another object is to so mount the adjustable top that as it is tilted up it will also move forwardan operation which can also be done when the top is horizontal. In this manner an increase in knee room under the desk is provided for the person using the same. Knee room being as stated provided under the desk top it is not necessary to provide knee room space in the body of the desk and the latter may be used as cabinet or storage space, thus materially increasing such space over what is provided in the conventional desk.

While we have particularly designed this desk for the above surface it is also useful as an allpurpose desk in schools as well as for professional people such as architects engineers, artists, etc., providing in each case ample storage space for the equipment necessary to the particular profession.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a perspective View of one embodiment of our improved desk showing the desk top in its normal horizontal position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the same in section and with the desk top set at an angle.

Figure 3 is a side view of the desk showing the top set vertically, as for use as an easel, etc.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a side view of the desk showing a modified form of top holding means.

Referring to the numbers and particularly at present to Figures 1 to 5, the dask comprises a rectangular body I forming a cabinet, said cabinet preferably having shelves 2 or drawers and r a front downwardly opening door 3. The cabinet is supported on depending legs 4 having vertically adjustable foot extensions 5 so that the height of the desk may be varied to suit the user.

The desk top 6 is a flat rectangular rigid member symmetrical to but somewhat larger than the top of the desk body. The top 6 is swivelly mounted along the front of the desk by means of vertical straps 1 secured on the front of the desk adjacent its sides and carrying circular cross heads 8 on their upper ends. These are in line with each other and extend parallel to the front edge of the desk or lengthwise thereof. These cross heads slidably ride in T slots 9 cut in the top 6 fromits under sides and extending from adjacent the front edge of the top toward the back of the same. The top is therefore capable of sliding movement transversely of the desk, or in a direction from back to front, and can also swivel or tilt about the cross heads as an axis or hinge;

Various means may of course be provided to hold the top in any tilted or angled position. In the present instance we have shown this means as comprising telescopic adjustable brace units, one on each side of the desk. Each unit consists of a rod it and a sleeve [9a in which the rod slides. The unit is pivoted at its upper end on ears ll depending from the top 6 adjacent its back and side edges, and it is also pivoted at its lower end on a bolt l2. This bolt is slidably guided in a run-Way l3 mounted on the side of the desk body and extending diagonally up from the back to the front of the desk. A finger nut M on the outer end of the bolt l2 enables the adjacent end of the brace unit to be clamped against the run-way. A finger screw i5 mounted on the sleeve clampingiy engages the rod and enables the telescoping unit to be held at any operating length desired.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that the desk top may be set and held in any desired position between horizontal and vertical. When Set vertically the top is additionally held in position, to take some of the stress oil the brace units, by spring brackets it. Those are swivelly mounted on the front of the desk adjacent the sides thereof in position to engage the bottom edge and adjacent outer surface of the top as shown in Fig. 3. The brackets being swivelly mounted, they may be swung down to clear the top before the latter assumes a vertical position and also when it is desired to return said top to its normal position. In addition to prevent the bolts l2 possibly sliding down their runway when considerable pressure is placed against the tilted table top above the cross heads 8, we may pro- Vide a row of holes ll on each side of the desk between the front and back end near the top, to selectively receive stop plugs 28 in position to overlap and engage the corresponding brace unit on one side.

The slots 9 are positioned so that when the desk top is in its horizontal position and the cross heads 8 are at the back end of the slots, the top then projects substantially equal distances beyond the desk both at the front and back as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the top is tilted up the weight of the same causes it to slide forward of itself until the cross heads engage the back ends of the slots. The knee room under the top is thus automatically enlarged and said top is also lowered somewhat so that it is in the most. convenient position for use at an angle. The cross heads also give stability to the top and determine the furthest point of forward movement thereof.

The top can also be shifted forward without tilting by merely loosening the clamping nuts [4 and the finger screws E5, to allow the brace units to swivel and contract without elevating the top at the back as it moves forward. The use of diagonal runways avoids the need of brace units of excessive length while enabling said units to connect with the top close to the back, where the most efficient supporting action is obtained.

The above construction allows an unlimited number of angle settings of the adjustable top to be obtained. A cheaper form of construction and one having a definitely limited number of top settings may however be employed. Such construction is shown in Fig. 6 and in this case the brace units comprise rigid rods it freely hanging from the adjustable top Ea at the back and to the side of the desk la. These rods when the top is tilted are adapted to project through any one of a number of guide sleeves 26 mounted in certain selected and fixed positions between the front and back of the desk on the sides thereof, and to then rest on stops 2! disposed under the sleeves at increasingly greater heights from the back to the front of the desk. These sleeves and stops may be inside the desk if desired so that the top supporting means will be normally invisible.

With either form of construction we may provide a shelf 22 (see Fig. 2) extending along the back of the desk from side to side. This shelf is supported on vertically adjustable posts 23 and is normally countersunk in the upper surface of the desk so as not to interfere with the disposing of the desk top in a level horizontal position. The top then covers the shelf which is not then needed since the top itself provides a flat supporting surface for any accessories used in connection with the work being done. When the top is tilted and shifted forwardly the shelf is exposed and it may be raised to bring it to the level of the back of the tilted top. A flat support for ink bottles, pencils and the like is thus provided for use when the desk top on account of its tilt cannot be used for this purpose.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A desk comprising a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top on the body for upward tilting movement to the front as well as a forward movement from a normal substantially horizontal position and means to hold the top in any tilted position; said first named means comprising spaced horizontal cross heads of circular cross section alined with each other and disposed parallel to and above the front and upper edge of the desk body, and relatively narrow elements rigid with and depending from the cross heads and mounting the same on the desk; the desk top being relatively thick, and flat on the under side, said under side having T slots cut upward therein and extending in a direction from front to back thereof and in which the cross heads ride.

2. A desk comprising a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top on the body for upward tilting movement to the front and means to hold the top in any tilted position; said last named means comprising a telescopic adjustable brace unit for each side of the desk top, a pivot connection between the upper end of the unit and said top adjacent the back thereof, a runway on the side of the desk forming a T slot and extending with an upward slope from the back toward the front of the desk, a bolt slidably mounted in the runway and projecting therefrom and engaging the lower end of the unit, and a clamping nut on the outer end of the bolt.

3. A desk as in claim 1, in which the cross heads are disposed in front of the desk body a sufiicient distance to'enable the top to be swung to a full vertical position while then maintaining said top close to the front of the body.

a. In a desk including the combination of a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top on the body for forward sliding movement, as well as for upward tilting movement to the front and to a vertical position from a normally substantially horizontal position, and means to hold the top in any tilted position; said first named means comprising spaced elements projecting upwardly and outwardly from the front and upper edge of the desk body, aligned horizontal. cross-heads on the outer ends of said elements and parallel to said edge of the desk body, the underside of the desk top having T-slots cut upward therein and extending in a direction from front to back thereof and in which the cross-heads ride.

5. A desk including a body, a top therefor, means mounting the top on the body for upward tilting movement to the front, brace members pivoted in laterally spaced relation on the top adjacent the rear thereof, said members depending alongside the sides of the body, pivot connections between the lower ends of said brace members and the sides of the body, and means mounting said pivot connections for sliding movement forwardly and upwardly upon upward tilting movement of the top.

6. A device as in claim 5, in which said pivoted connections are mounted on the sides of the body some distance below the upper ends thereof; and stop elements mounted on the sides of the body and adjustable between the front and back thereof, and arranged to engage said brace members on the back side thereof above the pivot connections.

'7. A device as in claim 5, in which said pivoted connections are mounted on the sides of the body some distance below the upper ends thereof; and stop elements mounted on the sides of the body and adjustable between the front and back thereof, and arranged to engage said brace members on the back side thereof above the pivot connections, said stop elements comprising plugs, the sides of the body having a row of openings into which said plugs are selectively engaged.

EDWIN WlLLIMAN. JEAN A. WILLIMAN.

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