US2248276A - Drafting table - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1941- R. G. LE TOURNEAU 2,248,276

DRAFTING TABLE A Filed July 14,' 1939 2 sheets-snee@ 1 L' IISVENTOR R. G'Leourneau ATTO R N EY July 8, 1941. R. G. LE TOURNEAU DRAFTING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R. G. eTou/neau BY Q .MAL ATTO'RNEY Filed JulyI 14. 1959 Patented July 8, 1941 DnAF'rING TABLE Robert G. Le Tourneau, Peoria, assigner to Y f. y

R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., acorporation y Application J vuly` 14, 1939, Serial No. 284,483

This invention relates in general to a drafting table, and in particular the invention is directed to, and it is my principal object to provide, an improved drafting table including a plurality of working surfaces or drawing boards arranged in a unique assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drafting table of the type described arranged for movement to selectively dispose any one of the plurality of working surfaces in a common position for use.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a multiple working surface drafting table which occupies a minimum of floor space, and yet provides ample leg room for a draftsman seated adjacent or standing at the table.

A further object is to provide means for supporting a drafting implement in position for use on any surface of the table when such surface is in operative position.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I 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 the device.

Figure 2 is an end view, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a foreshortened, longitudinal vertif cal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the device comprises an elongated rectangular frame or base I supported adjacent its corners by feet 2; there being a rigid A frame 3 mounted in connection with and upstanding from each end of base I. A horizontal shaft 4 extends between brackets 5 on the upper end of frames 3 and is held in nonrotatable relation by means of nuts Ii threaded on the ends of said shaft.

An elongated, three-sided drafting table, triangular in cross-section, is journaled axially on shaft 4 for rotation thereabout; such table being constructed and mounted as follows:

Triangular heads or end plates 1, which are slightly concave to strengthen the same, are

`mounted on and rigidly supported by a horizontal sleeve 8 which surrounds shaft 4 between brackets 5. Heads 9 on the ends of sleeve 8 are provided with ball bearings III which surround and ride shaft 4. Spacing or friction washers I I are'dispos'ed on shaftr 4 between heads 9 and brackets 5.

Along their outer edges the triangular end plates 1 4are formed with inturned flanges I2; rectangular wooden drawing boards I3 extending between and being secured on said flanges. In order to protect the edges of the boards from undue wear, they are reinforced by angle irons I4. Horizontal pipes I5` extend between and are secured to the end plates at corresponding corners and provide additional strengthening means for the table assembly.

At one end of the table and at the corners of the adjacent end plate, I provide socket pieces II whose sockets Il are all disposed in a common circle concentric with shaft 4; there being a spring pressed detent I8 adapted to normally engage in one of said sockets. Such detent is mounted on base I in such offset position relative to shaft 4 that when the detent is engaged in a socket, the then uppermost drawing board is disposed at a proper slope for ease of Working thereon, as will be apparent from Fig. 2.

A horizontal lever I9 is journaled on and above the base I at the end adjacent the detent; one end of said lever having a radial and depending fork 20 engaging the back or inner surface of an enlarged head 2| on the outer end of the detent, while the other end of the lever is formed with a radial foot pedal 22 which projects substantially horizontally inward above the front portion of the base.

A vertical post 23 is mounted on the back portion of base I centrally of its ends, and at the upper end said post is provided with a bracket 24. The bracket projects above the extended plane of any table surface when in operative position and provides a mounting means for the anchor member of the parallel links of .a drafting machine of the well known and so-called universal type and which includes a straight edge adapted to rest on the work on the table. By reason of this arrangement, the drafting machine may be permanently mounted on the bracket 24, since it is only necessary to swing or fold the links of the machine back clear of the table when the latter is swung from one position to another.

In use, a draftsman who is working on a plurality of drawings or lay-outs attaches each to one of the drawing boards I3 rather than using a plurality' of drafting tables as is now the practice, and which requires an undue amount of floor space and equipment.

To move one board out of the way and another into working position, the draftsman merely steps on pedal 22 which withdraws detent I8, permitting the table to be rotated until the desired board is in place, whereupon the pedal is released and the detent returned to the correspending socket.

The device conserves office space, reduces the amount of drafting equipment required, and by reason of the nove1 triangular structure, the draftsrnan has ample leg room at all times, as will be obvious.

With the exception of the drawing boards; theY structure above described is constructed mainly of metal, thus providing ample rigidity and weight as is desirable in a drafting table;

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a. device asfsub-A stantially 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 lthus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A drafting unit including a base, a. multi-side drafting table, means mounting the table for rotation about a horizontal axis disposed symmetrical to all the sides of the table whereby to dispose any side in operative' position at Will and at a common operating level, a rigid vertical post upstanding from the base behind the table a-ndY a drafting-instrument supporting bracket mounted on the post adjacent said operative level for operation on any side of the table when disposed in operative position and clear of the path of rotation of the rear edge of any side of the table'.

ROBERT G. LE'IO-URNEAU.I

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