US2251134A

US2251134A - Folding table

Info

Publication number: US2251134A
Application number: US343357A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry J Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-07-01
Filing date: 1940-07-01
Publication date: 1941-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 1958-07-29

Description

INVENTOR.

Han/3y J fill/77 BY I ,1 is

ATTORNEYS Patented July 29, 1941 isrres FOLDING TABEE Harry J. ll-amt, Kansas CityfMo assignor of one-half to Matthew Orr, Kansas City, Mo.

Application my 1, 1940, seriapNo. 343,357

3 Claims.

This invention relates to furniture and particularly a table of the folding type wherein the leaves thereof may be moved to and from an inoperative, substantially vertical position close to the pedestal of the table.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a table of the aforementioned character, wherein specially designed and disposed le s are employed to not only hold the leaves of the table in the operative position, but to extend above the stationary part of the table top when the latter is folded, to serve as stabilizers for the legs and as article retaining members.

This invention has for a further aim to provide a folding table or the like, which is equipped with a pair of folding leaves and legs to support the same, which legs and leaves are designed to cooperate with the table in the operative and folded condition.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a folding table made in accordance with the present invention, one of the two leaves thereof being in the inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the table illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of one side of the table; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view through the zone of connection between the leaves and the pedestal.

The folding table contemplated by this invention, may assume many forms, to the end that such articles of furniture as coffee tables, end tables, occasional tables and smoking stands, may be created by manipulating the swingable leaves constituting a part of the device. The manner in which the specially formed legs of the table cooperate with the remaining part, contributes to the adaptation of the structure as will be fully hereinafter set down.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

:in cradle l4 when the folding table is serving as a smokers accessory.

Pedestal 6 has laterally extending wings l'8 near the upper end thereof that extend a short distance to each of two opposite sides of the pedestal. It is to these Wings I8 that leaves 20 of like character, are swingably mounted through the medium of hinges 22. The length of leaves 20 is such as to allow them to move to place above base 8 when the table is folded as shown to the left in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3.

It is desirable, in the interest of good proportion, to have leaves 20 shorter than their distance above the supporting surface, such as the floor. Specially created legs 24 therefore, are hingedly secured as at 26 to the free ends of leaves 20.

The free ends of legs 24 are bifurcated as at 28 to present two straddling portions 3!] which embrace the respective Wings [8 when legs 24 are inoperative or positioned between their respective leaf 20 and standard 6.

A spacer 32 between the hinged end of legs 24 and the respective leaves 20, insures that leaves 26 will lie in a substantially true vertical plane when the table is folded. This presents a compact, sightly and desirable folded article of furniture without characteristics identifying it as such.

Portions 3B serve to retain an article in place when it is positioned on wings l8 or when a specially formed tray is mounted in cradle [4.

The manner of swingably associating the parts has been shown and embodies but one concept of this invention. It is therefore, obvious that different ways of hingedly mounting leaf and leg 2!] and 24 respectively, for example, may be employed without departing from the invention.

When leaves 20 are in the horizontal position or when the folding table is open for use, cradle l4 serves as a stop and overlies a part of each leaf 20. A definite balance is maintained when leaves 20 are mounted on each side of standard 6, but as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the leaves may be singularly used to present what is commonly called an end table, if desired. When both leaves 20 are collapsed, as indicated in Fig. 3, the folding table is tall and relatively slim so that a smoking stand is presented.

The advantages arising from the specially formed legs 24 are many for their use in a combination of parts forming such an article of furniture as has hereinabove been described, allows the production of a unique, novel and desirable folding table susceptible of adaption to many uses.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding table or the like comprising a standard; a wing extending laterally from each of two opposite sides of the standard near the upper end thereof; a leaf hingedly connected at one end to each wing respectively whereby the leaves may be moved to and from substantially vertical positions beside the pedestal; and a leg provided with a bifurcated end hingedly mounted on each leaf respectively, said legs being in a place to support the respective leaves in horizontal planes when in the operative positions and in a place between the leaves with the bifurcated ends straddling the said wings when the table is in the folded condition.

2. A folding table or the like comprising a standard; a wing extending laterally from the side of said standard near the upper end thereof; a leaf hingedly connected at one end to the wing whereby the latter may be moved to and from a substantially vertical position beside the pedestal; and a leg provided with a bifurcated end hingedly mounted on the leaf near the free end thereof, said leg having a portion of the bifurcated end extending upwardly On each side of the said wing when the table is in the folded condition to present article retaining members above the wing.

8. A folding table or the like comprising a standard; a wing extending laterally from the side of said standard near the upper end thereof; a leaf hingedly connected at one end to the wing whereby the latter may be moved to and from a substantially vertical position beside the pedestal; and a leg provided with a bifurcated end hingedly mounted on the leaf near the free end thereof, said leg having a portion of the bifurcated end extending upwardly on each side of the said wing when the table is in the folded condition, said wing having an article receiving cradle mounted thereon extending outwardly therefrom to overlie and engage a portion of the leaf when the latter is in the horizontal position.

HARRY J. HUNT.