US2329902A

US2329902A - Mounting for laterally extended table tops

Info

Publication number: US2329902A
Application number: US417233A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Hillenbrand
Original assignee: Hill Rom Co Inc
Current assignee: Hill Rom Co Inc
Priority date: 1941-10-31
Filing date: 1941-10-31
Publication date: 1943-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1960-09-21

Description

P 1943- w. A. HILLENBRAND MOUNTING FOR LATERALLY EXTENDED TABLE TOPS Filed Oct. 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. M5 4 4 MJZM M f ATTORNEY5 Sept. 21, 1943. w. A, HILLENBRAND MOUNTING FOR LATERALLY EXTENDED TABLE TOPS Filed Oct. 31, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MB a 7. INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 21, 1943 MOUNTING FORLATERALLY TABLE TQPS'J- William A. Hillenbrand, Batesville, Ind., assi'gnor to Hill-Rom Company, corporation of Indiana Application OctoberBl, 1941,..SerialNo. 417.;233;

6 Claims. (origin-as).

This invention relates to 'improvements in table construction andis particularly directed to the improvement of the supporting means for the top of'an overbed table.- Overbed tables of various types have been provided heretofore. The type concerned here utilizes a single pedestal rising from the base and adapted through the-improved structure of this invention to support the laterally extended table top. When placed in theen vironment' of a hospital bed, the table top therefOr' extends out over the bed where it is disposedconvenientiy before the occupant of the bed.

In the'manufacture of this type of table, it is quite obvious that a great deal of clifficulty has been encountered in the provision of a top supporting structurewhich will adequately support the weight or the table top and any articles placed upon it". In order to reach out over the bed, the amount of top extension required is considerable, and accordinglm-there-is a great deal of leverage eiiective through the top for'displacing the. tab1e f'romits true horizontal position. The support'connection to the pedestal or standard must be substantial so that this leverage and the twisting strains do not break it down. I, v

Furthermore, the structure must embody means for raising and lowering the table top supporting means soas to change the elevation of the table relative to the bed or to adjust it to the height of the bed for the convenience of the occupant.

Accordingly, it has been" an object of the present inventor to provide an improved overbed top supporting structure which is extremely rigid and capable of resisting fully the average strains imposed upon the. table and to provide improvements in the construction of the bracket attaching the top supporting arm to the top of the pedestal or post and in the construction of" the supporting means extending beneath the top. Also. the improvements relate to the relationship of these elements; that is, thepost, the bracket, and the arm, in the formation of a unitary and adequate supporting meansfor the top structure. It has been a further object to provide a bracket for this purpose which is rigidly attached to the top of the upper sectionof the telescoping post, which bracket includes a compact means within its unitary tructure for raising and lowering the top relative to the base and the lower section of the telescoping post structure.

Other objects and certain advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent from the description of the drawings in which:

I nc., Batesville. Indl, a

r Figure: 1 is a perspective view of an overbed table of the: single post or pedestal type embodying the improved top supporting means of this. invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure with certain partsbroke'n. away for more fully illustrating the top supporting means.

Figure 3=is a-sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 2,- detailing the structure of the bracket and showing the detailsof the operating means for raising-andlowering the top supporting structure relative to the post. 7

' Figure 4 is-a sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figureb; further detailing the structure of the bracket and the elevating means. I

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55, Figure l, detailing the arrangement of the elevating screw'and nut relative to the post structure. i l 1 i As stated, it has been conventional in the past to providea table. incorporating a top structure extendingover the bed and supported only atone end. This type of table includes a single pedestal or post rising from a base structure and providing means for mounting the top relative to the base and the lower section of the post. Apart from the general howing in the drawings and the general description, the specification in this application .will be directed to a detailed description. of the exact details of the. top supporting means attached to the uppersection of the post and:- extending outwardly; therefrom. Referring tothe drawings, a base iilis provided, which base is of more or lessbroadened H iorm including; appropriate casters H. At the intersection oithe central member M of the base and one of the end members IS, the base bracket I4 is incorporated. The standard or post generally indicated at l5 rises from this bracket Mandincludesa lower or inner section lfi and an upper orouter section ll, the former telescoping within the. latter. These post sections are rectangular. A rubber bumper l8extends vertically along the innerface of'the upper section for the purpose of preventing scuffing of the bed or the table structure.

A top supporting bracket #5 is fixed to the upper end of the upper tubular section ll. This bracket l9 includes a socket 20' engaged over the top of the upper tubular section ll. Further, it includes a lateral extension 2i including a socket Z2 mounting one end of a top supporting arm 23 consisting of a length of pipe.

Further, the bracket includes a chamber 24 at the inner end of the socket 22 and above the in the respective ends of the nut. Thus, the nut' is free to rotate slightly if necessary as for example, when the sections are fully extended and.

there may be a slight disalignment.

An elevating screw 30 traverses the nut and is approximately of the same length as apost section. It is suspended from its upper end on the shoulder afforded by the. hub of a bevel gear. 3| pinned to the upper end of the screw and resting upon the bottom of the chamber 24. A shoulder 32 on the screw engages the underside of the bottom wall of the chamber and thus, the elevating screw is maintained against axial displacement relative to the bracket and the upper post section.

The bevel gear 3i meshes with a bevel gear 33 pinned to the inner end of an operating shaft 34 extending into the chamber 24 from the front of the bracket. The bracket includes a boss 35 mounting the shaft 34. A crank handle 36 is fixed to the outer end of the shaft and includes a ball type manipulating knob 37. Thus, rotation of the crank rotates the screw within the nut and moves the upper section telescopically relative to the lower section.

The arm 23 is welded within the socket 22- and is further held therein by means of a cross pin 38. The supporting frame mounted on the arm consists of a length of flat bar material 39 (Figure 2) bent into rectangular form. The strip of material 39 is disposed on edge; that is, it is disposed with its upper edge presenting a horizontally disposed supporting surface. The adjacent ends of this strip of material 39 are welded to opposite sides of the tubing, constituting the arm, as at 50. The outer end of the arm is'welded to the inner face of the end portion of the rectangular support as at 42. Top structure may be secured to this supporting frame by any means, such as clips. As shown, the arm is bent laterally or is offset from the center of the frame so as to provide clearance for certain top elements not constituting a part of this invention.

Through the use of a unitary bracket element having the post section and thearm socketed therein, a very rigid type of support for a rather lengthy laterally extended arm 23 is provided. Stability and strength are further contributed through the arrangement of the post section with its long dimension disposed parallel with Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A support bracket for mounting a table top laterally from a supporting post, comprising a single element incorporating a vertical socket adapted to fit over the top of the post, a lateral socket adapted to receive a horizontally disposed top supporting arm, and a chamber above the vertical socket for receiving mechanism for elevating the bracket relative to the ,post supporting it.

2. Means for supporting a table top at the upper end of a post, comprising a bracket ina supporting arm extending horizontall from said lateral socket, and a rectangularly bent metallic band secured to the arm and constituting top.

a frame providing a horizontally disposed supporting surface for the table top.

'3. Means for supporting a table top at the upper end of a post, comprising a one-piece bracket including asocketin its underside engaged over the upper end ofthe post, said bracket further including a socket extending laterally therefrom, and a supporting arm extending horizontally from said lateral socket, said arm including means for supporting a table 4'. In a table construction of the type including a base and a post at one end of the base, said post consisting of telescoping tubular sections; a bracket attached to the upper section including a socket engaged over the upper end of the upper section, means extending laterally from the bracket for supporting a table top, said bracket being of one piece and including a chamber located over the post, an elevating screw suspended irom the bracket into the post, a nut fixed in the upper end of the lower 'post section and traversed by the screw, a bevel gear on the upper end of the screw within the chamber, a second bevel gear meshing with the first, a horizontally disposed shaft within the bracket axially supporting said second bevel gear, and a crank on the outer end of the shaft for rotating the gears and raising and lowering the upper post section through said screw and nut. 5. In a table construction, a post consisting of telescoping tubular sections, a bracket attached to the upper section, means extending laterally from the bracket for supporting a tabletop, said bracket including a chamber located over the post, an elevating screw suspended from the bracket into the post, a nut fixedin the upper end of the lower post section and traversed by the screw, gearing within said chamber for rotating said screw, and means for rotating the gears and raising and lowering the upper post section through said screw and nut. o 'A support bracket for mounting a laterally extended table top, comprising a supporting post of rectangular tubular form, an element incorporating a vertical socket adapted to fit over the top of the post and a socket extended laterally in a direction parallel with the wide sides of the post, and adapted to receive a top supporting horizontally disposed arm.

WILLIAM A. HILLENBRAND.