US2439769A - Ironing board leg and brace structure - Google Patents

Description

April 8-- E. c.' BOOTH 2,439,769

' IR'0'fiINe BOARp LEG AND BRACE STRUCTURE Filed April 9, 1945' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQ 159 91. CZ Boar/5 April 13, 1948. E. c. scion-1 I ,75

IRONING BOARD LEG AND BRACE STRUCTURE I Filed April 9, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11 INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 13, 1948 UNIT ED ATENT OFFICE 224391769" IRoNING BOARD LEG A NiJ B'RIACE STRUCTURE Earl G. Booth; Golumbus, Ind, asslgnor-to Nobutt-Sparks Industries, Inc. Columbus, In'di, a corporation of- Indiana Application April 9 1945, SerialNo. 587,366

My invention relates to an ironing board and has for its object the provision of a collapsible" iron'ing-board support which will be strong and rigid when extended and which can be simply and economically manufactured from metal parts. In carrying out my invention in its preferred form I form the support with two rear legs and one front leg, all pivoted to the ironing-board top on transverse axes near the rear end thereof. The front leg comprises two telescoping parts the inner one of which is pivotally connected to the top as just indicated and the outer one of which is connected by one set of links to the rear legs and by another set of links to the top. Latch means acting between the telescoping parts of the front leg serves to hold the support in extended condition.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my" in vention:

Fig. l; is a side elevation of the board in extended condition; Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the ironing board top in vertical position with the support collapsed and the legs disposed adjacent the lower surface of the top; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the ironing board with the top in vertical position and the support partially" extended; and Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectiofi illustrating a detail of construction.

The ironing-board top H), which may be constructed in any desired fashion, has secured to its lower surface near its rear corners a pair of brackets H to which rear legs 12 are respectively pivoted. The front leg of the ironing board comprises inner and outer telescoping parts is and M respectively. The inner telescoping part l3 which is desirably formed of metal tubing, is pivotally attached to the top I through the medium of a bracket l5 mounted on the longitudinal center line of the top near the rear end thereof.

The outer telescoping part M of the front leg, which is also desirably of metal tubing, carries a collar I5 to which there is pivotally attached one end of each of a pair of links I! the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected respectively to th rear legs l2. Also pivotally connected to the collar it are a second pair of links l8 which diverge from each other for pivotal attachment to brackets l9 located near the side edges of the top at points spaced well forwardly from the rear end thereof.

In the specific construction illustrated, the links l8 are formed of a single strip of sheet metal the center portion of which is bent transversely into an arcuate journal-forming crosssection as indicated at 22, and the collar I6 is 5 claims. (Cl. 38-'-=-117) 2 provided with an ear 23- bent to embrace and rotatably support the jellrfiall 22. Desi ably} eachendof the strips frofn which the links" I 8 are formedis bent into a general U-s'hape' as ind'i cat'e'd at 211 in Fig; 2. The parallel legs on each U-sha'pedportion 20 are" received between earson the associated bracket i 9 and erforated for the reception: of a pivotpih 21 extending also through ears on such bracket. Thisarrangemerit in effect provides an extended bearingfor the pivotal connection between each link l'8- and the ironing-board top and thus makes f or' rigidity when the support is extended. Pivotally connected toeacn of-th'e-re'ar legs I? is a brace 24 which extends obliquely into association with the bracket i l on the opposite side- 'of the; top; the brace being connected to suchbracket by a pivotpin or bolt 25. Conveniently,

the brace 24 and link" l 'l' associated with each of the rear legs l2- are pivotallyconfiected thereto by a common pivot pin or bolt 26.

As will be clear frointh'e drawings, the support as describedcan be collapsed against the lower surface of the top as indicated in Fig. 2 or extended into operative position as" indicated- Fig. 1. As the legsswing from collapsed to exwnded position, the Olltl'" part I 4 0f the front leg slides inwardly on the innerpar t l3;- To hold the outer part M in its innermost position with respect to the inner part It I employ a latch 30 which is pivotally mounted within the part l3 by a pivot pin 3| located near the inner end of the part IS. The latch 30 extends outwardly along the axis of the part 13 and has at its free end a hook adapted to enter and engage a slot 32 in the wall of the outer part 14. The pivot pin 3| may extend outwardly beyond the sides of the inner leg-part l3 to engage the end of the part l4 and thus limit outward swinging of the legs.

To extend the support from the collapsed condition illustrated in Fig. 2, the free ends of the legs are moved away from the top to and through the positions illustrated in Fig. 3. In this movement, as previously noted, the outer part 14 of the front leg slides inwardly on the inner part. When the legs reach fully extended position the latch 30, which is biased outwardly by the force of gravity, engages the slot 32 and thus releasably holds the parts of the support in extended condition. When engagement of the latch occurs, the board may be rotated about the points of engagement between the rear legs and the floor into the position shown in Fig. 1.

To collapse the board, the last mentioned rotation is reversed until the rear end of the board engages the floor and rotation is thereafter continued until the latch 30 passes through and beyond a vertical position. The force of gravity acting on the latch will then cause it to drop out of engagement with the slot 32 and permit the legs tobe swung against the lower surface of the top as indicated in Fig. 2.

I claim as my invention:

, 1. In an ironing board, a top, front and rear legs pivotally mounted on said top for swinging movement about adjacent transverse axes, said front leg comprising a pair of tubular telescoping parts, the inner one of said telescoping parts being pivotally mounted on said top one. transverse axis, links connecting the outer of said telescoping parts with said rear legs and with said top, said links extending oppositely from said front leg and being so constructed and arranged that the legs may swing from substantially coplanar positions adjacent the lower surface of the top to extended positions in which they are adapted to support the top in operative position while the outer of said telescoping parts, during such swinging, slides inwardly on the inner telescoping part, and a, latch pivoted within the inner telescoping part and projecting through an opening in the wall thereof and engageable with the outer telescoping part to hold the legs in extended position.

2. In an ironing board, a top, front and rear legs pivotally mounted onsaid top for swinging movement about adjacent transverse axes, said front leg comprising a pair of telescoping parts, the inner one of said telescoping parts being pivotally mounted on said top on a transverse axis,

links connecting the outer of said telescoping,

parts with said rear legs and with said top, said links extending oppositely from said front leg and being so constructed and arranged that the legs may swing from substantially coplanar positions adjacent the lower surface of the top to extended positions in which they are adapted to support the top in operative position while the outer of said telescoping parts, during such swinging, slides inwardly on the inner telescoping part, and a latch mounted on the inner telescoping part and engageable with the outer telescoping part to hold the legs in extended position.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition of means limiting inward movement of the outer telescoping part on the inner part.

4. The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition that the links connecting the outer of said telescoping parts with said top comprise a single strip of metal having a center portion bent into arcuate cross-section to form a journal, the portions of said strips on opposite sides of said journal diverging from each other to their points of pivotal mounting on said top, said outer telescoping part being provided with a bracket embracing said journal.

5. In an ironing board having a top and a collapsible support therefor, a link formed of a fiat metal strip having two diverging portions and an integral intermediate portion interconnecting said diverging portions and bent into arcuate cross section to form a, journal, said intermediate portion of arcuate cross-section extending generally in the plane of said two diverging portions the outer ends of said diverging portion being pivotally connected to one part of said ironing board and said journal being pivotally connected to another part of the ironing board, said pivotal connections being on parallel axes.

EARL c. BOOTH.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,208,338 Levedahl Dec. 12, 1916 1,343,356 Doe June 15, 1920 1,458,314 Adams June 12, 1923 1,545,418 Forbes July 7, 1925 1,573,691 Eichberg Feb. 16, 1926 1,792,969 De Penning Feb, 17, 1931 1,895,164 Kalgren Jan. 24, 1933 1,987,767 Beiger Jan. 15, 1935 2,176,302 Howe Oct. 17, 1939 2,179,582 Wiley Nov. 14, 1939 2,352,389 Keller June 27, 1944 2,249,983 Sadenwater July 22, 1941

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