US2476381A - Leveler - Google Patents

Description

H. N; PEAVEY July 19,1949.

Il, l l v INVENTOR. Hi Af. Peavey E@ L Mju@ l LEVELER Filed Feb. l2, 1946 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 19, 1949 2,476,381". LEVELER...

Harry N. Peavey,- llAberdeen,'- Md., assignorr by .mesne assignments; to: Le'velor' Corporation, a ycorporation of: N ew EYork Appl,icationjFebrluary.` 12, 19.46, .Serial N o.. 647,095: .i

This invention relates to improvements in -de- Vices-iol' leveling articles of furniture, etc.

A -further object :of this invention is the provision of va leveling device `presenting characteristics somewhat similartothose ofthe leveling device y-set forth in ,a co-pending application; Serial-Number 605,601; led'aluly 17; 1945, inthe Unlted- Statesf-Patent-Oice, :and embodying `improvements thereover.

A -further object-of `this invention is the provision of a relatively simple and efficient type of leveling device vwhich may be constructed relatively `cheap `from synthetic plastic or other materials: andy which embodies an .efficient and compact arrangement follocking the desired adj.ust ment; all `parts vbeingr readily accessible `and easily operated'- for varying- `the adjustment v:as desired.

Otherobjects'andadvantages` Iofthe inventiony willbe apparent `from `the following` detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming .a part.

of-,this specication and wherein similarrefei-,

ence characters design-ate corresponding parts. throughout the several views- Figure 1 is aside elevation of theleveling device showing its application upon the leg. ofsome. -a'iiticle to be leveled; the leg ,being shown in cross.v

section.

Figure 2 is 4vertical sectional view .taken through theimproved leveling device showing the. parts in position for locked leveling adjustment...

Figure. 3 is a verticalsectional view similar :to Figure 2,*but with the parts in position to permit relative adjustment thereof.

Figure 4 is a view, partly in top elevation and partly in :cross section showing 4details of the improved leveling device.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment ofthe-invention, the letter A may generallyldesign'atey the'gimproved leveling device which `may be utilized for leveling furniture or for adjusting the heightcfffsucharticles as desks, tables, machinery, etc.

This consistscf a tread prov lviding capl `or base I Il; an ,expansible-locking 6 Claims;` (Cl. 45-139) tralpassageway ZDLtherethrough. It is of general. cylindrical.formationand at. the llower margin.

thereof it is provided with` an. annular rounded.

jecting .upwardly .for attaching upon. the article toloe leveled. Theupper `surface .of the plug` I 2 isiprovided with ya plurality of pointed projec tions 3) integral therewith which .bite into the.-

leg I5, as vshown. in ligurel, and -servev to prevent.rotationfof the-plug relative tothe leg I5.A

The sleeve-or bushing II is .externally threaded .atti and thelower :skirt portion thereof -is pro vided with vertical slots or splits 36 extending substantially half way of the height of this-bushingand. openingboth externally and internally.

Inthis slottedskirt portionthe bushing I I vis an-z nularly recessed-at 38; and the surfacing defining thisrecess :3-8 preferably normally converges' downwardlyto the `slotted lbottom edgegll) ofthe'` bushing... The:annular flange 'or cam extension' 2I.- yof .the-plug is adapted to'seat in the groove' 38.l .In normal positionfshown in Figure 3, the bushing camilangefZ-I will'not expand-the slotted skirt ofy the bushing, but .as the sleeve or bushing is moved-.along the :plug-I2 the camflange 2l will ride along the convergent surface of the groove.

3.8.-andslaterally gand radially: expand the slotted skirtof thefbu-shingpaswill be noted fromv Fig-r ure-2. 1.* The plug I 2 is slidably'received withinthe passagewayxl-foff':the bushing II, and to preventv relativerotation or. the parts ziI I and I 2 the plug Izlmaybe .provided with lateralrecesses 451 openingpnthetOp-sur-face 4G"of-the1plug wherein are receivedthe radially@projecting lugs 'IIB vformed integralcwi-th the'sleeve'for bushing VI I" internally" thereof, upor-rtlie-r4 upper unsplit portion ofrthe bushing;

The tread cap jI'0` includes. the .annular body'.

portion internally.screw threadedat Y6I., and

having a 'bottomwall 62, provided with a central.

shown in Figure 3; the tread cap being threaded upon the bushing.

In order to secure a leveling adjustment it is merely necessary to rotate the tread cap upon the bushing, to a position such as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and merely by pushing the adjusted parts Ill and Il upwardly the cam ange 2l will expand the split portion -of the bushing to lock its threads with the threads of the cap and this 'will prevent any accidental relative rotation of the parts i!) and H. It will be noted that the distance which the bushing ll rides along the plug to secure the expansion of the bushing is exaggerated, in order to clearly bring out the relative play of these parts. In actual use the relative movement of the bushing along the plug to lock the adjustment of the parts I and Il is very small, and insufcient to disrupt a desired adjustment.

It will be noted that the Weight of the article supported by the leveler normally tends to lock the adjustment by forcing the plug downwardly for expanding the sleeve l2. When it is desired to readjust the parts it is merely necessary to pull the locked parts lll and Il downwardly and release the cam action of the flange 2l upon the sleeve or bushing I2. The parts lil and li may then be relatively rotated to vary the adjustment.

It will be noted that the opening 53 gives ready access to the head of the screw so that the latter can be removed from the leg l5 and the leveler disconnected. If desired, this opening may be made slightly smaller than the screw head, so that the screw cannot become detached from the assembly when the parts are connected in unitary relation.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a leveling device the combination of a sleeve-like plug having projections extending from an end thereof, means for attaching said plug to said article to be leveled with said projections biting into said article, an externally screw threaded expandable leveling part mounted upon said plug for sliding therealong, an internally screw threaded tread cap adjustably threaded on said leveling part, and means on said plug and leveling part for expanding said leveling part into lock thread engagement with the cap.

2. In a leveling device for leveling articles such as furniture the combination of a part having means associated therewith for attachment to the article to be leveled, an externally screw threaded leveling part non-rotatably mounted for relative axial sliding Vupon the first mentioned part, an internally screw threaded tread cap adjustably threaded upon the threads of said leveling part, said leveling part having a portion thereof longitudinally slotted and an internal annular groove about said slotted part of the leveling part, and cani means upon the attaching part rst mentioned seated in said groove for expanding the slotted portion of said leveling part into thread locked engagement with said tread cap.

3. In a leveling device the combination of an article attaching part having a lateral extension at thelower end thereof, a sleeve-like bushing having the lower portion thereof vertically slotted and externally screw threaded, said sleeve having a tapered socket to receive therein the extension of said attaching part for axial movement therein for variably expanding the slotted portion of said sleeve, and a tread cap threaded upon the threads of said sleeve.

4. In a leveling device the combination of an article attaching part having an annular expanding flange laterally at the lower end thereof, a sleeve-like bushing having the lower portion thereof vertically slotted and externally screw threaded, said sleeve having an annular socket with a downwardly convergent tapered cross section to receive therein the ange of said attaching part for expanding the slotted portion of said sleeve, and a tread cap threaded upon the threads of said sleeve.

5. In a leveling device the combination of an article attaching plug having an annular laterally extending expanding flange and a central passageway therethrough, an attaching screw in said passageway, a sleeve-like bushing having the lower portion thereof provided with a slot, said bushing being externally screw threaded and the slotted portion being adapted to receive the expanding flange of the attaching part to laterally expand the slotted portion of said bushing, through relative longitudinal movement of the plug and bushing, means to prevent relative rotation of the bushing upon the attaching part, and an adjustable internally screw threaded tread cap upon the threads of said bushing.

6. In a leveling device the combination of an article attaching plug having an annular laterally extending expanding flange and a central passageway therethrough, an attaching screw in said passageway, a sleeve-like bushing Vhaving the lower portion thereof provided with a slot, said bushing being externally screw threaded and the slotted portion being adapted to receive the expanding flange of the attaching part to laterally expand the slotted portion of said bushing, means to prevent relative rotation of the bushing upon the attaching part, and an adjustable internally screw threaded tread cap upon the threads of said bushing, said attaching part, bushing and tread cap all being constructed of hard synthetic plastic.

HARRY N. PEAVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 336,346 Pratt Feb. 1s, 1836 1,898,465 Peters Feb. 21, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date `814,589 France Mar. 22, 1937

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