US2522210A

US2522210A - Portable altar construction

Info

Publication number: US2522210A
Application number: US753563A
Authority: US
Inventors: Emanuel I Cohen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-06-09
Filing date: 1947-06-09
Publication date: 1950-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1967-09-12

Description

S p 1950 E. 1. COHEN 2,522,210

PORTABLE ALTAR QONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l III" M nun ul l l lllllll l .1

U JF

IN VENTGR. EMAA/t/EL 1. C'OHEA/ y j w .Sept. 12, 1950 E. l. COHEN PORTABLE ALTAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 514 42 1: C HE'A/ BY I N VEN TOR.

Sept. 12, 1950 E. COHEN 2,522,210

PORTABLE ALTAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. EMZM/EL 1T ('OHE/l/ Sept. 12, 1950 E. l. COHEN PORTABLE ALTAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Illill umm IN VEN TOR.

FMA/WA-ZZE/V BY 2 2 Sept. 12, 1950 1. COHEN 2,522,210

PORTABLE ALTAR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

fM/m/ 1. 1. ('OHE/V BY 2 M Patented Sept. 12 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 "f2,522,2if

PORTABLE ALTAR ooNs'rnUoTIoN Emanuel I. Cohen, Philadelphia, Pa. Application June-9,1947,Seria1No.753,563 J 2 Claims. (01."312-33i 1 This invention relates to an altar construction and more particularly to a portable, foldable and collapsible altar. Among the general objects of the invention are to provide such a device which is light in weight and compact in form so as to be readily portable, erectable and disassembled by one man. To this end the altar is made as a single unit, the several parts thereof being secured together, all being Within the reach and control of a man for erection or disassembly, either of which may be completely accomplished with a few swift, easy movements. Such an altar is desirable among roving missionaries, in churches and in the military andnaval forces. A primary consideration among these services are the features of portability, including lightness and compactness, so that such an altar can be quickly erected for services in the field or on a ship, and as quickly dismantled and packed away or moved to one side, as the occasion or the dictates of necessity may require.

An additional object is to provide an altar which will be acceptable to the followers of different faiths and in furtherance of this object the altar.

is provided with afront panel wherein a cross is removably secured so that it may be quickly removed for the substitution of a star of David, or other emblem of a different religious faith.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an altar having a table and a collapsible retable thereon.

Another object is to provide such an altar having a front and side walls and table, the sidewalls and table being pivoted to the front in such a manner as to be collapsible with respect to said front when the device is not in use.

Another object is to provide a retable for such an altar in which said retable is collapsible soas to lie substantially parallel to said table and on the undersurface thereof when not in use and to be erectable as a ledge on said table when the altar is setup for worship.

A further object is to provide a retable which is pivoted to a free edge of the table proper, said retable comprising front, rear and top sections and end walls, all hingedly connected together, the end walls being hinged to the central or top section, said sections having fastening means cooperating with corresponding means on said end walls for locking said sections together when they are erected on said table.

For the accomplishment of these and such other objects as may hereafter appear, the invention is e 2 and is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

v Figure 1. is a perspective view of the erected altar.

Figure 2 isa rear view thereof, with the table in raised positiomshowing the means for securing the several. parts together.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the altar with .the side walls extended in supporting position,

showing the table and retable in collapsed position.

Figure. 4 is a perspective view showing the table being lowered into assembled position, with the retable partially assembled.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the altar showing it inycollapsed condition.

. Figured. is an end view of the altar in collapsed condition. l

Figure? is a plan view of the altar with the 0 table removed and one corner of the front wall .cut away to show the arrangement and construction where the side wall joins the front.

,Figure 8 is a detail of the latch construction used to lock the parts together in erected or col- 2 lapsed condition.

,The altar comprises generally a sheet metal construction, preferably of light weight,.such as -aluminum,-having a front wall Ill, side walls or wings H, Ila, atable l2 and a retable generally :mindicated by I 3. The front wall is trimmed to give a panelled effect and is suitably embellished by a centrally disposed, embossed panel I5 in which a cross [6 is removably mounted for op- ;tional substitution of a star of David, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, or for the emblem of some otherrelig'ious faith or order.

The altaris of, pressed sheet metal construction throughout, the parts being welded wherever possible, and may be finished in any suitable manner,

40 amahogany grained finish lending itself well to the structure for religious purposes and being generally acceptable.

The front. wall Illhas its side edges bent into flanges 18 (only one of which is shown, Figure 7), extending rearwardly at an angle of substantially 90 and corner posts I9, I911. resembling side rails are secured to these flanges by welding, riveting or otherwise. On its inner side wall, spaced from the edge thereof, each corner post supports

angle members

20, 20a and the hinges 2|, 2la, respectively, for the side walls carried by these angles as shown in Figure 7. The

angles

20, 20a are spaced slightly from the edge of the corner post in order that the side wall may be fitted into said more fully developed in the following specification s5 post to give said wall a panelled effect, its remain- 3 ing edges and base being suitably trimmed to match the trim of the front panel, the trim being accomplished by pressing the metal as desired, or by assembling it in any other suitable manner known to those skilled in the art.

The front wall is provided with a forwardly extending overhanging lip 22 along its upper edge and the table 12 is hinged to this lip, which extends forwardly a distance equal at least to the thickness of the table, so that when theglatter is collapsed against the front wall, the top surface I20, thereof will be substantially parallel to said wall. The table is hinged to this lip by hinges I, la.

The retable I3 is hinged to the opposite edge of said table at 23, 23a and comprises a front and rear section, l3a, I35, respectively, hingedlyconnected together at l3a and I3b, respectively, by a top section I30. The three sections are rigidly joined together, when erected, by end walls or flaps led and I3e which are hinged tmthe ends of the top section. Suitable toggle latches and hooks 25 are provided at the adjoining edges of said sections and end walls so that they may be securely fastened together when the retable is erected. Similar latches are secured to the free ends of the side walls, and similar hooks are affixed to the inner side of the front wall and to the underside of the table so that said side walls may be securely latched parallel to said front wall when the altar is collapsed, and latched-to the-tablewhen released from the front wall as the altar is erected.

The side walls are additionallyv braced with respect to the front l and table l2 by pins or

dowels

28, 28a which project from-the upper surfaces of said side walls into

sockets

29, 29a, respectively, formed in the underside of the table to receive them when the altar is erected. Also,

braces

30, 30a, suitably pivoted-to the-rear face of the front wall, engage the side walls adjacent their bottomedges when the altar is erected, these braces being held flush against the-inner face of the front wall=by spring clips 31, 31a, respectively, when the altar is collapsed.

The cross, star of'David, or other religious emblem may be provided with stud screws-26 on their rear faces and these screws extend through corresponding holes provided therefor in the face of'the embossed panel l; Either emblem may thereupon be optionally secured in place by suitable wing nuts 21 asocoasion demands.

When carried in the field, the altar isdismantled or collapsed as shown in Figure fi and is placed in a suitable canvas carrying case (not shown) by means of which it may be readily movedfrom placeto place by one-man. Touse it, the altar is raised into the position shown in Figure 6, the side walls ll, Ila are swung outwardly as shown in Figure 7, and the braces 3-1, tla are swung out from'thefront wall and secured thereto. The retable is next unlatched from the underside of table [2' and'swung upwardly as shown in Figure 4, at the same time swinging table 12 about its hinges I, la. to bring it to rest on the side walls, with the pins thereon engaging their corresponding sockets in the underside of the table. The retable is then completely assembled as a ledge on said table and the parts thereof securely latched together. The altar is then ready for the disposition of the religious paraphernalia and prayer books thereon. To dismantle and collapse the altar, the procedure just described is reversed;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent: is:

1. A portable, collapsible sheet metal altar comprising a front and side walls and a table therefore, said Walls and table being pivoted to said front so as to lie substantially parallel thereto when collapsed, and being swingable about their respective pivotal axes to assume side wall and table; positions when erected for use, said, front and'saidtable having hooks secured thereto, and latches secured to said side walls, said latches engaging the hooks of said front wall when the structure is,collapsed-and'engaging the hooks of saidtable when the structure is erected, the parts thereby being locked against movement in either collapsed or erected position.

2. A portable, collapsible altar comprising a front having flanged, side edges, apost adjacent each of said edges, each post having parallel flanges, the innermost flange of each being secured to the respective adjacent flange of said front, the outermost flange of each post beingof greater width than the innermost flange and having an angle member-secured thereto spaced from the free edge thereof, a side Wall for said altalchinged to each angle iron, each wall overlapping the respective adjacent outermost flange soas to present an unbroken surface when the altar is erected, said front having a lip overhanging. its upper edge and a. table pivoted-to saidlip, and; resting on-said front and side walls when thealtar is erected ,fOr worship.

EMANUEL I. COHEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references'are of record inthe file of; this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

188,415 Rosenthal Mar. 13,1877 242,355 Nicholas May 31, 1881 835,902 Damato, Nov. 13, 1906 1,001,383 Geer Aug. 22, 1911 1,099,980, Hooey June16, 1914 1,411,765. Worthington Apr. 4, 1922 1,514,055 Lawson Nov. 4, 1924 1,608,457 Anson u" .Nov.. 23, 1926 2,153,538 Innis Apr. 11, 1939 2,291,888 Ericksen, Aug. v4, 1942 2,411,620 English Nov. 26, 1946