US2555149A

US2555149A - Combination stepladder and cabinet therefor

Info

Publication number: US2555149A
Application number: US18576A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mushta Igor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-04-02
Filing date: 1948-04-02
Publication date: 1951-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-29

Description

y 1951 l. MUSHTA COMBINATION STEPLADDER AND CABINET TfiREFOR Filed April 2, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l n INVENTOR. (9'02" flask/2a JftYv/we s May 29, 1951 I. MUSHTA COMBINATION STEPLADDER AND CABINET THEREFOR Filed April 2, 1948 2 Sheets-$heet 2 FJTE E- INVENTOR.

Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION STEPLADDER AND CABINET THEREFOR 4 Claims.

This invention relates to household furniture and more specifically to an article of furniture that is capable of being utilized for many and varied purposes.

The principal objective was to design and construct an article of furniture that not only may be used for many purposes but which also presents an extremely neat and attractive appearance. In achieving my objective I have provided a cabinet in which are incorporated a stepladder and disappearing shoeshine support.

Another feature of my device is that it is small and compact, occupying a minimum of space and when not in use as a stepladder may be utilized as a stool.

Another feature is the unique construction of the folding ladder which in its collapsed position is entirely housed within the cabinet.

Further advantages and unique features of my invention will be apparent as I proceed with the description.

With reference to the drawings- Fig. 1 shows a sectional side elevation illustrating the position of the ladder in its extended position;

Fig. 2 shows a sectional side elevation illustrating the position of the ladder when in its retracted position within the cabinet;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective View illustrating the footrest in an extended position;

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, with the compartment door closed and the footrest in the retracted position, and

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings I show my cabinet Ill having front and rear walls II and I2, side walls I3 and a top and bottom I4 and I5. Positioned inside the cabinet I0 is a transverse partition I6 which divides the cabinet into front and rear compartments I1 and I8. The front compartment II in which the collapsible ladder I9 is housed has a movable front wall or panel II while the rear compartment I8 in which the disappearing footrest 20 is housed has a door H in the rear wall I2.

Fig. 1 shows the ladder I9 in its extended position ready for use. The ladder I9 consists of an upper and

lower section

22 and 23 which are connected by a hinge 24 at the lower edge 25 of the upper section and the upper edge 26 of the lower section. The upper portion of the upper section is connected by a hinge 21 to the lower end of the front panel II. In addition, the upper section 22 is connected to the movable top It through a link 28, the ends of the link being pivotally connected to fittings 29 and 30 which are attached on the ladder and movable top respectively. The movable top I4 has a hinge 3i at its rear edge which allows upward movement. The lower section 23 of the ladder is connected to the side walls I3 of the cabinet I6 through links 32 whose opposite ends are pivotally connected to fittings 33 and 34 secured to the lower section of the ladder and the side wall of the compartment respectively.

Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional views and therefore show only one set of links 28 and 32, however, each section of the ladder I9 has a pair of links connected to the movable top and side walls of the cabinet, which are not shown in the sectional views.

lransversely mounted within the front compartment I? is a shaft 35 on which the upper section 22 of the ladder I9 is pivotally mounted. In addition each section of the ladder is equipped with a plurality of steps 36 that have the conventional rubber treads mounted thereon. In order to limit the extent of movement of the ladder while moving from its normal or collapsed position to its extended position, a locking device 3'! is provided as illustrated in Fig. 5. This device 31 consists of a rod 38 having a projecting pin 39 at one end. The rod 38 is tensionally held by a spring ll] which causes the pin 39 to project out beyond the edge of the side wall of the cabinet. A portion of the frame of the ladder is equipped with a reinforced metal plate 4! in which is positioned a slot Q2 and when the ladder I9 reaches its fully extended position, the pin 39 will engage in the slot .2 preventing any further movement of the ladder towards either an extended cr collapsed position. When it is desired to collapse the ladder, a button 43 is pushed which cams the rod 38 out of position pulling the pin 39 out of the slot 42 and allowing the ladder to move.

Projecting guides are also provided in the side walls to prevent the upper section of the ladder from moving and to maintain the front panel II in position when the ladder is in an extended position.

Fig. 2 shows the normal retracted position of the ladder inside the cabinet and Fig. 1 shows the extended position of the ladder. In order to place the ladder in the extended position, the top cover I4 is pivoted upwardly and due to the link 28 connecting the upper section of the ladder to the cover I4, the upper section of the ladder is pulled outwardly and upwardly. The

front panel H which is hinged to the upper section of the ladder will pivot upwardly with the ladder and rest on the ladder until the upper section of the ladder reaches a position past the vertical at which point the front panel II will swing away from the ladder and drop down to a position between the guide 44 and partition it, with the upper edge of the panel H resting on the supports 49. The supports 69 assure strength a'ndrig'idity to the ladder while in its extended position and prevents the ladder from collapsing when a person is on the upper steps. Meanwhile, the lower-section of the ladder will swing into position through the opening formerly occupied by the front panel. Obviously the movement of the lower section of the ladder will be controlled by the links 32 and the latter structure is so designed that when the upper and lower sections of the ladder meet at its midpoint, the locking device 31 will function preventing any further movement of the ladder, and at the same time the extreme lower end of the lower section will be resting on the floor d5. In order to collapse the ladder and to return it to its normal position within the compartment i? the button 33 is pressed downwardly in order to release the pin 39 from the slot Q2. While the button s3 is held in this depressed position, the cover H3 is pivoted downwardly. As indicated by the arrows 46 and ll, as the cover M is pushed downwardly the link 28 will force the upper section of the ladder down while the lower section will be caused to move inwardly and upwardly inside the compartment H. be moving to its normal position and when the ladder is totally collapsed it will occupy a position within the cabinet as indicated in Fig. 2. In order to provide clearance for the upper edge of the front panel as it moves with the ladder, a groove 43 is provided in the u'n'dersurface of the top it. This not only allows free movement of the front panel when moving into or out of its normal position, but the upper edge of the top extends below the top portion of the panel thereby holding the front panel in position.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective of the rear of the cabinet showing the door 21 in the rear wall 12, Also shown is the disappearing 'footrest whose movements correspond with the movements of the door. As the door is moved to the open position as shown in Fig. 3, the footrest 28 will be caused to move from the compartment l8 and assume the position as shown. Likewise, when the door 2| is closed the footrest 20 will be forced back into the compartment 18 and occupy the position as shown in Fig. 4. The footrest 20 is supported by a platform 50, the inner end of the platform being pivotally mounted within the cabinet at point 5| while the outer end of the platform is provided with a pivoting supporting leg '52 which is hinged to the underportion of the platform 50.

Secured to the under-portion of the platfo r'm near its inner end is a swivel eye 53. Connecting the platform to the door is a link 54 having acurved intermediate portion '55 and shook member 55 on its inner end. One end of the link is hinged to the door while the other end extends through and beyond the swivel eye: 53. When the door is pulled open, the hook member55 will engage in the eye 53 pulling the platform 50 out or the compartment. As the platform is pulled from the compartment the pivotal supporting Ig'52 will automatically At the same time the front panel II will move to the position shown in Fig. 3. As the hook member 56 will engage the eye 53, the outward movement of the door will be limited to the extent of the length of the connecting link 54. As the door is moved inwardly to a closed position, the pressure of the hook member 55 on the eye 53 will cause the platform to be pushed upwardly, and as the door continues tlojclosejthe curved portion 55 of the link 54 will cam against the eye 53 forcing the platform up into the compartment 18. As shown in Fig. 4, one end of the link is mounted a considerable di's'tancebelcw the end which passes through the swivel eye 53 so that on the inward movement. the platform will be pushed upwardly. The

partisan-ti which engages the upper surface of the platform 50 when the footrest 20 is in its extended position prevents the platform from pivoting below a horizontal position.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a present preferred form which may'assume, it is not to be limited'to such details and form since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing fro'm the spirit and scope of the inventie'n in its broadest aspects. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

-I claim:

1. The combination witha cabinet body having :novable'top and front panels, of a folding steplacder horn aliyhoused within said cabinet-said ladder having upper and lower sections, said upper section being ope'ratively connected to the front panelfand'lower section, a shaft positioned within the body of the cabinet, said 1 section being p'ivot'ally mounted on said s'hait, "means connecting said upper section to the top of the cabinet and additional means connecting said lower section -to the b'ody 0f the cabinet, 'f vhereby upward movement of the top of the cabinet causes said upper and lower sections to pivot into a predetermined position forming anextended stepladder. I v

'2. The combination with "a cabinet having a hinged top and'a shiftable front wall, of 'a -fol'dable'l'adde r having its upper end hingedly "connected with the'lower end of the shift'able front wall, links arrangedat"opposite sides of the ladder and having their opposite ends pivotally connected with the hinged top'and the ladder, and links arranged at opposite sides of the ladder and having their opposite ends pivotally connected with the cabinet and the ladder, the provision and arrangement being such that the ladder may be folded within the cabinet with theshi'ftable front wall shifted into a normal relation to the remainder of the cabinet in "respon'se "to the movement of *the hinged "top 'into a closed position, "and the ladder being extended for use with the shiftable front wall shifted co a position behind the ladder in response to the nicvenient 'of 'the hinged t'op into an open position.

@- The co'inbination'with a cabinet having a d'to'p and a shiftable front wall, 'ofa foldable ladder composed of upper and lower hlngedly connected sections, 'means pivotally connecting the upper section of the ladder with the sides hi the cabinet, means 'hingedly connecting the upper end of "the upper section fof the ladder with the lower end ofthe front 'wall, links liavliig their opp site ends pilfdta'lly b611- nected with the hinged top and the upper section of the ladder, and links having their opposite ends pivotally connected with the sides of the cabinet and the lower section of the ladder, the provision and arrangement being such that the ladder may be folded within the cabinet with the shiftable front wall shifted into a normal relation to the remainder of the cabinet in response to the movement of the hinged top into a closed position, and the ladder being extended for use with the shiftable front wall shifted into a position behind the ladder in response to a movement of the hinged top into an open position.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3, and abutment means on the inside of the cabinet engaged by said front wall to help sustain the ladder when it is extended for use and said front wall is shifted into position behind the ladder.

IGOR MUSHTA.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS