US2603543A

US2603543A - Picnic table with adjustable top

Info

Publication number: US2603543A
Application number: US95997A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rene E Barbin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-05-28
Filing date: 1949-05-28
Publication date: 1952-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 1969-07-15

Description

July 15, 1952 R. E. BARBIN 2,603,543

PICNIC TABLE WITH ADJUSTABLE TOP Filed May 28, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 IN V EN TOR. BY 75m WW-f" J y 1952- R. E. BARBlN PICNIC TABLE WITH ADJUSTABLE TOP Filed May 28, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 :Qinlllll m n INVENTOR.

Patented July 15, 1952 opipim'e v PICNIC TABLE WITH ADJUSTABLE TOPJf Rene E. 'Barbin, Beverly; Mass. v Application May 28, 1949, Serial No. 95,997.

7 2 Claims.

Thisinvention comprises a new and improved picnic of lawn table having novel features of adjustability which render it particularly convenient and desirable for its intended purpose. It is, moreover, of such construction that it may be collapsed into small compass for convenience in transportation and may be produced at very moderate cost.

In its preferred embodiment the table of my invention comprises a shaft or stake passing through a perforated table top and having connecting elements, one hinged to the table top to permit angular adjustment thereof and another being longitudinally adjustable on a shaft to permit height-wise adjustment. The user may thus drive the supporting shaft or stake at any convenient angle determined by the contour or character of the location and angularly adjust.

the table top to horizontal position. He may also move the table top up and down and clamp it at the desired height.

Going more into detail, the picnic table of my invention in its preferred form may employ as the connecting elements above mentioned a circular plate carried by a tubular head which is slidable upon the shaft, and this plate may be hinged at one edge to the under side of the table top and may have at its other side an adjustable connection to an arm curved about the axis of the hinge. I thus provide connecting elements of simple construction whereby the table top may be held securely at any selected angle to its supporting shaft or stake. Moreover, when the stake is set in vertical position the circular plate will serve to close the'perforation in the table top.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a. preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of the table top and connecting elements as seen from beneath, and

Fig. 3 is a view of the table as seen from beneath with a portion of the table top broken away.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention includes in its structure a shaft or stake which may be of wood or metal and sharpened at its lower end so that it may be easily driven into the ground at any selected point. Slidably mounted upon the shaft in is a shouldered tubular head ll having at its upper end a thick knurled flange 'IZ an d having one side a set screw l3 by which the head may be clamped in any desired position upon the shaft [0.

Fastened to the upper face of the flange I2 is one of the connecting elements, namely a circular plate I 4. This may be secured to the flange l2 by screws or rivets and is provided at one edge with a hinge I5 by which it is connected to the under side of the table top IS. The latter may be circular in outline or any other desired shape. It is preferably constructed of sheet metal and formed with a corrugated flanged rim which not only stiifens the table top as a whole but provides it with a low circumferential retaining wall. The table top I6 is provided with a central perforation l! which may take the form of an elongated slot providing for the passage of the shaft with clearance through the table top at any convenient angle.

A curved and slotted arm [8 is secured by rivets or otherwise to the under side of the table top and this arm extends downwardly in an are described about the axis of the hinge l5. The circular plate 14 is provided at its free edge with an ear I!) which is curved downwardly and conformed to the arm l8. It is provided with a bolt and wing nut 2|] by which the plate l4 and arm [8 may be clamped together in any selected position of angular adjustment.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the shaft I0 is driven into the ground at an angle, the wing nut 20 may be loosened and the table top swung about the axis of the hinge I5 into horizontal position regardless of the angle of the shaft. It may then be clamped in horizontal position and adjusted bodily up and down upon the shaft by loosening the set screw l3. Finally, when brought to the most convenient position for its intended use it may be clamped at the desired height by tightening the set screw 13. On the other hand, when it is desired to transport the table from one place to another, the shaft [0 may be slipped out of the head II and the circular plate [4 moved into substantial contact with the under face of the table top. The two parts thus lie in flat condition and may be conveniently transported while they occupy little space.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A picnic table including in its structure a shaft, a shouldered tubular head movable upon said shaft and having a circular plate fastened to its upper end, a table top having a perforation substantially larger than the shaft for receiving the shaft in different angular positions, a hinged connection between one edge of the circular plate and the table top, a stationary arm secure to the table top at the other side of the circular plate and being curved on a radius about the axis of the hinged connection, a correspondingly curved ear fastened to the circular plate and arranged to slide in contact with said curved arm, and means for adjustably clamping the ear to the said arm.

2. A picnic table including, in its structure a shaft, a tubular head adjustably mountedupon the shaft and having a circular plate secured to its upper end, a flanged table top having a perforation larger than the shaft for receiving the shaft in difierent angular positions, a hinged connection between the circular plate and thetable top, a stationary arm secured to the table top and extending adjacent. to one side ofthe REFERENCES omen The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Strasser g v .v Feb. 13, 1940