US2609264A - Top to frame connecting structure mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1952 w, POE 2,609,264

TOP TO FRAME. CONNECTING STRUCTURE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 19, 1949 V 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 'LIM I i I. ll NVEN'TOR WILLIAM A. Pos 3 2 2 *4 ORN ' P 2, 1952 w. A. POE

TQP FRAME CONNECTING STRUCTURE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 19, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 \uvem'ow; WMJAM A. Poe

A'naauevs Patented Sept. 2, 1952 TOP T0 FRAME CONNECTING STRUCTURE MECHANISM William A. Poe, Muskegon Heights, Mich., as-

signor to Browne-Morse Company, Muskegon Heights, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application December 19, 1949, Serial No. 133,758

7 1 This invention relates to a furniture connection, and is more particularly concerned with a novel structural connecting means which may be used between the top of the desk and its pedestals, or the top of a table and its under frame or in other analogous furniture articles which have tops and under supporting structures.

.In the present invention a top of sheet metal I is quickly and easily-secured to its under sup- An understanding of the invention may be had 9 from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

7 Claims. (Cl. 311-108) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an article of furniture, a desk, with the top secured in place, the securing means being covered and out of sight.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view, with parts broken away for better disclosure, illustrating the connecting means used, the lower part attached at the upper ends of desk pedestals and the upper cooperating part at the under side of the top.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section at one end of the top and pedestal showing the top releasably secured in place, the plane of the section being substantially that indicated at line 3-3 of Fig. 4. 1

Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections looking downwardly taken, respectively, on the planes of lines l'4 and 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section looking in the direction indicated, substantially on the plane of line 6-45 of.Fig..3.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in thedifferent figures of the drawings.

The desk pedestals I which are shown as the under supports for the desk top may be of any conventional structure. With my invention at the upper end and outer side, and also if desired, at the, inner side of each pedestal, a horizontal channel having a web 2 and vertical downwardly extending flanges 3 of metal, is secured which, preferably, will extend from front to rear the full length of-the pedestal being welded or otherwise permanently secured in place. Adjacent each end of each channel (Fig. 2), a locking member is secured which includes a flat bar 4 of metal at the under side of theweb 2 of the channel, welded thereto, which at one end is reduced in thickness to make a tongue 5 bent up- 2 wardly and extending through a slot in the web 2. Above the slot the tongue 5 terminatesin a generally rectangular head 6 substantially like an arrowhead in shape, the under edges 6a of which converge downwardly toward each other-at an angle to the horizontal asp-shown in Fig. 6. 7

The top comprises a flat rectangular sheet of" metal I; having downturned end flanges 8 and front and rear downwardly extending flanges 9; the cross section of which, preferably, will be as shown in Fig. 3. The top is adapted to cover the upper ends of the pedestalsl and the well between them, or any drawer which maybe located in the upper portion of such well.

At the under side of the horizontal top plate 1, transversely thereof, inverted channels are secured in position, so that when the top is ap plied over the pedestals, oneof' said channels will be above and extend lengthwise of and rest}: against the web 2 of the cooperating channel below it. Each of the upper channels attachedato the top having a lower horizontal web Ill, spaced vertical sides I I and outwardly extending flanges I2 which are spot welded to the top I (Fig.3)."w In the lower Web ID near each end thereof, a slot I3 is cut; When the top is put in place, the heads 6 of the connecting members previously described pass through the slots I3. At each end of each upper channel and in one of its sides'xl I,

a horizontal slot I4. is cut which is substantially longitudinally aligned withthe locking me'mberxl head 6 which passes through the adjacent slot On the upper side ofthe Web. ID of eachiof said top attached channels, and at eachflendt' thereof, a guide formed from a plate of flat'met'al is permanently secured. Such guide ha'sjaflatg.

side l5 welded to its associated web [0.1 aAtBa-ch edge it is bent upwardly in ashort leg 'IG, and

continued in a'horizontal flange Il above and parallel with the web- Ill located below it.

The; guides described are located, one in aligne ment with each of the side slots I4. Through the slots I4 releasable holding keys are inserted-7 L Each of said keys is; bent from a single length-f of spring wire rod into a generally U-shape, havjmg a closed end I8 from which legs extend, spaced from each other. Each of the legs includesrin-j termediate sections I9 between its endssuchsections I9 in a key are spaced apart distances such that they may embrace the upwardly "extending short legs I6 of the described guides,- Near the free ends of said legs are other par allel sections 20 spaced close. together, which terminate in outwardly diverging ends 2|. The connections between the sections 20 and l9, at 22, provide shoulders at-theinner ends of the legs I6 of the guides, while the angularly dist posed connecting sections 23 between'the outerends of the parallel sections" I9 and the eased;

larly engage 'against the outer ends of the guide.

legs Hi.

When the top is put in place for connection with the supporting structure therebelow, pedestals in the cases of the desks, the heads fi'pass through the slots l3 and extend above the webs I of the several transverse inverted channels secured to the top. The keys are inserted through the slots 14. The flared ends H of the opposed legs of the keys ride upon the guides therefor which spring the sides or legs of the keys outwardly so that the keys may be moved to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, whereupon the sections 19 embrace the legs I6 of their associated guidsand-the-sections 20 come underneath the downwardly converging lower edges 60. of-the heads 6-9 This providesa wedging action which tends-to pull the top attached channels downwardly to hold the webs thereof in close contact engagement with the webs 2 of the pedestal connected channels. The top is therefore secured in position by inserting the several keys through the. slots I4 and engaging them with their guides. Such keys are held against movement by reason of the shoulders at the ends of the sections 19 engaging opposite ends of the legs l6- of the guides therefor.

With the pedestal attached channels, one at each innerand outer side at the upper end of each pedestal, and with a like number of top attached channels to lie thereover, and with the through said webs of the channels and above the channels, terminating iniupwardly extending heads wider than "associatedbars where connected thereto, a horizontal top of flat metal,

channel members secured at the under side tending from front to rear having lower webs slots' M at one side of each of the top attached channeland at each end thereof there will be eight keys used... Of course the number of trans-- versechannels which may be used is subject to variation if wantedy Also, if desired, only two channels on r the top and their corresponding channels. on the pedestals may be key locked togetherzat' each end in the manner stated, and other channels serving to support and strengthen and reinforce the top and hold it against down-. ward departure from a horizontal plane. While. the :channels. attached to the pedestal and those attached to the top extend the full length from fronttoi. rear of each,. so far as the releasable connection is concerned, the intermediate portions of all of the channels could be removed and the releasable locking still operate in the same mannen;

Theistructure described is practical, economical-and is very useful. The attachment is a secure one and isperformed rapidly. Thekeys may be-removed-by-pulling on their closed ends [8 by a suitable implement if for any reason the top is to be removed. In a desk for example, the upper I drawers in the. pedestals and any slides in the way of reaching the keys may be withdrawn and the keys be-rendered accessible for withdrawal by means of a screw driver, pliersor other suit able tool.

The invention is defined in the appended claimsand'isto be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within theirscope.

nently secured to the under" supporting struc-' ture, short bars permanently secured to the under sides-of said webs of said channels adjacent each" end thereof and extending upwardly and upwardly extending flanges located to rest upon webs of the channel members secured to the supporting structure, said channels connected with the top having openings through their webs for the passage upwardly therethrough of said heads, and said channels, in a flange thereof, having slots aligned in the direction of the length of the top with the slots in the webs, and keys insertable through said slots in said flanges adapted to engage with said heads to prevent separation of the top and support channelsfrom' each other.

2. A' structure as defined in claim 1, and guides secured at the upper sides of said top connectedchannels for guiding said keys into connection; with said heads and for holding'them against vertical movement with respect to their associated channels.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2', said keyshaving intermediate sectionsof their sidesparal-- lel to each other, and said guides having upward-'- ly extending spaced apart sides along the outersides of which said intermediate sections of the keys pass and said keys in each side thereof hav ing additional parallel sections to pass-under said heads.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, the free ends of said sides of the keys diverging outwardly from each other and the intermediate and last mentioned parallel sections of the legs of said keys being integrally connected to provide shoulders, said shoulders engaging with the guides and normally preventing outward movement of the 6. In a furniture construction, a horizontal top,

channel members secured to said top underneath it adjacent each end thereof, said channel members having openings in the web portion thereof, an under supporting structure for thetop, addi -v tional channel members having upper. horizontal webs and downwardly extending flanges; permanently secured at the upper side of: saidunder. supporting structure and located in .azposition to be underneath .the channel members.connected with the-stop, upwardly extending: headed.

members secured'to the channel members attached to the under supporting: structure and extending th'ereabove, said headed members having heads of a substantial triangular shape hav-- ing bases at their lower sides and convergingup wardly from said bases and having narrow por-- tions extending from and below said heads to connect with the associated channel members,

said heads being adapted to pass through the slotsof the Webs of the top connected channel comprising a generally U-shaped member of resilient material, the spaced sides of which have diverging free ends adapted to pass one at each 5 side of the narrow portions connected to and extending below associated heads and underneath the bases ofthe heads, thereby releasably engaging with said heads and holding them in secure connection with the top holding channel members, and means on said top connected channel members for holding and guiding said keys.

7. A structure containing the elements in combination defined in claim 6, said key holding and guiding means comprising plates of sheet metal permanently secured at the upper sides of the webs of said top connected channel members, one at one side of each of the slots in the webs thereof, said plates at their edge portions having each an upwardly extending short leg terminating in a horizontal laterally extending flange spaced from and parallel with the web to which attached, the

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 149,904 Weston Apr. 21, 1874 261,356 Joyner July 18, 1882 1,709,406 Pond Apr. 16, 1929 2,195,223 OConnor Mar. 26, 1940

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