US2690950A

US2690950A - Attachment for desk structures

Info

Publication number: US2690950A
Application number: US211077A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter E Nordmark
Original assignee: American Seating Co
Current assignee: American Seating Co
Priority date: 1949-02-26
Filing date: 1951-02-15
Publication date: 1954-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1971-10-05

Description

Oct. 5, 1954 w. E. NORDMARK ATTACHMENT FOR DESK STRUCTURES Original Filed Feb. 26, 1949 INVENTOR flaifer' E. Naz-dmaz-li ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 5, 1954 ATTACHMENT FOR DESK STRUCTURES Walter E. Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich, as-

signor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of New Jersey Original application February 26, 1949, Serial No. 78,536. Divided and this application February 15, 1951, Serial No. 211,077

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to Desk Structures or the like, and more particularly to such structures for use in classrooms or the like. This application is a division of my co-pending application for patent on Desk Structure, Serial No. 78,536, filed February 26, 1949, now abandoned.

The primary objects of this invention are to provide an improved box-type desk top having a top box and a one-piece cover which may be manually lifted in the rear to give access to the interior of the desk top; and to provide such a desk structure having an inkwell attachment by means of which the desk is provided with an inkwell independent of the movable one-piece cover for the top box, said inkwell being mounted on the top box for movement to :a use position outside the top box or to a non-use position within the top box.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a desk top mounted on a supporting pedestal shown fragmentarily, and with the cover thereof in raised position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the right hand rear corner of the top box showing an inkwell mounted on the side wall thereof for movement between a use position outside the top box as indicated in solid lines, and a non-use position within the top box as indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the inkwell and inkwell attachment in its nonuse position within the top box of the desk structure in solid lines, and in an intermediate position in dotted lines;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 413 of Figure 3 and showing the inkwell in its use position outside the top box.

Referring now in detail to these drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the desk top structure there shown comprises a sheet metal top box It mounted on the top of a supporting column or pedestal l l, which may be provided with any suitable supporting base on its lower end (not shown). The top box it has upstanding front, rear and side walls which have their upper edges curled inwardly and downwardly to form a smooth continuous upper flange I2.

A one-piece cover I 3, made of wood or other suitable material, is hingedly connected to the front of the top box ill by means of interconnected hinge leaves It and 15 secured in any suitable manner respectively to the cover 13 and the upper edge of the front wall of the top box.

The cover is desirably provided with rubber bumpers is on its underside adapted to rest against the curled upper edge of the rear wall of the top box when the cover is in its lowered position, in which lowered position the cover serves both as a closure for the top box and also as a work surface. The cover may be lifted by its rearward elge to a rearwardly-upwardly inclined raised position giving access to the top box for the placement of books and other supplies therein, or removal of the same therefrom.

A friction control mechanism H is associated with the top box I 0 and the cover l3 at each side of the structure. These friction controls are described in detail in my co-pending application above identified.

Many school desks of the same general type as that herein disclosed, are provided with a fixed cover-strip at the front of the top box which strip is separate from the hinged cover and remains stationary when the cover is raised and lowered. In such desks it is common practice to place an inkwell in a circular socket formed in the stationary cover-strip. However when the cover is made of one piece hinged to the front of the top box as herein disclosed, it is not suitable to mount the inkwell on the cover for the obvious reason that the ink would be spilled out when the cover is raised. The inkwell might be permanently attached to the outside of the top box, but this is undesirable because the inkwell would thus extend into the aisle between desk units at all times. This invention therefore comprehends the provision of an inkwell attachment by means of which the inkwell is manually movable between a non-use position within the top box and a use position outside the top box.

As seen in Figures 1-4 inclusive, the inkwell attachment comprises an inkwell support It pivotally mounted at IQ for swinging movement about a vertical axis on a carriage 29 which is mounted at spaced points thereon upon the outer ends of substantially

parallel arms

21 and 22 which are pivotally secured at their lower ends to a bracket 23 secured as by a bolt 24 and nut 25 to the inside of the right hand side wall of the top box I 0. The inkwell 2B is disposed in a circular opening in the outer end of the inkwell support I8, and may be removably secured to said support by means of a latch element 27 pivotally mounted on the support 18 and turnable to engage in a recess or groove 23 formed between the cover and the body of the inkwell. It will be seen that when the cover 13 of the desk top is raised, the inkwell may be manually lifted from its nonuse position within the top box as shown in full lines in Figure 3, to an elevated position shown in dotted lines in the same view, whereupon the inkwell may be swung outwardly with its support I8 and finally lowered with the carriage 2!} to its use position outside the top box as seen in Figure l. In the latter position the inkwell support rests on the curled upper edge of the side wall of the top box. When the movements are reversed and the inkwell is returned to its non-use position within the top box, it is supported in this non-use position by contact of the supporting arm M with a lug 29 on the bracket 23. It will be seen that the parallel supporting arms 2| and 22 maintain the carriage 20 in a substantially horizontal position and the inkwell in an upright position during these movements.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a desk structure having various features of novelty over prior structures of the same general type, and while but several specific embodiments of the invention have been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a desk structure or the like: an upwardly open top box having a cover hinged to the front wall thereof; a supporting arm pivotally associated with the inside of one of the other walls of the top box for swinging movement in substantial parallelism with said other wall; a carriage piv otally connected to the free end of the supporting arm and movable with said arm to a lowered position within the top box and to an elevated position above the top box when said cover is raised; means for maintaining the carriage in a substantially horizontal position during said movements; an inkwell support mounted on the carriage pivotally about a substantially vertical axis and movable, when the carriage is elevated, between positions above the top box and outwardly beyond the said other wall thereof; an inkwell in the inkwell support movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between a lowered position wholly within the top box and an elevated position above the top box, movable with the inkwell support between the latter position and an elevated position outwardly beyond the said other wall of the top box, and movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between the last-mentioned position and a lowered position outside the top box.

2. In a desk structure or the like: an upwardly open top box having a cover hinged to the front wall thereof; a supporting arm pivotally associated with the inside of one of the other walls of the top box for swinging movement in substantial parallelism with said other wall; a carriage pivotally connected to the free end of the supporting arm and movable with said arm to a lowered position within the top box and to an elevated position above the top box when said cover is raised; means for maintaining the carriage in a substantially horizontal position during said movements; an inkwell support mounted on the carriage pivotally about a substantially vertical axis and movable, when the carriage is elevated, between positions above the top box and outwardly beyond the said other wall thereof; an inkwell in the inkwell support movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between a lowered position wholly within the top box and an elevated position above the top box, movable with the inkwell support between the latter position and an elevated position outwardly beyond the said other wall of the top box, and movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between the last-mentioned position and a lowered position outside the top box, wherein the inkwell support rests on the upper edge of the said other wall of the top box.

3. In a desk structure or the like: an upwardly open top box having a cover hinged to the front wall thereof; a bracket mounted on the inside of a side wall of the top box; a pair of supporting arms pivotally connected to the bracket at spaced points for swinging movement in substantial parallelism with each other and with said side wall; a carriage pivotally connected at similarly spaced points to the free ends of the supporting arms and movable with said arms to a lowered position within the top box and to an elevated position above the top box when said cover is raised, the carriage being substantially horizontal and being maintained in such disposition during said movements by the substantial parallelism of said arms; an inkwell support mounted on the carriage pivotally about a substantially vertical axis and movable, when the carriage is elevated, between positions above the top box and outwardly beyond the said side wall thereof; an inkwell in the inkwell support movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between a low ered position wholly within the top box and an elevated position above the top box, movable with the inkwell support between the latter position and an elevated position outwardly beyond the said side wall of the top box, and movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between the last-mentioned position and a lowered position outside the top box wherein the inkwell support rests on the upper edge of said side wall of the top box.

4. In a desk structure or the like: an upwardly open top box having a cover hinged to the front wall thereof; a bracket mounted on the inside of a side wall of the top box; a pair of supporting arms pivotally connected to the bracket at spaced points for swinging movement in substantial parallelism with each other and with said side wall; a carriage pivotally connected at similarly spaced points to the free ends of the supporting arms and movable with said arms to a lowered position within the top box and to an elevated position above the top box when said cover is raised, the carriage being substantially horizontal and being maintained in such disposition during said movements by the substantial parallelism of said arms; an inkwell support mounted on the carriage pivotally about a substantially vertical axis and movable, when the carriage is elevated, between positions above the top box and outwardly beyond the said side wall thereof; an ink well in the inkwell support movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between a lowered position wholly within the top box and an elevated position above the top box, movable with the inkwell support between the latter position and an elevated position outwardly beyond the said side wall of the top box, and movable with the inkwell support and the carriage between the last-mentioned position and a lowered position outside the top box wherein the inkwell support rests on the upper edge of said side wall of the top box; and stops on said bracket for engaging one of said links to limit the raising movement of the inkwell and to limit the lowering movement of the inkwell within the top box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Henry Aug. 6, 1878 Stephens June 22, 1886 Erickson Jan. 7, 1908 Guidal Apr. 19, 1921. Woolman Dec. 11, 1923 Morgan Apr. 17, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Mar, 25, 1920