US2695828A

US2695828A - Folding table with paired legs

Info

Publication number: US2695828A
Application number: US98072A
Authority: US
Inventors: Witkowiak Leon John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-06-09
Filing date: 1949-06-09
Publication date: 1954-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-30

Description

FOLDING TABLE WITH PAIRED LEGS Filed June 9, 1949 INVENTOR.

LgQN J. W\TKOW\AK United States Patent FOLDING TABLE WITH PAIRED LEGS Leon John Witkowiak, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application June 9, 1949, Serial No. 98,072

2 Claims. (Cl. 311--88) I;l-his invention relates to improvements in folding ta les.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an improved occasional or banquet table having legs foldable against the undersurface of the table top. The improvements herein disclosed lie principally in the novel provisions for swingably connecting the legs to the table top, and in the means for slidably guiding the leg brace during folding action of the legs and locking the legs in both braced and folded positions.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ruggedly constructed table of a simple design, wherein the table legs are so positioned as to occasion minimum interference with the legs of those sitting at the table and which will adequately support the table and yet will facilitate compact storage by being readily foldable against the undersurface of the table top in a convenient and rapid manner.

Other objects will be more apparent from an examination of the following disclosure.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the table with the legs braced in table supporting position, the table top being broken away to show structural details.

Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in cross section of a leg mounting bracket.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in broken away perspective showing the spring means for locking the legs in folded position.

Fig. 4 is a broken away perspective view showing in detail the leg brace guide and spring lock of the brace.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view partly in cross section showing folded, braced, and intermediate positions of the legs with respect to the table top.

The table comprises a top set into shoulders formed on side rails 11 and end rails 12, the sides being cross connected by an intermediate rail 13. Foldable legs 14 support the table near both its ends. The legs 14 are preferably shaped from a single length of light weight tubular stock having a transverse horizontal base run 21, at the ends of which the otherwise rectangular out line of the leg is extended at the corners to provide feet 18. The legs are welded to tubular axle member 15 whose internal bore forms journals as best shown in Fig. 2. The journaled ends of the axle 15 are pivotly engaged with the pivot pins 16 which project inwardly from mounting brackets 17. The mounting brackets are securely positioned in paired relation at the inside facing edges of the side rails 11 and are spaced equally from the end rail 12.

The legs 14 are held in table supporting position by the brace 20 which is pivotly attached at one end to the transverse leg base 21 and slidably attached at its other end, through aperture 23, with a guide rod 22. The guide rod 22 is carried at each end of the table by a bracket comprising a short member 24 and long member 25 joined at right angles and fitting and connecting into the corners formed by the junction of table top 10 and end rails 12 where it also serves as a re-enforcing member. The guide rods and carrying brackets extend longitudinally of the table along its underside and are disposed centrally of the side rails 11 so as to support the brace 20 in guided sliding relation during folded action of the legs. The guide rods 22 underlie long bracket member 25 and are spaced equally therefrom over the greater portion of their length but incline upwardly at their inner ends toward the long member 25. The angularly inclined 2,695,828 Patented Nov. 30, 1954 apertured end 230 of the brace is locked in table supporting position by the spring clip 26 which is carried by bracket 25 and biased yieldably into the path of the brace. It may be manually urged therefrom toward the table top to release the brace in order to fold the legs.

As the legs are folded, this being illustrated step by step by dotted line positions shown in Fig. 5, the apertured end 230 of the leg brace 20 slides along the guide rod 22 and is finally positioned upon the upturned portion 27 of guide rod 22, as shown in the final dotted line position in Fig. 5. As the leg folds, the brace end 230, initially vertical, is tilted and might cramp on rod 22 were it not for the slightly elongated form of hole 23 and also the upward inclination of the rod portion 27. The folded position of the legs is maintained by the spring lock 30 which is fixed to the intermediate rail 13 and which may be released manually when it is desired to unfold the legs.

In the preferred design embodying the invention the table top is made of such a length that when legs positioned at either end of the table top are folded they will mutually abut the intermediate re-enforcing rail 13 and will be releasably held in such position by the locking springs 30 disposed at either side of the rail.

The legs when folded will be completely received within the broad channel defined by the projection of the end and side rails beneath the table top thereby facilitating multiple storage of the tables when not in use.

The folded leg braces 20 may also be used as handles for carrying the table sideways under the arms for transportation purposes. It is to be noted that the legs 14 are set back from the end rails 12, thereby providing clearance for a person desiring to sit at the end of the table. The thinness of the legs renders them unobjectionable to a person seated beside them.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is seen that thefolding table described is of simple yet rugged construction. The novel structural combination of the legs, leg mounting bracket, leg brace, guide rods and spring locks all contribute to an improved folding table product wherein the legs are readily folded completely within the side rails for storage purposes and which present an attractive appearance when in use. Moreover construction of such a table becomes an extremely simple matter, requirirlig few tools and few parts and only elementary skill.

I c aim:

l. A folding table comprising a table top, re-enforcing end rails and side rails and a transverse rail intermediate the end rails, paired mounting brackets oppositely disposed at facing surfaces of the side rails and equally remote from an end rail, each mounting bracket having an inwardly projecting pivot pin aligned axially with a corresponding pivot pin on the other of said paired mounting brackets, a leg frame comprising an axle member journaled at both ends for pivoted engagement with said pivot pins and legs swingable on said axle member, a guide bracket underlying the table top and disposed perpendicular to said axle and extending longitudinally of the table top toward said axle and having a guide rod afiixed thereto and extending in spaced relation to the bracket to a point remote from the end rail where the guide rod is inclined upwardly and fixedly connected with the mounting bracket, a leg brace pivotally connected to the leg frame at one end and having an apertured other end slidable along the guide rod, a releasable spring lock fixed on the guide bracket near the end ra-il for releasably locking the aper-tured end of the leg brace, and a releasable spring lock disposed at the intermediate rail for releasably locking the leg frame in a folded position against the undersurface of the table top.

2. A folding table comprising a table top having sides and ends, collapsible legs and mountings on which the legs are pivotally mounted to the table top in spaced re lationship to the ends thereof, longitudinal guide rods connected to the table top and positioned at each end of the table closer to said ends than the leg mountings, and braces swingably connected at corresponding ends to the legs and slidably connected at their opposite corresponding ends to said guide rods, said guide rods being provided with reinforcing angle brackets, said guide.

rods being spaced beneath the table top and bracket for the greater portion oftheir length, said-guide rods being each connected at one end substantially at a right angle to the bracket portion at the end of the table and being pwa dly ci nedtat; i s, other end n aconnectedxo. the 5 bracket, remote from, thetabel end; the. e nds,of; the braces lid hle on id-rods e ng. p ovided with: elongateda ert ne lidab eon. aidfed .up he inclin dzportion. hereof in he llapsedpos n-.ofithe Ie 1 O umbe Number Number Name Date Thielmann Feb. 6, 1900- Henry Apr. 29, 1902 Swart July 31, 1906 Arnt Mar. 16, 1909 Thomas Feb. 1, 1910 Matkovic Dec. 23, 1924 Oct. 14, 1930 Tobold Sept. 18, 1934 De Saussure Mar. 7, 1944 Douglas Oct. 4, 1949 FQREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 20, 1920