US2738244A - Combination table and auxiliary table support - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1956 -r. a. FERGUSON 2,738,244

COMBINATION TABLE AND AUXILIARY TABLE SUPPORT Filed Oct. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 =5 e L L J I 3 n I: I r" I n l' l8 z; z/ /z Z3 z; /6 Z/ Z5 6 /8 /5 INVENTOR TBFe ryuson W fw zi March 1956 T. B. FERGUSON COMBINATION TABLE AND AUXILIARY TABLE SUPPORT Filed Oct. 9, 1955 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR 2. 5.1 6 1:7 use 12 %)(I I I ATTORNEYS n; i F

United States Patent COMBINATION TABLE AND AUXILIARY TABLE SUPPORT i Thomas B. Ferguson, Downers Grove, It]. Application October 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,246 1 Claim. (Cl. 311-2 This invention relates to a novel combination table primarily intended for use as a cocktail tableincluding readily demountable portions for forming a plurality of individual tables. a

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a combination type table which is so constructed that the parts constituting the individual tables are normally supported inconspicuously by the combination table without detracting from its appearance or utility.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the combination table;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the table;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the table taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of Figure l, with the auxiliary sets of table legs removed;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of one of the auxiliary tables assembled;

Figure 6 is an end elevational view, partly in section thereof, looking from left to right of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is a sectional view, partly in plan, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 77 of Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the combination table and auxiliary table support in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 10 and includes a table-top, designated generally 11, and -a set of supporting legs and racks, designated generally 12.

The table-top 11 includes a base 13 which is preferably rectangular and which is provided with a marginal rim 14 disposed in surrounding relationship thereto and rising to above the upper surface thereof. Said rim 14 comblues with the base member 13 to form a recessed base in which recess is disposed the upper portion, designated generally 15, of the table-top and which fits relatively snug in the recess of the base and rests on the base member 13. The upper table-top portion 15 is composed of a plurality, preferably eight, identical sections each comprising a relatively thick block 16 of any suitable material, the upper surfaces of which blocks 16 form the top surface of the table-top 11. The ends of the base member 13 are provided intermediate of the side edges thereof, with notches 17, for a purpose that will hereinafter be come apparent.

The supporting legs and racks 12 include two pairs of legs. The legs 18 of each pair of legs are connected by a bracket 19 having a substantially straight elongated intermediate portion 20 and end portions 21 which project substantially at right angles from theends of the intermediate portion 20 and which are secured to and project outwardly from corresponding sides of the legs 18 for connecting said legs and for positioning the intermediate bracket portion 20 in offset relationship to the legs. The legs 18 at their upper ends are provided with angular ofiset portions 22 which are disposed in planes substantially at right angles to the axes of the legs 18 and which bear against the underside of the tabletop base 13 and are secured thereto by fastenings 23 for supporting the legs 18 in depending positions beneath and perpendicular to the plane of the table-top 11. As seen in Figure 2, the brackets or racks 19 are disposed between the pairs of legs 18.

The blocks forming the table-top section 16 are provided on opposite side edges thereof with outwardly opening spaced recesses or sockets 24 which are located adjacent the corners of said blocks.

The racks 19 vdetachably support a plurality of folded pairs of auxiliary table legs, each designated generally 25, and each including a pair of U-shaped members 26 and 27. The legs 28 of the U-shaped member 26 are connected at corresponding ends thereof by an intermediate portion 29 which is disposed substantially at a right angle to each of the legs 28, as seen in Figure 6. The legs 28 are provided at their opposite free ends with inturned terminals 30. The legs 31 of the U-shaped member 27 are likewise integrally connected by an intermediate portion 32 which is disposed at a rightangle thereto and have inturned distal ends 33. Said legs 31 of the pair of legs 27 are spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between the legs 28 to fit therebetween and said legs 31 are provided with apertured cars 34, intermediate of their ends, through which extend a rod 35. The rod 35 is journaled in the cars 34 and has end portions which are suitably secured to intermediate portions of the legs 28 for pivotally connecting the pairs of legs 26 and 27 to form the auxiliary set of legs 25. It will be readily apparent that the set of legs 25 can be folded to position the pairs of legs 26 and 27 substantially coplanar. As seen in Figure 3, a plurality of sets of legs 25 are provided, corresponding in number to the number of table-top sections or blocks 16 and the folded sets of legs 25 are normally supported on the rack members 19 inconspicuously beneath the table-top 11, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

The table 10 can be used, assembled as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, for any suitable purpose as for a cocktail table. Where a plurality of small individual tables are desired, the individual table-top sections 16 are removed from the recessed base 13, 14 by inserting the fingers upwardly through the notches 17 into engagement with the corners of two of the blocks 16 for lifting said blocks out of the recessed base and so that the end blocks may be readily removed from the recessed base 13, 14, after which the four remaining table-top sections or blocks 16 can be readily removed. The sets of legs 25 are then opened and the individual legs 28 and 31 thereof possess sufficient resiliency so that their upper free end portions may be sprung apart sufficiently for positioning one of the table-top sections or blocks 16 between the inturned extensions 30 and 33 thereof. Said extensions 31} and 33 may then be directed into engagement with the sockets 24 and will be resiliently retained therein. The table-top sections 16 will thus be supported by the sets of legs 25 and will in turn hold the sets of legs in an open position as seen in Figure 5. The intermediate portions 29 and 32 form the bottoms of the pairs of legs and are adapted to rest on a suitable supporting surface. Thus, eight individual tables 36 are provided by the combination table 10 and which may be used separately when needed. Likeit and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A combination table and auxiliary table support comprising, a table-top including an upwardly opening recessed base portion and a top portion fitting removably in said recessed base portion, said top portion comprising a plurality of corresponding sections each constituting a relatively thick rectangular block, a leg structure supporting the table-top and secured to and depending from the underside of the base portion thereof, said leg structure including two pairs of legs, and a bracket member connecting the individual legs of each pair of legs and including end portions secured to said legs and an intermediate portion oirset from the plane of said pair of legs in a direction toward the other pair of legs, said intermediate portions of the brackets forming rack members adapted to support auxiliary table legs between said pairs of legs, said blocks each constituting an auxiliary table- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,143,443 Schramm June 15, 1915 1,881,416 Uhalt Oct. 4, 1932 1,952,568 Schapp et al. Mar. 27, 1934 1,976,031 Lowenberg Oct. 9, 1934 2,095,482 Spicciato Oct. 12, 1937 2,109,869 Ross Mar. 1, 1938 2,310,904 Bales Feb. 9, 1943 2,449,903 Langstaf Sept. 21, 1948 2,503,565 Schmidt Apr. 11, 1950 2,540,849 Walker Feb. 6, 1951 2,626,843 Shenker Jan. 27, 1953 2,657,965 Bargen Nov. 3, 1953 2,666,681 Adler Jan. 19, 1954 2,675,286 Derman Apr. 13, 1954

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