US2842781A

US2842781A - Portable dressing tray

Info

Publication number: US2842781A
Application number: US394329A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles L Hoffman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-11-25
Filing date: 1953-11-25
Publication date: 1958-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 1975-07-15

Description

United States aren t O PORTABLE DRESSING TRAY Charles L. Hoffman, Sunderland, Mass.

Application November 25, 1953, Serial No. 394,329

1 Claim. (Cl. -93) This invention relates to dressing trays for infants and has for its principal objects to provide a portable support which may be used in conjunction with a crib so as to avoid need for a space taking dressing table or bathinette-type support, which in contrast to the dressing table or bathinette-type support is inexpensive, and can be easily stored away when not in use, which can be applied to any crib of conventional dimensions, which requires no fastening means, which will support the infant at a convenient height and comfortably without danger of injury to it by contact with unyielding parts thereof, which will cradle the infant so that it cannot easily roll off and which may be readily cleaned without restort to dismantling.

in accordance with the foregoing, the tray comprises a rigid frame of substantially rectangular shape carrying a longitudinally concave hammock composed of flexible sheet material which is fastened at its edges to the frame. The frame has side and end rails, the top edges of which form the support for the edges of a hammock. The end rails are of greater vertical depth than the side rails so that the frame has bearing surfaces at its sides for engagement with the top edges of the crib rails and bearing surfaces at its ends for engagement with the side edges of the crib rails. The vertical depth of the hammock at its place of greatest convexity is less than the vertical thickness of the side rails through their bearing surfaces. The tray is designed to rest horizontally across the top rails of the sides of a conventional crib and when thus used, the bearing surfaces of the side rails rest on the upper edges of the rails of the crib supporting the hammock clear of the crib rails. The end rails retain the tray in place and to this end their inner sides have a spacing corresponding to the distance between the outer sides of the crib rails so that the end rails of the tray embrace the crib rails. Alternatively, the tray may be used on a table top or other plain surf-ace and when thus used it rests on the lower edges of the end rails which are stepped below the lower edges of the side rails.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of the upper portion of a crib at one end showing the dressing tray resting in a horizontal position transversely of the top rails at the sides of a crib;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the dressing tray with a portion of the hammock broken away to show the frame construction;

Fig. 3 is a section longitudinally of the tray and transversely of the crib taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a section transversely of the tray and longitudinally of the crib taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1, there is illustrated part of a conventional crib 10, having an end 12 and sides 14, the dressing tray 16 being placed in a horizontal position transversely of the crib so that it rests on the upper rails of the crib sides 14. The dressing tray is substantially rectangular in shape and carries a flexible 2,842,781 Ice Patented July 15, 1958 longitudinally concave hammock 18. The frame of the tray (Fig. 2) is comprised of spaced parallel side and

end rails

20 and 22, joined, for example, by forming notches in the end rails and setting the ends of the side rails into the notches where they may be made fast by suitable fastening means. While the frame as herein illustrated is comprised of wood and the side rails are connected to the end rails by setting them into notches, it is not in- 0 tended that this shall be limiting since any suitable rigid material may be employed for making the frame and the latter may be fabricated from several parts fastened togcther or made in one piece.

The hammock '18 is comprised of flexible sheet material, preferably having an impervious water-proof upper face which may be kept clean by wiping with a damp cloth. One suitable material is a fabric faced on one side with imitation leather which is substantially waterproof and provides an attractive appearance. Any commercially available durable water-proof sheet material may be used, such as rubberized or plasticized fabric. While ordinary white duck may be used it has the disadvantage that it absorbs water and soils easily and hence would have to be detached from the frame and laundered. The sheeting of whatever kind used is stretched across the frame and its sides 28 are folded over the outer edges of the side rails 20 beneath them and against the inner edges where they are stapled or otherwise fastened to the rails. The ends 30 of the sheeting are folded over the end rails 22 and fastened to their outer sides by tacks, staples or the like. In order to make the sheet material take the form of a hammock, that is to have a pronounced concavity longitudinally, the upper edges of the end rails 22 are made concave as illustrated at 32 (Fig. 2), this concavity extending lengthwise of the end rails and in fastening the hammock sheet to the frame the portion between the sides at the ends is stretched and drawn down so as to have continuous contact with these concave edges 32.

Blocks 34 are fastened to the side rails 20 at the underside of the frame near the junction of the side rails with the end rails and the under edges or surfaces of the blocks 34 provide bearing supports 36 for engagement with the top edges of the rails of the crib sides 14. Alternatively, the side rails may be formed with integral thickened ends or shoulders in place of the attached blocks. The vertical depth of the concave hammock at its midpoint, which is its greatest depth, is less than the vertical thickness of the side rails from their top surfaces through the bearing surfaces 36 so that when the tray is placed across the crib with the bearing surfaces of the blocks 36 resting on the rails, the hammock is held out of engagement with the rails thus preventing any possible contact of the childs head with the crib rails.

The vertical thickness of the end rails 22 is greater than the vertical thickness of the side rails through their hearing blocks 34. Thus, the inner faces 40 of the end rails extend below the blocks 34 for engagement with the side edges of the crib rails and hold the tray against lateral displacement. The spacing of the end rails corresponds to the distance between the outer surfaces of the crib rails.

The tray while primarily intended for disposition across the sides of a crib may also be used on a table T, for example, as shown in Fig. 4, or other plain surface in whichthe end rails have contact with the table top and form the support for the frame. Thus, the frame has pairs of vertically stepped bearing surfaces constituted by the bearing surfaces 36 of the blocks 34 and the bottom edges of the end rails.

The tray as thus described has distinct advantages over a dressing table or combination bathinette and dressing table since it takes up very little room as compared to the former, it can be very easily mounted on the crib or stored away as desired, it is of very light weight so that it may be handled easily and requires no fastening means, it may be kept clean with a damp cloth and hence requires no laundering, it will support the child Without danger of the child rolling off the tray and it keeps the child out of contact with the rigid parts of the crib thus avoiding any injury thereto. 7

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: A dressing tray comprising a rigid frame having side and end rails, said end rails containing notches, within which the ends of the side, rails fit so that the upper edges of'the end rails at their ends lie in the plane of the upper edges of the side rails, and the central portions of the end rails being downwardly concave, a hammock of flexible material stretched both longitudinally and transversely on the frame, said hammock having end portions folded over the end surfaces of the end rails and secured thereto, and edge surfaces folded over the side rails and secured thereto, said hammock having at opposite sides horizontal flat aprons and intermediate the flat aprons a concave trough extending from end to 4 end, spaced bearing members at the underside of the frame adapted to support the frame horizontally, transversely of a crib on the upper rails of the crib sides, said bearing members having a vertical thickness sufficient to prevent the concave surface of the hammock from contacting the crib rails, said end rails having at their inner sides spaced parallel bearing surfaces, the inside spacing of which corresponds to the outside spacing of the crib rails, and comprising means for embracing said crib rails so as to prevent endwise displacement of the frame, and other bearing surfaces constituted by the lower edges of said end rails for supporting the frame on a fiat surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,398 Clonen May 5, 1874 1,008,080 Schwartzman Nov. 7, 1911 1,236,351 Proctor Aug. 7, 1917 2,112,096 Holston Mar. 22, 1938 2,113,682 De Puy Apr. 12, 1938 2,146,174 De Puy Feb. 7, 1939 2,493,401 Gunter Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,738 France Aug. 14, 1925