US2943334A

US2943334A - Extensible leg for furniture

Info

Publication number: US2943334A
Application number: US740675A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred E Golding
Original assignee: AEON IND Inc
Current assignee: AEON IND Inc
Priority date: 1958-06-09
Filing date: 1958-06-09
Publication date: 1960-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1977-07-05

Description

Anya

July 5, 1960 F. E. GOLDING EXTENSIBLE LEG FOR FURNITURE Filed June 9, 1958 IN V EN TOR. H flea 60 262 27557.

United States Patent EXTENSIBLE LEG FOR rwmvrrunr.

Fred E. Golding, Glendale, cans, assignor to Aeon Industries, Inc, Glendale, Calif., a corporation of Call- I fornia Filed June 9-, 1958, Ser. N0. 740,675

4 Claims. tors-310 This invention relates to articles of furniture and particularly to a novel construction of extensible leg therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide an adjust-ably extensible leg for articles of furniture and the like characterized by simple construction, capability of econormcal manufacture, ease of adjustment and reliability in maintaining its adjusted position.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts disclosed, by way of example, in the following specification of certain presently preferred, illustrative embodiments of the invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

Fig.1 is a perspective view of a childscar bed or bassinet having supporting legs embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of the folding leg construction at the right hand forward corner of the bassinet as indicated 'by the broken-away portion of the bassinet body material in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the staggered line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged transverse sectional view of one of the legs taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and particularly showing the manner of interlocking of the extensible portion of the leg with the leg element, to which it is attached, Y

' Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view'of a portion of the leg, the view being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and being in slightly reducedscale from the scale of-Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the legextension means separated from the .leg of the article of furniture with which it is used,

Fig.7 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, I

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a table having folding legs employing the extensible leg construction heretofore shown in connection with the bassinet, the legs being in extended position and p Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the leg extensions moved up into the table legs resultautly lowering the table so that it may serve, for example, as a play table for a child.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 the invention is shown applied to a bassinet comprising a rectangular frame F supporting a fabric, basket-like bed port-ion B. Pivoted to the frame are carrying handles'H, H and mounted at one side of the frame are hooks H, H by which the bed and being connected thereto by

rivets

3, 3 at each juncture said rivets also securing a leg supporting bracket member 4 formed of sheet metal to the outer face of metal tubing is bent into a substantially U shape in side elevation with both ends thereof being flattened fcrcorrespending pivotal mounting at opposite sides of the frame. The location of the hinge rivet 8 and the hole therefor in the flattened end 6 of the legs 7 is such that when the leg is opened out to a slightly inclined positionas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the corner of the flattened leg will engage the end of the frame side member 1 as a stop to prevent further movement thereof. Additionally the bracket member 4 is provided with a dimple portion 9 which engages a hole .10 in the flattened portion of the leg when it is in bed supporting position to prevent accidental displacement thereof.

Referring next to Figs. 4 through 7, the means where by the length of the leg elements may be variably 'extended is illustrated. The side portions 11, 1-1 of each leg element 7 which terminate in the flattened portion 6 adjacent the

bends

12, 12 which form the bottom or cross members 13, 13 of the legsare provided withdownwardly opening perforations 14 as best shown in Fig. 5. The inner faces of the side portions 11, 11 of each leg are provided with perforations 15 disposed therealong in spaced relation starting slightly above the perforation 14 and continuing to a point-near the flattened end'6.

The leg extension member 16 comprises a length of metal rod or heavy wire bent on itself as at 17 to provide an inner leg portion 18 and an outer leg portion 19 the outer leg portion being slightly longer than the inner leg portion and terminating in an end bent at right angles to the leg portion and extending across the end 20 of the leg portion 18. As shown particularly in Fig. 7

p the

leg portions

18 and 19 extend parallel to each other.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the leg portion 18 extends through the perforation 14 up into the portion 11 of the leg and the right angle end 20 of the leg 19 is inserted through the desired one of the perforations 15 on the inner face of the leg. Since normally, the

leg portions

18 and 19 are parallel, the deg 19 will'ha-ve to be sprungi laterally sideways to enable it to enter the perforations 15 thus producing a frictional grip against the-side of the leg and the lateral displacement will cause theresil ience of the extension leg member 16 to maintaini the, end 2i) thereof in the desired one of the perforations 15 without danger of its being dislodged therefrom until.- intentionally removed. Accordingly, these leg ext ension members may be adjusted to a suitable heighth as, for. j example, when the bassinet is set on a floor they would a all generally be extended to their full length as shown in Fig. 1. When the bassinet is in use in an automobile they may be collapsed and the bassinet be set directly on the car seat. Alternatively, the bassinet may be held by the hooks H or it may be setwith one end on the seat and the other end on the car floor, in which case,v

may be mounted on and sup'ported by the back of a car seat. 1

The frame F is formed of side members 1, 1 formed of straight 'strip s of metal and opposed U-shaped end members 2, '2 formed of similar strips of metal having the ends thereof opposed insidethe ends of the side memset-s1, 1,"the end members overlapping the side members having somewhat resilient 'characteristics such as,

nary heavy st'eelwire and that' it self-securing in the the leg extension 16, lfi associated with one of the legs 7 would be moved: upwardly to the shortest dimension 7 so that with the shortened legs restingon the carseat and the other legson the car floor, the bassinet wouldbe disposed in a substantially horizontal position longitudinally of the vehicle. It is particularly to' benot that this extension leg is simplyapieceof metal leg members of the bassinet and it will be further noted that the only change in the leg members of the bassinet is the formation of the appropriate perforations in the side walls thereof to accommondate this extension leg member.

This extension leg member is not confined for its usefulness to. bassinets but may be applied to other articles of furniture. By way of example, having reference to Figs. 8 and 9, a similar construction may be applied to a table top 21 supported by tubular leg elements 7', 7 having similar perforations therein adapted to accommodate leg extension members indicated as 16, 16' similar to the extension members 16 whereby, when the legs are fully extended, the table top will be disposed at a convenient height for adult use. As an incident to such use the cross members 13'', 13' of each leg 7 would be bent upwardly as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9 to provide clearance for the knees of persons sitting opposite these leg portions. When the leg extensions 16' are collapsed within the legs 7 as shown in Fig. 9 the table top is brought down to a level where the open table may serve as a play table for a child.

It is not to be inferred from the foregoing that this extensible leg is limited in use to bassinets and tables and it will be understood that it is intended to be employed wherever an extension of a leg element of this character may be satisfactorily employed. Accordingly, it is not to be inferred that the invention is thus limited to the illustrative uses shown by way of example and it will be understood that the invention includes all such changes and modifications in the parts and in the usage, construction, and combination of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An extensible furniture leg comprising a unitary leg member formed of tubular material and bent into modified U-shaped configuration and including parallel, spaced side portions having the upper ends thereof adapted to be attached to an article of furniture and a generally horizontal portion connecting the lower ends of said side portions, said side portions each having an opening at the lower end thereof and a series of latch receiving means along one side thereof, and a pair of extension elements mounted one each on each of said side portions, each of said extension elements comprising a resilient rod doubled onitself to form parallel, integrallyformed members with one of said members of said extension element adapted for sliding engagement with the interior of a side portion of said leg member through one of the downwardly directed openings associated with one of said side portions and the other of said members of said extension element having means detachably engaging said latch means on the said one of said side portions of said leg member and the other of said extension elements similarly engaging the other side portion with resultant capacity of each of said extension elements to be independently adjustably secured in various positions longitudinally of the leg member side portions with which they are engaged and consequent variation in the length of said furniture leg at each side thereof.

2. An extensible furniture leg comprising a leg member including parallel, spaced side portions having the upper ends thereof attached to the article of furniture and having lower ends thereof connected by a bottom portion, said leg member being formed of tubular material and' each having a pair of downwardly directed openings disposed one each at the juncture of each of said side port-ions with said bottom port-ions, said openings being disposed in line with the interior of said side portions; each of saidside portions having a series of horizontally directed openings, in spaced relation along one side thereof, and a pair of extension elements mounted one each on each. of said side portions; each f i kliicnsionjelements, comprising a, resilient, metal being adapted to engage a desired one of said horizontally directed openings in the said side portion of said leg member from the outside thereof with resultant locking of said extension element in a desired extended position relative to the leg member side portion with which it is engaged.

3. In an extensible leg for furniture, a substantially vertical, tubular leg member having the upper end thereof attached to the article of furniture and having a portion extending transversely to the length of said leg member at the lower end thereof, said transversely extending portion being provided with an opening affording access to the interior of said vertical portion of said leg member, said leg member further having a series of holes in the side thereof toward which said transversely extending portion extends, and an extensible element detachably and adjustably mounted on said lower end comprising a resilient metal rod bent on itself into U-shape configuration including parallel, closely adjacent members, one of said members extending slightly beyond the other and terminating in a portion extending at right angles to and overlying the other of said members; said other member being adapted to slidingly engage said opening in said leg member and said right angle portion being sprung laterally to overcome the displacement thereof by said transversely extending portion of said leg member and having the said right angle end thereof inserted in a desired one of said holes in said leg member with resultant locking of said extensible element at a desired extended position relative to said leg member.

4. In an extensible leg for furniture, a substantially vertical tubular leg member having the upper end thereof attached to the article of furniture and having a portion extending transversely thereto at the lower end thereof, said lower end being provided with an opening affording access to, the interior of the leg member and said leg member above said transverse portion further carrying means for latching engagement with a leg extension element at a selected one of a plurality of positions of adjustment therealong, and an extensible element detachably and adjustably mounted on said leg member and comprising a pair of rigid, longitudinally inextcnsible members extending parallel to each other and united atone end thereof, one of said members havingsliding engagement with the interior of said leg member above said transversely extending portion and the other of said pair of members extending exteriorly of said leg member and having a latching portion adapted to resiliently engage the latching means on said leg member with resultant capacity of said extensible element to be latchingly engaged on said leg member in a desired one of a plurality of extended positions therealong.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain of19 02