US2954635A

US2954635A - Table cover

Info

Publication number: US2954635A
Application number: US836778A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert J Stotter
Original assignee: H J STOTTER Inc
Current assignee: H J STOTTER Inc
Priority date: 1959-08-28
Filing date: 1959-08-28
Publication date: 1960-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-04

Description

Oct. 4, 1,960 H. J. s'roTTER 2,954,635

` TABLE COVER Filed Aug. 28. 1959 FIG. 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR HERBERT J. STOTTER BY QI ATTORNEYS 2,954,635 TABLE COVER Herbert J. Stotter, New York, N.Y., assignor to H. J. Stotter, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York p Filed Aug. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 836,778

3 Claims. (Cl. 45-68.3)

This invention relates to articles made of a lamination of a decorated vinyl surfacing and a soft and resilient foam backing with a fabric reinforcing web on the vinyl side of the foam. The vinyl surfacing may be decorated by printing, embossing, or other decorating steps, or a combination of them.

The invention relates in particular to table covers and is illustrated in an application suitable as a card table cover, but it will be readily apparent that, in its broader aspects, the invention may apply to covers for other tables and table-like structures. These products may comprise additional features. For example, the foam may be provided with an adhesive to adapt it to be permanently or temporarily attached to the top and sides of a table or like structure, although in the most likely market presently contemplated for the invention such adhesive is not employed.

It is desirable to provide covers of the above general type which present cushioned panels at the top and all sides of the object being covered but which also conform smartly and snugly to the shape of the covered object and which are strong and dimensionally stable and which meet all lthe other quality requirements important to commercial success.

'Ihe present invention involves the concept of employing a fabric-backed foam matting and combining it on the fabric side with a vinyl iilm to provide a dimensionally stable and strong structure and also, however, removing the foam matting from selected zones which are set-scored from the fabric side and toward the vinyl side to dene and provide hinge lines between a top panel of the cover and drop panels of the cover. A desirable dead-hang characteristic of the drop panels is thereby achieved while maintaining overall strength and dimensional stability. Thus, the cover may conform smartly to the shape of the table or other covered object and at the same time present cushioned panels at the top and all sides of the object being covered.

By set-scoring of the vinyl film, I mean scoring which involves a new set of the vinyl iilm following the scoring operation as opposed to scoring which results in a line of partial severance of the film. In other words, the lm is deformed by plastic flow rather than by partial severing. Such plastic ow may be achieved by softening the ilm by heat or with a solvent during die forming of the score. The former is known as heat-scoring. When working with heat-softening iilms such as vinyl, heatscoring presently appears to be under most conditions the most preferable type of set-scoring operation.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description of examples of the invention together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partially broken away view of a card table cover embodying the invention, the cover being viewed from the bottom thereof.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, somewhat diagrammatic, fragmentary, sectional View taken on line 2--2 of Figure l.

2,954,635 Patented Oct. 4, 1960 ICC Figure 3 is a view similar to the upper right hand corner of Figure 1 illustrating another card table cover structure.

According to the invention, a fabric-backed foam matting, such as the foam matting 10 which is associated in combined relationship with the fabric 11, is combined on the fabric side with a vinyl iilm l12 and is die-cut or otherwise formed into the outline shape, such as that shown in Figure l. The foam matting 10 covers or extends under each of a number of panels including a top panel 14 and drop panels 15-18.

Hinge lines generally indicated by the reference numeral 20 are provided which are adapted to be placed in congruency with the edges of the card table top. The hinge lines 20 form a polygon (which in the case of the card table cover is, of course, a square) and divide the overall web structure into the above-mentioned panels, the top panel 14 being within the square and the drop panels 15-18 being outside the square formed by the hinge lines.

The hinge lines 20 are formed in the combined structure by set-scoring the fabric 11 and vinyl fllm 12 outwardly from the fabric side and toward the vinyl side along the extent of the hinge lines 20. This scoring results in scores or ridges 21 which are coextensive with the hinge `lines and which extend slightly upwardly as indicated in Figure 2 when the assembly is in at condition. When the cover is in place on a card table, the scores 21 define smartly squared top edges substantially coextensive with the outside edges of the table.

The foam matting 10 covers the underside of each of the panels 14-18, but it does notY cover the hinge lines 20. Small zones or gaps 24 are formed in the foam matting 10. These zones 24 include the hinge lines 21 or at least are such as to prevent the foam matting 10 from extending over the hinge lines 21 and also may provide suflicient space so that the edge portions of the foam matting 10, which are on opposite sides of each zone 24, do not interfere with each other when the cover is draped over the edge of a table or the like.

In Figure 3, the structure is generally identical to that shown in Figure 1 and like reference numerals, with the addition of the letter a, are used to indicate like elements. Figure 3 differs from Figure 1 in that the cover is formed with corner tabs, such as the corner tabs 30. Snap fasteners are provided to hold the corner tabs in position when the cover is placed on a table. Normally it will be preferable for the corner tab 30 to underlie the adjacent drop panel, such as the drop panel 15a. It will be clearly understood from Figure 3 that the corner panel 30 is hinged to the drop panel 18a along an extension of the hinge line 20a and that it is separated from the drop panel 15a as by a slot 3.1. Suitable cooperating snap fastener elements are indicated by the

reference numerals

32 and 33.

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of each and every one of the details described above which have been set forth merely by way of example with the intent of most clearly setting forth the teaching of the invention. Obviously articles may be manufactured which change, eliminate or add certain specific structural details without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cover for tables and the like comprising a unitary web of fabric combined with a vinyl iilm, hinge lines in said web forming a polygon and dividing said web into a top panel defined Within said polygon and a plurality of drop panels outside said polygon, said web of fabric and vinyl iilm being set-scored from the fabric side and toward the vinyl side along the extent of said hinge4 lines, foam matting portions extending -under each of said panels in combined relationship with said fabric and in oppositely facing relationship with respect to said vinyl lm, the one of said foam matting portions Which extends under said top panel being entirely bounded by said hinge lines and the remainderof said foam matting portions being bounded on at Aleast one side by a hinge line.

2. A table cover comprising a unitary web of fabric combined with a vinyl film, hinge lines in said web forming a square and dividing said Web :into atop panel de-V fined within said square and four drop panels outside said square, said web of fabric and vinyl lm being set-scored from the fabric side and toward the vinyl side along the extent of said hinge lines, foam matting portions extending under each `of said panels in combined relationship with said fabric and in oppositely facing relationship with respect to said vinyl lm, the one of said foam matting portions which extends under said top panel being entirely bounded by said hinge lines and the remainder of said foamrmatting portions being bounded on at least one side by a hinge line.

the fabric side and toward the vinyl side along the extent of said hinge lines, said foam matting covering each of said panels but not said hinge lines whereby said table cover conforms smartly to the shape of the table but presents cushioned panels at the top and all side faces j of the table.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,648 Norquist Oct. 25, 1949 2,627,629 Triolo Feb. 10, 1953 2,772,886 Parmele Dec. 4,71956