US2973803A

US2973803A - Folding combination desk and chair

Info

Publication number: US2973803A
Application number: US806294A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel R Mickelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-04-14
Filing date: 1959-04-14
Publication date: 1961-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1978-03-07

Description

March 7, 1961 s. R. MICKELSON 2,973,803

FOLDING COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR Filed April 14, 1959 20 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS March 7, 1961 s. R. MlcKELsoN 2,973,803

FOLDING COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR Filed April 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR Samue/ /W/'c/re/san ATTORNEYS.

Fig. 2; J Fig. is'alside elevation of the partially folded unit;

States.,

atentf 2,973,803 FOLDING COMBINATION DESK AND CHAIR Samuel R. Mickelson, 78-84 Prospect St., New Bedford, Mass.

Filed Apr. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 806,294

12 Claims. (Cl. 155-124) My invention relatesto foldable or knockdown furniture units and it has for its primary object to provide one of such which, when in its set up or operative posi- *tion, .wi1l provide a chair and connected table-like desk.

Invention also resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, and in modes of operation thereof, as will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art upon reference to the accompanying drawings in connection with detailed description thereof to follow.

It should be understood, however, that the particular unit shown in the drawings is to be taken as illustrative rather than limitative, since it will be obvious that the invention, in its broader aspects, is susceptible of other mechanical expressions within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings, wherem theV same reference characracters have been used to designate the same parts Wherever they appear in the several views- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device set up for use; 1f 3 Fig. 2 is a similar view of the unit folded;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig; l, taken from a different angle;

' Fig. 4 is a sideuelevation ofthe device folded'as in Fig. 6 is a section through the desk top;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational detail view showing the cleat-supporting rung in cross-section.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, numeral 10 designates a folding straight chair of familiar type which comprises the U-form back member 11 having the sides 11a which provide forward leg extensions 11b. The seat 12a is suitably secured to the bight and rearwardly extending arms 12 of a second U-member 12 which arms are disposed inwardly of and adjacent related -back member-provided sides 11a.

The rear ends of the seat-supporting arms 12 are pivoted as at 13 intermediate the ends of related rear chair legs 14, while the intermediate portions of said seatsupporting arms 12 are pivoted as at 15 to the adjacent front leg-providing side member 11a. The rear chair legs 14 are preferably provided by the sides of a third U-member 14a. 'Ihe upper end of each of the rear legs 14 is pivoted as at 16 to the outer end of the adjacent one of i member 32 substantially horizontal.

. 20 is supported by opposite side.

two links 18a vwhose vopposite end is pivoted as at 18 to i the adjacent side 11a of the back member 11.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the chair 10 is of a familiar type and to assume, its folded position the seat 12,*12a is swung clockwise (see Fig. 1) about the forwardlegprovided pivotpoints 15 to lie substantially betweenthe seat back-provided side members 11a, as indicated in Fig. 3. draws the rearlegs 14 downwardly and clockwise about the link pivots 18 as an axis .so that the rear-legs 14 lie against the front leg-providing side members 11a, 11b,

' as illustrated in Fig. 3. Coming now to the desk or table structure ofthe invention, it is seento provide in its operative position,

the preferably rearwardly sloping panelor top 20 having its forward portion supported by the depending U-member 22 having the. upwardly extending side legs 22a. These side legs are pivoted as at 23 to brackets 24 which aresecured'to reinforcing bars 21 that are carried by the under surface of the desk or table top 20.

The rear portion of the desk or table-providing panel anV inverted L-form leg member 25 having the upper horizontal foot portion 25a which underlies the rear portion ofthe panel Z0 and is pivotally secured thereto by the bearing members 26 that are spot Vwelded or otherwise secured as at 27 tothe aforemeni Vtioned panel-reinforcing bars 21.

Thus, as shown, the panel 20 is supportedby the leg 25 at one side only so that the user of the unit'will have convenient access to the chair-provided seat from the 11g of the chair 1 0. The opposite end of said cleat 29 is pivoted as at 31 to the rear ,end of a bar 32 that has its forward end pivoted as at'33 to a bracket 34 which is pivotedas at 35 to the adjacent leg 22a of the U-member 22. It is to be noted that 11a, 25, and 432 are received between opposite sides Vof cleat 29.'

Assembly is completed by establishing the lpivot connection 36 between` an intermediate portion of the L- form panel-supporting rear leg 25 and a forward bight-adjacent portion of the proximatechair seatsupporting` arm`12 as indicated. l

It is to be noted that when the device is set up'as in Fig. 1, the cleat 29 is supported by the adjacent end of a lower rung llc which connects the forward leg portions 11b.y This maintains the swingable cleat member 29 in theqFig. l position so as to dispose the leg-connecting'bar Referring to the Ytable or desk providing panel per se, the sectional view, Fig. 6 shows same as comprising'fa stiff rectangular sheet 36 having an endless metal border 37. This border 37 is made functionally integral by welding, or otherwise, with the top flange 38a of an endless channel member 38 which latter has a bottom flange 38b.

The previously mentioned table or desk top-reinforcing" bars 21 are shown as channel-form in cross-section and as having downturned bight end extensions 39. 'Iheser bight end extensions 39 are supported by the bottom flange 38!) of the endless channel member 38 so as to sus-y tain bars 21 and dispose their longitudinal side-provided edges 40 adjacent the opposed top flange portions 38a of 38, as shown. Bolt and nut assemblies 41 secure the' end extensions 39 of bars 21 to channel member 38.

Thus, a very strong and rigid structure is provided, with` reinforcing bars 21 as supports for bearing members y Operation To fold the assembly into the Fig. 3 form from the` 1C@n 'patented Mami, isnt The described'movement 'of the

seat

12, 12a

Thelower end ofl thevL-formleg 25 is pivoted as at V28 to the intermediate portion of a swing- Yable cleat 29 which has one end pivoted asY at 30 to the adjacent forwardI leg setup form shown in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to grasp the upper end of the chair back 11 with one hand and lift the rear edge of the fdesk top 20 upwardly while swinging it in a clockwise direction. This causes the

seat assembly

12, 12a to swing upwardly about 15'as an axis, while actuating the rear legs 14 downwardly and in a counter-clockwise direction. The operation described results in the cleat 29 being swung counterclockwise about pivot 30 as an axis until the parts are in the Fig. 4 position.

To set the assembly up for use seat from the folded form shown in Fig. 4, the operator simply pushes the chair back down and to the left, as seen in Fig. 4, while swinging the table or desk top 20 upwardly in a counterclockwise direction about 25a as an axis. The parts readily assume the operative position, as will be appreciated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 1. The combination with a folding chair having forward leg-providing side members, an upwardly swingable seat intermediately pivoted to said side members between the ends of the latter, and swingable seat-controlled rear legs carried by said forward leg-providing side members; of a shelf-like desk top, a depending fron-` tal leg member pivoted adjacent the Vforward edge of said desk top, a depending desk top-carried rear leg member at at least one rear end portion of the latter and pivoted thereto, pivot means connecting an intermediate portion of said rear leg member to a forward side portion of said chair seat, a cleat pivoted adjacent one end to the outer surface of a lower forward chair leg portion, a bar having one end pivoted to said frontal desk top-supporting leg member and the other end pivoted adjacent the opposite end of said cleat, and pivot means connecting said rear desk top-carried leg member to an intermediate inner side portion of said cleat whereby when the assembly is set up for use the lower end of the rear desk top-supporting leg member will be opposed to and closely adjacent to an underlying portion of the adjacent one of the forward chair legs.

2. The structure of claim l, and the frontal desk topsupporting leg member comprising a U-member having its side legs pivoted to said desk top.

3. The structure of claim l, and said rear desk topsupporting leg member being of inverted L-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted to the under surface of said desk top.

4. The structure of claim 1, and the frontal desk topsupporting leg member comprising a U-rnember having4 its side legs pivoted to said desk top, and said rear desk top-supporting leg member being of inverted L-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted to the under surface of said desk top.

5. The structure of claim 1, and the arrangement of vthe pivoting of the various desk parts and the pivotal connection of the assembly of desk parts to the chair 4 being such that when the chair is folded the desk top and rear desk leg will be against the folded chair with frontal desk leg adjacent the rear desk leg.

6. The combination with a front leg and the upwardly folding seat of a folding chair; of a table providing a top member and swingable front and rear leg members carried by said top member, a rear table leg member being shorter than the front leg members and being substantially aligned with a front chair leg and with a front table leg member, a bar pivoted adjacent one end to said particularly mentioned front table leg member for movement toward and away from said chair, a cleat having opposite ends pivoted to said particularly mentioned front chair leg and to the free end of said bar, means pivoting the lower end of said shortened rear table leg to an intermediate portion of said cleat, and means pivoting an intermediate portion of said shortened rear table leg to one side of said chair seat adjacent the forward end of the latter.

7. The structure of claim 6, and the frontal desk top-supporting leg member comprising a U-member having its side legs pivoted to said desk top.

8. The structure of claim 6, and said rear desk topsupporting leg member being of inverted L-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted to the under surface of said desk top.

9. The structure of claim 6, and the frontal desk topsupporting leg member comprising a U-member having its side legs pivoted to said desk top, and said rear desk top-supporting leg member being of inverted L-form and having a horizontal foot portion pivoted to the under vsurface of said desk top.

10. The structure of claim 6, and the arrangement of the pivoting of the various desk parts and the pivotal connection of the assembly of desk parts to the chair being such that when the chair is folded, the. desk top and rear desk leg will be against the folded chair with frontal desk leg adjacent the rear desk leg.

11. The structure of claim 1, and a cross member connecting forward chair leg portions in underlying relationship to an intermediate portion of said cleat, whereby to be in a position to support the latter when the assembly is set up for use.

12. The structure of claim 6, and a cross member connecting forward chair leg portions in underlying relationship to an intermediate portion of said cleat, whereby to be in a position to support the latter when the assembly is set up for use.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS