US3018147A

US3018147A - Collapsible table

Info

Publication number: US3018147A
Application number: US824524A
Authority: US
Inventors: Adrian G Hoek; Michael N Vessio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-07-02
Filing date: 1959-07-02
Publication date: 1962-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1979-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1962 A. G. HOEK ET AL 3,018,147

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Jan- 23, 1962 A. G. HOEK ET AL COLLAPSIBLETABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1959 3,018,147 COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Adrian G. Hoek, 1052 E. 38th, and Michael N. Vessio, 2713 Albemarle Road, both of Brooklyn, N.Y Fitted .iuly 2, 1959, Ser. No. 824,524 9 Claims. (Cl. 311-41) This invention relates to a collapsible picnic table, and more particularly to an improved collapsible table platform which is mountable on a central supporting device, as, for example, a drum-like picnic cooler.

On a crowded beach, family units are seen with picnic coolers, but, frequently, the food itself, after being dispensed from the cooler is placed on the sand or some makeshift tablecloth. Admittedly, a table would help the situation, but people are reluctant to carry excess picnic equipment and t'ne end result of the makeshift approach is sand in the food.

Accordingly, it is the first object of this invention to provide an improved collapsible table.

lt is a further object of this invention to provide an improved collapsible table which may be mounted on a picnic cooler so that the combination may be transported as if it were a cooler with plural covers which are pivotal from a cover position to a peripheral position to form a picnic table.

It is a still further object `of this invention to provide an improved collapsible picnic table which may be attached to any central supporting device and wherein the table components may be pivoted from a nested position with the components in superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein the components are in a coplanar relationship.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent and the invention will be clearly understood from an examination of the drawings wherein FIG- URE l is a plan view of our improved picnic table with the table components shown in the nested position and attached to a picnic or thermos cooler.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the combined picnic table and thermos cooler.

, FG. 3 is a section View through plane 3-3 of FIG. l taken in the direction of the arrows.

FIG, 4 is a perspective View showing mounting attachments for supporting the collapsible picnic table on the thermos cooler.

FIG. 5 is a section view of one of the supporting brackets shown in FIG. 3 taken in its active position.

FIG. 6 is a top section through plane 6 6 of FIG. 5 taken in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing our improved collapsible table in its active position.

FlG. 8 is a perspective view showing our improved collapsible table shown in combination with a portable charcoal grill.

Briefly, this invention comprises a mounting ring which may be detachably secured to a central support, such as a picnic cooler-in combination with a plurality of discs which are supported for combined pivotal and vertical movement on said mounting ring so that the discs may be pivoted from a nested position wherein they are in superposed parallel relationship overlying the cover of said picnic cooler to an active position wherein the discs are coplanar with each other with the top of said picnic cooler.

With reference to the drawings:

A picnic cooler 2 is shown having a handle 4. Our improved collapsible table comprises a mounting ring 6, a plurality of discs 8, each of which is supported by hinge devices 10 in turn carried by the mounting ring 6.

Mounting ring 6 as shown in FIG. 4, is a band of metal having clips 12, 14- which may be drawn together by the ibdi'? Patented Jan. 23, 1962 releasable screw 16 or by a releasable luggage latch, not shown. The mounting ring 6 carries a plurality of peripherally spaced sockets 18 having axes parallel to but spaced from the axis of said mounting ring. Each socket 18 carries a foot 21 engageable with the shell of the thermos cooler 2 to increase the rigidity of the connection between the sockets 18 and the thermos cooler.

Each disc 8 carries a support 19 which provides a combined stabilizer bar 20 and pin shaft 22. The stabilizer bar, pin shaft combination is welded or otherwise attached to the underside of the disc 8 in such a manner that the pin shaft 22 is substantially peripheral of the disc 8 with the axis for pin shaft 22 being parallel to that of the disc. With this construction, the pin shaft 22 is engageable with one of the complementary sockets 1S to provide combined pivotal and vertical movement of the disc relative to the mounting ring whereby each disc may he pivoted to a nested position wherein it overlies the mounting ring and an active or extended position, which in a preferred embodiment is from the nested position, to provide a radially extending platform. The pin shaft socket construction is such that the disc may be raised to be rotated to the nested position but in the extended position, it is lowered to be coplanar with the other discs 8, and with the top of the picnic cooler.

To increase the rigidity of the support, the pin shaft 22 and socket 1b, are provided with cooperating pin detent means. For example, socket 18 has the detent 24, while pin shaft 22 carries the slotted keyway 26 which engages the detent when the pin shaft is in its FIG. 5 or active position thereby locking the disc in its active position.

With this construction, any number of cover size discs up to six of a diameter equal to that of the cooler top may be carried with the thermos cooler. The discs may be stored in the nested position during transportation and then pivoted to the active position for use. It has been found that this combination provides a sturdy, practical, collapsible table for picnic use. Furthermore, when in the nested position, the discs may be locked together, as by band 27, so that they may be lifted as a unit away from the cooler to give access to the cover of the thermos cooler.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment wherein the collapsible table is shown in combination with a portable charcoal grill.

While we have described one embodiment of our invention, it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A collapsible table-like platform attachment for a central support comprising a mounting ring, means detachably securing said mounting ring to the central support, a plurality of pivotal support devices attached peripherally about said mounting ring to provide pivot axes parallel to but spaced from that of said mounting ring, a plurality of discs carried one each by said pivotal support devices, each disc including means located adjacent the periphery of the respective disc and cooperating with one of the pivotal support devices attached to said mounting ring to permit pivotal movement of each disc from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherally spaced with respect to said central support.

2. A collapsible table platform attachment for a central support comprising a mounting ring. means detachably securing said mounting ring to said central support, a plurality of sockets attached peripherally about said mounting ring to provide support receptacles having axes spaced from but parallel to that of said mounting ring, a plurality of discs, pin means cooperable with said sockets for pivotal movement attached to said discs to provide for pivotal movement of the same from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in a superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherally spaced with respect to said central support.

3. A collapsible table platform attachment for a central support comprising a mounting ring, means detachably securing said mounting ring to said central support, a plurality of sockets attached peripherally about 'said mounting ring to provide support receptacles having axes spaced from but parallel to that of said mounting ring, a plurality of discs, each of said discs carrying a pin shaft located perpendicular to and substantially peripheral of said disc, said pin shafts, respectively, cooperating with said sockets to provide for the pivotal movement of said discs from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in a superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherally spaced with respect to said central support.

4. A collapsible table platform attachment for a central support comprising a mounting ring, means detachably securing said mounting ring to said central support, a plurality of sockets attached peripherally about said mounting ring to provide support receptacles having axes spaced from but parallel to that of said mounting ring, a plurality of discs, each of said discs carrying a pin shaft located perpendicular to and substantially peripheral of said disc, said pin shafts respectively cooperating with said sockets to provide for the pivotal movement of said discs from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in a superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherally spaced with respect to said central support, said pin shafts and sockets having cooperating releasable locking devices to hold saidr shaft relative to said socket in its active position.

5. A collapsible table platform attachment for a central support comprising a mounting ring, means detachably securing said mounting ring to said central support, a plurality of pivotal support devices attached peripherally about said mounting ring to provide pivot axes parallel to but spaced from that of said mounting ring, a plurality of discs, means mounting each of said discs ony one of said pivotal support devices for pivotal movement from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in a superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherallyl spaced with respect to said central support, said mounting means comprising a combined shaft and stabilizer bar with the shaft and bar extending in mutually perpendicular planes, said stabilizer bar lying in supporting relation to its respective disc in a plane parallel thereto and said shaft being parallel to` but spaced from the axis of its respective disc, each shaft being mounted for pivotal movement about one of said pivotal support devices.

6. A collapsible table platform attachment for a central support comprising amounting ring, means detachably securing said mounting ring to said central support, a plurality of pivotal support devices attached peripherally about said mounting ring to provide pivot axes parallel to but spaced from that of said mounting ring, a plurality of discs, means mounting said discs on said pivotal support devices for pivotal movement from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in a superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherally spaced with respect to said central support, said mounting means comprising a combined shaft and stabilizer bar with the shaft and bar extending in mutually perpendicular planes, said stabilizer bar lying in supporting relation to its respective disc in a plane parallel thereto and said shaft being parallel to but spaced from the axis of its respective disc, each shaft being mounted for pivotal movement about one of said pivotal support devices said shaft and said pivotal support device having cooperating releasable detent means for locking said shaft and its attached disc in its active position.

7. A collapsible table platform attachment for a central support comprising a mounting ring,- means detachably securing said mounting ring to said central support, a plurality of discs, and means mounting the same on said mounting ring to provide pivotal movements of said discs from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in a superposed parallel relationship to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and peripherally spaced with respect to said central support, said mounting means comprising a plurality of pivotal support devices attached peripherally about said vmounting ring, each of said discs including a pin shaft pivotally mounted in one of said pivotal support devices and extending along an axis parallel to but spaced from that of said mounting ring, each of said pin shafts having a supporting strut attached to its corresponding disc thereby providing combined vertical and pivotal movement of said discs relative to said pivotal support devices.

8. A combined collapsible table platform and central support such as a picnic cooler comprising in combination a mounting device, means securing said mounting device to said central support, a plurality of discs, means supporting said discs on said mounting device for cornbined pivotal and vertical movement of said discs from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in superposed parallel relationship overlying the cover of said central `support to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar With each other and with the top of said central support.

9. A collapsible table-like platform attachment for a central` support comprising a mounting ring, means detachably securing said mounting ring to the central support, a plurality of disc members, cooperating pin and socket pivotal support means carried by said mounting ring and by saidl plurality of disc members at peripheral locations on said ring and said disc members, one pair of cooperating pin and socket means being provided for each disc member, said peripheral locations being spaced circumferentially of said mounting ring, said pin and socket means providingl pivotal axes parallel to but spaced radially from the axis of said mounting ring, said disc members'being movable about said pivotal axes from a nested position wherein all of said discs are in superposed parallel relation to one another to an active position wherein all of said discs are coplanar and located in planetary relation about said central support.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS