US3025119A - Adjustable height table - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1962 A. J. LUCIER 3,025,119

ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT TABLE Filed May 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -32 Fig. 2 -34 76 5 Arthur J Luc/er U INVENTOR. 40 X) 76 I2 9 W BY Wm March 13, 1962 A. J. LUCIER 3,025,119

ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT TABLE Filed May 13, 1959 2 SheefcsSheet 2 Arthur J Luc/er INVENTOR.

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United States Patent ()fiice 3,025,119 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,025,119 ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT TABLE Arthur J. Lucier, 1812 NW. 24th Court, Miami, Fla. Filed May 13, 1959, Ser. No. 812,834 1 Claim. (Cl. 311-39) This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to an adjustable table.

An object of the invention is to provide a table which may be very easily adjusted between upper and lower elevational limits so that the table may be converted between various types, for example, coffee table, cocktail table, card table, picnic table, dining table, etc.

Although it is possible to adjust the legs of various prior tables so that a selection of heights may be obtained, a table in accordance with this invention is neat and attractive at all heights and has a great advantage of stability regardless of the height selected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attractive, practical adjustable table which has a plurality of legs which are attached by articulated joints to the table top and base, together with an adjustable column preferably at the center of the table top and base. The legs are movable to an angular position in response to rotational and vertical movement of the table top, while the adjustable post is capable of extending or retracting and of being fixed in a selected lengthwise adjusted position. Accordingly, the legs lend stability and strength to the table top regardless of the elevation of the table top.

The articulated joints at the upper and lower ends of the legs are preferably made by interlocked eyes. When the legs are tilted in response to rotational movement of the table top in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, frictional resistance is generated to this movement by portions of the eyes rubbing on each other and this is suflicient to prevent the table top from lowering without being turned manually, should the lock on the extelnsible center post be omitted or furnished but not use These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a table exemplifying the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the table in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the table in its lowermost position.

In the accompanying drawings there is table 10 illustrated in the fully raised position (FIGURE 1) and in the fully lowered position (FIGURE 6). The table may be adjusted to any position between the upper and lower limits shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 respectively.

Table 19 is constructed of a base 12 and a table top 14 which may be finished in any desired way. It is preferred, although not essential, that the table top and base be made of wooden panels. Obviously, other suitable materials of construction may be used such as plastic or metal. Table top 14 has a circular rim 16 at its periphery and here again, the rim 16 is shaped to conform to the peripheral dimension of the table top.

If an oblong table top is selected or square or rectangular table top, the rim 16 will be correspondingly shaped.

Base 12 is made of a flat substantial panel 18 having a rim 20 depending therefrom and to which a plurality of resilient feet 22. are attached. Each foot may be constructed of rubber or some other elastomeric substance so that it will furnish a substantial coeflicient of friction against the support surface for the table. The feet are approximately L-shaped in cross-section to form an upwardly opening semi-pocket 24 within which rim 20 is nested. The feet are attached in place by cementing and/or screws or like fasteners.

Extensible post 28 is secured to the bottom surface of table top 14 and to the top surface of panel 18. The extensible post 28 has upper tube 30 slidably disposed in the bore 32 of a lower tube 34. Mounting flange 36 made rigid with the upper end of tube 30 is fastened to the lower surface of table top 14 by standard fasteners, as screws 38-. Lower mounting flange 40 is fixed to the lower end of the tube 34 and is attached by fasteners, for instance screws 42, to the top surface of base panel 18. Lock 44 is operatively connected to tube 34 and is engageable with tube 3% to hold the extensible post 28 in a selected extended position. The lock 44 is simple in construction, one configuration being a setscrew 46 threaded in a tapped bore 48 that extends laterally through the wall of tube 34 so that the inner end of the setscrew may engage the outer surface of tube 30.

There are eight legs 5% connected between the table top 14 and base 12, although this number may be increased or decreased. The eight legs 50 are circumferentially spaced equal distances and each leg is attached to table top 14 and to base 12 by means of essentially identical articulated joints. Articulated joint 52 at the top of typical leg 59 (FIGURE 4) consists of a screw eye 54 having threaded shank 56 threaded axially into the top part of leg 50. An upwardly opening well 58 is in the top part of leg 50 and receives a portion of eye 60 of the screw eye. A second eye 62 is engaged with eye 60 and has a threaded shank 64 passed through an approximately U-shaped mounting bracket o6. The ends of the mounting brackets 66 are attached by fasteners, for instance screws 68, to the bot-tom surface of table top 14.

The lower end of leg 5G has articulated joint 70 connecting it with base panel 18. The articulated joint 70 consists of a screw eye 72 identical to screw eye 54, together with a screw eye 74 which is essentially identical to the upper screw eye shown in FIGURE 4. An ornamental ball 76 is secured to the lower extremity of leg 50 and has the shank of screw eye 72 passed therethrough. A downwardly opening well 78 is in the lower part of ball 76 and contains a portion of the eye of the screw eye 72. An upwardly opening Well 80 in panel 1.8 receives a portion of the eye of screw eye 74, and the eyes of articulated joint 70 are interconnected. Screw eye 74 may be attached to panel 18 in a number of ways, one of which is to have the shank thereof pass through a passage 82 in panel 18, and a nut-84 at the lower extremity of the shank of the screw eye 74.

Since the eyes of the articulated joints 52 and 70 have portions thereof in contact with each other there is some friction generated between the contacting surfaces thereof, and this frictional force is relied on as a brake to prevent the table top 14 from simply falling to its lowermost position. Further, the frictional force exerting a braking action at the joints lends to the stability of the table.

In use, it is assumed that the table is raised fully to the position shown in FIGURE 1 and it is desired to lower the table. Lock 44 is released and the table top 14 is rotated either counterclockwise or clockwise. This 3 will cause the legs to be tilted (FIGURE 6) and the extensible post 28 to be retracted. When the desired elevation of the table top is obtained, the table top is not rotated any farther, and lock 44 is engaged. In order to raise the table the reverse procedure takes place.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An adjustable table comprising a lower panel, an upper panel, a plurality of circumferentially arranged legs extending between said panels, a multisection, elongated, extensible and rotatable post extending between said panels, means swivelly connecting the upper and lower ends of each of said legs to said upper and lower panels respectively, said support being centrally disposed relative to said legs, means operatively connected with said extensible post for locking said extensible post in selected positions of adjustment, said extensible post including a pair of tubular members telescoped with each other, one of said tubular members attached to said top panel and the other of said tubular members attached to said lower panel, said locking means comprising a friction element carried by the outermost of said telescoped members and engageable with the outer surfaces of the innermost of said tubular members to maintain said tubular members in adjusted extended and rotated positions relative to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,067,775 Maves Jan. 12, 1937 2,305,867 Greitzer Dec. 22, 1942 2,532,766 Galleret Dec. 5, 1950 2,582,791 Page Ian. 15, 1952 2,673,773 Dusenbury Mar. 30, 1954 2,678,858 Davis May 18, 1954 2,723,888 Bally Nov. 15, 1955 2,792,268 Stanley May 14, 1957

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