US3049386A - Picnic table or bench with truss - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 14, 1962 L. PRUDHOMME PICNIC TABLE OR BENCH WITH TRUSS Filed June 10, 1958 IN VEN TOR.

, 3,049,386 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 fifice 3,049,380 PICNIC TABLE OR BENCH WITH TRUSS Lester L. Prudhomme, P.0. Box 572, Texarkana, Tex. Filed June 10, 1958, Ser. No. 741,187 3 Claims. (Cl. 311-84) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in patio picnic sets; namely, an elongated table and a pair of complemental or companion benches for use in conjunction with the table.

Picnic tables and benches are of many and varied types, constructions and styles. Also, and speaking in terms of generalities, most sets which are used for home and patio, instead of being crude and rustic forms are usually of wood. More particularly, one may say that the ordinary wooden patio table is made from comparatively heavy and sturdy lumber, the boards forming the top being often thick to prevent warping and leg frames of one type or another being provided at the respective transverse ends and which are sometimes joined together by an intervening foot rail or are braced in one way or another.

The object of the instant invention is to provide an improved table and a pair of benches offering the purchaser or user a patio set which is sufficiently light in weight that shipping and movability is not too greatly interfered with. At the same time, and notwithstanding the portability and minimized weight factors, the table and benches are quite as strong and warp-proof and durable as corresponding parts made from lumber several times heavier. To this end, it is therefore, an objective to provide a table or bench which can be made of kilndried yellow pine, the construction and arrangement being such that while the components are shipped in knock down form they are ready for assemblage requiring only the use of a screw driver, a wrench, pliers and the necessary number of screws, bolts and nuts.

More specifically, novelty is predicated not so much on the leg frames or vertical support units, but rather on the leg frames in combination or conjunction with a top construction employing yellow pine planks and suitably proportioned yellow pine parts which when assembled on the underside of the top planks serve to provide a flat warp-resisting and rigid-ifying truss.

Briefly summarized, the invention is therefore characterized by an elongated top structure embodying a plurality of coplanar side-by-side planks commensurate in length and cross-section, a truss for the underneath side of said top structure embodying a plurality of transversely disposed longitudinally spaced cleats fastened beneath and to the bottom surfaces of said planks, and a lengthwise stabilizing member at right angles to and secured to the median bottom portions of all of said cleats, and braced leg frames perpendicular to the top structure and secured to adjacent parts of said truss.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

BIG. 1 is an edge elevation of an improved picnic or patio wooden table showing how it is constructed and readied for use.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the table.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 3, the truss-equipped top structure or construction is denoted as an entity by the numeral 4. Primarily, this top construction is made up of a plurality of kiln-dried yellow pine or equivalent planks or boards 6. These are all the same in length and cross-section and they are arranged in edge-to-edge coplanar relationship. If desired, air spaces may be provided between the adjacent lengthwise edges of the respective planks. In any event, the thus assembled planks are joined together by the truss means disclosed. More specifically, this means comprises several transverse longitudinally spaced cleats 7, 8 and 9. These cleats are arranged inwardly of the respective transverse ends and one at the center as at 8. The cleats are of a length corresponding to the width of the board or panel table top proper. These cleats 7, 8 and 9 may be referred to as the primary or main cleats to difierentiate them from a pair of shorter auxiliary cleats 10 and 11 also applied and secured to the underneath surfaces or" the planks. All together the five cleats provided serve as attaching members for the longitudinally extending elongated stabilizing member 12. This member is arranged centrally and joins with the respective median portions of the cleats 7 to 11 inclusive. The planks may be thought of as nailed (not shown) to the cleats or conversely the cleats can be nailed with cement coated screw-type nails to the planks. Corner portions will be rounded off for appearance and safety. The finished top construction is thus aptly braced to rigidity by a flat truss. The leg frames at the respective ends are the same. The legs may be identified as inner legs 13 and outer legs 14 said legs having their median portions crossed and bolted or otherwise separably joined together at 15. The same bolt means serves to join the lower end portion of a diagonal brace 16 to the legs. The upper end portion 17 of the diagonal brace is suitably mitered and fastened separably to a portion of the longitudinal stabilizing member 12 inwardly of the outer end thereof. With respect to the legs and braces it may be said that 2 X 3s are bored for screws and bolts and readied for easy assemblage. Furnished with each table would be some eighteen screws of the same size and six bolts with accompanying washers and nuts (not detailed).

With respect now to packaging, it is to be explained that table tops and bench tops are tied face together. The legs and braces will be nested in a square bundle. The screws and bolts, washers and nuts will be placed in an envelope attached to the top. This makes for packaging and shipping and otherwise handling in knockdown or ready-touse form. Briefly, the instructions for setting up or assembling the construction would be to simply place a bolt through the hole near one end of the brace and through the holes in the center of the legs placing, of course, a washer over the end of the bolt to accommodate the cooperating nut. The legs are screwed to the ends of the 1 X 4 cleats on the underside near the ends of the table and bench tops inasmuch as the benches (not shown) Will be exactly the same as the tables except as to height. One then resorts to tightening the bolts through the legs and the braces. It is, of course, necessary to square the leg frames so that the legs are approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the braced top. The upper ends of the diagonal braces are separably bolted as denoted at 17 in FIG. 3.

Any wood (even heart redwood) should be sealed to prevent discoloration and accumulation of dirt and dust.

These yellow pine sets can be painted with any color of outside paint or they can be stained with the many natural wood colors of colortoned penetrating wood sealer and one coat of good quality exterior varnish. This sealing and finishing should be done before this kiln-dried lumber has become wet, dirty or discolored.

On the tables made so far a piece of 1" X 4" lumber serves as the truss. However, it could conceivably be possible to use metal, flat steel, round bar or otherwise to serve this same purpose. Practically all of these tables sold so far have been in knockdown form and in truck load lots which do not require packaging. Of course, I do not want to rule out the possibility of selling some in packaged form or even assembled and painted.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, 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 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:

1. A portable picnic-type bench comprising an elongated top structure embodying a plurality of coplanar side-by-side planks commensurate in length and cross section, a truss for the underneath side of said top structure embodying a plurality of transversely disposed longitudinally spaced cleats fastened beneath and to the bottom surfaces of said planks, there being five cleats, namely, two end-cleats and one centrally located cleat all of a length equal to the width of the top structure, and two equally spaced auxiliary cleats shorter than said end and central cleats and occupying positions spaced from each other in parallelism with each other between the endcleats and central cleat, a lengthwise stabilizing member at right angles to and secured to the median bottom portions of all of said cleats, and braced leg frames perpendicular to the top structure and secured to adjacent parts of said truss, each leg frame comprising a pair of legs having cooperating median portions crossed and separably bolted to each other and also bolted to a cooperating lower end of a diagonal brace, the upper end of said brace being separably fastened to an adjacent end portion of said lengthwise stabilizing member.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said planks, cleats, and stabilizing member are comparatively thin lumber which is relatively light in weight, whereby to provide for easy handling and moving, conserving on the amount of lumber required, reducing transporting and freight handling charges to a minimum while yet insuring strength and durability equal to relatively massive and heavier tables and benches currently being used.

3. For use in erecting and constructing outdoor patio furniture; a portable ready-to-use top construction embodying a plurality of light weight kiln dried yellow pine coplanar planks uniform in length and cross-section, and a fiat truss for the underneath side of said top construction, said truss comprising a plurality of transverse longitudinally spaced bracing cleats fixed in uniformly distributed relationship to the bottoms of said planks, an elongated plank like the first named planks superimposed upon and secured lengthwise and at right angles to median portions of said cleats, and a pair of X-type leg frames each having a diagonal brace separably fastened thereto, the upper ends of the legs and braces being adapted to be fastened respectively, to the endmost cleats and end portions of the longitudinal plank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 358,833 Bullock Mar. 8, 1887 749,571 Marrett Jan. 12, 1904 769,354 Nielsen Sept. 6, 1904 1,155,971 Thornton et al. Oct. 5, 1915 1,424,419 Malarkey Aug. 1, 1922 1,904,060 Kuhn Apr. 18, 1933 2,223,618 Kalisz Dec. 3, 1940 2,579,934 Krasney Dec. 25, 1951 2,650,147 Sauder Aug. 25, 1953

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