US3120405A

US3120405A - Picnic table

Info

Publication number: US3120405A
Application number: US259574A
Authority: US
Inventors: Soszynski Henry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-02-19
Filing date: 1963-02-19
Publication date: 1964-02-04
Anticipated expiration: 1981-02-04

Description

H. SOSZYNSKI Feb. 4, 1964 PICNIC TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1963 INVENTOR. HENRY 505: Y/VJK/ BY H. SOSZYNSKI Feb. 4, 1964 PICNIC TABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1963 IN VENT OR. HfNRY 60s: YA/J'K/ ATTORNEYS Feb. 4, 1964 H. SOSZYNSKI 3,120,405

PICNIC TABLE Filed Feb. 19, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l 3M INVENTOR.

HENRY SOSZY/VS/(l V'MW A TTORNEZYS United States Patent 3,120,405 PICNIC TABLE Henry Soszynski, Hanson, Mass. (RED, Whitman, Mass.) Filed Feb. 19, I963, Ser. No. 259,574 6 Claims. (Cl. 297-157) This invention relates to a table, and particularly to a table assembly having seats which form a part of the table structure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a light weight table assembly which can be readily assembled and dis-assembled and which can be easily stored and transported.

It is another object of this invention to provide a table and seat combination in which the legs supporting the table, and the seat and table top are positioned in such a way that persons can assume a sitting position or arise from the table without becoming entangled with table legs or other supporting members.

A table made in accordance with the present invention includes a top, a plurality of pyramidally disposed legs, a plurality of horizontal support members equal in number to the number of pyramidally disposed legs, said horizontal supports being interlocked inwardly of their extremities by cross-lap joints to form a polygonal structure, each cross-lap joint being positioned to engage one of the pyramidally disposed legs and all such joints being supported at a substantially uniform height, each of said horizontal supports being provided with a transverse slot positioned intermediate the cross-lap joints, a top support member extending through each of the transverse slots, said top support members forming the lateral edges of an inverted pyramidal structure whose vertex and axis lie generally on the vertical axis of the pyramidally disposed legs, said vertex being positioned at a point below the vertex of the said legs and also below the plane of the polygonal structure formed by the cross-lapped horizontal supports, the top resting on the outer extremities of the top support members, means associated with the top and top support members adapted to maintain them in a generally fixed relation, and means extending between the vertex of the pyramidally disposed legs and the vertex of the inverted pyramidal structure for drawing the vertices closer together.

The objects and advantages obtained by tables constructed in accordance with the present invention will be apparent in the specification and in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a table embodying principles of my invention with a portion of the top being broken away to permit a better view of the under structure.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are plan views of alternative embodiments of tables made in accordance with the present invention wherein the table top configuration and the niunber of persons who can be seated at the table is varied.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the table top of FIGURE 1 along section line 55.

FIGURE 5a is an enlarged plan view of a segment of the top showing the corner reinforcing plate construction.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the leg supports of the table of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6a shows the legs of the table looking in the direction of the arrows 6a-6a of FIGURE 6 but when the legs are in a disassembled and folded condition.

FIGURES 7 and 7a are views in elevation and in plan of a single leg element.

FIGURES 8 and 8a are views of alternative types of horizontal support elements which can be employed.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged view of a top support at the point where it passes through the horizontal supportthe dotted lines showing relative movement during lock-in operation.

FIGURE 10 is a schematic view of the table to illustrate relative movements during the locking operation.

FIGURES 10a and 1011 are enlarged views of one embodiment of a center bolt showing a preferred head configuration.

Reference is now made to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. The table may be made of wood, plastics including fiber glass or other suitable material. It includes a top 10 of a generally triangular shape. If desired, the top can be divided into sections which permit the table to be dismantled in smaller units to facilitate storage and transportation. For example, the triangular top Iii of the table in FIGURE 1 can be divided into three sections Ila, 11b and 110. In such cases, it is convenient to provide the mating section edged with a tongue and groove joint (12a and 1212) as can be seen in FIGURE 5.

In the illustrative embodiment, a toe plate 3%, 39b and 390 is secured to each of the top sections Illa, 11b and lie as shown in FIGURE 5a, and each tends to support the adjoining top section when the top is assembled. The three sections are secured together by suitable fastening means such as bolts 13 which pass through the top section and the underlying toe plate of the adjoining top section as shown in FIGURE 5. Obviously other fasteners such as conventional cam locks may be employed.

In the particular table embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES l and 2, there is a central opening 17 in the top which serves to facilitate assembling and disassembling the table. However, the invention is not to be construed as being limited to the form of top shown in these views; a single piece solid top can be employed if desired and the outline shape thereof can be varied as desired.

The table assembly illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 also includes three leg members 18, i9, 20. The legs are arranged in the form of a pyramid, the upper ends joining at a common vertex or apex. If desired, hinges or similar fastening means can be employed to tie in the upper portions of the legs. URE 6, a hinge 21 is mounted so that its pivot axis 21a is aligned with the juncture of

legs

18 and 26; a hinge 22 is mounted so that its pivot axis 22a is aligned with the juncture of legs I9 and 20. A corresponding positioned hinge is not needed between

legs

18 and 19 but can be employed it" it is desired to do so provided it has a pivot pin which can be readily removed so as to enable the hinge elements to be separated. A hinge arrangement of the type shown in FIGURE 6 will permit the legs to be folded into a compact unit for transportation and storage as shown in FIGURE 6a.

Reverting again to the table illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 the structure also includes three horizontal support members 23, 24- and 25. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the number of horizontal supports is the same as the number of legs employed in the table. The horizontal supports are adapted to be interlocked by means of cross-lap joints positioned inwardly of the extremities of the support members and thereby form a polygon structure having the same number of sides as the number of legs in the table. As can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the polygonal structure formed by the interlocked horizontal supports is positioned so that it rests on and is supported by the pyramidally disposed legs-each crosslap joint engaging and being supported by a leg. To facilitate the support of the polygonal structure by the Thus, as illustrated in FIG legs, it is preferred to provide each leg with a notched section which matingly conforms to the contours of the cross-lap joint. Such a notched section can be seen in FIGURES 7 and 7a; the notch 26 has a flat section 27 which is generally parallel to the floor and the flats 27 of each leg on which the cross-lap joints rest are at substantially equal altitudes above the floor level so that the plane of the supported polygonal structure will be gen erally parallel to the ground or floor. In the preferred embodiment, the notch can also be provided with

contoured portions

23 and 29, which generally correspond to the angle of intersection of the cross-lapped joints which will be positioned to rest in the notch, such an arrangement will provide for better locking action.

FIGURES 8 and 8a show alternative embodiments of a horizontal support member in which a transverse slot 30 is positioned intermediate the

half lap cuts

31, 32 which, when joined with corresponding half laps of another horizontal support form the cross-lap joints. The configuration of FIGURE 8 is used in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2 or in any embodiment wherein an uneven number of supports is used, while that in FIGURE 80 is used in embodiments having an even number of supports. The transverse slots are cut at various angles dependent upon the number of supports used. In FIG- URE 8a, the slots are cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the support, for use in a table having four supports. The transverse slot can be of any desired configuration which will permit a top support member to extend upwardly and outwardly therethrough and the opening should be of such size that there will be some play or relative movement between the elements.

Extending through each of the transvesre slots is a top support member 33, 34- and 35, these support members meet generally at vertex 36 (FIGURE 2) of an inverted pyramid of which the top support members are the lateral edges. The axis of the inverted pyramid lies generally on the vertical axis of the upright pyramid formed by the pyramidally disposed legs. The vertex 36, however, is positioned below the vertex 37 of the legs and also below the plane of the polygonal structure formed by the crosslapped horizontal supports.

The outer

top extremities

33, 34 and 35 of the

top support member

33, 34 and 35, should preferably be at a substantially uniform height above the floor or ground level and they usually should lie in a plane which is at an altitude above the vertex 37 of the legs.

The underside of the table top it) rests on and is supported by the outer extremities 33', 34' and 35' of the top support members. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URFS 1 and 2, the table top is provided with reinforcing strips 38a, 38b, 330 which extend along the under edges of the top. The

corner reinforcement plates

39a, 39b and 39c (see FIGURE a), provide an abutment surface 40 against which the outer extremity 33 of the top support can hear when the structure is locked in.

An important feature of the invention lies in the provision of means extending between the vertex of the pyramidally disposed legs and the vertex of the inverted pyramidal structure for bringing the vertices closer together. Thus, in the table embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, a tie bolt or center bolt 41 extends between the vertex 36 and the vertex 37. When the wing nut 42 is tightened, the

vertices

36 and 37 will be pivoted in the vicinity of the transverse opening in the horizontal support (see dotted lines in FIGURE 9) and the outer extremities (e.g. 34" FIGURE 9) will be urged against the abutments (cg. 40 in FIG. 1) under the table top and thereby lock the top in place. This drawing action on the center bolt also serves to spread the pyramidally disposed legs and thereby urge them against the cross lap joints so as to lock the cross-lapped horizontal supports in place. In this way, a rigid structure is provided. This action is schematically illustrated in FIGURE wherein 5G is the table top; 51 and 52 are legs; 53 and 54 are horizontal supports, 55 and 56 are top supports; 57 is a center bolt and 58 is a wing nut. Bolt 57 is provided with a head having outwardly extending flanges 59, which bear against the underside of table supports 55 and 56. The flanges 59 may be integral with or welded to the bolt, or could be formed of a separate platelike member, slidably mounted on the shank of a conventional carriage bolt. By tightening the wing nut 58 on the bolt 57, flanges 59 bear against the vertex formed by the juncture of the top supports 55 and 56 and the wing nut 58 bears against the vertex formed by the juncture of the

legs

51 and 52. Further tightening causes the various parts to move in the directions indicated by arrows 6ti67. If the dimensions of the parts and openings are properly toleranced, particularly at A, B, C, D, E and F of FIGURE 10, these movements will be sufiicient to lock the loosely" assembled parts into a rigid table assembly.

It should be noted at this point that the legs, horizontal supports and top supports may assume different shapes or configurations without departing from the spirit of this invention. Each, or any one of these sets of members could be curved or slightly bent without altering the functional relationship attained. The horizontal supports could be bent outwardly under each seat for example, to provide for a greater area of seat support.

Reverting again to the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2,

seat members

70, 71 and "/2 can be carried by the extremities of the cross-lapped horizontal supports 23, 24 and 25 which lie outwardly of the joints. The seats can be secured by bolts 75 or other readily removable fasteners and if desired, the underside of the seat can be slotted to receive the horizontal supports; this can best be seen with respect to seat 70 in FIGURE 2. In this figure, the slots 73 and 74 are adapted to receive the upper edges of the horizontal supports 25 and 23.

It will be understood that where seats do not form a part of the assembly the projecting extremities of the horizontal supports should be shortened and conventional chairs disposed as desired around the table.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the table top is provided with a central opening. This opening will permit ready access to the wing nut so that the structure can be locked into a rigid assembly. In such cases, it is also possible to employ arrangements in which the vertex of the legs can project through the table opening and be positioned above the plane of the top. Obviously, the opening could be eliminated and the bolt could be inverted and tightened at the bottom of the assembly. Moreover, where the top is solid, the center bolt could pass through the upper surface of the top, if desired. In such an arrangement, the upper vertex would bear against the underside of the top when the bolt was tightened.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be observed that the same principles described above in connection with the triangular table of FIGURES 1 and 2, have been employed and the same benefits are obtained even though entirely different top configurations and seating arrangements are involved. In FIGURES 3 and 4, the structural elements are numbered as follows: the tops 80, the legs 81, the horizontal supports 82, and the top supports 83.

Design features of this invention are disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. D. 73,630, filed February 19, 1963, now Design Patent No. 196,121, issued August 27, 1963.

I claim:

1. A table including a top, a plurality of pyramidally disposed legs, a plurality of horizontal support members equal in number to the number of pyramidally disposed legs, said horizontal supports being interlocked inwardly of their extremities by cross-lap joints to form a polygonal structure, each cross-lap joint being positioned to engage one of the pyramidally disposed legs and all such joints being supported at a substantially uniform height, each of said horizontal supports being provided with a transverse slot positioned intermediate the cross-lap joints, a top support member extending through each of the transverse slots, said top support members forming the lateral edges of an inverted pyramidal structure whose vertex and axis lie generally on the vertical axis of the pyramidally disposed legs said vertex being positioned at a point below the vertex of the said legs and also below the plane of the polygonal structure formed by the crosslapped horizontal supports, the top resting on the outer extremities of the top sup-port members, means associated with the top and top support members adapted to maintain them in a generally fixed relation, and means extending between the vertex of the pyramidally disposed legs and the vertex of the inverted pyramidal structure for drawing the vertices closer together.

2. A table according to claim 1 wherein a seat member is carried by the portions of the cross-lapped horizontal supports which project outwardly from a cross-lap point.

3. A table according to claim 1 wherein the means for drawing the vertices together comprises a nut and bolt extending between the vertices.

4. A table according to claim 1 wherein each of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 469,353 Nesson Feb. 23, 1892 1,390,836 Stoll Sept. 13, 1921 1,876,400 Cederquist Sept. 6, 1932 t1,951, 6i19 MacDonald Mar. 20, 1934 2,624,469 Cadwell et al Jan. 6, 1953 2,717,028 Villernure Sept. 6, 1955 2,800,952 McPhilomy July 30, 1957 3,074,721 Wilson Jan. 22, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,053 Great Britain of 1887 104,287 Switzerland May 1, 1924 566,631 France Nov. 24, 1923 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N00 3, 120,405 February 4 1964 Henry Soszynski It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered pati ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 19,, for "point" read joint Signed and sealed this 30th day of June 1964 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W; SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Afiesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A TABLE INCLUDING A TOP, A PLURALITY OF PYRAMIDALLY DISPOSE LEGS, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL SUPPORT MEMBERS EQUAL IN NUMBER OF PYRAMIDALLY DISPOSED LEGS, SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORTS BEING INTERLOCKED INWARDLY OF THEIR EXTREMITIES BY CROSS-LAP JOINTS TO FORM A POLYGONAL STRUCTURE, EACH CROSS-LAP JOINT BEING POSITIONED TO ENGAGE ONE OF THE PYRAMIDALLY DISPOSED LEGS AND ALL SUCH JOINTS BEING SUPPORTED AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM HEIGHT, EACH OF SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORTS BEING PROVIDED WITH A TRANSVERSE SLOT POSITIONED INTERMEDIATE THE CROSS-LAP JOINTS, A TOP SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OF THE TRANSVERSE SLOTS, SAID TOP SUPPORT MEMBERS FORMING THE LATERAL EDGES OF AN INVERTED PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE WHOSE VERTEX AND AXIS LIE GENERALLY ON THE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE PYRAMIDALLY DISPOSED LEGS SAID VERTEX BEING POSITIONED AT A POINT BELOW THE VERTEX OF THE SAID LEGS AND ALSO BELOW THE PLANE OF THE POLYGONAL STRUCTURE FORMED BY THE CROSSLAPPED HORIZONTAL SUPPORTS, THE TOP RESTING ON THE OUTER EXTREMITIES OF THE TOP SUPPORT MEMBERS, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TOP AND TOP SUPPORT MEMBERS ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN THEM IN A GENERALLY FIXED RELATION, AND MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE VERTEX OF THE PYRAMIDALLY DISPOSED LEGS AND THE VERTEX OF THE INVERTED PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE FOR DRAWING THE VERTICES CLOSER TOGETHER.