US3126236A - Combined storage locker and table - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1964 J. l. BUCHAN ETAL 3,126,236

COMBINED STORAGE LocxER AND TABLE Filed March 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 l le 'o INVENTORS ./A//ff 50a/fsw f90/w45 fr/Merom FIG. 5 ATTO EY United States Patent O 3,126,236 CGP/IBINED STPcAG-E LGCKER AND TABLE James l. Buchan, 1 Florence St., and Thomas Simpson, 33 Norfolk St., both of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 182,733 l1 Claim. (Cl. S12-201) The present invention relates to a combined storage locker and table and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a compact storage cabinet or locker ha ing a pair of equally sized halves which are hingedly and vertically interconnected. One of the halves is provided with dividers and shelving the outer edges of which are coplanar with the adjacent edges of the half of the locker in which they are positioned. The other half is provided with dividers also. However, in 'this case the outer edges of such dividers terminate inwar ly of the adjacent edges of the half locker to allow room for a hinged shelf and, outwardly of said shelf, a table top which may be mounted in novel manner upon the opened halves of the device to form a table top or, when the device is not in use, may be stored outwardly of the aforesaid shelf and at the same time act to separate the contents of the two halves. A novel support is provided for the free end of the shelf when the latter is in its horizontal position and novel means is provided for receiving a portion of the support in that half of the device opposite to which itis xed.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a novel combination storage locker and table.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and ecient in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel shelf and support therefor, both forming parts of the invention.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, a novel arrangement whereby a maximum number of useful portions of the device may be compactly stored therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character set forth, of novel means for mounting a table top forming a part of the invention upon the aforesaid cabinet structure.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the same in opened condition but with a table top, forming a part of the invention, mounted within the device,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the table top illustrated in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the device as shown in FIGURE 1 but with the table top removed,

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating a shelf forming part of the invention in operative position,

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but illustrating a table top in operative position, and

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view of the device of FIGURE l illustrating the same in closed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein a combination storage locker and table comprising two normally vertically extending halves which may be termed a first section 10 and a second section 11.

The section 10 is provided with a top wall 12, an inner side Wall 13, an outer side wall 14 and a bottom 15.

ICC

Horizontal shelves or partition members 16 interconnect the side walls 13 and 14 and these are, in turn, interconnected with each other and with the top wall 12 and bottom wall 15 by vertically extending partition members 17 to provide a plurality of compartments of preferably different sizes and it will be noted that the members 16 and 17 have their inner edges in the same plane with the inner edges of the walls 12, 13, 14 and 15.

The second section 11 is identical in size with the section 10 and is provided with a top wall 18, an inner side wall 19, an outer side wall 20 and a bottom wall 21.

The rst section 10 is provided with a back Wall 22 while the second section 11 is provided with a back wall 23.

The second section in its upper portion is provided with shelves 24 having front walls 25 at their free ends while the lower portion of the second section 11 is provided with one or more shelves 26 having front walls 27 and it will be apparent from an examination of FIGURE 6 that the forward faces of the walls 25 lie in a plane outwardly of a plane including the outer faces of the shelves 26-27.

The sections 10 and 11 are interconnected by hinges 28 which join together their respective inner side walls 13 and 19.

A shelf 29 is connected to one of the members 25 by means of hinges 34) and has its outermost corner cut away, as indicated at 31.

A support member 32 is aixed to the underside of one of the shelf members 16 and extends forwardly and outwardly therefrom. A table top-partition 33 is provided with outer dimensions such that it tits snugly Within the walls 1S, 19, 20 and 21 of the section 11. The top 33 is provided in one of its sides with an inwardly extending slot 34, with a finger opening 35 adjacent one of its narrower ends and with a pair of openings 36 adjacent each corner thereof opposite that side thereof in which the slot 34 is positioned. Adjacent the outer end of each of the top walls 12 and 18 there is provided an upright stud 37.

In operation, it will be apparent that the device of the present invention may be utilized for many purposes as, for example, a picnic box and when in closed condition as shown in FIGURE 6, may be provided with a suitable latch or lock` interconnecting the outer side Walls 14 and 20 and that in such condition the shelf 29 may be folded downwardly against the outer faces of the members 27 which latter, lying in a plane inwardly of the plane of the outer faces of the members 25 will permit the shelf to present its outer face in the same plane as the outer faces of the members 25. Also, it will be apparent that the top 33 may be stored within the remaining space in the section 11 in more or less abutting relation to the outer faces of the members 25 and the outer face of the shelf 29. Likewise, when in such position it will be apparent that the top 33 will act as an additional partition member separating articles which may have been stored within the partitions in each of the sections 10 and 11. During such closed condition of the device it will also be seen that the support member will extend through the slot 34 and the cut away portion 31 into the section 11.

When it is desired to utilize the device as a table, the top 33 is removed from the device and placed atop the top walls 12 and 18, the sections 10 and 11 first having been moved apart as indicated, for example, in FIGURE 4, whereupon the studs 37 may be inserted into the openings 36 in the top to thus hold the sections 10 and 11 and top in a unitary fashion. In such position the shelf 29 will rst have been raised upon its hinges 30 and allowed to lower itself upon the support 32 thereby providing a convenient shelf beneath the top 33 while at the same time providing access to the Various items which may have been stored in thesections 10 and 11.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A combined storage cabinet and table comprising a first cabinet section, shelving and dividers in said first section having their outer faces in the same plane as the inner face of said rst section, a second cabinet section having shelving and dividers, the upper portion of said last-mentioned shelving and dividers having its outer face in a plane lying inwardly of the plane of the inner face of said second section and the lower portion thereof lying in a plane inwardly of the plane of the outer faces of the shelving and dividers of the upper portion thereof, a shelf hingedly connected to the bottom portion of said upper shelving, a support for said shelf affixed to said first section and extending outwardly therefrom, a single piece table top normally snugly receivable within the sides, top and bottom of said section outwardly of said shelving and shelf, and a stud extending upwardly from each section, said table top having a pair of openings for receiving said studs when said table top is positioned horizontally upon said sections, said shelf being cut away at one corner said table top being provided with a slot, whereby said support is receivable in said cut away and slot when the sections are brought together.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,507,620 Val Barbara May 16, 1950 2,897,032 Kremer July 28, 1959 3,056,230 Brokaw Oct. 2, 1962 3,070,416 Post Dec. 25, 1962

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