US3141701A

US3141701A - Foot supports

Info

Publication number: US3141701A
Application number: US157286A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd H Wilkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-06-27
Filing date: 1961-06-27
Publication date: 1964-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-07-21

Description

July 21, 1964 H. WILKINS FOOT SUPPORTS Filed June 27, 1961 FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 2

IN V EN TOR.

LLOYD H. WILKINS United States Patent 3,141,701 FOOT SUPPORTS Lloyd H. Wilkins, 1315 Admiral Drive, Alexandria, Va. Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 157,286 2 Claims. (Cl. 297-439) This invention relates in general to foot supports, and more particularly to foot supports for desks, coffee tables, etc.

An object of this invention is to provide a foot support for use with desks, tables and the like which prevents scuffing and scarring thereof, which is comfortable and convenient to use and which is small and inexpensive.

Other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will appear from the following description and the appended claims. The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a footrest according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded elevational view of another modification of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the base and bearing unit shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3 in use; and

FIG. 8 is a further modification of the invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flat base member 10, shown as rectangular, but which may be of any desired shape, has integrally formed therewith an upright or vertical post or pedestal 11. Pedestal 11 carries yoke or saddle member 12, comprising slightly diverging arms 13 and 14 and a seat or base portion 16. Base portion 16, it will be noted, is inclined at an angle to the horizontal such that the central area thereof is included in a line generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of a users legs when crossed and propped upon a desk. The lower surface of base member may carry a friction pad or cushion 17 to prevent the foot support from slipping on a desk and further protect the desk or table with which the foot support may be used.

It may be desirable to adjust the angle the seat portion 16 of the saddle 12 to accommodate users having different physical characteristics. To this end, the saddle 12 has a yoke 18 formed on the lower surface thereof which fits over an upstanding tongue 19 on the upper end of pedestal 11. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a wing screw 20 passes through a hole 21 in arm 22 of yoke 18 and a hole 23 in tongue 19 to threadably engage threads formed in a bore 24 in arm 26 of yoke 18. When the butterfly head 27 on wing screw 20 is turned clockwise, the arm 21 is moved just enough so that the yoke frictionally secures the saddle 12 to tongue 19 on pedestal 11 at any desired position. It will be obvious that yoke 18 may be formed on the underside of saddle 12 and the tongue 19 on the upper end of pedestal 11 to obtain the same result.

3,141,701 Patented July 21, 1964 With reference to the modification shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, saddle 12 carries on its underside a depending bearing shaft 28. A bore 29 in the top of pedestal insert 30 forms a post for rotatably receiving bearing shaft 28. A yoke 31, formed on the bottom of pedestal insert 30 has one leg 32 bored so that a wing screw 33 may freely pass therethrough. The other leg 34 of yoke 31 has a threaded bore 35 for receiving the threaded end of wing screw 33. A vertical tongue 36 on the top of pedestal 11 is provided with a bore 38 through which the end of wing screw passes when tongue 19 is located between the

arms

32 and 34 of yoke 31. With this arrangement the saddle 12 may be rotated or swiveled according to the whim of the user as well as adjusted to arrive at the most comfortable inclination of seat 16 in saddle 12.

As shown in the central position of FIG. 7, the saddle 12 of FIGS. 3 or 5 may be secured by wing screw 27 to the edge of a desk drawer. In this situation, it will be necessary for the user to adjust the angle of saddle 12 in order to take into account the change in height of the saddle.

According to the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, base 10 and pedestal 11 carry a double saddle 12', comprising a pair of outer arms 39 and 40 and a central or middle arm 41. Assuming a user normally crosses the left foot over the right foot, outer arm 40 forms with middle arm 41 a left foot saddle, while outer arm 39 forms with middle arm 41 a right foot saddle. It will be noted that the left foot saddle is slightly higher than the right foot saddle. Moreover, the saddles need not be in a common plane, the planes of each saddle forming a dihedral angle, as is the case with when a users legs are crossed.

What is claimed is:

1. A foot support comprising a base, a pedestal member mounted on said base, a generally U-shaped saddle member, means pivotally mounting said saddle member said means pivotally mounting said saddle member on said pedestal member comprises a tongue on one of the members having an aperture therein, a yoke on the other of said members, each arm of said yoke having an aperture therein in alignment with the aperture in said tongue, and means passing through said apertures for releasably securing said members in different positions of adjustment.

2. A foot support comprising a generally U-shaped saddle member, a yoke formed on the underside of the seat of said saddle member, and a clamping screw threadably engaged with a threaded bore formed in one of the legs of said yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,197 Pynchon Dec. 23, 1890 484,961 Harper Oct. 25, 1892 561,562 Brownson et a1. June 9, 1896 988,923 Bauerteind Apr. 4, 1911 1,131,802 Stenshoel Mar. 16, 1915 1,376,280 James Apr. 26, 1921 2,576,883 Koski Nov. 27, 1951 2,850,342 Robinson Sept. 2, 1958

Claims

1. A FOOT SUPPORT COMPRISING A BASE, A PEDESTAL MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A GENERALLY U-SHAPED SADDLE MEMBER, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID SADDLE MEMBER SAID MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID SADDLE MEMBER ON SAID MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID SADDLE MEMBER ON SAID PEDESTAL MEMBER COMPRISES A TONGUE ON ONE OF THE MEMBERS HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN, A YOKE ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS, EACH ARM OF SAID YOKE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURE IN SAID TONGUE, AND MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID APERTURES FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID MEMBERS IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT.