US3184274A - Multiple-platform office desks - Google Patents

Description

May 18, 1965 J. MUGNIER MULTIPLE-PLATFORM OFFICE DESKS Filed Jan. 4, 1965 ZZZZIIIZZI P-T .1 M B 1 VII/I671 fibril/11162119111112 JOACHIM MUGNIER 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,184,274 MULTIPLE-PLATFORM OFFICE DESKS Joachim Mugnier, 24 Rue Carnot, Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France Filed Jan. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 249,421 Claims priority, application France, Jan. 19, 1962, 42,215, Patent 1,311,027 3 Claims. (Cl. 312196) Multiple classifying ofiice desks-have already been proposed, for instance. in the United States Patent 2,614,017 dated October 14, 1952. Said type of desk is constituted by the combination of a lower stationary section provided with large recesses for the classification of dockets with an upper section including a plurality of superposed boards forming as many independent tables separated from one another by gaps a few centimeters high, said boards being slidably guided with reference to one another and with reference to the lower stationary section. The upper section of such prior desks includes also a front covering panel and two lateral covering panels through which said upper section engages the floor during the sliding of the boards, said panels covering the entire piece of furniture and serving also as a sliding support for the boards carried by the lower stationary section of the piece of furnitnre.

Although said arrangements are highly advantageous, they show a number of drawbacks such as the trace left by the rollers after repeated movements of the upper board over a floor or carpet. It is also difficult to set arm-chairs or the like seats near the front edge of the desk without preventing movement of the upper board. The outline of such oflice desks is necessarily heavy and unaesthetic while their cost price is comparatively great.

My invention has for its object to obviate such drawbacks. To this end, the upper board no longer rests on the floor by way of a vertical panel, nor does it entirely encase the stationary section. Instead, it slides over the lower stationary section through 'the agency of rollers positioned in a manner such that they oppose the upsetting torque of which the maximum value is reduced by means of stops restricting the extent of shifting of said board while the rollers of the intermediate boards run over rails provided on the one hand underneath the upper board and, on the other hand, over the stationary section, the stability of which is reinforced by known means.

The stationary section forms, in this case, the sole outer cover for the piece of furniture of which the shape is no longer subjected to any functional limitation and may be given any desired aesthetic outline.

My invention will be readily understood from the reading of the following description, reference being made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings illustrating, by way of example and in a non-limiting sense, a preferred embodiment of my invention. In said drawings:

' FIG. 1 is a front-elevational view of the desk.

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section, on a larger scale, along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the slideways on the right-hand side of the desk.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate two arrangements for increasing the stability of the desk.

The piece of furniture illustrated includes chiefly a lower stationary section 2 resting on the floor, an upper board 3 sliding over the stationary section 2, an intermediate board 4 and a lower board 5, which boards also slide and engage both the upper board 3 and the stationary section 2, as disclosed hereinafter.

The stationary section 2 encloses the different drawers 6 and pigeonholes of the desk. Its sides. are constituted each by two vertical panels 7 and 8 which are rigidly secured to each other at their lower ends by stays 9. FIG.

3 illustrates the details of the structure of the right-hand side of the desk, the left-hand side being symmetrically arranged with reference to the medial vertical plane of the desk.

In the gap remaining between these two lateral panels 7 and 8 above the stay 9 are housed two pairs of rails 11, one rail of each pair being rigidly secured to one of said panels. Said rails serve as raceways for a carriage provided with two rollers 12 of which the common spindle 13 is rigid with a vertical rod 14 the upper end of which is rigidly secured to the upper board 3 adjacent its rear edge through the side facing the drawers of the vertical flanges 15 of the board 3 adjacent the rear edge of the desk. Said flanges also rest IOVCI' rollers 16 carried by the stationary section 2 at points adjacent the front edge of the desk.

Two stops 17 limit the shifting of the board 3 with a View to reducing the tractional stresses transmitted to the spindle 13 of the rollers 12 through their rods 14, whereby the upsetting torque produced by the overhanging of the board 3 and of the intermediate boards 4 and 5 partly supported by said board 3 is also substantially reduced.

The boards 4 and 5 are provided along each edge in the vicinity of each corner with rollers shown respectively at 18a, 18b and 19a, 19b.

The rear rollers 18a and 19a on the boards 4 and 5 engage the raceways 21a and 22a rigid with the lower stationary sections 2. The front rollers 18b and 19b engage the raceways 21b and 22b carried by the vertical depending flanges 15 of the board 3.

The various movements of the three movable boards may be executed in spite of the possible presence of seats to the front of the desk and in all cases without at any moment damaging the floor or its covering layers.

It is, however, necessary to absorb the upsetting torque produced by the overhanging of the movable boards in their foremost positions by resorting to an increased stability of the stationary section, for instance to an increase in weight of the pedestal of the latter, as illustrated in FIG. 4, or else, to outwardly projecting feet, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

Obviously, my invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of a desk described hereinabove and it covers, in contradistinction, all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A multiple-platform desk comprising a stationary base formed with a horizontal first working platform; a horizontally movable member having a second working platform vertically spaced from and parallel to said first platform while being substantially coextensive therewith in a closed condition of said desk; mounting means adjacent said first platform and including first antifriction means interposed between said base and said member and located proximal to the rear edge of said base and carrying said movable member while enabling displacement thereof from a closed position wherein it overlies said first platform to an open position wherein said second platform projects rearwardly beyond said base while being supported by cantilever action thereon, said mounting means further including second antifriction means interconnecting said movable member and said support and afiixed to said movable member at a forward edge thereof to prevent tilting of said second platform in the open position thereof; and at least one additional platform between said first and second platforms shiftably mounted on said movable member at the rear of said additional platform and on said base at the front of the additional platform.

2. A multiple platform desk as defined in claim 1 wherein said stationary base is provided with a pair of lateral, double-wall panels supporting said first platform, each of g, n V J said double-wall panels 7 defining fnom said movable member into each of said compartments and having respective rollers journaled on said rods within said compartments, said second antifriction means including horizontal rail means in'each of's'aid compart 'ments engaged by'the respective rollers from-below pre- 7 venting withdrawal'of saidrodsupwardlyifrom-saidcompartments.

3. A multiple platform desk: as defined in c1ai1n 2 wherein said base is pnovided with a stop limiting the horizontal displacement of said rods, said movable membernhaving a pair of generally vertical lateral flanges depending from said second platform and' coplanar .with saidipanels, :said rods being secured to said flanges, said flanges each. being san e274 a generally vertical iip- Wardly open compartment, said second antifriction means; 7 including a respective generally vertical rod-depending;

" provided with generally horizontalgnide -me ans supporting the rear of said additional platform 'with freedom of relative horizontal movement.

References Cited by the Examiner 15 FRAhIK-BQSHERRYQ Primary Exqnti ner

Claims (1)

1. A MULTIPLE-PLATFORM DESK COMPRISING A STATIONARY BASE FORMED WITH A HORIZONTAL FIRST WORKING PLATFORM; A HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE MEMBER HAVING A SECOND WORKING PLATFORM VERTICALLY SPACED FROM AND PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PLATFORM WHILE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH IN A CLOSED CONDITION OF SAID DESK; MOUNTING MEANS ADJACENT SAID FIRST PLATFORM AND INCLUDING FIRST ANTIFRICTION MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID BASE AND SAID MEMBER AND LOCATED PROXIMAL THE REAR EDGE OF SAID BASE AND CARRYING SAID MOVABLE MEMBER WHILE ENABLING DISPLACEMENT THEREOF FROM A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT OVERLIES SAID FIRST PLATFORM TO AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN SAID SECOND PLATFORM PROJECTS REARWARDLY BEYOND SAID BASE WHILE BEING SUPPORTED BY CANTILEVER ACTION THEREOF, SAID MOUNTING MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING SECOND ANTIFRICTION MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID MOVABLE MEMBER AND SAID SUPPORT AND AFFIXED TO SAID MOVABLE MEMBER AT A FORWARD EDGE THEREOF TO PREVENT TILTING OF SAID SECOND PLATFORM IN THE OPEN POSITION THEREOF; AND AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL PLATFORM BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLATFORMS SHIFTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MOVABLE MEMBER AT THE REAR OF SAID ADDITIONAL PLATFORM AND ON SAID BASE AT THE FRONT OF THE ADDITIONAL PLATFORM.

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