US3211506A

US3211506A - Convertible desk for language teaching and the like

Info

Publication number: US3211506A
Application number: US214573A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard S Levy; Alfred A Greenberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-08-03
Filing date: 1962-08-03
Publication date: 1965-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-12

Description

Oct. 12, 1965 R. s. LEVY ETAL 3,211,506

CONVERTIBLE DESK FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. R/CHAZD 5. LEVY and ALFRED A GREENBEPG Oct. 12, 1965 R. s. LEVY ETAL 3,211,506

CONVERTIBLE DESK FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3, 1962 INVENTOR.

E/CHAED 5. LEVY and AL FEED ,4, GREEK/BE E6 A T TOENE Y5 United States Patent Filed Aug. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 214,573 6 Claims. '(Cl. 312-239) This invention relates generally to the furniture art, and more specifically to a new and useful convertible desk for language teaching and the like.

The desk of this invention is designed to provide an effective environment for listen-respond and listen-respond-record language laboratory work, without restricting the classroom to a fixed booth arrangement. While the isolation and other advantages provided by booths are obtained, the room may be used for normal instruction, or for a home room, by simply lowering a hood, and it is a primary object of our invention to provide the foregoing in a desk having means retarding the lowering movement of the hood thereby to avoid accidental injury to the student manipulating the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide a convertible desk for language teaching and the like having a hood movable between normal desk and language booth positions, and incorporating means automatically enclosing the desk storage compartment containing the headset, microphone and other language teaching equipment when the desk is in normal use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a convertible desk for language teaching and the like having a hood movable between raised and lowered positions, and incorporating a latch mechanism for retaining the hood in its raised position, together with stop means limiting movement of the latch mechanism in a manner avoiding jamming and marring of the hood.

In one aspect thereof, a convertible desk for language teaching and the like constructed in accordance with our invention is characterized by the provision of a desk having a top and a forwardly opening storage compartment below the top, a hood mounted on the desk for movement.

between raised and lowered positions relative thereto, the hood having a back wall, opposite side walls and a top panel extending forwardly from the back wall between the side walls, the hood back and side walls extending upwardly from the back and opposite sides of the desk top when the hood is in its raised poistion, thereby defining a booth, and the hood back wall extending across the desk top with the hood panel extending downwardly across the storage compartment of the desk to enclose the same when the hood is in its lowered position.

In another aspect thereof, a convertible desk for language teaching and the like constructed in accordance with our invention is characterized by the provision of a desk having a top, a hood mounted on the desk for movement between raised and lowered positions relative thereto, the hood having a back and opposite side walls extending upwardly from the back and opposite sides of the desk top when the hood is in its raised position, the hood back wall extending across the desk top when the hood is in its lowered position, and means extending between the desk and the hood and retarding movement of the hood to its lowered position.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing features of the convertible desk of our invention will become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of one, presently preferred, illustrative embodiment thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the same wherein like Patented Oct. 12, 1965 reference numerals denote like parts throughout the various views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a desk of our invention, with the hood in its raised position, and with the desk legs broken away for convenience in illustration;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof, with the hood in its lowered position;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view thereof, with the hood in its lowered position;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view thereof, with the hood in its lowered position, illustrating in phantom the raised position of the hood;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view of that portion of FIG. 1 which is enclosed within the circle denoted 7;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view, on the same scale as FIG. 7, showing the motion retarding means;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view of the latch mechanism, taken about on line 9-9 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the closing action of the hood.

Referring in detail to the illustrative embodiment of our invention depicted in the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that there is provided a hood 1 and a desk 2. The desk is formed to provide a compartment 3 having top, bottom, side and rear walls, but open at its front, comprising for example a conventional book compartment positioned beneath the desk top 4. The desk is supported on a pair of legs 5 which are shown as being of the pedestal type, although the particular form of the legs 5 and the compartment 3 does not affect our invention.

Hood '1 is pivoted on desk 2, by a hinge 6 having one leaf secured to the desk top 4 and its other leaf secured to the back wall 7 of hood 1. The hood also is provided with a pair of opposite side walls 8 and a panel 9 extending forwardly from back wall 7, between side walls 8, and forming a top wall when the hood is in its raised position, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Hood 1 is adapted to be swung between a lowered position, for normal use, and a raised position for language use, as illustrated in FIG. 5. When in its raised position, it will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the hood side walls 8, back wall 7 and top wall 9 form, in conjunction with desk top 4, a booth providing the proper acoustical and psychological isolation found to be desirable for language instruction in a language laboratory. The side walls 8 can be provided with panels 10 of acoustical material, such as a urethane foam covered by perforated metal, not shown, or any suitable material. The corn partment 3 can house the amplifier and other controls, used in conjunction with language teaching, and can provide a housing for a headset, a microphone, and the like. Desk top 4 provides a working surface when the hood 1 is in its raised position.

The hood 1 is positively held in its raised position, by a pair of pivoted latches 11 mounted on plates 12 secured to the underside of desk top 4, at opposite sides thereof. Latches 11 pivot about a vertical axis between the full line, latching position thereof shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, and the release or unlatching position thereof shovm in full lines in FIG. 10 and in phantom in FIG. 9. The student merely raises the hood, and pivots latches 11 outwardly to engage in notches 13 which can be provided in each of the opposite side walls 8 of hood 1. While notches 13 can be eliminated, particularly when stops 14 are provided, they do lock the latches in latching position.

It has been found that there is a tendency for students to move the latches 11 too far forwardly, beyond their latching position, and if this is done the hood can jam and the edges of the hood side walls are apt to be marred and damaged by t-he latches when the hood is lowered. This is particularly disturbing where the hood is provided with a formica or similar type of surface, the edges of which can be marred if they strike latches 11 when the same extend along instead of across the sides 8.

To prevent this, a pair of stops 14 are mounted, one on each side wall 8, to depend therefrom at a point intercepting latches 11 just beyond the normal latching position thereof, as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 9. The bottom edge of hood back wall 7 is recessed, as indicated in FIG. 3, and abuts desk top 4 to limit the opening or raising movement of the hood. Latches 11 and stops 14 are so arranged that the stops will intercept the latches when the hood is in its fully raised position, the hood then settling back slightly as the latches are received in notches 13.

When the hood 1 is swung to its lowered position, it will be seen that back Wall 7 extends across the desk top 4 to provide the writing surface, and that the isolation booth effect provided by hood 1 in its raised position is completely removed. Thus, there is no encumbrance between the teacher and a pupil seated at the desk, whereby the desk can be used in the manner of a normal desk.

In addition, top wall panel 9 of hood 1 extends downwardly across the open front of compartment 3, to enclose the equipment stored therein. This prevents tampering with the equipment, and avoids the distraction which such equipment otherwise might present when the desk is in normal classroom use.

To control movement of hood 1, and avoid the undesired possibility of accidentally pinching the students fingers or otherwise causing physical harm as the hood is lowered, motion retarding means are provided. In the illustrated embodiment, such means are provided on each side of the desk, and comprise in each instance a channel 15 mounted on the desks as by screws 15', and containing a slider 16. A link arm 17 is pivotally connected at one end to slider 16, and at its opposite end to a plate 18 fastened inside hood 1 at a point offset from hinge 6.

As hood 1 is swung from its raised position to its lowered position, plates 18 are swung in a counter-clockwise direction, in the illustrated embodiment, rearwardly and upwardly about the pivot axis of hinge 6. This retracts the sliders 16, which have a friction engagement with the side walls of the channels 15, and which thereby resist and retard movement of hood 1. The frictional engagement of each slider 16 with its channel can be adjusted, by a rotating screw 19 to move a pair of clamping plates 21.

Each slider 16 comprises a friction element 20, of rubber or other suitable material, sandwiched between a pair of plates 21 arranged to be moved toward or away from each other by rotating a bolt 19 which extends through the outer plate 21 and through element 20 into threaded engagement with the inner plate 21. Rotating bolt 19 to move plates 21 toward each other compresses element 20 into tighter engagement with the channel walls, while rotation of bolt 19 in the opposite direction relieves the frictional engagement therebetween.

The frictional engagement between sliders 16 and channels 15 can be varied, to adjust the motion retarding force, and if desired these parts can be arranged to support hood 1 in any intermediate position. Also, because arms 17 move closer to the pivot axis of hinge 6 as the hood is lowered, the effective resisting force increases as the hood is'lowered, offsetting and exceed ing any increase in the effective lowering force produced by the weight of the hood.

Accordingly, it is seen that our invention fully accomplishes its intended objects. .While we have disclosed and described only one embodiment, that has been done by way of illustration only, without thought of limitation.

Having fully disclosed and completely described our invention, together with its mode of'operation, what we claim as new is:

1. A convertible desk for language teaching and the like comprising, in combination with a desk having a top, a hood hingedly mounted on said desk for movement between raised and lowered positions relative thereto, said hood having a back and opposite side walls extending upwardly from the back and opposite sides of said top when said hood is in said raised position, said hood back wall extending across said top when said hood is in said lowered position, and means operable during lowering movement of said hood to said lowered position to retard such movement, wherein said last-named means comprise a generally horizontal guide channel carried by said desk on a side thereof, a slider movable along said channel in frictional engagement therewith, and an arm pivotally connected adjacent one end to said hood .and adjacent its opposite end to said slider, and wherein said arm is pivoted to said hood in downwardly offset relation to the axis. of movement of said hood when said hood is in said raised position, said arm moving toward said axis upon lowering said hood.

2. A convertible desk for language teaching and the like as set forth in claim 1, together with means for selectively varying 'the frictional engagement between said slider and said guide channel.

3. A convertible desk as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hood back wall abuts said top to limit raising movement of said hood.

4. A convertible desk as set forth in claim 1 wherein said desk has a forwardly opening storage compartment below said top, said hood having a top panel extending forwardly from said back wall between said side Walls, said panel extending downwardly across said compartment to enclose the same when said hood is in said lowered position.

5. A convertible desk as set forth in claim 1, together with releasable lock means for holding said hood in said raised position, said lock means comprising a latch pivoted on said desk for movement into and out of locking position beneath one of said hood side walls when said hood is in said raised position.

6. A convertible desk as set forth in claim 5, together with stop means carried by said one side wall for blocking movement of said latch belond said locking position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,616 8/87 Gray 16-172 406,840 7/89 Jones 217-60 1,424,531 8/ 22 Turbeville 312-884 X 1,532,239 4/25 Fauser 217-60 X 1,929,551 10/33 Hamilton 312-208 X 2,115,656 4/38 Thompson 217-60 2,671,002 3/54 White 312-255 2,943,901 7/60 Eaton 312-284 X 3,085,843 4/63 Mallina 312-196 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

Claims

1. A CONVERTIBLE DESK FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING AND THE LIKE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION WITH A DESK HAVING A TOP, A HOOK HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID DESK FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITIONS RELATIVE THERETO, SAID HOOD HAVING A BACK AND OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BACK AND OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOP WHEN SAID HOOD IS IN SAID RAISED POSITION, SAID HOOD BACK WALL EXTENDING ACROSS SAID TOP WHEN SAID HOOD IS IN SAID LOWERED POSITION, AND MEANS OPERABLE DURING LOWERING MOVEMENT OF SAID HOOD TO SAID LOWERED POSITION TO RETARD SUCH MOVEMENT, WHEREIN SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS COMPRISE A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL GUIDE CHANNEL CARRIED BY SAID DESK ON A SIDE THEREOF, A SLIDER MOVABLE