US3362766A

US3362766A - Pulpit and communion table

Info

Publication number: US3362766A
Application number: US568570A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J Fontana
Original assignee: Joseph J. Fontana
Current assignee: JOSEPH J FONTANA
Priority date: 1966-07-28
Filing date: 1966-07-28
Publication date: 1968-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-09

Description

Jan. 9, 1968 J. .1. FONTANA 3,362,766

PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE Filed July 28, 1966 .IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,362,766 PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE Joseph J. Fontana, 622 Huron Road, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80910 Filed July 28, 1966, Ser. No. 568,570 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-33) This invention relates to religious devices, and more particularly a pulpit and communion table.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a pulpit and communion table which is designed to be used in hospitals, military bases, homes or other places Where religious services have to be performed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pulpit and communion table which is easily transportable and is adapted to be stored in a limited space.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pulpit and communion table which includes means for hingedly attaching the communion table to the front panel of said pulpit thereby providing additional flexibility in accordance with this invention.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pulpit and communion table which is of sturdy construction, is easy to assemble and provides maximum utility to the clergyman.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plane view of this invention as shown in FIGURE 1 with the portions being broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of this invention when in operative use;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the hinge connection of the table top to the pulpit;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary detail showing in side View the hinge arrangement of the cross to the table top.

According to this invention, a pulpit and communion table 10 is provided with a front panel 11. The top portion of panel 11 is secured to a downwardly disposed top panel 12 which provides supporting and holding means to the contents, such as Bible, prayer books, etc. (not shown), generally being disposed on panel 12. The bot tom-most portion of panel 12 is provided with an elongated, transversely disposed stop member which is designed to prevent the above-mentioned items from sliding downwardly or falling off the top panel .12. A pair of side portions 13 enclose rear portion of pulpit 10. A base 14 is designed to support pulpit 10 and, in addition, to provide means for the clergyman so that he may observe the congregation from an elevated position. A transversely disposed hinge 15 suitably secures the bottom portion of 3,362,766 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 the front panel 11 with a communion table or platform 16.

As it may be seen from the drawing, an ornamental cross 17 is hingedly secured at 18 to the front panel 16. When in operative use, cross 17 may assume a vertical position (see FIGURE 4) and thereby provide support means to the free end of panel 16. Furthermore, a lock latch member 19 is provided for securing the bottom portion of said cross to panel 16 when said panel assumes a vertical position. In addition, hinge 15 is disposed from base 14 at a height identical with the height of cross 17 and the thickness of panel 16.

What I now claim is:

1. In a pulpit and communion table, the combination of a base, a pulpit supported upon said base and a pair of side portions, each of said side portions comprising a generally L-shaped fence, one of which is secured adjacent each side of said pulpit and also supported upon said base, supporting a forwardly pivotable communion table, said base, supporting a forwardly pivotable communion table, said base comprising an elevated platform of generally rectangular configuration having a forward and rear wall and parallel side walls supporting 3. rectangular flooring thereupon, said pulpit comprising an upstanding front wall, an upstanding side wall adjacent each side of said front wall, a rearwardly, downwardly inclined top wall forming a support for holding a Bible or prayer book, a horizontally extending hinge secured near a lower edge of said front wall, said communion table being secured along one edge to said hinge, said communion table in retracted position being pivoted upwardly adjacent the front side of said front wall, a cross configurated leg hingedly secured at its upper end to a central portion of the front side of said communion table, said cross configurated leg supporting said communion table in a horizontal position when said communion table is pivoted downwardly about said horizontal hinge, said leg having a length equal to the heighth of said horizontal hinge from a lower edge of said base, and said pulpit being secured relatively close to a front edge of said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 470,319 3/1892 Emmelen 3 l2-33 X 689,295 12/ 1901 Dugan 297-187 1,794,109 2/ 1931 Eckert. 2,522,210 9/1950 Cohen 312-33 2,598,128 5/1952 Liechty 10213 3,011,848 12/1961 Hasson 312-33 3,120,410 2/1964 Berg 312-33 3,123,414 3/1964 Rupp 31233 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,091,957 4/1955 France.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

G. O. FIN CH, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE, THE COMBINATION OF A BASE, A PULPIT SUPPORTED UPON SAID BASE AND A PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS COMPRISING A GENERALLY L-SHAPED FENCE, ONE OF WHICH IS SECURED ADJACENT EACH SIDE OF SAID PULPIT AND ALSO SUPPORTED UPON SAID BASE, SUPPORTING A FORWARDLY PIVOTABLE COMMUNION TABLE, SAID BASE, SUPPORTING A FORWARDLY PIVOTABLE COMMUNION TABLE, SAID BASE COMPRISING AN ELEVATED PLATFORM OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION HAVING A FORWARD AND REAR WALL AND PARALLEL SIDE WALLS SUPPORTING A RECTANGULAR FLOORING THEREUPON, SAID PULP COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING FRONT WALL, AN UPSTANDING SIDE WALL ADJACENT EACH SIDE OF SAID FRONT WALL, A REARWARDLY, DOWNWARDLY INCLINED TOP WALL FORMING A SUPPORT FOR HOLDING A BIBLE OR PRAYER BOOK, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING HINGE SECURED NEAR A LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL, SAID COMMUNION TABLE BEING SECURED ALONG ONE EDGE TO SAID HINGE, SAID COMMUNION TABLE IN RETRACTED POSITION BEING PIVOTED UPWARDLY ADJACENT THE FRONT SIDE OF SAID FRONT WALL, A CROSS CONFIGURATED LEG HINGEDLY SECURED AT ITS UPPER END TO A CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FRONT SIDE OF SAID COMMUNION TABLE, SAID CROSS CONFIGURATED LEG SUPPORTING SAID COMMUNIION TABLE IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION WHEN SAID COMMUNION TABLE IIS PIVOTED DOWNWARDLY ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL HINGE, SAID LEG HAVING A LEG EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF SAID HORIZONTAL HINGE FROM A LOWER EDGE OF SAID BASE, AND SAID PULPIT BEING SECURED RELATIVELY CLOSE TO A FRONT EDGE OF SAID BASE.