US3468592A - Table structure - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23, 1969 M. J. MADEY TABLE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1968 FIGS Md W ATT'YS Sept. 23, 1969 M. J. MADEY 3,468,592

TABLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l 03 x u. aj/

v N) r v v n g '5 g n o ,7 w 1 n MARION J. MADEY ATT'YS United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 23, 1969 3,468,592 TABLE STRUCTURE Marion .I. Madey, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to Poster Products, Inc., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 700,250 Int. Cl. A47b 96/18; A47f 9/00 US. Cl. 312-140;: Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table is assembled from shaped edge members, preferably made of extruded aluminum, secured to resin coated plywood or other sheet material, characterized particularly by top edge members, each having an upwardly extending portion adapted to engage the side edge of a horizontally disposed table top, a pair of inwardly extending parallel portions adapted to engage the upper and lower sides, respectively, of said table top adjacent said edge and an outwardly extending top portion. Each side edge member also preferably has an outwardly extending bottom portion adapted to seat on the top edge of a side panel and a downwardly depending portion integral with said bottom portion adapted to be secured to the inside of a side panel adjacent the top edge of such panel. The outwardly extending top portion of the edge member afiords a lip with an underlying recess which makes it possible to secure a conventional partition to the table top and also to connect two or more tables together. Recessed channels are also provided to run transversely through the table top to afford a second lip for securing partitions, to provide means for holding an upright support for display of articles and also to provide means for holding two or more tables together.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved table which can be readily assembled and is especially useful in stores and showrooms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved table made from resin coated plywood or other similar sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide structural members for a table which are especially useful in making tables from resin coated plywood and similar sheet materials.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a unique table which is adapted to receive dividers or partitions on the top thereof so as to permit the separation of goods or articles to be displayed thereon.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a table having a unique top construction which makes it possible to unite it with similar tables in a series of two or more tables.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table having a unique top construction in which vertical supporting structures can be combined therewith and, if desired, combined with similar supporting structures on an adjacent table of similar constructions.

'Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pair of tables constructed in accordance with the invention and united together;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a typical table top divider or partition which can be employed to provide compartments on the tops of the tables shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken alone the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 1.

In its essential features each of the tables shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a table top having shaped edge members, preferably made of extruded aluminum, said top being resin coated plywood or other similar rigid sheet material, and said edge members consisting of an upwardly extending portion adapted to engage the side edges of the table top, an inwardly extending portion adapted to engage the lower side of the table top adjacent the edge, preferably a pair of inwardly extending portions to engage the upper and lower sides of the table top, an outwardly extending top portion which affords a lip around the top of the table, each side edge member, and preferably also each front and back edge member, having another portion extending outwardly from the bottom of said vertical portions to form a recess, channel or groove around the upper edge of the table, each side edge portion also having a downwardly depending portion integral with said edge member adapted to be secured to the inside of a side panel adjacent the top edge of said panel, said table also having a recessed channel extending from side to side in a central part of the top to afford a pair of lips for securing partition members and also to provide means for holding an upright support for display of articles and for holding two or more tables together. Where upright article supports are used, they are preferably constructed of metal or other rigid material and comprise one or more tubular members that can be secured together in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, two tables, generally indicated at 1 and 2, are combined. These tables have essentially the same structure except that table 1 is equipped with sliding doors and table 2 is equipped with a drawer. The side opposite the front side of each table shown in FIGURE 1 can be the same as the front side or it can be different. Thus, table 1 can have sliding doors on the opposite side or it can be equipped with a drawer like table 2. Similarly table 2 can be equipped on the opposite side with a drawer or it can be provided with sliding doors like table 1. Where sliding doors are used, the interior structure can be provided with shelves but this is a matter of preference and does not constitute a part of the invention.

Table 1 has a top 3 and a side panel 4. Both are preferably resin coated plywood panels, for example, inch in thickness with a melamine-formaldehyde or ureaformaldehyde resin (e.g., Formica) thereon. Similarly in table 2 the top 5 preferably consists of a resin coated plywood panel and the same applies to the side panels which are not shown. The side edge members 6, 6 in table 1 and 7, 7 in table 2 are preferably made of extruded aluminum and have the cross section shown in FIGURE 3 wherein there is an upwardly extending or vertical portion 8 adapted to engage the side edge 9 of the table top 3 and parallel inwardly extending portions 10 and 11 adapted to engage the upper and lower sides respectively of table top 3 adjacent the edge 9. The edge members 6 and 7 also each have an outwardly extending top portion 12 which provides a lip 13 and an outwardly extending bottom portion 14. The upwardly extending portion 8 and the outwardly extending portions 12 and 14 define a recess, channel or groove 15. In addition, each of the side edge members 6 and 7 has a downwardly depending portion 16 integral with the bottom portion 11 and adapted to be secured to the inside of the side panel 4. In the structure shown, the top panel 3 is secured to the edge member 6 by means of screws 17, or other suitable means, and the side panel 4 is secured to the edge member 6 by means of screws 18, or other suitable means.

Each of the tables 1 and 2 is provided with a central recessed channel member generally indicated at 19 and 20, respectively, and shown in cross section in FIGURE 4. This channel member is preferably made from extruded aluminum and consists of a fiat bottom portion 21, upwardly extending vertical side portions 22 and 23 and inwardly extending upper portions 24 and 25. The por-.

tions 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 define a recessed area 26 and the inwardly extending portions 24 and 25 provide lips which function in the manner hereinafter described. The channel member 19 is secured by means of screws 27, or other suitable means, to the top panel 3 and since the channel member 19 is centrally located the screws 27 can also pass into an inner separating wall 28 which divides table 1 into two interior compartments.

In table 1 access to the interior of the table is obtained by means of sliding doors 29 and 39. The structure of the front edge member 31 is slightly different from the structure of the side edge members 6, 6 in that the depending portion 16 (FIGURE 3) is omitted in order to provide a space for guide members for the sliding doors 29 and 30.

As shown in FIGURE 7, the front edge member 31 has an upwardly extending vertical portion 32 and outwardly extending upper portion 33, an outwardly extending portion 34, an inwardly extending upper portion 35 and an inwardly extending lower portion 36. The front edge member 31 is secured to the top panel 3 and also to the guide member 37 by means of screws 38 or other suitable means. The sliding doors 29 and 30 are supported by a lower guide member 39 which is secured to a bottom panel 40 by means of screws 41, or other suitable means. The structure of the guide members 37 and 39 and the sliding doors 29 and 30 does not form a part of this invention. Any similar type of conventional structure can be employed.

In table 2 the front edge member 42 is similar to the side edge members 7 and the structure is the same as that previously described with respect to FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 shows a cross section of the side panel .48 of table 2 and the front panel 46 of the drawer 43.

As shown in FIGURE 8, the drawer 43 is provided with a fitting 44 secured by means of screws 45, or other suitable means, to the inside of the drawer panel 46. The fitting 44 has a downwardly depending lip 47 which makes it possible to open and close the drawer by grasping it with the fingers. The drawer structure does not form a part of the present invention. Other conventional types of drawers can be employed.

The table 1 is supported by legs 49 and table 2 is supported by legs 50 in a conventional manner.

A unique feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the upper surface of the table can be divided into compartments using a conventional type partition member 51 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The partition member per se is shown in FIGURE 2 and consists of a .plastic superstructure 52, the front edge of which is fastened to a plastic clip 53 and the back end to a metal clip .54. The clip 53 has an inwardly projecting lip 55 and the clip 54 has an inwardly projecting lip 56. The clips 53 and 54 are made of a resilient material, the clip 54 preferably being made of spring metal. The clip 53 is readily secured to the front edge member 31 by placing the lip 55 over the outwardly extending portion 33 (see FIGURE 7). The clip 54 is then snapped into place by placing the lip 56 in the recess of channel member 59 Where the lip 56 engages the underside of the inwardlyv extending portion (see FIGURE 4). In this manner a number of partitions 51 can be secured in place as shown in FIGURE 1 and their location can readily be changed in order to accommodate articles of various sizes. It will readily be seen that there is no limit on the number of partitions that can be used with this type of structure.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision of upright article supports generally shown at 57 and 58 in FIGURE 1. These article supports preferably consist of hollow extruded aluminum or stainless steel and in table 1 comprise an upper horizontal member 59 and a lower horizontal member 60. Similarly in table 2 there is an upper horizontal member 61 and a lower horizontal member 62. The horizontal members 59 and 60 are secured by welding or in any other suitable manner to vertical members 63 in table 1 and vertical members 64in table 2. The vertical members 63, 64 are also preferably made of extruded aluminum or stainless steel and are hollow and rectangular in cross section. They are provided with slots or apertures 65 which are spaced vertically and permit the insertion of various types of horizontally extending supports or hangers, not shown. These can be used to display various types of merchandise. An optional feature is the provision of a rectangular frame 66 at one end of the structure 58 which is secured to the horizontal members 61 and 62 in any suitable manner. This can also be used to support merchandise or as a frame for printed advertising matter.

The horizontal member 60 is elevated above the table top 3 in table 1 by means of supports 67. Similarly the horizontal member 62 in table 2 is elevated above the table top by means of supports 68. These supports 67 and 68 can be secured to the respective horizontal members 61 and 62 by means of screws or in any other suitable manner. The lower portion of each support can be shaped so as to have a recess on either side that will permit it to slide in the space between portions 24 and 25 of the channel bar 19. In this way it can be inserted into the end of the channel bar and moved along to the proper position. Any other suitable means can be employed to secure the supports 67 to the channel bar 19. Similarly the supports 68 can be secured to the channel bar 20 in table 2. The supports 67 and 68 should have sufiicient vertical heighth so that the clip 54 of the partition member 51 (FIGURE 2) can be inserted easily underneath the members 60 and 62.

When table 1 is combined with table 2 to form a single unit as shown in FIGURE 1 it is preferable to use connecting members as illustrated in FIGURE 6. Thus, a connecting member 69 is employed to connect the members 59 and 61. The connecting member 69 consists of a hollow member or a block 70 and outwardly extending members 71 and 72 which have a slightly smaller depth than the central member 7 0 so that they will fit inside the tubular members 59 and 61, respectively. The connecting members 70 can then be secured to the tubular members 59 and 61 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of screws 73, 73.

The lower horizontal tubular members 60 and 62 are secured together by means of a connecting member 74 which is similar to the connecting member 70. However, the connecting member 74 is supported by a tubular supporting member 75 which can be a separate piece. The supporting member 75 is mounted over the opening between edge members 6 and 7 which have the structure shown in FIGURE 3. There is enough clearance between the edge members 6 and 7 to permit the passage of a screw or bolt 76 which is threadedly engaged with an elongated bar-like member 77. The latter extends several inches or more on both sides of the screw or bolt 76. When the screw or bolt 76 is tightened, the upper parts of the edge members 6 and 7 are clamped between the tubular member 75 and the bar member 77, thereby producing a rigid connection between table 1 and table 2.

In a similar manner more than two tables can be joined together to produce, if desired, a store length table adapted to hold various types of articles of merchandise. The invention is especially advantageous because of the simplicity of construction and particularly on account of the ease with which partitions can be applied to the table top and two or more tables can be combined.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A table comprising a table top, side walls, and edge members on the edges of the table top connected to the side walls, said edge members each having an upwardly extending portion adapted to engage a vertical side edge of the table top, an inwardly extending portion connected to the bottom of said upwardly extending portion and adapted to engage the bottom side of said table top adjacent the edge thereof, an outwardly extending portion connected to the top of said upwardly extending portion adapted to form a lip, said lip extending along the front and side edges of said table and a recessed channel member in a central part of said table extending parallel to the front of the table and providing a lip extending along said channel member whereby partition members having resilient clips thereon can be snapped into engagement on one side with the lip of said channel member and on the other side with a lip of said edge member, the central portion of said table containing a plurality of horizontal tubular members connected by vertical tubular members and supported above said channel member by supporting members engaged Within said channel member, said vertically extending members being provided with means to support display devices.

2. A table as claimed in claim 1 in which the side edge members connected to the table top also have a portion which is integral with the inwardly extending bottom portion of said edge member and extends downwardly and is secured to the inside of a side panel of said table adjacent the top edge of such panel.

3. A plurality of tables as claimed in claim 1 comprising means to hold them together through the edge members.

4. A plurality of tables as claimed in claim 3 in which said means for holding said tables together comprises a bar adapted to fit in a recess beneath the lips of said edge members, said bar having a threaded opening therein and a threaded clamping element engaging the threads in said opening and clamping the lips of adjoining edge members together.

5. A plurality of tables as claimed in claim 1 combined as a unit and held together at least in part by connecting members engaging said horizontal members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,708 12/1941 Westbrook et al. 312-1403 2,743,148 4/1956 Tedaldi 312-1403 3,110,531 11/1963 Nowicki 312140.3 3,169,810 2/1965 Levy et al. 312-1403 3,308,963 3/1967 Peacock 312-1403 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner I. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner

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