US3476061A

US3476061A - Folding table

Info

Publication number: US3476061A
Application number: US694255A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sasuke Takahashi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-12-28
Filing date: 1967-12-28
Publication date: 1969-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-04

Description

N V- 1969 SASUKE TAKAHASHI 3,476,061

FOLDING TABLE Filed Dec. 28, 19s? SASUKE TAKAHASHI,

INVESTOR.

United States Patent 3,476,061 FOLDING TABLE Sasuke Takahashi, 34/11 Yasunaka-cho, 6-chome, Yao, Osaka-fu, Japan Filed Dec. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 694,255

Int. Cl. A47b 3/087 1 US. Cl. 108-112 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A folding table which characterized by providing a base plate underneath the contacting edges of two substantially identical, level table top boards, fixing the former to the latter with hinges, providing first hinging points at the lower end of a vertical guide rod which hangs from the center of the base plate, fixing laterally spaced hinged legs to the back of the top boards with other hinges, providing additional hinging points in the middle of oppositely disposed horizontal supporting frames which are fixed to and interconnect the lower ends of opposite pairs of legs, setting reinforcing rods between the first hinging points and the additional hinging points in parallel with the top boards, mounting a sliding sleeve on to the vertical guide rod, setting bias rods between hinging points of the sliding sleeve and said additional hinging points in the middle of the horizontal supporting frames, providing a fixed sleeve at the upper end of the vertical guide rod such a way that a V-shaped protruding part can engage with a corresponding V-shaped notch of the sliding sleeve and simultaneously a locking claw of the sliding sleeve can engage with a hooking part of a swinging pivotal hook which is hinged on to a pivot point on the fixed sleeve.

The present invention pertains to a folding table and is characterized by providing a base or supporting plate underneath the contacting edges of two identical top boards, fixing the former to the latter with hinges, providing, first hinging points at the lower end of a vertical guide rod which hangs from the center of the base plate, fixing laterally spaced hinged legs to the back of the top boards with other hinges, providing hinging points in the middle of oppositely disposed horizontal supporting frames which are fixed to and interconnect the lower ends of opposite pairs of the legs, setting reinforcing rods between the first hinging points and the other additional hinging points in parallel with the top boards, mounting a sliding sleeve on to the vertical guide rod, setting bias rods between hinging points of the sliding sleeve and the said additional hinging points in the middle of the horizontal supporting frame, providing a fixed sleeve at the upper end of the vertical guide rod in such a way that a V-shaped protruding part can engage with a corresponding V-shaped notch of the sliding sleeve and simultaneously a claw of the sliding sleeve can engage with a hooking part of a pivotal hook which is hinged on to a pivot point on the fixed sleeve.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a compact fol-ding table of simple construction is easy to operate and which can easily be folded and extended with the advantage and that it can greatly save floor space when folded and further may serve as a partitioning screen when in the folded condition.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the fully extended folding table manufactured in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the folding table during an intermediate stage of being folded;

ice

FIG. 3 is an end view of the folding table;

FIG. 4 is a magnified front view based upon a fragmentary portion of FIG. 1 to show the central upper port of the table in detail and also showing a vertical section of the top boards by the table; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed side view of FIG. 4.

The present invention relates to a folding table which is characterized by providing a central base plate 3 underneath the contacting edges of two identical table top boards 1, 2, fixing the former to the latter with

hinges

4, 4, providing

first hinging points

6, 6 at the lower end of a vertical guide rod 5 which hangs from the center of the base plate 3, fixing laterally spaced hinged

support legs

8, 8 to the back of the top boards 1, 2 with

other hinges

7, 7, providing

additional hinging points

10, 10 in the middle of oppositely disposed horizontal supporting

frames

9, 9 which are fixed to and interconnect the lower ends of opposite pairs of legs, setting reinforcing

rods

11, 11 between the

first hinging points

6, 6 and said

additional hinging points

10, 10 in parallel with the top boards 1, 2, mounting a sliding sleeve 12, on to the vertical guide rod 5, setting

bias rods

14, 14 between hinging

points

13, 13 of said sliding sleeve 12 and the aforesaid

additional hinging points

10, 10 in the middle of the horizontal supporting

frames

9, 9, providing a fixed sleeve 16 at and around the upper end of the vertical guide rod 5 beneath said base plate 3, in such a way that a V-shaped protruding part 17 can engage with a corresponding V- shaped notch 15 of the sliding sleeve 12 and simultaneously a locking claw 18 of the sliding sleeve 12 can engage with a preferably spring-biased hooking part 21 of a hook 20 which is hinged on to a pivot member or point 19 of the fixed sleeve 16.

In the attached drawings, the designation 22 shows a hinging member or point provided beneath one horizontal supporting frame 9, on to which a hook 24 with a lever 23 raised by a spring in hinged; the designation 25 shows a claw provided in a complemental manner on or beneath the other horizontal supporting frame 9, adaptable to engage with the swinging hook 24; are

rollers

26, 26 provided at the outer ends of the horizontal supporting

frames

9, 9.

The structure and operation of the folding table of the present invention is further explained in the following referring to the attached drawing.

When using the table, the two top boards 1, 2 are stretched out to form a single level surface as shown in FIG. 1 and the reinforcing

rods

11, 11 are stretched out horizontally under the lower end of the vertical guide rod 5. At the same time, the sliding sleeve 12 is pushed upward along the vertical guide rod 5 by the

bias rods

14, 14 so that the V-shaped notch 15 of the sliding sleeve 12 can engage with the V-shaped protruding part 17 of the fixed sleeve 16 whereby the recessed hooking point 21 of the pivotal hook 20 which is hinged on to the hinging point 19 of the fixed sleeve 16 can engage with the claw or hook retainer 18 of the sliding sleeve 12. Thus, the

table support legs

8, 8 are kept at a fixed distance by the horizontally stretched reinforcing

rods

11, 11. As shown, the

rods

11, 11 are nestable within the

bias rods

14, 14, when in the collapsed or folded condition, both being preferably of channel form stock material.

'In this case, a right triangle is formed by the

bias rods

14, 14 with the

reinforcing rods

11, 11 as the base and with the center of the back of the top boards 1, 2 acting substantially as a vertex. It is larger than any other triangle which may internally touch or nest between the

legs

8, 8. According, the extended table is given a large load resisting capacity and by the triangular bracing is also maintained steady thereby preventing any vertical or horizontal vibration. Thus, this table is quite suitable to be used for dining, conference, playing table tennis and other general purposes.

In order to put the table away after use, a similar lever portion 23 of the swinging hook 20 is raised so that the hooking point 21 disengages from the claw 18 of the sliding sleeve 12. When the contacting edges of the two top boards 1, 2 are pushed upward, the sliding sleeve 12 comes down along the vertical guide rod 15, the latter of which is pushed upward by the inner ends of the reinforcing

rods

11, 11 hinged at the lower end of said guide rod 5. Consequently, the two top boards 1, 2 are folded vertically in parallel with each other with the

hinges

4, 4 of the base plate 3 as a fulcrum similar to closing an umbrella.

As shown with dotted lines in FIG. 2, the

legs

8, 8 close to each other by folding the top boards 1, 2 and are maintained steadily by the engagement between the hook 24 at the lower end of one horizontal supporting frame 9 and the claw 25 at the lower end of the other horizontal supporting frame 9.

Thus, the folding table manufactured in accordance with the present invention has advantages that it can easily be folded and readily and stably extended, with the attendant advantage that it can greatly save floor space when folded and further may serve as a partitioning screen when it is folded.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A folding table comprising in combination:

(a) two table top sections (1, 2) arranged to swing adjacent medial contacting edges from a horizontal operative condition into a substantially vertical collapsed or folded condition with said sections disposed in substantially parallel spaced condition;

(b) a base support plate (3) disposed centrally beneath the contacting edges of said table top sections and having hinge means (4, 4) attaching said table top sections at opposite sides of said plate (3);

(c) a vertical center support and guide rod (5) depending from beneath the center of said base plate (3) and having hinge means (6, 6) at the lower opposite sides substantially beneath said table top hinge means (4, 4);

(d) each table top section having a pair of laterally spaced support legs (8, 8) spaced from said center rod (5) and having hinge means (7, 7) connecting said legs to said top sections, respectively;

(e) said pairs of laterally spaced support legs (8, 8) being connected by a transverse horizontal support frame (9) adjacent their lower ends and having hinge means (1) attached thereto intermediate said legs;

(f) a two part sleeve (12, 16) mountable around the central vertical rod (5), including a fixed sleeve portion (16) attached beneath said base plate (3), and a slidable sleeve portion (12) therebelow having hinge-means (13, 13) on opposite sides disposed in general vertical alignment with said other hinge means (6, 6) on the lower end of said guide rod (5);

(g) said sleeve parts having complementally formed interengageable means thereon which are engaged when the table top sections are in the operative horizontally extended condition, to thereby fixedly relate the sections together to preclude both relative rotative and relative axial shifting movements thereof;

(h) a bias support rod (14) interconnecting the hinge means (13) on the sliding sleeve portion (12) and the hinge means (10) on the transverse support means (9), at opposite sides of the central support rod (5); and

(i) a reenforcing support rod (11) interconnecting each of the hinge means (10) on the said transverse support means (9, 9) and the hinge means (6, 6) on the lower opposite sides of said vertical support rod (5), said reenforcing support rods (11, 11) being disposed horizontally, and the bias support rods (14, 14) being disposed angularly relative to said reenforcing rods (11), the table top sections 1, 2), and forming substantially right triangular braces at opposite sides of and relative to said vertical support rod (5), when said table is in the horizontal operative condition.

2. A folding table as defined in claim 1 wherein the complementally formed interengageable means of the sleeve parts as recited in paragraph (g) thereof include a prominent protruding portion and a corresponding complementally shaped notched portion to be engaged by said projections, and formed on the respective sleeve portions, to provide for the said non-relative rotative movement when in engaged condition.

3. A folding table as defined in claim 2 wherein the protruding portion is of V-shape and the notched portion is of complementay V-shape to provide an interlock engagement therebetween.

4. A folding table as defined in claim 2 further including pivotal hook and hook-retainer means dis osed on said respective fixed and slidable sleeve portion, for releasable interlocking engagement to provide for said non-axial relative movement of said sleeve portions when in engaged condition when the table is in the horizontal operative condition.

5. A folding table as defined in claim 1 wherein said sets of table support legs (8, 8) are provided with floorengaging rollers (26) to facilitate converting the table to the collapsed condition, and interengageable lock means on said opposed sets of table legs (8) to positively maintain the table in the vertical collapsed condition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,460 9/1956 Nelson 108113 2,781,525 2/1957 Bauer 108113 XR 2,991,139 7/1961 Fihe 108l13 3,080,834 3/1963 Risdall l08112 3,212,463 10/1965 Anderson et al. 108113 3,245,363 4/1966 Amthor et al. 108-113 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner