US3616873A

US3616873A - Foldaway sawhorse

Info

Publication number: US3616873A
Application number: US2811A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Kehrig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-14
Filing date: 1970-01-14
Publication date: 1971-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-02

Abstract

A sawhorse with an inverted U-shaped work support beam with two pairs of legs pivotally connected thereto to fold between the sides of the support beam. The legs can swing outwardly from the collapsed or folded position to an extended position and be angularly displaced away from each other by a spreader bar between each pair of legs. Angular displacement of the legs urges them into firm engagement with stops which lock the legs to the beam to provide a rigid support structure.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor John Kehrig 28151 Hall, Mt. Clemens, Mich. 48043 [21] Appl. No. 2,811 [22] Filed Jan. 14, 1970 [45] Patented Nov. 2, 1971 [54] FOLDAWAY SAWHORSE 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 182/155 [51] Int. Cl E04g 1/32,

F16m 11/00 [50] Field of Search 182/155 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,479,209 1/1 92f1 flfopp 182/155 1,778,566 10/1930 Pitner 182/155 2,396,737 3/1946 Maclaskey.... 182/155 2,824,771 2/1958 Blenski 182/155 Primary Examiner- Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Barnes, Kisselle, Raisch & ChoaIte ABSTRACT: A sawhorse with an inverted U-shaped work support beam with two pairs of legs pivotally connected thereto to fold between the sides of the support beam. The legs can swing outwardly from the collapsed or folded position to an extended position and be angularly displaced away from each other by a spreader bar between each. pair of legs. Angular displacement of the legs urges them into firm engagement with stops which look the legs to the beam to provide a rigid support structure.

FOLDAWAY SAWHIORSE This invention relates to sawhorses used by carpenters and the like and more particularly to a collapsible or foldaway sawhorse.

Objects of this invention are to provide a foldaway sawhorse which (a) is of economical construction and assembly, (b) is easily set up and folded away, (c) compensates for uneven floors or surfaces to provide a stable work support, and (d) folds into a compact self-contained package to facilitate carrying and storage.

These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foldaway sawhorse constructed in accordance with this invention illustrated in the setup or extended position. FIGS. 2 and 3 are end and side views respectively of the sawhorse in folded position with the legs illustrated in phantom in the extended position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 illustrating the structural details for limiting the angular movement of a pair of legs away from each other.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view partially in section illustrating a spreader bar in operative position between a pair of legs.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 6--6 of FIG. 4 illustrating the engagement of a leg behind a stop as it is moved from the folded to the extended position.

FIG. 1 illustrates a foldaway sawhorse 10 having a work support beam 12 to which are attached two pairs of legs 14. When sawhorse 10 is set up, legs 14 of each pair are angularly displaced in a plane transverse to the beam by a spreader bar 16. Support beam 12 has a generally U-shaped cross section with a top plate 18 and depending sidewalls 20. Legs 14 and spreader bar 16 have a generally U-shaped cross section with legs 14 having sidewalls 22 and a base flange 23 and spreader bars 16 having sidewalls 24 and a base flange 25. Longitudinally extending flutes 26 in

base flanges

23 and 25 increase the stiffness and rigidity of the legs and spreader bars.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, legs 14 of each pair are pivotally connected within support beam 12 by pins 28 engaging sidewalls 20 and extending through holes 30 in the upper end of legs 14. Holes 30 are slightly elongated in the longitudinal direction of legs 14 so that the legs will not bind on pin 28 when they are displaced angularly outward by spreader bar 26. Preferably, when sawhorse 10 is in use, no load is transmitted through pins 28 to legs 14. This is achieved by dimensioning and positioning elongate holes 30 so that when the upper end of each leg 14 bears against the underside of top plate 18 of beam 12 there is a slight clearance 31 between each leg and pins 28. To provide the necessary clearance for each leg 14 to swing from the folded position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to the extended position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, corner 32 adjacent hole 30 is rounded (FIG. 6).

The angular displacement of legs 14 of each pair away from each other is limited by tabs 34 and sidewall portions 36. Tabs 34 and sidewall portions 36 bear on opposite sides of each leg 14 to provide stops limiting its angular movement. lnwardly struck and downwardly extending tabs 34 are integral with top plate 18 and outwardly inclined wall portions 36 are integral with sidewalls 21]. When legs 14 are moved angularly outward, they are received by openings or sockets 37 (FIG. 3) in sidewalls 20 which are defined by outwardly extending integral flanges 38. To restrain legs 14 from moving laterally or pivoting about pins 28, flanges 38 have a close fit with and provide stops bearing on sidewalls 22 of the legs. So that legs 14 can be readily aligned with the openings 37 and cammed outwardly into engagement with flanges 38 the flanges are connected with sidewalls 20 by a rounded corner portion 40 (FIG. 1) and the sidewalls 22 of legs 14 are connected to the fluted base flange 23 by a rounded comer portion 42 (FIG. 2). To assure that legs 14 are firmly held between flanges 38 preferably there is a slight interference fit between the legs and flanges.

As shown in FIG. 5, each spreader bar 16 is pivotally connected at one end by a pin 44 to one leg 14 of each pair and is adapted to be releasably latched in a horizontal position to the other leg by an integral tongue 46 at the free end of each spreader bar which engages over and behind a transverse pin 48 extending between and fixed to sidewalls 22 of the other leg. When sawhorse 10 is in use, spreader bar 16 also prevents the legs 14 of each pair from being forced further angularly outward by a load carried by support beam 12.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each pair of legs when folded is retained in a nested position within support beam 12 by a detent 50 in each sidewall 20 adjacent each leg receiving opening or socket 37 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The legs of each pair are locked together so that a single detent 50 will retain both legs of the pair. As shown in FIG. 2, each pair of legs is releasably locked together by spreader bar 16 folding within one leg 14 with its sidewalls 24 extending between sidewalls 22 of the other leg 14 of the pair.

In setting up sawhorse 10, each pair of legs is pivoted outwardly of beam 12 about pin 28 past detent 50 from the folded position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each leg 14 is then swung or rocked about pivot pin 28 and moved axially outward thereon as shown in phantom in FIG. 6 until the leg extends downwardly with its upper end behind tab or stop 34 and is generally aligned with its associated socket 37 in sidewall 20 of beam 12. After both the legs of each pair are generally aligned with their sockets (as shown in phantom in FIG. 3) spreader bar 16 is pivoted about one leg and latched into engagement with the other leg to force both legs to be angularly displaced outwardly away from each other. This angular displacement urges the legs into firm engagement with tabs or stops 34, inclined wall portions 36, and flanges 38 which locks or secures the legs to support beam 12 to provide a very sturdy sawhorse.

Sawhorse 10 is collapsed or folded away by following the setup steps in reverse order. Each spreader bar 16 is disengaged from one leg of the pair and pivoted upwardly and nested into the other leg 14 of the pair. Legs 14 of each pair are angularly displaced toward each other to disengage them from their sockets and swung about pin 28 to disengage their upper ends from tabs 34. The legs of each pair are moved into abutting relation with the sidewalls of the spreader bar extending between both legs to lock them together and then pivoted about pin .28 into the folded position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 where they are restrained by detents 50.

This foldaway sawhorse can be constructed from a few sheet metal channel-shaped members and a few pivot pins and thus is of economical construction and assembly. If support beam 12 is formed of sheet metal or some similar slightly resilient material, the sawhorse will automatically compensate for uneven floors or surfaces by allowing the pairs of legs to twist or move about a longitudinal axis with respect to each other. This twisting or placing the support beam under slight axial torsion allows each leg to rest firmly on the uneven surface thereby providing a stable work support. The arrangement of the legs and spreader bars so that they all fold within the support beam provides a compact self-contained package which both facilitates carrying and storage and provides a sawhorse which can be readily set up and folded away.

Iclaim:

1. A foldaway sawhorse comprising a longitudinally extending metal support beam of generally inverted U-shape in cross section, said support beam having a base and an integral pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending depending sidewalls, two pairs of legs with each leg having opposed generally flat sidewalls and a base portion therebetween, pivotal means connecting one corner of each leg to said support beam with one pair of legs adjacent each end of said sup port beam for pivotal movement of each pair of legs from a first position wherein the legs lie generally within the support beam and extend longitudinally thereof to a second position wherein each pair of legs depends from and extends generally transversely to the support beam, said pivotal means being connected to the base portion of each of said legs closely adjacent one end thereof and adjacent one sidewall of each of said legs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinal center line of the base portions of said legs and providing a pivot point for said legs adjacent said base of said support beam between said base and the longitudinal center line of said depending sidewalls of said support beam, two pairs of leg-receiving sockets on said sidewalls of said support beam with one pair of sockets adjacent each end of said support beam and adjacent the pivotal connection between said legs and said support beam, said sockets of each pair being opposed to one another and opening laterally inwardly of the support beam, each said socket having a pair of opposed sheet metal flanges extending generally transversely outwardly from and integral with said sidewalls of said beam and having a sheet metal bearing surface extending between and integral with said flanges, each said bearing surface being spaced from the pivot point of its associated leg, each said flange extending across the width of its associated depending sidewall of said support beam from said pivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall with said flanges of each pair being spaced apart to frictionally engage and snugly receive generally opposed portions of the spaced sidewalls of one of said legs adjacent said one end of said legs, each of said bearing surfaces being adapted to bear on a base portion of one of said legs below said pivotal connection of said one end of said legs to said support beam, said pivotal connections permitting the legs in each pair to be displaced angularly outwardly from each other at said pivotal connection into generally V-shape for reception in said sockets in firm engagement with said flanges and said bearing surface, and means for limiting the extent to which said pivotally connected ends of the legs of each pair can shift toward one another.

2. A foldaway sawhorse comprising a longitudinally extending sheet metal support beam of generally inverted U shape in cross section, said support beam having a base and an integral pair of laterally spaced depending sidewalls, said support beam having two pairs of legs pivotally connected thereto with one pair adjacent each end of said support beam, said legs having opposed generally flat sidewalls, each pair of legs being adapted to be pivoted from a first position wherein the legs lie generally within the support beam and extend longitudinally thereof to a second position wherein each pair of legs extends transversely of the support beam, each sidewall of the support beam having leg-receiving sockets adjacent the pivotal connections between the legs and the support beam, the sockets at each end being opposed to one another and opening laterally inwardly of the support beam, each of said sockets having a pair of opposed sheet metal flanges extending generally transversely outwardly from and integral with said sidewalls, the flanges of each said pair being spaced apart to frictionally engage and snugly receive generally opposed portions of the opposed sidewalls of one of said legs, and said pivotal connections permitting the legs in each pair to be displaced angularly outward from each other at said pivotal connections into generally V-shape for reception in said sockets in firm engagement with said flanges.

3, The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which means pivotally connect the base portion of each of said legs to said support beam in an upper corner of each of said legs adjacent the one end of each of said legs received in said sockets and adjacent one sidewall of each of said legs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinal centerline of the base portion of said legs with said pivot means providing a pivot point for each of said legs adjacent said base of said support beam between said base and the longitudinal centerline of said depending sidewalls of said support beam, and each of said flanges extends across the width of the depending sidewall of said support beam from said pivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall.

4. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 3 which also comprises means for limiting the extent to which the pivotally supported ends of the llegs of each pair can shift toward one another and a bearing su ace associated with each of said sockets and integral with the flanges of said sockets which is adapted to bear on a portion of the outer side of each leg associated with each socket at a position spaced from the pivotal connection of each associated leg to said beam when the legs of each said pair are angularly displaced into firm engagement with the flanges of their associated sockets.

5. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 4 in which said last-mentioned means comprises inwardly struck depending sheet metal tabs integral with said base of said support beam.

6. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which said transverse flanges are connected with said sidewalls of said support beam by integral curved comer portions and in which each of said legs has integral curved corner portions connected with and adjacent one edge of said opposed sidewalls of said legs adapted to engage said flanges, whereby when the legs of each pair are displaced angularly outwardly said curved comer portions engage to cam the legs into firm frictional engagement with the opposed flanges of said support beam.

7. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 6 in which each said pair of flanges of said sockets and their associated opposed sidewalls of said legs are intentionally dimensioned in relation to each other to provide a slight interference fit.

8. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which each of said legs is metallic with a generally U-shaped cross section with a base and laterally spaced sidewalls and which also comprises a spreader bar pivotally connected to one leg of each pair and adapted to be received in a first position between the sidewalls of the leg and to swing to a second generally horizontally extending position to releasably engage the other leg of its associated pair of legs when the legs are angularly displaced and received in their associated sockets, said bar having sidewalls extending beyond the sidewalls of the leg to which it is pivotally connected when said bar is in said first position to be received between the sidewalls of the other leg of the pair when the sidewalls of the legs are in edge abutting relationship to limit pivotal movement of the legs of the pair with respect to each other, and means for releasably retaining only one leg of each pair when the legs are pivoted to said first position wherein the legs lie generally within the support beam and extend longitudinally thereof, whereby all of said legs are releasably retained in said support beam by the cooperation of said retaining means and said bars.

Claims

1. A foldaway sawhorse comprising a longitudinally extending metal support beam of generally inverted U-shape in cross section, said support beam having a base and an integral pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending depending sidewalls, two pairs of legs with each leg having opposed generally flat sidewalls and a base portion therebetween, pivotal means connecting one corner of each leg to said support beam with one pair of legs adjacent each end of said support beam for pivotal movement of each pair of legs from a first position wherein the legs lie generally within the support beam and extend longitudinally thereof to a second position wherein each pair of legs depends from and extends generally transversely to the support beam, said pivotal means being connected to the base portion of each of said legs closely adjacent one end thereof and adjacent one sidewall of each of said legs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinal center line of the base portions of said legs and providing a pivot point for said legs adjacent said base of said support beam between said base and the longitudinal center line of said depending sidewalls of said support beam, two pairs of leg-receiving sockets on said sidewalls of said support beam with one pair of sockets adjacent each end of said support beam and adjacent the pivotal connection between said legs and said support beam, said sockets of each pair being opposed to one another and opening laterally inwardly of the support beam, each said socket having a pair of opposed sheet metal flanges extending generally transversely outwardly from and integral with said sidewalls of said beam and having a sheet metal bearing surface extending between and integral with said flanges, each said bearing surface being spaced from the pivot point of its associated leg, each said flange extending across the width of its associated depending sidewall of said support beam from said pivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall with said flanges of each pair being spaced apart to frictionally engage and snugly receive generally opposed portions of the spaced sidewalls of one of said legs adjacent said one end of said legs, each of said bearing surfaces being adapted to bear on a base portion of one of said legs below said pivotal connection of said one end of said legs to said support beam, said pivotal connections permitting the legs in each pair to be displaced angularly outwardly from each other at said pivotal connection into generally V-shape for reception in said sockets in firm engagement with said flanges and said bearing surface, and means for limiting the extent to which said pivotally connected ends of the legs of each pair can shift toward one another.

3. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which means pivotally connect the base portion of each of said legs to said support beam in an upper corner of each of said legs adjacent the one end of each of said legs received in said sockets and adjacent one sidewall of each of said legs between said one sidewall of said legs and the longitudinal centerline of the base portion of said legs with said pivot means providing a pivot point for each of said legs adjacent said base of said support beam between said base and the longitudinal centerline of said depending sidewalls of said support beam, and each of said flanges extends across the width of the depending sidewall of said support beam from said pivotal connection to the free edge of said depending sidewall.

4. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 3 which also comprises means for limiting the extent to which the pivotally supported ends of the legs of each pair can shift toward one another and a bearing surface associated with each of said sockets and integral with the flanges of said sockets which is adapted to bear on a portion of the outer side of each leg associated with each socket at a position spaced from the pivotal connection of each associated leg to said beam when the legs of each said pair are angularly displaced into firm engagement with the flanges of their associated sockets.

6. The foldaway sawhorse of claim 2 in which said transverse flanges are connected with said sidewalls of said support beam by integral curved corner portions and in which each of said legs has integral curved corner portions connected with and adjacent one edge of said opposed sidewalls of said legs adapted to engage said flanges, whereby when the legs of each pair are displaced angularly outwardly said curved corner portions engage to cam the legs into firm frictional engagement with the opposed flanges of said support beam.