US3682109A

US3682109A - Adjustable work table

Info

Publication number: US3682109A
Application number: US56406A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roslyn Gordon
Original assignee: New York University NYU
Current assignee: State University of New York SUNY; New York University NYU
Priority date: 1970-07-20
Filing date: 1970-07-20
Publication date: 1972-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-08

Abstract

A work table having a supporting frame and a member defining a surface upon which work may be performed which is mounted upon the frame and adjustable to a variety of work positions. The work member is pivotable relative to the frame and may be fixed in any one of a plurality of angular positions. Additionally, the work member may be linearly moved relative to its pivot point and fixed in any one of a plurality of linear positions. The combined angular and linear adjustability provides a work surface offering widened versatility and adjustability in a table which is particularly suitable in the treatment of disabled children.

Description

United States Patent [15] 3,682,109 Gordon [451 Aug. 8, 1972 ADJUSTABLE WORK TABLE 3,211,113 10/ 1965 Randall ..l08/9 72 Inventor; Rod M N Y 3,381,928 5/1968 White ..l08/9 1 cw 3,492,952 2/1970 Yourist ..1os/9 [73] Assignee: New York University, New York,

NY. Primary Examiner--Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Glenn O. Finch [221 Attorney-Hubbell, Cohen & Stiefel [21] Appl. No.: 56,406

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. Cl ..L....10s/9 A work table having a supporting frame and a member [51] Int. Cl. ..A47t 5/12 efi i g a sur ace p which work y be pe o med [58] Field of Search ..108/1-10 which is mounted p the frame and adjustable to a a a variety of work positions. The work member is pivota- [5 Ref Cited ble relative to the frame and may be fixed in any one v of a plurality of angular positions. Additionally, the UNITED STATES PATENTS' work member may be linearly moved relative to its pivot point and fixed in any one of a plurality of linear ghgmpson positions. .The combined angular and linear adjusta- 4/1904 r i /9 x bility provides a work surface offering widened ver- I 645,769 1011927 0 satility and adjustability in a table which is particularly 2353o64 7/1944 V suitable in the treatment of disabled children. 2,741,868 4/1956 Saunders 108/8 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUG 1912 ATTORNEYS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to articles of furniture, and more particularly to an adjustable work table e'spe cially suitable for use in connection with therapeutic treatment of disabled children.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art In the treatment of disabled children, occupational therapy plays a major. role in connection with rehabilitation efforts aimed at developing a variety of physical skills. The equipment used in the physical therapy of disabled children must be specially designed to be particularly suitable for use in the treatment of the child. Quite often, the facility for movement and the performance of certain physical or occupational efforts, such as drawing, painting or the like, which is enabled by the design and function of the equipment provides significant benefit. In many cases, it would be quite difficult or perhaps impossible for a disabled child to perform certain tasks without the benefit of equipment which is conceived and operable to facilitate and encourage the performance of the rehabilitating functions.

Accordingly, it is considered important that there be derived from furniture used in a therapy work or play room for disabled children certain special beneficial effects which would be difiicult or impossible to obtain with ordinary furniture. In the context of the present invention such benefits particularly relate to provision of an appropriate range of adjustability within the limitations and reach of a disabled child to be treated. It is also of importance that the versatility and adjustability of such equipment be provided with simplicity of operation and construction so that manufacture and manipulation thereof may be accomplished within the limits of the treatment environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the present invention may be described as an adjustable work table comprising a frame, a member upon which work may be performed, and means adjustably mounting the work member upon the frame, said mounting means including means for pivoting the work member relative to the frame about a pivot point and means for moving said work member relative to the pivot point. Thus, the work member is adjustable to a plurality of angular positions, by pivoting about the pivot point, as well as being adjustable to a plurality of linear positions by linear movement thereof relative to the frame in a manner which changes the relative location of its pivot point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the work table of the present invention showing the adjustable work member thereof in a horizontal position;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective taken from the rear of the work table showing the operational mechanisms involved;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the work table with arrows to indicate the relative directions of work member adjustability; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown an adjustable work table comprising a work member 10, in the form of a flat planar table top upon which work can be performed, mounted upon a frame 12 comprising four

legs

12a, 12b, 12c and 12d. Each of the legs 12a 12d is mounted upon a caster 14 to facilitate movement of the work table. The frame 12 comprises a U-shaped upper section including a pair of

side walls

16 and 18 and a rear wall 20. A support strut 22 extends between the

side walls

16 and 18, and a serrated rack 24 is attached to extend between the support strut 22 and the rear wall 20. The serrated rack 24 is rectangularly shaped and comprises a pair of oppositely positioned serrated side walls 26 each having formed therein a plurality of serrations 28.

The work member 10, which may be formed of wood or other suitable material, has fixedly attached upon the rear side thereof a dovetail plate 30 having perforations 32 therein and extending in length almost to opposite sides of the work member 10. The dovetail plate 30 is slidably engaged within a dovetail mortise 34 defined by a mortise plate 36 which is pivotally attached by a hinge 38 to the support strut 22. A U- shaped adjustment bracket 40, having a pair of bent ends 42 which are rotatably embedded in the sides of the mortise plate 36, comprises a base section 44 which is engageable across the serrated rack 24 by insertion within the serrations 28 to adjust the relative angular position between the work member 10 and the frame 12.

A plug 46 adaptable to extend through the mortise plate 36 engages the dovetail plate 30 by insertion of the plug into the perforations 32 to fix the relative positioning between the mortise plate 36 and the dovetail plate 30.

In the operation of the invention, the work member 10 is rotatable about a pivot point defined by the hinge 38 in the directions indicated by the arrows Z and may thereby by adjustably positioned to any one of a plurality of angular work positions by disengagement of the base section 44 from a serration 28 and reengagement thereof within a different serration. It will be apparent that by engagement within a serration 28 the bracket 40 maintains the work member 10 fixed at a relative angular position which is dependent upon the particular serration 28 within which the bracket 40 is engaged. When it is desired to change the angular position of the work member 10 by reengagement of the bracket 40, the bracket 40 will be pivoted relative to the mortise plate 36 by virtue of the connection between the bent ends 42 of bracket 40 and the mortise plate 36.

Accordingly, it will be clear that the work member 10 is readily pivotable about a pivot point defined by the hinge 38 and that when so pivoted, the bracket 40 may be engaged and disengaged to maintain the work member 10 in any one of a plurality of angular work v positions. It will hinge means be seen that the pivot point defined by the hinge 38 is fixed relative to the frame 12.

With the work member in a given angular position, there may also be effected movement thereof relative to the pivot point defined by the hinge 38. With the plug 46 engaged within a perforation 32 on the dovetail plate 30, the work member 10 is fixed in a particular position relative to the hinge 38. By withdrawal of the plug 46 from a perforation 32, the dovetail plate 30 may be slidably moved within the dovetail mortise 34 to place the work member 10 in any other desired position relative to the hinge 38, whereupon the plug 46 is reinserted into an appropriate aligned perforation 32 to maintain the work member 10in that desired position.

Accordingly, it will be seen that the work member 10 is movable in a linear direction indicated by the arrows Y, as well as in an angular direction indicated by the arrows Z. Since the work member 10 essentially comprises a planar configuration, it will be clear that the linear motion indicated by the arrows Y may be said to occur along its plane.

One of the angular positions to which the working member 10 may be moved is the horizontal position, which is depicted in FIG. 1. When moved to this position the base section 44 of the bracket 40 is engaged upon the rearmost serration 28 and there is provided a clip 48 which is perpendicularly shaped to extend over the rear wall 30 of the frame 12 thereby to prevent undesired forward sliding movement of the work member 10 which might occur as a result of inadvertent disengagement of the plug 46 from within a designated perforation 32. Inadvertent rearward sliding motion of the work member 10 will be prevented by engagement of the base section 44 against the rear wall 20 or against the rear most serration 28.

In the formation of the serrated rack 24 a base plate 50 extending across the bottoms of the serrated side walls 26 may be provided. If so, it will be necessary to also provide an opening 52 to permit the plug 46 to extend therethrough when the work member 10 is in the horizontal position. Of course, the serrated rack 24 may be comprised merely of a pair of serrated side walls 26 extending across the frame member as shown without provision of a base plate 50, whereupon there would be no obstruction to the plug 46 when the base member 10 is in the horizontal position.

The

front legs

12a and 12b have on the outer sides thereof a plurality of orifices 54 upon which may be mounted a tray 56 useful for containing materials or utensils required in the performance of a task upon the work member 10. For example, if the work member 10 is to be used as a surface upon which painting or drawing is to be performed, then the tray 56 may be utilized to contain paints, brushes and the like. The height and location of the tray 56, whether upon the left leg 12a or upon the right leg 12b, may be readily altered by engagement and disengagement of the tray 56 within an orifice 54. Accordingly, the tray 56 may be easily adjusted to a position related to the positioning of the work member 10 thereby enhancing the facility with which tasks may be performed on the adjustable work table of the present invention.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a work surface with a wide range of adjustability, both as to angulation and as to linear positioning within a particular angular location. The work table of the present invention is considered particularly useful and effective in connection with the treatment of disabled children. Due to the wide range of adjustability, the work surface provided by the work member 10 may be contractures, to a disabled child at a position most convenient to the child. Children with motor limitations such as might be caused by paralysis or contractures. as well as youngsters who require prosthetic devices which may lack wrist flexion, all can perform tasks upon a work surface provided by the work member 10 which could be placed at an optimal linear location while in any appropriate angular position. The tray 56 may be located to accommodate either a right or left handed child and at the same time it may be adjustable as to height in cooperation with the positioning of the work member 10 thereby to further enhance the applicability of the invention in the treatment of disabled children. Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that this-is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be derived within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable work table comprising:

- a. a frame;

b. a generally planar work member;

c. a male mounting member affixed to a lower surface of the work member;

(1. a' female mounting member pivotally mounted to the frame and including an elongate aperture therethrough and adapted to receive the male mounting member, the male mounting member being slidable through the female mounting member to thereby selectively vary the linear position of the work member relative to the pivot point of the female mounting member about the frame, the pivotal position of the female mounting member defining the pivotal position of the work member about said pivot point when the male mounting member is received within the elongate aperture of the female mounting member: and

e. hinge means mounted to the female mounting member and the frame for enabling pivotal movement of the work member about the hinge means when the male mounting member is slidably received within the elongate aperture of the female mounting member.

2. The adjustable work table of claim 1, wherein the male mounting member includes a plurality of spaced, aligned holes therein, and wherein the female mounting member has a hole through a lower surface thereof into the elongate aperture, the female mounting member hole being aligned with the male mounting holes when the male mounting member is slidably received in the elongate aperture of the female mounting member, the work table further comprising a plug adapted to be inserted through the hole in the female mounting member and a selected hole in the male mounting member to fix the linear position of the work member relative to said pivot point.

3. The adjustable work table of claim 2, wherein the frame is generally U-shaped having a pair of parallel side walls joined at an end of each by a connecting subadapted to cooperate with the serrated member to stantially perpendicular front wall, the frame further infix the pivotal position of the female mounting eluding an elongate strut fixed between the side walls member about the hinge means. Substantially Palallel to the from Wall, the hingemeans 5. The adjustable work table of claim 4, further combeing mounted to the strut and to the female mounting 5 prising; member.

a. rece tacle means for holdm items to be used 4. The ad ustable work table of claim 3, further comwhilepperfonning work on the g member; and prising: v

a. a serrated member disposed between the strut and means ad-lustably moummg h rceptacle means from wall ofthe frame. and 10 on the frame to enable positioning thereof in a b. bracket means pivotally mounted to the female desired one of a plurality of vertical locations.

mounting member and having a portion thereof

Claims

1. An adjustable work table comprising: a. a frame; b. a generally planar work member; c. a male mounting member affixed to a lower surface of the work member; d. a female mounting member pivotally mounted to the frame and including an elongate aperture therethrough and adapted to receive the male mounting member, the male mounting member being slidable through the female mounting member to thereby selectively vary the linear position of the work member relative to the pivot point of the female mounting member about the frame, the pivotal position of the female mounting member defining the pivotal position of the work member about said pivot point when the male mounting member is received within the elongate aperture of the female mounting member: and e. hinge means mounted to the female mounting member and the frame for enabling pivotal movement of the work member about the hinge means when the male mounting member is slidably received within the elongate aperture of the female mounting member.

3. The adjustable work table of claim 2, wherein the frame is generally U-shaped having a pair of parallel side walls joined at an end of each by a connecting substantially perpendicular front wall, the frame further including an elongate strut fixed between the side walls substantially parallel to the front wall, the hingemeans being mounted to the strut and to the female mounting member.

4. The adjustable work table of claim 3, further comprising: a. a serrated member disposed between the strut and front wall of the frame; and b. bracket means pivotally mounted to the female mounting member and having a portion thereof adapted to cooperate with the serrated member to fix the pivotal position of the female mounting member about the hinge means.

5. The adjustable work table of claim 4, further comprising: a. receptacle means for holding items to be used while performing work on the work member; and b. means adjustably mounting the receptacle means on the frame to enable positioning thereof in a desired one of a plurality of vertical locations.