US3730107A

US3730107A - Folding bracket mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3730107A
Application number: US00190619A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Bergkamp; H Bergkamp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-19
Filing date: 1971-10-19
Publication date: 1973-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-01

Abstract

A bracket mechanism including an upper brace and a lower brace for mounting a support member, such as an ironing board, desk, table, drawing board, or the like, in either a substantially horizontal operative position or a substantially upright inoperative position. The braces are mounted for swinging movement in a cabinet in which the bracket mechanism and support member are stored, in the folded positions of said parts. The cabinet also provides in part a support for the swingably mounted braces. A latch means retains the support member and braces in the operative positions of said parts and is manually releasable to enable said parts to swing to folded storage positions.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 1 1 9 Bergkamp et al. 1 May 1, 1973 1 FOLDING BRACKET MECHANISM 1,886,983 11 1932 Soucie ..10s/39 [76] In entors Robert Berg amp; Helen Gerber 2,646,634 7/1953 Mongar ..l08/39 gz z 22 3; Primary ExaminerBernard A. Gelak eney Assistant Examiner-Glenn O. Finch [221 Filed: Oct. 19, 1971 AttorneyJohn N. Randolph A bracket mechanism including an upper brace and a {52] U.S. Cl ..l08/39, 248/2401 lower brace f ti a support member, Such as [51] Ilrl. Cl. ..A47b 3/00 an i i board desk7 table, drawing board or the [58] Fleld of search-1086342; 312/237; 248/2401 like, in either a substantially horizontal operative position or a substantially upright inoperative position. [56] References Cited The braces are mounted for swinging movement in a cabinet in which the bracket mechanism and support UNITED STATES PATENTS member are stored, in the folded positions of said 1,795,636 3/1931 Chandler ..10s/4o P The Cabinet Provides in P a support for 1,612,909 1/1927 Doman g the swingably mounted braces. A latch means retains 1,129,315 2/1915 Sullivan 1 1 ..l08/33 the pp m r n braces n the operative posi- 1,503,689 8/1924 Kroschel 108/42 X tions of said parts and is manually releasable to enable 1503,690 8/1924 Kroschel ..108/33 said parts to swing to folded storage positions. l,753,423 4/1930 Kroschel ..l08/38 X 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 33 i ii .32 7 a 1 47 40 Z 7 3s 36 3 20 l 3 r 1111 1 l i m I 1 34 1 11. lyr -'11 z I l 23 sz leil 3a" f 1 2b a 1 19 1 1 rl3 2 1 1i) Patented May 1, 1973 INVENTORS ROBERT L. BERGKAMP HELEN GERBER BERGKANP BYZZZVKM FOLDING BRACKET MECHANISM SUMMARY It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a folding bracket mechanism for supporting an ironing board, desk, table, drawing board, or the like, in either an extended, substantially horizontal position for use, or in a retracted substantially upright folded position for storage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the aforedescribed character including a storage cabinet for containing the bracket mechanism and the member supported thereby in their folded positions, and which additionally supports the bracket mechanism in its extended and also its folded positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism which may be readily adjusted vertically for mounting the member supported thereby at different elevations, most convenient to the user.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the bracket mechanism shown supporting an ironing board in an operative position, and with the near side of the cabinet omitted;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to the drawing, the bracket mechanism in its entirety is designated generally 6 and includes a storage cabinet 7 having a rear wall 8, corresponding side walls 9 and a bottom 10.

A pair of upright plates 11 are disposed in the cabinet 7 and have outwardly offset upper ends 12 which aresecured by fastenings 13 to the side walls 9, and inturned lower ends 15, which are secured by additional fastenings 13 to the bottom 10, for mounting the portions of the plates 11, disposed between said ends, within the cabinet and in spaced relationship to its side walls 9, as seen in FIG. 2. Said plate portions are provided with corresponding notches 16 which open toward the front side of the cabinet and which are inclined upwardly and outwardly toward their open ends.

Each side wall 9 supports a flange 17 which is disposed substantially above the plates 11, near and substantially parallel to the rear wall 8. Each flange 17 is formed of a strip of angle iron and is secured by fastenings 18 to an inner side of one of the walls 9.

The bracket mechanism 6 additionally includes a lower brace, designated generally 19, including a pair of corresponding brace arms 20 having lower ends secured to a cross member 21, comprising a tube or rod. The arms 20 are supported in spaced apart relation to one another by the cross member 21. Cross member 21 has terminal portions disposed beyond the arms 20 and which engage corresponding notches 16 for swingably supporting the bottom brace in the cabinet 7. The arms 20 are curved adjacent the cross member 21 so that the

end portions

22 and 23 thereof are disposed at substantially an obtuse angle to one another.

A supporting member 24, such as a rod or tube, has

end portions

25 and 26 disposed at substantially obtuse angle to one another. The shorter lower end 25 terminates in a tubular cross head 27 which fits tumably on the cross member 21, between the arms 20. A tubular cross head 28 is secured to the terminal or upper end of the portion 26 and has a rod or tube 29 engaging turnably therein and supported thereby. The member 29 forms the cross member of an upper brace 30 which includes corresponding substantially

straight arms

31 and 32 which extend transversely therefrom.

Arms

31 and 32 straddle the member 28 but are spaced from the ends of the cross member 29, which ends engage between the rear wall 8 and the flanges 17.

An elongated support member 33 has a pair of transversely spaced depending ears 34 to which the distal ends of the arm portions 23 are pivotally connected, as seen at 35. The support member 23 has a second pair of transversely spaced depending ears 36 to which the outer ends of the

arms

31 and 32 are pivotally connected, as seen at 37. The arm portions 23 may be provided with a cross brace 38, adjacent the ears 34; and the

arms

31 and 32 may be connected by a cross brace 39, near the ears 36. The member 33 is shown as constituting an ironing board having an inner end 40 and an outer end 41. Obviously, a desk, drawing, board, table or other horizontal type supported could be substituted for the ironing board 33. Bars 34 are located nearer the end 40 than the end 41, and the ears 36 are disposed between the cars 34 and said end 40.

A latch plate 42 is secured to and. depends from the ironing board end 40, is located on the outer side of the arm 32, and has an opening 43 therein. A latching pawl 44 is pivotally mounted at 45, near its forward end or nose 46 on the outer side of the arm 32, and has an opposite longer end or handle 47. When the ironing board 33 is in a substantially horizontal position, the nose 46 is engaged through the opening 43 of the latch plate 42 to retain the ironing board in its substantially horizontal position. A stop pin 48 is secured to the underside of the arm 32 and extends outwardly therefrom to engage under the handle 47, to prevent the latch member 44 from swinging clockwise beyond its full line position of FIG. 4, to thus prevent release of the latch member from the plate 42, until the inner end 40 of the board 33 is swung downward sufficiently to permit the latch to be swung counterclockwise to its dotted line released position of FIG. 4. The latch member is also moved to this position and the board end 40 is swung downwardly beyond its position of FIG. 4 to enable the latch member 44 to be swung clockwise from its released, broken line position to its full line latching position.

It will be apparent that the supporting member 24 and the cross arm 29 will be prevented by the flanges 17 from swinging forwardly, to cooperate with the plates 11 for supporting the parts in their positions of FIG. 1 when the latch 44 is engaged. After the latch 44 has been released the board 33 can be swung counterclockwise about the

pivots

35 and 37, and the

braces

19 and 30 can be swung upwardly and inwardly for positioning said braces and the ironing board in the dotted line, stored positions of said parts, as seen in FIG. 1, within the cabinet 7.

The lower cross member 21 can be engaged in different ones of the pairs of horizontally aligned notches 16 to vary the elevation thereof and the elevation of the upper cross member 29, for varying the height of the support member 33 in its operative position. The upper cross member 29 is obviously free to slide between the rear wall 8 and the flanges l7.

A pad or support plate 49 is secured between the inner ends of the

arms

31 and 32 for supporting an iron. Said paid can obviously be omitted when another type of support member is substituted for the ironing board 33, and various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to without departing from the function or scope of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A folding bracket mechanism comprising a lower brace having an upper end and a lower end, a first means connected to said lower end for supporting the lower brace for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, an upper brace having an inner end and an outer end, a supporting member turnably connected to and supported by said lower end of the lower brace and extending upwardly therefrom, said inner end of the upper brace being swingably connected to an upper end of the supporting member for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a support member having an inner end and an outer end, a second means pivotally connecting the upper end of the lower brace and the outer end of the upper brace to the support member at points spaced different distances from the ends of the support member, a cabinet containing said first means and the supporting member and in which the braces and support member are stored in folded positions thereof, and flanges secured to the cabinet and engaging and confining said upper end of the supporting member therein.

2. A folding bracket mechanism as in claim 1, a latch carried by said upper brace, and a keeper connected to said support member and disposed to be engaged by said latch for latching the parts in an extended, operative position.

3. A folding bracket mechanism as in claim 1, said flanges slidably confining the upper end of the supporting member for vertical movement, and said first means comprising notched uprights for supporting the lower end of the lower brace and said supporting member at different elevations.