US3847424A

US3847424A - Unit construction booths

Info

Publication number: US3847424A
Application number: US00320517A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Nielsen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-02
Filing date: 1973-01-02
Publication date: 1974-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-12

Abstract

A dual facing booth having a clip-on bracket assembly for fastening the seats to the framework and a unique one-piece construction for mounting both booths and the table on a single framework.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 3,847,424

Nielsen 1 Nov. 12, 1974 UNIT CONSTRUCTION BOOTHS' 1.983.559 12 1934 N011 297/158 2,531,322 11/1950 Cohe [76] Inventor: g w" g iz 2.542.931 2/1951 Lightf oot 297/445 r., en on, inn. 22 H d 2 1:73 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l Jam 947,349 0 1949 France 297/440 [21] App]. No.: 320,517

Primary ExaminerPa'ul R. Gi11iam 1 Assistant Examiner-William E. Lyddane 292/158 i4 i gt3l Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Neil B. Schulte [58] Field of Search 297/157, 158, 440, 443,

297/444, 445, 220, 452, 457, 245 [57] ABSTRACT 1 A dual facing booth having a clip-on bracket assembly [56] Ref ren s Cit d for fastening the seats to the framework and a unique UNITED STATES PATENTS one-piece construction for mounting both booths and l 479 939 9/1922 Eichman 297,158 the table on a single framework. 1.692.252 11/1928 Eichman 297/440 X 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures P NIEnuuv 12 I974 3.847; 424

sum 1 or 2 PATENTEDHuv 12 IBM 4 SEEI 2w 2 UNIT CONSTRUCTION BOOTI-IS BACKGROUND OF TI-IEINVENTION tened. Generally the framework is designed to break 10 down into a relatively compact structure'for easy shipment. The seat portions themselves are stacked-one within another in orderto providea compact'shipping package. The assembly operation-atthe installation site requires that the seats be'fasten'ed securely to the assembled framework. ln'the'past this'has generally been done by providing brackets which must be laboriously screwed into the seat portion. This assembly procedure is time consuming and expensive .since the brackets must be carefully located in order to properly assemble 2 FIG. 4 is a perspective :view of the special generally flat bracket that is mounted on the seat portions at the factory. I

FIG. 5 is an underside view of a cutaway portion of one seat showing thegeneral location of the mounting brackets relative to the'framework assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT InFIG. l an-end view of the assembled booth construction of my invention is shown. Two bench seats the unit booth. Furthermore, many times the frame-has to be positioned in place beforehand and the-screws inserted from the underside of the seatportions. This requires a very difficult workingposition. The workman have to crawl underneath the booth and mark, drill, and insert screws in a large number of holes from-underneath the bench. This adds tothe costofinstallation enormously.

It would be mostadvantageous if the seats could be prepared at the factory so that they could simply be 7 bolted or clipped onto the framework at the installation site. Such an operation wouldinsure that all of-the mounting brackets would be positioned correctly on the seat portions and anchored securely. This would also eliminate the necessityof a'difficultassembly p'ro cedure at the installation site and thus reduce: the overall cost of the booth. My inventionprovides such an arrangement as described hereinafter.

SUMMARY "OF THE INVENTION Briefly, my invention contemplates the provision of provide an improved booth-structure'which because of specially designed seat clips can be easilyinstalled and assembled at a minimum oflabor cost. 'Further'objects and advantages will'become apparent-upon consideration of the following description-anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is'a side view of the'booth constructionofmy invention. I

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the framework of the booth of my invention-with most 'of'theseat portioncut away to better display'the'iframework.

FIG. 3 is a detail'sectional-side-viewofftheseatportion of the booth showinglheunique 'clipassembly for fastening 'theseatportiontothe framework.

and Hate shown mountedonthe framework. Generally seats 10 and l2 comprise preformed molded bench seatsconstructed fromlaminated layers of wood and plastic in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. These laminated

seats

10 and 12 are supported on a framework by-means of unique clip-on bracket assemblies :14. and 16. Clip-on

assemblies

14 and 16 will be described in detaillater with respect to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

The configuration of the frame assembly may be more readily understood by reference to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2 it may be seen that the supporting framework comprises a pair of

rectangular frames

18 and 19 connectedtogether by means of a cross member 20. This unitary structure is supported at four corners by means of legs 21. The entire structure may be welded or boltedtogether as desired in a manner well known to those skilled in-the art. Extending upward from cross member 20'are two upright members'22 which support a pair of angle support members 23. Members 23 support a table top 24 which for the sake of clarity is shownonly in FIG. 1'. In FIG. 2 only a portion of seat 12 is shown to indicate its mounting position on the framework. The remaining portion of seat 12 and all of seat 10 have been eliminated in FIG. 2 in order to see the structure of the framework.

Retuming-to. FIG. lit maybe seen that upright members 22 are connected to cross member 20 by means of apair of bolts 25 which pass through member 20 to threadably engage blocks 26 inside of upright members- 22. Blocks 26 are welded or otherwise secured to the insides of upright members 22.'When bolts 25 are tightened down against washers 27 and member 20 the upright-members 22 are-held rigidly in place so that table top 24may-ber'nounted on the support members 23.

The designof the supporting framework as depicted in-FIGS. -l and2 has-beenfoundtobe particularly efficientand desirable in actual practice. When seated side by side persons utilizing the booth are still provided with a feeling of .privacy and'separateness becauseof the'middle crossbar 20 which divides the seats. With this construction .the booth structure iseasy to assemble quickly just by fastening the upright members to the tabletopand to the cross'member 20. I

.In'FIG. '3 asectional-detail view of seat 12 and itsassociated clip-on bracket assemblies 14 and 16 ispresented. A pair of relatively flat special brackets30are mounted at thefa'ctory directly to the seat portion:l2.

Brackets 30 may be-seen in perspective in FIG. 4. Each bracket 30-comprises two fastening portions 31 and a raised centralportion32. The flat portions 31 are provided with screw-holes 33while theraised centerportion32 is provided with a bolt anchoring hole 34 which 'is threaded. :ReturningLto FIG. '3 it may be seen that :brackets 30 are securely mountedto seat 12 by means of screws 36 which are positionedin all of the holes 33 in the fastening portions 31 of brackets 30. At the front of seat 12 frame 18 is fastened to seat 12 by means of bracket assembly 14. Bracket assembly 14 comprises a metal strap having an upright portion 40 and horizontal portions 41 and 42 extending in opposite directions 44 is inserted and tightened bracket assembly 14 is rigidly fastened about the forward portion of rectangular frame 18. The horizontal portion 41 extending at right angles from upright portion 40 may be inserted underneath bracket 30 sliding between seat 12 and the raised portion 32 of bracket 30. With horizontal portion 41 inserted underneath the front bracket 30 the rear portion of rectangular frame 18 fits snugly up against the rear bracket 30 at point 35. To insure that rectangular frame 18 remains firmly against the rearof seat 12, bracket assembly 16 is positioned as shown. Bracket assembly 16 comprises a memberSO which wraps around underneath, inside, and then back over the top of rectangular frame 18. Member 50 has a hole 51 therein through which a bolt 52 is inserted. Bolt 52 is threaded into hole 34 in bracket 30 so as to securely hold rectangular frame 18 up against the bottom of seat 12'.

It is clear that the steps .of mounting bracket assemblies l4 and 16 to the frame 18 and securing them to brackets 30 makes for a much easier process than crawling underneath the bench and screwing in a multiplicity of screws similar to screws 36. Thus, assembly at the installation site is made much easier by the appaf ratus of my invention. Any number of

clip assemblies

14 and 16 may be utilized to mount the seats to the frame. However, in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that each seat may use fourbrackets as shown in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 5 a bottom view of seat portion 12 is shown. Four brackets 30 are mounted as shown generally at the four corners. This is easily done at the factory and such factory mounting insures that the benches will be properly aligned and securely anchored when finally installed.

Bracket assemblies

14 and 16 are installed as shown at four locations about rectangular frame 18 so as to provide a completely rigid and secure structure. A similar arrangement is used on seat portion 10.

It may therefore be seen that l have provided a new and improved booth structure which can be shipped compactly and which can be easily and inexpensively installed at the final assembly point. Clearly, it is possible for minor deviations tobe made to the structure shown without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention-and therefore the following claims are presented to emphasizethose novel aspects of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A booth assembly comprising in combination:

a frame structure for supporting a table and two benches;

a pair of benches of similar shape so as to be mutually stackable;

a plurality of thin brackets fastened to the underside of said benches, said brackets having slightly raised portions, said brackets being thin so as to avoid interfering with the stacking of the benches; and

first bracket clip means, operable to engage said frame structure and slip between said benches and the raised portions of at least some of said plurality of brackets, said bracket clip meanscomprising at the front of the bench a first member bolted around said frame structure with a first extension from said member adapted to slide under the raised portion of one of said plurality of brackets and at the rear of the bench a second member shaped to surround the frame structure with a bolt in said second member adapted to thread into a hole in one of said plurality of brackets.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a table supported on said frame structure by means of two vertical members extending down from said' table to a single cross member extending between the portions of the frame structure supporting each of said pair of benches. v

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said two vertical members are hollow and each contains a plug therein with threaded holes in the plugs to accept bolts extending through said cross member.

Claims

1. A booth assembly comprising in combination: a frame structure for supporting a table and two benches; a pair of benches of similar shape so as to be mutually stackable; a plurality of thin brackets fastened to the underside of said benches, said brackets having slightly raised portions, said brackets being thin so as to avoid interfering with the stacking of the benches; and first bracket clip means operable to engage said frame structure and slip between said benches and the raised portions of at least some of said plurality of brackets, said bracket clip means comprising at the front of the bench a first member bolted around said frame structure with a first extension from said member adapted to slide under the raised portion of one of said plurality of brackets and at the rear of the bench a second member shaped to surround the frame structure with a bolt in said second member adapted to thread into a hole in one of said plurality of brackets.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a table supported on said frame structure by means of two vertical members extending down from said table to a single cross member extending between the portions of the frame structure supporting each of said pair of benches.