US3887036A

US3887036A - Collapsible sawhorse structure

Info

Publication number: US3887036A
Application number: US477591A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley H Telban
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-06-10
Filing date: 1974-06-10
Publication date: 1975-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-03

Abstract

A collapsible sawhorse structure is presented including a pair of legs connected to each other in such a manner that, in a collapsed condition, the legs lie close together and substantially parallel with a short fulcrum support bar pivotally connected near the tops of the two legs and with a toggle comprising two collapsible links individually pivoted one to each leg near the bottom thereof, and with sharp biting projections facing inwardly of the upper ends of the legs above the fulcrum support bar, so that a wooden stringer may be placed with its opposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of the pairs of legs spaced along the stringer while the lower portion of the legs are at least partially collapsed, and then the lower portions of the legs are spread about the fulcrum pivot pins of the support bar until the toggle is spread to the position where the toggle breaks slightly downwardly, thus causing the biting projections to bite into the wooden stringer to firmly fix the connection of each pair of legs to the stringer.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 Telban June 3, 1975 1 1 COLLAPSIBLE SAWHORSE STRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Stanley H. Telban, 682 Meadowland Dr., Richmond Heights, Ohio 44143 221 Filed: June 10, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 477,591

Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado Attorney, Agent, or FirmBa1dwin. Egan, Walling & Fetzer [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible sawhorse structure is presented including a pair of legs connected to each other in such a manner that. in a collapsed condition. the legs lie close together and substantially parallel with a short fulcrum support bar pivotally connected near the tops of the two legs and with a toggle comprising two collapsible links individually pivoted one to each leg near the bottom thereof, and with sharp biting projections facing inwardly of the upper ends of the legs above the fulcrum support bar, so that a wooden stringer may be placed with its opposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of the pairs of legs spaced along the stringer while the lower portion of the legs are at least partially collapsed, and then the lower portions of the legs are spread about the fulcrum pivot pins of the support bar until the toggle is spread to the position where the toggle breaks slightly downwardly, thus causing the biting projections to bite into the wooden stringer to firmly fix the connection of each pair of legs to the stringer.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE SAWHORSE STRUCTURE An object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible sawhorse support structure wherein two of such structures may be applied to a wooden stringer, spaced therealong, and each collapsible structure comprising a pair of rigid legs which are moved from at least a partially open condition to a substantially closed condition causing the upper ends of the pairs of legs to bite into the stringer in such a manner as to firmly embed each pair of legs firmly in the stringer, thus causing a very strong, hard-to-collapse sawhorse structure.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying specification and drawings and the essential features thereofwill be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line l1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing two of the devices of FIG. 1 attached to a wooden sawhorse stringer; while FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partially in section, showing how the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be adapted to rest on an uneven surface such as a stairway.

As shown in the drawings, the sawhorse supporting structure comprises two or more pairs of linear rigid legs 10, which are permanently pivoted together on a short rigid fulcrum support bar 11 which is pivotally connected to each of the legs 10, near the upper end thereof by pivot pins 12. These pins are equally spaced from the upper ends of the two legs. A locking toggle 13 comprises two rigid links 130 of equal length, having their inner ends pivotally connected by a pin at 14, and having their outer ends each pivoted to its associated leg by pin nearer the lower end of the legs and spaced equally from the bottom ends of two legs 10.

Means is provided limiting the swinging of the legs in a direction to spread the legs about the fulcrum pivot pins 12 to a position where the toggle breaks slightly downwardly as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In this embodiment, this means comprises a cut-away structure at 1311 which permits the toggle to be turned upwardly about the

pivots

14 and 15 when the leg structure is collapsed or partially collapsed. Then, when the toggle is bent upwardly in the direction of the arrow A indicated in FIG. I, the points 130 of each leg 13a strikes against the horizontally extending flange 10a of each of the legs 10 to limit the motion of the toggle to the position shown in the drawings. The partially collapsed condition of the legs 10 and of the toggle 13 is indicated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. I.

A series of sharp, saw tooth shape, biting projections 16 are provided facing inwardly on the upper ends of each leg 10 above the fulcrum support bar 11 and these are here shown as being integrally formed on the vertically extending flange 1011 of each leg 10. It is obvious that when the legs are in a partially collapsed position. as indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. I. then the biting projections 16 are separated from each other sufficiently. by oscillations about the pivots 12, so that a wooden stringer I7 may he placed between them. preferably resting upon the horizontal flange llu of the fulcrum support bar II. Then. the operator moves the toggle 13 from the dot-dash position of FIG. I downwardly to the full line position of FIG. I where the toggle breaks partially downwardly from a horizontal posi- 2 tion until points 131' rest against the flange 10a of each leg 10. thus forcing the biting projections 16 to embed themselves into the wood of the stringer 17. In this position of the parts, the uppermost end of the flange 10a, as indicated at I012. preferably rest tightly against the stringer 17.

When two of the support structures of FIG. I are so fastened into a stringer 17, as seen in FIG. 2, then the completed sawhorse is very strong and will resist the weight of a heavy man kneeling in the center of the stringer 17 and pushing his weight backward and forward in any direction.

The above described device can be modified to support a plank such as shown at 18in FIG. 3 on an uneven surface, such as a set of stair steps. To this end, holes 19 may be provided through the flange 10b of the legs 10 and an auxiliary leg portion 20 may be bolted on the leg 10' as seen in FIG. 3 by bolts 21, the auxiliary leg 20 being preferably a structural angle to nest closely to the structural angles 10. This makes the righthand leg longer in FIG. 3 so as to support the plank 18 at a desired level position.

Obviously, if two sawhorses were utilized to support the top of a table. and it were desired to place the table at a higher level than the use of the sawhorse as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, then the auxiliary legs 20 might be attached to each of the legs 10' in FIG. 3 so as to elevate the stringer 17 to a higher level.

What is claimed is:

I. A collapsible sawhorse structure comprising a pair of linear rigid legs, as a fulcrum support a short rigid bar, pivot pins joining opposite ends of said bar to each of said legs near the top and spaced equally from the upper ends thereof, a locking toggle located between said legs and having two right links of equal length, a pivot connecting the inner ends of said links, a pivot connecting the outer end of each link to its associated leg more than half-way down each leg, said last named pivots being equally spaced from the bottoms of said legs, means limiting the swinging of said links in a direction to spread said legs about said fulcrum pivot pins to a position where said toggle breaks slightly downwardly, each of said legs being a structural metal angle having a first leg extending at right angles to an associated stringer and a second leg extending parallel to said stringer, said pivot pin connections to said legs passing through said first leg. and a series of sharp saw tooth shape biting projections facing inwardly on the upper ends of said first legs above said fulcrum support bar so positioned that, when they have well entered into a stringer. the uppermost end of said second leg firmly engages said stringer and braces an assembled sawhorse against stress endwise of said stringer, said projections embedded in said stringer providing the sole connection between said legs and said stringer, whereby a wooden stringer may be placed with its opposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of said pairs of legs spaced along said stringer while the lower portions of said legs below said but are at least partially collapsed, then said lower portions of said legs may be spread about said fulcrum pivot pins until said toggles break slightly downwardly thus causing said biting projection to bite into said wooden stringer to firmly fix the connections of each of said pairs of legs to said stringer. stringer.

Claims

1. A collapsible sawhorse structure comprising a pair of linear rigid legs, as a fulcrum support a short rigid bar, pivot pins joining opposite ends of said bar to each of said legs near the top and spaced equally from the upper ends thereof, a locking toggle located between said legs and having two right links of equal length, a pivot connecting the inner ends of said links, a pivot connecting the outer end of each link to its associated leg more than half-way down each leg, said last named pivots being equally spaced from the bottoms of said legs, means limiting the swinging of said links in a direction to spread said legs about said fulcrum pivot pins to a position where said toggle breaks slightly downwardly, each of said legs being a structural metal angle having a first leg extending at right angles to an associated stringer and a second leg extending parallel to said stringer, said pivot pin connections to said legs passing through said first leg, and a series of sharp saw tooth shape biting projections facing inwardly on the upper ends of said first legs above said fulcrum support bar so positioned that, when they have well entered into a stringer, the uppermost end of said second leg firmly engages said stringer and braces an assembled sawhorse against stress endwise of said stringer, said projections embedded in said stringer providing the sole connection between saId legs and said stringer, whereby a wooden stringer may be placed with its opposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of said pairs of legs spaced along said stringer while the lower portions of said legs below said bar are at least partially collapsed, then said lower portions of said legs may be spread about said fulcrum pivot pins until said toggles break slightly downwardly thus causing said biting projection to bite into said wooden stringer to firmly fix the connections of each of said pairs of legs to said stringer. stringer.