US898572A - Folding bracket for desk-telephones, &c. - Google Patents

Description

W. H. GERHARD. FOLDING BRACKET FOR DESK TELEPHONES, 6m.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1907.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

50., WASHINGTON. n. c.

WILLIAM H. GERHARD, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

FOLDING BRACIGET FOR DESK-TELEPHONES, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Application filed September 27, 1907. Serial No. 394,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. GERHARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Folding Bracket for Desk-Telephones, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in brackets for telephones, etc.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of telephone brackets, and to provide a simple, strong, inexpensive, foldable telephone bracket adapted to be readily applied to a desk, and capable of ready adjustment to bring it in position for use or to arrange it out of the way when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flexible foldable bracket adapted,when not in use, to be compactly arranged beneath the telephone or other article supported by it.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a telephone support adapted to be moved inwardly towards or outwardly from its folded position by exceedingly small adjustments, whereby a tele hone, book, or other object may be arrange in a greater variety of positions than heretofore.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, sizes, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a foldable telephone support, constructed in accordance with this invention,

the telephone being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the outer portion of the telephone bracket or support. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail,

perspective view of the rigid jaws of the clamp. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the adjustable jaw of the clamp. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the attaching bracket.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a bracket, consisting of avertical plate, provided above and below its center with horizontally projecting lugs or ears 2, and having suitable perforations 3 for the reception of screws -or other suitable fastening devices for securing the bracket to the desk or other support. The horizontal ears or lugs areprovided with perforations for the reception of a vertical pivot 4, which hinges the inner end of a horizontal, flexible, supporting member 5 to the bracket 1. The attaching bracket 1 may consist of a casting, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, or it may be conveniently stamped or otherwise formed from stout sheet metal or other suitable material.

The horizontal supporting member is in the form of a section of a sprocket chain, and it consists of short upper and lower horizontally disposed links 6 and 7, and vertical connecting pivots or pins 8, which pierce the links and connect the same in the usual manner, similar to the pins or pivots of an ordi nary sprocket chain. The links of the chains are arranged with their pivots vertically disposed so that each link can swing independently in a horizontal plane. The links 6 are arranged outside the inner links 7, which fit against the inner faces of the said links'6, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. The sprocket chain is adapted to swing bodily in a horizontal plane, and the links, which in practice will be about an inch long, more or less, are also adapted to swing horizontally to lengthen or shorten the supporting member, which, while being flexible and foldable horizontally, is adapted to withstand a vertical, torsional strain, and form a support for the telephone 9 or other object. The outer end of the sprocket chain receives a vertical bolt 10, which pierces the outer ends of the outer links and serves to secure the telephone clamp 11 to the sprocket chain.

Although, in the accompanying drawing, a telephone clamp is illustrated, yet it will be apparent that the form of the clamp may be varied to adapt the foldable bracket to support a book or other object. The clamp, which is adapted to engage the base of an ordinary desk telephone stand, is composed of a pair of relatively rigid jaws 12 and an adjustable jaw 13. The jaws 12 and 13 are curved upwardly to embrace and engage the base of the telephone stand, which is securely mounted on the foldable telephone bracket, when engaged by the jaws of the clamp. The relatively rigid jaws 12 are provided with integral shanks 14, arranged at an angle to each other, and provided at their connected inner ends with a perforation 15 for the reception of the bolt 10. The adjustable jaw is provided with a shank having a slot 16, through which the bolt 10 passes and the shank is movable inwardly and outwardly to engage the clamp with and disengage it from a telephone, or other object, and to enable the clamp-to be applied to objects of different sizes. The upper end of the bolt 10 is provided with a head, and its lower end, which is threaded, receives nuts 17 and 18, by means of which the members of the clamp are securely retained in their relative adj ustment and in engagement with a telephone or other object. u

The sprocket chain is adapted to be coiled around the fastening device 10 to fold it beneath the base of the telephone, whereby the latter and its supporting bracket may be compactly arranged at the end or other portion of a desk. The chain is adapted to be stretched or adjusted a link at a time, whereby it is susceptible of arrangement in a large variety of positions to enable the telephone, or other object supported by it, to be placed in the desired position. The telephone bracket may be swung from the top of a table or desk by means of a vertical pivot, which may be conveniently arranged in the form of a stand.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A foldable bracket for telephones, etc. comprising a flexible supporting member consisting of a sprocket chain composed of short overlapped horizontal links arranged in pairs and having their pivots vertically disposed so that each link can swing independently in a horizontal plane but is held against vertical movement, means for attaching one end of the chain to a support, and means carried by the free end of the chain for holding an obect.

2. A foldable bracket for telephones, etc. comprising a flexible supporting member consisting of a sprocket chain composed of short overlapped horizontal links arranged in pairs and having their pivots vertically disposed so that each link can swing independently in a horizontal lane, means for attaching one end of the c lain to a support, and an adjustable clamp mounted on the free end of the sprocket chain and carried by the same and composed of jaws having relative horizontal adjustment.

3. A foldable bracket for telephones, etc. comprising a sprocket chain composed of links disposed in pairs and provided with vertically disposed pivots so that each link can swing independently in a horizontal plane, means for attaching one end of the sprocket chain to a support, an adjustable clamp carried by the free end of the sprocket chain and consisting of relatively rigid jaws provided with connecting shanks arranged at an angle, and an adjustable jaw having a shank and a fastening device piercing the said shank and also connecting the pairs of links at the outer end of the chain.

4. A foldable bracket for telephones, etc.

comprising a horizontally movable sprocket chain composed of links having their pivots vertically disposed so that each link can swing independently in a horizontal plane, means for attaching one end of the sprocket chain to a support, and an adjustable clamp composed of relatively rigid upwardly extending jaws provided with connected shanks arranged at an angle to each other, an upwardly extending adjustable jaw provided with a shank having a slot, and a fastening device extendin through theslot of the adjustable jaw am? through the connected ends of the shanks of the relatively rigid jaws and securing the same to and connecting the pairs of links at the outer end of the sprocket chain.

5. A foldable bracket for telephones, etc. comprising an attaching bracket consisting of a plate having projecting lugs arranged in vertical alinement, a horizontally movable sprocket chain composed of horizontal links arranged in pairs and having their pivots vertically disposed so that each link can swing independently in a horizontal plane, the pair of links at the inner end of the chain being connected to the said lugs, a vertical fastening device carried by and connecting the pairs of links at the free end of the sprocket chain, and a clamp secured to the sprocket chain by the fastening device and com osed of relatively rigid jaws having integral s anks arranged at an angle to each other, and an adjustable jaw provided with a shank having a slot to receive the said fastening device.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. GERHARD.

Witnesses:

L. D. BROOKS, G. G. BISSELL.

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