US906131A - Folding table. - Google Patents

Description

W. HANLEY.

FOLDING TABLE.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 2, 190a.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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WzfiawJJaJ. $40 4 w. HANLEY.

FOLDING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908.

906, 131. Patented Dec.8 ,1908.-

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MINI.mm( U UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HA NLEY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FERGUSON BR'OS. MFG..

(30., OF HOBQKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FoLDmG TABLE.

Specification in Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed June 2, 1908. Serial No. 436,279.

To all who-Wet may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HANLEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Im rovement in Folding Tables, of which the following .is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding tables and especially to folding card tables'in which the legs individually fold around the sides of the table in the plane of the top side frame thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide certain improvements in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts whereby a strong and durable folding table may: be made at a reasonable cost and in which any unevenness in the top of the table owing to the warping of the wood is entirely obviated.

A further object is to provide novel means for frictionally holding the legs in their folded position.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved tablein its unfolded position as in use, the view being taken from a point below the table, Fig. 2 1s a top plan view of the table, a portion'of the cover and its lining being broken away to more clearly show the means for attaching the top panels to the top side frame and the diagonal supports, Fig.- 3 is an inverted plan view of the table with the legs folded, a portion of theside frame being broken. away to'more clearly show the elongated slot and socket for the reception of the laterally turned upper end of the leg brace, Fig. 4 is a.detail section taken in the plane'of the line AA of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail inverted plan view of the table with the legs in their folded position, Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through a small portion of the top side frame, showing the laterally turned upper end of the leg brace in full lines engaging the socket at the outer end of the elongated slot and in dotted lines in the position it assumes as it is started along the slot during the folding of the leg, Fig. 7 is a very much enlarged section show ing the means for securing the table cover to its top, and Fig. 8 is a detail erspective view of one of the angle irons WlllCh connect the diagonal supports o the top side of the frame of the table.

i The four top side rails which form the top side-frame are denoted by 1, 2, 3 and 4, which rails are firmly united at the corners of the table. The inner edges of the tops of these side rails are cut away to form angular recesses 5 for the reception of the outer ends of the panels 6 which form the to of the table.

iagonal supports 7 and 8 have their ends secured to and spaced from the side rails of the top by angle'irons, each composed of a branch 9 adapted to be rigidly secured to the side rail,.a diagonal branch 10 adapted to be rigidly secured to the end of the diagonal support, and an intermediate portion 11 extending at right angles to its branch 9. In the present instance screws 12 are shown for securing the branches 9 of these angle irons to the side rails and screws 13 are shown for securing the diagonalbranches' 10 of these angle irons firmly embedded within the ends of the diagonal supports.

To prevent the top of the table from becoming warped or uneven, panels 6 are made in varying lengths extending only partway across the top of the table. These panels have their outer ends resting in the angular recesses .5 and their inner ends resting upon diagonal supports 7, 8. These panels may be rigidly secured to the side rails and the diagonal supports by any suitable means, as, for instance, by small nails or brads 14. The topof the table is further reinforced by strips 15'extending along the under faces of the panels 6 between the diagonal supports 7, 8, intermediate the ends of saiddiagonal supports and their point of intersection.

The cover 16 of the table may be of'any desired material such, for instance, as felt and a lining 17 may be interposed between the cover 16 and the upper faces of the panels 6. This cover 16, is secured around its edges within the angular recesses 5 between the outer ends of the panels 6 and the walls of the said recesses. In the resent instance the cover is secured in position by' inserting liquid glue into the space above described and thenforcing the edges of the cover firmly into said glue. The four legs of the table are denoted by 18, which legs are arranged to individually fold around the sides of the table adjacent the elongated slot.

to -their respective top side rails in the plane of the top side frame. Each leg is hinged by a screw 19 between the intermediate portion 11 of the angle iron and a spacing block 20 at the corner of the table.' The free end of each le when folded is held frictionally in its fo lded position by forcing the legs outwardly toward its side rail, a sufficient distance to permit the free end of the leg to pass by the outer end of one of the diagonal supports 7, 8. The tendency of the leg to spring back to its normal position will cause the end of the diagonal support to hold the leg in its-folded position.

Each leg is provided with a brace 21, the lower laterally turned end 22 of which is pivoted to the leg at a distance from its hinged end and the laterally turned upper end 23 of which is fitted to enter a socket 24 in the top side rail when the leg is in its unfolded position. As the leg is folded, the

laterally turned'upper endofthe brace 21 is fitted to travel along within an elongated slot 25 in the top side rail, the inner end of which slot terminates at the socket24.

A keeper 26 is secured to the top side rail in position over the mouth of the socket 24 and the inner end of the elongated slot 25, which keeper is spaced a sufficient distance from the mouth of the socket to permit the laterally turned upper end of the brace to be withdrawn from the socket but not from This keeper is sufliciently long to permit the laterally turned upper end of the leg brace to travel a very short distance along within the elon ated slot 25 as the leg is folded before said aterally turned upper end of the brace is released from the protective influence of the said keeper.

By providing the table with the diagonal supports and forming the top panels of the gradually increasing lengths from the corners to the center of the table, I am enabled to produce a table top which will be very strong and which will resist all tendency to twist or warp out of shape. Furthermore, the angle irons which secure the diagonal supports to the top side frame not only serve to strengthen the table at the corners but also serve as a part of the hinged connection for the folding legs of the table.

What I claim is l. A folding table comprising a top, a top side frame, diagonal supports, angle irons for securing the diagonal supports to the top side frame, folding legs and means for hinging each of the legs to the table comprising a screw passing through the angle iron and leg into the top side frame.

2. A folding table comprising a top, a top side frame, diagonal supports, angle irons for securing the diagonal supports to the 1 top side frame, folding legs and means for ,hinging each of the legs to the table comprising a spacing block, interposed between the leg and top side frame and a screw passing through the angle iron, the leg and the spacing block into the said top side frame.

3. In-a folding table, a top, a top side frame, diagonal supports for the top and means for securing the diagonal supports to the top side frame, comprising angle irons each having a branch fixed to the top side frame, a branch, fixed to the end of the diagonal support and an intermediate portion, and folding legs hinged between said intermediate portions of the angle irons and the top side frame.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses, this first day of WILLIAM HANLE Y.

I June 1908.

-Witnesses:

F. GEORGE BARRY, C. S. SUNDGREN.

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