US956619A - Combined china-cabinet and table. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. BENNETT.

COMBINED CHINA CABINET AND TABLE.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1909. I 95 1 9 Patented May 3, 1910.

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J. H. BENNETT.

COMBINED GHINA CABINET AND TABLE.

AYPLIGATION FILED JULY 19, 1909.

956,6 1 9, Patented May 3, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFEQE.

JAMES H. BENNETT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLARD E. MERRITT, OF CHATHAM, CANADA, AND ONE-THIRD T0 ARCHIBALID J. MCKIN- NON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED CHINA-CABINET AND TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 19, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910. Serial No. 508,293.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined China-Cabinets and Tables, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a combined china cabinet and table and its object is to provide a very convenient and compact device which will present the appearance when folded, of a china cabinet as ordinarily constructed, taking up but little space and being provided with glass doors to display and protect its contents, and when extended, will serve the purpose of a dining table having leaves which may or may not be extended as desired.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the device that it may be extended for use as a table without the necessity for removing its contents and when folded for use as a china cabinet the table supporting legs will be automatically folded.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in supporting a cabinet to swing from a vertical to a horizontal position so that its back may be used as a table; utilizing this swinging motion to actuate suitable supporting legs and extending the same when the device is turned down for use as a table; arranging the shelves to swing and maintain a horizontal position as the cabinet is turned to obviate the necessity of removing the articles supported thereon; arranging the ends of the cabinet to form extensions for the back, thus providing leaves for the table when the cabinetis turned to bring its back into position for use as a table; and utilizing the doors of the cabinet to support the ends in position for use as leaves; pro viding a detachable top for the cabinet having folding legs so that when the top is removed and the cabinet turned down for use as a table the top may be used as a small side table; and in providing certain other new and useful features, all as hereinafter more fully described reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention and showing one of the doors and one end of the cabinet swung open; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same turned down for use as a table and also showing the cabinet top in use as a side table; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section showing the cabinet partially turned from its vertical to its horizontal position; and Fig. 4 is a detail of the operating mechanism for the table supporting legs, showing said mechanism in inverted plan view with the casters removed.

As shown in the drawings a suitable supporting pedestal is provided consisting of vertical side posts 1 connected at their lower ends by a base 2 and upon the upper end of each post is a bearing 3 engaged by a trunnion 4. on the apron 5 of the table top 6 which top also forms the back of a cabinet when the table is turned on its trunnions to avertical position.

Hinged to each side edge of the table top or cabinet back 6 are the portions 7 which form the ends of the cabinet and hinged to these cabinet ends are the two doors 8 forming the front of the cabinet. These doors are preferably provided with glass panels so that the contents of the cabinet may be seen and if desired the ends 7 may be also provided with glass panels. When the cabinet is turned down to use the back 6 as a table the ends 7 may be turned into the plane of the table top 6 which form extension leaves therefor and these leaves or ends 7 may be supported in extended position by the doors 8 which are each provided with a plate 9 secured to the front edge of the door intermediate its ends to engage a suitable plate 10 secured to the outer side of each of the posts 1 near its upper end. The doors thus form diagonal brace supports for the leaves or ends 7 and the doors are supported in a position beneath the table out of the way of people sitting at the table.

A series of shelves 11 is provided for the cabinet, these shelves fitting within the apron 5 and extending outwardly therefrom such a distance that the ends 7 and doors 8 will fold around the inclosed shelves when the cabinet is in vertical position and thus present the appearance of a china cabinet as ordinarily constructed. Each of the shelves is supported by a hanger 12 at each end which hangers are pivoted at their upper ends to the apron 5 and at their lower end rigidly secured to the ends of the shelves and thus when the cabinet is turned down for use as a table the shelves will swing outwardly as shown in Fig. 3, by gravity and maintain a horizontal position, supporting the articles placed thereon within the cabinet during the turning of the cabinet, and 'when the same is in position for use as a table these shelves will hang downward beneath the table in proximity to each other and form a shelf. The necessity for removing the articles contained within the cabinet upon the shelves before the cabinet may be turned down for use as a table, is thus obviated.

lVhen the cabinet is in vertical position with the ends and doors inclosing the shelves and pedestal, a top 13 is provided to close the upper end of the cabinet and this top is freely removable, it being provided with a downwardly extending apron or ledge 14 to engage within the walls of the cabinet formed by the back, ends and doors thereof. This top is also preferably provided with legs 15 adapted to be folded within the apron 14 of the top so that when the top is removed to permit the cabinet to be turned into position for use as a table, the legs 15 may be extended and the cabinet top used as a small side table.

Secured to each corner of the lower end of the pedestal is a bracket or fitting 16 each provided with laterally extending ears between which horizontally extending legs 17 are pivoted and the pintle which pivotally attaches each leg to its bracket also forms the pintle of a supporting caster 18 adapted to turn freely in any direction and thus the pedestal is supported upon four casters, one at each corner. A caster 19 is also pivotally attached to the outer or free end of each of the legs 17 turning freely thereon.

As shown in Fig. 1, when the device is in folded position as a cabinet, the legs 17 are folded or turned inwardly against the edges of the base 2 of the pedestal at its front and rear side and are inclosed from view by the back, ends and doors of the cabinet. When the cabinet is turned down or extended for use as a table these legs 17 are automatically extended as shown" in Fig. 2, to firmly support the table, by the turning movement of the cabinet upon its pedestal, suitable beveled gears 20 being rigidly secured to each of the trunnions a upon which the cabinet swings and these gears 20 being in mesh with gears 21 upon the upper ends of shafts 22 journaled and extending downwardly within each of the posts 1 to transmit motion imparted by the turning of the. cabinet to mechanism located beneath the base 2 of the pedestal for operating the legs 17. This mechanism consists of a crank arm 23 secured to the lower end of each shaft 22 close to the lower side of the base of the pedestal and this arm 23 is connected by a link 24 to a slide 25 movable longitudinally of a dovetail guide bar 26 secured to and extending longitudinally of the lower side of the base 2. This slide 25 is pivotally connected to each of the legs 17 at its end of the pedestal by links 27 pivotally attached at one end to the slide and at their opposite ends to the legs at a distance from their pivotal attachmentto the pedestal. Thus when the shafts 22 are turned by the turning of the cabinet upon the trunnions 4 the cranks 23 are turned and the slides 25 moved along the guide 26 and this movement of the slide will actuate the legs 17 through the connecting links 27 to turn said legs toward or from the base of the pedestal according to whether the cabinet is raised or lowered.

To hold the cabinet in upright position so that it will not be accidentally turned down, a suitable friction catch or spring 28 is provided upon the upper side of the base 2 of the pedestal to engage the end portion of the apron 5 and frictionally hold the cabinet from turning. To hold the cabinet in a horizontal position for use as a table, a sector 29 is secured to the apron 5 adjacent to one of the posts of the pedestal and upon said post is provided a spring actuated latch 30 having a lug to engage a notch 31 in the sector, said notch being located so that it will engage the lug when the table is in an exactly horizontal position and hold the table from tipping.

In this construction when the device is folded or turned to a vertical position the table legs are automatically folded against the base of the cabinet so that but little space will be taken up and the shelves automatically folded into position within the cabinet and when the ends and doors are swung into place around the pedestal the operating parts are inclosed from view.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet having a back, ends hinged to the back and doors hinged to the ends, a pedestal to the upper end of which the cabinet is pivotally attached intermediate its upper and lower ends, and foldable legs on the pedestal adapted to be extended when the cabinet is turned to horizontal position and to be folded and in closed by the back ends and doors of the cabinet when said cabinet is in vertical position.

2. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet adapted to be turned to horizontal position for use as a table, a pedestal having posts extending upward at each side of the cabinet, bearings on the posts, trunnions on the cabinet engaging the bearings, foldable legs upon the pedestal, means on the trunnions for transmitting motion when the cabinet is turned, and mechanism actuated by said means for operating the foldable legs.

3. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet adapted to be turned to awhorizont-al position for use as a table, a supporting pedestal having posts extending upward at each side of the cabinet and connected by a base, means for pivotally supporting the cabinet upon the upper ends of the posts, legs pivotally attached to the pedestal, gears carried by the pivots of the cabinet, shafts journaled in the posts and provided with gears in mesh with the gears on the pivots, and means connecting the lower ends of the shafts with the pivoted legs to operate said legs by the turning of the shafts when the cabinet is turned.

4. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet adapted to be turned to a horizontal position for use as a table, a supporting pedestal having posts extending upward at each side of the cabinet, bearings on the upper ends of the posts, trunnions on the cabinet engaging the bearings, gears secured to the trunnions, shafts journaled in the posts, gears on the upper ends of the shafts engaging the gears on the trunnions, cranks on the lower ends of the shafts legs pivotally attached to the pedestal, and links connecting the cranks to the legs to turn the legs when the shafts are turned by the turning of the cabinet.

5. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet adapted to be turned from a vertical to a horizontal position for use as a table, a pedestal for supporting the cabinet, bearings on the upper ends of the pedestal trunnions on the cabinet engaging the bearings, gears on the trunnions, shafts mounted in bearings on the pedestal, gears on the upper ends of the shafts engaging the gears on the trunnions, cranks on the lower ends of the shafts, legs pivoted at one end to the pedestal, slides carried by the pedestal, links connecting the cranks and the slides, and links connecting the pivoted legs to the slides.

6. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet adapted to be turned from a Vertical to a horizontal position for use as a table and having a back forming a table top, and an apron secured to the back, means for pivotally supporting the cabinet, and a series of shelves pivoted to and adapted to swing within the apron and arranged to maintain a horizontal position during the turning of the cabinet.

7. A device of the character described comprising a cabinet having a back to form a table top when the cabinet is turned to horizontal position, and having an apron for the table top secured thereto, a pedestal having posts extending upward at each side of the apron, means on the apron for pivotally supporting the cabinet upon the upper ends of the post-s a series of shelves adapted to swing within the apron, and hangers attached to the apron for supporting the shelves.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AHES H. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

C. R. STICKNEY, LEWIS E. FLANDERS.

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