Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B91/00—Feet for furniture in general
  • A47B91/02—Adjustable feet

Definitions

• This invention relates to a device for stabilizing tables in particular and preventing the rocking of such articles located on uneven surfaces or having legs of slightly different length.
• a device for stabilizing tables, chairs and other similar articles includes a cam means mountable on a leg of the article and being movable from a first position which, when the other legs of the article are flush with the surface upon which it is located, is spaced apart from the surface, and a second position in which a portion of the cam means is in contact with the surface, such that the article is not susceptible to rocking when the cam means is in the second position.
• the cam means is mounted at the lower end of the leg, and rotation thereof causes the leg to be raised or lowered; and means to releasably lock the cam in a desired position is provided.
• the cam comprises a wheel or pair of wheels.
• the wheel operates as a cam by engaging a transverse shaft (wheel axle) at a point remote from the centre of the wheel.
• the eccentric attachment causes raising or lowering of the leg upon rotation of the wheel.
• the cam is preferably non-reversible, being rotatable in one direction only. This enables the cam to be locked in the desired position.
• the wheel has braking means associated with the axle.
• the brake means preferably comprises a pawl and the axle comprises a ratchet-wheel Rotation of the wheel about the axle in the clockwise direction is uninhibited, but attempted rotation in the anti-clockwise direction results in immediate engagement of the pawl with the inclined teeth of the ratchet-wheel to act as a brake.
• the ratchet-wheel is housed within the hollow body of the wheel and is rotatable about the wheel hub. Integral with the ratchet wheel is a central cylindrical shaft which forms the wheel axle which extends through the wheel hub, through an opening to engage a mounting bracket.
• the mounting bracket for attaching the device to the leg of the article is a right-angled bracket, one portion of which is securable to the leg of the table etc., the other providing a mounting point for the eccentric wheel.
• a mounting screw fastens the bracket to a wheel axle.
• mounting screw engages a central bore in the axle, the outer end of the axle including a polygonal protrusion for engaging a complimental opening in the bracket. This ensures that the axle is fixed to the bracket and hence the table leg, with the wheel rotating about the axle.
• the bracket is easily screwed or otherwise fastened to the table leg.
• the cam comprises a two-wheeled castor having an eccentrically located transverse axle, the wheel including a weighted section biasing the wheel towards a particular orientation and enabling gravity-assisted rotation of the wheel.
• This form of the invention may be secured to the leg of the table or other article by means of a suitable clamp or the like which is in turn secured to a shaft including at the lower end thereof a short transverse tubular section for receiving the transverse shaft of the cam. It is important to note that the angle of the leg does not affect the operation of the device in that regardless of whether the leg is vertical, horizontal or at an angle therebetween, the cam will always engage the ground at the lowest point in its rotation path.
• the transverse tubular section is provided with a clutch bearing with which the transverse shaft of the wheel is rotatable in one direction only.
• the device In use, the device is fitted to one leg of a table for example.
• the cam wheel When the table is located in a desired position and it is found that the table is not stable due to unevenness of the floor, the cam wheel is rotated clockwise into a position in which the rocking of the table is eliminated as the cam has effectively filled the gap between the floor and the bottom of the leg to which it is attached. At this point the cam cannot be rotated in the reverse direction due to the non-reversible nature of the cam.
• the diameter of the wheel will determine the size of the leg lengthening or put differently, the size of the gap which the device will take up to eliminate unsteadiness.
• the advantage of the device is that incremental adjustments are possible down to fractions of a millimetre ensuring that the exact height adjustment required is achievable.
• a table or the like includes a cam means attached to at least one leg thereof, the cam means being movable from a first position which, when the other legs of the article are flush with the surface upon which it is located, is spaced apart from the surface, and a second position in which a portion of the cam means is in contact with the surface, such that the article is not susceptible to rocking when the cam means is in the second position.
• Figure 1(a) is an isometric view of the legs of a 4-legged table fitted with a device according to the invention
• Figures 1(b) and 2 are magnified isometric side views of a device of Figure 1 in minimum and maximum leg lengthening positions respectively;
• FIGS 3 and 4 are identical views to Figures 1 and 2 but with the cover plate removed;
• Figure 5 is a side view with the brake disengaged
• Figures 6 and 7 are side views of the device with the brakes engaged in the position of Figures 1 and 3; 2 and 4 respectively;
• Figures 8 and 9 are rear views of the device in the position of Figures 1, 3 and 2, 4 respectively.
• Figure 10 is an exploded isometric view of the device;
• Figure 11 is a magnified isometric view of the front of the wheel, ratchet-wheel and brake;
• Figure 12 is a rear view of the components of Figure 11 ;
• Figure 13 is a front isometric view of the bracket and cover plate;
• Figure 14 is a rear isometric view of the components of Figure 13.
• a device comprises an eccentric wheel 10 fastened at or near the base of a table leg 12.
• the eccentric wheel operates as a cam T/ZA03/00043 and when rotated, effectively raises the table leg by any desired amount between the minimum and maximum positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.
• the wheel is rotatable in one direction only, namely clockwise. Attempted rotation in an anti-clockwise direction results n a brake engaging. This allows the device to be set at the correct position to prevent it from rocking.
• the wheel is mount on a table leg using a bracket 14 fastened to the leg by a bolt or screw. Where the table has built-in levellers, one may be removed and replaced with the device of the invention.
• Mounting screw 16 fastens the bracket to the wheel axle 18 which protrudes from the rear of the wheel hub 20.
• the rear of the axles has a central bore 22 of receiving the mounting screw and is further square in section.
• the bracket includes an identical square hole 24 for engaging the square rear 23 of the axle, preventing rotation of the axle relative to the bracket and hence the table leg.
• the axle 18 comprises a central cylindrical shaft 26 affixed at the inner end to a ratchet-wheel 28 of greater diameter than the cylindrical shaft 26. The channel formed between the shaft and the ratchet-wheel fits onto the wheel hub 20 and rotates therearound.
• the ratchet-wheel 28 is housed within the hollow body of the wheel 10.
• the braking mechanism associated with the axles comprises a pawl 30 pivotally mounted at 32 and which includes a bracing element 34. This arrangement permits inhibited clockwise rotation of the wheel about the axle, but rotation in an anti-clockwise direction causes immediated engagement of teeth 36 of the brake with the teeth 38 of the ratchet-wheel.
• the wheel 10 is mounted eccentrically, the wheel axle 18 and the wheel hub 20 being located between the centre of the wheel and the edge thereby.
• Rotation thereof consequently follows a path which causes the distance from the centre of the axle 18 to the ground (distance A - A in Figure 5) to progressively increase to a maximum measured by distance B - B in Figures 6 and 7.
• This rotation therefore effectively increases the gap between the bottom of the leg 12 and the floor to stabilise the table and prevent it from rocking.
• This is further illustrated by comparing the distance between the base of the leg 40 and the base of the wheel 42 (distances X-Y and X-Z in Figures 8 and 9).
• the rotation may be stopped and locked at any point between the positions shown in Figures 3 and 4 to effectively reduce the gap by the amount required to stabilise the table. Further clockwise rotation towards the starting point shown in Figure 3 results in the table become progressively less stable.
• Figures 15, 16 and 17 are isometric front views of the device according to the invention in three different positions equating to three (of many) possible height adjustments;
• Figure 18 is an exploded isometric view of the device;
• Figure 19 is an isometric view of the table with the device attached to one leg; 10 and
• Figure 20 is a magnified view of the lower end of the table leg.
• a device 50 comprises a two-wheeled castor having an eccentrically located transverse axle 52 to which is attached a vertical shaft 54.
• the vertical shaft is clamped ( Figures 19 and 20) to a leg 56 of a table 15 58 to be stabilized.
• the table leg is vertical and hence shaft 54 is vertically orientated. Should the table leg be horizontal or angled, the shaft would simply be orientated at a similar angle for ease of clamping.
• At least one wheel of the castor includes a weighted segment 60 in the form of a metal insert which biases the wheel to the desired orientation under the action of gravity.
• the castor acts as a non-reversible cam which only turns in a clock-wise direction and accordingly, once the wheels have been rotated into the required location in which the effective length of the table leg has been increased, the wheels cannot roll backwards and reverse the leg extension.
• the non-reversible motion of the cam is achieved by mounting the transverse axle, which may be provided in two sections 52a and 52b, within a clutch

Landscapes

• Handcart (AREA)
• Legs For Furniture In General (AREA)
• Constitution Of High-Frequency Heating (AREA)
• Baking, Grill, Roasting (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
• Vehicle Cleaning, Maintenance, Repair, Refitting, And Outriggers (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=29420993

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2003
  • 2003-03-28 AU AU2003228264A patent/AU2003228264B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-03-28 DE DE60327623T patent/DE60327623D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-03-28 AT AT03726963T patent/ATE431088T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-03-28 WO PCT/ZA2003/000043 patent/WO2003094665A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-03-28 EP EP03726963A patent/EP1503642B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-03-28 CA CA002487865A patent/CA2487865A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-28 US US10/513,479 patent/US20060054065A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-28 CN CNB038159570A patent/CN100366203C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events