US2596663A - Collapsible interlocking extensible table - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1952 A. DUFFY 2,596,663

COLLAPSIBLE INTERLOCKING EXTENSIBLE TABLE Filed Nov. 10, 1949 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET l x I V 6! 4 ,44 44 427 27 56 r I '34 35 5- INVENTOR. 63 ALICE. DUFFY y 13, 1952 A. DUFFY COLLAPSIBLE' INTERLOCKING EXTENSIBLE TABLE 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Nov. 10', 1949 INVENTOR. ALlcE DUFFY :AYI'Jfi/VEY Patented May 13, 1952 ooLnA-Psmnn nsrmmloclones: ex'rexsmnn- TABLE Alice Duffy, Bronx} NZ, Y1 Appiicati'on November 10, 1949;.S'erialNm 126373 2" Claims; 1

. This? invention. relates: to tables; and..- more particularly; to a;v collapsible. extensible table: adapted. foruse, as? a. card table,v a. combined bed' tray and table. a cutting. table, and. a. myriad ofother types; of. table.v

One object; of the: invention. is the; provision of; acollapsiblebasic.- or; center table; and a pluraiity of auxiliaryextensions; therefor, each-of said. extensions being, supported: at. one: endgon collapsible legs. and. at the; other end. by said. center table, or another: extension.

Another object: of; the invention: is". the pros vision of means for connecting: and; locking the center: table. and; the various extensions together.

Still; another." object of the. invention the. provisionof an extension table connectable; with said. center table and. having collapsible. legs adaptedto reston an invalids; bed or: on the arm: of a, convalescents chair;

For further comprehension of the: invention. and-.01". the objects and advantages: thereof;- reference;- will bev had. to the; following: description and accompanying drawings. andto' theappended. claims in. which the. various novel. features. of the invention. are. more particularly set. forth.

In: the accompanying drawings forming a ma.- terial part ofthis disclosure:

Fig.v 1. is. aperspective view of the tableof. the. invention. and illustrates the. center table. with a. plurality of extensions connected thereto.

Fig.- 2.1's a side elevation of the, table as. used. with. an. invalids bed. or, a convalescents. chair. .Fl'g. '3.is. anenlarged. view of the undersideof. the; center table. and illustrates. the; means for. latching the. extensions thereto.

4tis a. perspective view of? the edge of} one of the. extension. tables and illustrates. the means by; which it. is. connected; to the. center tableor. to another extension table.

li'i'g, 5' is a view of the underside. of the. edge of an extension table,- opposite to that shown in Fig.4) and illustrates, the means. for latching another extension thereto.

Fig. 6 is. a plan view of a trough attachment for" said table. I 1

Figs. Tis an end view oi" the trough of Fig. 6';

Fig: 8- is" a" fragmentary view" of" the leg collapsing means of the tabi'e;

Fig. 9 isa fragmentary" sectionalvi'ew on line 9-9-0f'Fig: 3-;

Fig. 10 1s a detail perspective view of" alatching' shutter.

Fig. 11: is a fragmentary sectional view on line HL-l l of Fig.- 3.

' rigs-1 21s: a secti'onal view online l t-42 of 2i y I Fig}. 1:31 is; a. sectional view on. linetit- 4.7% oi; Fig.:l=2.

Fig 141 is. a. fragmentary sectional view on. line. l-4.--l.4- of. Fig; 1".

Fig. 15 is a. fragmentarysectional view on line; l5-l5v of. Fig. 4-.

Fig. 16.- is a. perspective view of a. combined ash. tray and. glass holding attachment: for. th table.

The basic or center table of: the invention comprises a. top: piece. 25 (Fig 1); from which edging strips 26 extend downward. the. legs 21 of: the. table being; located, within and. pivoted to. said: edging strips. The. legs'arepivoted-as at 28 (Fig, 8): and eachhas: a. headedv stud.- 38 which engages in aislot. 3| in a. connecting link 32 pivotedto theedging strip 26. Thusthe. legs. 21 can befolded under. the top piece. 25.,

As. thus far described the; center table is sub stantially identical with the well-known, socalled. card tables,. and the various components thereof can be of. any material found. suitable inv these; known tables, as for example, wood} metal or plastic.

Two types of. extension. tables. are: provided, one. thathas a pair. of legs adapted. to rest. on the. same. surface. as the. center table, and? a secondthathas a pair of legs. adapted. to rest. on the bed of an invalid or on the arm of a convalescentsv chair. The-former type will. be desc'ribedfirst.v

Each .tableextension. comprises. .a-top. piece 33' (Fig. 1) to which are. secured peripheralied'ging. strips 34",.the. two. legsv 3'5 of the extension. being}. connected'to onaofj'said strips. in the same mannor as. thelegsfl are. secured to. strips 216,. The. opposite. end. of the. extension to that at which. the. legs. 3'5ar'e located issupported by, the center table. as at 35' (Fig. I). or by another extension t'abl'e as.'at.31... v

The over-bed. or chair. extensions are identical with those just described except that their'le'gs 39, see Fig. 2;, are considerably shorter. due? to the fact that they rest on a bed" or chair arm:

To. provide for the support of the legless'i ends of allsaidi extension. tables, the edging; strips 26 (Fig. 1*) ofi'th'e center tablepan'd the extension table edging strips; to which the; legs 35' are.

pivoted are each provided with a plurality of slots or cutouts 38 which are. engaged" byhook memberslil (-Figs14and'15) which pass through the edging strips. 3'4 at" the legless ends" of the extension-tables andhave tails 41- (Figs. 15') se cured to-the inner-faces cfsaidstrips.

To engage the hook members 40*in'tlie slbts 3'8 the edge of the extensiont'able 'is lifted slightly, the hook member slid into the slot and the table lowered to engage the hook member.

In some instances the arrangement just described for supporting the legless ends of the extension tables is entirely satisfactory, but in other instances means need be provided for locking the hook members 40 in engagement.

To this end the underside of the center table top piece 25 has'slidably mounted thereon adjacent each edging strip 26 by means of brackets- 42 a long metal bar 43 to which is secured the tails 44 of a plurality of latching shutters 45 (see also Figs. 9 and 10), one normally in alignment with each of the slots 38. Each of the bars 43 is connected by a lever 46 pivoted at 41 to the table top piece 25 with a circular rocking plate 48 journalled on a post 50 (Fig. 13) projecting downward from a bearing plate secured to the bottom face of the top piece 25 by screws 52 (Fig. 12). The end of post 50 is threaded to receive a nut 53 (Figs. 3 and 11) adapted to hold the rocking plate 48 in place on said post. A spring 54 tensions the rocking plate 48 and the connected parts to the positions shown full lines -in Fig. 3, further movement of the parts being prevented by the engagement with a bracket 55 mounted on the lower edge of one ofthe edging strips 26, of the handle 56 of a long control link 51 pivotally connected at its other end to the rocking plate 48.

The construction is such that the spring 54 normally holds all of the shutters 45 in alignment with the slots 38, but said shutters can be moved laterally out of alignment with said slots to permit the hook members 40 being inserted into the slots by pulling on thehandle 56 of control link 51. When the shutters are moved out of alignment with the slots, the hook members 40 (see also Fig. 4) are inserted through said slots and spring 54 allowed to move the shutters back to normal position, where they then'engage the hook members 45 as shown in Fig. 14, and'prevent the latter from being disengaged from the slots 38.

It will be noted that the levers 46 are connected to rocking plate 48 by means of pin and slot and as said plate is rocked, are moved through dead center, the slots sliding on the pins.

' A similar latching arrangement to that described above is provided for the slots 38 in the leg end, edging strip 34 of each extension table. This arrangement comprises a shutter 45 for each of the slots 38 (Fig. 5), said shutters having their tails 44 secured to a bar 43 slidingly mounted in brackets 42 the same as described above. However, in the present arrangement, one end of the bar 43 is extended through the adjacent edging strip 34 and is provided with a handle 58 which in the normal position of the parts is held in engagement with the outer face of said edging strip by a spring 60 which acts, in the illustrated instance, on the tail 44 of one of the shutters 45.

It is believed obvious that this arrangement operates to secure two extensions together in identically the same manneras that described above in connection with securing an extension tothe center table.

According to the invention, any number of extensions of either type can be connected with the center table in any desired combination.

This invention also provides a trough 6i (Figs. 2, 6 and 7) for cigarettes, cards, magazines, etc.. which can be removably secured to any of 4 the edges of the center table or to the slotted edge of any of the extension tables.

The trough 6| may be of any formation, that shown in the drawings having a deep portion 62 for magazines and the like and a shallow portion 63 for smaller articles, said shallow portion being divided up into compartments by partitions 64. One longitudinalwall of the trough 6| is provided with a plurality of hook members 65, one for 'each of the slots 38 in an edge of the center table or the leg edge of an extension table, said hook members being identical with the hook members 40 described hereinbefore, and being utilized in exactly the same manner as said hook members 40 to secure the trough in place.

According to the invention one or more combined ash tray and glass holder attachments are provided for securement to the corners of the center table. Said attachment comprises (Figs. 1 and 16) a strip 66 of sheet metal or the like bent in the form of a right angle and having a glass holding receptacle 61 secured to each leg thereof and an ash tray 68 secured to the external corner thereof. In order to provide for securing the attachment to the center table, each of the legs of the strip 66 has mounted thereon a hook member '10. The book members 10 engage the proximate slots 38 of a pair of right angled edging strips 26 and secure the attachment on the corner. of the table as shown in Fig. l. The hook members i0 function in exactly the same way as the hook members 40 described hereinabove.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it isto be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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

I l. The combination of a center table having a top piece, a plurality of edging strips, one extending downward from each of the edges of said top piece and each including a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots, and a table leg adjacent each of the corners of said top piece, with one or more extension tables each having a pair of legs at one end thereof, a top piece, a plurality of edging strips, one extending downward from each of the edges of said top piece, the edging strip adjacent said pair of legs including a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots and the edging strip opposite the slotted one having secured thereto a plurality of book members one to engageeach of the slots associated with one edge of the center table, or the slots in the edging strip of another extension table; and a latching arrangement associated with said center table to secure the, extension tables thereto, said arrangement comprising a latching shutter adjacent each of-the slots in the center table edging strips, a plurality of bars slidably mounted on the underside of said center table top piece, one to connect all of the latching shutters adjacent each edging strip, a rocking plate, a pivoted lever connecting each of said bars with said rocking plate, a spring to rock said plate and engage said latching shutters with said hook members, and a control link connected to said rocking plate and extending beyond the edge of the table for manual operation to free said shutters from said hook members, and a latching arrangement associated with each of said extension tables, the latter said arrangement comprising a latching shutter adjacent each slot in the extension table edging strip, a bar slidably mounted on the underside of the extension table top piece, and connecting all of the last said shutters, said bar extending beyond the edge of the table, a spring to engage said latching shutters with said hook members, and a handle on the projecting end of said bar for manual operation of the latter to free said latching shutters from said hook members.

2. The combination of a center table having a top piece, a plurality of edging strips, one extending downward from each of the edges of said top piece and each including a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots, and a table leg adjacent each of the corners of said top piece, with one or more extension tables each having a pair of legs at one end thereof, a top piece, a plurality of edging strips, one extending downward from each of the edges of said top piece, the edging strip adjacent said pair of legs including a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots and the edging strip opposite the slotted one having secured thereto a plurality of hook members one to engage each of the slots associated with one edge of the center table, or the slots in the edging strip of another extension table; a latching arrangement associated with said center table to secure the extension tables thereto, said arrangement comprising a latching 6 shutter adjacent each of the slots in the center table edging strips, automatic means to move said latching shutters into position to engage said hook members, and manual means to move said latching shutters free of said hook members, a latching arrangement associated with each of said extension tables, the latter said arrangement REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,048,596 Sedaj Dec. 31, 1912 1,109,086 Stuck Sept. 1, 1914 1,602,383 Andersson Oct. 12, 1926 1,930,741 Saussure Oct. 17, 1933

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