CA1281060C - Accessory table for business and domestic use - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An accessory table adapted for detachable attach-ment to an article of furniture, such as a desk, is disclosed. The accessory table comprises a rigid floor supported post and an attachment assembly for the post, exerting vise action on the top and bottom surfaces of the desk. The post carries at least one table at the outer end of an arm, the latter being pivotable through a full circle. The table is also rotatable about its central vertical axis at the end of the arm. The post is hidden by an aesthetic sheath.

Description

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to furniture and accessories therefor, more specifically to such an acces-sory table which is designed for an office but not exclusive-ly so .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since more and more commercial and industrial business offices are availing themselves of electron~c items, such as computers along with their keyboards and printers r and word processors, there is a proportionally-growing need for office furniture, such as support tables, to accommodate the new equipment. Of those companies which can af~ord to purchase such furniture after having purchased the expensive electronic items, many have, however, experienced some problems.
One major problem is that the support table must be fre-quently put in cramped space, so that the user ~ho wishes to use, for example, the computer display screen must displace himself or herself away from his or her work place. Another related problem is that~ if several users must have access to the equipment during the work day, then each user may have to leave his or her work place several times during the day. Moreover, the new furniture does not always harmonize with existing office furnitureO Yet another problem is that existing support tables ten~ to occupy too much space.
A search of the prior art reveals various service attachments and auxiliary tables, none of which are ground or floor supported. This last feature is essen-tial within the scope of the present invention as disclosed below.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an important object of the present ~1~' ~8~

invention to provide an accessory table which obviates the above--stated problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory table of the above type, which is very mobile on i-ts support.
It is yet another object oE the present invention to provide an accessory table of the above type, which is very easy to install.
It iS still another object of the present invention to provide an accessory table of the above type, which can support a heavy load and which is adaptable to any type of desk, bureau or table, whether in an office or domestically. -SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects ~nd advantages o~
the present invention are realized according ko a preferred embodiment comprising each a rigid vertical support post, which is adapted to be secured to a side of an article of fur-niture, such as a desk. The post will preferably extend very close to the desk side. The lower end of the post is provided with a floor-engaging base.
At least one horizontal table is pivotally attached to the upper portion of the post at the outer end of an arm which is preferably arranged to be pivotable through a full circle. ~he table is preferably rotatively mounted on the arm and is adapted to support, for example, a com-puter display screen.
An attachment assembly is provided to secure the post to a desk. Such assembly is essentially a ~ise and comprises an upper and a lower clamp plate member secured to the post in vertically-spaced relationship. Each clamp plate is provided with a primary locking means to lock the plates to the post at a selected height. Thus, the lower plate will be locked into a position in which it partially extends under a bottom surface of the desk to abut the latter. In one axrangemen~,the.lower plate sexves doubly as the base for the post. The upper plate similarly partially extends over the top sur~ace of the desk. In association with the upper plate, a secondary lock~
ing means is further provid~d, which is adapted to exert vise action by putting for~h afurtner downward force on the desk topl thereby rigidly locking the post in position at the desk side, and with the post firmly contacting the floor.
BRI~F D~SCRIPTION OF T~IE DRAWINGS ~ :
The above will be more clearly unders-tood by having referral to the preferred embodiment of the invention, illus-trated by way of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a first arrangement oE the of the parts/aacessory ta~le according to the invention, also also showing a portlon of one type of work desk;
Figure la is an exploded perspective view of the --arrangement shown ln Flgure ~;
Figure 2 is a front elevation of a second arrangement of the parts of the same accessory table according to the invention, also showing a portion of another work desk;
Figure 2a is another exploded perspective view, but of the arrangement ~hown in Figure 2;
Figure 3 i9 a top plan view of tlle invention attached to the corner of a desk, showing in dashed outline how the tables may pi~ot and rotate; and Figures 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sections of the lower clamp plate and of the floor-engaging base, respectively.
Like numerals indicate like elements throughout "

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the drawings.
D~TAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFER~ED EMBODIMENT
A first arrangement oE the parts of the invention is shown in Figures 1, la, and 4, as attached to an ofice desk 3 of the type in which the underface 3' is very close cylindrical to floor 16.' An upright/post 2, preferably made of steel and preferably hollow, is adapted for detachable attachment to desk 3 and is provlded with an attachment assembly therefo~ The latter consists of a generally triangular lower clamping plate member 4 having a similarly-shaped notch 4'. The latter is Eor a leg 5 of desk 3 to fit thereinto~ Pla~e 4 is also provided with a vertically-slidably oriented ~pen-ended slee~e 6 at its apex, sle~ve/Ç recei~-ing the lower end of post 1. ~he primary locking means for clamping plate 4 consists of a first set-screw 7 threadedly engaged in sle~v,e 6.
The attachmen-t assembly further consists of another generally triangular. upper clamping p~ate 8, which does not have a notch. Member 8, like member 4, has a sleeve 9 provided wikh a second set-screw 10 by which member 8 can be secured to post 1, screw 10 constituting the other part of the primary locking means.
A secondary locking means is further pro~lded in association with upper member 8. The means comprises: a small rectangular flat plate 11 having glued'or otherw:Lse securec to its underside a compr,e5s~bl~ pad 1.2. Plate 11 has a pair of speced-apart guide pins 13, which are insertable into corresponding guide pin holes ~not seen~ made in the underside of plate me~ber 8. The latter has three threaded perforations 14 in registry with three shallow notches 15 provided in the top face of flat plate 11. Perforations 14 have threadedly-engaged secondary set-screws 17.

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The installation of post 1 adjacent desk 3 is ac-complished simply. Firstly, the post is inserted into lower clamping plate 4, so that it contacts the floor 16 either directly or with the lntermediary of a floor pad 16a. Lower clamping plate 4 is then adjusted upwardly along post 1 until it` presses against desk underface or under eage 3, and is then locked into place by meana of set-secrew 7. It is esse~tial :
that post 1 be in floor-engaging relation for fir~ and strong support. Then upper clamping plate 8 i5 placed ovex the top surface 3 of desk 3 and locked into place by the second set-screw 10. Vise ac-tion is effected by screwing the secondary set-screws 17 into the respec-tive shallow notches lS of flat plate 11, thereby forcing plate 11 downwardly and compressillg pad 12, since triangular plate 8 is held in locked position by the primary lockiny means.
In order to prevent post 1 from slipping against ~loor 16, pad 16a as well as the lower surface of plate member 4 are desirably provided with material known under the trademark VELCRO, if floor 16 is covered w~t~l a rug, or with rubber if the floor is made of tile or lino~eum.

It should be noted that, if desk underface 3' leaves only a small gap with floor 16, lower clamping plate 4 can rest directly on the floor and suitable shims inserted between plate 4 and surface 3'.
Figure 1 and Figure la advantageously show two vertically-spaced support tables 18 and 19, one abo~e and one below upper plate 8. The tables are rectangular, horizontal and made of agglomerated woodchips covered wi-th melamine. For instance, upper table 18 measures 16 " x 20'', while lower table 19 measures 10'' by 20'' to support a compu-ter video display.and keyboard, respectively. Each -table 18, 19 is fixed to an underlying support plate 20, 21 respectively and each plate 20, 21 has a centrally-located~downwardly ~a~o~

projecting pin 23l 24, respectively.
Tables 18 and 19 are mounted each on one of two identical arms 25, 26. These arms are characterized by eyes 27, 27',28, 28', respectively at both their opposite ends.
The outer eyes 27, 28 receive pins 23, 24, respecti~ely~
while the other two inner eyes 27', 28' are slidably mounted on post 1. Both arms are provided with vertical position lock means consisting of collars 29, 30 having set-screws 31.
Both pins 23, 24 have ~ small threaded bore 23a, 24a adapted to receive capped bolts 32, 33, respectively, each cap having integrally-formed ears 32', 33' to render the rotation of the caps easier.
Thus/ as suggested in Figure 3, tables 18, 19 are adapted to be selectively rotated to any desired position and releasably locked thereat by the locking caps. Tables 18, 19 are also free to pivot bodlly with their xespective arms about the axis of post 1.
Referring now to Figures 2, 2a, and 5, there is depicted a second arrangement of the same parts of the Z0 accessory table. Such embodiment is suitable for a desk or work table 34 having a side35 and laterally projecting edge 36. As shown in the figures, all the elements described ~ -above are utilized in the second arrangement with the follow-ing exce~tions: a special 100r-engaging base is provided, since lower plate 4 is inverted and located under edge that plate 11 can 36 so/e~ert vise action on the latter, as in the Eirst arrangement. The base is comprised of a small disk 37 having an upper sleeve portion 37'; a threaded stud 38 is rigidly centrally secured inside sleeve por~ion 37'. The . , .

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lower end portion of post 1 has a complem~ntary threaded bore 3g adapted to recelve stud 38. Thus, base 37 can be~unscrewed to firmly con-tac-t floor 16 after lower clamp-ing plate 4 has been secured to post 2. Base 37 is installed ~in the arrangement of Figure 1 whenever there is a sufficient gap between floor 6 and desk underface 3'.
Th~ assembly is preferably provided with an aesthetic finlsh sheath consisting of a plurality of doughnut-shaped sections 40 inserted around post 1. Sections 40 are preferably made of polyurethane foam. This sheath can be ~ntire lengths o~ single-piece ~leeves cut to size.
An uppermost closure cap 41 may be provided~
Ideally~ post 1 will be located no more ~han ap-proximately six inche~ rom the side o a des~, ~able or other article.
It is to be noted that the two support tables can carry up to 200 pounds of equipment.
Ik is to be further noted that the attacl~ent assembly will not releas2 accidentaLly and that no damage to the article of furniture is possible with pad 12.
Moreover, the attachment assembly wlll fit any furniture, hav~ng an intermediately-located bottom sur~ace (between the floor and the top surace of the furniture article).

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION FOR WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE: IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. For use with a desk or similar article of furniture resting on a floor and defining a top, upwardly-facing, horizontal work surface and a lower, downwardly-facing, horizontal surface which is downwardly spaced from said top surface and upwardly spaced from said floor, an accessory table assembly comprising a cylindrical post having a lower end and an upper end, a floor pad, bolt means to adjustably fix said floor pad to said lower end axially of said post, an upper and a lower clamp plate, each having an open-ended sleeve at one end normal to the plane of the clamp plate, each sleeve slidably receiving said post, setscrew means carried by each sleeve and engageable with said post to adjustably secure each clamping plate axially of said post with each plate extending laterally of said post and in the same direction, said upper clamp plate having an exposed top face and an underface, a pressure plate underlying said underface, a cushion pad underlying and secured to said pressure plate and fine adjustment screw means threaded through said upper clamp plate and engaging said pressure plate to adjust the vertical spacing of the latter below said upper clamp plate, said screw means operatively accessible at said top face of said upper clamp plate, at least one swing-arm having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end having a sleeve rotatably and axially receiving said post, a collar slidable on said post, means to adjustably fix said collar on said post, axially thereof, to support said arm sleeve at an adjusted level while allowing swinging of said arm in a generally hori-zontal plane, a table carried by the outer end of said arm, rotatable relative to the latter about a vertical axis, and means to releasably lock said table to said arm in any orientation, whereby said post is adapted to be mounted on the side of said article of furniture with said lower clamp plate in a position extending under and engaging said lower surface and said upper clamp plate, and said pressure plate extending in a position over said top surface with said cushion pad engaging said top surface, said setscrew means securing said upper and lower clamp plates in said positions and with said cushion pad compressed against said top surface by said fine adjustment screw means and with said foot pad pressed against said floor by adjustment of said bolt means. --