US2723889A - Furniture - Google Patents

Description

N. REINGOLD Nov. 15, 1955 FURNITURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23 1951 G W Z 0 null! REINGOLD Nov. 15, 1955 FURNITURE 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Filed April 23 1951 l l v i Q; 1PMMIIHHHHHWflillmn N. REINGOLD Nov. 15, 1955 FURNITURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 23 1951 HIM Nov. 15, 1955 N. REINGOLD 2,

FURNITURE Filed April 23, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

A/flflf/ FE/NGQLP WW4 @Qg fliTUE/VEX United States Patent FURNITURE Noah Reingold, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Albert Lavenburg, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application April 23, 1951, Serial No. 222,509

8 Claims. (Cl. 311-95) This invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to folding tables.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved article of furniture such as indicated above, which provides a table which will stand on its four legs either in its open position of use or in its closed for folded condition for storage.

Another object is to provide a table having a movable table top which can be easily and quickly moved when the table is in open position from an upper to a lower position, or vise versa, or to a vertical position from horizontal position between the legs of the table when the table is in folded condition.

Another object is to provide a table with parts thereof so related and associated with each other as to form a secure, durable, eflicient table, when set up for use, with legs that are strong and sturdy, which will not collapse or wobble, and to form a compact structure when collapsed or folded up so that a minimum amount of space will be occupied thereby.

A further object is to provide a table which may be easily and quickly set up in open position for use from folded position, and vise versa, or from upper to lower position, or vise versa:

Still another object is to provide a spring hook or latch which will automatically hold the table top to the rear frame of the table either when the table is in open upper and lower position, or in its collapsed or folded position.

Yet another object is to provide a swinging rest or platform on the front frame or rail of the table in order to aid in holding the table top when in its upper open position, and for swinging the rest or platform out ofthe way when the table top is to be moved to the lower position or from lower to upper position, or to closed or collapsed position of the table.

A still further object is to provide tethering anchorage and support of the table-top, and more specifically, to provide a pair of swinging arms on a rod connected at what is here termed the rear side of the table top to enable the table top to swing to and from upper and lower position, or to closed position.

Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains as the description proceeds, both by direct recitation thereof and by implication from the context.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a table shown in open position, and with table top in uppermost position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the table, partly broken away;

Fig; 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the table top in uppermost position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the table top in lowered or second position, illustrating manner of manipulating the top either to its lower position or to raise it from lower to uppermost position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the same plane as Fig. 3, but showing the table in folded or collapsed position; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of table in folded position.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates a movable table-top, here shown as rectangular or square. This table-top 10 is supported through agency'of structure hereinafter described, by four legs 11 located at the four corners thereof. Considering the legs as arranged in pairs, of which one pair is in a plane parallel to the plane of another pair at the opposite end of the table, a rigid lintel 12 is provided between upper portions of the legs of each pair, and foldable lintels 13 are provided between corresponding legs of the two pair. For convenience in orientation and designation of parts, the foldable lintels will be arbitrarily designated as at the sides of the table, and the rigid lintels will be referred to as at the ends of the table or more specifically as at the front and rear ends thereof. For further convenience in description, the table will be considered as standing on its four legs which may therefore be designated as located vertically and in position of use, the table-top will be recognized as positioned horizontally.

Each rigid lintel has an upper, horizontally disposed stringer 14 and a lower stringer 15 therebelow in spaced parallel relation thereto, each said stringer extending from leg to leg of the pair of legs at the ends of the table. The space between the said upper and lower stringers may have a panel 16 of wood or other material closing the lintel space from leg to leg as shown, or may have balusters or be otherwise partially filled or left entirely open as found most desirable.

Each foldable lintel 13 is made up of three essential parts, namely, a rigid hinge-mounting spacer or section 17 and two gate or foldable sections 18. The spacer or section 17 is fixed to a leg of the pair of legs at one end of the table, and preferably the pair arbitrarily designated are at the rear of the table, said spacers projecting perpendicular to the plane of said pair and toward the pair of legs at the front of the table. One gate section of each foldable lintel is hinged vertically at its front end to one leg of the pair of legs at the front of the table in such manner that it may be swung inwardly of the table and into juxtaposition to the 'inner face of the end lintel. The other or intermediate gate section 18 of the foldable lintel is hinged at its forward end to the rear end of the first-mentioned or front gate section, and is hinged at its rear end to the forwardly directed end of the spacer or fixed section 17. This intermediate section of the lintel is properly hinged so as to likewise swing inwardly of the table and when swung to its limit will arrive at juxtaposition to the inwardly swung front gate section and parallel to the rigid lintels but spaced from the rear rigid lintel a distance equal to the length of the spacer 17.

Each gate section is shown as a frame composed of upper and lower stringers 19 and 20 respectively and the frame completed as a rectangle by risers 21 connecting ends of the said stringers. The space between the said upper and lower stringers of each gate section may have a panel 22 of wood or other material closing the framed space from riser to riser, or may have balusters or be otherwise partially filled or left entirely open as found most desirable. Furthermore, while spacer 17 has been shown as a solid block of wood, it likewise may be otherwise constructed to be wholly or partially open. The vertical dimension of the foldable lintel is preferably the same as that of the rigid lintel, so that all of the upper stringers are at a common elevation and all of the lower stringers are at a common elevation. Piano Patented Nov. 15, 1955 3 hinges 23 are preferred and are shown at both ends of the gate sections.

In the open condition or position of use of the table, the gate sections of each foldablelintel are aligned in a common plane with each other and with the fixed end section or spacer. Releasable locking means may be provided to retain the several sections of the foldable lintel in their aligned status, one such means appearing more especially in Figs. 2 and 6. The illustrated embodiment of locking means comprises a rigid arm 24 pivoted at 25 to the outer face of one gate section 18 next the end thereof hinged to the other gate section, said arm having adequate length to enable it to extend across the line of. hin'ging of said sections and have a considerable overlap on both. While one end of the arm itshinged to one gate section, its other end can be swung to overlie apart of the other gate section which has a stud 26 or other detent with which the arm will make snap engagement until it is positively and forcefully disengaged therefrom for swinging back to a position of juxtaposition to only the one section on which it is pivoted so as to enable the gate sections to then be swunginwardly of the table for collapsing purposes.

Table top 10 is constructed and mounted in such manner that it may be located, at will, in any one of several locations, one of which is at substantially the level of the upper stringers, another of which is at substantially the level of the lower stringers, and a third one of which is. with said table top dropped between the parallel pairs of legs in collapsed condition of the table. For accomplishment of the location where desired of the table-top the. dimensions thereof are prearranged to enable the table-top to fit nicely within the oblong framing provided by the several stringers, so that in open condition of the table the several edges of the table-top will be in juxtaposition each to a stringer.

The table-top is retained assembled with the leg and lintel portion of the table by means of tethering arms 27 pivoted thereto, as at 28, at the two opposite sides of said top next one end thereof, namely, next what I have here termed the rear end of the table. The other ends of said tethering arms 27 are carried by a cross-rod 29 common to botharms and to which said arms are preferably secured, as by welding, so both arms will swing equal amounts and will do so simultaneously. Said rod has its ends rotatably mounted in the spacer 1'7, and preferably near the rear edge thereof and midway of the height thereof. Thus the rod and arms support the tabletop. from beneath when said table-top is at its uppermost horizontal position, and support the table top from above when said table-top is at its lowermost horizontal position. B'y lifting the front end of the table-top upwardly outof the framingprovided by the lintels, the rear end can be drawn forward and the tethering arms swung through an arc of 180 to re-locate the table-top at its other level, or, as shown in Figs. and 6, the front end of the table-top can be dropped down between the lintels and legs through an arc of 90 to stand vertically parallel to the legs for table-collapsing purposes.

A spring-loaded latch 30 is shown pivoted at 31 on a bracket 32 at the under face of the table-top next the rear end thereof, said latch being engageable with a downwardly directed lip 33 on the under face of the upper stringer 14 of the rear rigid lintel 12, both when the table-top is in its horizontal upper position and when the table-top is in its vertical position. In the first instance, the inadvertent lifting of the table-top is prevented, and in the second instance the table-top is retain'ed hooked back toward the rear pair of legs in collapsed condition of the table or during the interval of collapsing' the front legs toward the rear ones or vice versa; This arrangement has the additional advantage of holding the table-top, when in vertical position, at a higherelevati'on than if allowed to drop and be suspended by the tetheringmeans, the shown retention thus making it easier to reach the lower edge of the vertically positioned top for swinging the top up again when the table is to be opened up for use.

Means are provided for supporting the front end of thc table-top in either its upper or its lower position. The means provided for support at the upper position of the tabletop is shown as a Z-shaped hanger 34 which extends crosswise of the table along the top of lintel 12 thereat. The top flange of this hanger is constituted as one leaf of a piano hinge the other leaf 35 of which is secured on the top of the rigid lintel at that end of the table, with the hinge-pin edge of the hinge at the outside edge of the table. In its table-top supporting position, the hanger is positioned with its top flange overlying the hinge leaf 35 on the lintel, and with the web part of the hanger juxtaposed to the inside face of the upper stringer, and the lower flange projecting inwardly of the table at about the level of the under face of the top stringer so as to underlie the front margin of the table-top. When desired to lower the table top, its front end is first lifted, as indicated in Fig. 4, thereby permitting the Z-shaped hanger to be swung up and forward out of the way of the tabletop. The rear end of. the table-top can then be swung to locate it at the lower level, after which the forward end can be lowered to supporting engagement upon a pair of inwardly protruding cleats 36 secured to the under face of the lower stringer. When the table is thus set up, it constitutes, in a sense, a sort of play yard with fencing therearound.

Furthermore, the tabletop may be fabricated for instance with a ply-board body under girded by supporting peripheral framing beams 38 and intermediate beams 39.

I claim:

1. A table having two front and two rear legs; front, rear and foldable side lintels connected to said legs; and a table-top movably supported in horizontal position between and within said lintels when the table is in open position, the peripheral edges of said table-top being substantially in engagement with said front, rear and side lintels retaining said lintels unfolded, and said tabletop being hinged next to and at the inward side of said rear le s and lintel and thereby adapted to be swung downward within the table from its position of retention of said side lintels for enabling said side lintels to be folded inwardly.

2. A table having a front pair and a rear pair of legs; front, rear and foldable side lintels connected to said legs; a table-top substantially extending to all of said lintels in open position of the table, and means for changeably supporting said table-top in one of a plurality of horizontal positions between and within said lintels when the table is in open position, said means having hinge connection with said table-top and having hinge connection adjacent to the rear lintel substantially midway between two extreme positions of said plurality of l1orizontal positions of support of said table top.

3. A table having two front and two rear legs; front, rear and foldable side lintels connected to said legs; a table-top;. and means for tethering the table-top in a horizontal position between and within said lintels in open position of the table'and supporting the table-top vertically between said front and rear legs in collapsed position of the table with the normally bottom face of the table top adjacent to the rear legs; said foldable side lintels being foldable between the vertical table-top and the front legs with the normally top face of the table-top toward the folded-in side lintels and front legs for protection of the normally top face of said table-top, thereby in the 'collapsed'position-of said table.

4. A table having two front and two rear legs; front, rear and foldable side lintels connected to said legs; a tabletop m'ovablysupported in horizontal position betweenand'within said lintels when the table is in open position-and adapted tobe supported vertically in collapsed position of the table with the normally bottom face of the table-top adjacent to the rear legs; and swingable tethering means within the lintels pivoted to and for supporting the table-top both in its horizontal position and in its substantially vertical position; and said foldable side lintels being foldable inwardly between said vertical table-top and the front lintel with the normally top face of the table-top toward and protected by the folded-in side lintels and front legs and with the normally bottom face of the table located toward and protected by juxtaposition of the rear legs and lintel next thereto in the collapsed position of said table.

5. A table having two front and two rear legs; front, rear and foldable side lintels connected to said legs; a table-top; tethering means next to the rear lintel and a hinged Z-shaped hanger next to the front lintel swingable into position at the inside of said front lintel, said tethering means and hanger supporting said table-top in horizontal position between and within said lintels when the table is in open position, said table-top being swingable on said tethering means and the tethering means being swingable for moving the table-top from its horizontal position to a substantially vertical position for collapsing the table; said foldable lintels each having three hinged connections for folding the side lintels between said vertical table-top and the front lintel in the folded position of said table.

6. A table having two front and two rear legs; front, rear and foldable side lintels connected to said legs; and a table-top having means movably supporting the same next its rear edge in a first horizontal position adjacent to the tops of said legs and in a second horizontal position below said first horizontal position within said lintels when the table is in open position for use, a hinged hanger for supporting the front edge of the table-top in said horizontal position, said hanger being movable for shifting the tabletop to its second horizontal position, and

other means for supporting said front edge top in said second horizontal position. table- 7. A table having a front pair of legs and a r air of legs and a table-top swingable to vertical pogi between said legs, means hinging the table-top to a pair of legs, and a hinged hanger on the other pair of legs for supporting the table-top thereby in horizontal position between the legs.

8. A table having a front pair of legs and a rear pair of legs and a table-top swingable to vertical position between said legs, means hinging the table-top to one pair of legs, and a Z-shaped hanger on the other pair of legs for supporting the table top thereby in horizontal position between the legs.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 153,438 Jones July 28, 1874 156,144 Draper Oct. 20, 1874 490,320 Smyth Jan. 24, 1893 782,838 Foque Feb. 21, 1905 900,552 Kade Oct. 6, 1908 921,468 Scheibner May 11, 1909 1,528,156 Lewis Mar. 3, 1925 1,588,759 Lewis June 15, 1926 1,599,351 Teetsel Sept. 7, 1926 2,161,657 Hansburg June 6, 1939 2,198,661 Dubilier Apr. 30, 1940 2,258,689 Roselyn Oct. 14, 1941 2,383,831 Walker Aug. 28, 1945 2,485,156 Krenzke Oct. 18, 1949 2,508,405 Lazard May 23, 1950 2,551,999 Ditty May 8, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,504 Great Britain 1894

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