US2921824A - Collapsible table-stand for use in automobiles - Google Patents

Description

K. H. RICHTER 2,921,824

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE-STAND FOR USE IN AUTOMOBILES Jan. 19, 1960 Filed March 24, 1959 m R. T mu" uc .R H T R U K 5 3 COLLAPSIBLE TABLE-STAND FOR USE IN AUTOMOBILES Kurt H. Richter, Deer Park, N.

Application March 24, 1959, Serial No. 801,619

3 Claims. I (Cl. 311-21) This invention relates to a collapsible table for use in an automobile and alternatively for use outside of the automobile.

Many collapsible tables for use in conjunction with the back of an automobile seat have serious disadvantages in that for example, the table is easily collapsed or disengaged by inadvertently hitting it with the knees or that the base of the table is disposed against the unsupported fabric on the back of the front car seat, etc.

It is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible portable table for use either on the back of the front seat of an automobile or for use on the front seat of the automobile or alternatively for use as a table or even a chair when utilized outside of the automobile.

In short the collapsible table of this invention has many uses both as a table and for supporting objects.

It is another object of this invention to provide a table having spring loaded locking means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a well built table easily set up and easily collapsed and of inexpensive construction.

The invention is illustrated by an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the table disposed on the back of the front seat of an automobile with the base of the table disposed against the rigid support plate of the car seat,

Fig. 2 is a section view of the seat of Fig.1 taken on line 2'2 thereof,

Fig. 3 is a section view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the collapsed seat showing the pair of removeable hanger supports disposed in their respective retaining clips secured to the undersurface of the table,

Fig. 5 is a section view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a view of a tubular hanger support partly in section and showing a spring disposed therein,

Fig. 7 is a section view taken on line 77 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a section view showing the manner of securing the spring in the terminal button,

Fig. 9 is a detailed construction showing the manner of hingedly securing the swivel arm to the base,

Fig. 10 is a side view of the table disposed on the front of the front seat of a car, and

Fig. 11 is a side view of the device when arranged as a table or chair or stool.

The table of this invention is a sturdy device, foolproof against accidently collapsing, and locked adjustably in a positive manner that requires manual unlocking.

Turning to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the table comprises a platform 10 made preferably from a wooden base 11 of suitable thickness and a sheet plastic top 12 for example, Formica, secured thereto as by adhesive.

The platform 10 is surrounded with a U-shaped tubular, preferably aluminum tubing 13, disposed in a suitable groove in the wooden base 12 as to suitably extend above the sheet 11 thereby forming a ledge around the table top (Fig. 4). The tubing 13 ends 14 extend suit- United States Patent 0 2,921,824 Patented Jan. 19, 1960 ice .rotatably secured in the middle of the base of the member 18 and then secured by a conventional rivet to a straight tubular member 20. A tubular inner member,

22 of suitable diameter is slidably disposed in member 20. As shown in Fig. 2 member 20 is provided with a plurality of suitably spaced-apartrapertures 23. Member 22 is swingably secured by a conventional rivet to a conventional bracket 24 (Fig. 4) having a pair of spacedapart depending legs 25 (Fig. 2).

A pair of removeable hangers 28 are provided with tubular straight members 29 secured by a rivet 30 to a suitably curved bar member 31. Each member 29 is provided with a suitable aperture 32 adjacent its end and a single coil spring 33 having a pair of outwardly urged legs 34 is disposed suitably inside the tubular member 29.

As shown in Fig. 8, the spring 33 is provided with a cylindrical button 35 secured to leg 34 by means of solder 36.

As shown in the drawing each of the legs of the U- shaped element 18 is provided with a plurality of suitably spaced-apart apertures 40 in which the buttons 35 of hangers 28 are selectively disposed to lock the respective hanger 18 at a suitable selected length in a respective upright portion of said member 18.

Also tubular member 22 is provided with a suitable aperture adjacent its free end disposed in tubing 20 and a coil spring is secured therein as in hangers 28 so that the button of the spring protrudes lockingly into the apertures :23 of element 20.

The clamp 19 is preferably made of nylon and therefore needs no lubrication. Clamps 15 are made of metal and are fixedly secured to element 18.

A pair of suitable conventional seizure spring clips 45 are secured to the bottom wooden 12 portion of the table and the hangers seized therein when the table is collapsed and dismantled (Fig. 4).

The bottom wooden portion 12 of the table is provided with a pair of suitable cylindrical cavities 46 to receive a pair of separate tubular legs 47 when the table functions as a stool or table outside of a car (Fig. 11).

As shown in Fig. 10, the table can be adjusted for use on the front of the front car seat. And as shown in Fig. 11 the table can be used as a picnic table or outdoor stool, etc.

This table has many uses besides those shown as it can for example (Fig. 1), be lowered to extend in a horizontal plane with the back seat of the automobile thereby forming a bed for a child. It can of course be semi-collapsed so that the table 18 rests against the element 18 while the device is hung from the back of the front seat. Clearly this invention is of broad scope and not limited to the illustrative embodiment shown.

I claim:

1. A collapsible table-stand for use primarily inside an automobile comprising a rectangular table platform; a U-shaped platform tubing disposed around the front edge and both sides of said platform and having extension portions extending suitably beyond each side of the plurality of suitably spacedapart locking apertures therein; telescopic:v linear tubular means hingedly secured at "2,921,82 g r v f 'f one end to the bottom wall of said table platform and hingedly secured at the other end to the base of said iU-shaped-"frame member; a pairv of t sha'ped tubular hangers each having a suitably long arm of suitable diameter for insertion into the legs of said U-shaped' frame member and having an aperture adjacent the end of said a long arm and a single coil spring having a buttontherein disposed in each lon'g'arm of said hanger and through 10 the aperture thereof, whereby said long arms of said hangers'are slidingly adjustable in the legs of said U- shaped frame member and locked thereto by engagement .of'said button through said apertures of said frame member.

2. The table of claim '1 wherein the telescopic tubular means consists of'a suitably smaller inner tube having a suitable aperture adjacent its end disposed slidingly in a suitably larger exterior tube having locking apertures therein and a spring having a pair of biased legs dis- Y Y 4 a 1 posed in said inner tube; said spring having a button secured-to one leg thereof said button being urged through the aperture of said smaller inner tube and through a locking aperture 0f said exterior tube to lock the telescopic tubes firmly and against accidental unlocking.

3. The table of claim 2 wherein the table platform is provided with a pair ofsuita'ble cavities in its undersunface, and a.- pair of leg elements adapted to be frictionally secured in said cavities; whereby said table is converted from a hangingtype table into a self-supporting table-chair. 7

-ReferencesCited in the file of this patent, UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,724 Hubsch June 12, 1951 2,693,400 Erickson Nov. 2, 1954 2,741,521 Bell et a1. Apr. 10, 1956 2,856,251 1 Garrison Oct. 14, 1958 2,881,039 Guzman Apr. 9, 1959

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