US3011848A - Combination altar and bookcase - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 5, 1961 D. G. HAssoN COMBINATION ALTAR AND BOOKCASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1959 United States Patent O 3,011,848 COMBINATION ALTAR AND BOOKCASE Don G. Hasson, Le Roy, Minn. (403 S. 2nd St., Beresford, S. Dak.) Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No. 812,009 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 312-33) This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to combination furniture which may be used in two or lmore capacities.

An object of the invention is to provide a bookcase which is easily converted to an altar by simple manipulations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simple article of furniture having the dual purpose of serving as a bookcase or a cabinet to store an indefinite variety of articles and objects, but which is very easily converted to an yaltar which includes a kneeler, together with a panel on which to support a sacramental such as a crucifix directly in the line of vision of the person using the kneeler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical device of the nature described wherein the furniture article has a very clean and neat appearance made so by virtue of the construction thereof.

These together with other objects yand advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to llike parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the combination article of furniture.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the construction in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the furniture showing it in the position in which it is used as an altar.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the furniture in FIGURE 3.

In the accompanying drawings there is an article of furniture convertible between a cabinet, for instance a bookcase, and an altar. The combination furniture article has side panels 12 and 14, a rear panel 16, together with a pair of doors 18 and 20 at the front thereof. The doors have door pulls 22 and 24 at a convenient place near the confronting edges thereof, together with hinges 26 connecting the doors to the front edges of side panels 12 and 14. .The doors are full length from a transverse front panel 30 to approximately floor level. One or more shelves 32 are secured within the cabinet and closed by the side panels, rear panel and door assembly. Shelf 32 is horizontal and located beneath upper panel 34 and lower shelf 36 which subdivides the cabinet into a book or other article receiving chamber 38 and a kneeler chamber 40.

Kneeler 42 is preferably padded and includes a kneeler base 44 having padding 46 of any type thereon, together with at least a pair of front legs 48 which depend from kneeler base 44. It is preferred that the kneeler be made substantial and for this reason it is within the purview of the invention to have rear legs as well as front legs 48.

In either case, the legs are laterally inset (FIGURE 1) from a pair of : horizontal rails 52 and 54 which are xed to the inside of side panels 12 and 14 in kneeler chamber 40. The edge portions of base 44 slide on the rails S2 and 54 when doors 20 and 18 are opened, to constrain the movement of the kneeler from positions located completely within chamber 40 to a position at which the vast majority of the kneeler 42 is on the exterior of the chamber 40 and in front of the chamber 38.

The upper part of the combination furniture has an upwardly opening -tray 60 lined with a cloth liner 62 (other materials for liners 62 may be adopted). The

ICC

front panel 30 constitutes part of the tray and the upper panel 34 constitutes the bottom of the tray. There are side panels 64 and 66 constituting the sides of tray 60 and a rear panel 68 completing the tray structure. Upwardly opening apertures 69 are in side panels 64 and 66 to receive stems 70 of votive light 72 holders 74. Two or more of such lights may be used, and as shown in FIG- URE l the upwardly opening tray 60 is suggested as storage for these votive lights.

The top or cover of the combination furniture is attached by one or more hinges 82 along its rear edge to the upper part of panel 68. Links 84 are connected by hinges 86 to the top 80 and they have notches 88 near their lower ends engaged with pins 9i) which are lixed to side panels 64 and 66 to hold the cover in the elevated position (FIGURE 3). The inner surface 92 of top or cover 80 may be used to accommodate any appropriate device, figure, sacramental or the like. For instance, cross 94 as shown, this diagrammatically representing any type of similar or dissimilar object.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further ex planation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

Convertible furniture designed `and adapted to be used as an individual altar and, in addition, as a bookcase comprising a vertically elongated cabinet open at the front and provided at said front with readily openable yand closable door means, said cabinet embodying a rear wall connected with side walls and said walls combining with the door means and a horizontal top wall in defining an enclosed space, horizontal vertically spaced shelves mounted in said space one above the other and defining selectively usable compartments, there being a lower shelf and said lower shelf being spaced above the bottom of the overall cabinet and defining a storage space therebelow, said side walls beneath said last-named shelf and in said storage space being provided with opposed spaced parallel horizontal rails, and extensible and retractible kneeler having a base with padding superimposed thereon and providing a low-lying kneeling bench, said base being provided at outward forward corners with short depending supporting legs and said legs being spaced inwardly from adjacent transverse ends of the base and permitting end portions of the base to overhang the legs and to provide supporting guides, said supporting guides resting on said rails and serving to permit the kneeler to be stored in an out-of-the-way position or withdrawn to an extended usable position, and opstanding marginal walls at front, back and side portions defining a shallow tray for storage of religious articles, said tray being provided with a hingedly mounted panel and said panel constituting a lid for the tray and also being adapted to be swung up to a vertical position `and supported temporarily in that position and being provided on an obverse face with a crucifix or the like.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,290,577 Stimson July 2l, 1942 2,348,472 Hart May 9, 1944 2,495,374 Horn Jan. 24, 1950 2,731,318 Hoif Jan. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 9m n16 Switzerland Sept. 30, 1938

Images