US3228360A - Detachable table top - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 11, 1966 JONES 3,228,360

DETACHABLE TABLE TOP Filed Aug. 17, 1964 I 27 24 INVENTOR. l URI/4L R. \Jb/VES.

ATTORJVE'K United States Patent 3,228,360 DETACHABLE TABLE TQP Orval R. Jones, 3633 E. Verde Lane, Apt. 1, Phoenix, Ariz.

Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 339,961 4 Claims. (Ci. 108-157) An object of the invention is to provide a detachable table top having suitable attaching means secured to the under side whereby the table top is adapted to be supported on and securely attached to the pan head of a tripod base thereby providing a sturdy portable utility table.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable table top which may be easily and quickly attached to or removed from the pan head of a tripod base with a minimum of effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable table top which, when attached to the pan head of a tripod base may be raised, lowered, tilted and revolved as desired, these adjustments being limited only by the characteristics of the particular tripod to which it is attached.

As will be evident, the present table top could be made in various sizes and shapes to hold or contain specific equipment such as photographic remote control apparatus, or by utilizing two or more identical attaching means secured to the under side of an extra large top and associating the same with two or more tripods to form the base of a sturdy, adjustable table suitable for drafting purposes and the like.

Referring now to the drawings for more specific details of construction in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional photographic type tripod supporting and having attached thereto a table top embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an under side perspective view of the table top shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the method of attaching the same to the pan head of a tripod;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged under side plan view of the table top showing the top attaching means in full lines and the tripod pan head in phantom lines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the table top and attaching means shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged partial sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1 is shown a conventional photographic type tripod which is represented generally by the reference character supporting and having attached thereto a detachable table top generally represented by the reference character 11 which is adapted to hold and support, in the preferred position, various articles of equipment such as a projector 12 shown in phantom line.

Most photographic type tripods such as 10 shown in FIG. 1, supporting the detachable table top 11 of the invention, are standard or similar in construction and usually comprise a central support housing 13 to which are pivoted a plurality of folding legs 13a and through which a geared elevating bar 14 projects, to be conveniently raised or lowered by suitable gearing and crank mechanism 15 associated with the housing. A support member 16 is usually secured to the top end of the elevating bar 14 and is adapted to pivotally support a bracket 17 to which is integrally attached a usually rectangularshaped flat surfaced member 18 referred to as the pan head," which may be tilted and locked in various positions, and which is adapted to support and hold equipment such as a camera, in stationary relation .to the pan head member, as by means of a threaded member or thumb screw 19 which projects through the member 18 and into a threaded bore in the base of the camera or other equipment, where it may be locked in position by a knurled nut 20.

The detachable table top 11 of the invention comprises a table board 21 which may be made of any suitable material and formed to any shape and size which may be desirable for the use intended, preferably having a smooth under side surface 22 to which an attaching or base plate 23 may be secured as by means of screws 24.

The base plate 23 is preferably located at or near the center of the table board 21 which is formed with a cutout 25 to provide a clearance cavity, the purpose of which will be further explained. Attaching plate 23 may be made of metal or any suitable material and may be of any desirable shape and size to provide a flat abutment surface 26 which is adapted to contact the under side surface 22 of the table board in parallel relation as clearly shown in FIG. 5, and is provided with a plurality of clearance holes 27 suitably located to receive the attaching screws 24 which secure the plate 23 to the under side surface 22 of the table board 21.

The attaching plate or base 23 is also provided with one or more tapped holes 28 which extend through the plate and which have mating threads to receive the pan head thumb screw 19 of a tripod. One of the tapped holes 28 is preferably centrally located in the attaching or base plate 23, and the others radially outwardly spaced therefrom to provide for variations that may be encountered in the location of the pan head thumb screws in the tripod with which it is to be associated. A tapped hole 29 is also provided in the plate 23 near the outer edge 30 thereof, suitably spaced from and on a common center line 31 through the centrally located tapped hole 28 previously described, and is adapted to receive a suitable screw 32 which extends through an elongated slot 33 located on the center line 31 in a locking member in the form of an adjustable plate 34 which is provided with outwardly projecting ears or contact members 35 in arcuate relation; the purpose of which will be more fully explained, and into the clearance cavity 25.

The detachable table top 11 may be easily and quickly assembled to the tripod 10 with which it is to be associated to form a portable utility table by performing the following simple steps of assembly: Locking plate screw 32 is first loosened to allow the locking member 34 to be moved outwardly away from the center tapped hole 28, and then slightly tightened to hold the plate in this position, then the table top 11 with attaching plate 23 previously secured to its under side is placed directly on top of the tripod pan head 18 with the outer face of attaching plate 23 abutting the top exposed surface of the tripod pan head 18 as clearly shown at 26 in FIG. 5 with the center tapped hole 28 in direct alignment with the pan head thumb screw 19, which is then threaded into the tapped hole 28 until it projects upwardly into the provided Clearance cutout 25 in the bottom of table board 21 where it may be securely locked in place by tightening the knurled locking nut 20 against the under surface of the pan head 18, thereby securely fastening the table top 11 to the pan head 18 of the tripod completing the assembly of the novel utility table.

It will be understood that the pan head portion 18 of the tripod 10 to which the detachable table top 11 is attached is not always rectangular in shape as shown in this disclosure, and may on some otherwise standard tripods, be circular or oval in shape. To provide for this variation in the tripod being used and to prevent the table top 11 from possible rotation about the axis of the attaching thumb screw 19, the locking plate 34, as stated, has been designed with the projecting ears 35 which provide spaced apart contact members in arcuate relation, adapted to bear against the outer edge of the pan head 18 regardless of its particular shape, when locking plate 34 is moved inwardly into contact with said edge and the locking plate screw 32 firmly tightened, thereby preventing any tendency of the table top to rotate about the thumb screw and allowing for use of the table top with various shaped tripod pan heads.

From the foregoing description and the drawings illustrating the one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that the present invention provides a simple, efficient and economical means of furnishing a practical, portable utility table by the novel association of a detachable table top with a standard photographic type tripod, which table is only limited in its functional capacity by the adjustability of the particular tripod with which it is associated,

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A detachable table top for a tripod having a pan head including a thumb screw, said table top comprising a table board, said table board having a clearance cavity in one surface thereof, a base plate disposed over said cavity, said base plate having a tapped aperture for threaded engagement with said thumb screw extending into said cavity for securing said table board to said tripod.

2. A detachable table top for a tripod having a pan head including a thumb screw, said table top comprising a table board, said table board having a clearance cavity in one surface thereof, a base plate disposed over said cavity, said base plate having a tapped aperture for threaded engagement with said thumb screw extending into said cavity, and means for locking said pan head against movement about said thumb screw.

3. A detachable table top for a tripod in accordance with claim 2 wherein a locking plate engages said pan head to secure said pan head against movement about said thumb screw.

4. A detachable table top for a tripod in accordance with claim 2 wherein a locking plate engages said pan head to secure said pan head against movement about said thumb screw, said locking plate having spaced apart contact members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,188,935 6/1916 Heagany et al. 108-450 2,024,330 12/1935 Bemis 108150 X 2,231,783 2/1941 Tresslar et a1. 248179 X 2,430,826 11/1947 Rodrnan et a1. 24811 2,579,348 12/1951 Taylor 248178 2,637,516 5/1953 Kessler 248183 2,809,876 10/1957 Huif 248l88 2,827,841 3/1958 Scarpelli 248176 X 3,006,052 10/1961 Stickney et a1. 248177 X 3,115,849 12/ 1963 Johnson 1084 FOREIGN PATENTS 266,084 10/1913 Germany.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

J. T. McCALL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DETACHABLE TABLE TOP FOR A TRIPOD HAVING A PAN HEAD INCLUDING A THUMB SCREW, SAID TABLE TOP COMPRISING A TABLE BOARD, SAID TABLE BOARD HAVING A CLEARANCE CAVITY IN ONE SURFACE THEREOF, A BASE PLATE DISPOSED OVER SAID CAVITY, SAID BASE PLATE HAVING A TAPPED APERTURE FOR THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THUMB SCREW EXTENDING INTO SAID CAVITY FOR SECURING SAID TABLE BOARD TO SAID TRIPOD.

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