US2998663A - Collapsible ironing table - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 5, 1961 L. R. BOARDMAN ET AL 2,998,663

COLLAPSIBLE IRONING TABLE Filed Sept. 25, 1957 INVENTORS 1:52-52 lQflo/mpmn 1v BY .0 49 J. 5 m M mus/1,

ted States Patent 2,998,663 COLLAPSIBLE IRONING TABLE Lester R. Boardman and David J. Stambaugh, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Arvin Industries, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Sept. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 686,200 7 Claims. (Cl. 38121) This invention relates to ironing tables, and especially to ironingtables of the crossed-leg type which can be adjusted in height by varying the angle between the legs. It has heretofore been proposed to provide one leg of such an ironing table with wheels or rollers to facilitate the height-adjustment, which requires relative movement of the lower ends of the two legs on the supporting surface.

It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable, crossed-leg ironing board with Wheels which will facilitate the adjustment above mentioned and also to provide means for facilitating the disposition of the ironing board, when collapsed, in a vertical position against a wall or other support.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form, we provide the wheel-carrying leg with a cross-piece having coaxial, floor-engaging wheels mounted at its ends. In addition, we mount in the cross-piece a second pair of wheels arranged to rotate on parallel axes spaced along the cross-piece, and we dispose the common plane of the axes of the second set of wheels generally perpendicular to the associated leg. The wheels of the second set project laterally of the cross-piece beyond the periphery of the first wheels in such a manner that when the ironing board is collapsed and positioned vertically the second set of wheels will engage the floor or other supporting surface and hold the first set of wheels from contact therewith.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description andfrom the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the underside of an ironing board with the legs collapsed;

FIG. .2'is, an elevation illustrating the ironing board inoperative position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmental elevation illustratingthe ironing board collapsed and in a vertical position;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 44 of FIG. 5 illustrating a suitable mounting for the second set of wheels above referred to; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view, in partial section, showing one end of the cross-piece and the two wheels mounted thereon.

The ironing board shown in the drawing comprises a top adapted to be supported by a pair of crossed legs, comprising arear leg 11 and afront leg 12 pivotally interconnected at 13. The upper end of the front leg is pivoted to thetop 10 on afixed axis 14, while the upper end of therear leg 11 is adjustable longitudinally of the top. Any convenient form ofmeans 15 may be employed for holding the upper end of therear leg 11 in any desired position of adjustment along the top.

Thefront leg 12 is provided at its lower end with across-piece 17 conveniently havingcaps 18 of rubber or similar material adapted to serve as feet. The lower end of therear leg 11 is provided with asimilar crosspiece 20 provided at its ends with coaxial rollers orwheels 21.

When the ironing board is in erect condition, as shown in FIG. 2, it is supported from the floor or other supporting surface on thefeet 18 androllers 21. By appropriate operation of the adjusting means 15, the angle between thelegs 11 and 12 can be changed to raise and lower thetop 10, as between the full-line and dottedline positions shown in FIG. 2. Adjustment of the legs in this manner is facilitated by the presence of thewheels 21 which can roll on the floor while thefeet 18 remain stationary. As so far described, the ironing board is not new.

Our invention contemplates a novel mounting for thewheels 21 and also the provision on thecross-piece 20 of a second pair of Wheels which facilitate movement of the ironing board on the floor when it is in collapsed position and is being moved to or from a place of storage. The mounting for eachwheel 21 comprises a cuplike sheet-metal stamping 23 adapted to be pressed over the end of thecross-piece 20, which desirably is tubular and of relatively light metal. Thewheel 21 is also cupshaped and has anannular wall 24 which closely surrounds the annular wall of thestamping 23. The closed end of thewheel 21 has an axial opening adapted to receive arivet 25 by which the wheel is secured to thestamping 23. Desirably, therivet 25 has a loose fit within thewheel 21 and/or the, stamping 23 so that, under load, theannular wall 24 of the wheel will bear on the annular wall of thestamping 23 to provide bearing surfaces. To improve the connection of thestamping 23 with thecross-piece 20 and to guard against its rotation thereon, the annular wall of the stamping may be provided with an inwardlyoffset boss 26 which, when the stamping is pressed over the end of thecross-piece 20, displaces the metal of the cross-piece wall to form a groove 27.

Inwardly from each end of thecross-piece 21, aslot 30 is cut in the wall thereof and the metal on opposite sides of such slot is formed to provide a pair of opposed parallel ears 3 1 and 32. A rivet orother pivot element 33 extends through theears 31 and 32 and rotatably supports awheel 35. Thepivot pins 33 lie in a common plane which, desirably, is disposed generally perpendicular to the associatedrear leg 11, and thewheels 35 are of such a diameter that they project beyond the peripheries of thewheels 21. In addition, thewheels 35 are so located along their .axes that they are out of contact with the floor or other supporting surface when the ironing board is in erected condition and resting on thewheels 21 andfeet 18. 7

When the ironing board is in use, the wheels'35, being out of contact with the floor, do not interfere with free rolling of thewheels 21 over the floor. However, if the ironing board is collapsed and brought into a vertical position as indicated in FIG. 3, thewheels 35 bear on the floor and hold thewheels 21 above and out of contact with the floor. The collapsed ironing board can then be readily moved in its own plane, while thewheels 35 roll over the floor. If the board is deposited in tilted position against a wall or partition thewheels 35 will still remain in contact with the floor. In such a tilted position against a wall or partition, the lower end of the ironing board tends to slide away from the partition; but as thewheels 35 are disposed transversely to the direction of such sliding movement, their friction with the floor holds the lower end of the ironing board in fixed position. Thewheels 35 thus perform a dual function. In the first place, they facilitate movement of the collapsed ironing board in its own plane into a position of storage, and in the second place by holding thewheels 21 ofi. the floor they prevent the ironing board from sliding downthe wall or partition against which it leans.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated and above described is set forth merely by way of example, that many modifications are possible, and that the true scope of the invention is to be measured by the accompanying claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a table, a top, a pair of crossed, pivotally interconnected legs, means associated with each leg for holding its upper end in fixed position on said top, one of said means being adjustable along the top to vary the angle between the legs, first and second pairs of wheels mounted on the lower end of said legs, the first pair of wheels having a common axis parallel and transverse to said top, the second pair of wheels lying substantially in a common plane generally parallel to the associated leg and being rotatable about spaced, parallel axes substantially perpendicular to the plane of the top when said associated leg is in collapsed position and oblique thereto when said associated leg is in extended position, said two pair of wheels being so angularly disposed with respect to each other and the table that when the table is in erected condition said first pair of wheels will be in contact and said second pair of wheels out of contact with a horizontal supporting surface and that when said legs are collapsed against the top and the top is in vertical position the second pair of wheels will be in contact with and said first pair of wheels out of contact with a horizontal supporting surface. s

2. In a table, a top, a collapsible supporting structure for said top, said structure including a leg swingable relatively to said top between an operative position in which it projects obliquely downward from the top and a collapsed position in which it lies adjacent and generally parallel to said top, a first pair of wheels mounted on the lower end of said leg and having a common axis extending parallel to and transversely of said top, a second pair of wheels mounted on the lower end of said leg substantially in a common plane generally parallel to the leg and perpendicular to the first pair of wheels, said second pair of wheels being respectively rotatable on spaced, parallel axes oblique to the common axis of said first pair of wheels whereby said first pair of wheels will engage a supporting surface and hold said second pair of wheels out of contact therewith when said leg is in an oblique operative position and said second pair of wheels will engage said supporting surface and hold said first pair of wheels out of contact therewith when said leg is in vertical position.

3. The invention of claim 2 with the addition that said leg includes a tubular cross-piece at its lower end, said cross-piece being provided with two slots spaced apart longitudinally of the cross-piece, a pair of spaced, parallel ears defining a pair of opposed edges at each slot, and

4 a pin extending between each pair of ears, said second pair of wheels being respectively mounted on said pins.

4. The invention of claim 3 with the addition that the first pair of wheels is rotatably mounted on a common axis at the ends of said cross-piece, and said second pair of wheels have diameters such that said wheels project beyond the periphery of said first pair of wheels.

5. In a table, a top, a supporting means for said top, said means comprising a leg, a tubular cross-piece secured to the lower end of said leg, said cross-piece being provided on the side opposite the leg with two slots spaced apart longitudinally of the cross-piece, said cross-piece having at each slot a pair of spaced, opposed ears located respectively at opposite sides of the slot and integral with the material of the cross-piece, a pin extending between the opposed ears of each pair, and a wheel mounted on each pin, said wheel projecting outwardly of the crosspiece beyond said ears and the outer surface of the crosspiece for engagement with a supporting surface.

6. In a table, a top, a supporting means for said top, said means comprising a leg, a tubular cross-piece secured to the lower end of said leg, a cap rigidly received over each end of said cross-piece and having an annular wall, a cup-like wheel receiving each of said caps and having an annular wall surrounding the annular wall of the cap, and a rivet extending axially through the closed ends of said cap and cup for rotatably securing them to-' gether, said rivet having a loose fit within one said cup and cap to permit bearing contact between said annular walls.

7. In a table, a top, a supporting means for said top;

said means comprising a leg, a tubular cross-piece secured References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,239 Geyer Oct. 19, 1937 2,175,646 Replogle Oct. 10, 1939 2,701,425

Rewald Feb. 8, 1955

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