US3123022A - Collapsible or extensible table - Google Patents

Description

3, 1964 w. P. HUDDLESTON 3,123,022

I COLLAPSIBLE OR EXTENSIBLE TABLE Filed Aug. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM P. HUDDLESTON BY g Q ATTORNEY March 3, 1964 w. P. HUDDLESTON 3,123,022

COLLAPSIBLE OR EXTENSIBLE TABLE Filed Aug. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM P. HUDDLESTON Byg ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,123,922 COLLAPSELE 0R EXTENSELE TABLE William P. Huddleston, 2201 NE. 33rd Ave, Fort Lander-dale, Fla. Filed Aug. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 218,994 1 Qiaim. (11. 108-129) This invention relates to collapsible tables of the type generally proportioned in accordance with conventional card or bridge tables and has particular reference to a table having pairs of legs at opposite sides of the table and with the legs on each of the opposite sides being so constructed that the legs may be extended outwardly a predetermined distance to constitute supports for each corner of the table.

The invention contemplates collapsible legs that are adapted to be folded inwardly for disposal under the table and also to be swingably supported to dispose the legs in table supporting position and with the pair of legs at each opposite side being rotatably supported within a tubular housing that is fixed to the underside of the table and locked in the collapsed position and, when the legs are swung to table supporting position, to lock the legs in the extended or table supporting position and with each pair of legs at the two opposite sides being independently controlled with respect to the housing and locked in the extended position.

The invention further contemplates a collapsible table structure wherein a pair of supporting legs are disposed at two opposite sides of the table and with the legs being extendable outwardly from the housing to support the table for such uses as a hospital bed table and with the extension of the legs being such as to permit the engagement of the table over a bed, the extension being such as to permit the legs to have adequate clearance with respect to the sides of a bed.

The invention further comprises legs having telescopic extensions whereby the table may be supported at a desired elevation with respect to a bed and with means to yieldably support the telescopic members so as to increase or decrease the elevation of the table top. Means are provided to limit the extensive movement of the legs and to latch the legs in the table supporting position and with each leg in each pair being of generally L-shape and with the upper arm of each leg being disposed within a common tubular housing in axial alignment. The device has particular adaptation as a conventional bridge table or as an extended support to permit the use of the device with respect to beds in hospitals, nursing homes and various other uses and, as before stated, the legs are telescopic to permit the elevation of the table for use in connection with the beds or for other purposes.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a table constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the legs in an extended position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary underside plan view of one marginal portion of the table;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the 3 are of degrees.

3,123,022 Ce Patented Mar. 3, 1964 upper arm of one leg illustrating control slots formed therein;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line 6-6;

FIGURE 7 is an underside plan view of the table with the legs in the collapsed position; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section through the lower end of one supporting leg and its associated telescopic leg extension.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated a generally square orrectangular table top 5. The table top may be of any desirable construction, embodying atop section 6 and peripheral and relativelythick frame members 7. Theframe members 7 at two opposite sides of the table are arcuately grooved at 8 for the fixed reception oftubular housing 9. Thehousing 9 at the two opposite sides of the table are fixed within the groove 8 in any desirable manner, such as by fastening screws 1h. The table top and theframe member 7 may obviously be covered by any suitable plastic or textile covering, not shown.

Telescopic within each of thehousings 9 from opposite ends arehorizontal portions 11 ofvertical leg portions 12. Theleg portions 12 being tubular, are provided with lowertelescopic extensions 13. Theextensions 13 are provided with a plurality ofapertures 14, adapted to successively engagedetents 15 formed in the lower portion of thelegs 12 and whereby the extensions may be held in any desirable position with respect to the desired elevation of the table. Theextensions 13 are preferably provided withleg pads 16 through the medium of which, theextensions 13 may be extended or retracted. Theupper arms 11 of thelegs 12 are adapted to engage thehousings 9 both telescopic and rotatable and as will be observed in FIGURE 7, thearms 11 are of such length as to be slightly spaced apart when in the fully recessed or collapsed position.

Means are provided to form a guide and limiting means for the extension of the legs, comprising aset screw 17, threaded through abracket 18 that is fixed to theframe members 7 byscrews 19. Thescrews 17 engage aslot 20 formed in the side of eacharm 11 and constitute the means for guiding the leg to and from its fully recessed position to its fully extended position. Thescrew 17 may be completely removed, should it be desirable for thelegs 12 and theirarms 11 to be removed from the table. When the legs are to be swung downwardly, thescrews 17 will engage an arcuate lateral slot' 22, such limiting the swinging of the legs to the table supporting position and permitting the legs to swing in an This swinging movement of the legs is done prior to the extension of the legs outwardly from the table 5. Thus, the screws. 17 function to limit the outward movement of thearms 11 and to permit the swinging of thelegs 12.

Further, with respect to the extension of thelegs 12 it has been fund desirable to provide an additional latching means that will function to prevent any flexing of thelegs 12, both in the extended and recessed position, such comprising a finger actuatedlatch 23 that is pivotally supported at 24 uponsuitable ears 25, carried by thehousings 9. Thelatch 23 has apointed end 26 that is adapted to extend through anopening 27 and to have a generally wedging action into anaperture 28 of thearm 11 when the arms are in the fully recessed position and with thepoint 26 engaging into the slot 21) when thelegs 12 and theirarms 11 are in the extended position. Thelatches 23, when engaging theapertures 28, prevent thelegs 12 from falling downwardly when thelegs 12 have been collapsed and in the position illustrated in FIGURE 7 but, when the legs are extended, the latches are released and the legs pulled outwardly and then the latch engages theslot 20 to additionally support the legs against flexing. Each of theextensions 13 may be provided withcasters 29 so that when the table is in the extended position for a bed table, the device may be easily rolled to and from an overlying relation with respect to the bed. It may be found desirable to eliminate thecasters 29 when the device is to be used as a conventional bridge table and in such use, the casters may be removed and supported in any desirable clips beneath the table, such not being illustrated.

In the use of the device, assuming that the table is in the position illustrated in FIGURE 7, with the legs in the collapsed and parallel position as shown, thelatches 23 will engage theapertures 28 of each of thearms 11, preventing the arm from dropping downwardly when the table is moved to a position of storage. When the table is to be employed as a bridge table, each of thelegs 12 are individually swung upwardly after releasing thelatches 23 and when the table is to be used as a bridge table, the latches are reengaged intoapertures 30, holding the legs in the supporting position against flexing. With the legs in the fully recessed position, they are naturally swung to a collapsed position, causing thescrews 17 to engage theslot 22, permitting the rotation of thearms 11 to the collapsed position. With the legs swung to a 90 degree arc, the legs may then be shifted outwardly to the position illustrated, in FIGURE 1 and in such action, the latches are released and thearms 11 and their connectedlegs 12 moved outwardly and limited in the movement by the engagement of thescrews 17 in theslot 20. In the fully extended position outwardly from the table, thelatches 23 then engage into theslot 26, forming an additional means for preventing rotation of thearms 11, with thescrews 17 engaging theend 21 of the slot. The device is now extended outwardly a distance that permits thelegs 12 to clear the sides of the bed. Theextensions 13 are then drawn outwardly and held by thedetents 15 so as to provide adequate height for the table so that the table may then be disposed over the bed and over a patient in a bed. When the device is to be retracted, the latches are first released and the legs then shoved inwardly, causing thescrews 17 to traverse theslot 20 to limit the inward movement and at the limit of movement inwardly, the latches are released from theslot 20 to engage either one of theapertures 28 or 30. With thescrews 17 abutting the wall of theslot 22, the latches may be then released and the legs swung downwardly to the point illustrated in FIG-URE 7 and the latches then again released to engage theapertures 28, thus holding the legs against swinging movement.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A table structure of the character described having top, the frame members upon two opposite sides of the table being arcuately grooved, cylindrical housings fixed into the grooves, the housings being open at their oppo site ends, supporting leg devices for each corner of the table, the leg devices being L-shaped to constitute a supporting leg and a control arm, two leg devices at the two opposite sides of the table having their arms telescoping into the opposite ends of the housings in axial alignment and whereby each housing supports a pair of leg devices, each of the leg devices being rotatable in the housings whereby the leg devices may be swung from a nested position beneath the table to an upright table supporting position, the leg devices when in the table supporting position adapted to be shifted outwardly from the opposite two sides of the table and whereby the table may be supported over a bed, each of the legs having telescopic extensions and whereby the table position against swinging and means for guiding the legs to and from the position of extension and to limit the extension of the leg devices, each of the arms of the several leg devices being provided with elongated slots, a screw that engages through the housings and that enters the slots to constitute a guide for the arms when the legs are extended and to also limit the telescopic movement of the arms, the slot at one end terminating in a right angle slot and whereby to permit the leg devices to be swung to the collapsed or nested position when the arms have been fully telescoped, the said arms also being provided with apertures ninetydegrees apart and outwardly from the said slot for reception of the latch when the leg devices are in the nested position or in the table supporting position and whereby to prevent rotative movement of the arms, the said latches also engaging the slots when the leg devices are in the extended position, each leg device being controlled by a guide and limiting screw and a latch and so that each leg device is separately movable from the nested position to the table supporting position or extended to constitute a bed table, the said leg devices being latched in all positions of adjustment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,149 Moore Feb. 2, 1909 1,437,670 Mazoch Dec. 5, 1922 1,738,886 Gilbert Dec. 10, 1929 2,531,778 Merner Nov. 28, 1950 2,547,642 Heuser Apr. 3, 1951 2,667,391 Keal Jan. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,089,849 France Mar. 22, 1955

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