US2292797A - Slide table assembly - Google Patents

Description

' Aug. 11, 1942, J. w. ROBERTS SLIDE TABLE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 4. 1940 JFw/v n4 ROBE/276 Patented it, 1942 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE suns ram asssmr 1.1m w.- Roberts, Oklahoma cm,

c. Wyatt and one-half 'to liaggett, both of Oklahoma City,

of one-half to G. Clarence E. Okla.

th., assignm- Application ember 4, 1940, Serial No. 359,690 3 Claims. (01. 311-21) This invention relates to a serving table, and is particularly adapted for attachment beneath the glove compartment of an ordinary automoto an entirely out of the way position.

A further .object of the invention is to provide a slide table assembly construction which prevents the table from being accidentally withdrawn from its guides or runners as it is moved toward its extended and operative position, and which also maintains the table in its retracted position whenit is not in use.'

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention, together with other objects attending its production, will be better understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is chosenfor illustrative purposes only, andin which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention with'the table in extend'd and operative-position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the ,line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line H of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, with the table in extended and operative position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but shows the table locked in retracted and inoperative position; and

Figure 6 is a front view of the table assembly installed immediately beneath the instrument panel of a'modem automobile.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that the embodiment illustrated includes a pair of parallel table supporting guide members Hi and I lwhich are spaced apart and maintained parallel and in the same plane by laterally extending spacer bars l2 and i3, which are rigidly secured to the guide members by any suitable means, as

by spot welding. As shown in- Figures 1 and 2,

the opposite ends of the bar l3 extend beyond the outer side edges of the respective guide members, and are bent and perforated to form attaching brackets I4 and I5. Intermediate the guide members I0 and II a portion of one side edge of the bar I; is pressed downward to form an inclined plane which will be hereinafter referred to as catch guide I.

As illustrated the guide members II and II are longitudinally grooved on their adjacent inner surfaces to co-operatively and slidably receive and guide a table, designated as a whole by the numeral l1, and at their end nearest the bar II, the guide members are respectively fitted with perforated attaching brackets II and I9.

The table portion of this assembly comprises a flat plate 20 preferably having its outer end turned down and perforated at spaced intervals to aflord a means for attaching a facing plate 2|.

The rigidity of this plate 20 is preferably .increased by grooved reinforcing members 22 and 22, which are rigidly attached by any suitable means along the respective side edges of the platell. As shown, these reinforcing members 22 and 23 are of suchcross sectional size and shape as to be'slidably received in the grooves j of the guide members I I and H, and the ends of the members 22 and 23 extend for a considerable distance beyond the inner end of the plate 20, thus aii'ording a means of rigidly supporting the table even after the inner end of the plate 20 has been moved to a position just outside the ends of the guide members" and II. 1

As a means of preventing the table II from being accidentally and completely withdrawn from between the supportingv guide members II and II, the plate 2| is provided at its inner end with a rigidly attached leaf spring type catch 24, the free end of which is turned downward to contact the inner side edge of the bar ii, the bar and catch thus co-operating to normally limit the outward travel of the table. Should it be desired to entirely remove the table from its guides it is only necessary to exert suiilcient upward pressure on the free end of the catch 2! to cause it to clear the bar l3.

As a means of locking the table I! in a retracted position between its guide members (as in Figure 5), I provide another leaf spring type is rigidly secured to the plate 20 by any suitable means, as by rivets 26. This catch 25 is secured in a tion of alignment with the catch guide I, so

that as the table is moved toward a retracted position between the guide members, the free end 21 of the catch 25 contacts and travels over the inclined surface of the catch guide Ii, and thus the catch is guided to a locking contact with the inner edge of the bar l2, and locks the table in the position shown in .Figure 5. When it is desired to move the table outward from its locked mobile instrument panel retracted position it is only necessary to exert suiilcient upward pressure on the free end 21 to cause the catch to clear the inner side edge of bar l3. The table may then be moved to the position shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 5, one manner of attaching the assembly in the front seat compartment of an automobile is illustrated. The numeral 28 designates a portion of the automobile dash, to which one end of each of the two guide members II and II is attached by means of bolts 29 passing thru the brackets l8 and I9, and thru the dash. The opposite ends of the guide members ill and II are rigidly secured to the autoll by means of bolts 3i passing thru the brackets I4 and i5 and thru the lower turned edge of the panel, as shown.

Figure 6 shows a preferred position of installation in an automobile. It will be seen that the facing plate 2| is haped to conform in appearance to the particular instrument panel illustrated, and it should be understood that the shape of this plate may be varied to conform to various other types'of instrument panels.

While I have vdescribed and illustrated a specific embodiment of my invention, I am aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made therein and I do not wish the prior art and by the claims.

Iclaim:

1. A slide table assembly of the class described comprising: a substantially flat plate or table; a pair of spaced co-operating table supporting guide members, each having a longitudinally extending inwardly facing groove, said members adapted to slidably receive the table between them; releasable means for normally maintaining said table in a retracted position between said guide members; and releasable means for limiting the distance said table may be moved outward away from its retracted position between said guide members; and reinforcing members scope of the appended to be limited except by 4 along the side edges of said table, said reinforc- -and below the lower edge of ing members being extended to form spaced rigid legs beyond the inner end of said'plate or table, the cross sectional size and shape of said reinforcing members being such as to permit them to slide freely within the respective grooves in said supporting guide member's.

' 2. A table assembly of the class described comprising: a substantially flat plate or table; a spaced co-operatlng pair of longitudinally grooved supporting guide members adapted to be rigidly secured in the same plane, the grooves in saidguide members adapted to slidably receive the respective side edges of said plate; co-operating releasable means carried respectively by the guide members and the plate for normally maintaining the plate in a retracted position between said guide members; and cooperating releasabie means for normally limiting the outward movement of said plate from a retracted position between said guide members, the releasing of said last mentioned means affording free removal of the plate from the guide members. I

3. In an automobile which includes a dash, and an instrument panel spaced horizontally therefrom, a serving table comprising: paced parallel supporting guides each having one end secured rigidly to said dash, and each having its opposite end secured rigidly adjacent the lower edge of said instrument panel, both guides lying substantially in a horizontal plane; a plate or table slidable on said guides in a plane immediately adjacent the lower edge of said instrument panel in a direction substantially at right angles to said panel; releasable means for normally maintaining said table in a retracted position with its outer end immediately adjacent said instrument panel; and releasablemeans for limiting the distance said table may be moved outward on its guides away from its retracted position beneath said instrument panel. Y I

' JOHN W. ROBERTS.

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