US2601357A - Folding classification table - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1952 o. s. ALLBRITTON 2,501,357

FOLDING CLASSIFICATION TABLE Filed Sept. 4, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. Owen Sampson Allbrfiron BY M ATTORNEYS.

June 24, 1952 o. s. ALLBRITTON 2,601,357

FOLDING CLASSIFICATION TABLE Filed Sept. 4, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Owen Sampson Aubritcon BY FAA, M,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 24, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING CLASSIFICATION TABLE Owen Sampson Allbritton, Clearwater, Fla.

Application September 4, 1947, Serial No. 772,137

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to folding table structures and has particular relation to a folding table provided with a compartmented table top for use in classifying and sorting checks, deposit slips, charge slips, paper money and the like in assembled and stacked relationship. The table of the present invention is so constructed that a pair of cooperating duplicate tables may be internested together in collapsed position so as to define a substantially rectangular package.

Business offices such as banks and the like often require a classifying and sorting operation for alphabetically arranging papers such as correspondence, checks, deposit slips, chargeslips, paper money and the like. This classifying and sorting operation is generally performed in connection with the opening and closing of the business day and it has generally been considered inefficient from a space standpoint to provide a permanent working space for this operation. Moreover, present classifying and sorting compartmented working spaces, such as tables and the like, have a horizontal top which causes the papers, checks, and the like, to pile up in irregular fashion so that they must be stacked by hand in order to achieve the desired neat and orderly arrangement.

The folding table structure of the present invention generally comprises a compartmented table top supported at an angle to the horizontal by means of a supporting structure. The compartmented top is supported by the frame in such a position that in normal use the table top is inclined at an effective angle to the horizontal so that sheet articles, such as checks and the like, when placed in the compartments will slide downwardly along the inclined top against the lower sides of the compartments, into assembled and stacked relationship. In a pre ferred form, two adjacent inner sides of each compartment are provided with suitable indicia to enable the user to identify the various compartments, when the tables are placed side by side with the tops parallel, or are placed with the lower edges adjacent sothat the indicia appear in the regular and desired order to the user, in either of said described positions.

The supporting structure generally includes, in duplicate, a supporting strip secured edgewise to the underside of the table, a long leg pivoted to one side of the supporting strip and a link pivoted at its upper end'to' the opposite side of the supporting strip, a short leg pivoted intermediate its ends to the long leg and pivoted at its upper end to the lower end, of the link,

the short leg being in the same plane as the supporting strip and adapted when folded to engage against the lower edge of the supporting strip, the supporting strip being formed to accommodate folding movement of the short leg so that when folded the short leg lies in parallel juxtaposition with the long leg and with the supporting strip. In open position, the short leg and its link are locked in straight line, extended position by abutment means which also serve to limit unfolding of the leg beyond parallel juxtaposition. The tables are so constructed that duplicate pairs thereof may be cooperatively used and placed together in folded position to define a substantially rectangular space for storage or shipping purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a compartmented folding table which is particularly adapted to be used either singly or in pairs for classifying and sorting checks, deposit and charge slips and the like, into assembled and stacked relationship.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding table which is adapted to cooperate and internest with a duplicate table in collapsed position so as to define a rectangular shipping and storing package.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a compartmented folding table which is of sturdy construction, which may be readily collapsed and unfolded in locked position for use and which may be cooperatively nested with a duplicate table in folded position into a minimum volume rectangular space for storage and shipping purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding compartmented table structure which will enable the user to classify and sort papers, checks and the like, in a desired neat and orderly arrangement in an efficient manner.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a compartmented folding table which is adapted to be used cooperatively with another duplicate table when placed side by side therewith so that the table tops are parallel or with the lower edges adjacent, the compartments being provided with substantial indicia in the regular and desired order to enable the user to identify the various compartments from either of the aforementioned positions.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings in which: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding com- 3 partmented table embodying the present invention shown in open, locked position;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing a duplicate pair of tables embodying the present invention folded in cooperative nested relationship for shipping and storage;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the link and locking portion of one of the short legs shown in partially collapsed position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a"dup1i'- cate pair of open, locked tables embodying the present invention arranged in end to end relationship for normal use with their lower edges in abutment for sorting sheets having a greater length than width, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective v1ewof 'a table- -struc ture embodying the present invention shown in collapsed or folded position. 7

Referring now to the drawings showing a; pre-- ferred embodiment of the table structure comprising'the present invention the-table top; I O is prO idedWitHouter compartment'sides I I a'ndinn'er compartment-sides I 2, two'i adjacent sides of the compartments being" provided with suitableindicia, as showm-in'such fashion that the'indicia appear in the regular and desired order from one sideor its adjacent lower' side, The sup-- portingframe work for-thetabl'e top' includes a pair of supporting' strips I 3 'which' 'are secured edgewise and parallel to" the undersideof the table top. The 'bottOmedges" l of the supporting strips are provided with a recessed portion I 5' and a cuteway portion I 6 to the table top. Thepurpose and function of the recessed and cutawayi portions I5 and will be hereinafterdescribed;

A pair of {long legs 'zfl are pivotally mounted at 2I in parallel arrangement at their upper ends to the inner sid'es of the "supporting strips I3, adjacent an'end thereof." The lower ends-of the long legs 2Il' are provided with a: transverse supporting bar lying in the same plane as the parallel long legs.

Link member's23" are pivotally mounted as at 25, in parallel arrangement at their upper ends'to the outer sides of'th'e" supporting strips I3 at the outer ends of the'cut-away portions I61 The lower ends of thelinked members=23 are, pivotally connected; as at 25,2adjaoen't' the upper ends oftheshort legs 26onthe' outer sides of the shortlegs; The short legs 26am pivotally' mounted; as"at"21, intermediate theirends to the outer sides'of thelonglegs 20; The

outer'upper end portions of' th'e'shortlegs126:

are provided with abutment members 26 which cooperate with recesses" 29 provided on the inner sides and intermediatetheend'p'ortions of the link members 23 for holding theshort legs-2 5 in open, locked position: A-transverse bar 38 connects the outer lower end portions of the short legs in rigid'fa'shion and also 'serves as abutment means for resisting folding movementof the legs, as will behereinafterdescribed.

Referring now to operation of the present table structure from its open;lo'cked position, as shownwhich is parallel movement and to maintain both pairs of complementary legs in parallelism. In addition, the link and locking arrangement on the upper end of the short legs 26 is such that additional weight placed on the table top I0 is transferred through the legs 26 downwardly against the pivots 2'? thereby forcing the abutments 28 into rigid, locking contact in the recesses 29.

The table structure may be readily collapsed by IIlOViIl'gWh upper ends-of the short legs 2% toward the upper "ends "of'thelong legs as in scissors fashion. As hereinbefore described, the short legs 26 lie in the same plane as the supporting :strips I3; The short legs 26, as they are folded inwardly, are displaced upwardly towardth'e' supporting strips I3 due to the inward andupward arcuate movement described by the lowerendportions of the link members 7 23. During folding movement the upper ends of the shortlegs 26 fit into the recessed portions I 5 ofsupporting -strips i- I37 Upon completion of the-folding operation it will be. noted :that the short :legs 26-lie in-co-planar contacting juxtaposition with the lower cut away portions IE5.

of the supporting strips I3, During .thefolding operation the long legs 26) pivot towardthe table top until they are in parallel juxtaposition at their lower end portions with the entire length of the short legs 26--and are in parallel juxtaposition -attheir upper endportions with the inner side 'portions of-the supporting strips i3, adjacent the lower-end portions I4. It will also be apparent-that, by'virtueof the present construction, the shortlegs 2 6 andthe long legs 2B=1ie in parallel juxtapositionwith each other and alsoliein parallelisznwiththe table top. Thus, in collapsed folded position, the legs- 25! and -26- are in parallelv juxtaposition with each other and their upper end portions arealso in parallel juxtaposition with the-supporting strips I3, both-sets-'of=legs being parallel-to the table top. In-addition, theupper ends of the shortlegs 26 occupy the spacedefined-by the recessed portions I5 and the; lower cut away portions? of'th'e supporting-strips I3.- It will be notedthat the long .legs 2Il-lie in-planes which are parallel and adjacent to the planes occupied by thesupporting strips I3 andtheshortlegs 26; whereas the link members 23-lie in planeswhich are.

adjacent the: opposite sides. of the supporting strips I3-andtheir-other sidesare parallelwith the oompartmented, outer sides of the table structure.

Folding movementofthe legs beyond'parallel juxtaposition. is preventedby means. of abutment bar 30 contacting (the lower. end. portions ofthe long legs: 20-and also bymeans of the leading edges'of the upper ends of the short legs 26 abutting inparallelism against the cut away portion "tor the supporting strips I3.

It will be apparentthatthe position ofthe long legs2flandthe=links 23- may be reversed withrespect to the sidesof the supporting strips I3'so that the long legslu are pivotally mounted on the outer sides-of the supporting strips I3 and the links are pivotally mounted on the inner sides of the supporting strips I3; With this construction; itwill :be apparent that the transverse bar 30 may bemounted on the outer sides of the long legs 26.

As hereinbefore. stated, two adjacent inner sides of each compartment are provided. with.

structures of the present invention are used, the indicia are so arranged that when the tables are placed side by side with the tops parallel (not shown) or with the lower edges in abutment, as shown in Fig. 4, the indicia appear in regular and desired order to the user. Thus it will be apparent that by virtue of the present construction an operator is enabled to sort sheets having greater length than width, such as deposit slips and charge slips, when the tables are placed end to end; that is, with their lower edges in abutment. In addition, when a duplicate pair of table structures are placed side by side with their tops parallel (not shown) the operator is enabled to sort sheet material such as checks having a greater width than length. It will be understood that the above sorting operation also may be accomplished with a single table structure.

As the sheets of paper are dropped in the various compartments they tend to slide along the inclined bottom of the table top against the lower sides of the compartment in assembled and stacked relationship due to the inclination of the table top. By virtue of this novel feature of the present table structure, the user is readily and conveniently able to assemble and remove the various piles of paper sheets in assembled and stacked relationship. After a duplicate pair of the present table structures have been folded and collapsed, as hereinbefore described, they may be internested together in collapsed position so as to define a rectangular package, due to the novel construction whereby the long and short legs when folded extended well beyond the table top to define a substantially rectangular space into which the compartmented top of the other table fits, with its legs extended over the compartmented top of the other table. In this manner, a duplicate pair of tables may be conveniently stored or shipped in a minimum volume of space.

While the invention has been described in a preferred form, it will be understood that the invention may be practiced in other forms, falling within the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the prior art and as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A folding table, comprising a top, a pair of substantially parallel supporting strips extending underneath the top, each provided with a recess along its lower edge for a portion of its length, a pair of long legs respectively pivoted at their upper ends to one side of said supporting strips at one end of said supporting strip, a pair of links pivoted at their respective upper ends to the other side of said supporting strips at the other end of said supporting strip, a pair of short legs respectively pivoted intermediate their ends to said long legs and also respectively pivoted near their upper ends to that side of said link which bears against its cooperating supporting strip, whereby each shorter leg is oiTset from its cooperating link and is in the same plane with its cooperating supporting strip, in both extended and folded positions, the upper part of each shorter leg being positionable in the said recessed portion of its associated supporting strip when in folded position, and in such position bears against the lower edge of its associated strip and abutment means carried by the connected ends of said shorter legs and said pivoted links, for holding the shorter legs and the pivoted links in alignment.

OWEN SAMPSON ALLBRITTDN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,056,210 Parry Mar. 18, 1913 1,142,673 Cozzens June 8, 1915 1,939,459 Murray Dec. 12, 1933 1,975,857 McKinney Oct. 9, 1934 2,060,367 Flagstad Nov, 16, 1936 2,217,658 DePuy Oct. 15, 1940 2,317,036 Doering et al. Apr. 20, 1943 2,354,941 Treitel Aug. 1, 1944

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