US2737739A - Latch construction for ironing board - Google Patents

Description

3 March 13, 1956 R. T. HOOD 2,737,739

LATCH CONSTRUCTION FOR IRONING BOARD Filed Feb. 2. 1954 United States Patent LATCH CONSTRUCTION FOR IRONING BOARD Robert Turner Hood, Castle Bromwich, England, assignor to Bradley and Company Limited, Mount Pleasant, Bilston, England, a British company Application February 2, 1954, Serial No. 407,764

2 Claims. (Cl. 38-11D This invention has reference to improvements connected with ironing boards of the kind wherein the board, which is of an elongated character, is supported on forward and rearward legs which can be collapsed into adjacency with the underside of the board when the device is not in use and wherein the forward leg is connected by pivotal links to the rearward legs; the upper end of the said forward leg when in use being adapted to engage with a catch.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simplified form of catch for engagement with the upper extremity of the forward leg when the ironing board is in use and also to so construct the forward leg that greater rigidity is imparted to the board when in use.

The invention consists of an ironing board of the kind referred to characterised in that the catch takes the form of a spring loaded plate having an aperture into which the upper extremity of the forward leg is adapted to enter and is furnished with a flange, which serves to lead the upper end of the leg into the aperture during the engagement of the leg with the catch.

A convenient embodiment of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view from below of an ironing board in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan from below of the catch seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The ironing board 4, which is made of perforated metal, is of the usual elongated shape and has pivotally connected to a cross member 5 at 6, on its underside situated adjacent its rearward end, a pair of tubular legs 7 which are slightly splayed in an outward direction. Pivotally connected to each of these legs 7 intermediate its ends at 8 is the one end of a link 9, the other end of which is pivoted to a depending plate 10 at the mid-point of the said cross member 5. Also pivotally connected at 8 to each of these legs 7 is the one end of a link 11, the other end of which is pivotally connected at 12, adjacent the upper end of the forward leg 13 of the ironing board. The forward leg of the ironing board is of inverted Y form and is formed of tubular members, the stem of the Y projecting downwardly a short distance between the limbs of the Y and having a transverse pin 14 which enters the pair of links 15 which are pivotally connected at their other and upper end to the point of interconnection of the rearward legs 7 with the cross member 5 at 6. The forward leg 13 is also pivotally connected at a point 16 above the junction of its limbs to a pair of links 17 which are splayed outwardly and pivotally connected at 18 to a forward cross member 19 on the underside of the ironing board 4.

To the rearward side of the forward cross member 19 is disposed a sheet metal box 20 in the underside of which are formed a pair of slots in which are accommodated a pair of cranked tongues 21 integral with a catch 22 and forming the hinge point therefor. This catch is formed as a sheet metal plate and is of substantially triangulated shape in plan having a circular aperture 23 adjacent the apex, which is opposite the hinge line, to receive the upper end of the forward leg 13 of the ironing board. The catch has a downwardly directed flange 24, which due to the triangulated shape of the catch serves as a lead for the upper end of the forward leg towards the aperture 23 whilst the leg is being engaged with the catch. This flange 24 is extended forwardly beyond the hinge line on both sides and is turned over at 25 to provide stops which abut against the underside of the forward cross member 19 under the action of a spring 26 mounted within the box 20 and engaging an upwardly directed integral tongue 27 on the catch plate 22. The underside of the catch plate between the hinge line and the aperture is formed with ribs 28 which assist in the sliding of the upper end of the forward leg 13 over the catch plate 22, it being appreciated that during this operation the catch plate is rocked against the action of the spring 26 until the upper end of the leg 13 registers with the aperture 23 and allows the catch 22 to descend to embrace the leg and firmly hold it in position. The flanges 24 of the catch are desirably furnished with outwardly directed Wings 24 which assist the manual rocking of the catch against its spring loading 26 to release the leg 13 therefrom.

I claim:

1. In an ironing board of the type having an elongated board member with a pair of legs pivoted to said board member adjacent one end thereof and a third leg connected by linkage to said pair of legs and to said board member, the combination of the upper end of said third leg and a latch member, said latch member consisting of a plate hingedly connected at one end to the underside of said board member and having a circular aperture adjacent its other end, said plate having a depending flange looping around said aperture and extending tangentially and divergently therefrom to guide the upper end of said third leg into said aperture and to act as an abutment to prevent the upper end of said third leg from moving beyond said aperture, there being a flat area extending from said flange to strengthen it as an abutment and to constitute a finger piece which may be pressed upwardly to release the upper end of said third leg.

2. In an ironing board of the type having an elongated board member with a pair of legs pivoted to said board member adjacent one end thereof and a third leg connected by linkage to said pair of legs and to said board member, the combination of the upper end of said third leg and a latch member, said latch member consisting of a plate hingedly connected at one end to the underside of said board member and having a circular aperture adjacent its other end, said plate having a depending flange looping around said aperture and extending tangentially and divergently therefrom to guide the upper end of said third leg into said aperture and to act as an abutment to prevent the upper end of said third leg from moving beyond said aperture, there being a flat area extending from said flange to strengthen it as an abutment and to constitute a finger piece which may be pressed upwardly to release the upper end of said third leg, said third leg having a forked lower portion with laterally spaced feet, said forked lower portion being pivoted to said linkage at laterally spaced points to prevent twisting of said third leg in the aperture of said latch member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,018,295 Burr Feb. 20, 1912 2,311,612 Pleiss Feb. 16, 1943 2,484,768 Van Pelt Oct. 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 463,799 Canada Mar. 21, 1950 689,540 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1953

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