US3076677A

US3076677A - Restaurant counter and table having folding seats

Info

Publication number: US3076677A
Application number: US79791A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl J Kelso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-12-30
Filing date: 1960-12-30
Publication date: 1963-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-05

Description

3,076,677 RESTAURANT COUNTER AND TABLE HAVING FOLDING SEATS K. J. KELSO Feb. 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D60. 30, 1960 FIG. .1

INVENTOR. K424 d 4so,

47'7'OE/VEYS.

Feb. 5, 1963 Filed Dec.

K. J. KELSO 3,076,677

RESTAURANT COUNTER AND TABLE HAVING FOLDING SEATS.

so, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 22 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. 4 5450 ATTOEA/EY-S'.

K. J- KELSO Feb. 5, 1963 RESTAURANT COUNTER AND TABLE HAVING FOLDING SEATS Filed D60. 30, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 5,4194 1 KEL SO,

i fates This invention relates to improvements in restaurant counters and tables having counter and table supported folding seats, and more particularly to novel and improved restaurant counter and table assemblies wherein the folding seats are adapted to be folded to out-of-theway positions beneath the counter or table.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of safer, more eflicient, and more convenient assemblies of the kind indicated, wherein the folding seats have backs which fold down upon the seat pads, and the seats are mounted on bracket arms which are hinged to elements of the counter or table, located beneath their tops, the seats being swingable from extended use positions, to storage positions beneath said elements.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in assemblies of the character indicated above, of seats wherein the seat pads are rotatable relative to the bracket arms from counter or table confronting positions to customer exit positions, and are yieldably spring-pressed toward these confronting positions, whereby customer seating at and departure from the counter or table are facilitated and rendered less conducive to accidental injury.

A further object of the invention is the provision of assemblies of the character indicated above, wherein the seat supporting bracket arms are yieldably spring-pressed toward their storage positions, so as to be easily pulled out of storage position for use when wanted and to be out of the way when not in use.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a. counter assembly of the character indicated above, wherein the counter involves multiple shelves, on its rear side, and, on its front side, a projecting top, a single shelf beneath the projection of the top, and an elevated foot rest spaced below the shelf, the top projection, the single shelf, and the foot rest projecting from a vertical wall, the meeting of the wall with the foot rest and the meeting of the foot rest with the floor supporting the counter having horizontal longitudinal concavities which eliminate sharp corners and provide for easy and thorough rnopcleaning of the corners.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of assemblies of the character indicated above, which are modern and simple in form, are designed for all-metal construction, and are provided with rounded edges and novel arrangements of components, which substantially reduce or eliminate the injury producing characteristics of existing restaurant counter and table assemblies.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a counter assembly of the present invention showing a seat folded to storage position and a seat in use position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIGURE 1, showing seats in use position in full lines, and stored seats in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

3,076,677 Patented Feb. 5, 1953 ice FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FEGURE 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a restaurant table assembly of the present invention; and

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of FIGURE 7, showing a seat bracket arm hinge pin removed.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like and related numerals designate like and related parts through out the several views, and first to FIGURES 1 through 6, the restaurant counter assembly therein shown, and generally designated 10, comprises a counter 12 which has, at its ends, pairs of laterally spaced front and rear up rights 14 and 16, respectively, between which extend vertically spaced rear shelves 18, 19, 2t), and 21. A counter top 22, spaced above the top rear shelf 18, extends between the pairs of uprights 14 and 16 and has a forward extension or projection 24, reaching forwardly beyond the front uprights 14, and having a safety-rounded forward edge 26. The upper surface of the top 22 and its forward edge 26 are covered with a sheet 28 of suitable plastic material.

On a level with the top rear shelf 18, a single combined shelf and shelf support 30, narrower than the counter top projection 24, is fixed, at its ends to and extends between and forwardly from the front uprights 14, and has a squared forward edge 32 having rounded corners. A foot rest, generally designated 34, is spaced below the single shelf 30, and comprises a top horizontal member 36, and a depending vertical front member 38, which reaches to the floor F. A front counter panel, fixed to the front uprights 1-4, has an upper portion 40 extending between the counter top 22 and the single shelf 30, an intermediate portion 42 which extends between the single shelf 3d and the top member 36 of the foot rest, a horizontal portion 44 which extends across the top member 36, and a lower vertical portion 46 which extends down along the front member 38 of the foot rest 34. A rounded bead 48 extends along the meeting of the

panel portions

44 and 46. At the meeting of the

panel portions

42 and 44, the portion d2 is concavely indented, as indicated at St to eliminate a corner inaccessible to a mop, and a similar concavity 52 is provided on the lower panel portion 46, at its meeting with the floor F. A like concavity 54 can be provided in the lower rear shelf 21. It is to be noted that the counter top projection 24 extends out beyond the single shelf 30 and the foot rest 34.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the single shelf 30- is a hollow metal form having spaced top and bottom walls 56 and 53, respectively, joined by a forward edge wall as. At desired spaced intervals along the shelf 39, there are fixed between the top and bottom walls hinge brackets 62 which have spaced side walls which are compressed toward each other, and the parallel legs 64-, of a U-shaped hinge mount 66 are engaged in the resultant depressions, and are secured in place, as by means of rivets 68 extending through the legs and the bracket side walls. The hinge mount 66 has a bight portion 70 which is engaged with an outer end wall 72 connecting the bracket side walls 74. The bight portion 70 of the hinge mount 66 has a pair of vertically spaced laterally oifset. forwardly projecting vertical hinge cars 78, through which extends a hinge pin 80, having an enlarged head 82 on its upper end, and which can be devoid of a head on its lower end, to facilitate removal of the hinge pin.

The hin e pin St!- and the hinge ears 73 swingably support a foldable seat assembly, generally designated 84, which comprises an arm 86 which has a horizontal outer end portion 88, and rearwardly and upwardly curved rear end portion 9! as shown in FIGURE 3. As shown in 3 FIGURES 2 and 3, the arm 86 is horizontally and longitudinally curved, so that, in the customer use position of the seat assembly 84, the arm 86 is positioned to one side ofthe hinge mount 62.and-the hinge mount 66;

The rear end portion 99 of the arm 86 terminates, at its ,rear end, in a vertical rear edge .92 from the midheight point of which ahinge ear 94 extends, which is journalled on the hinge pin 80, between the ears 73. As shown in FIGURE 6, the ear 94 is laterally offset to one side of therear edge 92, so that theremaining part $6 of the rear edge 92 serves as a stop which is engageable with the bight portion 7t) of the hinge mount 65, at one side of theears '78, in the extended position of the arm 86. A helical, coil spring 98, located at the concave side of the arm 86, is connected to and stretched between a lug 130 on the underside of the shelf 30 and a lug 162 on the underside of the arm 86, whereby the arm 86 is biased toward storage position as shown in FIGURE 4.

The outer end of the outer end portion 88 of the arm 86 is fixed tangentially, as indicated at 184, to the side wall 166 of an inverted pan shaped base 168, which has a top wall 110. The top wall 116, as shown inFIGURES 4 .and'5, is formed with two diametrically opposed concentric closed arcuate slots 112, througlrwhich extend pendant guide pins 114 which arefixed to and extend downwardly from a circular flat seat disc 11.6 which has imposed thereon and suitably secured thereto a circular, covered seat pad 118. The disc 116 is pivoted on the top wall 110 by means of a central pivot 115 secured to and extending throughthe disc 116 and through a central opening 117 in the top wall 116, and having an enlarged retaining head 119, on its lower end, which bears against the underside of the top wall 110.. The guidepins 114' extend throughholes 120 on the disc 116 and have enlarged heads 122, on their upper ends, which are seated in depressions 124in the upper surface of the disc .116. The pins 114 extend below the top .wall lid and have retaining collars ll'thereon. The. disc 116 bears rotatably upon the top wall 110, and coilspringst128 are stretched between and secured to the guide pins 114 and points on the side wall 106 of the memberitifi, remote from adjacent ends of the slots 112, whereby the disc 116, and hence the. seat pad 118, are rotatably and yieldably biased to a customer use position.

Fixed to the edge of the disc 116,. ,is. an upwardly extending and outwardly inclined seat back bracket 130;

which is horizontally hinged, at its upper end, as indicated at 132, to the lower end of, a vertical bar .134, -to one side of which is fixed a rectangular paddedseatback 136, which, as indicated .in FIGURES 2 and 3, is arranged to fold down upon the ,seat pad 118,.in registry therewith. The hinge 132 is a stop hinge, having means.-(not shown) for stopping the seat back 13am an upright position. The seat back bracket 13d ispositioned on the. disc 13.6 at a location such that in the customer use position of -.the, seat assembly, the seat back 136 parallels the counter 12, as shown in FIGURES 1 through 4. The seat is adapted to be rotated to, one side of its .use position, against the resistance of the springs .128, by a customer, so as to place the seatand its backsubstantially at right angles to the counter 12, so as to facilitate seating of the customer on the seat. The springs 128 then serve to aidthe customer in rotating the seat to face the counter.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the outer end portion 83 of the seat assembly arm 86 is. depressed below-the single shelf 36 to a degree that the seat back 136, when in downfolded position on the seat pad 118, clears beneath the shelf 36 and the retracting spring 93, when thevseat asset bly is moved, by the spring 98, to storage position. In the storage position of the seat assembly, the registered seat pad 118 and seat back 136 are beneath the shelf 3%, and substantially completely beneath the counter top projection 24, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, so as to be out of the way of customers, or service personnel working at the front of-the counter 12. When a seat assembly E 84 is to be used, it is put in use position simply by swinging the same outwardly, against the resistance of the spring 93, and moving the seat back 136 to its erect position.

The restaurant table assembly, shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, and generally designated 16, comprises a pedestal table 12 having a pedestal 140 rising from an enlarged diameter base 142, which is suitably fixed to the fioor F. Secured centrally upon the upper end of the pedestal 140 is a table top 22 here shown as being rectangular and having rounded corners 23. In line with the corners 23 and fixed to the pedestal 140, are radial horizontal arms 144, which are spaced below the table top 22, and support a single open rectangular shelf 343 which is smaller in area than and registered with the table top 22. Seat assemblies 34 similar to the seat assemblies 84 of FIG- URES 1 through 6, are similarly mounted on the shelf 3G adjacent to corners 146 of the shelf 36 on hinge brackets 62 depending from the shelf 30 In this arrangement, the seat assembly arms 86 fold from the extended use positions of the seat assemblies, shown in full lines in FIGURES 7 and 3, to storage positions wherein the arms extend along related sides of the shelf 3% and the. combinedand registered seat pads M8 and seat backs are positioned wholly beneath the table top 22 Although there have been shown and described herein preferred forms of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within thescope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

I. In restaurant furniture, a support having a horizontal top, a horizontal shelf spaced below said top and inset from the top, and a seat assembly hinged on a vertical axis on the outer edge of the shelf and adapted to be hinged beneath the shelf, said seat assembly comprising an arm having an inner end hinged to the shelf and an outer end which. is depressed below the shelf, a seat pad secured upon the outer end of the arm, the seat pad being positioned beneath the shelf, in the storage position ofthe seat assembly, the seat pad comprising a base fixed on the arm, said base having a top'wall provided with a central opening and concentric diametrically opposed closed arcuate slots, a disc bearing rotatably upon said top wall and having pendant guide pins engaged in said slots, a pivotsecured to the disc and extending downwardly through said central opening and having a retaining bead bearing against the underside of said top wall, and spring means acting between the guide pins and said base and rotatably biasing said disc in one direction.

2. In restaurant furniture, a support having a horizontal top, a horizontal shelf spaced below said top and inset from the top, and a seat assembly hinged on a vertical axis on the outer edge of the shelf and adapted to be hinged beneath the shelf, said seat assembly comprising an arm having an inner end hinged to the shelf and an outer end which is depressed below the shelf, a seat pad secured upon the outer end of the arm, the seat pad being positioned beneath the shelf in the storage position of the seat assembly, the seat pad comprising a base fixed on'the arm, said base having a top wall provided with a central opening and concentric diametrically opposed closed arcuate slots, a disc bearing rotatably upon said top wall and having pendant guide pins engaged in said slots, a pivot secured to the disc and extending downwardly through said central opening and having a retaining bead bearing against the underside of said top wall, and spring means acting between the guide pins and said base and rotatably biasing said disc in one direction, an upstanding bracket on said disc having an upper end, a vertical bar hinged at its lowerend to the upper end of the bracket, means for stopping said bar in erect position, and a seat back being fixed to a side of said vertical bar.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Davison Jan; 14, 1896 Little May 9, 1916 Marston Aug. 15, 1916 Nolan Jan. 2, 19'17 Jenkins Dec. 24, 1918 Rankin July 20, 1920 Dana July 15, 1924 m Caliver June 5, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 9, 1950

Claims

1. IN A RESTAURANT FURNITURE, A SUPPORT HAVING A HORIZONTAL TOP, A HORIZONTAL SHELF SPACED BELOW SAID TOP AND INSET FROM THE TOP, AND A SEAT ASSEMBLY HINGED ON A VERTICAL AXIS ON THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SHELF AND ADAPTED TO BE HINGED BENEATH THE SHELF, SAID SEAT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ARM HAVING AN INNER END HINGED TO THE SHELF AND AN OUTER END WHICH IS DEPRESSED BELOW THE SHELF, A SEAT PAD SECURED UPON THE OUTER END OF THE ARM, THE SEAT PAD BEING POSITIONED BENEATH THE SHELF, IN THE STORAGE POSITION OF THE SEAT ASSEMBLY, THE SEAT PAD COMPRISING A BASE FIXED ON THE ARM, SAID BASE HAVING A TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING AND CONCENTRIC DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED CLOSED ARCUATE SLOTS, A DISC BEARING ROTATABLY UPON