US3244389A

US3244389A - Foot supports

Info

Publication number: US3244389A
Application number: US383309A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilkins Lloyd Huntington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-06-27
Filing date: 1964-07-17
Publication date: 1966-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1983-04-05

Description

April 5, 1966 H. WILKlNS FOOT SUPPORTS Original Filed June 27, 1961 FIG. 6

-FIG. 2

FIG. 8

INVENTOR.

LLOYD H. WILKINS United States Patent 3,244,389 FOOT SUPPORTS Lloyd Huntington Wilkins, Caracas, Venezuela, assignor of fifty percent to Jim Zegeer, Fairfax County, Va. Original application June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 157,286, now

Patent No. 3,141,701, dated July 21, 1964. Divided and this application July 17, 1964, Ser. No. 383,309

2 Claims. (Cl. 248--158) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 157,286, filed June 27, 1961, now Patent 3,141,701 issued July 21, 1964.

This invention relates in general tofoot supports, and more particularly to foot supports for desks, coffee tables, etc.

An object of this invention is to provide a foot support for use with desks, tables and the like which prevents scufiing and scarring thereof, which is comfortable and convenient to use and which is small and inexpensive.

Other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will appear from the following description and the appended claims. The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a footrest according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded elevational view of another modification of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a side View of the base and bearing unit shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3 in use; and

FIG. 8 is a further modification of the invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flat base member 10, shown as rectangular, but which may be of any desired shape, has integrally formed therewith an upright or vertical post or pedestal 11. Pedestal 11 carries yoke or saddle member 12, comprising slightly diverging arms 13 and 14 and a seat or base portion 16. Base portion 16, it will be noted, is inclined at an angle to the horizontal such that the central area thereof is included in a line generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of a users legs when crossed and propped upon a desk. The lower surface of base member may carry a friction pad or cushion 17 to prevent the foot support from slipping on a desk and further protect the desk or table with which the foot support may be used.

It may be desirable to adjust the angle of the seat portion 16' of the saddle 12' to accommodate users having different physical characteristics. To this end, the saddle 12' has a yoke 18 formed on the lower surface thereof which fits over an upstanding tongue 19 on the upper end of pedestal 11'. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a wing screw 20 passes through a hole 21 in arm 22 of yoke 18 and a hole 23 in tongue 19 to threadably engage threads formed in a bore 24 in arm 26 of yoke 18. When the butterfly head 27 on wing screw 20 is turned clockwise, the arm 21 is moved just enough so that the yoke frictionally secures the saddle 12' to tongue 19 on pedestal 11' at any desired position. It will be obvious that yoke 18 may be formed on the underside of saddle 12' and the tongue 19 on the upper end of pedestal 11 to obtain the same result.

With reference to the modification shown in FIGS. 5

a and 6, saddle 12" carries on its underside a depending 3,244,389 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 ice 30 forms a bearing for rotatably receiving bearing shaft 28. A yoke 31, formed on the bottom of pedestal insert 30 has one leg 32 bored so that a wing screw 33 may freely pass therethrough. The other leg 34 of yoke 31 has a threaded bore 35 for receiving the threaded end of wing screw 33. A vertical tongue 36 on the top of pedestal 11" is provided with a bore 38 through which the end of wing screw passes when tongue 19 is located between the

arms

32 and 34 of yoke 31. With this arrangement the saddle 12" may be rotated or swiveled according to the whim of the user as well as adjusted to arrive at the most comfortable inclination of seat 16" in saddle 12".

As shown in the central position of FIG. 7, the saddle 12" of FIG. 3 or 5 may be secured by wing screw 27 to the egde of a desk drawer. In this situation, it will be necessary for the user to adjust the angle of saddle 12" in order to take into account the change in height of the saddle.

According to the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, base 10" and pedestal 11" carry a double saddle 12", compirsing a pair of outer arms 39 and 40 and a central or middle arm 41. Assuming a user normally crosses the left foot over the right foot, outer arm 40 forms with middle arm 41 a left foot saddle, while outer arm 39 forms with middle arm 41 a right foot saddle. It will be noted that the left foot saddle is slightly higher than the right foot saddle. Moreover, the saddles need not be in a common plane, the planes of each saddle forming a dihedral angle, as is the case when a users legs are crossed.

What is claimed is:

1. A foot support for use with a desk, or the like, having a planar surface on which said foot support is to rest, comprising, a base member, a pair of arms and a connecting supporting member, said arms diverging ou-twardly to allow free ingress and egress to said support member by a users foot, said connecting support memher having a seat surface, said seat surface being at an angle to a horizontal plane passing through said base member, and said arms, said connecting support member and said base member being integral and rigid with one another.

2. A foot support for use with a desk, or the like, having a planar surface on which said foot support rests, comprising a base member, a pedestal extending upwardly from said base member, a double saddle member on said pedestal, the seat of one of said saddles being higher than the seat of the other of said double saddles, each of said saddle seats being formed at an angle to a horizontal plane passing through said base member, and said base member, said pedestal and said double saddle member being integral and rigid with one another.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS,

Examiners.

Claims

1. A FOOT SUPPORT FOR USE WITH A DESK, OR THE LIKE, HAVING A PLANAR SURFACE ON WHICH SAID FOOT SUPPORT IS TO REST, COMPRISING, A BASE MEMBER, A PAIR OF ARMS AND A CONNECTING SUPPORTING MEMBER, SAID ARMS DIVERGING OUTWARDLY TO ALLOW FREE INGRESS AND EGRESS TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER BY A USER''S FOOT, SAID CONNECTING SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A SEAT SURFACE, SAID SEAT SURFACE BEING AT AN ANGLE TO A HORIZONTAL PLANE PASSING THROUGH SAID BASE MEMBER, AND SAID ARMS, SAID CONNECTING SUPPORT MEMBER AND SAID BASE MEMBER BEING INTEGRAL AND RIGID WITH ONE ANOTHER.