US3810527A

US3810527A - Foldable sawhorse

Info

Publication number: US3810527A
Application number: US00385049A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Kramer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-08-02
Filing date: 1973-08-02
Publication date: 1974-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-14

Abstract

A three-legged sawhorse which is capable of being folded into a compact storage configuration and of being unfolded into an erect usage position is disclosed. The sawhorse comprises a pair of horizontally-disposed beams extending in spaced parallel relation and a double-leg assembly pivotally mounted thereto at one end and a single leg pivotally mounted between the beams at the other end. The leg carries a transverse abutment member which engages the undersides of the beams when the sawhorse is in its erect position to limit outward pivotal movement of the leg. The double-leg assembly has a pair of divergent legs which are interconnected by a brace which engages the undersides of the beams when the sawhorse is in its erect usage position to limit outward pivotal movement of the leg assembly. The leg-beam pivot connections are provided by threaded fasteners having wing nuts which permit the legs to be clamped in either their folded or usage positions.

Description

United States Patent [191 Kramer May 14, 1974 FOLDABLE SAWHORSE [57] ABSTRACT [76] Inventor: John J. Kramer, 315 Harte], Fox A three-legged sawhorse which is capable of being Chase, Pa. 19111 folded into a compact storage configuration and of being unfolded into an erect usage position is dis- [221 Flled' 1973 closed. The sawhorse comprises a pair of horizontally- [21] Appl, NO; 385,049 disposed beams extending in spaced parallel relation and a double-leg assembly pivotally mounted thereto 7 at one end and a single leg pivotally mounted between [5%] $5.81. the beams at the other end. The leg carries a mum q i '2 verse abutment member which engages the undersides l 0 of the beams when the sawhorse is in its erect position to limit outward pivotal movement of the leg. The [56] References Cited double-leg assembly has a pair of divergent legs which UNITED STATES PATENTS are interconnected by a brace which engages the un- 970,508 9/1910 Kamrath l82/l55 dersides of the beams when the sawhorse is in its erect 1,075,115 l0H913 182/155 usage position to limit outward pivotal movement of 2,473,342 6/1949 182/155 the leg assembly. The leg-beam pivot connections are 3,618,704 ll/l97l Smith l82/l55 Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado provided by threaded fasteners having wing nuts which permit the legs to be clamped in either their folded or usage positions.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures The present invention relates to work supports, and more particularly, the present invention relates to sawhorses which are capable of being folded into a compact storage configuration.

Sawhorses which are capable of being folded into compact storage configurations are known. Examples of this type of sawhorse are disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 2,473,342; 2,824,771; 3,198,286; and 3,225,865. Although each of these sawhorses may function satisfactory, each possesses certain limitations. For instance, each of these sawhorses has a four-legged configuration. Although four-legged sawhorses provide stable support when used on a fiat surface, they tend to be unstable when used on uneven surfaces such as normally exist around excavated construction sites. When a load is applied to an unevenly supported sawhorse of the folding type, the points where the legs pivotally connect to the beams tend to be stressed. Thus, in time, the pivot connections become worn and loose and cause the sawhorse to be less than rigid. Each of the aforementioned sawhorses is relatively complex. Hence, none is as inexpensive to manufacture as desired, and such complexity renders each sawhorse relatively complicated to fold and unfold. Although foldable threelegged ironing table structures are known and exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,804,573 and 1,834,488, such structures have the disadvantage of being complex and not being capable of supporting heavy loads safely.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel sawhorse which is capable of being folded into a compact storage configuration when not in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved folding sawhorse which is of simple but rugged construction.

As another object, the present invention provides a unique sawhorse which provides a stable support even when employed on uneven surfaces.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved folding sawhorse which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

As anotherobject, the present invention provides a heavy-duty foldable sawhorse which is capable of being folded into a storage configuration and unfolded into an erect usage configuration relatively rapidly and simply.

More specifically, the present invention provides a three-legged folding sawhorse. The sawhorse comprises a horizontal support member which pivotally mounts a single depending leg at one end and a double-leg assembly at the other end. The single leg carries a transverse abutment member which engages the underside of the support member when the sawhorse is in its erect usage position to limit outward movement of the leg.

The leg assembly includes a pair of diverging legs which engage the outsides of the support member and which are connected by a brace that engages the underside of the support member when the legs are disposed in their usage position to limit their outward movement. The double leg assembly and the single leg are pivotally connected to the support member by threaded fasteners which permit them to be secured in either their folded or usage positions while providing the pivot connections. Preferably, the support member comprises a pair of spaced beams which define therebetween a recess for receiving the leg when the sawhorse. is folded.

These and other objects,'features and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a foldable sawhorse embodying the present invention, the view illustrating the sawhorse in its erect usage configuration;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the left-hand end of the sawhorse illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sawhorse illustrated in FIG. 1;

' FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the right-hand end 'of the sawhorse illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating the sawhorse in its folded storage configuration; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the folded sawhorse illustrated in FIG. 5.

, Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. 1, a foldable sawhorse 10'embodying the present invention. The sawhorse 10 comprises a support member which, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a pair of horizontally-elongated beams 11 and 12 (FIG. 3) extending in parallel relation. The beams are separated by a spacer 17 which is interposed therebetween at the left-hand end of the sawhorse l0 and which hand end of the sawhorse 10 by a threaded fastener 25,

and a double-leg assembly having a pair of

legs

15 and 16 is pivotally connected to the other or left-hand end of the

beams

11 and 12 by a threaded fastener 27. When the sawhorse 10 is in its erect usage configuration, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, the leg 14 as well as the

legs

15 and 16 define obtuse interior angles with respect to the

beams

11 and 12. If desired, a one-piece support having a recess in its underside may be utilized in lieu of the two beams.

In order to provide a strong work support, there is provided means on the leg 14 and the pair of

legs

15 and 16 to engage the undersides of the

beams

11 and 12 to limit outward pivotal movement of the legs l4, l5

and 16. To this end, an abutment or stop member 20 is mounted on the leg 14 on the outer edge thereof as by screws, bolts or the like. The abutment member 20 is disposed transversely to the leg 14 and extends laterally outward to engage the undersides of both the

beams

11 and 12 for limiting outward pivotal movement of the leg 14 edgewise in a counter-clockwise direction when in the usage position illustrated in FIG. 1. As best seen in FIG. 2, a brace 21 is mounted to the outer edges of the

legs

15 and 16. The brace 21 extends transversely to the

legs

15 and 16 and engages the undersides of the

beams

11 and 12 to limit outward pivotal movement of the

legs

15 and 16 edgewise in the clockwise direction. The stop 20 and the brace 21 engage the undersides of the

beams

11 and 12 outboard of the leg pivot connections to resist the tendency for the legs to spread outwardly when a load is applied, so that the sawhorse is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads in complete safety.

When the sawhorse 10 is in the storage configuration, the leg 14 is contained between the

beams

11 and 12. For this purpose, the spacer 17 is of substantially the same thickness as the leg 14, and the lengths of the

beams

11 and 12 are selected so that the space 18 is long enough to accomodate the length of the leg 14 between its pivot connection and its lower end when pivoted inwardly. It is noted that the insides of the abutment member 20 and the brace 21 engage the undersides of the

beams

11 and 12 inboard of the leg-pivot connections to limit inward pivotal movement of the legs. Thus, when folded, the sawhorse has a substantially palanar configuration such as illustrated in FIG.

The legs l4, l5 and 16 are capable of being releasably fastened in either their extended usage positions such as illustrated in FIG. 1, or their folded storage positions such as illustrated in FIG. 5. To this end, the threaded fastener 25 extends through the

beams

11 and 12 and the leg 14, and a wing nut 26 is threadedly carried by the. fastener 25. The upper ends of the legs and 16 aresimilarly connected to the beams l l and 12 by the threaded fastener 27 and a wing nut 28. With this structure, the

wing nuts

26 and 28 may be loosened to permit the legs to be pivoted about the.

fasteners

25 and 27 when it is desired to folder unfold the legs. After the legs are disposed properly in the desired position, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 or 5 the

wing nuts

26 and 28 may be tightened to secure the legs. lt is desirable to secure the legs in this manner since the legs would otherwise tend to pivot inwardly when the sawhorse-is lifted in its erect configuration or to pivot outwardly when the sawhorse 10 is lifted in its folded configuration. It is noted that the brace 21 engages the outer edge of the leg 14 inboard of the double-leg pivot connection 27. Since inward pivotal movement of the a leg 14 is limited by the stop 20, the leg 14 may be secured simply by tightening the wing nut 28.

The sawhorse 10 is preferably fabricated of wood; however, it may also be fabricated from a metal such as aluminum or steel, depending upon the load carrying capacity desired. However, regardless of the construction materials, it is desirable for the

legs

14, 15 and 16 be of the same width as the

beams

11 and 12 and the

fasteners

25 and 27 to connect the beams and legs at their width-wise medians adjacent their ends so that the sawhorse may be folded into a planar structure having a thickness corresponding to the width of the beams 1 l and 12. It is alsop'referable for the insides of the upper ends of the

legs

15 and 16 to be mitered at 15a and 1641 so as to engage flat against opposite sides of the beams to provide a maximum area of contact and thereby to minimize stress.

The sawhorse 10 of the present invention provides a number of advantages. For instance, when in its compact storage configuration, such as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, it occupies a minimum of space so that a number of sawhorses may be stored in a confined location, for instance to be transported in a truck. However, when the sawhorse 10 is unfolded, it is capable of supporting substantial loads in complete safety. By virtue of its three-legged structure, the sawhorse 10 provides a stable support when used on uneven surfaces such as found in and about construction sites. Moreover, the sawhorse 10 is capable of being shipped economically to consumers in a knocked-down condition in compact cartons, and because of its simplicity, it is capable of being initially assembled with a minimum of tools by the average homeowner.

In view of the foregoing. it should be apparent that an improved foldable sawhorsehas now been provided.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, various modifications, alterations andchanges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable work support comprising: an elongated support member having a recess extending lengthwise in its underside, a leg depending from one end of said support member, means pivotally connecting said leg to said support member to permit said leg to pivot inwardly into a storage position in said recess and outwardly into a usage position transverse to said support member, a double-leg assembly connected to the other end of said support member, said assembly including a pair of legs depending from said support member and diverging therefrom, means connecting said pair of legs to pivot together relative to said support between an inward storage position wherein the pair of legs are substantially coplanar with said support member and an outward usage position wherein the pair of legs are transverse thereto, and means carried on said leg and leg assembly for engaging the underside of said support member at locations outboard of their pivotal connections for limiting outward pivotal movement of the legs when said sawhorse is disposed in its erect configuration.

2. A foldable support according to claim 1 wherein said leg limiting means includes an abutment member mounted on said one leg and extending transversely thereto and a brace connecting said pair of legs below said support member, said abutment member and brace engaging the underside of said support member when said sawhorse is in its erect configuration and said leg and pair of legs define obtuse angles with respect to said support member, said abutment member and brace engaging said support member inboard of said pivot connections to limit inward pivotal movement of said legs when said support is folded.

3. A foldable work support according to claim 2 wherein each of said legs has an outer edge and said brace and abutment member engage the outer edges of their respective legs, said brace engaging the outer edge of said one leg inboard of said leg assembly pivot connection when said support is in its folded configuration, and including means to clamp said leg assembly to the support member in the folded position, whereby the support may be secured in its folded configuration.

4. A foldable work support according to claim 1 wherein said support member includes a pair of beams disposed side by side and including spacer means interposed between said beams at said other end to define said recess between said beams, said one leg being mounted between said beams at said one end to pivot into said recess between said beams.

5. A foldable work support according to claim 4 wherein said recess has a length greater than the length of said one leg between its pivot point and its lower end to permit said leg to be completely received in said recess, and said legs and support member having substantially the same widthwise dimensions so that the support may be folded into a planar configuration having a thickness corresponding to the width of the support member.

7. A foldable work support according to claim 6 wherein said clamping means include a first threaded 'fastener extending through said support and said leg and a second threaded fastener extending through said support and said leg assembly, and wing nut means threadedly engaged with said threaded fasteners and operable upon rotation to urge said support and said leg and leg assembly into frictional engagement.

Claims

6. A foldable work support according to claim 1 including means for clamping said leg and said leg assembly in both said folded and said usage positions and providing said pivot connections to said support member.

7. A foldable work support according to claim 6 wherein said clamping means include a first threaded fastener extending through said support and said leg and a second threaded fastener extending through said support and said leg assembly, and wing nut means threadedly engaged with said threaded fasteners and operable upon rotation to urge said support and said leg and leg assembly into frictional engagement.