US810296A - Stand or table. - Google Patents

Description

No. 810,296. PATENTBD JAN. 16, 1906.

J. W. MEAKER.

STAND OR TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

No. 810.296. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. J. w. MEAKBR.

STAND OR TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

J ZZWW (2% PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

-\ J. W. MEAKER.

STAND OR TABLE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEE'I' 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

JOHN W. MEAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MEAKER SALES COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters. Patent.

STAND OR TABLE.

Patented J an. 16. 1906.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stands or Tables; .and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tables or stands of that class adapted foruse as a desk or as a support for a type-writer or sewing-machine and having an open top, a hinged leaf adapted to close said top, and a pivotally-mounted supporting member or shelf adapted to be dropped below the level of the top of the table or stand when the leaf is closed and to be raised to bring the parts supported thereby in operative position when the leaf is opened.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table or stand provided with a hinged leaf and with a cabinet for writing materials, constituting a desk when the leaf is in its open position. Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the stand illustrated in Fig. 1 in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a view in central vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the hinged leaf, the pivotal or swinging supporting member thereof, and the cabinet in side view with the parts closed. Fig. 4 is a like sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the pivoted leaf, the supporting members, and cabinet in side view with the parts open. Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the metal frame of the supporting member.

As shown in said drawings and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, A indicates a table or stand which is provided in its top A with an opening extending through the front margin of the top. B indicates a leaf which is 'pivotally supported in said opening by means of horizontal pivots b b, which engage the side margins of the said leaf and the table-top at either side of the opening therein and are located near the front margin B of said leaf, said margin B forming a part or continuation of the front margin of the table-top when the leaf is closed and operating when the leaf is opened to complete the lifting movement of the swinging or hinged supporting member C and hold it in its elevated position, as will be hereinafter described. Said leaf B is shown as made tapering or thicker at its inner than at its outer edge. It will have flat or plane sides, but need not necessarily be tapering, as shown. The pivots b are located midway between the upper and lower surfaces of the said leaf and at a distance from the upper surface of the table-top equal to onehalf of the thickness of the leaf at the point where the pivots are located, so that when said leaf is swung outwardly on its pivot and is in its extended position, as shown in Fig. 1, the top surface of the leaf will be flush with the upper surface of the table-top, and when the leaf is swung inwardly to close the opening in the table-top its surface, which is then uppermost, will be flush with the said upper surface of the table-top, and in both positions of the leaf the entiretop of the table, including the leaf, is composed of but-a single thickness of material, this being an important feature, not only because of the smooth level condition of the entire top in both positions of the leaf, but because of the obvious saving of wood or other material of which the top is composed and because of the semblance to an ordinary table when the leaf is in its closed position. The sidefaces of the opening in the table-top are vertical and parallel with each other, and the leaf is made of the same width as said opening, so as to fill the same when. in its closed position.

C indicates a hinged supporting member which is pivotally connected with the tabletop so as to swing on a pivotal axis located at the front side of the table-top and below the level of the pivots b b of the leaf B. In the particular construction shown and illustrated in Fig. 4 the supporting member con sists of a rectangular metal frame consisting of two side bars a c and two cross-bars c and 0 connecting the same. The parts of the bars constituting the rectangular frame will preferably have the form of angle-irons, the horizontal flanges of which will be removed in the parts of the bars 0 c which form the forwardly-projecting arms illustrated. The

side bars 0 c are extended forwardly beyond the cross-piece 0 so as to form two arms, the forwardly-projecting arms referred to, which at their forward ends are connected with the side portions of the tabletop by means of pivots D D. The rear end of the supporting member is adapted to swing from a horizon tal position, as shown in Fig. 4, to a downwardly and-rearwardly inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3.

E indicates a case or cabinet which rests upon the supporting member C and which is adapted to contain writing materials or other articles. Said cabinet E is preferably made of triangular form, as seen in end view, so that it may occupy substantially all the space between the supporting member 0 and the leaf B when the supporting member is swung downwardly or depressed and the leaf is closed, as seen in Fig. 3. When the supporting member consists of an open frame, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, the said cabinet E will have a bottom wall e, end walls e e, and a rear wall 0 and its bottom wall 6 will be fitted at its margins within the open frame formed by the frame-bars c, 0, c, and 0 F F indicate flexible connecting members, preferably having the form of chains, which are attached at their forward ends to the sides of the leaf B, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and at their rear ends to the rear or movable end of the supporting member C. Said connecting members pass between their ends over fixed guide-rollers G G, mounted on the table below the upper surface of the tabletop and at or near the rear of the opening therein. Said guide-rollers G are located in such position that when the leaf B is open or extended the upper parts of the rollers will be approximately in line with the leaf-pivots b b and the points where the said flexible connections are attached to the leaf. The re sult of this construction is that when the leaf is in its extended position and the supporting member C drawn up into its horizontal position the end pull on the connecting members due to the weight of the supporting members C will exert on the leaf practically no leverage tending to lift its outer end, or so little leverage compared with the weight of the leaf as to have no tendency to lift the leaf and permit the supporting member to descend.

The side bars 0 c of the supporting member C will preferably be located outside of the 'side edges of the leaf B, as clearly seen in the sectional views Figs. 5 and 6. Said side bars are in the particular construction illustrated fitted to enter rabbets formed to receive them in the table-top at the sides of the openings therein. The flexible connecting members F will preferably be located in vertical planes closely adjacent to the sides of the said openings in the table-top and in their parts which pass over or along the leaf when the same is in its open position, as shown in Fig. 4, will the rear parts thereof will extend through spaces between the sides of the openings in the table-top and the ends of the cabinet E, which latter is made shorter than the width of said opening in the table-top, as clearly seen in Fig. 6.

The flexible connecting members F preferably consist of chains provided at their forward ends or those which are attached to the leaf B with an elongated solid link or barf, which fits within the adjacent groove or rabbet I) and is flush at its upper margin with the top of the leaf, so as to give a smooth surface to the top of the table adjacent to these parts when the leaf is open, as shown in Fig. 1. The said bars f are shown as connected at their forward ends with the leaf B by means of connecting-plates f, secured to the sides of the leaf, and links f interposed between said plates and the adjacent ends of the bars f. Said links enable the bars to take the necessary angular position with respect to the leaf when the latter is closed, as seen in Fig. 3.

When the leaf is closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, its upper surface will be flush with the upper surface of the table-top, and the latter as a whole will be smooth or level, like the top of an ordinary table or stand. At this time, as seen in Fig. 3, the supporting mem ber C will be in its depressed or rearwardlyinclined position, and the cabinet E will rest below the leaf B, the rear margin of which will rest on the rollers G G or other suitablyarranged stops which may be provided, if desired. When the leaf B is opened or thrown outward into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the supporting member C, with the cabinet E, will be raised or lifted, by means of the flexible connections or chains F, to within a short distance of its fully-elevated position. The marginal edge B of the leaf B will then engage the cross-bar c of the supporting member C and complete the lifting movement of the latter and thereafter operate to firmly hold said member in its fully-elevated position.

I claim as my invention 1. A table or stand having an open top and a pivotally-mounted leaf adapted to close said top, and to swing outwardly to form an extension of said table, aswinging support normally below said top having its pivotal supports located parallel with and adjacent to the axis of said leaf, suitable connections between said leaf and said support whereby the latter will be raised by the opening m'ovement of said leaf, said leaf having a marginal edge which engages the swinging support between its axial line and its free end when said leaf is in its open position.

2. A table or stand having an opening in its top and a reversible leaf pivotally mounted in said opening, adapted to close the same 1 and to be swung upwardly and outwardly to rest in grooves or rabbets l) in the leaf, while form an extension thereof, said leaf having its pivotal supports located at a distance from its marginal edge, a swinging support normally below said opening having its pivotal connections located adjacent to the aXis of said leaf, a chain or cord having one end connected to said leaf and the other end connected to the free end of said support, a guide-pulley for said chain located at or near the rear end of said opening, whereby said support Will be raised by the opening movement of said leaf, said leaf having a marginal edge adapted to move under a portion of said support to complete the lifting movement and maintain said support in its elevated position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affiX my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses, this 20th day of July,

JOHN W. MEAKER. Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, GERTRUDE BRYCE.

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