US3273936A

US3273936A - Combined table and bench assembly

Info

Publication number: US3273936A
Application number: US403839A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth L Deavers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-10-14
Filing date: 1964-10-14
Publication date: 1966-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-20

Description

Sept. 20, 1966 K. L. DEAVERS COMBINED TABLE AND BENCH ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. KENNETH L. DEAVERS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,273,936 COMBINED TABLE AND BENCH ASSEMBLY Kenneth L. Deavers, Eckstine Road, Rte. 1, Box 29, Williarnsport, Md. Filed Oct. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,839 2 Claims. (Cl. 297159) This invention pertains to a novel article of furniture which combines a table and seat. The novel furniture of this invention may be considered in the picnic table variety in which an elongated table is combined with usually backless seats or benches.

The art has recognized some of the inherent advantages of providing tubular-type metal supports for the table and/ or bench portions of picnic-type tables, especially the possibility for simplifying manufacturing and assembling techniques. Also, such tubular-metal supported tables often are collapsible to minimize the space needed for storage.

The furniture of this invention overcomes a number of disadvantages found in prior art devices of this type. For one thing it provides a bench or benches which can 'be moved from a position underlapping the table, which position is the most comfortable for eating at the table, to a position of non-underlapping which is the most comfortable for going to and leaving the table. Further, the furniture of this invention can be collapsed for storage in a manner superior to known tables in a number of respects. For example, the legs fold inwardly for collapsing the table and the benches remain in the same longitudinal relation with the table as before folding. Thus in storage the table and bench combination may occupy a space no longer than the table itself. The invention also provides for basically two folded or collapsed positions hereinafter referred to as positions A and B. Folded position A provides a combination which is of a width only sllightly greater than the width of the table alone and folded position B provides a more nearly fiat-folded position. The invention avoids substantial disassembly of the table when collapsing is called for and can provide for a single fastener to determine the open or closed position.

In this invention leg members, preferably tubular, are provided near the ends of the table. The leg members are shaped generally in the form of a G to provide three horizontal levels, an upper level for support of the table, an intermediate level for support of the bench and a telescoping lower level to rest on the floor or ground. Movement of the bench from a position underlapping the table to a position remote from the table is provided by telescoping the lower horizontal portion. Collapse of the table is provided by so supporting the table on the upper horizontal portion at each end that this portion, and with its the entire leg bracket, may rotate toward the center of the table. The bench is supported at each end by the intermediate horizontal portion of the leg member in such fashion that this portion may slide under the bench toward the center during collapse of the furniture. Struts fastened at one end to each leg member are used to prevent collapse of the furniture by fastening their other ends to the bottom of the table.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE 1 is a side view of the furniture in the open position;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the furniture at a midway point in its folding to collapsed position A, with the elements in collapsed position A shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the table and benches in collapsed position B;

3,273,936 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 FIGURE 4 is an end View of the furniture with one bench in the remote or entrance position, the other bench in the proximate or seated position and folded position B shown in phantom lines; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

As can be seen, the furniture comprises the table 11, and

benches

13 and 15. The table and bench or benches are usually made of wood but the invention contemplates use of other suitable materials as well. Four

tubular leg members

18, 20, 22 and 25 are provided and, as can be seen, especially in FIGURE 4, these leg members have, in general, the shape of the letter G, which provides an upper horizontal portion 28, an intermediate horizontal portion 29, a lower horizontal portion 30, a long, table height vertical portion 33 and a shorter bench height portion 36. As can be seen, intermediate horizontal portions 29 support the

benches

13 and 15 while upper horizontal portions 28 support the table-top 11 and lower horizontal portions 30 rest on the floor or ground. The

leg members

18, 20, 22 and 25 are arranged in pairs with their long vertical portions 33 proximate to each other and with each pair of members vertically arranged near each end of the table in the open position.

Pins

39 and 42 pass through adjacent long vertical portions 33 near the lower end and serve to hold the ends of struts 4 and 48 revolvably between the vertical portions 33. In the open position, for example, in FIGURE 1, the other ends of these struts meet at about the center of the underside of table 11 and my be fastened to each other and to the table by any suitable means, for example, the bolt and wing-nut 50'.

Upper horizontal portions 28 of the G-shaped leg members are revolvably fastened to the underside of table 11, for instance by brackets 52. The undersides of

benches

13 and 15 are provided with the elongated channel members 55. As can be seen, especially from FIGURE 5, these channel members provide a slot 57 for passage of the axle 60 of roller 63. This axle may be fastened by any suitable means to the intermediate horizontal portion 29 of the G-shaped leg members, for example, resilient plug 66 may receive axle 57 and in turn be received by the open end of

tubular leg members

18, 20, 22 and 25, thus permitting roller 63 to roll within channel member 55 and intermediate horizontal members 29 to slide along the undersides of

benches

13 and 15 during opening and closing of the furniture. Channel members 55 extend at least from a position on the underside of

benches

13 and 15 vertically aligned with brackets 52 toward the center of the inner edge of each bench-

es

13 and 15, a distance about equal to or greater than the difference in height of

vertical portions

33 and 36.

An important feature of the present invention is the telescoping structure of the lower horizontal members 30. In the embodiments shown, this structure is provided by making the

members

18, 20, 22 and 25 in two pieces, one of which fits inside the other. Pins 70 may be fastened to the lower horizontal portions 30 and also be biased by springs 72, to keep alignment, in either the bench-extended or bench-contracted positions, between holes which pass completely or partially through each of the tubular sections into which lower horizontal portions 30 are divided.

The mechanisms by which the novel furniture of this invention may be put into the collapsed positions A or B is as follows:

If it be that in the open position of FIGURE 1 the

benches

13 and 15 are in the contracted positions, as illustrated by the position of bench 15 in FIGURE 4, the nut 50 may be removed, preferably after the table has been turned over. The inner ends of

struts

44 and 48 may be removed from the bolt and the free ends of the struts drawn toward the opposite end of the table 11 from the attached end of each strut. This movement draws

pins

39 and 42 inwardly and causes long vertical portions 33 and upper horizontal portions 28 of the leg frame structures to revolve inwardly toward the center of the table within the brackets 52, In this revolving action, intermediate horizontal portions 29 are also pulled inwardly and they slide along the bottom of

benches

13 and 15 while the roller 63 rolls inwardly within channel 55. During this revolution,

benches

13 and 15 approach the plane of table 11 and come to rest finally on the underside of the table in the A position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. As can be seen, the struts rest fairly securely under the G-shape leg members in this collapsed position. The nut 50 may be placed back on its bolt to prevent being lost.

In collapsed position B the

benches

13 and 15 do not overlap the table 11 but their upper surface comes into the plane of the upper surface of table 11, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 4, so that the collapsed furniture is wider, but the lower horizontal portions 30 of the

leg members

18, 20, 22 and 25 are closer to the underside of the table 11 to provide a thinner collapsed shape. To assume position B, the benches are put in the extended position illustrated by the position of bench 13 in FIG- URE 4 and the procedure is conducted as before. In this instance, however, roller 63 can travel further within channel member 55.

The leg members are usually circular in cross-section but may be of other shapes, e.g., square, except usually in the upper and intermediate horizontal portions. Also, the leg members can be solid except for the telescoping lower horizontal portions.

It is claimed:

1. A collapsible article of furniture of the picnic-table type having a table and a bench supported at each end thereof by a G-shaped leg member which provides an upper horizontal portion supporting said table and rotatable thereunder, and an intermediate horizontal portion supporting said bench and slidable thereunder, said leg members having a telescoping lower horizontal portion to provide for movement of said bench from a position underlapping said table to a position remote from said table.

2. The furniture of claim 1 wherein struts attached at one end of the strut to said leg members are fastened at the other end to the underside of said table to prevent collapse.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,568,622 9/ 1951 Hagen 297159 2,670,031 2/1954 Melges 297157 X 2,673,595 3/1954 Kump 297172 2,690,210 9/1954 Holick 297159 2,722,971 11/1955 Gallagher et al. 297440 X 2,732,007 1/ 1956 MacWhirter 297172 2,811,197 10/ 1957 Nimrno 297159 2,849,053 8/1958 Beller et al 297159 2,939,516 6/1960 Drew 297159 3,112,945 12/ 1963 Kanitz 297159 FOREIGN PATENTS 145,526 3/ 1952 Australia.

506,225 10/ 1954 Canada.

432,257 9/1911 France. 1,065,264 1/1959 France. 1,089,979 10/1954 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner.