US3455256A - Adjustable support for tables - Google Patents

Description

July 15, 1969 c. H. PRAGER 3,455,256

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR TABLES Filed Sept. 19, 1967 f #1115; Al P Maw United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable support for a table including spaced apart upper members secured to the table. The upper members have lower ends which depend from the table and are joined to a horizontal bar. Lower legsare adjustably mounted in the horizontal bar and depend therefrom to support the table at the desired height.

BACK-GROUND OF "PI-IE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to furniture construction and is more particularly concerned with improved means for varying the height of tables by means of adjustable supports.

Description of the prior art The height of work tables, and the like, must frequently be adjusted or varied in accordance with the height of the user, size of the object being worked on, or type of work being performed. It is generally desirable to provide such adjustments over a range of heights and through an infinite series of adjustments. The table is provided with ad- ,ustable supports for thesepurposes which position the table the desired height above the floor. Prior art adjustable height tables, particularly those in which the supports fold or collapse along the underside of the table, have often incorporated telescoping legs in which one portion of the leg fits inside a second portion of the leg and is extensible therefrom. Although such legs provide adjustable height to the table, they are prone to jamming because of the close tolerances required to provide sufficient rigidly to the leg. The range of adjustment of telescoping legs is generally limited to twice the length of one of the portions.

In addition, where the table must support heavy loads, it is necessary to provide a latch or locking means engaging the leg portions which adjustably locks the second portion of the leg in the first portion. Such latching means generally limits the adjustment of the supports to predetermined intervals or increments.

Summary of the invention It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide an adjustable support for a table which is infinitely and easily adjustable over a wide range of heights, and which is compactly storable along the underside of the table.

Briefly, the present invention provides an adjustable support for a table including at least one upper member secured to the table and having a lower end depending therefrom. A horizontal bar is joined to the lower end of the upper member. A lower leg is adjustably mounted in the horizontal bar and depends therefrom.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the adjustable support of the present invention including a portion of the table,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation similar to FIGURE 1 showing the adjustable support partially collapsed in preparation for storage;

3,455,256 Patented July 15, 1969 FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of the underside of the table showing the adjustable table leg fully collapsed and stored along the underside of the table; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the adjustable support of the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the figures, and particularly to FIG. URE 1, there is shown therein the adjustable support of the present invention indicated generally by the numeral 6. Adjustable support 6 positions platform. or table 8 above floor 10 at a height dependent on the length of the support.

Adjustable support 6 includes one or more spaced upper members 12 which may be pivotally fastened to the underside of table 8 by brackets 14. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, a pair of such members 12 are provided. Upper members 12 lie in a common plane and are retained in the vertical position by collapsible braces 16 which are also pivotally fastened to table 8 and to members 12. Braces 16 may include strut 17 which lends additional rigidity to braces 16 and upper members 12.

A horizontal bar 18 is joined to the lower ends of upper members 12. Horizontal bar 18 may include terminal ends extending beyond the lower ends of upper members 12. While bar 18 is shown as tubular in the figures, it may be of other configurations if desired.

One or more lower legs 20 are mounted on, and depend from, horizontal bar 18 so as to contact fioor 10 through rubber tips 22. Specifically, lower legs 20 may extend through appropriately sized holes in horizontal bar 18. While lower legs 20 may extend through the bar at various positions and angles in accordance with the use to which table 8 is to be put, in the embodiment shown in the figures, lower legs 20 extend through bar 18 near the terminal ends of the bar parallel to, and in the same plane as, upper members 12.

Lower legs 20 may be retained in horizontal bar 78 by splitting the ends of the bar extending beyond the holes mounting legs 20 so as to form a pair of halves surrounding each of the legs, as shown in detail in FIGURE 4. The terminal ends of bar 18 may be reinforced by collars 19 which are also split. The halves are drawn into engagement with the lower legs by inserting a bolt 24 or other fastener, partially threaded along its length, through axially aligned holes in the halves. One end of bolt 24 has a handle 26 or other means of rotating the bolt affixed thereto while the other end is threaded in a threaded hole in one of the halves. Lower legs 20 are retained in bar 18 by rotating bolts 24 by handle 26 so as to draw the halves of the split ends of bar 18 together and into engagement with the lower legs.

The height of table 8 is easily adjusted by loosening bolts 24 and extending or retracting lower legs 20 and then retightening bolts 24. Flanges 28 prevent lower legs 20 from becoming dismounted from bar 18. Lower legs 20 may be retracted or extended by different amounts to compensate for an uneven floor 10'.

Adjustable support 6 may be stored along the underside of table 8 by collapsing braces 16, as shown in FIGURE 2, so as to allow adjustable support 6 to pivot toward table -8 on pivots 14. FIGURE 3 shows the support in the storage position. Lower legs 20 may be retracted in horizontal bar 18 to a position along side upper members 12, thereby contributing compactness to adjustable support 6 when in the stored position. It will be appreciated that as lower legs 20 are positioned alongside the upper members, the length of the lower legs 20 may be increased by any desired amount, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3, while still retaining the compact storage features of the adjustable support. This increases the range of heights through which the table may be adjusted.

-It also provides a convenient means of locking adjustable support 6 in the collapsed position, since with lower legs 20 retracted to the extent shown in phantom in FIGURE 3, flange 28 will contact the underside of table 8 as soon as an attempt is made to pivot adjustable support 6 away from table 8, preventing further pivoting of the support.

While the embodiment of the invention described above is, at present, thought to be preferred, it will be appreciated that modification or alteration may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable support for a table comprising: a pair of spaced apart elongated upper leg portions, each of said portions having a first end secured to the underside of the table and a second end extending downwardly therefrom, said upper leg portions lying in a common plane; a horizontal bar joined to said second ends of said upper leg portions and lying in said common plane; and a pair of elongated lower leg portions adjustably mounted on said horizontal bar for varying the length of said lower leg portions, said lower leg portions being mounted on said horizontal bar at positions horizontally spaced along said bar from the junctures of said upper leg portions and of terminal portions, said horizontal bar being joined to said second ends of said upper leg portions at the center portion, said lower leg portions being mounted in said horizontal bar adjacent the terminal portions.

4. The adjustable support of claim 2 wherein said up per leg portions are parallel and said lower leg portions are adjustably mounted on said horizontal bar so as to be parallel to said upper leg portions, said lower leg portions being of greater length than said upper leg portions, whereby said adjustable support, when in the storage position, may be retained therein by positioning said lower leg portions on said horizontal bar so that the ends of said lower leg portions extend beyond the first ends of said upper leg portions and said hinges.

5. The adjustable support according to claim 1 wherein said upper leg portions are parallel and said low leg portions are adjustably mounted on said horizontal bar so tions having a means associated therewith to move said said bar, whereby compressive loads placed on the support by usage of the table are transmitted between said upper and lower leg portions by the horizontal bar.

2. The adjustable support according to claim 1 wherein said spaced apart upper leg portions are secured to hinges afiixed to the underside of the table for movement between a supporting position in which said support extends downwardly from the underside of the table and a storage portion wherein said support lies along the underside of the table with said leg portions parallel thereto.

3. The adjustable support according to claim 2 wherein said horizontal bar has a center portion separating a pair halves into engagement with said lower leg portions to retain them in the bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,432 4/1913 Burke. 2,618,496 11/1952 Jonnson 24841l X 3,015,468 1/1962 Mooney 248--230 3,079,167 2/ 1963 Russell.

JAMES T. McCALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl X.R. 248-411

Images