US2825390A - Collapsible combination table and seats or benches - Google Patents

Description

March 4,1958 H, POST 825,390

coLLAPsIBLE YcolvuanmIoN TABLE AND SEATS 0R BENcHEs Filed June 8, 1956 2 sheets-snee: 1

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COLLAPSIBLE COMBINATION TABLE AND SEATS OR BENCHES Filed June 8. 1956 March 4, 1958 COLLAPSBLE COMBINATON TABLE AND SEATS 0R BENCHES Harry Post, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application .lune 8, 1956, Serial No. 590,141

4 Claims. (Cl. 15S-.124)

This invention relates to outdoor furniture of the picnic table type, and the main object is the provision of certain new and useful improvements in a collapsible combination table and'benches whereby the combination, when not in use, may easily and readily be collapsed. into a small compact mass.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a collapsible combination table and chairs wherein the table is formed of two mutually hinged sections into which the legs of both the table and the benches are adapted to be folded and which themselves provide the two sides of a suitcase-like container when suitable swung about their common hinge, so that, with the further provision of latching means and a handle permit of readily carryingY the entire collapsed combination.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combination collapsible table and benches in extended condition ready for outdoor use, embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2- is a fragmentary sectional- View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 4Jv isa sectional vieW- taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. -5 is a fragmentary plan view looking down into the open container formed byv the two halves or sections ofthe table, with the collapsed table and bench supports and the bench boards or panels positioned therein.

'Fig'. 6 is' an end elevational View of the suitcase-like container when closed and latched, with the end wall thereof cut away to expose the interior.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1i) indicates the table top which is composed of two halfsections 11 and 12. Each section has depending longitudinal flanges 13 and 14 of which the latter are mutually adjacent when the table and bench combination is in position for use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and each section further has depending end llanges 15 and 16. The two sections are hinged together by a hinge 17 joining the flanges 14 back-to-back at their lower edges, Fig. 2. It is thus apparent that either section may be swung about the hinge 17 with respect to the other through an angle of 180 degrees to form the box-like container 1S shown in Fig. 6. Latches for the container are provided in the form of slide bolts or the like 19 on the lower edge of one ange 13 and keepers or the like 26 on the lower` edge of the other iiange 13; one of the latches is shown atent O ICC at zi in nig. 6,. Eur-ther., a carrying handle zzis prender for the container.

The device has four combination table yand bench panel supports 23, 24, 25 and 2,6; all of which are'alike, one at each corner. For eaclisuch support, a U-shaped bracket 27 has one arm 28 secured by' a Vrivet onthe like29 against the fiange 13 beneathV the table top. A stub tube has one end pivoted by means of a pin 31 onv the other-, 32 of the bracket, A secondtubeV 33 is'joined to and in alignment with the other end of the tubeI 30, bya means which permits rotation through an are, of the tube 33 with respectl to the tube 30'. Such meansrnay comprise a plug 34 anchored by a pin 35 in theV tube` 33 and projecting into the tube 30, with a pin 36 rigid' in the plug projecting into a semicircumferential slot 37Tv in the tube 30', to permit rotation of the tube 33 through an arc of degrees. Thus the connection between the2 tube 33 and the bracket 27, and hence between the bracket 27 and the support 23, constitute a universal joint.

The tube 33 is L-shaped, having the normally horif zontal portion 33a thereof extending Outward as shown, in Fig. 1. A U-shapedtube 38 has the normally upright cross-member 39 and the two parallel arms 4t) and 41,. the former registering slidably and rotatably in the portionk 33o of the tube, 33. With the tubes 33 and138 in their respective poistions shown in Figs. 1 and 4, spaced aligned holes pass.` vertically through the portion 33a and the arm 40. Each seat panel 43 has similarly spacedl` pins 44 extending downward from the ends thereof, which pins, at each end of the panel, are adapted to register in the aligned holes 42 and thus not only support theV seat panel but also maintain the support 23, 24, 25 or 26 rigid.

To collapse the device shown in Fig. 1, the seat panels 43 are rst lifted to disengage the pins 44 from the holes 42. Then each ofthe said supports is collapsed and fitted between the tableanges in lthefollowing. manner. Referring to the support 26 as an example, althoughA any other of the supports will serve as well, the tube 33 is swung clockwise (Fig. l) through an arcl of 180 de grecs with respect to the., stub tube 30, then' the member 38 is swung about its arm 40 as an axis, and thetubev 32 is nally pivoted inwardA about the axis 31- to position yoke whose arms; 4.4; areV slidablyV mounted in. openings.-

through a ange 13. Enlargements 45 on the ends of the arms 44 serve to confine coiled springs 46 between the flange and the enlargement and thus normally urge the yoke arms inward into the container, so that when the device is extended as in Fig. l the handle lies liush against the flange and out of the way. In order to fold the supports 23 and 24 into the section 11 as shown in Fig. 5, the handle must be pulled outward, and when the supports are so positioned and the handle is released, it will remain in the position shown, raised outward from the flange 13, because the lower ends of the arms are stopped by the tubes 33. Hence the handle will always be readily accessible to be gripped for carrying the collapsed device.

With supports stored as shown in Fig. 5, the two seat panels 43 are also placed in the sections 11 and 12, one in each section, and then the two sections are folded together into the position shown in Fig. 6, and the latches 21 are closed. Thus, the entire collapsed device may be readily carried about in the manner of a suitcase.

l. A'device of the classdescribed comprising aY table top Vcomposed of two half-sections, each of saidsections being rectangular in outlineV and having downwardly extending anges on the sides and ends thereof,,thefjuxta-y Y posed lside anges of Athe sections beingrnutuallyf hingedtogether 'along'their lower edges whereby the sections edges of the vanges on Vone section Vinto Vcontact with the lower edges of the anges on the other section toV form 1 a container, each of the outer side tlanges of the table top having'a bracket secured to the underside therei of at each end thereof, the device havingja support at eachA corner, the Vsupports Veach comprising a stub 'tube Y Vvpivoted at one end toone of said brackets on anv axis are pivotable'. about the hinge axis `to bring'thelower Y parallelY with Vthe Vend vidanges,` an L-shaped tube having V oneV arnrthereofrotatablyjoined to Yand alignedrrwithk the other end/of the stub tube, a Ufshaped member having Y the base of the VUnormally uprightY and having the upper arm thereoffrotatably registering in'the other `arm of the Lshaped tube, 'two seat panels, each ofrsaid other arms of thev L-shapedtubes associatedwith one of said sections being 'adapted to support one ,of said seat panels,Y thereon, and means partly on the seat panel and partly onsaidvotherarms of the L-shaped tubes and partly oirsaidV upperr arms for locking said upper arms against rotation, the .lower arms of theV VU-shaped members serv-Y ing as feet to` rest onV the ground, each of said supports after having said seatpanels removed being adapted `'to haveV said one arm ofthe L-shaped tube rotated through Y180 degrees to position said other arm thereof Y and Vsaid U-shaped member thereon under the associated table top section andY then Vswung on said bracket axis while rotating said upper arm on said other arm of the L-shaped tube to bring said supports wholly within the contines of the anges of said associated section, means for latching said sections'togetherrwhen forming a container as aforesaid.V

2. The device set form in claim 1, said first-named means comprising spaced pins extending downward fromv ythe ends of the seatpanel, said upper armand said other arm of the L-shaped tube having holesrtherethrough in alignment when said U-shaped'member is positioned normally upright, said'pins registeringin` said aligned holes. f3.' The device set forth in claim l, having a Vcarrying handle comprising a yoke having ther arms thereof extending slidably through one of said side flanges, resilientV means normally urging the yoke -arms'inward'into the',

container, said one arms of the L-shaped tubes of that one of said sections which includes said last-named one of said-sidevanges being positioned, when the L-shaped tubes are wholly within'the contines of the llanges of the l section, in mutual alignment closely adjacentY said lastnamed yone of the side anges and in the pathiof inward movement of said yoke arms whence said one arms serve aslimit Vstops to the inward movement of the yoke arms and maintain the yoke spaced outward 'from said 1 ast named sideange while simultaneouslys'aid resxlrentf,

means tends to prevent rotary movement ofthe L-shaped arms on the axes of the stub tubes;

gether, four' rigidV and said other axislying at right angles to said one axis, said L-shaped members inl normal extended position'rhaving the vertical arms thereof extending downward at right,

angles to the table top and havingY the horizontal arms thereof extending outward fromlthe area defined4 by the table top "in two pairs V,on opposite sides of the table top with each ofthe horizontal arms onone side of the table Y top lying in parallel plane's, said membersbeingadapted j n to beV swung into position underl the table top aboutrthe axes of the universal joints, drt/Wo Vseat, panels each adapted to be supported on thetwoihori'zontal'arms of each of said pairs, means partly on'the seat panels and partly onVV said members for locking said members in said extended position,A saidV sections being Yadapted to be sWung'to-V gether on the hinge axis thereof,jand means for rele'asablyV locking said sections together, said horizontal arms being hollow, four rigid Ufshaped members each includingr'two Y spaced normally horizontal portions and-a normally ver tical portion, the upper of said'horizontal portions regis` tering rotatably in said horizontal armsjsaidrst-named means comprising pins extendingY Yfrom the seat panels, said horizontal portions having vertical holes therethrough, said horizontal,armshavingrvertical holes VtherefA through, saidk pins'said holesgin rsaid'horizontal portions; Y Y, and said holes in said horizontalrarms being Vin ,align-f ment, said pins registering yin said aligned holes,Y said U-shaped members being adapted to be swung through an Y arc of degrees prior to swinging said L -shaped memY` bers into position under Vthe table topnas aforesaid. i,

Y ReferencesCited-irir'theV ofthis patent 'i UNITED srArns PATENTS i, l 1 j France Sept.k 4, 1944

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