GB2329355A - Moulded plastic trestle workbench - Google Patents

Abstract

A trestle workbench 1 comprises a work surface 2 supported by collapsible legs 3. The legs are formed from two identically shaped frame parts 13 comprising two upright members 14 connected by top and bottom cross-members 15,16. The frames are formed from moulded plastic. Male and female hinge parts 22,23 respectively are located along the top edge of each frame to enable the frames to pivot. The frames are locked in an open position by means of a tray (28 fig 26) which has locating means (30,31 fig 26) cooperating with means 24,27 on the frames. A vice (8 fig 4) is attached to the work surface. In addition the work surface has holes (5 fig 3) to receive removable pegs (6 fig 3) which act as abutments for work pieces.

Description

SUPPORT APPARATUS This invention relates to support apparatus, particularly of the kind referred to as a trestle bench and used to support a work piece whilst it is being worked on. More particularly, the invention relates to support apparatus which can support and releasably clamp a workpiece.

Support apparatus such as trestle benches are required to be solidly built and capable of withstanding harsh treatment, whilst at the same time being of simple and inexpensive construction. It is an object of this invention to attempt to reconcile requirements such as these.

According to the invention there is provided a support apparatus, comprising a work surface supported by collapsible leg means. This provides a convenient arrangement for working and storage.

The leg means may comprise two or more legs, hingedly attached together and the attachment point may conveniently be at or adjacent an upper, in use part of the legs. The attachment point may comprise integral hinge means of the legs, disposed to allow the legs to pivot towards and away from one another. The legs may conveniently be formed by moulding. It is preferred that each leg is formed from a single mould, each leg being substantially identical to each other leg.

Each leg may comprise two uprights, in use, linked by two cross-pieces, and it is preferred that the hinge means is disposed at or on an upper, in use, cross-piece.

The work surface may comprise a substantially planar part disposed atop the legs. The planar part may comprise two sections, each section being formed from a single mould, and each section being substantially identical to the other.

The work surface may include vice means for gripping a workpiece to enable it to be more easily worked upon.

The vice means may comprise a pair of jaws, at least one of which is moveable with respect to the other, and preferably the at least one moveable jaw may be moveable by means of a screw member rotationally fixed with respect to the moveable jaw, and a handle operatively attached to the screw member.

There may be provided tray means for storage of tools for example, and the tray means may preferably be disposed between the legs.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts for assembly of a support apparatus comprising parts as set out above.

The invention will further be described by way of example, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a trestle bench according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end perspective view of the trestle bench of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side three quarter perspective view of the trestle bench of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an illustration of a detail of the trestle bench of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an illustration of another detail of the trestle bench of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an illustration of a further detail of the trestle bench of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a side view of a part of a trestle bench according to the invention; Figure 8 is a plan view of the part shown in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a side view partly in section of the part shown in Figure 7; Figure 10 is a side view of part "Z" of Figure 8; Figure 11 is a sectional plan view of part "Z" of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a sectional side view of part "Z" of Figure 10; Figure 13 is a sectional plan view of part "Y" of Figure 10; Figure 14 is a sectional side view of part "Y" of Figure 10; Figure 15 is a sectional plan view of part "W" of Figure 10; Figure 16 is a sectional side view of part "W" of Figure 10; Figure 17 is a sectional plan view of part "X" of Figure 10; Figure 18 is a sectional side view of part "X" of Figure 10; Figure 19 is a transverse sectional view along the line A-A of Figure 7; Figure 20 is a transverse sectional view along line B-B of Figure 7; Figure 21 is an under-plan view of a part of a trestle bench embodying the invention; Figure 22 is a side view of the part shown in Figure 21; Figure 23 is a plan view of the part shown in Figure 21; Figure 24 is a transverse sectional view along the line X-X in Figure 23; Figure 25 is a transverse sectional view along the line Y-Y in Figure 23; Figure 26 is a plan view of a tray for use with a trestle bench according to the invention; Figure 27 is an end sectional view of the tray of Figure 26; Figure 28 is a part side sectional view of the tray of Figure 26; Figure 29 is a side view, partly in section of the tray of Figure 26; Figure 30 is a partial plan view of the area "R" in Figure 29; and Figure 31 is a perspective view of an alternative arrangement of parts in a trestle bench according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figures 1 to 6, there is illustrated a trestle bench 1, comprising a work surface 2 supported by collapsible leg means 3.

The work surface 2 consists of two substantially flat plates 4, which fit together in side by side relation. The plates are preferably formed of a plastics material and can most conveniently be formed by moulding as both parts can be identical and thus formed by a single mould. The upper, in use surface of each plate 4 is provided with holes 5. Pegs 6 are provided which can be removeably fitted into the holes 5 so as to protrude therefrom, and thus provide "fixed" points against which a workpiece or workpieces can be braced when being worked on. The exact configuration of holes 5 can be varied but it is convenient to have a series of holes 5 along the length of each plate 4 as illustrated in Figure 3. The plates 4 are provided with channels 7 in the surfaces thereof, and a group of channels 7 is provided towards the centre of the plates 4. These channels 7 form a bisected cross, and between the arms of the cross and the bisecting channels, holes 5 are provided in two circular arrays, one within the other. Together the holes 5 and channels 7 are designed to facilitate the formation of mitred joints.

At one end of the work surface 2, a vice means 8 is provided. The vice means 8 has a first jaw 9 which is slidably moveable along a channel 10 formed between the two plates 4. The second vice jaw is provided by one or more of the pegs 6 which can be placed in a desired hole 5 according to the width of a work piece to be clamped. The vice means 8 can then be used to move the jaw 9 to securely clamp the workpiece. The mechanism of movement of the jaw 9 employs a conventional type vice operating screw member 12 which is rotationally fixed with respect to the moveable jaw as is well known in the art, operated by means of a handle 11. Referring to Figure 31 in one alternative embodiment the mechanism may be mounted in a recess formed in the plates 4.

The work surface 2 is supported at a convenient working height by collapsible leg means 3, which in the illustrated embodiment take the form of two identically shaped frame parts 13, each consisting of two uprights 14 and three cross-pieces 15,16,32. Each leg means 3 in this example is moulded from a plastics material, and they are identical, allowing them to be formed from a single mould tool, as for the work surface 2. The upper (as viewed) cross piece 16 of each frame part 13 is adapted firstly to enable the two frame parts 13 to be hingedly attached together, and secondly to provide a support area including slots 17 (Figure 8) for receiving correspondingly positioned pegs 18 (Figures 21,22) of the underside of each plate 4. The entrance of each slot 17 is roughly of keyhole shape there being an undercut narrow part 19 beneath which a head 18a of a peg 18 may be positioned via the wider part 19a (Figure 8) of the slot 17 to hold the work surface 2 in place in the assembled trestle bench. The slots 17 are formed in buttresses 20 of the cross-pieces 16 which also serve to provide support to the work surface 2.

The upper cross-pieces 16 of the two frame parts 13 are adapted to be hingedly attached together by provision of hinge means 21, consisting of male hinge parts 22 and female hinge parts 23 which protrude out of the plane of each frame part 13 on the inner, in use, sides thereof. Referring in particular to Figure 8, it can be seen that the male parts 22 each consist of an upstand 22a carrying a finger 22b, and each female part 23 consists of a housing, with an opening 23a thereto. The fingers 22b and openings 23a are both oriented in the same direction which means that two frame parts 13 can be joined via the hinge parts with male and female parts in corresponding positions. The male hinge parts 22 receive the female hinge parts for rotation therein (Figures 7,8 and 10 to 18). As illustrated, in this embodiment each frame part 13 is provided with two adjacent integrally formed male, and two adjacent integrally formed female, hinge parts 22, 23.

Between the upper and middle cross-pieces of each frame part 13, the uprights 14 are provided with channels 24 extending along their inner edges. Below the channels 24 on each upright 14 is provided a stud 27. The channels 24 and studs 27 enable a tray 28 to be securely positioned between the frame parts 13 beneath the work surface 2 (Figures 26 to 30 and Figure 6). The tray 28 is provided with a recessed, or dished centre part 29. Two adjacent corners of the tray 28 are each provided with a guide 30 protruding laterally therefrom, and the two opposite corners thereto are provided with a recess 31 each. The guides 30 and recesses 31 enable the tray 28 to be fitted to the trestle bench 1, the guides 30 being received slidably in the channels 24, and the recesses 31 receiving the studs 27. As illustrated in Figure 29 at 'R', the recesses 31 are re-entrant to prevent the studs 27 from disengaging too readily once in place. The tray 28 thus provides a convenient brace which maintains the frame parts 13 the desired distance apart.

The lower cross-pieces 32 of each frame part 13 are angled outwardly relative to the uprights 14 (Figure 9) and are provided with a textured surface 33. It will be noted that the lower cross-pieces 32 are more substantially formed than the middle cross-pieces 14.

In use, the trestle 1 has a working position and a stored position, and is moved between the two positions by the hinge means 21. In the stored position (not shown), the leg means 3 are "collapsed" to lie flat together, the tray 28, when in place, being accommodated by means of its guides 30 sliding along the channels 24, whilst the studs 27 rotate in the recesses 31. To move the trestle to the working position, the leg means 3 are moved apart, causing the guides to move in an opposite direction in the channels 24. When the trestle 1 is in use, the lower cross-pieces 32 can be used to steady it by the user placing a foot thereon, the textured surface serving to prevent slippage.

Thus, it can be seen that the trestle bench as illustrated in this example provides a support apparatus which is convenient to use and store, and sturdy to use, whilst being cheap to manufacture as it can be produced from a minimum number of mould tools.

Claims (19)

CLAIMS:

1. Support apparatus, comprising a work surface supported by collapsible leg means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, the leg means comprising two or more legs, hingedly attached together to allow collapsing thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, the attachment point being at or adjacent an upper, in use, part of the legs.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, the attachment point comprising hinge means of the legs, the hinge means being disposed to enable the legs to pivot towards and away from one another.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 4, the legs being formed by moulding.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, the hinge means being integrally formed with the legs.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 6, each leg being formed from a single mould, each leg being substantially identical to each other leg.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 7, each leg comprising two uprights, in use linked by two cross-pieces.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, the hinge means being disposed at or on an upper, in use, cross-piece.

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, the work surface comprising a substantially planar part disposed atop the legs.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, the planar part comprising two sections each section being formed from a single mould, each section being substantially identical to the other.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, the work surface including vice means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, the vice means comprising a pair of jaws, at least one of which is moveable with respect to the other.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, the at least one moveable jaw being moveable by means of a screw member rotationally fixed with respect to the moveable jaw, and a handle operatively attached to the screw member.

15. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 14, including tray means.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, the tray means being disposed between the legs.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, the tray including a recessed part for storage of tools.

18. Support apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A kit of parts for assembly of a support apparatus comprising parts as set out in any of claims 1 to 18.