US2471245A - Table - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1949. A. .1. sHoENBl-:RG

TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1946 May 24, 1949- l A. J. sHoNBERG 2,471,245

TABLE Filed March 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1949 AUNITED STATES TABLE Application March 16, 1946,"SerialNo.. 654,921

(Cl. l,i-'77) 7 Claims. l

`This invention relates to tables, and more particularly to tables of the type having slidable drawer-s for the storage of various articles.

One form `of table in common use comprises a rectangular frame supported by four legs and covered by a lat tcp. rllhe frame includes four members known as aprons, which are usually wooden boards with their wide surfaces in Vertical planes. When a drawer is to be supplied with such a table, it is customary to provide one of the aprons with a rectangular opening of the proper size and shape for the drawer to slide therethrough. lThis weakens the apron and detracts from the appearance of the table. Furthermore, it. makes it necessary for a manufacturer to carry in stock a larger inventory of tables so that he may make prompt delivery of tables either with or without drawers, as his customers may require.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a table having a slidable drawer, the construction being such as to require no opening through the table frame.

`It is a further object of the invention to provide a table having a slidable drawer which willbe entirely concealed when in its closed position.

'It is a further object ofthe invention to provide a table having a slidable drawer and supporting guides which may be readily installed in the table frame without cutting any opening therethrough.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a storage unitin the form of a slidable drawer and supporting guides therefor adapted for ready installation in'an existing table frame without requiring the cutting' of an opening through the frame.

"-Withthese and otherobject's in view, as will be vapparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth fin the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawing illustrating one embodiment of the invention, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a table, with its drawer in the closedposition;

`Fig 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing thedrawer in the open position;

Fig 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3`3 of Fig. 1;

'Fig 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but showing the drawer -moved a short distance forwardly toward its open position;

'-Figy5 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3, but show-ing the drawer 'fully open;

',Fig. `6' is a section: taken. on Ithe lineG--zro'f Fig. 3; .and

LfFig. 7 is a section-itakeniion the line I1-:Tief Fig. 16.

The 1'table' illustrated .comprises va trectangula'r frame incuding. four apronsv lll-shown` as lwooden boards with their wide surfaces inIVerticalpIarIeS. This frame is supported 'at its corners zbyffour vertical legs` l l, and it iscovered by a fiat'top: |'-2 of -anyr-suitableconstruction. .The table further includesa drawer I4 `of theusual rectangular shape, with a depending lip I5 at its frontedge so that it may 'bev pulled.ior-wardly.toitheropen position.

In `accordance with the invention the drawer lf3 issofsupported and arranged that-.it -will"nor mallyrest in its closedpositionWithintthespace surrounded by `thefraineiaprons l0, and itmay be. moved forwardly.A andl downwardly beneath: the loweredge of the frontapron l0 into its'open position. During this `movement, the :drawer preferably remains in'a substantiallyhorizont'al position at :all times.

.In `the Vembodiment illustrated, there `is provided a'tra'ckor guideway' I7 'at each'si'devofth'e drawer I'l, 'these tracksrextendin'g between *the front andirear aprons IQ, which :serve tosupport thetracks. Each track is engaged by aipair'of smalle/heels I8 and l9'carried bythe.. adjacent portion of the drawer and'grooved'peripherallyfto nt 'the track. The wheels i8, which run 'along the upper surfaces of the trackspare positioned somewhat above land infront of the *wheels i9, which run along the lower surfaces of the tracks. As showrneach pair of wheelsis mounted von 1a separate metal plate-2| which is suitably secured to the-side of the drawer nearthe'rear-theref. Each track il includes vv'a comparatively short horizontal rearportion'iZZ, 'a downwardly and lforwardly inclined intermediate-portion 23, and Yfa comparatively long horizontal front vportion "274. The depth of the inclined portion r23, i. e. thedistancei between its upper and lower surfaces, is greater than the depth ofthe front and rearfportions, andit is'so related to the spacing ofthe wheels l8- andv le asv to maintain the drawer substantiallylevel while the wheels yare passing' over the inclined portionof the track, as shownin Figa. `In order to retain the drawer in its closed position except when it isintentionallypulled forwardly,veach rearftrack portion 22 is'provide'd witha small upward projection Z6 adjacentits junction with the inclined portion-23. 'Thelfront of the 'drawer must beY raised slightly to bring the front wheels i3 overI these projections.

The tracks Il may be constructed -in various ways within the scope of the invention. In the drawings they are shown as made from metal rods of circular cross section, the inclined portions 23 including two parallel rods one above the other, to provide the required depth. The front horizontal portions 24 are integral with the lower bars of the inclined portions 23, while the rear horizontal portions 22 are integral with the upper bars of the inclined portions 23. The separate pieces may be joined by welding. The front ends of the two portions 24 are integrally connected by a transverse horizontal portion or bar 28 having short vertical branches 29 at it-s ends. This transverse portion 2S is held against the rear surface of the front apron l by a clamping block 38. The rear ends of the rear track portions 22 are supported in holes 3l bored in the front surface of the rear apron l.

If the front edge of the drawer I4 is lifted appreciably as the drawer is pulled forwardly, it might engage the front apron I0. In order to prevent this from happening, a bar 33 is provided. This bar slopes upwardly and rearwardly from the front apron It in a position to overlie the front edge of the drawer as it moves forwardly and downwardly, as shown in Fig. il. The bar 33 is integral with a supporting portion 34 (Fig, 7) shaped as an inverted U and secured to the rear surface of the front apron by the clamping block 3U.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure. With the drawer I4 in its closed or rearmost position, as shown in Fig. 3, the wheels I8 and I will engage the rear track portions 22. Since the center of gravity of the drawer is well in front of the front wheels IS, the drawer will tend to swing downwardly about these wheels, but this will be prevented by the engagement of the rear wheels I9 with the bottom surfaces of the tracks. The projections 25, which lie directly in front of the front wheels IB, will prevent accidental forward movement of the drawer. When the drawer is to be opened, it will be grasped by the lip I5 and pulled forwardly. During the initial portion of this movement, the front edge of the drawer will be slightly lifted so that the front wheels I8 may pass over the projections 25. The wheels IB and I9 will now travel downwardly along the inclined i' portions 23 of the tracks, as shown in Fig. 4, the drawer moving downwardly and forwardly while remaining substantially level. The bar 33 will overlie the front portion of the drawer and thus prevent it from being lifted appreciably, which might cause it to strike the rear surface of the front apron Ill. As the wheels reach the lower portions 2@ of the tracks, the drawer will be pulled directly forward beneath the front apron, as shown in Fig. 5. This movement will be limited by the engagement of the front wheel-s I8 with the vertical branches 29. The drawer may be closed by pushing it rearwardly.

The invention has several practical advantages. When the drawer is closed it is entirely concealed within the table frame, and there is nothing in the outward appearance of the table to indicate that there is a drawer. No opening is required through the front apron, so that the table frame retains its full strength. The drawer and its supporting tracks can be easily installed in a table whenever a customers order includes a drawer. The only requirement is the boring of the two holes 3l and the addition of the clamping block 3U. If desired the holes 3l may be provided in all the frames at the time of manufacture, to facilitate the addition of drawers later when required. Thus the manufacturer can supply tables either with or without drawers, from his regular stock.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A table comprising a frame, a drawer located within the frame, a track at each side of the drawer, and a pair of wheels on each side of the drawer near the rear thereof, one of the wheels in each pair being located somewhat above and in front of the other wheel, the front wheels engaging the upper surfaces of the tracks, and the rear wheels engaging the lower surfaces of the tracks, each track having a substantially horiaontal rear portion, a downwardly and forwardly inclined intermediate portion, and a substantially horizontal front portion arranged to support the drawer as it moves forwardly beneath the front portion of the frame toward its open position, the inclined portions of the tracks having a depth greater than that of horizontal portions and such as to support the drawer substantially level during its downward and forward movement.

A table as forth in claim 1, in which a slight upward projection is provided upon the rear portion of each track and near the junction of the rear portion with the inclined portion.

3. A table comprising a frame, a drawer located within the frame, a track at each side of the drawer, and a pair of peripherally grooved wheels on each side of the drawer near the rear thereof, one of the wheels in each pair being located somewhat above and in front of the other wheel, the front wheels engaging the upper surfaces of the tracks and the rear wheels engaging the lower surfaces of the tracks, each track having a substantially horizontal rear portion formed by a single rod, a downwardly and forwardly inclined intermediate portion formed by two rods one above the other, and a substantially horizontal front portion formed by a single rod arranged to support the drawer as it moves forwardly beneath the front portion of the frame toward its open position.

4. A table comprising a frame including front and rear aprons, a drawer located within the frame, a track at each side of the drawer, wheels on the drawer engaging the tracks, each track having a substantially horizontal rear portion, a downwardly and forwardly inclined intermediate l portion, and a substantially horizontal front portion arranged to support the drawer a-s it moves forwardly beneath the front apron, the rear apron having two holes in its front surface to receive the rear ends of the tracks, and means attaching the front ends of the tracks to the front apron.

5. A table comprising a frame including front and rear aprons, a drawer located within the frame, a track at each side of the drawer, wheels on the drawer engaging the tracks, each track having a substantially horizontal rear portion, a downwardly and forwardly inclined intermediate portion, and a substantially horizontal front portion arranged to support the drawer as it moves forwardly beneath the front apron, the rear apron having two holes in its front surface to receive the rear ends of the tracks, a transverse horizontal bar extending along the rear surface of the front apron, means securing the bar to the front apron, and vertical branches connecting the ends of the bar with the front ends of the tracks.

6. A table comprising a frame including front and rear aprons, a drawer located within the frame, a track at each side of the drawer, wheels on the drawer engaging the tracks, each track having a substantially horizontal rear portion, a downwardly and forwardly inclined intermediate portion, and a substantially horizontal front portion arranged to support the drawer as it moves forwardly beneath the front apron', and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined stationary bar located behind the front apron in a position to overlie the front portion of the drawer as it approaches the front apron.

7. A storage unit for installation within a table frame, said unit comprising a drawer, a track at each side of the drawer, and a pair of wheels on each side of the drawer near the rear thereof, one of the wheels in each pair being located somewhat above and in front of the other wheel, the front wheels engaging the upper surfaces of the tracks, and the rear wheels engaging the lower surfaces of the tracks, each track having a substantially horizontal rear portion, a downwardly and for- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 414,983 Mighell et al Nov. 12, 1889 '755,089 Wersel Mar. 22, 1904 1,345,194 Johnson June 29, 1920 1,893,624 Jay Jan. 10, 1933 2,299,718 Hobson et al Feb. 4, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 387,655 Great Britain May 4, 1931

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