US3068821A - Work handling equipment for sewing machine tables - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 1962 F. R. HERMANNS WORK HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR SEWING MACHINE TABLES 5 Sheets-5heet 1 Filed April 22, 1959 INVENTOR. Frederick R. Hermanns wmvEss YW/.&M ATTORNEY Dec. 18, 1962 F. R. HERMANNs WORK HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR SEWING MACHINE TABLES Filed April 22, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 as 49 as 69 46 8| 193 INVENTOR.

' Frederick R. Hermanns ATTORNEY Dec. 18, 1962 F. R. HERMAN'NS 3,0

WORK HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR SEWING MACHINE TABLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 22, 1959 INVENT OR.

Frederick R. Hermanns WITNESS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,068,821 WORK HANDLING EQUHPMENT FOR SEWING MAtIHEJE TAPJLES Frederick R. Hermanns, Union, N .3 assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, NJ., a cor poration of New Jersey Filed Apr. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 803,122 Claims. (Cl. 112260) This invention relates to Work handling equipment suit able for use with sewing machine tables and includes work-receiving troughs, work-supporting boards, workstorage shelves as well as brackets and legs for sup porting said troughs, boards and shelves, and for other improved elements all of which are adapted to be used with and to form a complete portable unit with an industrial type sewing machine table, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved items of this category.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for adjustably securing a work-receiving trough, one or more work-supporting boards, a work-supporting shelf and brackets, to the legs of an industrial type sewing machine table.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved work-supporting board or boards that can be located on either or both sides of a sewing machine operator and which can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly or sidewardly as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved work-receiving members associated with a sewing machine table and to provide vertically adjustable means for supporting these members.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved work-receiving trough that can easily be cleaned.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an industrial type sewing machine table equipped with items embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the table shown in FIG. 1, parts being broken away to show constructional details,

FIG. 3 is an end perspective view of a portion of the table shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, parts of the structures having been removed in order to show the wire frame construction,

FIG. 4 is an end perspective view of a portion of the table shown in FIGS. 1-3, but showing the table equipped with a work-storage shelf or table-top extension parts of which are broken away,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the work-storage shelf positioned below the level of the tabletOD,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 and FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow 7 of FIG. 2.

The present invention, is shown in the accompanying drawings as associated with an industrial type sewing machine table indicated generally by the numeral 16 and comprising a table-top 17 adapted to support a sewing machine 18 driven by a belt 19 which in turn is driven by a motor-powered transmitter 21 under the control of 3,068,821 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 a treadle 22. The table top 17 is supported by a pair of spaced leg members, one end of the table-top 17 resting directly on a horizontal support 23 from which depends a front upper leg 26 and a rear upper leg 27. The front upper leg 26 is vertically adjustably attached to a front lower leg 36 and the rear upper leg 27 is vertically adjustably attached to a rear lower leg 37. In like manner,

' the other end of the table-top 17 rests directly on a support 23' from which depends a front upper leg 26' and a rear upper leg 27'. The front upper leg 26' is vertically adjustably attached to a front lower leg 36 and the rear upper leg 27' is vertically adjustably attached to a rear lower leg 37'. The lower legs 36 and 37 are connected by cross braces 44 and 46 and the lower legs 36 and 37 are connected by cross braces 44' and 46'. The treadle 22 is carried by a rod 47 extending between cross braces 46 and 46'. The upper legs 26, 27, 26 and 27' are adjustably connected to the lower legs 36, 37, 36' and 37' by means of bolts designated as 4-8, 49, 48 and 49. Other bolts indicated by numerals 50, 50', 51, 51', 52, 52, 55 and 55' pass through holes formed in the legs and are used in ways presently to be described.

The present invention comprises several items used in combination with the hereinbefore described table 16, these items being a work trough 53, a pair of trough support brackets 54 and 54', a pair of work-boards 56 and 56', a pair of anti-tipping brackets 57 and 57' and a work-storage shelf 58. All of these items are constructed from bent-wire welded frames to which, in the case of the trough 53, the work- boards 56 and 56, and the work-storage shelf 58 have been added hard board replaceable wall inserts presently to be described.

The work trough 53, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is made from a wire frame having a rectangular upper rim formed from short end bars 63 and 64, a long front bar 66 and a long rear bar 67. The body of the trough 53 comprises four spaced front-to-rear U-shaped 'bars 68 and three spaced end-to-end U-shaped bars 69. Each of these U-shaped bars has one horizontal reach and two divergent upstanding arms. The upper ends of the U- shaped bars are welded to the rim 63, 64, 66, 67 at points such as 70, and the front-to-back bars 63 are welded to the end-to-end bars 69 at intersections such as at 71. Each of the upstanding arms of the U-shaped bars has a flattened portion provided with a hole 72 adapted to accommodate a flush head bolt the purpose of which will presently appear. The bar 66 is provided with horizontally extending lugs 75 which extend beneath the table top 17 and to which they are attached by a wood screw.

Since each of the U-shaped bars 68 and 69 has upstanding arms which diverge, the trough 53, per se, will have two upwardly divergent upstanding end walls, an upstanding front wall and an upstanding rear wall which substantially define an inverted truncated pyramid. This makes it possible to nest a plurality of troughs 53 for easy shipping. The two end walls of the trough 53 are covered respectively by replaceable hard board panels or inserts 73 and 74, whereas the front wall of the trough 53, that is the wall adjacent to the rear edge of the table-top 17, is covered a perforated hard board panel or insert 76. The rear wall of the trough 53 is covered by a solid hard board panel or insert 77. The multiplicity of perforations 78 in the front wall hard board 76 allow air to pass through the hard board panel 76 and thereby ventilate the electric motor driven transmitter 21 located below the table-top 17. The bottom of the trough 53 is covered by a solid bottom hard board panel or insert 79. The four panels 73, 74, 76 and 77 are secured to the wire frame by screws which pass through holes in the panels and enter the previously mentioned holes 72 formed in the bars 68 and 69. The bottom panel 79 is not held by screws but does have its substantially in. the form of a right triangle and ha-sa vertical side 81, an almost straight horizontalside 82- and a hypotenuse or inclined side 83. Each of the three sides 81; 82 and 83 comprises two' parallel wires held in spaced relation to one another.. The upper bolt 51 (FIG. 4)or'the intermediate bolt 50 (FIGS. 3 and. 5)

may be'made to pass'through any portion of the'open-- ing between the parallel wires of the-vertical side 81.

This makes it possible to secure the bracket 54 to the leg 27 in several positions, forexample, in the intermediate positionshown in FIG. 3 in the high position shown in FIG. 4 or in a low position shown in FIG. 5. Also the brackets may be adjusted upwardly or down' wardly with respect to the bolts which hold them. It will be recognized that the brackets54 54'- in theintermediate position of'FIG. 3 support the trough 53, that the brackets 54-54 in the high position of FIG. ,4 support the shelf 58 in an elevated position, and that the brackets'54-54' in the low position of FIG. 5 support the shelf 58 in the low position.

The two work boards 56and 56 are identical and thus only one work board will be described in detail: The work board 56 is made from a rectangular wire frame (FIG. 3) having'sid'e bars 86 and f 87 and front and rear end bars 88 and89. Cross braces 91; 92, 93,;

96 and 98 are located below the'fra'me and oppositeends of'the various cross braces are welded to the side bars 86' and 87. This arrangement provides a pocket or well which receives a hard board top 99 (FIG. 1). To the braces 92 and 93 are secured a pair of depending upper legs 101 andiGZ and to the lower end of each of the upper legs 101 and 102, respectively, are adjustably secured lower legs111 and 112. The leg 111 is connectedto the leg 112 by a cross brace 113'and the legs 101111 and l02112 are respectively connected to the side bars 86, 87 by batter braces 116 and 117; The rear bar 89 carries two outwardly extending studs 118- 118 which enter a slot formed by a two-wire horizontal adjuster-link 119. The link 119 at a location adjacent to its center is Welded to a two-wire vertical adjuster link 121 which in turn is' adjustably held to the front leg 36 by bolts 48 and 55. The links 119 and 121 substantially form a cross, andloosening the nuts on studs-118 118 permits the work board 56 to be adjusted sidewise. Loosening the bolts 48-55 allows the workboard 56 to be adjusted vertically. It Will be understood that the legs 101-111 and 162-112 will also be adjusted when the work board 56 is adjusted vertically. Because of the cross formed by links 119 and 121, a work board 56' also can be attached to the leg 36' in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

The work-storage shelf 58 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is' formed from a rectangular wire frame having endbars 163 and 164-, a long front bar 166 and a long rear bar 167; A plurality of short bars, some of which are shown at 168, 169 and 171 (FIG. 4), are located below the frame andopposite ends of the short bars are weldedJ-to the bars 166 and 167. This provides a pocket which re? ceives a hard board cover 179'that is held in'place by flush head screws and nuts 180, the screws passing through holes in the various short bars. The work storage shelf 58 rests on the brackets 54 and 54" and is held to these brackets by bolt, nut and washer combinations 184. The work shelf 58 isprovided" witha vertical back board 177, a front panel '176 having perforations similar to the previously mentioned perforated panel 76.

The top surface of the work storage shelf 58 may be positioned flush (FIG. 4) with the top of the'tabletop17 in which case the back board 177 extends'above the top surface of the cover 179 and above the top sur face of the table-top 17. 'The Work storage shelf, 58 may be positioned at any one of several positions (FIG. 5) below the upper surface of the table-top 17. The various positions of the shelf 58' are obtained by bolting-the brackets5 4 and 54' at various bolt locations, for example at 51 and 50," on the rear legs 27, 27, 37 and- 37', .and by shifting the brackets 54-54 with relation to the bolts.

The anti-tipping brackets 57 and 57 are 'identical'and thus only one bracket will be described in detail. Bracket 57 (FIG. 3) is in the form of a right triangle and has avertical side 191, a horizontal side 192 and a hypotenuse or inclined side 193.

The vertical side 191 has 'an integral angle brace 196 (FIG. 7) which extends adjacent to the'left side of lower leg-37 to which the bracket-57 is attached.

Eachof the sides 191, 192 and.193 comprises two parallel wires held in spaced relation to one another.

The bottom bolt 52.passes between the parallel wires which form the vertical side 191 and thus the bracket 57 is securely held to the lower portion of the lower rear leg 37; Brackets 57 and 57 prevent the sewing machine tablefrom tipping over backwards.

When assembled the sewing'machine table 16 and the various elements of the present invention form work handling equipment which can be moved as a unit from place to place, as needed. Also thevarious elements'may be adjusted with relation to the table, in order, advantageously, to perform sewing work in the easiest-and least expensive manner.-

From the above it can be seen that the work handling equipment of the present invention has many advantages, some of which are:

(a) The various elements when assembled proved a" Work: troughs 53'can be nested for easy shipment. y}

(g) Thew ork storage shelves 58 can be supported at several different elevations. (h) The work handlingequipment is, extremely flexible 'and can be adapted to servemany needs.

' ,(i) The hard board, which forms part of the work handling equipment is free of slivers or other imperfections and, if the hard board should become broken, it is easily replaced in the field.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, what I claim herein is:

1. Work handling equipment for use with a sewing machine, saidequipment comprising in combination, a tabletop, a pair'of'upper front legs and a pair of upper rear legs attached to said table-top, a pair of lower front legs and a pair of lower back'legs, means for vertically adjusting said upper legs with respect to said lower legs being adjustable with respect to said lower front leg and independently adjustable with respect to said table-top.

2. Work handling equipment for use with a sewing machine, said equipment comprising in combination, a tabletop, a pair of upper front legs and a pair of upper rear legs attached to said table-top, a pair of lower front legs and a pair of lower rear legs, means for vertically adjusting said upper legs with respect to said lower legs and thereby vertically adjusting said table-top, a separate bracket, each of said brackets being substantially in the form of a right triangle and having a vertical side formed from two parallel wires, a horizontal side formed from two parallel wires, and an inclined hypotenuse side formed from two parallel wires, means for vertically adjustably securing one of said brackets to each of said lower rear legs, and a work receiving member carried by said brackets.

3. Work handling equipment for use with a sewing machine, said equipment comprising in combination, a tabletop, a pair of upper front legs and a pair of upper rear legs attached to said table-top, a pair of lower front legs and a pair of lower rear legs, means for vertically adjusting said upper legs with respect to said lower legs and thereby vertically adjusting said table-top, a work-board means for both vertically and laterally adjustably securing one end of said work-board to one of said lower front legs, a vertically adjustable leg secured adjacent to the other end of said work-board, said Work-board thereby being adjustable with respect to said lower front leg and independently adjustable with respect to said table-top, a separate bracket vertically adjustably secured to each of said lower rear legs, and a work receiving member carried by said brackets.

4. Work handling equipment for attachment to a rear portion of a sewing machine table, said work handling equipment comprising a work receiving member formed from a wire frame having upstanding and horizontal portions defining a front wall, a rear wall, two end Walls and a bottom wall, an upstanding separate replaceable hard board cover secured adjacent to the top of the wire frame portion defining said front wall, an upstanding separate replaceable hard board cover secured adjacent to the top of the wire frame portion defining said rear wall, an upstanding separate replaceable hard board cover secured adjacent to the top of the wire frame portions defining each of said end walls, a separate replaceable hard board bottom cover loosely positioned on top of the wire frame portion defining said bottom wall, said bottom cover locking the lower ends of said upstanding separate replaceable hard board covers against their adjacent wire frame portions, and said bottom cover being easily removable and thereby providing an easy means for cleaning said work receiving member, and means adapted for attaching said work handling equipment to a sewing machine table.

5. Work handling equipment for use with a sewing machine table, said work handling equipment comprising a work receiving member formed from a wire frame having a plurality of side and end bars and a plurality of cross bars connected to said side and end bars and all of said bars forming a pocket, and a hard board panel fitted into the pocket formed by said side and end bars and said cross bars supporting said hard board, and means on one end of said wire frame adapted for both vertically and laterally adjustably securing said wire frame to said sewing machine table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 620,277 Case Feb. 28, 1899 838,421 Kerstetter Dec. 11, 1906 1,044,492 Clark et a1. Nov. 19, 1912 1,278,678 Kidder Sept. 10, 1918 2,104,072 Carr Jan. 4, 1938 2,170,062 Nordmark Aug. 22, 1939 2,348,043 Webb et a1 May 2, 1944 2,426,097 Heller Aug. 19, 1947 2,469,968 Kessler May 10, 1949 2,499,062 Greenberg Feb. 28, 1950 2,660,496 Lake Nov. 24, 1953 2,875,006 Hale Feb. 24, 1959

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