US3198145A - Auxiliary table - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 3, 1965 puuc u 3,198,145

AUXILIARY TABLE Filed April 10, 1963 INVENTOR. Horace 6. Duncan ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,198,145 AUXELIARY TABLE HoraceG. Duncan, 3050 S. Vine St., Denver, Colo. Filed Apr. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 272,034 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-59) This invention relates to auxiliary tables, primarily of the type for use with other tables.

It is included among the objects and advantages of the present invention to provide an auxiliary table which may be used in conjunction with other tables to provide a small extension thereof which is out of the way from the other table and provides a surface for placement of food, beverages, and the like. The device is particularly useful as an auxiliary table for bridge or other small tables, wherein the auxiliary table is provided with a cutout or notch arranged to precisely fit a corner of such a card table so as to provide an extension thereof at the same height of the top of the card table. The arrangement permits a card player to have a clear card table for the game being played and an auxiliary table for beverages or food, ash trays, cigarettes, and the like. In addition, the device is provided with a hinged filler for the cutout space so that the table may be used as a separate snack table when not needed for the auxiliary table. The auxiliary table of the invention is foldable so that it is easily stored out of the way.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention may be readily ascertained by referring to the following description and appended illustration in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a card table illustrating positioning of four chairs therearound and an auxiliary table according to the invention placed at each corner of the card table;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an auxiliary table according to the invention shown in position on a corner of a table;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the table of the invention showing the filler for the cutout of the auxiliary table;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a folded table according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the hinge member of the auxiliary table of the FIG. 3 taken along section line 55 showing the arrangement with the filler in position with the surface of the auxiliary table.

In one form illustrative of the invention, auxiliary table includes a relatively small planar surface member which may be of any desired thickness or any construction with a cutout notch 12 arranged to fit a corner of a table 14. In this instance, the cutout section is triangular shaped to fit a sharp right angle corner of a rectangular table. It is obvious that the cutout may be made with an arcuate portion to fit rounded corners and in other embodiments may be made circular to fit a circular or semi-circular table. The table top 10 is mounted on a leg system shown in general by numeral 16 which is foldable and may be of the designs currently used for small tables such as snack tables, TV tables, or the like. The leg system includes two U-shaped members bent in near the middle and joined together, and this includes U-shaped leg members 18 and 20 secured together by bolts, rivets or the like 24 joining the midsections of the legs. The leg member 18 is provided with a brace 22 to prevent the legs from spreading apart, and the brace is secured to the legs in conventional manner. The legs are pivotally secured to the table, as shown in FIG. 3, by means of snap brackets 26 secured to the table and releasably supporting the leg members.

3,198,145 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 The planar table member 10 is provided with a filler member 30 which is the same shape as the notch 12 and with an edge 32 arranged to match or mate the edge of the table 10 to form a continuous perimeter. In the instance shown, the table 10 is rectangular and the edge 32 is constructed to complete the rectangular table It). The flap or filler member 30 is secured to the table top by means of a piano type hinge 34 which permits the filler to pivot into and out of the notch 12. The filler may be used when the table is not placed against a card table whereby it will provide a contiguous surface with the table for part use as an independent small table.

The auxiliary table of the invention as shown in use in FIG. 1 wherein four of such auxiliary tables are placed against card table 14, one at each corner. It is noted that the auxiliary tables provide an extra surface for the players seated around the table without utilizing the card playing space of the table 14. This alleviates spilling beverages and food on the main table and thereby reduces the chances of soiling the cards. The placement of the tables 10 extending outwardly from the corners of the table 14 leaves sufiicient room for chairs 15 for the players and the room is sufiicient to permit the players to move to and from the table as the play progresses without disturbing the auxiliary table alongside the players.

For convenience, the table 10 should be of the same height as the table 14 so as not to have a bump or a ledge between the corner of the table 14 and the auxiliary table 10. Likewise, the notch should be made to smoothly mate with the corner of the table 14. The size and geometry of the table 10 is not critical, although it should be considerably smaller than the table 14 for its intended purpose, and it may be made rectangular, oblong, circular, or the like. The legs may be of any convenient type, and generally folding legs are preferable since auxiliary tables are put away when not in use. The legs may be nonfolding for permanent card rooms, or the like. The finish on the auxiliary table can be made to match or contrast with the card table or made of any other decor in the room in which it is being used. A conventional latch or catch, not shown, may be used to secure the filler with the table. Various types of latches may be utilized with the filler or flap 30 to prevent accident by the untimely collapse of the flap 30. In some instances a latch may be desirable to temporarily secure the auxiliary table to the main card table.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular device, there is no intent to limit the spirit or the scope of the invention to the precise details so set forth except insofar as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A self-supporting auxiliary table for square card tables comprising a generally square planar member of a size substantially smaller than the table with which it is associated, a triangular cutout portion arranged centerwise in one side of said planer member and arranged to mate in a non-attached abutment with a minor portion of one corner of a card table extending diagonally outwardly from the corner, the area of said triangular cutout being substantially less than the area of the planar member so as to abut against a minor portion of the card table sides leaving a major portion of each side of the card table clear for the use of the occupants, foldable leg members secured to said planar member and arranged to support said planar member horizontally .and at substantially the same height as the adjoining a t 3' card table, a planar filler arranged to fill'the space of said cutout and form a square auxiliary table, and means hingedly connecting said filler with said auxiliary table.

2. A self-supporting auxiliary table of the type described comprising a rectangular planar table member of a relatively smaller size than the table with which it is to be used, a triangular shaped cutout portion centerwise in .onetside of said planar member arrangedto mate in a non-attached abutment with a minor'portion of the corner of a four-sided card table extending diagonally outwardly from the corner leaving the sides of her arranged to fill the space of said cutout and form a rectangular auxiliary table, and means hingedly connecting said filler member with said auxiliary table.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,289,245 12/18 Otte l081l9 1,308,350 7/19 Gay ..1 l0866 1,411,741 4/22 Merdzinski l0866 2,092,441 9/37 Ciprus 108-90 2,452,979 11/48 Zuckerman l0866 2,815,256 12/57 Richardson l0859 3,053,598 9/62 Cheslow l0864 FOREIGN PATENTS 847,405 9/60 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SELF-SUPPORTING AUXILIARY TABLE FOR SQUARE CARD TABLES COMPRISING A GENERALLY SQUARE PLANAR MEMBER OF A SIZE SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE TABLE WITH WHICH IT IS ASSOCIATED, A TRIANGULAR CUTOUT PORTION ARRANGED CENTERWISE IN ONE SIDE OF SAID PLANER MEMBER AND ARRANGED TO MATE IN A NON-ATTACHED ABUTMENT WITH A MINOR PORTION OF ONE CORNER OF A CARD TABLE EXTENDING DIAGONALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE CORNER, THE AREA OF SAID TRIANGULAR CUTOUT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE AREA OF THE PLANAR MEMBER SO AS TO ABUT AGAINST A MINOR PORTION OF THE CARD TABLE SIDES LEAVING A MAJOR PORTION OF EACH SIDE OF THE CARD TABLE CLEAR FOR THE USE OF THE OCCUPANTS, FOLDABLE LEG MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID PLANAR MEMBER AND ARRANGED TO SUPPORT SAID PLANAR MEMBER HORIZONTALLY AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HEIGHT AS THE ADJOINING CARD TABLE, A PLANAR FILLER ARRANGED TO FILL THE SPACE OF SAID CUTOUT AND FORM A SQUARE AUXILIARY TABLE, AND MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID FILLER WITH SAID AUXILIARY TABLE.

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