US701666A - Folding table, shelf, or desk. - Google Patents

Description

no. 7o|,6s6.

(No Model.)

E .WVM/Lease@ No. 70|,666. :Patented :une 3, |902.

` G. A.ANK. FOLDING TABLE, SHELF, ORDESK.

(Application med Apr. 1o. 1mm.)- muu'odel.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

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UNT'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALVIN ANK, OF MOUNT CARROLL, ILLINOIS. i l

FOLDING TABLE, SHELF, OR DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 701,666, dated June 3, 1902.

. Application filed April 10, 1899. Serial No. 712,442. (No model) To all whom. t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALVIN ANK, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Carroll, in the countyof Carroll and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Folding Tables, Shelves, or Desks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,` andexact description of the invention, such as will enable oth- IQ ers skilled in the art to which it 'appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a folding table, desk, or shelf; and it has forits object to provide improved means for-holdingY or locking the shelf in its'horizontal position, the purpose of the improvement being tosimplify zo the construction and operation of the locking means and to cheapen the cost of making the table.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter ap- 2 5 pear, the invention consists in the construction and in the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be specifically defined by the claim, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 3o ings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of a table, desk,

or shelf embodying my invention and showing the shelf in its horizontal'position. Fig.

2 is a perspective of the latch detached from 3 5 the shelf.

the latch in full lines in position and in dotted lines the position it assumes in putting it in place or removing it therefrom.` Fig. 4 4o is a vertical section through the parts as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the leaf folded, and Fig. 6 is a perspective of portions looking from the rear and showing the locking-latch in engagement with its catch. v

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates two uprights of suitable material adapted to be secured by suitable means to the wall or other support and which are connected to- 5o gether at their upper ends by a cross-piece 2 and at a lower point by a cross-piece 3, recessed into the standards and held by bolts means of screws or bolts.,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionV through the latch-block or casing, showingA vided on its under side with angle-irons 8,

and to these irons may be pivotally connected one end of the brace-rods 9, the other end of which may be pivotally connected to the lower part of the uprights l. i i

My improved catch consists of a block or casting 10, which is provided at one end with a pintle 11, adapted to lit in the slot 6 of the upright standard 1, and the block is secured tothe vertical iange of the` angle-iron 8 by The block 10 is formed with a socket 12 to receive the latch 13, which is formed with a shoulder 14, adapted to abut against the inner end of the socket 12, so as to limit the forward movement of the latch. l The latch is formed with a rearwardly extending stem 15, which passes through an opening or slot 16, formed in the lug 17 at the rear of the block or casting 10, and a spring 18, coiled around the stem 15, normally holds the latch projected forward. One side of the socket 12-that is, the side which fits next to the flange of the angle-iron 8-is open, so as to permit the latch to beinserted in the socket from the side thereof, and

the opening or slot 16 in the lug 17 is elongated transversely or left open, so as to permit a lateral or swinging motion of the latch in its insertion and withdrawal from position after insertion of the stem in the opening or slot 16. The forward end of the latch is adapted to engage with a catch 19, which projects from one side of a plate 20, which will be secured by bolts or screws to the inside of the upright standard. The upper and forward face of this catch is beveled or inclined, as shown, so that as the leaf is lowered the beveled end ,of the latch will contact with the beveled face of the catch and be forced rearward by reason of its engagement therewith-until the leaf ICO is lowered sufficiently to bring the latch bel low the catch, when the coil-spring will project the catch forward and cause it to lock with the lower edge of the catch, and thus hold the leaf in its horizontal position. This construction enables the parts of the catch to be cheaply made and easily applied. The open side of the slot facing next to the fiange of the angle-iron will be closed by the angleiron, so that the latch cannot move sidewise in its operation. The stem of the latch may be extended practically forward to the front edge of the table or leaf, so thatit can be operated by hand, or, as there will be provided two of these latches, one for each side of the leaf and both adapted to operate in the same Way, their forward ends may be connected together by a cord, chain, or wire 2l, so that by pulling on the same both latches will be withdrawn at the same time. The operation of the leaf is similar to that described in my United States Patent No. 593,828, dated November 16, 1897, the construction of the parts, however, being diiferent. I also provide at the top of the table a cabinet 22, which Will be provided at one or both ends with drawers 23 for spices, and within the cabinet will be formed any desired number of bins 24, which will have tapering bottoms provided with valve-controlled delivery-spouts 25, one for each bin, and so formed as to be best adapted for the particular material contained in the bin; and the bin designed for flour may have a sifter in its bottom or discharge-spout, which, however, it is not necessary to illustratein detail,as any approved pattern may be used.

When this In front of the cabinet 22 I also proshelf is not in use, it is dropped into the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and when the leaf 7 is dropped the shelf 26 and leaf 7 will conceal the working parts,which lie back thereof.

The parts hereinbefore described can be made of any pattern desired and as ornamental as taste may dictate.

I have described in detail the preferred detail of construction and arrangement of the several parts; but it is obvious that changes can be made therein without departing from the essential features of the invention.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is- The combination with the cabinet formed with bins and discharge-spouts, of the standards or supports for the same, the folding leaf having its rear pivotally and slidably connected to said standards or supports so as to move up toward the cabinet-bins in folding the leaf, said leaf when lowered being adapted to support utensils beneath the discharge-spouts of the bins, a hinged shelf in front of the cabinet and adapted when dropped to cover the space between the rear edge of the folded leaf and the dischargespouts to the bins, and means for sustaining the leaf in its horizontal position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ALVIN ANK.

Vitnesses:

WM. L. PUTERBAUGI-I, J. W. MILLER.

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