Furniture Leg Attachment Assembly

Abstract

A leg attachment assembly connecting a furniture leg to an article of furniture for providing maximum rigidity and strength to the leg and eliminating wobbling of the assembled furniture. A bracket plate overlies and is secured to the top end of the leg and underlies and is secured to the undersurface of the article of furniture. A depending support bracket is disposed in a recess in the inner corner of the leg and is secured thereto so that it fits flush into the leg thereby bracing the leg. The plate is attached to the leg and to the article of furniture by employing threaded steel bars that are threaded into a steel locking bar mounted in the leg and in the article of furniture respectively.

Description

The present invention generally relates to furniture construction and more particularly an assembly for mounting the legs of furniture such as a table to the article of furniture such as a tabletop or the like.

One of the problems facing the furniture industry has been secure attachment of supporting legs to the furniture. This is especially a problem in table structures where the legs are relatively long and frequently become loose and wobbly especially after extended use. Various types of attaching brackets have been employed for connecting the legs to the tabletop or the like with such devices usually employing wood screws or lag bolts which depend on friction for holding to the wood components. As the wood changes character due to change in humidity conditions, age and the like, such fastening devices frequently become loose thus enabling relative movement between the legs and tabletop or other article of furniture supported by the legs.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a leg attachment assembly of a unique shape and configuration of cast iron that underlies the tabletop and overlies the top end of the leg and includes a depending support bracket that is received in a recess formed in the inner corner of the leg at the upper end thereof with the plate being secured to the tabletop and to the leg by threaded steel bars or rods threaded into locking bars or plates mounted in the leg and tabletop respectively with the vertical support bracket also being secured to the leg and fitting flush into the leg thereby bracing the leg and providing great strength and rigidity to the table.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a leg attachment assembly especially useful in connecting legs to a tabletop such as in constructing tables employed in libraries and the like so that maximum rigidity and strength is provided which enables elimination of the usual stretcher board or apron which extends between the upper end portions of legs of conventional tables thereby providing additional vertical clearance so that persons seated at the table may cross and uncross their legs without discomfort and to provide not only a more efficient table structure but also one which provides a neat and attractive appearance as well as great strength and rigidity.

Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a leg attachment assembly which is simple in construction, easy to use, quite rigid in construction and in use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating the construction of the leg attachment assembly associated with a library table and one corner leg thereof;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2--2 of FIG. 1 illustrating the association of the leg attachment assembly and the tabletop and supporting leg;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan sectional view of the construction of FIG. 1 illustrating the table leg in section and the orientation of the leg attachment assembly therewith; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the leg attachment assembly of the present invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the leg attachment assembly of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10 and is illustrated in association with a tabletop 12 and a table leg 14. While the invention is disclosed specifically with a tabletop structure and particularly a library table, it is pointed out that this attachment may be used with almost any other type of table or other articles of furniture. As illustrated in FIG. 1, by employing the present invention, the usual stretcher panels or aprons which extend between the upper end portions of the adjacent legs on a table or the like, such as those used in libraries, have been eliminated thus providing full use of the space from the bottom edge of the tabletop to the floor so that persons using the table may cross and uncross their legs and be more comfortable while employing the table while studying or for other purposes.

The table leg 14 is square in cross-sectional configuration and includes a flat upper end surface. The tabletop 12 has a planar lower surface in parallel relation to the upper end surface of the leg 14. The leg attachment assembly includes a flat plate 16 of generally square or rectangular configuration with one corner of the plate 16 including a lateral extension 18 which terminates in a generally square projection 20 which has the peripheral edges and the apex thereof corresponding generally with the periphery of the leg 14. The undersurface of the plate is provided with a depending support bracket 22 which includes a pair of legs or plates 24 and 26 which are at right angles to each other and correspond with and engage the inner corner surface of the leg 14. Where the legs 24 and 26 are integral with the undersurface of the plate 16, there is a rounded thickened gusset area 28. In construction, the plate 16 and the bracket 22 are of one-piece or integral construction and preferably is a cast iron material such as ASTM--48 Class 30 to provide substantial rigidity.

The plate 16 is provided with five apertures 30 therein which are countersunk from the lower surface of the plate 16 and are oriented adjacent each corner of the plate 16 and on either side of the depending support bracket 22 as best illustrated in FIG. 3 and 4. The generally square projection 20 is also provided with apertures 32 and four such apertures 32 are provided with the apertures being countersunk from the top surface of the projection 20 with the apertures 32 being oriented in the central area of the projection 20 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Also, each of the legs 24 and 26 is provided with an aperture 34 adjacent the lower edge thereof with the apertures being vertically staggered and countersunk from the outer surface of the legs 24 and 26 respectively.

Screw-threaded rods or fasteners 36 having tapering enlarged heads provided with kerfs thereacross are received in the apertures 30 and similar fasteners 38 are received in the apertures 32. Screw-threaded fasteners 40 of a similar type are received in the apertures 34 in the support bracket 22. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the support bracket 22 is received in a correspondingly shaped recess 42 which has been routed into the inner corner surface of the leg 14 so that the support bracket 22 conforms with the shape of the recess and fits flush with the outer surface of the leg up to the thickened portion 28 as illustrated in the drawings.

The threaded rods 36 are received in threaded apertures in a locking bar 44 disposed in the tabletop 12 and the fasteners 38 are screw-threaded into a similar locking bar 46 disposed in the legs 14 while the fasteners 40 may conveniently be conventional wood screws with the heads of all of the fasteners being flush with the surfaces when properly installed.

While dimensions of the plate and depending bracket may vary, it has been found that with the depending bracket 22 approximately 2 inches in length, the leg will be materially rigidified. Also, the metal bar 46 is mounted in holes located in the center of the top, that is, between the top and bottom surface thereof and in the leg approximately one and one-half inches from the top edge of the leg. For example, two locking bars would be provided in the leg with each locking bar receiving two of the threaded machine bolts, rods or the like. The locking bars or rods 44 and 46 would be concealed in a conventional manner such as by a veneer or the like. The edges of the square projection 20 may be flush with the surface of the same or contrasting appearance characteristics. Also, a single carved reveal line 48 may be provided along the edge of the top and which may extend down the surfaces of the leg to accentuate the total impression of architectural simplicity. With the depending supporting bracket and the rigid attachment by using the mounting bars and machine bolts rather than wood screws or lag bolts, the leg is rigidly attached to the tabletop with the total vertical dimension of the tabletop being only that occupied by the tabletop itself.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A leg attachment assembly for securing legs to an article of furniture comprising a plate engaging the undersurface of the article of furniture and being disposed in overlying engagement with the top edge of the leg, means securing the plate to the article of furniture, fastener means extending through apertures in the plate for securing the plate to the top edge of the leg, depending means on said plate engaging the inner surface of the leg, and means securing the depending means to the inner surface of the leg for bracing and rigidifying the leg, said depending means including an angled bracket integral with the plate with the legs of the angled bracket engaging adjacent surfaces of the inner corner of the furniture leg, said means securing the plate to the article of furniture including a plurality of screw-threaded fasteners extending through apertures in the plate, and a locking bar in the article of furniture threadedly engaging the fasteners for fixedly securing the plate to the article of furniture, said fastener means securing the plate to the leg including threaded fasteners extending through said apertures in the plate, and locking bar means in the leg screw-threadedly receiving the fasteners for securing the plate to the leg.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said plate and depending bracket are of unitary cast material with the plate including a projection thereon overlying the top edge of the leg and conforming therewith.

3. In combination with a tabletop having a locking bar inserted therein and a depending leg at the corner thereof having a locking bar inserted therein in spaced relation to the top edge thereof, an attaching plate underlying the tabletop, threaded fasteners extending through the plate and threaded into the locking bar in the tabletop, said plate including an extension overlying and conforming with the top edge of the leg, threaded fasteners extending through apertures in the extension and threaded into the locking bar in the leg for rigidly securing the leg to the tabletop, and a depending supporting bracket on the undersurface of the plate, said bracket being right-angular in configuration, said leg including an inner corner having a recess therein conforming with and receiving the bracket in flush relation therewith, and fasteners extending through the legs of the bracket into the table leg for securing the leg rigidly in position thereby providing a table with the legs secured thereto without the use of stretchers or aprons extending between the upper end portions of the legs to provide greater comfort and space for crossing and uncrossing the legs when positioned in a chair with the person's legs occupying the chair extending under the table.

4. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein the plate, extension and depending supporting bracket are of unitary one-piece construction, the junction between the plate and bracket being provided with a rounded, thickened gusset area reinforcing the bracket and plate, said tabletop having a peripheral edge terminating flush with the lower surface of the plate thereby concealing the plate and eliminating depending projections under the tabletop.