U.S. patent number 3,779,176 [Application Number 05/181,550] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-18 for folding table.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Anonima Castelli s.a.s. di Casare Castelli. Invention is credited to Giancarlo Piretti.
United States Patent |
3,779,176 |
Piretti |
December 18, 1973 |
FOLDING TABLE
Abstract
A folding table comprising a carrying structure which is
constituted of a plurality of C-shaped metallic frames and of a
plurality of plates designed to form in combination the bearing
plane of the table, said C-frames being pivotally connected to each
other, one excepted, by means of hinge devices having vertical
pivot axes and arranged at the sides of each vertical members of
the C-frames, said vertical members being so shaped as to form in
the use position of the table a single central composite post for
the table, while the upper arms of the C-frames in said use
position are radially positioned and spaced apart from each other
of a same angle and forming the carrying means for said plates,
which are designed to be each located between two adjacent
C-frames, when in use position, while the lower arms of said
C-frames form the radial legs of the table, said C-frames being
provided with first and second stop means, wherein the first stop
means define the mutual position of the C-frames, where the parts
constituting the table occupy the minimum space, while the second
stop means define the position of the C-frames in the use position
of the table, each of the said plates being so shaped as to be
inserted between two adjacent C-frames, when these latter are in
their operative position, said plates being associated with means
adapted to connect said plates to the upper arms of the C-frames
and/or to each other in a disconnectable manner.
Inventors: |
Piretti; Giancarlo (Bologna,
IT) |
Assignee: |
Anonima Castelli s.a.s. di Casare
Castelli (Bologna, IT)
|
Family
ID: |
42320554 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/181,550 |
Filed: |
September 17, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/166; 248/167;
108/66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
3/00 (20130101); A47B 2003/0835 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
3/00 (20060101); A47b 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/115,124,112,113,66,79,128,67 ;248/167 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Zugel; Francis K.
Claims
I claim:
1. A folding table, comprising a plurality of frames, each of said
frames having a vertical member, an upper arm being circular in
cross section and a lower arm spaced therefrom, said arms connected
to said vertical member so as to define generally C configuration,
all but one of said frames being provided with a vertically
disposed hinge along said vertical member and operatively connected
to adjacent frames so as to pivotably connect said frames to each
other such that in position of use said frames define a single
composite support wherein said upper and lower arms are radially
disposed and spaced apart from each other, said frames further
being provided with first means aligning same when the table is
folded and second means defining the aforementioned position of
said frames when the table is unfolded for use, plates inserted
between adjacent of said frames along said upper arms thereof, a
tubular edge mounted around each of said arms forming a part of
each of said plates, means permitting rotary movement of each of
said plates with respect to each of said arms as well as radial
movement, and a spring, means anchoring said spring at one end
thereof to said tubular edge and at the other end thereof to said
arm normally baising said tubular edge inwardly, said edge of each
plate further being provided with resilient locking means adapted
to engage said tubular edge of a contiguous plate.
2. A folding table as in claim 1, wherein said first means aligning
said frames comprises vertically disposed wall portions provided in
said vertical members, said wall portions being generally
complementary in configuration so as to permit said frames to be
folded one against the other, said second means for defining the
portion of said frames when the table is unfolded for use
comprising said vertical members of said frames being configured to
form a corner positioned in the central plane of said frame, said
corner converging into vertical wall portions set at an angle one
to the other and equal to the angle between said adjacent frames
when in their position of use such that said vertical wall portions
abut in their position of use.
3. A folding table as in claim 1, said frames being four in number,
said vertical members thereof being shaped in cross section to form
a vertical corner and two adjacent vertical flat surfaces set at
right angles to each other and at an angle 45.degree. to said
vertical center plane of said frame, a hinge device provided at
both sides of each of said frames near said vertical member thereof
permitting each of said frames to swing with respect to adjacent
frames around their axes, said hinge arranged partly in one of said
frames and partly in an adjacent of said frames, the axes of said
hinges being spaced apart from said vertical corners of said frames
whereby said hinges are equally disposed one from the other.
Description
The present invention relates to a folding table, the carrying
structure of which is constituted of a plurality of metallic
C-shaped frames substantially equal to each other, the upper arms
of which, as the small table is in its use position, are designed
to form radial supporting members for as many shaped plates or
boards which constitute in combination the bearing plane of the
table, while the lower arms form the legs of said table which
extend outwardly radially from the lower portion of a central post
which is composed in combination by all the vertical members of the
C-like frames, as they are positioned side by side and brought into
contact to each other as the table is in use position.
Each of said vertical members of the C-like frames is pivotally
connected to the adjacent C-frames by means of at least a hinge
device having vertical axis, the axes of said hinge devices being
parallel to the vertical centre axis of the table in its use
position, but one hinge device is omitted between two of the
plurality of C-like frames in order to allow that the first and the
last of said frames are separated one from the other. Each of said
hinge devices is associated with a first and a second stop means,
said first stop means being provided for defining the inoperating
positions of the table parts, which corresponds to the position, in
which said table occupies the minimum space and the C-frames are
placed side by side in contact to each other, while the upper
plates have been each folded vertically along that of the C-frames
which is pivotally connected to, or have been previously removed,
said second stop means being designed to define the mutual
relationship of the C-frames in the operative position of the
table, in which the C-shaped frames are locked after having brought
said upper plates forming the bearing plane of the table up to
their horizontal operative position between pairs of adjacent upper
arms of the C-frames.
Commonly four C-shaped frames are provided and in consequence
thereof there are four upper plates, each of which has two radial
adjacent sides set at right angle to one other. According to a
first embodiment each of the four upper arms of the C-frames, which
form in combination a cross, is provided with means for pivotally
connecting to said arm one of said perpendicular sides of a plate,
while along the other perpendicular side of the same plate means
are provided adapted to lock the edge of said plate side to the
facing edge of the adjacent plate along which said latter is
pivotally connected to the associated upper arm of one of the
C-frames. According to a second embodiment of this invention at
each side of each upper arm of the C-frames grooves are arranged
adapted to slidably receive the shaped edges of the two
perpendicular sides of a plate, with said grooves and edges
releasable locking means are associated provided to fix said edges
of each plate to a pair of the upper arms of the C-frames in a
disassemblable manner, said plates being removed in this case as
the table has to be brought in its folded position.
The outline of the peripheral edge or edges of each plate will be
shaped according to the desired shape which must have the table in
its use position.
Therefore, for instance, each plate can have the form of a circular
sector having a centre angle of 90.degree. if a circular table is
desired, while each plate can have the form of a square, of a
rectangle or of a fourth part of an ellipse, if the table must be
of a square, rectangular or elliptical form respectively.
The accompanying drawings show merely by way of example two
embodiments of the invention; in said drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top view of the table according to the
first embodiment where all the four C-frames and only two of the
four plates are already in their operative position, while one of
the plates is shown when it is locking and the other where it is
still folded;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the table of the first embodiment in its
use position;
FIG. 3 is a side view partly sectioned and partly broken away of
one of the C-frames;
FIG. 4 is the top view partly broken away of the joint portion of
the upper arm with the vertical member or post of a C-frame;
FIG. 5 is the top view of the table according to the first
embodiment in its folded position;
FIG. 6 shows the detail, in enlarged scale, of the central portion
of the table in its use position;
FIG. 7 is a detail of the section taken on the line A--A of FIG.
6;
FIGS. 8a to 8c show respectively a side view, a view taken from
below and the vertical section taken on the line B--B of FIG. 4, of
the upper end portion of the vertical member of one of the
C-frames;
FIG. 9 is the cross section taken on the line C--C of FIG. 2 of the
central composite post of the table in its use disposition;
FIGS. 10 to 12 show a second embodiment of a foldable table having
disassemblable upper plates forming the bearing plane of the table,
wherein FIG. 10 is a top view of the table in its use position,
FIG. 11 is the detail of upper portion of a C-frame shown in side
view partly sectioned and partly broken away, and FIG. 12 is the
cross section of one of the upper arms of the C-frames and of the
plates connected thereto, partly broken away, taken on the line
D--D of FIG. 11 and looking towards the central composite post
respectively.
In the embodiments shown in the drawings the carrying structure of
the table comprises four metallic C-frames substantially similar to
each other and generally marked 2, each comprising an upper arm
indicated with 3 in the first embodiment, a lower arm 3a and a
vertical connecting member or post 4. The bearing plane of the
table is constituted in combination by four plate elements having
the form of circular sectors having a centre angle of 90.degree.
and generally marked 5 in said first embodiment.
The lower arms 3a of the C-frames form the legs of the table, each
leg resting on an adjustable foot 6.
At the part of the vertical member 4 (FIGS. 8b and 9) opposite to
that from which at its ends extend outwardly the arms 3 and 3a,
said member 4 is provided with two side vertical surfaces 7 set at
right angle one to the other and converging into a vertical corner
7a, which in the use position of the table becomes coincident with
the vertical centre axis X--X of the table, in this disposition the
vertical members 4 of the four C-frames forming in combination a
single composite central post of a solid cross section (FIG. 9). At
least near the upper end of the vertical members 4 and equally
spaced apart from the corner 7a means are provided designed to form
the articulation hinge devices between each pair of adjacent
C-frames 2. For such a purpose said portion of each C-frame is
preferably constituted of an inserted piece 13 made of a suitable
material which can be shaped by means of a die-casting process.
Therefore in said piece 13 of each C-frame 2 at one of its sides a
bracket 8 is arranged, on which a cylindrical recess 9 is obtained
(FIG. 8a), while from the opposite side extends outwardly a
cylindrical flange 10 having substantially the same height and
shape as those of the recess 9, while under said flange 10 a
cylindrical recess 11 is provided which has the same shape and
height as those of the bracket 8. Each bracket 8 together with the
flange 10 of the adjacent C-frame form in combination with a pivot
pin 12 passing through said members an articulation hinge between
two C-frames, the axes of all said hinges being parallel to the
axis X--X of the table. The hinge or at least the pivot pin 12
between the first and last of the C-frames 2 is omitted. Also the
inserted pieces 13 are provided with two surfaces 14 set at right
angle one to the other, said surfaces 14 being positioned so as to
be aligned with the surfaces 7 and their common corner 14a is
substantially aligned with the corner 7a. Said surfaces 7 and 14
form an angle of 45.degree. with respect to the arms 3 and 3a of
the C-frames 2. Further said surfaces 7 and 14 constitute the first
limit stop means for the C-frames 2 as they are brought in the use
position of the table, contacting each other two by two (FIG. 6) as
the vertical members 4 forming the central composite post of the
table are positioned so that their vertical corners 7a,14a become
coincident with the vertical central axis X--X of the table. The
outer side surfaces of the flanges 10 and the inner side surfaces
of the recesses 9 designed to receive said flanges 10 as well as
the outer and inner respectively surfaces of the brackets 8 and of
the recesses 11 co-operating therewith have the same circular cross
section, in correspondence of their portions designed to rotate one
with respect to the other during the rotary movement which one
frame 2 must perform with respect to the adjacent one. Further the
pieces 13 are provided with vertical flat surfaces 16 designed to
come into abutting relationship and forming the second stop means,
as the C-frames are folded one against the other, after having
previously folded that plate 5 against one of its sides, which is
pivotally connected to that C-frame 2.
For pivotally connecting each plate 5 to a C-frame 2, provision is
made that each upper arm 3 of the C-frames 2, at least in its
portion designed to receive the connection means, is constituted of
a tubular body. Round to this tubular portion of each arm 3 is
mounted a tubular edge 5a of the plate 5 which is arranged along
one of the two perpendicular sides of said plate 5, said tubular
portion of each arm 3 and said edge 5a being so proportionated that
not only the plate 5 can rotate round the axis of the arm 3, but
also it can perform a small axial deplacement towards the outside
along said arm 3. At 17 is marked a spring which at one of its ends
is anchored to the outer end of the tubular edge 5a and at the
other end is connected to the arm 3, said spring tending to
maintain the plate 5 pressed towards the axis X--X of the table in
the operative position of the plate 5. The plates 5 are made of any
suitable material, preferably of plastics of transparent type,
which must also be lightly deformable.
The other edge 5d of the side of the plate 5 which is perpendicular
to the side where the tubular edge 5a is provided, ends with a
short longitudinal rib 5b extending downwards, while at a
predetermined distance from this latter projects downwards a curved
flange 5c, which together with the rib 5b defines a circular recess
of an angular amplitude lightly exceeding 180.degree. designed to
allow the shaped edge 5d,5c to partially hook round the tubular
edge 5a of the adjacent plate 5 after having forced the rib 5b and
the flange 5c to lightly open wide apart one from the other.
Thus starting from the folded position of the table, as shown in
FIG. 5, in order to bring its parts in their operative position,
the C-frames are forced to rotate one with respect to the other
through an angle of 90.degree. up to bring them in the cross
relationship. In such a disposition the C-frames 2 stop, since the
facing surfaces 14 and/or 7 come into mutual contact. This mutual
position of the C-frames 2, wherein the first and last C-frames are
not connected one to the other by a hinge, or in the case when for
constructive reasons such a hinge would be present, said hinge is
made inoperative by the removal of its pivot pin 12, is locked by
the raising and locking of the plates 5. For such a purpose each
plate 5 near the edge 5a is drawn towards the outside against the
effect of the spring 17 and then the plate 5, which had been folded
vertically against one of the sides of a C-frame 2, is raised up
until it reaches its horizontal position rotating round the arm 3.
Then the grip on the said plate 5 is released so that said plate
under the effect of the spring 17 can slide along the tubular arm 3
in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 until the edge 5d,5c
arrives before of the tubular edge 5a of the plate 5 carried by the
next C-frame. At last a light pressure is applied on the plate 5
still in the direction of the arrow in order to obtain that the
tooth 5b and the shaped flange 5c resilienty engage the tubular
edge 5a of the adjacent plate 5. In such a disposition each plate 5
prevents that the contiguous C-frames can perform any relative
displacement. As all the plates 5 have been raised and locked to
each other, the table acts as a single body. For performing the
folding of the table so as to bring its parts in the positions
wherein they occupy the minimum space the same operations are
carried out in the opposite sequence.
Now referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 the similar
parts are marked with the same reference numbers. The carrying
structure of the table is substantially the same as in the first
embodiment, but removable plates 25 are provided. For such a
purpose along each side of the upper arm 23 of each C-frame 2 a
longitudinal groove 27 is arranged open at its outer end and
designed to slidably receive a projecting edge 25a of a plate
element 25. With each groove 27 a releasable locking means is
associated adapted to resiliently lock the edge 25a of the plate 25
which will be received into the groove 27, said means being
constituted, for instance, by a small ball 28 carried by a
compression spring 29 located behind said ball 8 which partially
projects into said groove 27; (FIG. 11).
Thus when starting from the folded position of the C-frames 2,
these latter are swung away from each other through an angle of
90.degree. and are positioned so as to be vertical, then these
C-frames 2 are locked in this mutual position by mounting the
plates 25, causing their radial edges 25a to enter and travel along
the grooves 27 of pairs of adjacent C-frames up to abut the inner
end of said grooves 27. In this position said plates 25 form in
combination the whole bearing plane of the table, while the plate
edges 25a will be resiliently locked by the resilient locking means
28,29 or by any other suitable locking devices of a releasable
character.
* * * * *