U.S. patent number 3,915,100 [Application Number 05/526,597] was granted by the patent office on 1975-10-28 for panel fastening device.
Invention is credited to Henry E. Sullivan.
United States Patent |
3,915,100 |
Sullivan |
October 28, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Panel fastening device
Abstract
A device for fastening together two table panels in abutting
relationship to each other. The device includes a first member
having a pivotally connected latch, which is mounted to the
underside of a first panel adjacent an edge of the panel. A second
member having an offset portion which defines an opening adapted to
receive a catch means on the latch is mounted to the underside of a
second panel adjacent to the edge thereof. The second member
includes a lever having a cam at one end thereof which cam engages
the catch means when the catch means is positioned in the opening.
Rotation of the lever turns the cam and draws the first member
toward the second member, thereby bringing the table panels into
tight mating engagement.
Inventors: |
Sullivan; Henry E.
(Libertyville, IL) |
Family
ID: |
26986924 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/526,597 |
Filed: |
November 25, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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329704 |
Feb 5, 1973 |
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111060 |
Jan 29, 1971 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
108/64;
403/DIG.12; 108/89 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
87/002 (20130101); Y10S 403/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
87/00 (20060101); A47B 037/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/64,114,89,69,65
;403/20,406,102,407,409 ;24/68,68FP,68BT |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1,308,274 |
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Sep 1962 |
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FR |
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642,023 |
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May 1928 |
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FR |
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Primary Examiner: Zugel; Francis K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lockwood, Dewey, Zickert &
Alex
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 329,704, filed Feb.
5, 1973, now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No.
111,060, filed Jan. 29, 1971.
Claims
I claim:
1. The combination comprising:
a first table panel,
a second table panel intended to be placed in abutting relationship
with said first table panel,
a first base member secured to the underside and adjacent an edge
of said first table panel, said first base member having an inside
surface which defines a first latch-receiving slot with and between
the underside of said first table panel,
an elongated latch pivotally secured adjacent one end thereof to
said first base member in said first latch-receiving slot and
having a catch means formed along one lateral edge thereof adjacent
a second end thereof,
a second base member secured to the underside and adjacent an edge
of said second table panel, said second base member having an
inside surface which defines a second latch-receiving slot with and
between the underside of said second table panel for receiving said
second end of said latch,
said first and second base members being positioned at respective
locations adjacent the edges of said table panels such that when
said edges are in intimate surface-to-surface engagement with each
other said base members are in spaced-apart relationship to each
other,
cam means rotatably mounted within said second latch-receiving slot
and engageable with said catch means,
a pin extending through an aperture in said second base member
having a first end which is eccentrically fixed to said cam
means,
a lever arm having one end fixed to said pin and pivotally movable
about the axis thereof for selectively laterally displacing said
cam means to urge the edges of the table top panels in intimate
surface-to-surface engagement with each other when said cam means
is received in said catch means, and
each of said base members including a bore, each of said bores
having a planar attachment surface for face-to-face contact with,
and attachment to, the underside of the respective table panel to
which it is attached, and having an offset portion which is offset
from said planar surface and away from the underside of the
respective table panel to form between said offset portion and the
underside of the respective table panel, a latchreceiving slot
having a depth substantially equal to the thickness of said latch
whereby, when said catch means at said second end of said latch is
received in said second slot and is then drawn into said second
slot by said cam means, the table panels are aligned and leveled by
reason of the close fit of said latch member in said slot.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said latch is a generally
flat elongated member having a sufficient structural strength to
rigidly support said table panels.
Description
This invention generally relates to a device for detachably
connecting two panels to each other. An important embodiment of the
present invention specifically relates to an improved device which
detachably secures and supportively connects together table tops
and/or table leaves in a manner wherein the top surfaces thereof
are substantially in a common plane.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an
improved device for detachably fastening panels, such as table tops
and/or table leaves, to each other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for
fastening together two table top panels in a manner wherein the
upper surfaces thereof substantially lie in a common plane.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for
clamping together two table tops which device includes a camming
means for drawing the table tops into tight mating engagement with
each other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for
securing together juxtaposed abutting table tops and/or table
leaves which device also functions to support said table tops or
table leaves.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved low profile table fastening device which when either in
use, or in a self-storing position, extends a minimum distance from
the bottom surface of the table top panel and thereby substantially
reduces, if not totally eliminates, tearing of clothing caused by
the accidental snaging thereof on the device.
In accordance with the present invention, a novel panel fastening
device is provided which includes a first member having a pivotally
connected latch, which member is mounted to the underside of a
first table panel adjacent an edge thereof. A second member having
an opening adapted to receive a catch means on the latch is mounted
to the underside of a second table panel adjacent an edge of the
second table panel adjacent an edge of the second table panel. The
second member includes a lever having a cam at one end thereof
which cam engages the catch means when the catch means is
positioned in the opening. Rotation of the lever turns the cam and
draws the first member toward the second member, thereby bringing
the table panels into tight mating engagement.
For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the
present invention, reference may now be had to the following
detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the underside of two table tops
fastened together in abutting relationship with two fastening
devices of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of three table tops fastened
together with fastening devices of the present invention and
showing the intermediate table supported through the fastening
devices of the present invention by the two outer tables of the
three tables;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view with portions thereof broken
away and in phantom taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing one of
the fastening devices of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3.
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, two identical
conventional tables are generally indicated at 11 and 12 in FIG. 1.
Each of the tables 11 and 12 is of the type which respectively
includes a table top 13, 14 supported by a pedestal 15, 16 only
part of which is shown in FIG. 1. These tables are of the type used
in restaurants, cocktail lounges, lodge halls or the like where it
is often times desirable to join several tables together to form a
larger table or counter.
In accordance with the present invention, tables 11 and 12 are
provided with table fastening or connecting devices which are
generally indicated at 20 in FIG. 1. Each of the devices 20 is
formed of two members which are generally designated by reference
numerals 21 and 22. Members 21 and 22 are respectively secured to
the undersides 23 and 24 of the table tops 13 and 14 adjacent the
edge portions thereof which are placed in abutting juxtaposed
position when these tables are connected to each other. As is best
shown in FIG. 3, the undersides 23 and 24 of the respective table
tops 13 and 14 are brought into generally planar alignment with
each other when the tables are connected together by the fastening
devices of the present invention. In this manner, if the table tops
13 and 14 are of equal thickness, use of the fastening devices 20
to fasten the table tops 13 and 14 together also functions to bring
the upper surfaces thereof into a common plane even though the
respective table tops have upper surfaces which lie in slightly
different planes when the tables are not connected together.
To facilitate fastening of the tables 11 and 12 to each other and
to other tables, the members 21 and 22 of the fastening devices 20
are alternately positioned along one pair of oppositely facing
edges of each of table tops 13 and 14 about the underside margin
thereof. For example, table top 13 has a member 22 mounted at a
first corner 31, a member 21 located at a second corner 32, the
member 22 located at a third corner 33 and the member 21 located at
a fourth corner 34. In like manner, the members 22, 21, 22 and 21
are located respectively at corners 41, 42, 43 and 44 on the
underside 24 of the table top 14. In this way, and as shown in FIG.
1, the member 21 at the corner 32 is in position to be
cooperatively joined with the member 22 at the corner 41 while, at
the same time, the member 22 at the corner 33 is in position to
mate with the member 21 at the corner 44.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a third table, generally indicated at 53,
is connected to the table 12 for the purpose of illustrating one of
the advantages of the fastening devices 20 of the present
invention. Here, the table 12 is shown with the pedestal 16 thereof
supported a short distance 54 above ground level 55 by the
fastening devices 20 of the adjacent tables 11 and 53. As will be
more fully understood from the following description, the fastening
devices 20 are so constructed and arranged that they are capable of
not only fastening and leveling adjacent table tops such as the
table tops 13 and 14 shown in FIG. 1, but are also capable of
supporting a table top panel or table leaf between and from two
adjacent tables such as the tables 11 and 53.
Referring now to FIG. 3, in the illustrated embodiment the member
21 secured to the underside surface 23 of the table top 13 adjacent
corner 32 thereof includes a generally square base 61. The base 61
includes a generally offset portion 62 which has two sides 62a and
62b which are spaced away from the bottom surface 23 of table top
13 to define a latch-receiving slot 63 therewith. The remaining two
sides of the offset portion 62 extend into a generally L-shaped
mounting flange 64 for facilitating attachment of the member 21 to
underside 23 of the table top 13. In this respect, and as best
shown in FIG. 3, the L-shaped flange 64 of the base 61 includes
attachment surface 65 adapted for face-to-face contact with the
bottom surface 23 of the table top 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the
portion 64 of the base 61 has four bores 67 therein for receiving
fasteners such as rivets, screws, pins or the like for securing the
base 61 to the underside 23 of the table top 13. One such fastener
is shown at 68 in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a first end section 70 of an elongated
generally planar latch 71 is received in the slot 63. To pivotally
mount the first end section 70 of the latch 71 to the base 61, and
within the slot 63, the offset portion 62 of the base 61 is
provided with an aperture 73 (FIG. 4) which receives a boss or pin
74 on the first end section 70. Typically the boss or pin 74 can be
formed on the latch 71 by a stamping or equivalent operation.
The latch 71 includes a second end section 75 having a laterally
extending recess 76 therein which forms the second end section 75
with a generally hook shaped formation defining a catch means for
securing the latch 71 to the second member 22. Also, to facilitate
manipulation of the latch 71, it is provided with a tab 77 which in
the illustrated embodiment extends downwardly and generally normal
to the plane of the latch 71 and which can be easily gripped for
moving the catch means defined at the second end section 75 of the
latch 71 into and out of operative engagement with the member 22 of
the fastening device 20 as indicated by the arrow 78.
It will be apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the member 22 includes
a base 81 generally identical in shape to the base 61. In this
respect, the base 81 has an offset portion 82 which forms a latch
receiving slot or opening 83 with the underside 24 of the table top
14, an L-shaped flange 64 having an attachment surface 85, a
plurality of bores 87 for receiving fasteners 88 (FIGS. 4 and 5)
and an aperture 93 (FIG. 4) in the offset portion 82.
As best shown in FIG. 4, a pin 94 is received in the aperture 93
and is secured at one end to a circular cam 95 positioned within
the latch-receiving opening or slot 83 and connected at the other
end to one end 96 of a lever arm 98. As shown in FIG. 4, the
circular cam 95 is eccentrically connected to the pin 94 such that
the axis 99 of the cam 95 is spaced from, or eccentric with respect
to, the pivot axis 100 of the pin 94. In this way, when the free
end 102 of the lever arm 98 is rotated in the direction indicated
by the arrow 104 in FIG. 3, the pin 94 is rotated about its pivot
axis 100 and the circular cam 95 is displaced laterally of the
pivot axis 100 so as to move the cam 95 inwardly from the edge of
the table top to which the member 22 is connected.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the recess 75 in the end section 75 of
the latch 71 will fit around the cam 95. Furthermore, as best shown
in FIG. 3, the recess 76 has a curved or arcuate side 105 to
facilitate reception of the cam 95 within the recess 76 as the
second end section 75 of the latch 71 is moved into the
latch-receiving slot 83. Accordingly, after the end section 75 has
been moved into the latch-receiving slot 83 and is in the position
shown in FIG. 3, the free end 102 of the lever arm 98 can be moved
in the direction indicated by arrow 104 from an unlatched position
to a latching position shown by phantom lines at 106 in FIGS. 3 and
4. When this is done, the cam 95 is laterally displaced relative to
the pivot axis 100 of the pin 94 such that the second base 81 is
moved toward the first base 61 or vice versa to bring, draw, or
force the edges of the table tops 13 and 14 into tight mating
engagement, that is to say, to draw table top 13 toward table top
14 as indicated by the arrow 109 in FIG. 4.
As best shown in FIG. 4, the offset portions 62 and 82 of the first
and second bases 61 and 81, respectively, are offset from the
attachment surfaces 65 and 85 a predetermined distance essentially
equal to the thickness of the latch 71. Stated otherwise, the
thickness of the latch 71 is essentially the same as the width of
each of the slots 63 and 83. In this way, a close, if not snug, fit
of the latch 71 within the slots 63 and 83 is obtained so that when
juxtaposed edges of the table tops 13 and 14 are drawn into tight
mating engagement, the undersides 23 and 24 of the table tops 13
and 14 are drawn into generally planar alignment. As a result, if
the table tops 13 and 14 have the same thickness, as is the case
for the table tops 13 and 14 illustrated in the drawings, movement
of the second section 75 of the latch 71 into the latch-receiving
opening 83 of the second member 22, followed by rotation of the
lever arm 98 to move the base 61 and 81 toward each other, will
serve or function to level the upper surfaces 113 and 114 of the
table tops 13 and 14.
Preferably, and as best shown in FIG. 2, base 81 has a small
projection or protuberance 118 extending from the outer face of the
offset portion 82. This protuberance 118 on the base 81 obstructs
slightly the movement of the lever arm 98 which must be forced past
the protuberance 118 when it is moved in the direction indicated by
the arrow 104. As a result, the protuberance 118 serves as a means
for retaining the lever arm 98 in its unlatched position shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fasteners 68 and 88 received in the
openings 67 and 87, respectively, serve to securely fasten the
bases 61 and 81 to the respective undersides 23, 24 of the table
tops 13, 14. Also, it will be apparent that the fastening and
leveling device 20 of the present invention is of simple
construction including (a) two generally identical bases 61 and 81,
(b) the latch 71 which is connected in a simple manner to the base
61 merely by being placed in the slot 63 prior to the fastening of
the base 61 to the underside of a table top, and (c) the cam 95
operated by the lever arm 98 pivotally mounted to the base 81. The
cam 95 and pin 94 can be integrally formed. Then the pin can be
inserted through the aperture 93 and into an opening in the end 96
of the lever arm 98 where it is welded in place. Preferably, the
above mentioned parts of the device 20 are made of metal although
other materials exhibiting suitable strength may be used in place
thereof.
The fastening device 20 of the present invention can be utilized in
other applications besides the primary application of fastening two
table top panels. For example, the fastening device 20 of the
present invention can be utilized for fastening plywood panels of
cement forming structures which need to be fastened in tight mating
engagement and leveled or aligned to provide smooth continuous side
walls in a cement form between which cement is poured and then
allowed to set when forming the foundation for a building.
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the
fastening device of the present invention has numerous advantages
and applications, some of which have been described above and
others of which are inherent in the invention. Accordingly, the
scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the
accompanying claims.
* * * * *