U.S. patent number 3,568,967 [Application Number 04/814,643] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-09 for modular furniture base.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Krueger Metal Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Ronald T. Furtak, Robert W. Schier.
United States Patent |
3,568,967 |
Furtak , et al. |
March 9, 1971 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
MODULAR FURNITURE BASE
Abstract
Furniture items are mounted on a support bar which is carried by
a plurality of base assemblies each including feet and an upright
leg and a bar supporting channel, the leg having fairing strips at
opposite sides thereof merging with the feet and the bar supporting
fitting and interlocked with the feet of the fitting to be retained
in position without separate connection.
Inventors: |
Furtak; Ronald T. (Chicago,
IL), Schier; Robert W. (Glenview, IL) |
Assignee: |
Krueger Metal Products, Inc.
(Green Bay, WI)
|
Family
ID: |
25215616 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/814,643 |
Filed: |
April 9, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/188.1;
297/232 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
91/00 (20130101); A47C 11/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
91/00 (20060101); A47C 11/00 (20060101); F16m
011/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/163,165,188.1,188.7
;108/150,156 ;297/232,248 ;52/727,728 ;312/204 ;287/189.3 (G)/ |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
623,147 |
|
1961 |
|
IT |
|
691,838 |
|
Aug 1964 |
|
CA |
|
1,465,265 |
|
Nov 1966 |
|
FR |
|
Primary Examiner: Parsons, Jr.; Marion
Claims
We claim:
1. A furniture base made up of interlocking sections including a
foot section with divergent feet, a top section, a leg tube
telescopically engaged with dowel portions with which the foot
section and top section are respectively provided, and
channel-shaped fairing elements engaged with opposite sides of the
said tube and having terminal interlocking connection both with the
foot section, together with means for holding foot and top sections
in assembly with said leg tube and in engagement through said
interlocking connection with said fairing elements for holding said
elements in position. 2A furniture base according to claim 1 in
which each of said fairing elements has sides from which flanges
project inwardly, the said sections having transverse flanges
engaged with the said flanges of said fairing elements to provide
the interlocking
connection aforesaid. 3. A furniture base according to claim 2 in
which the cross section of the respective fairing units merges with
and matches
the cross section of the foot section. 4. A furniture base
comprising a foot casting having forwardly and rearwardly extending
foot portions and provided between said portion with an upwardly
extending dowel having a generally horizontal shoulder at each side
thereof and an upstanding flange projecting from the shoulder and
spaced from the dowel, a leg tube telescopically received upon the
dowel, a top casting having dowel telescopically engaged within the
leg tube and provided with outwardly projecting shoulders having
flanges spaced from the dowel and the leg tube, said top casting
including bar supporting means, channel-shaped fairing members
embracing the leg tube at opposite side thereof and registering at
their lower ends with the shoulders of said foot casting, said
fairing members having their sides provided with oppositely
directed flanges interlockingly engaged with the flanges projecting
from the respective shoulders with which the foot casting and the
top casting are provided, and means for detachably connecting the
top casting and the foot casting to said leg tube whereby
interlocking connection of said flanges holds the fairing members
in assembly.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
In many modular furniture bases, the leg and feet and bar support
are made in one piece.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The instant construction makes it possible to provide separate
castings and other parts which are made of material best suited for
their particular function and interlockingly connected in a manner
which is simple and convenient and provides unusually strong
support for the bar upon which the furniture units are mounted. It
enables generally standard parts to be used for making a base of
any desired height merely by selecting leg elements of appropriate
length.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a modular furniture
assembly.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing perspective the mutually
separated components of such an assembly.
FIG. 3 is a view partially in end elevation and partially in
vertical front to rear section, showing one of the base units as
assembled.
FIG. 4 is a detail view taken in section on the line 4-4 if FIG.
3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The so-called modular furniture generally comprises a supporting
bar 10 upon which fittings 12 are mounted for connection with seats
14, these being representative of various furniture elements
usually carried in spaced relation on bar 10.
As herein shown, each of the supports for the bar 10 comprises a
foot casting 20 which may include in one piece feet 22 and 24
extending in a direction from front to rear beneath the bar 10. The
foot members 22 and 24 are so formed as to appear to extend
upwardly at the center beneath the 10. At their apparent juncture,
, there is a heavy dowel member 26 extending upwardly directly
beneath the bar (FIG. 3). At each side of the dowel member 26, the
casting 20 is provided with a shoulder 28 on which there is an
upstanding flange 30 spaced from the dowel member 26.
Telescoped onto the dowel member 26 is the leg tube 32 which may be
of any desired length. One of the advantages of the invention is to
enable the height of the support to be determined at will, or
modified, according to the length of a selected tube 32. Telescoped
into the tube at its upper end is another dowel member 34 which
extends downwardly from a fitting 36 equipped with a channel 38 for
the bar 10. The fitting 36 has a shoulder at 40 supported on the
upper end of the leg tube 32 and provided at both sides of the leg
tube with a flange 44.
Bolts are sued to connect the leg tube 32 to the upper and lower
dowels 34 and 26. These bolts may be inserted from the front as
indicated at 46 in FIG. 3 or may be inserted from the side as
indicated at 48. The lateral location is preferred for the bolts at
the top of the leg in order to facilitate assembly and disassembly.
The location shown at 46 is preferred for the bolts at the bottom
of the leg because these bolts are concealed by the fairing member
presently to be described.
The two fairing members 50 are substantially identical. The cross
section of each is made to merge with the cross section of the
individual feet as clearly appears in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each of the
fairing members 50 comprises a channel having an ornamental rib at
52 aligned with the corresponding rib 54 on the respective foot.
From the sides of the channel, the flanges 56 project inwardly. The
ribs or flanges 30 of the foot member 20 are engaged behind these
flanges 56 of each fairing member 50 near the bottom of the leg and
similar flanges 44 are interlocking engaged with flanges 56 of
members 50 near the top of the leg. When the screw 48 are in place,
they are practically invisible between the front and rear fairing
elements 50, and screws 46 are completely concealed.
When the screws 48 are removed, the upper dowel fitting 36 and bar
supporting channel 38 as part thereof can readily be lifted from
the leg tube 32 and this exposes the upper ends of the respective
fairing members 50. Thereupon the upper ends 50' of these fairing
members may readily be swung outwardly as indicated in dotted lines
in FIG. 3 to facilitate their being lifted from interlocking
engagement with the foot unit 20. As soon as the front fairing
member 50 is removed, the screws 46 are exposed and may be
withdrawn to permit the leg tube to be lifted from dowel 26.
Reassembly is equally simple. The leg tube 32 is first telescoped
onto the dowel portion 26 of the foot unit 20 and is anchored by
screw 46. Thereupon the fairing elements 50 are applied by
interlocking their lower ends with the flanges 30 which project
upwardly from the shoulders 28 of the foot unit 20. With the lower
ends of the fairing members thus anchored, they are pivoted toward
the full line positions best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. With the
fairing members upright, each will partially embrace the leg tube
32.
The top unit 36 is then applied by telescoping its dowel portion 34
into the leg tube, and hooking its flanges 44 over the flanges 56
which project inwardly from the channeled fairing members 50. This
holds the fairing members at their upper ends. The interlocking
connection is then made permanent by application of the bolts
48.
The base is now complete and the bar 10 or other furniture support
may be mounted, as by the bar in the channel 38.
* * * * *