U.S. patent number 3,583,780 [Application Number 04/847,217] was granted by the patent office on 1971-06-08 for paneled furniture assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Integral Cubics Inc.. Invention is credited to Irving L. Berkowitz.
United States Patent |
3,583,780 |
Berkowitz |
June 8, 1971 |
PANELED FURNITURE ASSEMBLY
Abstract
This device comprises a number of panels that can be assembled
in various ways without screws or other fasteners to provide a
piece of furniture, boxlike in shape that can be stacked. In one
form of the invention it is provided with a door. It can be used as
a storage cabinet for liquor, records, books, towels, linen or
other articles or to enclose a radio speaker. A table top can be
placed on two of these devices to make a table.
Inventors: |
Berkowitz; Irving L.
(Binghamton, NY) |
Assignee: |
Integral Cubics Inc. (Long
Island City, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
25300094 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/847,217 |
Filed: |
August 4, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
87/00 (20130101); A47B 47/042 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
87/00 (20060101); A47B 47/04 (20060101); A47B
47/00 (20060101); A47b 087/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;312/108 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lawson; Patrick D.
Claims
I claim:
1. A knockdown article of furniture comprising a pair of spaced
side panels, top and bottom panels, said side panels having upper
and lower interengaging means removably interengaging with
complementary interengaging means at the ends of the top and bottom
panels, respectively and means disposed between said top and bottom
panels to exert resilient upward pressure of the interengaging
means of the ends of the top panel against the upper interengaging
means of the side panels and to exert resilient downward pressure
of the interengaging means at the ends of the bottom panel on the
lower interengaging means of said side panels, to retain said side,
top and bottom panels in assembled relation.
2. The combination of claim 1, said disposed between means
comprising a vertical panel and pieces of resilient material, means
to fix said pieces to the upper and lower ends of said vertical
panel and said pieces being under compression and pressing against
the inner surfaces of said top and bottom panels when said panels
are assembled.
3. The combination of claim 2, said pieces of resilient material
comprising pegs, said vertical panel having holes in its upper and
lower ends receiving portions of said pegs and comprising said
means to fix said pieces to said vertical panel, with portions of
said pegs projecting beyond said ends of said vertical panel and
engaging said top and bottom panels and being under
compression.
4. The combination of claim 1, said interengaging means of said
side panels comprising cutaway receiving means opening inwardly,
and said complementary interengaging means on said top and bottom
panels comprising outwardly extending end extensions at the ends of
said top and bottom panels received in said receiving means.
5. The combination of claim 4, said disposed between means
comprising a vertical panel and pieces of resilient material, means
to fix said pieces to the upper and lower ends of said vertical
panel and said pieces being under compression and pressing against
the inner surfaces of said top and bottom panels.
6. The combination of claim 5, said pieces of resilient material
comprising pegs, said vertical panel having holes in its upper and
lower ends receiving portions of said pegs and comprising said
means to fix said pieces to said vertical panel, with portions of
said pegs projecting beyond said ends of said vertical panel and
engaging said top and bottom panels and being under
compression.
7. The combination of claim 2, and a door hinged to the front edge
of one of said side panels.
8. The combination of claim 7, said door comprising a door panel,
hinges fixed to the top and bottom panels and having hinge pins
removably journaled in holes formed in the upper and lower edges of
said door panel.
9. The combination of claim 8, said pieces of resilient material
comprising pegs, said vertical panel having holes in its upper and
lower ends receiving portions of said pegs and comprising said
means to fix said pieces to said vertical panel, with portions of
said pegs projecting beyond said ends of vertical panel and
engaging said top and bottom panels and being under
compression.
10. The combination of claim 9, said interengaging means of said
side panels comprising cutaway receiving means opening inwardly,
and said complementary interengaging means on said top and bottom
panels comprising outwardly extending end extensions at the ends of
said top and bottom panels received in said receiving means.
11. The combination of claim 2, said vertical panel being located
at the rear ends of said top, bottom and side panels, the distance
between the inner surfaces of said side panels being one or more
times the distance from the front to rear edges of said top and
bottom panels.
12. The combination of claim 2, rear edges of said top, bottom and
side panels being disposed in one vertical plane, the front edges
of said top, bottom and side panels being located in another
vertical plane, said side panels being parallel, said top and
bottom panels being parallel.
13. The combination of claim 12, the distance between the inner
surfaces of said side panels being one or more times the distance
between the front and rear edges of said top and bottom panels.
14. The combination of claim 13, said interengaging means on said
side panels comprising horizontal grooves spaced from the upper and
lower edges of said side panels, said interengaging means on said
top and bottom panels comprising end portions of said top and
bottom panels received in said grooves.
15. The combination of claim 14, said grooves terminating short of
the front and rear edges of said side panels, and said top and
bottom panels having right angular corner notches to provide said
end portions of said top and bottom panels which are received in
said grooves, and abutment surfaces to engage inner surfaces of
said side panels.
16. The combination of claim 15, and a door hinged to the front
edge of one of said side panels, said door comprising a door panel,
hinges fixed to the top and bottom panels and having hinge pins
removably journaled in holes formed in the upper and lower edges of
said door panel.
17. The combination of claim 16, said side panels being square, and
all said panels being of equal thickness.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to assembled furniture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Knockdown furniture is generally known.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide an assembled piece of
furniture of the character described comprising a pair of parallel
side panels having means to receive the ends of a pair of parallel
top and bottom panels and a single panel disposed between said side
panels, and between said top and bottom panels, and having means
resiliently pressing in opposite directions against the top and
bottom panels respectively, to cause said ends of the top and
bottom panels to press against the receiving means on said side
panels in opposite directions, respectively, whereby to retain all
said panels in assembly relation.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a piece of
furniture of the character described in which the side panels are
similar, and the top and bottom panels are similar and in which the
length of said panels from front to rear is similar and equal to
the distance which separates the side panels in the assembled piece
of furniture.
Another object of this invention is to provide an assembled piece
of furniture of the character described, in which the means on the
single panel to press against the top and bottom panels, comprises
resilient means fixed to the upper and lower ends of said single
panel.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an assembled
piece of furniture of the character described, provided with a door
to close said piece of furniture.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a piece of
furniture of the character described in which the single panel can
be placed in various planes at right angles to said top, bottom and
side panels.
A further object of this invention is to provide an assembled piece
of furniture of the character described that can be stacked, one on
top of another, with a side of the upper piece at the front and
rear of the lower piece, and with said upper piece disposed between
extension on the lower piece and having extensions disposed on
opposite sides of the lower piece.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an assembled
piece of furniture of the character described, which is
substantially twice as wide as it is deep, and can be stacked by
placing two of said pieces on two of said lower pieces at right
angles thereto.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a strong,
compact and durable construction of the character described which
shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to set up and
disassemble, which may be compactly shipped, which shall have a
great variety of uses, which can be made of a variety of materials
and finished in a variety of colors, and which shall yet be
practical and efficient to a high degree in use.
Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part
hereinafter pointed out.
The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,
combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be
exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which
the scope of invention will be indicated in the following
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a piece of furniture
embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled piece of
furniture;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a pair of pieces of furniture shown
in FIG. 2, stacked one on the other;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a pair of spaced-apart pieces
of furniture shown in FIG. 2, with a table top thereon; and
FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating two pairs of pieces of
furniture embodying a modified form of the invention, with one pair
stacked on another pair.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now in detail to the drawing and particularly to FIGS. 1
to 9, 10 designates a piece of furniture embodying the invention.
The same comprises a pair of similar, symmetrically disposed side
panels 11 square in shape, each having upper and lower edges 11a, a
front edge 11b and a rear edge 11c. Said panels have inner faces
11d. Said panels are formed at their inner faces 11d with
horizontal grooves 11e extending from front to rear and equally
spaced from the edges 11a and terminating short of the front and
rear edges 11b, 11c. Said grooves are of equal depth throughout.
The width of the grooves is same as the thickness of the panels.
The ends of the grooves may be round because of the tool used to
make the grooves. The grooves may be spaced from the adjacent upper
and lower edges by a distance equal to the width of the
grooves.
Said piece of furniture 10 further comprises upper and lower
similar panels 12 of same thickness as panels 11 and having front
edges 12a parallel to rear edges 12b and parallel sides edges 12c.
Said panels 12 have front rectangular corner notches 13 similar to
and symmetrical with rear corner notches 13, thus forming abutment
edges 14 running from front to rear and intersecting edges 15 at
right angles thereto. Thus the length of edges 12c between edges 15
is less than the distance between edges 12a, 12b. the length of
edges 15 is equal to the depth of grooves 11e. The length of edges
12c is such that said edge portions can be received in grooves 11e
and contact the inner surfaces of the grooves. The length of edges
12c is less than the length of grooves 11e to permit insertion.
Edges 14 contact the inner surfaces of panels 11. The distance
between the edges 14 on one side of the panel 12 and the edges 14
on the other side of said panel is equal to the distance from edge
12a to edge 12b of said panel. Thus, the distance between the inner
surfaces of panels 11 is equal to the depth of the panels 11, 12
from front to rear, when edge portions 12c are fully inserted into
grooves 11c and contact the bottoms 11f of the grooves, and
shoulders 14 contact the inner surfaces 11d of said panels 11.
Said panels 11, 12 are held in assembled condition by means of a
rear panel 20 disposed vertically and having parallel upper and
lower edges 20a and parallel side edges 20b. Said panel 20 may be
of the same thickness as panels 11, 12. The width of panel 20
between edges 20b is substantially one-eighth inch less than the
width of edges 12a, 12b between adjacent edges 14 to provide a
clearance. The height of panel 20 between edges 20a is about
one-eighth inch less than the distance between the inner surfaces
of the panels 12, and hence between the two grooves 11e of one of
the panels 11. Said rear panel 20 may fit between panels 11 as well
as between panels 12. The rear surface 20c of panel 20 may be flush
with rear edges 12b of panels 12 and with rear edges 11c of panels
11.
Said panel 20 is formed, adjacent the ends of its upper and lower
edges 20a, with pairs of vertical short blind openings 22 receiving
pegs or pins 23 of resilient plastic such as polyethylene, which
pegs project about one-eighth inch beyond said edges.
Since the clearance between both edges 20a and the inner surfaces
of panels 12 is about one-eighth inch and since the pegs project
one-eighth inch each beyond said edges, said pins are each
compressed about one-sixteenth inch to get the panel 20 inbetween
panels 12. This compression by pressure, friction and resilience,
presses the panels 12 in opposite directions, away from each other
and against the upper edges 11g of the upper grooves 11e and
against the lower edges 11h of the lower grooves 11e. The panels
11, 12, 20 are thereby clamped in assembled relation for use as an
assembly.
It will be observed that panel 20, instead of being at the rear of
device 10 may be placed in any plane between the rear and front of
said device, and may be either at right angles to panels 11, 12 or
at an inclination to panels 11. The device 10 may be used with only
panels 11, 12 and 20 assembled as described, if desired, to store
things therein, or to be sat upon like a stool, or both.
However, a front door 30 may be employed, The front door 30 may
comprise a front door panel 31. The door panel 31 is rectangular
and has a height of about one-sixteenth inch less than the length
of side edges 20b of rear panel 20, and a width of about
one-sixteenth inch less than the length of top and bottom edges 20a
of said rear panel.
Thus, door panel 31 has upper and lower edges 31a and side edges
31b. It may be of the same thickness as panels 11,12,20. It has an
inner surface 31c and an outer surface 31d. Means is provided to
hinge said panel 31 to the top and bottom panels 12. To this end
the upper and lower edges 31a of said door panel 31 are formed,
adjacent one side edge 31c with drilled blind, aligned bores or
openings 32. Attached to the undersurface of top panel 12 and to
the upper surface of lower panel 12, as by screws 33, are brackets
or plates 34 carrying pins 35 riveted thereto and removably
journaled in said holes 32. Said plates 34 may be disposed at right
angles to the door when said door is closed. Thus, the door may be
swung open or closed about the axis of aligned hinge pins 35.
A stop 36 may be fixed to the underside of the top panel 12 by a
screw 37, to be disposed in position to limit movement of the door
in closing direction, to fully closed position at right angles to
aide panels 11.
A hollow knob 40 may be force fitted into a bore 41 in door panel
31 to facilitate opening and closing of the door.
It will be noted that a pair of devices 10 may be conveniently
stacked one on top of the other, as shown in FIG. 9, without danger
of the top one slipping off. They are stacked with the lower ends
of the side panels 11 of the upper device 10, projecting down and
straddling the upper top panel 12 so as to overlap and engage the
front and rear edges 12a of the top panel of the lower device 10.
At the same time, the upper ends of side panels 11 of the lower
device 10 overlap and engage the front and rear edges of the lower
panel 12 of the upper device 10.
The distance between side panels 12 being equal to the distance
between front and rear edges of panels 11, the stacking fit is
snug.
In FIG. 10 two spaced devices 10 are interconnected by a table top
50 to provide a table or desk.
The table top 50 may be attached to or fitted onto said devices 10
in any suitable manner.
In FIG. 11 there is shown devices 10a embodying a modified form of
the invention. The device 10a is similar to the device 10 except
that the devices are longer from side to side and it has two doors
30 instead of one. The side panels 11 are same as in device 10. The
top panels 60 are provided with notches 13 at the corners, same as
in panel 12, providing edges 14, 15, and end portions which are
received in grooves like grooves 11e. The doors are hinged at their
outer ends and swing in. Stops like stops 36 are provided for both
doors. The rear member 61 is like rear member 20, except that it is
longer, that is slightly less in length than the distance between
side panels 11 of device 10a.
The distance between the inner faces of side panels 11 of device
10a is twice the distance between edges 12a and 12b of panel 12, so
that two devices 10a can be stacked in side by side, aligned
relation, on top of two lower devices 10a which are in side by side
relation, as shown in FIG. 11. Here, too, the lower ends of side
panels 11 of the upper two devices 10a project down and engage or
overlap the upper ends of the front and rear faces of the lower two
devices 10a. Also, the upper ends of the side panels 11 of the
lower two devices 10a project up and engage or overlap the lower
ends of the front and rear faces of the upper two devices 10a.
Two of said panels 20 may be employed if desired.
All the panels may be made of wood, plastic, metal or composition
and may be finished in a variety of colors.
It will thus be seen that there is provided an article in which the
several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well
adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.
As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and
as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set
forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or
shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as
illustrative only.
* * * * *