U.S. patent number 3,783,801 [Application Number 05/258,732] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-08 for article of furniture.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Emco Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Gerald Engman.
United States Patent |
3,783,801 |
Engman |
January 8, 1974 |
ARTICLE OF FURNITURE
Abstract
An article of furniture comprised of a number of individually
available pieces which may be assembled in any fashion by the
purchaser, then disassembled and reassembled as a different article
of furniture, and which includes a side wall unit having one or
more vertical grooves therein for combination with a rear wall, and
being connectable with other elements by a single male-dual female
connecting unit.
Inventors: |
Engman; Gerald (Des Moines,
IA) |
Assignee: |
Emco Industries, Inc. (Des
Moines, IA)
|
Family
ID: |
22981900 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/258,732 |
Filed: |
June 1, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/60; 211/188;
108/190 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
87/0223 (20130101); A47B 87/0215 (20130101); A47B
2230/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
87/02 (20060101); A47B 87/00 (20060101); A47b
057/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/60,111,114
;312/107,108,257R ;211/148 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mitchell; James C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: H. Robert Henderson et al.
Claims
I claim:
1. In an article of furniture comprising a plurality of upright
elements forming posts, a plurality of horizontally disposed
elements forming shelves, and means connecting the posts and the
shelves to form a stable article, an improvement comprising:
a flat, rectangular member having a quartet of straight front,
rear, top and bottom edges defining a pair of parallel, flat side
surfaces, and at least one straight groove formed in one of said
side surfaces parallel to and adjacent said rear edge,
one or more of said members retained by the connecting means in an
upright manner between the shelves and forming one or more walls
thereby,
and further wherein said connecting means comprising a first part
having an internally threaded bore formed therein, said first part
inserted into the upper portion of a post, and another first part
inserted into the lower portion of an element, and comprises also a
second part having an externally threaded surface, said second part
extended through a shelf and in threaded engagement with both said
first parts.
2. In an article of furniture as defined in claim 1, and further
wherein a pair of said members are horizontally spaced from each
other and are interconnected by an element having a tongue at each
end, each tongue engaged with a groove.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The provision of do-it-yourself components for persons who desire,
for one reason or another, to build their own articles of furniture
is of course known. The conventional arrangement takes the form of
room dividers, shelf groupings, and coffee tables and the like.
These arrangements include a plurality of spindles, shelves, and
connecting units. To applicant's knowledge, missing from this prior
art is the provision of vertical members whereby walls, cabinets,
drawers and the like may be included. One reason believed for the
absence of this additional article of furniture from the
do-it-yourself components was the lack of a suitable connecting
unit therefor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An article of furniture comprising legs or other supports, one or
more shelves, posts, and at least a pair of upright walls with or
without a connecting wall which form at least a partial enclosure,
and all connected by a single male-dual female connecting unit, the
female part of which may be factory installed for ease of assembly
in the home.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved article of
furniture.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and novel
wall unit for a spindle-modular shelf assembly of conponents
particularly adapted for do-it-yourself assembly.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a wall unit
in combination with a new and novel connector unit whereby the wall
connection is secure and the joint connection is completely hidden,
thus enhancing the beauty of the article of furniture.
It is another object of this invention to provide a wall unit in an
article of furniture which is capable of fulfilling the above
designated objectives, and which unit is simple, economical and
efficient.
These objects and other features and advantages of this invention
will become readily apparent upon reference to the following
description when taken in conjunction with the following
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of furniture embodying
this invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along the
line 2--2 in FIG. 1, and using dotted lines for clarification of
features of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken
along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2, and showing certain parts in section
with others not enlarged for clarity of the invention; and
FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded view of an insert part of a
connector unit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the article of
furniture of this invention is illustrated at 10 in FIG. 1. It
comprises a plurality of legs or supports 11, horizontally disposed
shelves 12, upright spindle posts 13, a pair of upright outer walls
14 (See FIG. 2), an intermediate wall 15, and a plurality of ball
finials 16, all interconnected by a plurality of connector units
17.
The supports 11, shelves 12, posts 13, and finials 16 are identical
and further explanation is believed unnecessary. It will be noted
in FIG. 3 that when assembled the shelves 12 are reversed so that
their shoulders 27 mate as illustrated, with their square outer
ends 26 exposed. The connector units 17 are also identical and only
one will be described. Each unit 17 is comprised of a pair inserts
18 of identical nature, and a connector 19.
Each insert 18 is comprised of a cylindrical body 21 having a
slightly enlarged head 22 at one end thereof which has a smooth
exterior surface. An internally threaded bore 23 (FIG. 3) is formed
along the longitudinal axis of the insert 18 and extends its entire
length thereof. As best shown in FIG. 4, the exterior surface of
the insert is formed by a plurality of vertically contiguous
circular bands 62 slanted downwardly and inwardly from a shoulder
63 at each top edge thereof, and to which are added a plurality of
vertical ribs 64. It can readily be seen that these elements do not
intefere with insertion of an insert into a socket or hole, but do
tend to prevent removal therefrom and rotation therein during
use.
The connector 19 is externally threaded at 24 its entire length; is
of a solid nature, and has a length approximately twice the length
of an insert 18. The cross sectional diameter of the connector 19
is such that it may readily be threaded into and out of the
internally threaded bore 23 of an insert 18.
The inserts 18 and connectors 19 of this invention are of a molded,
polymeric material which is relatively hard, but very easy to work
with. For example, the connectors 19 can be threaded by hand into
the inserts 18 while still obtaining a sufficient threaded
connection to satisfy the requirements of the usual
"do-it-yourself" person. It has been found that this type of
connection does not lend itself to a "locking" as do metal or other
connections, such that after long usage, the connecting elements
can be disconnected, or unthreaded one from another, with ease.
Each outer wall 14 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is rectangular, having top,
bottom, front and rear edges defining flat side surfaces 29, with a
straight, upright groove 28 formed in the inner surface adjacent
the rear edge 31 (FIG. 2). In assembly, it will be noted that the
grooves 28 of the outer walls 14 face each other.
The intermediate wall 15 is substantially identical with the outer
walls 14, however a pair of straight, upright grooves 32a and 32b
are formed, respectively, in the side surfaces 33 and 34 of wall 15
adjacent the rear edge 36 thereof.
It will be understood that prior to assembly of the shelf-cabinet
arrangement 10 illustrated herein, the female inserts have usually
been installed at the factory, although not necessarily. As
illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper end of each support 11 has been
drilled to form a first hole 37 of approximately 3/4 inch in
diameter and one and 1/4 inch in depth. Then a second hole 38 was
formed concentric with the first hole 37 but one inch in diameter
and 1/8 inch in depth. An insert 18 was then driven into the holes
until the head 22 thereof fit snugly into the countersunk area 38,
and with the external threads of the body 21 digging into the sides
of the first hole 37 to form a very tight fit therewith.
A hole 39 of approximately 3/4 inch is then drilled at each of the
four corners of each shelf 12, and whereby when the shelves are
assembled as illustrated in FIG. 3, the holes 39 within the mating
shoulders 27 are vertically aligned, and align with the holes 37
and 38 of the supports 11.
The arrangement of the spindle posts 13 and the shelves 12 may be
continued as illustrated, with the insertion in each facing dual
female insert pair of a male connector 19. Thus as seen in FIG. 3,
the connector 19 is threaded at one end into the insert 18 of the
support 11, and at the other end into the lower insert 18 of the
spindle 13, while passing through the mated shelf shoulders 27.
The walls 14 and 15, however, replace a sextet of spindles 13. Each
wall has a pair of horizontally spaced hole-insert units 43,
identical to the holes 41 and 42, and insert 18 secured therein of
the spindles 13, formed in the upper and lower edges, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus, the connector 19a from the upper part of each
spindle 13 is threadably inserted into each hole-insert unit 43 on
the bottom edge 44 of each wall, and the connector 19b from the
hole-insert unit 43 in the upper edge 45 of each wall extends
upwardly through the shelf shoulders 27 thereabove to the spindle
13a of the next higher group of spindles.
A flat, four sided rear wall member 46 having a pair of tongues 47
(FIG. 2) may be inserted in place, with each tongue 47 engaged in a
respective groove 28 and 32a, or 28 and 32b, thereby completing a
three sided enclosure.
A closure 48 hinged at 49 to the front edge of a shelf, provided
with a latching knob 51 may be provided for a desk arrangement when
open; and also a pair of doors 52, hinged at 53 to adjacent walls
14 and 15, with knobs 54, may be provided for completing the
enclosure.
It may readily be seen that by replacing spindles with the
aforementioned walls, a completely new and different modular
arrangement of infinitely more utility and design graciousness is
provided.
Although the preferred embodiment of the holes 37 and 41 are shown
in the cross section of FIG. 3, wherein these holes are
approximately one and one quarter inch in depth, another version is
shown by the use of dotted lines in the wall arrangement to the
left thereof as viewed in FIG. 3. Rather than have a pair of
vertically aligned holes as at 41, a single hole 56 is formed
completely through the wall 14, but still with the countersunk
holes 42 at each end thereof for receiving the enlarged head 22 of
each insert 18.
* * * * *