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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A knock-down support comprising a pair of frames, each frame being
constructed from a plurality of interconnected relatively movable rods,
each frame being foldable from a collapsed inoperative condition to an
erected operative condition in generally spaced upstanding adjacent
relationship to each other, each frame including a pair of upper corners
the upper corners of said frames being generally aligned to define a pair
of frame connecting corners, a rail spanning each pair of frame connecting
corners, means for removably connecting each rail to its associated pair
of frame connecting corners to thereby stabilize said frames in the
erected operative condition thereof each frame including a second pair of
upper corners, another rail spanning each second pair of upper corners,
and other means for removably connecting each another rail to its
associated second pair of upper corners.
2. The knock-down support as defined in claim 1 wherein said other
removable connecting means include cooperative male and female connecting
elements.
3. The knock-down support as defined in claim 1 wherein said other
removable connecting means include cooperative male and female connecting
elements, said male elements being hooks and said female elements
including pintles engaged by said hooks.
4. The knock-down support as defined in claim 1 wherein said other
removavle connecting means include a separate connector at each of said
second pair of upper corners, means for pivotally connecting selected ones
of said rods to each of said separate connectors, each separate connector
defining a pintle, and each another rail carrying a hook engaging an
associated pintle.
5. A knock-down support comprising a pair of frames, each frame being
constructed from a plurality of interconnected relatively movable rods,
each frame being foldable from a collapsed inoperative condition to an
erected operative condition in generally spaced upstanding adjacent
relationship to each other, each frame including a pair of upper corners,
the upper corners of said frames being generally aligned to define a pair
of frame connecting corners, a rail spanning each pair of frame connecting
corners, means for removably connecting each rail to its associated pair
of frame connecting corners to thereby stabilize said frames in the
erected operative condition thereof, said removable connecting means
including cooperative male and female connecting elements, means pivotally
connecting selected ones of said rods to selected ones of said male and
female connecting elements, each frame including a seond pair of upper
corners, another rail spanning each second pair of upper corners, and
other means for removably connecting each another rail to its associated
second pair of upper corners.
6. The knock-down support as defined in claim 5 wherein said other
removable connecting means include cooperative male and female connecting
elements, said male elements being hooks and said female elements
including pintles engaged by said hooks.
7. The knock-down support as defined in claim 5 wherein said other
removable connecting means include a separate connector at each of said
second pair of upper corners, means for pivotally connecting selected ones
of said rods to each of said separate connectors, each separate connector
defining a pintle, and each another rail carrying a hook engaging an
associated pintle.
8. A knock-down support comprising a pair of frames, each frame being
constructed from a plurality of interconnected relatively movable rods,
each frame being foldable from a collapsed inoperative condition to an
erected operative condition in generally spaced upstanding adjacent
relationship to each other, each frame including a pair of upper corners,
the upper corners of said frames being generally aligned to define a pair
of frame connecting corners, a rail spanning each pair of frame connecting
corners, means for removably connecting each rail to its associated pair
of frame connecting corners to thereby stabilize said frames in the
erected operative condition thereof, said removable connecting means
including a cooperative pair of male and female connecting elements
carried by each rail and a female connecting element carried by each frame
at each frame connecting corner, means for pivotally connecting selected
ones of said rods to said female connecting elements, each frame including
a second pair of upper corners, another rail spanning each second pair of
upper corners, and other means for removably connecting each another rail
to its associated second pair of upper corners.
9. The knock-down support as defined in claim 8 wherein said other
removable connecting means include cooperative male and female connecting
elements, said male elements being hooks and said female elements
including pintles engaged by said hooks.
10. The knock-down support as defined in claim 8 wherein said other
removable connecting means include a separate connector at each of said
second pair of upper corners, means for pivotally connecting selected ones
of said rods to each of said separate connectors, each separate connector
defining a pintle, and each another rail carrying a hook engaging an
associated pintle.
11. A knock-down support comprising a pair of frames, each frame being
constructed from a plurality of interconnected relatively movable rods,
each frame being foldable from a collapsed inoperative condition to an
erected operative condition in generally spaced upstanding adjacent
relationship to each other, each frame including two pairs of upper
corners with each pair being defined by inner and outer upper corners,
said upper corners of said frames being generally alinged with inner upper
corners of said frames being adjacent each other and outer upper corners
of said frames being remote from each other, a rail spanning each of said
upper corners, first means for removably connecting each rail to its
associated inner upper corners, and second means for removably connecting
each rail to its associated outer upper corners.
12. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 including means for
effecting locking of each frame in the erected operative condition
thereof.
13. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 including means for
effecting self-locking of each frame in the erected operative condition
thereof.
14. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said first
removable connecting means include cooperative male and female connecting
elements.
15. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male and female connecting
elements.
16. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said first and
second removable connecting means both include cooperative male and female
connecting elements.
17. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said outer upper corners.
18. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said outer upper corners, said male connecting elements are
hooks and said female connecting elements include pintles.
19. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said outer upper corners, said female connecting elements each
include a separate connector carrying a pintle and a post, a ring at each
outer upper corner, means pivotally connecting other selected ones of said
rods to said rings, said posts being received in said rings, and said male
connecting elements being hooks engaging said pintles.
20. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said frist
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said inner upper corners.
21. The knock-down support as defined in claim 20 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said outer upper corners.
22. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said first
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said inner upper corners, means pivotally connecting selected
ones of said rods to said female connecting elements, and said female
connecting elements are rings.
23. The knock-down support as defined in claim 22 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said outer upper corners.
24. The knock-down support as defined in claim 11 wherein said first
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said inner upper corners, and means pivotally connecting
selected ones of said rods to said female connecting elements.
25. The knock-down support as defined in claim 24 wherein said second
removable connecting means include cooperative male connecting elements
carried by said rails and female connecting elements carried by said
frames at said outer upper corners.
26. The knock-down support as defined in claim 25 wherein said
last-mentioned male connecting elements are hooks, and said last-mentioned
female connecting elements include pintles.
27. The knock-down support as defined in claim 26 wherein said
last-mentioned female connecting elements each include a separate
connector carrying said pintles and a post, a ring at each outer upper
corner, means pivotally connecting other selected ones of said rods to
said rings, said posts being received in said rings, and said male
connecting elements being hooks engaging said pintles. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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The present invention is directed to a novel knock-down support,
particularly a knock-down table, and several of the components thereof are
modules or substructures of other commonly assigned inventions of Theodore
R. Zeigler, as, for example, those components, modules or substructures
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,280,521 entitled Hub Assembly for
Collapsible Structures which issued July 28, 1981; 4,290,244 entitled
Collapsible Self-Supporting Structures and Panels and Hub Therefor which
issued Sept. 22, 1981; 4,026,313 entitled Collapsible Self-Supporting
Structures issued May 31, 1971; and 3,968,808 entitled Collapsible
Self-Supporting Structures which issued July 13, 1976.
In accordance with the present invention, two assemblies or frames
corresponding to FIG. 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,244 are disposed in
side-by-side upstanding erected condition and a plurality of rails are
connected to rings or hubs at upper corners of the frames by male
fastening elements thereby imparting a general rectangular outline to the
structure which serves as a knock-down support susceptible to a variety of
different functions, particularly a table upon spanning the rails with a
suitable planar sheet material support surface or table top.
In further accordance with this invention, another object is that of
providing selected ones of the rails with axially aligned and oppositely
directed male connecting elements which engage in innermost or adjacent
rings or hubs of the frames and/or provide ends of the rails with male
elements in the form of hooks which engage pintles carried by separate
connectors which are in turn connected to outermost or remote hubs or
rings of the frames.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel knock-down
supportor table as aforesaid including a plurality of additional
stabilizing rails connected to and spanning the distance between the rails
carrying the male connecting elements to lend further stability to the
knock-down table and also function to confiningly locate the table top or
planar support in operative position atop and in generally spanning
relationship to the rails.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel knock-down
support or table as aforesaid wherein the table top is preferably
constructed from a plurality of narrow parallel strips joined by a
flexible sheet to permit the table top to be rolled and unrolled as
required.
With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the
nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to
the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several
views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a knock-down support or table constructed
in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the various components,
namely, two frames each carrying two connectors, two rails carrying male
and female connecting elements, four rails carrying male connecting
elements, and a rolled-up top.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the two frames in their
erected side-by-side position and the manner in which the various rails
are connected thereto and to each other.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the knock-down support or table, and
illustrates the manner in which the rails are interconnected to each other
and to the erected frames.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 3,
and illustrates additional details of one of the frames.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line 5--5 of FIG. 4, and
illustrates the manner in which the frames are disposed in side-by-side
spaced relationship while being interconnected and stabilized at the top
by the rails.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a corner of one of the frames,
and illustrates the manner in which several rails are connected thereto
and to each other.
FIG. 7 which appears on the sheet of drawings containing FIG. 5,
illustrates two of the knock-down tables of FIGS. 2 through 5 positioned
side-by-side and spanned by a single table top.
A novel knock-down support or table is generally designated by the
reference numeral 10 (FIGS. 2 through 5), and is formed from a plurality
of components shown in their disassembled condition in FIG. 1.
The components of the knock-down support or table 10, as shown in FIG. 1,
include two identical frames 11, 12 carrying respective connectors 13, 14
and 15, 16; two identical rails 17 and 18; four identical rails 21 through
24; and a rolled-up table top 25. The frames 11, 12 are illustrated in
FIG. 1 in their collapsed inoperative condition, and each can be set up to
their erected operative self-supporting condition (FIG. 2) incident to
connecting the rails 17, 18 and 21 through 24 thereto to form the
knock-down support upon which is unrolled the top 25 to form the
knock-down table 10 of FIGS. 2 through 5.
Inasmuch as the frames 11, 12 are identical, the following description of
the frame 11 is applicable to the frame 12 and like numerals have been
applied to the frame 12 as those applied to the frame 11 excpet the same
have been primed to indicate identity of structure.
The frame, assembly or section 11 includes a bottom horizontally disposed
pair of cross rods, rod elements or tubes 27, 28 pivotally connected at
29; a top pair of crossed rods, rod elements or tubes 31 or 32 likewise
pivoted to each other at 26; a pair of vertical crossed rods, rod elements
or tubes 33, 34 pivotally interconnected by a pivot path 35, and another
pair of vertical crossed rod, rod elements or tubes 36, 37 pivotally
connected at a pivot pin 38.
Four other pairs of crossed rods, rod elements or tubes are also pivotally
interconnected, namely, the rods 40, 41 pivotally connected at 42; the
rods 43, 44 pivotally connected at 45; the rods 46, 47 pivotally connected
at 48; and the rods 50, 51 pivotally connected at 52.
The rods are also connected to associated hubs 60 through 69 with details
of the construction of these hubs and their pivotal connection to the
associated rods being best illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,521 (FIGS. 3
and 5).
The hubs 60, 61, 62 and 63 lie in an essentially common plane in the
erected condition of the section 11 as do the hubs 64, 65, 66 and 67.
Thus, the planes of the hubs 60 through 63 and the hubs 64 through 67 are
generally spaced and in parallel relationship to each other, as is most
evident from FIG. 3 of the drawings. The hubs 60, 61, 62 and 63 are also
in front and in axial alignment with the respective hubs 64, 65, 66 and
67. All of the hubs 60 through 67 are generally annular shaped or define a
ring having a central opening O. The hubs 68, 69 are circular, do not have
an opening O, and are somewhat of a smaller diameter than the diameter of
the hubs 60 through 67. The hub 68 is, however, forward of and in axial
alignment with the hub 69.
The rods 33, 34 are connected at their uppermost ends (FIG. 2) to the
respective hubs 64, 60, and at their lower ends to the respective hubs 63,
67.
The rods 27, 28 are connected at their left ends (FIG. 2) to the respective
hubs 63, 67 and to the hubs 66, 62, respectively, at the right-hand ends
of these same rods.
The rods 36, 37 are connected at their lower ends, again in FIG. 1, to the
hubs 66, 62, respectively, and at their upper ends to the hubs 61, 65,
respectively.
The rods 31, 32 are connected at their left-hand ends to the hubs 64, 60,
respectively, and at their right-hand ends to the hubs 61, 63,
respectively.
The latter connections impart an overall generally polygonal or
square-shaped configuration to the overall frame 11 and, of course, to the
remaining frame 12.
Reference is now made to the centermost or internal four pairs of crossed
rods which all have ends at the hubs 68, 69.
The rods 40, 41 are connected at their uppermost ends to the respective
ends 64, 60 (FIG. 2) and at their lowermost ends to the hubs 68, 69.
The rods 50, 51 are connected at their lowermost ends to the respective
hubs 66, 62 and at their uppermost ends to the respective hubs 68, 69.
The rods 43, 44 are connected at their upper ends to the respective hubs
65, 66, and at their lower ends to the hubs 68, 69.
The rods 46, 47 are connected at their lower ends to the respective hubs
63, 67 and at their upper ends to the hubs 69, 68.
By virtue of the latter-noted construction of the frame 11, as well as the
identical frame 12 to which like numerals (though primed) have been added
(as earlier noted), the various rods interact when the frames 11, 12 are
moved from their collapsed position (FIG. 1) to their erected position
(FIGS. 2 through 5) such as to place the frames 11, 12 under cumulative
self-locking stress to hold the frames 11, 12 in their erected condition
(FIGS. 2 through 5). When the cumulative self-locking stresses are
released by essentially progressively manipulating the hubs 68, 69 and 68'
69' to progressively spread the same further apart, the sections 11, 12
automatically release and unlock and the frames collapse to their
collapsed position (FIG. 1). It is, of course, in the erected position
(FIGS. 2 through 5) in which the frames 11 and 12 form components of the
overall knock-down support or table 10. In the set-up or erected operative
condition of the frames 11, 12, the same are preferably positioned such
that their respective hubs 69, 69' are in adjacent aligned relationship
which places the hubs 64, 65, 66 and 67 of the frame 11 in adjacent
opposing relationship to the hubs 65', 64', 67' and 66', respectively, of
the frame 12, as is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 5 of the drawings.
However, the frames 11, 12 can as well be positioned with the hubs 69,
69', respectively, remote from each other which would then positioned the
hubs more outboard toward the periphery of the overall support 10 than
that shown best in FIG. 3. However, in keeping with this invention it
makes no difference whether the hubs 68, 68', 69 and 69' are inboard or
outboard, and it is further immaterial as to the particular pairs of
corners which are uppermost or lowermost in the set-up or erected
condition of the knock-down support 10.
Reference is made specifically to FIG. 1 which illustrates the connectors
or connecting means 13, 14 secured to the respective hubs 60, 61 of the
frame 11 and identical connectors or connecting means 15, 16 connected to
the respective hubs 61', 60' of the frame 12. While the identical
connectors 13 through 16 can be connected to other of the hubs of both
frames 11, 12, limited only that such hubs form the outermost and
uppermost corners of each frame, the connectors 13 through 16 have been
illustrated specifically to the hubs noted so that it can be readily
observed that as the frame 11 is moved from the collapsed position (FIG.
1) to the erected position (FIG. 2), the connectors 13, 14 will occupy the
uppermost, outermost and respective left and right corners of the support
10, as viewed in FIG. 2. Likewise, when the frame 12 is moved from its
collapsed position (FIG. 1) to its erected condition (FIG. 2), the
connectors 15, 16 will occupy the uppermost, outermost and respective left
and right corners, as viewed in FIG. 2, of the frame 12.
The connectors or connection means 13 through 16 are identical and, hence,
the following description of the connectors 16 will suffice for a complete
understanding of the present invention and is equally applicable to the
remaining connectors to which like, though primed, numerals have been
applied. The connectors 16 constitutes a removable connecting means which
corresponds generally to the clip best shown in FIG. 24 of application
Ser. No. 409,435 in the name of Theodore R. Zeigler filed Aug. 19, 1982,
entitled Clip for Self-Locking Collapsible/Expandable Structures and now
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,008. However, the clip or connecting means 16 includes
a body 101 (FIG. 6) centrally of which projects a stem or projection 102
which is bifurcated, as at 103, 104, and each bifurcated portion 103, 104
includes a locking lug or a shoulder 105. The stem or projection 102
thereby functions as a male locking element and is received in the opening
O of the hub 60' to removably secure the clip or connector 101 thereto.
The connector 101 further includes two pintles or trunions 106, 107 to
which can be removably fastened hooks of the associated rails 17, 18 and
21 through 24, as will be described more fully hereinafter. In the latter
manner, the hub 16 is removably secured by its stem or projection 102 to
the hub 60', while the remaining connectors 13, 14 and 15 are likewise
secured by their respective projections or stems to the respective hubs
60, 61 and 61'.
The rails 17, 18 are identical and the following description of the rail 17
is equally applicable to the rail 18 to which like, though primed,
reference numerals have been applied. The rails 17 (FIGS. 2 and 6)
includes a tubular hollow bar 110 of a generally rectangular
cross-sections into opposite ends of which are inserted plastic inserts
111, 112 having respective hooks 113, 114 facing or opening in the same
direction. A pair of generally U-shaped brackets 115, 116 are secured by
fastening means or rivets 117 (FIG. 6) to the rail 17. The brackets 115,
116 each include legs 120, 121 carrying a respective male fastening
element in the form of a bifurcated projection or stem 122 and a female
connecting element in the form of a pintle or trunion 123. The stems or
projections 122 of the brackets 115, 116 are directed opposite one another
(FIG. 3), whereas the pintles 123 of the brackets 115, 116 are adjacent
each other, as is best illustrated in FIG. 1.
The rails 21 through 24 likewise include elongated hollow tubes or bars 130
into the oppositely opened ends of each is seated elements 131 carrying
hooks 132 opening in the same direction. The rails 17, 18 and 21 through
24 are secured selectively to the connectors 13 and/or 14 and/or 15 and/or
16 and/or to each other in the manner readily apparent from FIG. 2 in the
following preferred sequence:
The rail 21 is connected by its hooks 132 to the pintles of the connectors
15, 16.
The rail 24 is connected by its hooks 132 to the pintles of the connectors
13, 14.
The rail 17 is connected in spanning relationship to the frames 11, 12 by
connecting the hooks 113, 114 to the pintles of the connectors 16, 14,
respectively. The stems 122 of the brackets 115, 116 are connected to the
respective hubs 64', 65 of the frames 12, 11, (FIG. 2).
The rail 18 is connected in spanning relationship between the frames 11, 12
by connecting the hooks 113', 112' to the pintles of the respective
connectors 15, 13. Thereafter the stems 122' of the brackets 115', 116'
are connected to the hubs 65', 64 of the respective frames 12, 11.
The latter described connections completely bound the upper periphery of
the knock-down support 10 at all four sides to impart a generally
rectangular configuration thereto, as is most evident from FIG. 3 of the
drawings.
Thereafter the rails 22, 23 are connected by their hooks 132 to the pintles
123, 123' of the brackets 115, 116 and 115', 116' which positions the
rails 22, 23 in spaced parallel relationship to each other and to the
outboard adjacent rails 21, 24, respectively. The distance between the
rails 22, 23 corresponds to the distance between ends or end faces 141,
142 (FIG. 1) of a plurality of identical ledges or projections 140 of
which only one is illustrated at FIG. 1. Preferably, three such ledges or
projections 140 are provided at the underside of the table top 25 at its
opposite ends and generally medial thereof thereby providing three such
projections 140 which are carried by the table top 25. When the table top
25 is unrolled and placed in spanning relationship over and upon the upper
edges of all of the rails 17, 18 and 21 through 24, the ledges or
projections 140 will project down into and between the rails 22, 23
thereby confiningly locating the table top 25 accurately atop the support
in the manner best illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings.
The table top 25 is preferably formed from a single sheet 150 of flexible
material to which a plurality of narrow slats 151 are adhesively bonded,
as is most readily apparent in FIG. 4 of the drawings. This permits the
table top 25 to be readily rolled and unrolled between its position of
storage (FIG. 1) and its position of use (FIGS. 3 and 5).
If desired, two or more of the knock-down supports or tables 10, 10 can be
positioned adjacent each other (FIG. 7) and stand by a single table top
25' identical to the table top 25 but essentially twice as long and having
two sets of the projections or ledges 140' therebeneath which function not
only to maintain the table top 25' in spanning relationship to both of the
supports 10, 10, but also to maintain the supports 10, 10 adjacent one
another in the absence of interconnecting the same in any fashion. Thus,
the overall surface area of the basic support 10 (FIGS. 1 through 6) can
be increased in multiple units merely by duplicating these supports 10 and
disposing the same in adjacent side-by-side relationship.
Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically
illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor
variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
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