US2672391A - Multipurpose combination table - Google Patents

Description

E. T. MOORE MULTIPURPOSE COMBINATION TABLE March 16, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1952 March 16, 1954 E. T. MOORE 2,672,391

MULTIPURPOSE COMBINATION TABLE Filed June 14, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 16, 1954 E. T. MOORE MULTIPURPOSE COMBINATION TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 14, 1952 Zeauofl 72531002 9, .9 7

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPURPOSE' COMBINATION TABLE Eleanor T. Moore, Concord, Mass.

ApplicationJune 14;, 1952, Serial No. 293,516

1. Claim. 1

The present invention relates to multiple purpose furniture, and, more particularly, it relates to a multiple purpose combination table which may be used as a table, tray, cart and. for a, variety of purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination table which has detachable legs so that the table may be employed either as a movable cart or a stationary tray when the legs are removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combination table having a removable top which may be inserted in cooperative grooves located. in the body of the table thereby adapting the table for use as an easel, bookholder, blackboard, and for other purposes.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combination table which may be. either stationary or movable depending on whether wheels or casters are placed in the legs. thereof.

Although my novel table. may be utilized by adults, it is specifically designed to. be. used by children. Some of the. uses for which my invention may be employed are as follows 1. When the removable top is in a horizontal position, the table may be used for writing or for the playing of games, such as cards, or for other purposes which tables generally serve.

2. If the detachable legs are removed and casters placed in the body portion of the table, the table then becomes a wagon or cart.

3. In addition, when the legs are detached and nov casters are placed in the body portion. of. the

table, the body portion may be utilized as a. tray :5.

for serving food to children confined to bed.

4.. Pairs. of different angled grooves. or slots are provided in the side walls of the body portion of the table and these pairs of slots or grooves are adapted to receive the removable top so that the top then serves as an easel, bookholder, or blackboard.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent as it is described in detail below with particular referi ence to the accompanying figures, wherein Fig. l is a view in perspective of the combination table comprising the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention with the removable top portion in a slanting position in one pair of grooves in the table;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the removable top portion in an upright position in another pair of grooves;

Fig; 4 isv a perspective view of the table. with the legs detached from the. body portion and the table ready for use as a. cart;

Fig. 5. is a plan view of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on. line 65 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the. ar-' rows;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line. ll of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 61 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Fig. 9 is. a view in perspective of a detachable leg.

Briefly describing the present: invention, there is provided a multiple purpose combination table. which has a body portion, a removable top por tion and four detachable legs. The body portion comprises a fiat base and four walls surrounding the base so that the walls and the base together form a recess. The walls extend down below the fiat portion and abut each other at right. angles so as to form corners for receiving the detachable legs. These detachable legs are held in place in the corners formed by the downwardly extending portions of the walls by means oi bolts and nuts or other suitable means. Each detachable leg is bored at the bottom to receive a caster and when the casters are in the legs the entire article of furniture may be wheeled and readily moved from room to room. A removable fiat top portion fits over the recess formed by the walls and flat base. This flat top portion may be inserted into different angled pairs of slots or grooves in the walls surrounding the. base. When so inserted in the slots or grooves, the top portion will assume the angle of the particular pair of grooves receiving it. The walls of the table are also arranged to receive casters so that when the detachable legs are removed, the body portion may be used as a wagon or cart.

As shown in Fig. 2, the multi-purpose table comprises body portion I0 which has a flat base portion II, a pair of side walls I2, 9. front wall [3 and a rear wall Hi. All of the walls are generally U-shaped and extend both above and below the flat base portion H so as to form a complete enclosure around the base portion ll. Each wall has a portion l5 extending down below the base H of the body portion I0. These portions l5 may either be an integral part of the wall, as in the case of side walls l2, or joined thereto, as in the case of front wall I3. These portions I5 abut each other at right angles below the base portion M and thereby form corners.

In each corner is disposed a detachable leg 16. The legs l6 are held fast in place against the inner sides of the corners by means of bolts and wing nuts I! and I8, respectively. Holes l9 and are provided, respectively, in the legs 16 and side walls l2, as shown in Fig. 8, to receive the bolts [1.

The bottom of each detachable leg 46 is bored to receive a removable caster 2|. Moreover, the bottom portions of the legs I5 have a flat surface. Thus when the casters 2i are removed, the legs IE will stand firmly upon the floor or ground.

The bottoms of the downwardly extending portions I 5 of the front Wall l3 and the rear wall M are provided with holes 33 to receive the casters 2!. When it is desired to use the body portion H) as a cart, the legs id are removed and the casters 21 are merely inserted into the holes 33. This is clearly shown in Fig. 7.

A vertical slot or groove 22 is disposed in the middle of each side wall i2. Each slot or groove 22 extends down along the inner side of the side walls l2 to the base portion H. There is also disposed along the rear innerside of each side wall [2 a forwardly sloping slot or groove 23. In like manner along the inner front portion of each side wall 12 will be found a forwardly sloping slot or groove 24. Each groove is parallel to its corresponding groove in the opposite side wall and all grooves extend down to the base portion ll.

Two pairs of parallel and vertically extending slots 25 and 26 are also disposed in the front wall I3 and the rear wall 14, as shown in Fig. 5. Each pair of slots are located near the ends of the walls is and 14, and extend down to the base portion N. All of the grooves 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are adapted to receive a removable top 27 in a fashion shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. When the top 21 is inserted in a. pair of slots or grooves, it will assume the angle of the slots or grooves. is inserted in slots 22, 25, or 26, the top piece will be upright. When it is inserted in slots 23 or 25, it will slope downwardly and forwardly.

The top piece 2'! is simply a rectangularly shaped flat element which has the general shape of the enclosure formed by the walls l2, i3 and I4. On the under surface of the top piece 2'! and extending around three sides thereof is rim 28. Each length of the rim 28, as best seen in Fig. 2 and Fig. 7, is L-snaped so that a channel is formed between the rim 28 and the undersurface of top piece 21. This channel may thus receive a blackboard or painting board 29 (shown in phantom in Fig. 2)

A pair of holes 30 are provided in one of the For example, when the top piece 2'.

side walls 12 to receive a rope 31 (shown in phantom in Fig. 4). The body portion I0, when used as a cart, may be pulled by means of this rope 3!.

The front wall 13 is recessed at 32 so that when the top cover 2'! is placed on the body portion in a flat manner there is provided an opening in the front of the body portion. Thus the recess formed by the walls and the base portion I2 can be used for storing various articles which the children may use in their games.

Although the table is preferably made of wood. it may be made of other suitable materials.

While the invention has been described in detail and shown with respect to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a multi-purpose table, the combination of a body portion and a removable cover portion, said body portion having a fiat base, a pair of side walls and a front and rear wall, all of said walls surrounding said base and extending both above and below said base, said cover portion adapted to lie fiat upon said walls and further adapted to stand in both upright and slanted position within said body portion, the front wall being recessed along its top edge to provide an opening to said body portion when said cover portion lies flat upon said walls, said side walls having a plurality of opposing slots on the inner sides thereof, some of said slots being slanted and some being vertical, said front and rear walls having a plurality of opposing vertical slots on the inner sides thereof, all of said opposing slots adapted to receive said cover portion and said cover portion adapted to be supported solely within said slots when in upright and vertical positions, said cover portion having a flat top surface and further having a pair of L-shaped, inwardly facing flanges depending downwardly from either end thereof, said L-shaped flanges forming a channel adapted to slidably receive a writing board.

ELEANOR T. MOORE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 346,795 Wilcox Aug. 3, 1886 470,861 Chichester Mar. 15, 1892 2,346,919 Hillenbrand Apr. 18, 1944 2,397,405 Burkeman Mar. 26, 1946 2,483,106 Santley Sept. 27, 1949 2,603,500 Messier July 15, 1952

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