US2935209A - Child's place setting tray - Google Patents

Description

May 3. 3.96@ P. L. FRWZ CHILDS PLACE: SETTING TRAY Filed. Feb.

INVENTOR pau! l.- FP'Z ATTORNEY,Lrg

United States Patent CHILDS PLACE SETTING TRAY Paul L. Fritz, Allentown, Pa.

.application February 5, 1958, Serial No. 713,435

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-86) This invention relates to a childs feeding tray adaptable for attachment to 'tables for adult use, having means thereon acting as a catchall for receiving food, liquids and articles dropped by the child during eating.

It is a well known problem in connection with training children to eat from a table for use by adults, after having eaten for the infant period in a high chair, that a child will drop food, liquid and eating articles in its lap and upon the door, with attendant staining of clothing, rugs, etc. it is therefore a purpose of this invention to provide a childs tray adaptable for placing upon a conventional adult type table, having means for effective clamping of the same upon the table against movement, and including as a novel feature thereof a shallow tray extending the width of the main tray, acting as a catchall for receiving food and liquid droppings, and eating articles which the child may drop during eating.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a childs feeding tray adaptable for attachment to tables and other articlesof furniture, having an upper main tray for receiving food `for the child, eating silverware and utensils, and including as a part thereof a shallouI tray below the level of the main tray, immediately in front of the child, acting as a catchall for receiving food droppings, etc.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a childs feeding tray which preferably includes a main eating tray and an auxiliary catchall tray; the latter being at a lower level than the main tray and adapted to receive food droppings and utensils accidently dropped by the child; the improved tray having a novel clamping means for attachment to a table, in a securely fastened relation.

Gther objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. l is a perspective View of the improved childs piace setting tray attached to a table.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the tray structure.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the tray structure from front to back, showing its association with a table top.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken through the clamping structure, substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig.. 4, but showing the clamping structure loosened in order to better illustrate the functioning of the clamping structure in its very effective clamping action with respect to a table top.

ln the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the improved childs feeding tray, the letter A may generally designate the same. It is adaptable for attachment to a conventional adult type table B, or to some other horizontal surface or member.

Referring to the tray A, the same may be made of CFI rice

light weight metal, or other materials, but is preferably constructed of clear plastic in one piece. It includes a main tray wall 10, having upstanding short side riser walls 11 and i2; a front wall i3, and an opposite shorter riser wall 14 adapted for use immediately in front of the child. These walls 1i to i4 inclusive may be convexly articulately edged, but joined with the tray wall 10, by concaved fillets 15 for the purpose of facilitating removal of liquids and food particles from the tray during wiping or cleaning thereof. The front riser wall 13 may be provided with ornamental figures 20, such as chicks, ducks, or animals, and in the event duclts'arev used the top surfacing 21 may be serrated in simulation of waves.

A tray construction A, furthermore includes a vertical` depending rear wall 25, in right angles to the wall 10,v

the same being of a desired depth and of a length to provide clamp receiving lugs or ears 26 and 27 at the ends thereof and in the same plane therewith, both of which extend beyond the tray 10.

The improved tray construction A furthermore includes a lower tray wall 30, integral with the lower marginal portion of the wall 25, and at a level appreciably below the main tray wall 10. This lowered tray has an upstanding border wall 31 surrounding the same, which may possess the characteristics of the riser walls 11 and 12.

measures only a fraction (about one-seventh) of the` depth, front to rear, of the main tray portion 10 which is adapted to receive the childs eating dishes and utensils. in fact, the tray 30 is so shallow that the child can sit sufficiently close to the main tray 10 to eat from it, without being inconvenienced.

Referring to the clamping means for securing the mproved tray construction A to a table or other support B,

such clamping means is of an adjustable character and i,

acts with a leverage action during the clamping operation in order to better and more rigidly secure the tray upon table B against tipping or other movement.

it will be noted that the clamp receiving ears 26 and 27 extend not only laterally of the lower tray 30 but also laterally of the riser walls 11 and 12 of the main tray.

On the forward surfaces thereof, that is, the surface facing the edge of the table top, these lugs or extensions 26 and 27 are provided with guide ribs 55 and 56 dening a channel S7 therein to receive the upstanding leg portions '5S of L-shaped clamping brackets 59. The lugs 26 and 27 are provided with vertical slots 60 therein opening into the channel 57, for receiving clamping bolt struc-.

tures 61 which can move vertically along the slots 60 and clamp the L-shaped members`59 in position at the forward side of the lugs.

Each L-shaped clamping member 59 includes the leg 53 above mentioned which iits for snug vertical sliding engagement in the slot or channel 57 between the ribs 55 and 56 so that it cannot tip in the plane of the wall 25. This leg 5S is furthermore provided with a vertical slot 6 5 therein, which aligns with the slot 60 and permits of unusual clamping extension for securement of the tray A to table tops of varying thickness. Each L-shaped clamping member includes a horizontal leg portion 67, which extends forwardly in right langled relation to the leg 58 and which at the free end thereof is provided with a table top engaging pad 70, which may be made of frictin t'pe, felt, of any other rather soft or resilient, but preferably friction, material in order to have a good grip upon the under surf-ace of the table top to which the tray is attached andnot mar the undersurface of the tableV The bolt 61 may preferably be a carriage bolt structure having a shank 75 with a square shoulder 76 which is adapted tot in the slot 65 to be held therein against rotation. v The shank has a head 77 which rests at 'the frontrsurface of the clamping bracket leg S as shown in 4. The rear screw threaded end of the bolt shank 75 receives a washer 80 and has a threaded wing nut $1, b'y' rnean's of which Ythe bracket 59 may be clamped at the desired vertical lposition for clamping the tray A to the table top B. i

l In' Figl 5, the parts of the clamp are shown in loose po-V sifio'n 'whereby to enable a leverage movement of the Lshaped bracket 59 and insure a very secure clamping of jtIetray upon the table, against movement thereon. It is shown that the bracket 59 is tilted (Fig. 5) Ywhen the n't 81 is loosened. Upon tightening the nut upon the As'c'revvthreads of the bolt shank '75 the bracket will be brought to its true clamped position (see Fig. 4). This will move the clamping pad 70 upwardly against the under surface of the table top B and very effectively clamp fhu'tray A against tilting or other movement upon the t-ble B. While inrFigure 5, the leg 67 is shown lowerthe L-shaped bracket 59 can be rotated with the bolt on the bolt axis when the bolt is loose in order to place the leg 67 uppermost and the leg 5S in depending relation. This feature enables the clamping assembly to 'attach the tray to tables having a wide range of thicknesses.

Ihe use of childs tray' will be apparent from the foregoing. When clamped to table B, as shown in Fig. 1, them'in tray 10 is positioned entirely above the table surface; and the catchall tray 30 is positioned so the child can sit sufiicie'ntly' close for eating purposes. r[he recess 35 naturally conform Vto the childs body and with assurance that the child can eat without soiling clothing, floor rugs and the like.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be' made in the form of invention herein shown .and`described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

1A. A childs feeding tray assembly for attachment to tables comprising a upper main feeding tray of a width and depth suicient to hold the necessary food dishes and utensils incidental to th'e feeding of a child, a de 2. An integral tray construction for use incide tal to the feeding of child comprising r'nain ty porit'ion have ing upstanding boundary walls and constituting an area sufficient to hold the necessary dishes and utensils required for the feeding of a child, a depending integral wall at the rrear o-f the main tray in right angled relation therewith, having laterally extending ear portions in the plane thereof extending beyond the sides of the main tray, acatchall tray lintegrally secured to the lower marginal portion of said depending wall with an upper surface in a plane below the upper surface of the main tray for receiving thereon whatever the child may drop from the main tray, said catchall tray being in depth-frein front to rear a fraction of less than one fourth of the depth of the main tray and having an upstanding boundary wall thereon which is relatively shallow and does not extend up to the planeof -the main tray, said catchall tray being of such depth that'a child can lbe seated to the rear of the ltray with the catchall positiofried between the child and lthe main trayand without inconvenience enable the child to reach arid tilizethe dishes and utensils upon the rnain tray, andV means carried by Vthe latrally extending ears of said depending wall for attachment of the entire tray assembly to a table.

3. A child` feeding tray assemblage as defined in claim 1 in which the means for attachingthe feeding tray asserribly to a table comprises a vertical slot through the'depending wall, an L-shaped ,clamping bracket including two vleg portions in substantially right angled relation, a bolt having an elongated shank and threaded at one end with a head on the other end, one of said legs ofthe L-snaped bracket having a vertical slot therealong 'adapted to align with the slot of the depending wall,'the bolt being extended through said leg slot with the head of the bolt engaging said slotted leg and with the other leg extending forwardly and adapted "to be engaged beneath a table top for the clamping of the tray assembly upon the table top, said bolt shank extending"r through the slot of the depending wall and rearwardly of said wall having'V a nut assemblage threaded thereon, said shank being of suincient length that the L-shaped bracket may V tilt forwardly before placement of the tray upon the table whereby to facilitate the placement of the table clamping leg beneath a-table top, said L-shaped bracket being rotatable upon the axis of said bolt so that it may be positioned in inverted L-shaped relation with the table clamping leg up y permost and the depending slotted leg lowerrnost.

pending wall connected to the rear of the main feeding tray, 'said catchall tray being appreciably shallower in V y depth than thegdepth of the main tray so that a child eating from themain tray can be positioned and seated to the rear of the catchall tray but sufliciently close to the inain tray for reaching and eating Jfrom the articles supported by the main tray, and means for attaching said feeding tray assembly to a table.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Harmon Dec. 2,

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