US2662989A - Combined portable table and cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1953 c. A. THATCHER COMBINED PORTABLE TABLE AND CABINET Filed Oct. 26, 1951 1N VENTOR dijhioel;

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES Pr tTENT' OFFICE COMBINED PORTABLE TABLE AND CABINET Charles A. Thatcher, Medford, Oreg.

Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,326

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a combined portable table and cabinet.

An important object of the invention is to provide a cabinet structure particularly adapted to the carrying of food, plates, knives and forks and other utensils, particularly for use on picnics and the like.

A further object is to provide such a structure having associated therewith in a novel relationship a plurality of supporting legs forming a permanent part of the structure as a whole and adapted to be folded in an inoperative position and unfolded and moved to an operative position to rigidly support the cabinet.

A further object is to provide such an arrangement of parts wherein the legs, when in operative positions, are arranged wholly outwardly of the cabinet at the ends thereof, thus permitting the cabinet to be fully opened for access to the various compartments thereto without interference by the leg structures.

A further object is to provide such a struc-. ture wherein carrying handles are provided at the ends of the cabinet and with which handles the legs are associated, the legs when in inoperative positions being movable from the central portions of the handle structures to permit the picking up and carrying of the cabinet, the legs being movable to positions centrally of the handles when in operative positions to rigidly support the cabinet.

A further object is to provide such a construction wherein a pair of legs is provided at each end of the cabinet, each pair of legs diverging downwardly when in operative positionsand having novel means associated therewith for maintaining the legs in spread position and for rigid ly holding the legs against movement in any direction. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet in fully opened position, supported by the legs associated with the cabinet,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the cabinet showing. the legs in operative position, the lower ends of the legs being broken away,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Figure2,

Figure 4 is a similar view on line 4-4 of Figure 2, Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectionalview on line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a similar view on line 6--5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1, the numeral l0 indicates as a whole the combined table and cabinet structure. This structure comprises a stationary bottom wall II, stationary end walls II and I2, and a stationary back wall l3. The cabinet is provided with a cover I! flanged around its edges as at l5 and hinged to the top of the back wall as at IS, The cover I 4 is shown in open position in Figure 1, and the back wall l3 may engage bumpers I! (Figure 2) carried by the adjacent flange of the cover when the latter is in open position to limit movement ofthe cover to a horizontal position to serve as a table top, when desired.

The cabinet is further provided with a front wall I8 shown in open or horizontal position in Figure 1, this wall being connected by a chain or other flexible member l9 adjacent each end to the respective side walls or end walls II and I2 to limit opening movement of the front wall 18 to the horizontal position shown in Figure 1. This front wall, when open, is adapted to serve as a table top for the service of food, or for any other purpose.

The interior of the cabinet is suitably divided by partitions, shelves and the like to form compartments for the. effective carrying of food. utensils and the like. For example, the cabinet may be provided with a vertical partition 22, forming a space 23 between the partition 22 and side wall II to form a compartment for carrying tall articles such as milk and other beverage bottles. A horizontal shelf 24 extends between the partition 22 and the end wall l2. The partition 22 and end wall 12 may be grooved, for example as shown at 25, to support the shelf 24 either in the position shown in Figure 1 or in a higher position. In the normal position of the shelf 24, this shelf forms a lower compartment 26 at one side of which is arranged a drawer 21 in which knives, forks and other utensils conveniently may be carried. The open portion of the space 26 may be effectively used for carrying chinaware, such as platesv and the like, while food may be packed in the space above. the shelf 24, or in any other places in which space may be found therefor.

Each end wall I l and I2 carries a handle structure indicated as a whole by the numeral 28. Each handle structure comprises an upper horizontal bar 29 projecting; above the top of the cover l4 when-the latter is closed, as shown in Figure 2. From the horizontal bar 29, vertical 5 bars 30 extend downwardly as shown inFigure 2.

The lower end of each vertical arm 38 terminates in an inward angular extension 3| having a foot 32 at its extremity angularly arranged for a purpose to be described. Each angular portion 3| is secured as at 33 to the adjacent cabinet end wall. Intermediate their ends, each vertical arm 30 has an inwardly projecting lug 34, also fixed to the adjacent cabinet end as at 35. The members 33 and 35 obviously rigidly secure each leg structure 28 in position.

As clearly shown in Figure 5, the upper portions of the vertical handle arms 30 curve outwardly so that the horizontal handle elements 29 lie slightly outwardly of the cabinet end walls. Each such horizontal arm 29 is straddled by a U-shaped clip 38 in inverted position, and between the fianges of each clip 38 is pivoted as at 39 a pair of straight legs 40. The legs of each pair are connected to the remote ends of spreader links 4|, these links being connected to the legs as at 42 and having their adjacent ends connected to each other by a pin 43 (Figure '6) of substantial length and preferably having a knurled end to facilitate manual manipulation thereof as will become apparent.

The legs 40 of each pair are adapted to be swung toward each other as suggested in dotted lines in Figure 2, the spreader links 41 being extended upwardly at an angle as also shown in dotted lines. It will become apparent that when the legs are in the inoperative positions referred to below, such legs will be in close proximity to each other, and the inner edges of the legs are recessed as at 44 to accommodate the pin 43 when the latter is at its upper limit of movement. When the links 4| of each pair of legs are horizontally arranged, such legs are spread to their limits of movement, in which case they will tightly engage the elements 32 to be rigidly held against movement in planes parallel to the cabinet end walls.

A clip 46 is secured as at 41 to each cabinet end wall. Each clip has a vertical end 48 offset outwardly from the adjacent cabinet wall and slotted as at 49 to receive the pin 43 as shown in Figure 6. When the links 4| are in spread or aligned position as shown in Figure 2, the pin 43 associated with such legs will be in the bottom of the slot 49 to prevent further downward movement of the pin 43. The links 4| will be arranged within the offset end 48 and thus will be prevented from moving longitudinally of the box by the clip end 48 and by the adjacent cabinet end wall.

Operation The inverted U-shaped clips 38 are slidable along the handle bars 29. When the legs are in the operative positions shown, each clip 38 will be arranged centrally of the length of each bar 29 and the box will be in the position described above. The pin 43 will be arranged in the slot 49 to limit downward movement of the connected ends of each pair of links, and the pivot pins 42 will be pushed apart to their limits of movement to maintain the legs in tight engagement with the stop members 32. The links 4| are of such length as to maintain the legs under pressure against the members 32, and accordingly the legs will be held rigidly against movement in any direction. These legs 40 are placed in the operative positions shown prior to opening the cabinet as further referred to below.

Assuming the cabinet to be open as shown in Figure 1, the front wall |8 serves as a table top, and the horizontal surface of the cover l4 serves a similar purpose, if desired. Food articles, utensils, etc., are readily accessible within the cabi net. When the construction is to be folded, the front wall l8 will be moved upwardly to closed or vertical position, whereupon the cover I 4 will be closed. This cover may engage and hold the front wall l8 in closed position or the latter may be provided with suitable latches (not shown) if desired.

The pins 43 at the ends of the cabinet then will be pulled upwardly to break the links 4|, thus moving the legs of each pair together and buckling the links 4| upwardly. The legs will be swung outwardly and upwardly and then over the top of the closed cover M to inoperative positions. As stated, the clips 38 are slidable along the bars 29 at the ends of the cabinet. One of these clips will be pushed to the rear of its bar 29 and the other clip toward the forward end of its bar 29, thus exposing the central portions of the two bars 29 to facilitate the picking up of the cabinet by the two hands.

It will be apparent that the legs are permanently connected to the cabinet and thus they cannot be forgotten or misplaced when it is desired to use the cabinet, for example when going on a picnic. The operation of rendering the legs operative and opening the cabinet will be apparent from the foregoing description. Each pair of legs will be swung upwardly and outwardly and then downwardly into positions in proximity to the cabinet ends, whereupon the pins 43 will be pushed downwardly to lock the legs in the operative positions shown. The cover I4 is then swung back to its open position shown in Figure l, whereupon the front wall l8 will be dropped to the horizontal position to render the interior of the cabinet fully accessible and to place the front wall l8 in a position to be used as a table top. The cabinet is extremely useful and handy as a picnic foodand utensil-carrying cabinet, and it readily may be opened and closed and the legs rendered operative or inoperative by a single operator. The engagement of the legs with the elements 32 and the arrangement of th links 4| back of the offset clip ends 48 renders the legs extremely rigid when in operative position, making it impossible for the legs to bend or collapse and thus spill any of the contents of the cabinet. The projecting end of each pin 43- renders this pin easily accessible for locking and unlocking the legs 40 when the latter are moved to or out of operative positions.

I claim:

1. A portable structure comprising a cabinet having end walls, a bar adjacent and parallel to each end wall adjacent the top thereof, each bar having depending arms at its ends secured to the associated end wall, and a leg structure connected to each bar, each leg structure comprising a pair of leg elements normally diverging downwardly and extending below the associated end wall to support said cabinet, each leg structure further comprising a connecting element slidable and rotatable on each of said bars, each pair of leg elements being pivotally connected at their upper ends to one of said connecting elements to swing outwardly from each other to diverge downwardly, and to swing inwardly toward each other to positions in close proximity, the rotatable connection of each connecting element to its associated bar providing for the swinging of each leg structure upwardly and inwardly over the top of said cabinet.

2. A portable structure comprising a cabinet having end walls, a bar adjacent and parallel to each end wall adjacent the top thereof, each bar having depending arms at its ends secured to the associated end wall, a leg structure connected to each bar, each leg structure comprising a pair of leg elements normally diverging downwardly and extending below the associated end Wall to support said cabinet, each leg structure further comprising a connecting element slidable and rotatable on each of said bars, each pair of leg elements being pivotally connected at their upper ends to one of said connecting elements to swing outwardly from each other to diverge downwardly, and to swing inwardly toward each other to positions in close proximity, the rotatable connection of each connecting element to its associated bar providing for the swinging of each leg structure upwardly and inwardly over the top of said cabinet, and spreader links for the leg elements of each leg structure, said spreader links being pivotally connected at their adjacent ends to each other and at their remote ends to the leg elements of each leg structure, said spreader links of each pair of leg elements being adapted to assume positions in alignment with each other to limit the spreading of such leg elements.

3. A device constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the spreader links of each leg structure are pivotally connected to each other by a pin projecting outwardly from each end wall, and means carried by said end wall for limiting downward movement of said pin to a position in which the associated spreader links are in alignment with each other.

4. A device constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein the spreader links of each leg structure are pivotally connected to each other by a pin projecting outwardly from each end wall, and means carried by said end wall for limiting downward movement of said pin to a position in which the associated spreader links are in alignment with each other, said depending arms having portions engageable with the leg elements of each leg structure outwardly thereof when the associated spreader links are in alignment with each other.

5. A portable structure comprising a cabinet having end walls, an inverted U-shaped member connected to each end wall, each such member comprising depending arms and a connecting bar therebetween adjacent the upper end of and parallel to one of said end walls, a connecting element slidably mounted on each bar and rotatable thereon, a pair of depending leg elements pivotally connected at their upper ends to each connecting element and depending therefrom when said legs are in a normal operative position, the lower ends of the arms of said U-shaped members terminating in feet engageable with the remote edges of the leg elements of each pair when the latter are spread apart at their lower ends to a predetermined extent, and means for spreading the lower ends of said legs.

6. A portable structure comprising a cabinet having end walls, an inverted U-shaped member connected to each end wall, each such member comprising depending arms and a connecting bar therebetween adjacent the upper end of and par allel to one of said end walls, a connecting element slidably mounted on each bar and rotatable thereon, a pair of depending leg elements pivotally connected at their upper ends to each connecting element and depending therefrom when said legs are in a normal operative position, the lower ends of the arms of said U-shaped members terminating in feet engageable with the remote edges of the leg elements of each pair when the latter are spread apart at their lower ends to a predetermined extent, and a pair of spreader links pivotally connected at their remote ends to the legs of each pair and pivotally connected at their adjacent ends to each other, the spreader links of each pair being movable to a position in alignment with each other to spread said legs apart to engage them with said feet.

7. A device constructed in accordance with claim 6 provided with means carried by each of said end walls for limiting movement of said spreader links of each pair to a position in alignment with each other.

8. A device constructed in accordance with claim 6 wherein the adjacent ends of each pair of spreader links are pivotally connected to each other by a pin projecting outwardly from the associated end wall, and a socket member carried by each end wall and having an upwardly opening groove into which said pin is movable, the bottom of said groove limiting downward movement of the associated pin to a position in which the associated spreader links are in alignment with each other.

CHARLES A. THATCHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 306,642 Porter Oct. 14, 1884 893,694 Allenson July 21, 1908 1,348,220 Hathaway Aug. 3, 1920 1,463,499 Burroughs July 31, 1923 1,526,062 Golden Feb. 10, 1925 1,716,584 Hahn June 11, 1929 1,991,030 Schimmel Feb. 16, 1935 2,152,168 Anderson Mar. 28, 1939

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