US2616773A - Metal table formed from sheet material - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 4, 1952 R. s. SANFORD 2,61 ,773

METAL TABLE FORMED FROM SHEET MATERIAL Filed Nov. 28, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 'NVEN TOR.

1952 R. s. SANFORD METAL TABLE FORMED FROM SHEET MATERIAL 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Fil ed Nov. 28, 1947 will/I11,

INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 4, 1952 METAL TABLE FORMED FRO M SHE MATERIAL Roy Sws'anford, 'Woodbury, Conn, assignor to Sanford Products, Inc., W'o'odbury, 001111.,3.

' corporation of Delaware Application November 28, 1947; Serial No. 788,354

8 Claims. (Cl. 311-1) This invention relates to a table and it has particular relation to a table formed from a single sheet of material which latter isst'amped to form portions which may be bent into operative positionto constitute the table.

An object of this invention is to provide a sturdy, well-constructed table which jmay be formed by bending a reinforcing flange and leg members downwardlyfrom an opening in a centralyportion of a piece of sheet material in such a manner that very little waste results in the manufacturing operation.

Furtherobjects of this invehtion'will appear from the following descriptionthe accompanying drawings and the'appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this 'inventiona table has been provided which includes a frame having acentral openin'g the'rein defined by opposing side members and" opposing end membersformed from a sheet of planar material. A pair of frame reinforcing flanges are provided which depend from the inner edges of the end members boundingsaid frame and extending transversely for substantially the entire width of the opening between the opposing side members; The structure also includes a pair of support members including legs depending from the 'l'ower'edge of each of the transverse flanges and also includes means for locating atable top on the. upper surfaceof the frame. The frame is preferably rectangular in shape and may be readilyformed by cutting and bending the respective flanges and support members out of the plane of the. sheet material constituting the frame.

A further'reinfor'cin'g flange may be provided on each of the outer edges of the side and end members and a cross member, integral with the frame may extend across the opening in a central area thereof. The table top locating means may take the form of a plurality of lugs bent upwardly fromthe frame or may take the form of recesses in the inner edges of the side and end members bounding the frame Fora more complete understanding of this invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a, perspective view of a table embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sheet of material stamped to provide the basis of the table of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is aside elevational view of the table of Fig.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the Fig. 1 table;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary-partially*broken-away view "of-a portionof the table of the Fig. 1 showing a -modificationin which an outer peripheral flange has been bent upwardly instead-of downv wardly;

Fig. dis a plan View of asheet of material stampedand-cut to provide atable of slightly different characteristics from that shown in Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a table formed from the sheet stamped'as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig-8 is an end elevational view of the Fig. '7

table; I

Fig. 9 is a'plan view of a foot member'emp'loyed in the table of Fig. 7; and

Figs. 10, 11 and12 arefragmentary sectional views taken along the corresponding lines in Fig; 6.

The table of Fig. lis intended to receive a glass top which for sake ofsimplicity is notshown in the drawing but is to be understood as being disposable on the top of the structure of Fig. 1 in connection with certain hereinafter described members which prevent the lateral displacement of such glass top.

The table comprises a rectangular frame member 20 defined by opposing end members 20a and 2llb'and opposing side members 22 and 23 defining a central opening. The. frame member 20 constituting the top of the table need not be solid because of the just described intention that a glass top shall comprise the supporting surface of the table. A strengthening or cross member 2| extends centrally across the opening between sides 22 and 23 of the table and vertically depending reinforcing flanges 23a are formed on the opposing side and end members of the table. The end members 20a and 20b and the side members 22 and 23'each have small lugs24 struck up therefrom to form deformations providing means for locating the glass top which isrec'eived on the horizontal planar portions of the side and end members, thereby preventing lateral displacement of suchglass top. The inner edges of the end members 20a and 20b bounding the central opening are provided with depending frame reinforcing flanges 20c and 20d which extend transversely of the frame 20 for substantially the'entire Width of the opening between the opposing side members 22 and 23. Depending from the lower edge of the flanges 20c and 20d are table supports 25 and 26, each of which latter includes a pair of legs 25c and 260. A strengthening brace 21 extends between the inner faces of said supports. The legs 25c and 260 each terminate in foot portions a-25b and 26a26b formed by rolling the metal of certain predetermined stamped portions thereabout.

The table shown in Fig. 1 (with the exception of brace 21) is formed by stamping and cutting a planar sheet-of material as illustrated in Fig. 2 and thereafter bending the parts into position. The various elements are numbered as in Fig. 1 wherefrom the reason for cutting the sheet as shown will be best understood. Score line in.- dicate the boundaries about which certain elements are folded to eventuate the structure shown in Fig. 1.

If a somewhat differently appearing table is.

desired all or some of the lip or edge members or flanges may, as shown at 23?) in the fragmentary view of Fig. 5, be bent upwardly instead of dependingly downwardly.

A modified embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 6 to 12, inclusive, these latter being substantially self-explanatory of the invention. A sheet is stamped out as shown in Fig. 6, the procedure being substantially the same 'as that employed for the first herein described embodiment of the invention, the transverse edges of the interior openings remainingafter the leg portions are swung into supporting position are bevelled or finished by turning down a small amount of metal along the indicated fold lines (Fig. 10) Similar turned over edges Stare also provided on the leg members (Fig. 11). The glass top 50 is supported within each frame opening on inwardly extending flanges '32 which are formed by folding the metal along the interior longitudinal edges of theopposing side members as shown in Figs. 8 and 12.

Thus the table illustrated in Figs. 6 through 12 comprises a frame member 40 defined by opposing end members 4| and opposing side members 42. A cross member 43 extends across the frame between the vmembers 42, thereby defining a pair of apertures in the top of the table in which a pair'of glass tops are supported and from which depend a pair of reinforcing flanges 44 and depending support members 45 and legs 46.

The foot members 33 used on the last referredto embodiment of the invention are shown in' plan view in Fig. 9. The members are formed with.

a vertically extending spring embracing portion 34-adapted to slide over and embrace the bottom of each of the depending legs 46 and be riveted thereto as shown in Fig. 8. The flat horizontal foot portions 35-35 extend laterally from the member 34 at the bottom of the latter. g

The method of forming the table of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 will be understood from a joint study of Fig. 6 (the sheet from which the table is stamped) and Figs. 7 and 8 showing the side and end view of the table formed from said Fig. 6. The brace 41 between the support members used in the last described embodiment is of slightly. different cross section than brace 21 of Fig. l and is provided with'welding tabs'48 extending laterally therefrom at each of the ends of the brace. (See Fig. 8). 1

In the embodiments of the invention disclosed in the foregoing it willrbe noted that thelegs at each end of the table form a part of two frame supporting members struck out or withdrawn from the central apertures in the table top. supportin frame at opposite ends of the frame. These frame supportin members include areinforcing flange extending transversely of .the

frame and at an angle thereto for substantially the entire widthjcf the aperture means, thus pro-'- 4 viding reinforcement for the frame itself. The legs for the table are part of the respective frame supporting members and are extensions of the flange itself. The frame supporting members are formed so that a, single brace member 21 or 41, for example, may be secured-between the inner faces thereof at a distance remote from the frame itself so that adequate bracing for the finished table may be provided.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course,

that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A table comprising a frame having a central opening definedby opposing side members and opposing end members formed from a sheet of planar material, a pair of frame reinforcing flanges dependinig'from the inner edges of said end members bounding said opening and each extending transversely ofsaid frame for substantially theentirewidth of said opening between the opposing side members, a support member including a pair, of legs depending from the lower edge of each of said transverse flanges in the plane thereof, and table top locatingmeans integral with an uppersurfacefof said frame.

2. The table recited in claim. Lhaving. across member extendingitrahsversely. across said opening connecting said sidememb'ers and'integr'al therewith. V

3. A table comprising a substantially rectangular, sheet'metal frame having a centralopening defined by integral opposing side members and opposing end members, a pair of frame reinforcing flanges depending from the inner edges of said end members bounding said opening and each extending transversely of said frame for substantially the entire width of said opening between the opposing side members, a pair of support members each including apair of legs and each depending from the lower edge portion of each of said transverse flanges in the plane thereof, and table top locating deformations in the upper surface of said frame. 4. The table recited in claim 3 wherein the outer peripheral edges of said side and end members include reinforcing flanges extending at an angle to the plane of said frame. I

5. A table formed from a single piece of sheet material comprising a frame having a central opening defined by integral opposin 'side.mem

bers and opposing endmembers, a pairof flanges and support members including legs bent downwardly from sheet material of said opening along lines corresponding to the inner edges of said opposing end members bounding said opening, said flanges being integral with saidinner edges for substantially the;entire distance between the opposing side members and said support members including legs depending from the loweredges of said flanges, and .table top locating deformations in the upper surface of said frame- U 6. The table recited in claim 5 .wherein' said deformations include upwardly extending lugs bent upwardly from apertures in said frame.

7. The table recited in claim 5 wherein said deformations include recesses in the inner edges of the side members bounding said central opening.

8. The table recited in claim 5 wherein; the.

outer peripheral edges of said side and end mem- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of secord in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 565,450 Gibson Aug. 11, 1896 15 Number 6 Name Date Graumiller et a1. June 2, 1908 Whitney Aug. 16, 1910 Dallmeyer Aug. 29, 1916 Cook May 31, 1921 Vossberg Oct. 10, 1922 Duffield Apr. 24, 1923 Northropret a1 Jan. 14, 1930 Calhoun -1 Mar. 13, 1934 Brown May 28, 1935 Powell Mar. 8, 1938 Vanderveld Mar. 4, 1941 Exline et a1 Mar. 18, 1941 Shuflin June 14, 1949

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