Laminated wood corner structure for furniture

Disclosed is a laminated wood corner construction for furniture and a method for preparing such a construction. The corner construction comprises two laminated wood legs bent at 90.degree. angles, bisected on a 45.degree. diagonal throughout their length and glued together and a laminated wood connecting piece bent at a 90.degree. angle, bisected on a 45.degree. diagonal throughout its length and glued between the upper bent portions of the legs. The angle between the upper bent portions of the two laminated wood legs is a right angle. A method for preparing a corner construction comprising the following steps: (a) taking thin wood laminae, applying glue and assembling the laminae with a right angle bend; (b) clamping the laminae in a mold while the glue hardens; (c) cutting the molded sheets into strips; (d) bisecting each strip on a 45.degree. diagonal throughout its length; (e) taking two bisected strips and gluing them together with the upper bent portions running at right angles to each other; (f) taking a shorter bisected strip and gluing it between the upper bent portions of the two longer strips; (g) rounding off the ends of the two longer strips by conventional means; (h) cutting a recess into the shorter strip in order to inset a top made of glass or other material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a structural element for three-dimensional 
objects, and a method for making such an element. More particularly, this 
invention relates to a laminated wood corner construction which will 
accommodate a wide range of structural formations such as tables, chairs, 
beds, sofas and desks. 
In furniture of a type having a supporting frame, it is of utmost 
importance that the frame possess sufficient strength and rigidity. It is 
therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a corner 
construction that is both strong and rigid. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a highly durable corner 
construction which is economic to manufacture. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a corner construction that is 
attractive in appearance. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The instant invention comprises a laminated wood corner construction for 
three-dimensional objects, e.g. furniture, and a method for preparing such 
a construction. The construction comprises two laminated wood legs bent at 
90.degree. angles, cut on an angle throughout their lengths, and joined 
together and a laminated wood connecting piece bent at a 90.degree. angle, 
cut on an angle throughout its length and affixed between the upper bent 
portions of the legs. The angle between the upper bent portions of the two 
legs is less than 180.degree.. 
In a preferred form, the legs and the connecting piece are bisected on a 
45.degree. diagonal throughout their lengths. The preferred angle between 
the upper bent portions of the two legs is 90.degree.. The legs are joined 
together using glue and the connecting piece is joined to the legs using 
glue. 
A method for preparing a laminated wood corner construction comprises the 
following steps: (1) taking thin wood laminae, applying glue and 
assembling the laminae with a right angle bend; (2) clamping the laminae 
in a mold while the glue hardens; (3) cutting the molded sheets into 
strips; (4) cutting each strip on an angle throughout its length; (5) 
taking two strips, the legs, and joining them together, with the angle 
between the upper bent portions of the legs being less than 180.degree.; 
(6) taking a shorter strip, the connecting piece, and attaching it between 
the upper bent portions of the legs. 
In a preferred method, the strips of step 4 are bisected on a 45.degree. 
diagonal throughout their lengths. The preferred angle between the upper 
bent portions of the two legs is 90.degree.. The legs are joined together 
using glue and the connecting piece is joined to the legs using glue. The 
ends of the legs may be rounded off by conventional means in order to 
create a more attractive appearance. When the corner construction is 
employed in a table, one of the articles most suited to the invention, a 
recess may be cut into the connecting piece in order that a glass top or 
top of other material can be inset.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a molded sheet of wood laminae and a 
strip cut from the molded sheet. This molded sheet is formed by taking 
many thin wood laminae from any type of wood, applying glue, and then heat 
treating the laminae in order to assemble them with a right angle bend. 
The laminae are clamped into a mold while the glue hardens and the molded 
sheets are then cut into strips about three inches square. By reason of 
this laminated construction, the grain of the wood runs the proper way at 
every point of strain, and is not liable to shift. 
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the two legs 20 and the connecting 
piece 22 which are laminated wood strips cut from the molded sheet of FIG. 
1. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the two legs 20, and the connecting piece 22 
are bisected on a 45.degree. diagonal throughout their lengths. 
FIGS. 5 and 7 show the two bisected legs 20 glued together with their upper 
bent portions running at right angles to each other and the bisected 
connecting piece 22 glued between the upper bent portions of the two legs 
20. 
FIG. 8 is a variation of the corner construction of FIG. 7. Here, there is 
a recess 24 cut into the connecting piece 22 in order that a glass top or 
top of other material can be inset to complete a table or other piece of 
furniture. The corner construction of FIG. 9 is identical to that of FIG. 
8, except that the ends of the legs are rounded off by conventional means. 
The legs may be either square or rounded off. The rounding off is just to 
create a more attractive appearance. 
Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a generally rectangular table having a 
transparent glass top 26 supported by a frame. The frame is comprised of 
four horizontal side members 28 (see FIGS. 11 and 12) interconnected with 
the four corner constructions of FIG. 9. 
While this invention has been described with reference to its preferred 
embodiment, other embodiments can achieve the same result. Variations and 
modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in 
the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such 
modifications and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of 
this invention.