Patent Publication Number: US-4224881-A

Title: Table

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Various forms of tables such as cocktail tables have been utilized by those in the art. Generally the tables are formed from wood or other suitable material having the parts thereof secured in a conventional fashion to form the resulting table. 
     In accordance with the tastes of the consumer, different styles of tables are created. One style is a natural appearance wherein the table is intended to look like a portion of a tree. This is accomplished by either using a portion of the tree itself or by using materials which simulate a natural tree. Such approaches, however, such as exemplified in Design Pat. No. 220,768 take the form of cutting a tree trunk transversely to its longitudinal axis and additionally cutting a plurality of limbs so that flat surfaces from the trunk and limbs are coplaner to support a separate component as the table top. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a table made from a natural tree itself. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a table which is made by a totally different approach than taken by the art so as to result in an entirely different type of table. 
     In accordance with this invention a portion of a trunk is cut, not transversely as conventionally done, but rather longitudinally. The trunk portion is so selected as to have at least one limb of substantial size which likewise is cut so as to result in a flat surface parallel to the flat surface resulting from a longitudinal cut of the trunk. The limb, or more accurately, the truncated portion of the limb, then functions as a support or pedestal for the trunk portion which in turn functions as the table top. 
     In accordance with one practice of this invention, a base member which itself may comprise a portion of a tree may be secured to the limb to provide added stability thereto. 
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the steps taken for producing a table in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a table formed in accordance with FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the table shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the table shown in FIGS. 2-3. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 2-4 illustrate a table 10 in accordance with this invention. The table 10 is formed by utilizing the steps indicated in FIG. 1. As shown therein a portion of a tree 12 is cut in any suitable manner along the lines A--A and B--B transversely to the longitudinal axis of the trunk. As later described, the surfaces resulting from these cuts create the ends 14, 16, resp., of the table 10. Unlike the approaches taken by the prior art, the trunk is cut longitudinally along the line F-E so as to result in two trunk portions 18, 20. This section of the tree is so selected that each usable trunk portion has a limb 22, 24 of substantial dimension. Similarly each limb 22, 24 is cut along the lines C--C and D--D, resp., to create flat surfaces parallel to the flat surface of trunk sections 18, 20 resulting from longitudinal cut F-E. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates one such tree portion resulting from the aforementioned cutting operation. At this stage of manufacture, if trunk portion 20 contains limbs other than truncated limb 24 or contains other undesired appendages, these extraneous appendages are removed. 
     As also shown in FIG. 1, after the tree portion having trunk segment 20 with truncated limb 24 is formed, the tree portion is debarked. Next, the debarked tree portion is sanded or otherwise made smooth and given a rough finish. If desired, truncated limb 24 may function as the support for trunk segment 20. In a preferred form of this invention, however, a base 26 is attached to the remote flat end 28 of limb 24. Preferably base 26 is likewise made for a portion of a natural tree and preferably the portion likewise results from a longitudinal cut of a tree so as to better conform in appearance to the flat upper surface 30 of trunk segment 20. If desired, base 26 may be obtained from a thinner portion of the same tree or from a portion of the same tree which does not have a suitable limb. 
     Although it is desirable that base 26 result from a longitudinal cut of a tree, it is within the concepts of this invention to utilize a portion of a tree made by parallel transverse cuts. Similarly, if desired, cut D--D may be made an angle to cut E--E and base 26 would have a complimentary shape slanted so that its lower surface 32 would be parallel to the upper surface 30 of trunk segment 18. The base would likewise be debarked and sanded before being secured to limb 24. 
     It is also within the concepts of this invention, but not as desirable, to form the base from any type of material other than a portion of a natural tree. As indicated, such practice is not desirable since it detracts from the overall effect of a table having the natural appearance of a tree. 
     Base 26 is secured to truncated limb 24 in any suitable manner known in the furniture art. The tree portion and base are then finished in any suitable manner such as by the application of a number of coatings of varnish. The clear finish is likewise preferred so as the enhance the natural grain appearance. Obviously, however, other types of finishes may be applied. 
     The table 10 resulting from the method thus differs from conventional tables made from natural tree portions not only by the manner in which the table is made, but also asthetically as well as functionally. Thus, for example, whereas conventional tables resulting from transverse cuts are severly limited in size by the tree diameter, table 10 may be of indefinite length. If, for example, an extremely long length is selected, plural limb portions may be utilized to provide the necessary support. Table 10 also differs asthetically and functionally from such prior art tables in that a separate table top is not necessary, but rather the trunk portion itself is utilized as the table top. Base 26 is included to provide added stability for the table 10 and enhance the pedestal effect. 
     As previously indicated base 26 may be formed in various manners without concepts of this invention. A further approach, differing from FIG. 1, is to simultaneously form a pair of trunk segments by a pair of parallel longitudinal cuts rather than the single cut of FIG. 1. In this manner a flat slab would be created at the tree heart between the cuts and the slab could be then utilized to form base 26. This would be particularly advantageous in that the grain formation from, for example, two base members resulting from cutting the slab in half would result in the same grain formation as on the trunk segments to which the bases 26 could be secured.