Patent Publication Number: US-3875872-A

Title: Work table

Description:
United States Patent 11 1 Kayner 1 1 WORK TABLE [76] Inventor: Morris S. Kayner, 99-41 64th Ave.  
 Rego Park, NY. 11374 221 Filed: Aug. 22, 1973 211 Appl. No; 390,594  
 [ Apr. 8, 1975 Prinuzr Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assn-mm E.raminerVict0r N. Sakran AHOI&#39;HL) Agenl, 0r FirmHubbe|l. Cohen &amp; Stiefel [57] ABSTRACT A work table or desk top having a central work member and a separate marginal member preferably surrounding the central work member on three sides. The central work member is mounted on a pedestal separate from the legs for the marginal work member so that they may be moved vertically relative to one another. The central member may be tilted as well. Means are provided in the marginal member for receiving of various desk implements such as, for example, a telephone. a lamp, a stapler. an adding machine, etc.  
 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures WORK TABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to work tables and desks.  
 2. The Prior Art It has heretofore been suggested in US. Pat. No. 2,707,663 to provide a work surface surrounded by a marginal surface with the work surface being pivotable relative to the marginal surface. Adjustable legs have also been suggested as in [1.5. Pat. No. 3,523,702. Moreover, a provision on desks for means to receive with appliances has heretofore been suggested.  
  However, it has not been suggested heretobefore to provide for a central work surface that is vertically adjustable relative to a surrounding marginal desk portion and which is also tiltable with respect thereto.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A desk or table top comprising a central work member supported by a vertically telescoping pedestal connected to the underside of the central member by a swivel joint. Surrounding the central member on three sides is a marginal work member supported by four legs, preferably vertically adjustable. On the marginal portion, there are complementary means such as protrusions and grooves for receiving implements such as telephones, lamps, staplers, adding machines and the like. The front edge of the central portion of the work surface may be provided with a ridge to prevent pencils and the like from falling off when the central work surface is tilted.  
  By providing the marginal portion with complementary means for holding a variety of implements, the central work member can be adjusted to whatever attitude is desired by the user without interfering with or knocking over the implements on the marginal member, the implements being securely mounted on the marginal portion of the desk and thus not being affected by the change of attitude of the central portion.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:  
  FIG. I is a perspective view of a work table embodying the present invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of said work table front a different vantage, the central portion thereof being tilted out of the plane of the marginal portion;  
  FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the support pedestal for the central portion of the table;  
  FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and  
  FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing in detail, the invention is illustrated in the form of a work table 10. However, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the invention is equally applicable to a desk.  
  The work table comprises a substantially planar central work board or member 12 and a marginal substantially planar work member 14, the marginal work member herein shown as surrounding the work board 12 on the two sides 16 and I8 and the front 20, the rear 22 of the work board being accessible to the user generally sitting on a chair or stool or the like.  
  The U-shaped marginal board is supported by four legs 24, 26, 28 and 30, which legs are preferably adjustable in length. Leg 30 is shown in section in FIG. 5 by way of example.  
  Referring now to FIG. 5, leg 30 comprises a lower tubular member 32 having a flanged bottom or base 34 and a threaded aperture 36 in the wall thereof through which a set screw 38 threadedly extends, the set screw having a hand wheel 40 secured to the outer end thereof for tightening and loosening thereof. Tele scoped within the outer tube 32 is an upper inner cylindrical member 42 here shown to have a plurality of rows of apertures or indentations 44 at the lower end thereof, each of said apertures being adapted to receive the set screw 38 for fixing the upper cylinder 42 relative to the lower tube 32. Clearly, by loosening the set screw 38, the vertical adjustment of the upper tube 42 relative to the lower tube 32 can be achieved whereby to adjust the overall length of the leg 30. The leg 30, and the other legs 24, 26 and 28 may be secured to the marginal table top portion 14 in any suitable manner. As shown by way of example in FIG. 5, a mounting plate 46 is welded to the top or upper tube 42, the mounting plate having a plurality of screw holes 48 through which screws 50 extend into the U-shaped table top portion I4. Clearly, a variety of other means may be employed for effecting this attachment. Suffice it to say, the legs 24 through 30 are all vertically adjustable and are preferably arranged to maintain the marginal table portion 14 in a horizontal plane.  
  The central work board or member I2 is mounted on a central pedestal 52 which is adjustable in length. Spe cifically, the central pedestal 52 includes a lower telescoping tube 54 and an upper telescoping cylinder or tube 56 which may be substantially identical in construction to corresponding parts of the legs 24 through 30. However, the upper tube 56 is not secured rigidly to the under surface of central work board 12 in the manner of the legs 24 to 30. Instead, interposed between the top of the member 56 and the bottom of the central work member 12 is a pivot 58 which will permit the member 12 to pivot from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2.  
  Specifically, a connecting plate 60 is threadedly se cured to the underside of the central member 12 as by screws 62. Fixed to the bottom of plate 60 by welding or the like are a pair of depending, spaced apart ears 64, the space between them being about equal to the diameter of the upper tube 56. Provided adjacent the upper end of tube or pipe 56 is an aperture 66 extending diametrically therethrough. The aperture 66 is registrable with apertures 68 in the ears 64. Extending through the registered apertures 64 and 66 is a screw 70 having a wing nut 72 threadedly mounted thereon. When the wing nut is tightened, the ears 64 are fixed against pivotal movement relative to the tube 56. However, when the wing nut is loosened, the ears can pivot whereby to permit the pivotal movement of the central member 12 as hereinbefore described.  
  Thus, it will be seen that the central leg 52 may be vertically adjusted to adjust the vertical position of the central member 12 relative to the marginal U-shaped member 14. To prevent articles from rolling or sliding off the central member 12 when it is tilted, a strip 75 which extneds above the plane of central member 12 is fixed to the rear edge 22 thereof, preferably along the entire length of said edge.  
  As may best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the marginal U-shaped member 14 is provided with a plurality of means that are complementary to the bases of a number of implements for holding said implements on said U-shaped member. Thus, for example, a rectangular recess 74 may be provided, as in the left hand leg of member 14, for receiving the base of a telephone 76 therein whereby to locate the telephone and to releasably hold it in that desirable position. Likewise, a lamp 78 may have its base 80 located within a recess 82 in the member 14. Other implements such as a stapler 84, a spotlight 86 and a calculator 88 may be releasably located on the U-shaped member 14 as by means com plementary to the bases thereof. If the base of the implement is hollow, then a protruding complementary means may be provided on member 14; if the base of the implement is solid, then a hollowed out recess may be provided in member 14 to receive the base of the implement.  
  The work table or desk top is disposed with the legs on the floor. The legs 24 through 30 are adjusted to a height that is desired by the user. The pedestal 52 is also adjusted vertically so that central member 12 may be in or out ofco-planar relationship with the U-shaped member 14, depending on the desires ofthe user. In addition, depending upon the work to be done by the user, he may change the angular attitude of the central member 12 as from a horizontal attitude to a slanting attitude. In accordance with one important feature of the present invention, it will be noted that the two portions 12 and 14 may be maintained co-planar and adjusted to any desired height or they may be adjusted so that the central member 12 is in a different plane than the member 14, either above or below. Further, the member 12 can be readily tilted without interfering with the applicances that are securely held in the complementary means on the marginal portion 14. Clearly, this could not be achieved if the applicances were to be mounted on the central portion.  
  lfthe invention is to be incorporated in a desk, especially one having a chest of drawers, then one or both of the legs of U-shaped marginal member 14 will be proportioned to overlie said chest or chests of drawers. If it is desired to maintain the feature of vertical adjustability for marginal portion 14, then the legs can be maintained and located outboard or inboard of said chest or chests of drawers, or vertically adjustable members can be interposed between the top of said chest or chests of drawers and the bottom of said marginal member. If the chest is to be only on one side, then legs will be employed to support the other side.  
  With a table top or desk embodying the features as above described. it will be seen that the table top or desk is adaptable to a number of different tasks by virtue of the movable central member 12 relative to the marginal portion 14. Thus, for example, the entire surface can function as a unit as a standard desk when the two portions of the top are co-planar as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the central portion, still horizontal, can be moved upwardly or downwardly toward the eyes of the viewer to adapt to different types of work and the central portion may be tilted so as to perfect drafting exercises or the like and in the tilted position, it may be raised or lowered. All of this can be done with the implements remaining steady and undistrubed on the marginal portion, being releasably held thereon by the complementary holding means. Thus, the desk or table top described herein yields enormous versatility in use, adaptability to the vision and nature of work of particular users and it produces predetermined locations for implements commonly associated with the desk.  
  While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of the present invention and have sug gested modification thereto, other changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.  
 What is claimed is:  
 l. A desk-table top comprising:  
 a central portion;  
 a marginal portion separate from and disposed alongside of at least one edge of said central portion; a first leg means supporting said marginal portion; a second adjustable length leg separate from said first leg means and means connected to said central portion for vertically adjustably positioning said central portion relative to said marginal portion;  
 pivot means connecting said second adjustable length leg means to said central portion for permitting the selection of the angular attitude of said central portion; and  
 operatively connected to said second leg means and said central portion means releasably holding said central portion in any selected angular attitude.  
  2. The desk-table top of claim 1, wherein said marginal portion is U-shaped and surrounds said central portion of three sides.  
  3. The desk-table top of claim 2, wherein said leg means for said marginal portion are adjustable length.  
  4. The desk-table top of claim 3, further comprising means on said marginal portion for releasably holding a plurality of implements thereon.  
  5. The desk-table top of claim 4, wherein said adjustable length leg means for both said marginal portion and said central portion comprise a pair of elongated telescoping members and means for releasably holding said telescoping members in a selected position.