An Improvement in Folding Tables and other Articles of Furniture.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Folding Tables and other Articles of Furniture.
I, LOUIS ECHENARD of The Savoy Hotel, Thames Embankment, London,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in folding tables and other articles of
furniture which are supported on four legs and it has for its object to enable the
table or other article to be more expeditiously erected or folded and when folded
to be collapsed into a smaller compass than other articles of the kind and to
provide means whereby the legs will be rigidly secured in the erect position for
use without the use of any binding screws or other loose parts which are apt to
become defective or be mislaid.
My improvement is illustrated, as applied to a table, in the accompanying
drawings, forming part of this Specification, wherein Figure 1 represents a side
elevation of a table erected for use and Figure 2 represents an underside plan of
the table with the legs folded. The same letters of reference denote like parts in
both figures.
According to my invention, the two legs A A at one end or it may be one side of
the table or other article of furniture, are framed together by a cross-bar a and
the two legs BB at the other end or side are similarly framed together by a
cross bar b and each pair of legs is hinged by its cross-bar to the top C of the
table or to the frame of the bedstead, couch, chair, or other article to which the
invention may be applied. The hinges d admit of the two pairs of legs being
folded towards each other, as shewn in Figure 2 or of being erected in the
perpendicular position shewn in Figure 1, abutment checks D being provided to
prevent the legs passing beyond that position in the outward direction. In order
that they shall occupy the least amount of space when folded, the legs A are
arranged sufficiently out of line with the legs B to enable the former to lie
alongside the latter when folded, as shewn in Figure 2, this arrangement not
affecting the stability of the article when the legs are erected. The two pairs of
legs are rigidly supported in the erect position by tie-bars E, E, each hinged at
one end, the one to the legs A and the other to the legs B at opposite sides of the
table or other article. Each tie bar has a longitudinal slot e terminating at the
other end of the tie-bar in an upwardly directed notch el at right angles to
the length of the slot and in this slot plays a headed stud fixed to a leg of the
opposite pair to that to which the tie bar is hinged. With this arrangement, when
the legs are erected each tie-bar falls automatically into the locked position by its
notch e engaging with the corresponding stud f It may be secured against
accidental disengagement by a pin g inserted in coinciding holes in the tie bar and
leg frame. By means of these tie bars the two pairs of legs are securely braced
together so as to mutually support each other. When the notches e¹ are
disengaged from the studs and the legs are folded, the longitudinal slots e admit
of the tie rods sliding along the studs to the extent necessary to permit of the legs
lying snugly against the underside of the table top in which position they may be
retained by inserting the locking pins g in other holes g' in the tie rods. The size
and strength of the legs would depend on the length, breadth and height of the
table.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined, I declare that what I
claim is―
1st. A folding table or other four legged article of furniture having the legs
framed together in pairs hinged so as to fold inwards and arranged so as to
lie alongside of each other when folded in combination with tie rods each hinged to
the one pair of legs and adapted to be engaged with a stud on the other pair,
substantially as specified.
2nd. A folding table or other four legged article of furniture having the legs
framed together in pairs hinged so as to fold inwards as described in combination
with longitudinally slotted and rectangularly notched tie rods, each hinged to the
one pair of legs and engaging with a stud on the other pair, as specified.
17atCU
L. ECHENARD,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.