Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 16th Sept., 1887.
1, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of
67, Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by
Samuel A. Field of 914 F Street, Washington, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, 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 Children's Trays.
Hitherto it has been customary to provide Trays of this character at their ends and
along the sides farthest from the child with an upright or undercut edge.
Such construction has enabled babies and young children when reaching forward to
grasp anything that is within reach, a habit quite general, to secure a finger hold on
or under the edge of the tray and thereby to tilt the tray over toward their body,
spilling the milk or other liquid or food into their lap.
The object of the present invention is to provide a tray with an edge of such form
as to prevent the securing of a finger hold by a child.
A further object is to provide simple and effective means for locking the tray to the
edge of the child's chair in proximity to the edge of the table.
A further object is to provide a child's tray which shall be simple and convenient
and capable of being manufactured at a small initial cost.
With these ends in view, the invention consists in certain features of construction
and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the tray as adjusted
for use, Figure 2 is a vertical section from front to rear, and Figure 3 is a partial
bottom plan view showing the construction of the spring clamp and hook.
A represents the depressed body portion of the tray from which the rim a rises in
flaring form as is common. Instead, however, of terminating the rim a at or near its
line of greatest elevation, I project it outwardly and downwardly, as shown at a', to
the plane of the bottom of the tray, so that when the tray rests on a level surface, as
for example a table, the border or edge of the rim a, a³, will rest on or be in close
proximity to the said surface.

page_text: The obliquity of the rim portion a¹ is such as to afford no possible hold for the
child's fingers, and the result of any attempt to lift the edge of the tray, by pulling it
toward the body, will be to press it more tightly against the table.
The front a of the tray, is projected downwardly, as shown, for the purpose of
engagement with the edge of the table. The spring for clamping the tray to
the table and also hooking it to the front of the child's chair is constructed as
follows:
A piece of spring wire is secured at one end along the under side of the tray in the
groove formed by the rim portions a, a¹ as shown at B, the extreme end of the wire
being toward the front of the tray. After leaving the end of its connection
farthest from the front, the wire makes a turn as shown at 6 and is then led back
toward the front in a groove C, preferably alongside of its connection with the tray.
As it approaches the depending front a², of the tray, the said wire makes a turn in a
vertical plane, as shown at 6, and thence extends from the front at a sufficient distance
from the bottom of the tray to admit of the introduction between its parts of a table
bed of ordinary thickness, by springing the parts open. The wire then makes a turn
as shown at 6, in a horizontal plane and extends toward and through the front a³.
After passing through the front the said wire is bent into hook-shape, as shown
at 63, calculated to engage one of the round standards at the front of the child's
chair, and finally terminates in a loop, as 6, suitable for use as a handle in
manipulating the hook, or for the attachment of a strap if deemed necessary to
hold the hooks in engagement with the chair.
The slot D in the front a² through which the wire extends is elongated horizontally,
to admit of the swing of the hook 63, outwardly, in order to engage the outer portion
of the chair standard, and as the hook normally springs toward the inner end of the
slot its own tension will tend to hold it in engagement with the standard.
There are two hooks employed, one at each front corner and being arranged sym-
metrical with respect to each other serve to grasp the outer sides of each front
standard and assist each other in retaining their hold.
'
The form of the combined clasp and hook is such as to prevent liability of its
becoining, detached from the tray, as the strain on the clamp portions is taken by the
part lying in the groove C.
Its construction, as is readily seen, is very simple while it does its work effectually.
The tray is preferably constructed of a single piece of sheet metal, having its rim
pressed into the desired form. It may, however, be constructed of various other
materials, such for example, as hard rubber, celluloid or wood, and be moulded or
carved into the desired form or its rim sections one or both may be formed separate
from the body portion and attached thereto.
It is evident also that many slight changes in the form and arrangement of the
parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention, hence, I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set
forth, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. A child's tray having its outer rim constructed slanting outwardly and down-
wardly into proximity to the surrounding surface on which the tray stands,
substantially as set forth.
2. A child's tray constructed of a single piece of material having its outer rim
extending outwardly and downwardly from its line of highest elevation to the surface
on which it stands, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the body portion of a tray, of a combined clamping and
hook spring, adapted to simultaneously lock the tray to the table and to a chair at the
edge of the table, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the body portion of a tray, of a pair of clamping springs
secured to the tray at one end and provided with hook portions at their opposite ends,
adapted to engage the chair at the front of the tray, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 5. The combination with the body portion of a tray provided with a depending
front, of a pair of wire springs secured to the bottom of the tray, and projecting
through elongated slots in the said depending front, the wire springs having hook
bends formed therein, outside of the front, and loops at their extreme ends for
manipulating the hooks, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with a child's tray, of a securing spring secured thereto, the said
securing spring having an extended seat in a groove alongside of its connection with
the tray, a double turn, as shown, to form a clamp and a free end extending through
a slot in the front of the tray, substantially as set forth.