US2469232A - Utility stand - Google Patents

Description

May 3, 1949.

Y B. H. KENNEDY I UTILITY STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 20, 1945 INVENTOR' BFNJAM/N 6f KENNEDY ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UTILITY STAND Benjamin H. Kennedy, Pittsford, N. Y.

Application October 20, 1945, Serial No. 623,495

Claims. (01. 211-178) This invention relates to stands and has for its object the provision of a foldable utility stand which is so constructed and arranged that it may easily be folded to an inoperative compact position for shipment or storage and unfolded or erected to an operative position. The invention aims to provide a utility stand that is of simple sturdy construction comprising several supporting legs with a plurality of easily removable shelves supported by the legs, together with means for bracing the legs to secure them in their rigid supporting position.

In accordance with the invention, I provide two pairs of legs with means interconnecting the legs together permitting one pair of legs to be folded into substantial parallelism with the other pair of legs. Advantageously such means is in the form of an X-brace with the four arm extremities connected to the legs and with means for securing the arms of the X-brace in a rigid pivotal connection. I prefer to employ two or more removable shelves which rest upon the X-braces with means on the shelves which engage the arms of the X-brace and secure them in their rigid extended position. To this end, I may provide removableshelves with corner notches which engage the arms near the legs to lock or bind the legs to the shelves when in their unfolded or erected positions.

These and other novel features of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a utility stand embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stand with shelves removed showing folded and unfolded legs;

Fig. 3 illustrates a detail of the shelf and brace connection;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the stand of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the stand of Fig. 1 with the shelves removed and the legs folded.

The utility stand illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 comprises upright legs L resting on casters or the like with three identical connecting X-braces B. The legs may be formed of wood or tubular metal and are preferably permanently connected to the X- braces. While any suitable connecting means may be used for this purpose, I prefer to use a special bracket 4 (Figs. 2 and 3) comprising a vertical plate 5 connected by Screws 6 to the leg L which has a right angle bend 1 connected by screws 8 to an arm A of the X-brace. For purposes later to be explained, I provide upright and side rails 29.

bearing plates 9 which lie against the sides of the arms. Dowel pins or lagscrews Il) may be used to assist in effecting a rigid connection of the legs to the arms.

As shown in the drawings, I provide three X- braces each comprising a sheet metal frame or hub Ii having top and bottom plates l2 and I3 connected together with web spacers l5, l6, ll, l8, l9 and 20 with a space between the plates just sufiicient to permit free movement of the arms A which are pivotally connected to the plates by the rivets 2|. The webs l5, l6, l8 and I9 serve as stops for the arms A when they are in their extended positions and insure their proper positions for receiving the shelves. As best shown in Fig. 2, the arms of the braces and their connected legs may be folded as shown at the right, or unfolded to the erected position as shown at the left. To insure stability of the unfolded legs, I may provide a stay-hinge 22, the ends of which are pivotally connected to the arms by screws or rivets 23.

The shelves 25, 26 and 21 are identical with the exception of top shelf 21 which has a rear rail 28 While any suitable shelving may be used, I prefer to use shelves formed of stamped sheet metal with decorative perforations at the center and downwardly turned side edges 3| (Fig. 3). Advantageously the corners are formed with a short side 32 (Fig. 3) to bear against the fiat inside of the legs and are provided with a rectangular notch 33 which straddles the arm, fitting snugly against the bearing plates 9. These notches and bearing plates cooperate to secure the stand in its rigid erected position. The frame or hub ll bears against substantial lengths of the arms and secures them in their pivoting plane, thereby reducing the tendency for the stand to wiggle.

In order to increase the uses for the stand, for example, as a nursery item in the care of infants, I provide a foldable rack R at the back which may be bowed to the position for use as shown in Fig. 1, or left hanging in a flat position parallel to the legs when not in use. A rack of this type is described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 620,270, filed October 4, 1945. Other racks or brackets, such as the swinging hanger brackets S, may be attached in convenient places, such as to the legs as shown. These brackets may easily be removed or swung out of the way.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the utility stand of Figs. 1 to 5 is of simple sturdy construction and that it may easily be folded to legs are folded or unfolded together in pairs, a

plurality of removable shelves arranged tube; supported by the arms, and means at the corners of each shelf for engaging the arms of: the: 1X- braces to secure the legs in their unfolded positions.

2. A utility stand which comprises a pluralltylr of upright supporting legs, a plurality of X-braces each. brace consisting of ,a hub having diagonally, extending arms, each arm being pivotally con nected tov said hub at its-inner extremity andrto a supporting leg at its outer extremity,,saida X- br-aces'providing means by.- which the supporting legs are folded or unfolded together in pairs, each hub including parallel. platesbetween which the arms pivot to secure andv guide the arms, thereof and thereby prevent wiggling of the, legs; when in their unfolded positions, a pluralityof removable shelves mounted over the- X-braces-, and notch meansat the corners of theshelvesi to; engage-thearms to securethe legs intheir unfolded positions.

3 A, utility stand which comprises; a. plurality of upright supporting legs, a plurality of; )e-braces each; brace consisting of a hub having, diagonally, extending arms, each arm being pivotally 0011;1- nected to said hubat its-inner extremityandto; a, supporting leg; at its. outer extremity, said:- Xe. braoes providing means, by which the, supporting; legs are folded or unfolded, avflat metal plate on: each oftwo. opposite sides of the hub. between which the arms of therbrace, pivot, said plates: securing the. arms in, the plane in; which they: pivot, a. pluralityv of removable shelves each; mountedilna position overlyingan Xebrace, and

means at the corners of" the shelves forrsecuring the legs intheir: unfolded position,

4. In a utility stand having four supporting legs, the improvement which comprises at least two X-braces, each brace consisting of a hub having diagonally extending arms, each arm being pivotally connected to said hub at its inner extremity and to a supporting leg at its outer extremity, said X-braces providing means by which the supporting legs are folded or unfolded together in pairs, the hubs including means by whichrthe arms: are securely heldin' a plane while folding and unfolding and -the1legs'=are accordingly prevented from wiggling, at least two removable shelves one mounted over each X-brace, and means at the corners of each shelf for securing the legs in their unfolded positions.

In: a). utility stand having four supporting legshthe. improvement which comprises at least two X'-braces each-ofwhich has four arms pivot.

. allyruonnected to the legs at one end, a pivotal mounting means for the four arms of each X- brace to which the other endofeach arm. is. pivotally. connectedandbya means. of which the arms.v are securely held in, a. plane while. folding, and, unfolding, andthe legslare, accordingly. prevented. from wiggling; twdstay-hinges for at. least one: X.-brace,each -stay-hinge beingconnected totwcarms whereby the arms, maybe folded or un folded and. locked in their unfolded, positionsanda. removable shelfmounted in-v a position;'

overlying, each Xebrace and having notches at,

the corners operatively connecting, the'shelves tor the arms. I

BENJAMIN H. NEDY.v

REFERENCES. GIT-ED,

'Ilhe: following references are-of. record: in the file;v Of? this: patent:

UNITED" STATES PATENTS hang et' a1. May- 163 ,1939)

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