US3504877A - Furniture leg bracket means - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1970 J. c. LYON, SR

FURNITURE LEG BRACKET MEANS Filed May 22, 1968 4| m 445 55 F|G.5

INVENTOR. JOSEPH C. LYON, SR.

United States Patent 3,504,877 FURNITURE LEG BRACKET MEANS Joseph C. Lyon, Sr., 4227 Arrow, Memphis, Tenn. 38109 Filed May 22, 1968, Ser. No. 731,069 Int. Cl. F16m 11/16 U.S. Cl. 248-188 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Two-element self-locking bracket means for mounting each leg of a table, chair, couch or the like. Each leg securing bracket means includes a generally fiat base element fixed horizontally to the undersurface of the base or tabletop portions of the table, chair or the like and includes a generally fiat leg element fixed horizontally on the upper end surface of the leg, the elements respectively including structure whereby the leg element may be displaced laterally along the base element in corresponding confronting slideways in the base element, and substantially snaplocked in place with the base and leg elements being in confronting fiatwise engagement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention Relates to bracket means generally and particularly to such means useful for mounting each leg to the leg supporting parts of a table, couch, chair or the like.

(2) Description of the prior art Heretofore, in securing a leg to the leg supporting parts in a chair, couch, table or the like, the general practice has been to fixedly secure a threaded stud in the upper end portion of each leg and to provide threaded socket means in the leg supporting parts of the chair or the like for threadedly receiving the leg. A modification or improvement of such leg securing means may be seen in the disclosure of Patent No. 2,905,422. A particular problem with such leg securing means as shown in this patent is noted when such means is used for securing square-sectioned legs on the leg supporting parts of the chair or the like. In installing a leg utilizing a single threaded stud attachment means, it not infrequently occurs that the leg may not bottom or be in threadedly tight engagement with the undersurface of the base when the square-sectioned leg is arranged at a proper setting. Often, a leg may not be tightened properly because the square of the leg is not arranged at a proper position and the leg must be left in a loosened condition. Conversely, a leg may be tightened excessively in order to line the square of the leg to a particular setting and such overtightening of the leg may fracture or misalign various leg or leg supporting parts of the furniture piece.

Since such leg-attaching means is typically utilized at the furniture store or after receiving the furniture from the factory, it is often diflicult to repair or perform the necessary steps in assembling the furniture prior to delivery to the home owner or domestic user. Not infrequently, a leg may become damaged in performing the leg attachment procedures there-by necessitating a replacement leg or part; a new part may often need to be shipped from the factory for replacement of the damaged part thereby delaying the delivery of furniture to the home owner thereby resulting in loss of customer good will.

Patent No. 3,142,467 illustrates leg-attaching means for attaching a tubular metal leg in a furniture piece, the tubular leg is provided with a pair of oppositely facing coplanar arranged slots and such slots are adapted to be slidably received in a pair of confrontingly arranged coplanar flanges. The invention of Patent No. 3,142,467 is directed principally towards means for securing tubular metal leg members on furniture pieces; in contrast, applicants leg attaching means is directed toward providing means for attaching solid leg members formed of wood, plastic or the like, particularly square-sectioned leg members on furniture pieces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The bracket means of the present invention provides means for firmly securing a leg particularly a squaresectioned leg to a furniture base part without considerable skill or practice on the part of the user. A leg may be quickly and easily attached to the furniture piece without bodily turning or threadedly installing the leg in place as was typical in prior art; by only a single movement of the leg, laterally displacing the leg relative to the leg-supporting part, the leg mounting elements are securely connected. The bracket means of the invention also includes means for utilizing a straight bar tool for prying and snap locking each leg to the leg-supporting structure of a furniture piece. Each leg is automatically snaplocked in place and may not be readily disassembled. The bracket structure of the present invention is particularly useful for mounting square-sectioned legs, as the brackets may be positioned correctly at the factory for correct positioning of each leg at the furniture store or at the place the furniture is assembled for delivery to the domestic user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view and partly in section illustrating the structure of the present invention mounting a leg on the leg supporting part of a furniture piece.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal view, viewed upwardly, taken as on the line II-II of FIG. 1, illustrating the base element of the furniture bracket means attached to the leg-supporting parts of the furniture piece.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal view, viewed downwardly, taken as on the line III-III of FIG. 1, illustrating the leg element of the bracket means of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal view, viewed upwardly, taken as on the line IV IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical plane sectional view taken as on the line VV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view showing perspectives of both the base and leg elements of the invention, each element being unattached from its supporting structure, and showing both elements in an inverted configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Bracket means 11, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, principally includes a base element 13, and leg element 15, fixedly secured respectively on base structure 17 and leg member 19 of the furniture piece. Base structure 17 may be considered as being the leg-supporting parts of a particular piece of furniture or in certain applications in the invention as the upper part of a table or tabletop. For the purpose of clarity in description in the specification and claims, base structure 17 will be considered a generic term and will be considered to embrace any furniture structure for supporting leg member 19.

Base element 13 is preferably formed of sheet metal and configured generally flat, and includes a plate-like body 21 generally rectangular in marginal configuration. Base element 13 is arranged generally horizontally with upper surface 23 thereof flatwise engaging undersurface 25 of base structure 17. Countersunk head type wood screws 27 extending respectively through apertures '29 are embeddedly secured in base structure 17 and permanently fix base element 13 to base structure 17.

The marginal portions of rectangular base element 13 on three sides thereof are turned downwardly and inwardly and define respectively left and right parallel arranged slideways 31, 31 and lockway 33. Slideways 31, 31 and lockway 33 each are preferably of similar transverse configuration and distal edge portions 35, 35 of slideways 31, 31 are generally coplanar arranged. The distal edge portion 37 of lockway 33 is generally parallel with distal edge portions 35, 35' but somewhat closer to body 21 so that element will be in snug engagement therewith when in assembled relationship, as will be better understood in the description to follow later in the specification.

Leg member 19 is tapered and configured square in cross section and, as shown in the drawings, is adapted to be positioned vertically and in a supporting configuration underneath base structure 17. Leg element 15 includes a generally flat platelike body 39 generally rectangular in marginal configuration and defined on three sides respectively by left and right slide edge portions 41, 41' and lock edge portion 43. Leg element 15 is horizontally secured on leg member 19 with undersurface 45 of leg element body 39 fiatwise engaging horizontal upper end surface 47 of leg member 19. Countersunk head type wood screws 49 extending respectively through apertures 51 in leg element body 39 are embeddedly secured in the upper portion of leg member 19 and permanently secure leg element 15 to leg 19. If desired, body 39 may be formed so that the middle portion of the portion attached to leg 19 is at an acute angle relative to the remaining portion of body 39 so that the leg will be at an acute angle relative to undersurface rather than being perpendicular thereto as in the preferred form.

The relative proportions respectively of base and leg elements 13, 15 are such that leg element 15 may be slidably engaged with base element 13 by slidably engaging left and right slide edge portions 41, 41' respectively of element 15 with slideways 31, 31 of element 13. Leg element 15 is adapted to be displaced laterally relative to base element 13 and to be moved to a stopped position with lock edge portion 43 of leg element 15 being received in and adjacent the interior vertical surface of lockway 33 of base element 13. When in a joined configuration, upper surface 53 of leg element body 39 is arranged in face to face engagement with undersurface 55 of base element body 21.

Snaplock type catch means is provided for holding base member 13 and leg member 19 in a joined configuration. Such catch means preferably includes a downturned flange portion 57 formed integrally with base element body 21, a catch edge portion 59 formed integrally with leg element body 39 and a pair of lugs 61, 61' integrally formed respectively with left and right slide edge portions 41, 41' of leg element body 39. Flange portion 57 preferably is right angular in cross sectional configuration and integrally formed with base element body 21. Leg element body catch edge portion 59 is adapted to slide underneath downturned flange 57 of base element 13 and to snaplatch behind flange 57 as lock edge portion 43 of leg element 15 abuttingly engages lockway 33 of base element 13. Lugs 61, 61 of leg element 15 are preferably struck from the parent metal of leg element body 39 and protrude respectively slightly below the horizontal plane of leg element body undersurface 45. When leg element 15 and base element 13 are in a joined and snaplocked configuration, lug portions 61, 61' are received respectively in base element slideway portions 31, 31 and engage respectively the interior upper surfaces of slideway distal portions 35, to hold edge portion 59 behind flange 57 and prevent the element 15 from becoming accidentally disengaged from element 13. It will be understood that there is some resiliency of the slideway portions 31, 31 to permit the above-mentioned snaplocking.

Bracket means 11 also includes fulcrum means adapted for use in slidably snaplocking leg element 15 with base element 13. A fulcrum point 63 preferably is provided on base element 13 for engagement with a bar tool (not shown) utilized for prying leg element 15 into snaplocked engagement with base element 13. A downwardly opening hole 65 is formed in undersurface 55 of base element body 51 adjacent one end of flange 57; hole 65 is adapted to removably receive the end portion of the bar tool and provide fulcrum point means for use in snaplocking the base and leg elements together and for securing leg member 19 on base structure 17.

Iclaim:

1. Bracket means for use in a table, chair, couch or the like having a horizontal base having a flat undersurface and having a vertical leg having a flat end surface, the bracket means being adapted for securing the leg to the base and comprising a base element including a flat plate-like body generally rectangular in marginal configuration, means adapted for fixedly securing said base element body in flatwise engagement with the flat undersurface of said base, said base element having three marginal portions of said body each being turned downwardly and inwardly and defining respectively left and right parallel arranged slideways and a lockway extending perpendicularly with and arranged coplanar to said left and right slideways, and including a leg element including a flat platelike body generally rectangular in marginal configuration, means adapted for fixedly securing said leg element body in fiatwise engagement with the fiat end surface of said leg, said leg element body having three edge portions horizontally coplanar arranged and including left and right slide edge portions oppositely arranged respectively on left and right portions of said leg element body and a lock edge portion arranged perpendicular to an extending coplanar with said left and right slide edge portions, the relative proportions respectively of said base and leg elements being such that said leg element left and right marginal slide edge portions will slidably freely snugly engage respectively the left and right slideway portions of said base element 'body and be firmly embraced respectively by said left and right slideway portions, and including catch means for holding said base and leg element slideway portions together with said leg element lock edge being abuttingly engaged with and received respectively in the lockway of said base element body, and with said catch means including coacting structure in said base and leg elements including respectively a downturned vertical flange portion of said base element extending parallel and generally coplanar and opposingly arranged relative to said lockway and with said leg element body including structure defining a catch edge portion extending parallel said lock edge portion and including at least a pair of lug portions integrally formed respectively along the left and right portions of said leg element body and protruding slightly downwardly therefrom, the relative proportions respectively of said base and leg elements being such that said edge portions of said leg element body is adapted to slide underneath and snaplatch behind said downturned flange portion of said base element body, said leg element body being a fiatwise engagement with said base element body and with said pair of downwardly protruding lug portions being received respectively in left and right parallel slideways of said base element body, and with the arrangement being such as to prevent relative lateral displacement of said base element and said leg element.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said base element includes structure defining fulcrum means adapted for use only when slidably snaplock-engaging said leg element to said base element and for use as a fulcrum point in using a bar tool for prying said leg element into snaplock engagement with said base element.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said fulcrum means includes structure in said base element body adjacent one end of said downturned flange portion defining a vertical tool hole adapted to removably receive the end portion of a bar tool thereby providing fulcrum point means for relative lateral movement of said leg element relative to said base element and for snaplocking said base and leg elements together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

MARION PARSONS, 1a., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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