US3638585A

US3638585A - Combination lectern and table

Info

Publication number: US3638585A
Application number: US877734A
Authority: US
Inventors: James Clyde Futrell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-11-18
Filing date: 1969-11-18
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

A combination lectern and table having a two-part base and a two-part top with a supporting shaft. Each of the halves of the top may be disposed horizontally or at a desired angle, the entire table may be adjusted vertically and the base may be supported on one-half and both the base and the top may be detached from the supporting post or column.

Description

United States atent Futrell [54] COMBINATION LECTERN AND TABLE [72] Inventor: James Clyde Futrell, 1007 Drake St.,

Roanoke Rapids, N.C. 27870 [22] Filed: Nov. 18, 1969 211 App]. No.: 877,734

[52] U.S.C| ..108/9, 108/120, 108/150 [51] ..A47l 5/12 [58] Field of Search ..108/1-10, 34-44, 108/49,118124,150-156 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 912,936 2/1909 Cowdrey ..108/141 X 1,325,164 12/1919 Mowrey ..108/34 1 1 Feb. 1, 1972 2,063,819 12/1936 Mattson ..108/1 2,233,806 3/1941 Bucknellm 108/34 2,481,604 9/1949 Lorenzen... 108/52 2,567,595 9/1951 Bryant ..108/152 3,115,213 12/1963 Cloutier ..108/34 X Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerGlenn O. Finch ArtorneyA. Yates Dowell and A. Yates Dowell, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A combination lectern and table having a two-part base and a two-part top with a supporting shaft. Each of the halves of the top may be disposed horizontally or at a desired angle, the entire table may be adjusted vertically and the base may be supported on one-half and both the base and the top may be detached from the supporting post or column.

1 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures COMBINATION LECTERN AND TABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention is in the field of stands or supports on which various articles can besupported.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various types of devices have been provided which serve as lectems, tables or the like. However, these have been awkward to use and particularly difficult to adjust to different levels and angles as well as to be used in different sizes.

SUMMARY The invention is a combination lectern and table of simple construction, light in weight, having a two-part base, one part useable without the other for supporting a post on which one or both parts of the top can be mounted and adjusted as to height. Also, the base and top portions may be detached from the post and the parts compactly disposed for transportation and storage.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, multiple part and multiple use stand of adjustable height, capable of being used wholly or in part as a speaker's stand or as a table by a user sitting or standing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG, 1 is a perspective illustrating the lecture table of the present invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged front elevation of the upper portion of the same;

FIG. 3, a side elevation on a reduced scale of the lecture-table;

FIG. 4, a front elevation of the rear portion of the table including the base, the post, and the rear portion of top;

FIG. 5, an enlarged fragmentary detail of the support which is longitudinally adjustable on the post;

FIG. 6, a perspective of the angle bar supporting member; and

FIG. 7, a perspective of the tabletop.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continued reference to the drawing, the combination lectern and table of the present invention includes a multiple part base, for example, two parts. One part of the base has a relatively short upright post with diverging floor engaging members 11 disposed at substantially 90 to each other, and with the post being a sleeve in which is received the lower end of a post or upright 12. The other half of the base is composed of right-angular members 13 provided with an upright bracket 14 and a collar 15 of a size to fit snugly over the post 12 and secured thereto by means of a wing screw 16. The post 12 is provided with spaced notches 17, the function of which will be apparent later in this description.

The table top is of multiple parts, such as two halves l8 and 19, each half being substantially identical in size and the half 18 having hinge 20 attached along its edge by means of fasteners 21. To the hinge 20 is secured the flange 22 by means of conventional screws or fasteners 23 and such flange forms part of a collar 24 having openings 25. This collar is carried at the upper end of a sleeve 26 slidably received over the upper end of the post 12. The lower end of the sleeve 26 is provided with a second collar 27 having a radial slot 28 in which a latch member 29 is mounted by means of a pivot 30. The latch member has a post engaging end portion 31 and the latch member also has a coil spring 32. Between one end of the latch member and a bracket 33 is connected a spring which normally tends to hold the latch member in engagement with the post 12. When the latch member is rotated about its pivot 30 extending the spring 32, it relieves the binding action between its tip 31 and the post 12 so that the sleeve can move downwardly on the post with the top of the post projecting above the tabletop.

A pair of braces 34 have spaced diverging extremities fastened by plates 35 and wingnuts 36 to the half 19 of the top and with the opposite ends of the braces converging and resting on the collar 27 on the sleeve 26. Thus, the half 19 of the tabletop is retained in horizontal position. The other half 18 of the tabletop is connected to the hinge 20 and by means of said hinge its angularity can be changed subject to the control of a yoke-type brace 37 having right-angular oppositely disposed end portions or hinge portions 38 joumaled in small hinge members 39 attached to the under surface of the said tabletop 18.

The center portion 40 of the yoke member is adapted to be selectively inserted in notches 17 with the tabletop portion 18 at the desired angle either horizontally or angularly disposed. Such center portion of the yoke 37 also is provided with a pair of spaced discs or stops 41 for the bracing effect of the same when the post is located between them and a confining chain 42 is provided having its ends attached by staples 43 to the yoke 37.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a simple, lightweight stand is provided which may be used as a lectern by a speaker or as a table and the height of which is adjustable so that it may be used while the user is either standing or sitting.

Thus, the device is sufficiently flexible that it can be located comfortably near a user regardless of whether sitting or standing. The complete device is illustrated in FIG. 1, but in FIG. 4 parts 13-16 of the base have been removed and the detachable portion 19 of the tabletop likewise has been removed. All that was necessary to detach the removable front portion of the base was to loosen the setscrew 16 and remove the post 12 from the sleeve 10 and from the collar 15 and thereafter reinsert such post or column into the sleeve or post section 10 attached to the arms 11 where they converge. When the part of the base is removed the half 19 of the table top also may be removed. This is done by removing the three bolts 25 which extend through the collar 24 and through the three corresponding openings in the tabletop. Reversely the tabletop half 19 may be replaced. The braces 34 on the underside of the tabletop engage and rest upon the collar 27 when the tabletop part 19 is in place.

Iclaim:

1. A combination lectern and table comprising an elongated post, a first base means connected to one end of said post, a second base means selectively removably mounted on said post adjacent to said first base means, a sleeve slidably mounted on said post, means for attaching said sleeve to said post in adjusted position, hinge means mounted at one end of said sleeve, a first tabletop portion carried by said hinge means for swinging movement relative to said post, a first bracket means swingably connected to said first tabletop portion, means for adjustably mounting said first bracket means on said post for swinging said first tabletop portion about said hinge means and attaching the same to said post in adjusted angular position, a second tabletop portion removably mounted on said sleeve substantially in alignment with at least one edge of said first tabletop portion, and second bracket means supporting said second tabletop portion from said sleeve, whereby said first tabletop portion is angularly adjustably mounted relative to said post and said second tabletop portion and said second base means are removably mounted on said post.

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