US2971656A - Table - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 14, 1961 w. M. SHOFFNER 2,971,656

TABLE Filed April 50, 1959 FIG-i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIE M. SHOFFNER BY wwmyz ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1961 w. M. SHOFFNER i TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 30, 1959 INVENTOR. WILLIE M. SHOFFNER wwwya ATTORNEYS United States Patent TABLE Willie M. Shoifner, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The Fogarty Manufacturing Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. '30, 1959, Ser. No; 810,162

8 Claims. (Cl. 211-141) This invention pertains to tables and more particularly to produce display tables.

Tables for use by grocery stores for the display of fresh fruits and vegetables are commonly called dump tables by reason of the practice of dumping the produce from a basket or bag onto the surface of the table. Accordingly, a table for this service must have strength to withstand uneven loading. At the same time, it is desirable that produce on the table be readily accessible, and that it be light in weight in order that it may be readily employed at various positions throughout the store. Also, it is preferable that produce display tables be adaptable for either wet or dry service, and when used for wet service with cooling ice, the table should be provided with a sloping surface and a drain for the removal of the accumulated water.

These and other advantages are provided by the table of this invention which has a detachable upper portion including a generally circular stressed table body of sheet material with a peripheral portion raised in relation to its center. A drain is provided at the center for the removal of accumulated water, and a circumferential retaining rim is fixed to the periphery of the table with at least a portion of the rim extending above the table surface for the retention of produce dumped on the table. A lower portion of the table includes a generally circular skirt for the support of the upper unit.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a produce table as outlined above characterized by strength and light weight and adaptable for use with cooling ice.

A further object of this invention is to provide a table as outlined above having a table body of sheet material having a periphery in stressed elevated relation to its center providing for the support of produce thereon and for the drainage to the center of water from melting cooling ice.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a table body as outlined above made of sheet material, and a circumferential retaining rim fixed in sealing relation to the table body with at least a portion of the rim extended above the table surface for the retention of produce and accumulated water.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings 3 Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the table of this invention including the shelf supporting standard and the banana tree attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a partial cross sectional view showing the details of the table with the standard removed;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the upper portion of the table showing the reinforcing arms and the arrangement for draining water from the surface of the table;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragment of Fig. 3 with the posi tion of the upper ring of the skirt being shown in broken outline;

Fig. 5 is a partial cross section through the tubular reinforcing member showing a fragment of the supporting standard and the water drain openings;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragment of a portion of Fig. 2 showing the sealing arrangement of the table top at the retaining rim;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the supporting standard showing the details of the shelf and a fragment of the banana tree support;

Fig. 8 is a section through the standard looking generally along line 88 of Fig. 7 showing the relation of the shelf supporting flanges on the shelf mounting top; and

Fig. 9 is another section through the standard looking generally along line 99 of Fig. 7 showing the clamp for positioning the shelf on the standard.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, a table is shown generally at 10 as including a removable upper portion 11 supported on a generally cylindrical skirt or base 12 extended to the floor 13. The table 10 preferably includes a standard 15 for the support thereon of shelving in spaced relation to the upper portion 11, including a circular shelf 16 and a banana tree 17.

Referring to the details of the upper portion in Fig. 2, a central tubular reinforcing member 20 has a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms 21 each secured thereto at an inner end 22 in radially spaced relation. The arms 21 are preferably formed of fiat bar stock and have inner ends 22 cut at an angle to provide an upward inclination when secured, as by welding, to the member 20. The outer ends 23 of the arms 21 are bevel cut for the purpose of centering the skirt 12 in relation to the upper portion 11 of the table.

A generally circular table top 25 formed of sheet material such as stainless steel includes a circumferentially turned down lip 26 and a centrally disposed opening 27. The top 25 is fixed to the arms 21 with the opening 27 over the member 20 in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of the arms 21 by means of welding, as indicated generally at 28 in Fig. 4. This provides for the stressed elevation of the lip 26 of the top 25 in relation to the reinforcing member 20.

Wall means for the table is provided by a circumferential rim 30 of sheet material fixed, as by welding, in sealing relation to the top 25 at the lip 26 with at least a portion of the rim 30 extended above the top 25 for the retention of produce and water on the table 10. An elastomeric extruded guard 31 is provided to assist in sealing the rim 30 to the lip 26, and to provide protection for produce and personnel against accident or injury. The guard 31 includes a generally cylindrical upper portion 32 which is partially notched to slide down over the upper edge of the rim 30, and a depending wall 33 which serves as a liner for the portion of the inside surface of the rim 36 extending above the top 25. The wall 33 is terminated in a thickened foot portion 34 (Fig. 6) which may be secured to the top 25 by any suitable adhesive. Also, the lip 26 may be sealed at the rim 30 by a suitable metal-to-metal sealing compound 36 as a precaution against leakage.

The table of this invention is suitable for the display of iced, or spray cooled, fresh produce and to this end drain means are provided for removing the accumulated water from the surface of the table. The stressed elevation of the lip 26 in relation to the tubular reinforcing member 20 not only provides strength and resistance to bending but also provides an inwardly sloping table surface for the efiicient removal of accumulated water through the member 20.

The member 29 is internally threaded at 38 for the acceptance of a threaded bottom 39 of the supporting standard 15, as shown in Fig. 5. In case the additional shelving provided by the standard 15 is not desired, a plug 40 may be inserted into the member 2% in place of the standard 15, as shown in Fig. 2. The plug it? and the standard 15 are provided with drain openings 42 and 42 drilled adjacent the top 25 for communication with the interior of the member 29. A pipe adapter 43 is threaded into the bottom of the member 20, and an elbow 44 and a length of straight pipe 45 connecting to a drain faucet 4-5 are arranged to extend to the outside of the skirt 12. The pipe 45 is supported by a hanger strap 43 extended fromthe pipe 45 to one of the arms 21.

Annular reinforcing rings 51} and 51 formed of angle iron are welded to the inside surface at the top and at the bottom of the skirt 12. The upper ring 50 provides a flat upper surface for engagement with the bottom of the removable upper portionll at the outer ends 23 of the arms 21. When so engaged, theupper portion 11 is centered on the skirt 12 as shown in broken outline in Fig. fl. The lower ring 51 provides a means by which the table it may be supportedon gliders or casters on the floor 13 including three equally spaced generally triangula'rly shaped braces 53. The braces53 include a flange 54- welded to the inside of the skirt 12 and a bottom flange 55' extending inwardly from the skirt i2. Either casters 56 or gliders 57, as desired, may be carried on the bottom flange 55 for the support of the skirt 12 above the floor 13. r The circular shelf 16 may be of the type described in the copending application of Willie M. Sholfner, Serial No. 651,492, filed April 8, 1957, now US. Patent No. 2,915,194granted Dec. 1, 1959; and assigned to the same lassigne'e as this application. The shelf 16 includes a tube 60 which is slidably mounted on the standard 15. A plurality of generally triangularlyshaped supporting arms 61 are welded to the tube 6t: in extended relation for the support of a circular sheet metal plate as on the upper edges thereof. The plate 63 has a turned over peripheral edge 64 to. which an annular retaining wall 65 is mounted. The shelf 16 may be moved to position it on the standard 15 by sliding and tightening a compression clamp 67 .over the slitted lower end 63 of he tube 6%. w ,The banana tree 17, described in greater detail in the copending application of Willie M. Shoifner, Serial -No. 810,161, filed concurrently herewith, is mounted on a short section of tubing 79. The tubing 7t) is arranged to fit into the top of the standard 15 and an adjustable collar 71 may be .vertically positioned on the tubing 70 for abutment against the top of the standard 15; The height of the tree 17 above the table may be adjusted by positioning and tightening the collar 71 on the tube 70. The operation of the invention is generally apparent from the preceding description. The table It). may easily be moved into any desired position by one person and loaded with produce such as fresh fruits and vegetables. If cooling of the produce is desired, ice or water spray may be added, and the accumulated water may be tapped ofl'fromtimeto time at the faucet 46. The additional shelving may be added when desired by removing the plug 40 from the member 29 and inserting the standard 15. The position of the shelf ldand the tree 17 above the table may be remlated by the clamp 67 and the collar 71.

It is therefore seen that table of this invention combines light weight with strength and-is characterized by -an ability to accessibly display either wet or dry produce.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

l. A table adapted for the support and display of produce comprising a base, an upper portion supported on said base including a central reinforcing member, a

plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a generally circular table top formed of sheet material, means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of the periphery of said top in relation to said central reinforcing member, and a rim fixed in circumferential relation to said top with at least a portion thereof extending above said top for the retention of produce on said table.

2. A table adapted for the support and display of produce comprising a base, an upper portion supported on said base including a central reinforcing member, a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a generally circular table top formed of sheet material having a circumferential turned lip, means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of said lip in relation to said central reinforcing member, and a circumferential rim fixed to said top at said lip with at least a portion thereof extending above said top for the retention of produce on said table.

3. A wet table adapted for the support and display of iced fresh produce comprising a base, an upper portion supported on said base including a tubular reinforcing member, a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcin arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a table top formed of sheet material having a circumferential turned lip, means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of said lip in relation to said reinforcing membena circumferential rim fixed in sealing relation to top at said lip with at least a portion thereof extending above said top forthe retention of produce and water on said table, and drain. meansfor removin accumulated water from the surface of said table.

4. A wet table adapted for the support and display of iced fresh produce comprising a base, an upper portion supported on said base including a central reinforcing member, a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a generally circular table top formed of sheet material having a circumferential turned lip, means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conthereof extending above said top for the retention of' produce and water on said table, and drain means in said reinforcing member for removing accumulated water from the surface of said table.

5. A wet table adapted for the support and display of iced fresh produce comprising a base, an upper portion supported on said base including a tubular reinforcing member, a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a generally circular table top formed of sheet material having a circumferential turned lip, means fixing said top to said arms in a iexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of said lip in relation to said central reinforcing member, a circumferential rim fixed in sealing relation to said top at said lip with at least a portion thereof extending above said top for the retention of produce and water on said table, a shelf supporting standard threaded into said member for extension substantially normal to said top for the support of shelving in spaced relation to produce on said top, and drain openings in said standard for removing accumulated water from the surface of said table.

.6. A table adapted for the support and display of aevmee produce comprising a central reinforcing member, a pinrality of radially extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a generally circular table top of greater radial dimension than said arms formed of sheet material, means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of the periphery of said top in relation to said central reinforcing member, circumferential wall means fixed to said top with at least a portion thereof extending above said top for the retention of produce on said table, and a generally cylindrical skirt arranged for supporting engagement with the underside of said top between said members and said wall means.

7. In a display table, the combination comprising a base, a removable upper portion supported on said base having a central reinforcing member, a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms being connected at their inner ends to said member, a generally circular sheet metal table top, and means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of the periphery of said top with respect to its center.

8. A display table comprising a base, a removable upper portion mounted on said base including a tubular reinforcing member, a plurality of outwardly extending upwardly inclined reinforcing arms each secured at an inner end to said member, a generally circular table top formed of sheet material having a circumferential turned lip, means fixing said top to said arms in a flexed condition in conformity with the incline of said arms to provide for the stressed elevation of said lip in relation to said member, a circumferential rim fixed to said top at said lip with at least a portion thereof extending above said top for the retention of goods on said table, and a shelf supporting standard threaded into said member for extension substantially normal to said top for the support of shelving in spaced relation to said top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,863,597 Handelan June 21, 1932 1,965,850 Melton July 10, 1934 2,656,592 Cataldo Oct. 27, 1953 2,762,513 Zaninovich Sept. 11, 1956 2,849,792 Wiggins Sept. 2, 1958

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