US3380402A - Tables - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1968 w. G. SIMPSON 3,380,402

TABLES Filed May 23, 1966 United States Patent 3,380,402 TABLES William Gordon Simpson, 15 Glemsford Drive, Hertfordshire, Harpenden, England Filed May 23, 1966, Ser. No. 551,985 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 24, 1965, 21,915/ 65 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-50) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table has an aperture in its horizontal surface, a clock detachably secured to the underside of the said surface, the face of the clock being visible through the aperture, and a transparent panel extending over at least the area of the clock face.

This invention relates to tables and provides a table having a top surface with an aperture in that surface in combination with a clock and means for detachably securing the clock to the underside of the top surface of the table whereby the face of the clock is visible through the said aperture therein.

Preferably the aperture locates the relative position of the face of the clock thereto and preferably houses the face of the clock therein.

It is also preferred that the means for detachably securing the clock to the underside of the top surface of the table comprise means which are fixed to the said underside of the top surface and which engage either the underside of the clock or slots in the sides of the clock.

The face of the clock is preferably provided with a dial having at least one set of figures and/ or marks, which set is preferably clearly identified as to the location of, say twelve oclock.

In one form of the invention the face of the clock is provided with a circular rotatable dial, whereby the clock dial, after rotation thereof and adjustment of the clock hands, may be read from any position around the table.

In another form of the invention, the face of the clock is provided with a square or rectangular dial, the dial being provided with two sets of figures and/or marks, one set being displaced around the dial with respect to the other set, whereby the clock dial, after adjustment of the clock hands, may be read from either of two positions.

In a further form of the invention, the edges of the aperture in the top surface of the table are chamfered and provided with one or more sets of figures and/or marks to constitute or in addition to the clock dial. In this case the clock dial may more readily be seen and read by someone sitting at the table.

The clock face is preferably protected by glass, which glass may cover only the aperture on the top surface of the table or may cover the top surface of the table.

The clock is preferably constructed such that it may be used apart from the table. In such a case, the clock is preferably provided with a set of legs whereby the clock, when removed from the table, may rest on a surface with its dial in a vertical position. In the case of a rectangular clock, the clock may be provided with a leg projecting from each corner whereby the clock may he stood on a surface with any one of its sides uppermost. -In this latter case, the clock dial is either rotatable or provided with two sets of figures and/or marks as described above.

The clock may also be provided with means whereby the clock, when removed from the table, may be hung on the Wall.

By way of example, a construction of a table and clock and a modification thereof in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of the table with the clock detachably secured thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective side elevation of the table and clock as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the underside of the top surface of the table, the legs of the table being removed;

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective view of the table with the clock detached and standing on the top surface of the table; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the table shown in FIGURES l to 4.

With reference to FIGURES 1 to 3, the table is rectangular and is provided with a top surface 10 and four legs 11 detachably secured in known manner to the underside 12 of the surface 10.

Centrally located in the top surface 10 is a rectangular aperture 13 and detachably secured to the underside 12 of the surface 10 is a clock 14, the face 15 of the clock 14 being visible through the aperture 13. The face 15 of the clock projects upwardly from the body of the clock into the aperture 13 and is of the same size as the aperture. The face of the clock is thereby symmetrically located within the aperture.

In this example, the fixing means for the clock comprise two or more swivel latches 16 which are pivotally secured to the underside 12 of the top surface 10, each latch being capable of engaging in a slot 17 (see more especially FIGURE 4), which slots are provided in the opposed sides 21 of the body of the clock. Alternatively, the fixing means may comprise a plurality of lengths of spring steel dependent from the underside 12 of the top surface 10 each length having a hook-shaped free end whereby it is capable of engaging the underside of the clock or of a part thereof. With either of the fixing means, the clock is firmly but detachably secured to the underside 12 of the top surface 10.

In the example shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the face 15 of the clock is provided with a circular dial 18 having a set of figures thereon. This dial is also rotatable about its centre whereby it may be rotated from one position to another and, after the clock hands have been adjusted, read in that other position. Alternatively, the dial may be rectangular and cover the whole of the face of the clock. In this latter case, the dial is not rotatable and may be provided with one or two sets of figures and/ or marks for reading the dial. If two sets of figures and/or marks are provided, one set is displaced around the dial with respect to the other set whereby the dial may be read in a first position and then, after the necessary adjustment of the clock hands, read in a second position.

The clock 14 may also be used when removed from its position secured to the underside 12 of the top surface of the table. For this purpose (see especially FIGURE 4), the body of the clock is provided with four legs 19 one at each corner, which legs project from the sides 20, 21 of the clock, whereby the clock, when removed from the table, may he stood on two of the legs which are adjacent one another. In this example, the rectangular clock 14 may thus be stood with its dial vertical and with either its sides 20 or its sides 21 vertical, provided that the face of the clock has either a rotatable dial or a dial having two sets of numbers and/or marks.

The clock is further provided with members 22, 23 (see FIGURE 3), each member having a keyhole socket 24 into which the head of a screw or nail may be inserted. These members may thus be used to hang the clock on a wall or like support, the member 22 being used to hang the clock with the sides 20 of the clock in a vertical position and the member 23 being used to hang the clock with the sides 21 in a vertical position.

In this example, the operative part of the clock comprises a sealed unit 30 operable by a battery and thus the body of the clock does not require a back member. However, the clock may be provided with a back member, if desired, which back member is removed when the clock is to be hung on a wall or like structure by means of one of the members 22, 23.

The body or casing of the clock is preferably made of Perspex (Trademark), the legs of the clock being preferably made of clear Perspex and the remainder of black Perspex.

With reference to the modified form of table shown in FIGURE 5, the face 15 of the clock is blank and a set of figures and marks is provided on the edges 25 of the aperture 13, which edges thereby form a dial for the clock. The edges 25 are, in this case, chamfered to an angle of say 30 to the top surface of the table instead of being at right angles to the top surface. Use of this arrangement of dial has the advantage that the dial may be seen and read more readily by someone sitting at the table. However, the face of the clock may also be provided with its own set of figures and/or marks so that the clock may be used on its own as described above. The figures on the edges of the aperture may be replaced by marks provided that, say 12 oclock, is clearly identified.

The table is preferably covered by a sheet of glass 26, which sheet also covers the face of the clock. Alternatively, this sheet of glass may be replaced by a panel which covers only the aperture 13 and hence the clock face, means being provided to support the glass above the clock hands.

The table may also be provided with a removable panel of the same material as that of the top surface of the table, which panel is capable of being secured in the aperture 13 when the clock is removed therefrom. The securing means for the clock may be usedto secure the panel in place.

I claim:

1. A table having a horizontal table top, a plurality of legs supporting said table top, an aperture in said table top, a clock, means detachably securing the clock to the underside of the table top, said means being fixed to the underside of the table top, the face of the clock being visible through said aperture, and a transparent panel entirely covering said aperture, said table top having a smoothly uniplanar upper surface of which the upper surface of said transparent panel comprises at least a portion.

2. A table as claimed in claim 1 in which the transparent panel covers the whole of the table top.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,082 11/1916 Stark 248-442 1,566,890 12/ 1925 Lux 248-442 1,658,258 2/ 1928 Ross 248-442 X 1,765,971 6/1930 Earl 248-442 X 2,044,559 6/1936 Blaster 312-30 2,654,650 10/1953 Stanton 312-30 2,807,909 10/ 1957 Schult 108-50 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,172,815 6/1964 Germany.

581,020 9/1946 Great Britain.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primaly Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner.

GLENN FINCH, Assistant Examiner.

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