US816616A - Convertible sofa and table. - Google Patents

Description

No. 816,616. PATENTED APRs 3, 1906. N. BL STONE.

GDNVERTIBLE SOFA AND TABLE.- APPLIGATION FILED snrT.16.19os. Enmwnn AUG. ze, 1905.

2 sums-SHEET 1.

No. 816,616. PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

NI B. STONE.

CONVERTIBLE SOFA AND TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.16. 1903. RENEWED AUG. 26, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

um mm NTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCF.

NATHANIEL B. STONE, OF OUTLOOK, WASHlNGTON.

CONVERTIBLE SOFA AND TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application filed September 16,1903. Renewed August 26,1905. Serial No. 275,979.

look, in the county of Yakima and State of l/Vashington, have invented a new and useful Convertible Sofa and Table, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in that class of furniture which can be converted to different articles for different uses.

One ofthe objects is to provide a combined settee or sofa and table wherein the structure is such that the change from one to the other can be readily accomplished Without the necessity of manually lifting any of the heavy members in order to change their relation.

Another obj ect is to provide means which will insure the easy movement and proper relation of the parts when changed from one position to another. The structure is therefore particularly applicable for use in connection with convertible furniture, wherein a billiard-table constitutes a part, as such furniture must be of considerable weight. In such a structure, moreover, it is necessary to provide means for leveling the table, and one of the features of the inventionrelates to novel mechanism for obtaining this adjustment without interfering with or changing the relation of the convertible elements.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the article of furniture when used as a sofa. Fig. 2 is a similar view when converted into a table. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view through Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view showing the manner in which the detachable back is secured in place. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through a slightly-modified form of construction.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The article of furniture consists of two principal parts-a seat or supporting member and a table member. The former consists of a base comprising spaced bars 8, supported on rollers or casters 9 and carrying a seat. This seat comprises side arms 10,'connected by front and rear facing-plates 11, between which is located suitable upholstering 12. The seat is adjustable upon the base and is therefore supported thereon by screw-stems 13, threaded into the bars 8 and journaled in the lower portion of the arms, these stems having suitable knurled wheels 14, by means of which they can be readily operated. A stem is located at each corner, and thus means are provided for leveling the arms which conn stitute supports for the table, as is hereinafter more fully described. The facing-plates 11 depend between the bars 8 and are adjustably connected thereto by means of anglebrackets 15, secured to said plates and having slots 16, through which are passed guidingscrews 17, that are fastened in the inner sides of the bars 8.

The tops of the arms 10 are in the form of horizontal bars 18, having fiat upper faces upon which the table member is adapted to rest. This member consists of a suitable under frame 19, having transverse bars 20, that are provided with flat lower faces which are arranged'to lie directly upon the upper faces of the bars 18. The surface of the table may be of any desirable form, but is preferably so constructed that billiards can be played thereon. To this end it has a surrounding flange 21, together with the usual cushions 22. The manner in which this table member is connected to the supporting or seat member is an important feature of the invention.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, namely-that shown in Figs. 1 to -a connection is employed comprising a rockshaft 23, j ournaled upon one of the members and having links 24 afliXed thereto and connected to the other member. In the embodiment illustrated this rock-shaft is carried by the seat member and the links are attached to the table; but this arrangement may be reversed, as will be readily apparent. The rock-shaft is journaled to and between the lower portions of the arms, and the links are attached to the terminals. Said links are thus located at the rear portions of the arms, and their upper ends are arranged to swing to a point in substantial alinement with the rear ends of the bars 18, stops 25 limiting such rear movement. The upper ends of said links are pivotally attached to the central portions of the ends of the table member by means of ears 26, secured to the inner sides of the bars 20. As a single link is thus employed at each end of the table and each piv- IIO otal connection between the same and said table is at the rear upper corner of the adjacent arm when the table is in its rearmost position, it is practically balanced and may be swung from a horizontal to a vertical position, or vice versa, without material effort. Moreover, when in horizontal position with the links in their rearmost relation the table may be moved forward with ease, and the transverse bars 2O thereof will rest flat upon the bars 18 of the arm, thereby looking said table in its operative position. The under side of the table member is preferably upholstered, as shown at 27 and illustrated particularly in Fig. l, so that when the table is swung to a vertical position said upholstering will constitute a part of the back of the sofa. In order to break the angle formed by the same and the seat, a detachable back 28 is employed, which back is upholstered, as shown at 29, and is provided at its ends with springclips 30, that are arranged to engage the links 24 to maintain said supplemental or removable baek in operative position.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be clearly apparent. I/Vhen the article of furniture is to be used as a sofa, the i table member is swung rearwardly and te aI vertical position, and the supplemental back 1 is placed in the angle formed by the same and the seat. table, said table is first swung to a horizontal position, which, for the reason already stated, can be readily accomplished. After this position has been obtained the table member is moved Jforwardly, and while it is raised during such movement the elevation is only slight, while the weight is almost entirely upon the links. In view of the fact that these links must move simultaneously, be* cause of their attachment to the rock-shaft, it will be evident that the table will properly position itself upon the seat or supporting member, as both ends thereof must move together. This is an important point, for in a billiard-table the top must be comparatively heavy, and with independently-movable links there is a tendency for one end to move in advance of the other and bind, while in this structure the movement is entirely equalized. Moreover, because of the balancing effect obtained the weight is not lifted by the operator during the adjustment of the top or table member.

Practically the same advantageous results are obtained by` the modified form of construction illustrated in Fig. 7. Here the connecting element between the seat member and the table member is the supplemental back, which is designated 28a. This back in the present instance constitutesy really a link connection located longitudinally of the article of furniture and having connections at both ends with the central portion of the table member and the rear lower portions of If, however, it is desired to use the the arms. The other features of this embodiLQ ment are exactly the same as those already described, and the same reference-numerals have therefore been employed. Moreover, the action of this embodiment is similar to that above set forth and no extended de-V scription is believed to be necessary.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape,

proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutl departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let'- ters Patent, is-

In a convertible table and sofa, the combination with a base member having a seat and upstanding arms, of a table member that swings between an upright position behind the base member and a substantially horizontal position upon the arms of said member, and an intermediate device having fixed pivotal connections at its ends with the base member below the arms and fixed pivotal connections at its ends with the longitudinal central portion of the table member, said latter pivotal connections being disposed above the former and at the rear upper corners of the arms when the table member is in its rearmost position to permit said table member to be swung over the arms prior to the movement of the said intermediate device.

2. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a seat member having a seat and upstanding arms at the ends of said seat, of a table member arranged to rest flat upon the arms over the seat and movable to an upright position behind said seat member, a rock-shaft journaled on the seat member contiguous to the rear side of the saine beneath the seat and between the arms, and. links rigidly attached to the rockshaft and having pivotal connections with the table member, said pivotal connections, when the links are in their rearmost position, being located at the upper rear corners of the arms and permitting the swinging of the table member from an upright to a horizontal position independently of the movement of the links.

3. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a seat member, of a table member adapted to swing behind the seat member and also rest thereon, spaced links connecting the seat member and table, and a removable back having detachable connections with the links and covering the same when in place.

4. In an article of furniture of the class de- IOO IIO

scribed, the combination with a seat member having upstanding arms, of a table member adapted to swing upon the arms and behind the seat member, spaced links connecting the seat member and table and arranged between the arms7 a removable back adapted to fit between the arms in advance of the links, and spring-clips for detachably connecting the back to the links.

5. In an article of furniture ofthe class described, the combination with a seat member having upstanding arms, of a table member adapted to swing behind the seatv member and also restD upon the arms, spaced links connecting the seat member and table member and located between the same,'and a removable back arranged to fit between the arms and rest against the links, said links constituting supports for said back.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL B. STONE.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, ERNEST L. HARKNEss.

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