Folding leg and bracket

Claim 1

A bracket and leg for use with a support surface such as a table, chair and the like wherein said leg may be easily manipulated so as to be moved from a condition whereat the leg is in a stored condition to an erected condition and vice versa, and with the leg in either of these conditions being in a three-point retained condition, said bracket and leg in combination including: (a) a leg whose pivotally connected end is a rectangular configuration; (b) a one-piece bracket having a single side plate portion in which is provided a leg supporting surface defining a plane of movement for said leg when pivotally attached to the bracket; (c) means providing for the attachment of said bracket to a support surface member; (d) first and second wing members integrally formed from and extending from the side plate portion and providing a pair of facing support surfaces defining a first determined passageway for the engagement and retention of first and second opposite sides of the rectangular end of said leg, said passageway disposed at an angle at which the leg is to be positioned in its erected condition, each of said wing members having one of its ends finished so as to provide one of two support surfaces defining a plane at which the leg is to be disposed when and while the leg is in its stored condition, said ends defining and establishing a support means for the first side of the leg end when the leg is in said stored condition; (e) a third wing member integrally formed from and extending from the side plate portion and at a position opposite thE second wing member, said third member formed with a support surface defining a plane spaced from the finished ends of said first and second wing members and provides a facing support surface, the finished ends of the first and second wing members and the facing support surface of the third wing member defining a leg retaining passageway which is sizewise substantially identical to said leg retaining passageway provided between the first and second wing members, said third wing member having one of its ends finished so as to provide a third leg end supporting surface which engages and supports the second side of the leg end, said finished end of the third wing member having its engaging surfaces in the same plane as the inner support surface of the second wing member and disposed to engage the second side of the leg end; (f) a wall of a substantially constant thickness formed on the end of the leg so as to provide an inner sliding surface substantially parallel to a sliding outer surface formed on the leg; (g) a slot of determined width and length formed in and extending through said wall formed in the end of the leg; (h) a retaining aperture formed in the side plate portion of the bracket, said aperture positioned a like distance from the plane defining the support surface of the second wing member and a plane defining the support surface of the third wing member, and (i) a retaining means such as a bolt and nut, said retaining means extending through the slot and the aperture so as to pivotally retain the leg around the aperture and in combination with at least one spring washer mounted on the bolt permitting the leg to be slidable along the slot into engaging and retaining condition as limited by the retaining means extending therethrough with the spring washer providing a determined tension urging the leg and its outer engaging surface against the leg supporting surface of the bracket.