US4003537A — Mountings for tubular metal legs

Claim 1

Independent Claim 240 words

In a mounting for a tubular metal supporting leg to the underside of a furniture unit, a. bracket supporting means affixed to the underside of the furniture unit for detachable connection with said leg, comprising a sheet metal supporting plate with a pair of integral spaced arms extending downwardly from opposite sides of said plate for a short depth, and spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the leg at its upper end, b. a narrow rigid flange extending inwardly from the free edge of each arm at an acute angle to the latter, c. said leg adapted for slidable engagement with said bracket support and having upwardly directed slots spanning opposed parallel chords of said tubular leg, below the upper edge thereof, a distance corresponding to said short depth, with the upper end of said leg adapted to contact said supporting plate, said slots being disposed at opposite circumferential portions of said tubular leg to form a pair of coupling lips, each with a convexly-shaped boundary at each of said portions adjacent to an intended deformation in the leg below said lip and bounded by the slot inwardly of said lip, and each lip engaging one of said flanges at a re-entrant angle to attain an interlocking and secure engagement therebetween in a direction transverse to the initial relative reciprocable movement incident to the sliding of each lip into interengagement with its respective flange.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 240 words

In a mounting for a tubular metal supporting leg to the underside of a furniture unit, a. bracket supporting means affixed to the underside of the furniture unit for detachable connection with said leg, comprising a sheet metal supporting plate with a pair of integral spaced arms extending downwardly from opposite sides of said plate for a short depth, and spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the leg at its upper end, b. a narrow rigid flange extending inwardly from the free edge of each arm at an acute angle to the latter, c. said leg adapted for slidable engagement with said bracket support and having upwardly directed slots spanning opposed parallel chords of said tubular leg, below the upper edge thereof, a distance corresponding to said short depth, with the upper end of said leg adapted to contact said supporting plate, said slots being disposed at opposite circumferential portions of said tubular leg to form a pair of coupling lips, each with a convexly-shaped boundary at each of said portions adjacent to an intended deformation in the leg below said lip and bounded by the slot inwardly of said lip, and each lip engaging one of said flanges at a re-entrant angle to attain an interlocking and secure engagement therebetween in a direction transverse to the initial relative reciprocable movement incident to the sliding of each lip into interengagement with its respective flange.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 34 words

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said slots in said tubular legs subtend approximately 90° of said circumferential portions for interengagement between said flanges and the upper end of said leg.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 95 words

A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the upper end of said tubular leg is in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, for close abutting contact with said sheet metal supporting plate between said pair of integral spaced arms extending from the latter, said arms being deeper at one end whereat the end of the leg is slid into engagement with said plate, and said slots being correspondingly inclined toward said upper end of the leg to facilitate the mating interengagement between the latter and the flanges extending from the arms.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 66 words

A device as set forth in claim 3, including a bendable lug at the mid-portion of said supporting plate between the deeper end of said arms for bending in a transverse plane behind the posterior portion of the upper end of the leg following its interconnection with the bracket supporting means, to prevent unintentional retrograde sliding movement of the leg relative to the bracket supporting means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 49 words

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bracket supporting means is part of a swiveling assembly comprising a sheet metal member adapted to be fixedly mounted to the underside of the furniture unit with a freely rotatable swivel connection between said member and said supporting means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 50 words

A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said supporting means is a second sheet metal member complemental to said first member, said second member being provided with at least three equidistantly displaced radial extensions from the periphery thereof, with said supporting plate disposed at each of said extensions.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 48 words

A device as set forth in claim 6, wherein each extension is an integral part of said second sheet metal member, and is bent upwardly in a plane displaced at a small angle from the horizontal to direct the legs in divergent directions relative to said swivel connection.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 183 words

A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bracket supporting means is part of a swiveling assembly comprising a sheet metal member adapted to be fixedly mounted to the underside of the furniture unit with a complemental second sheet metal member of substantially square outline having the center thereof connected to the center of said first member for relative rotary movement, radial extensions at the four corners of said second sheet metal member wherefrom are stamped the supporting plate, spaced arms and flanges at each of the corners, the upper end of said tubular leg being in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof, for close abutting contact with said sheet metal supporting plate between said pair of integral spaced arms extending from the latter, said arms being deeper at one end whereat the end of the leg is slid into engagement with said plate, and said slots each subtending an angle of about 90°, being correspondingly inclined toward said upper end of the leg to facilitate the mating interengagement between the latter and the flanges extending from the arms.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 66 words

A device as set forth in claim 8, including a bendable lug at the mid-portion of said supporting plate between the deeper end of said arms for bending in a transverse plane behind the posterior portion of the upper end of the leg following its interconnection with the bracket supporting means, to prevent unintentional retrograde sliding movement of the leg relative to the bracket supporting means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said bendable lug is disposed at the end of said supporting plate at the outer periphery of said second member.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said bendable lug is disposed at the end of said supporting plate proximate to the pivotal center of said second member.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-01-18	1980-07-19	1981-01-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-01-18	1984-07-19	1985-01-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-01-18	1988-07-19	1989-01-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Mountings for tubular metal legs

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag