Folding table

Claim 1

In a folding table of a type having a pair of leg members at each end of the table pivotally connected together at their midportions, for movement between a crossing open position and an in-parallelism, side lapping closed position, and a pair of top parts pivotally connected to the upper ends of the leg members and movable between positions parallel to and outside of the leg members when the table is folded and coplanar positions above the leg members when the table is open, in which they abut each other and lock the leg members in the open position, the improvement of: said table having an outside leg member and an inside leg member at each end of the table, and wherein such leg members are pivotally connected together such that when the table is folded the lower edge of each leg member is offset inwardly from the upper edge of the other leg member in the region above the pivotal axis and in at least a portion of the region below the pivotal axis; and said table including a longitudinal brace member interconnected between the two outside leg members at a location below the pivotal axis and at the upper edges of the outside leg members, said longitudinal brace member having inner and outer sides and being positioned such that when the leg members are crossing and the table is open, the brace member is contiguous the inside leg members, and said longitudinal brace member is further positioned such that it lies in a space between the upper edges of the outside leg members and the lower edges of the inside leg members when the table is folded, with its outer side substantially flush with the upper edges of the outside leg members and its inner side substantially contacting the lower edges of the inside leg members, and wherein there is open space between the outside leg members, below the longitudinal brace member, to provide leg space when the table is open.