Tiered space saver for dining table and the like

• US 3,951,079 A
• Filed: 05/14/1975
• Issued: 04/20/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Morris L. Tolleson
• Original Assignee: Morris L. Tolleson
• Inventors: Tolleson, Morris L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US05/577,223
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 224/48 R, 224/48 P, 224/48 B, 211/129, 211/14, 211/128, 211/131, 211/133, 206/65, 206/45, 108/91, 108/94, 108/95, 108/96
• US Class Current: 108/94
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/02 Rotary display stands rotary show-cases A47F3/10
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/08 Food-conveying devices for tables restaurant service systems A47F10/06; conveyors for washing or rinsing crockery or tableware A47L15/00; Movable or rotary food-serving devices

Abstract

A tiered space saver or table top including a stand having a base rotatably supported therein and on which there are supported four independent circular trays stacked one atop the other in vertically spaced apart positions and of ascendingly decreasing respective diameters, each tray being independently rotatable about its central axis, and a handle affixed to the top tray.

Claims

1. A combination comprising a table having a top carried by a supporting structure and carrying a tiered table top;

said tiered table top including;

a stand carried nonrotatably on the top of the table;

being of circular configuration; and

having a side wall at its perimeter;

a vertical shaft fixed to the center of the stand, said shaft having a plurality of shoulders at selected intervals, each defining a portion of diameter less than the succeeding lower one;

a circular base tray having a flat upper surface for the placement of food dishes, said base tray having an aperture at its center for the insertion of the shaft, said base tray being rotatably carried by the lowermost shoulder and the side wall of the stand;

a plurality of upper trays having flat upper surfaces for the placement of food dishes, each upper tray having an aperture at its center for the insertion of the shaft, each aperture being of a lesser diameter than the aperture of the succeeding next lower tray, and each upper tray being individually rotatable on the respective shoulders whereby rotation of one tray will not rotate another tray;

a plurality of tubular members each rigidly connected to an upper tray and extending upwardly therefrom, each tubular member being of a size to closely fit about the shaft to prevent tipping if the tray is eccentrically loaded.

2. The tiered table top according to claim 1 wherein the upper trays are circular, with each tray being of ascendingly monotonically decreasing diameter, peripheral and central, and each upper tray containing a lip as its perimeter.

3. The tiered table top according to claim 1 wherein the side wall of the stand includes a cylindrical portion and an inner step of lesser heighth than the side wall to provide a bearing surface for the base tray.

4. The tiered table top according to claim 1, additionally comprising a handle affixed to the top of the shaft for carrying the stand.

5. The tiered table top according to claim 1 wherein the base tray is of a diameter equal to the width of a conventional dining table less a distance substantially equal to the diameter of conventional dining plates in order to allow eating space peripherally around the tiered table top.