Office furniture desk top with adjustable CRT carriage and tracking arrangement therefor

• US 4,637,666 A
• Filed: 06/04/1985
• Issued: 01/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Steel Company of Canada Ltd. (Stelco Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Steel Company of Canada Ltd. (Stelco Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Michael J., Worrell, Williams R., Laroche, Robert N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FALK, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/741,176
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 248/1 A-1 H, 248/660, 248/662, 248/670, 248/285, 248/287, 248/298, 248/186, 248/188.4, 312/196, 312/7.1, 312/7.2
• US Class Current: 312/196
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/03 with substantially horizontally extensible or adjustable parts other than drawers, e.g. leaves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/08 around a vertical axis , e.g. panoramic heads F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2085 comprising means allowing sideward adjustment, i.e. left-right translation of the head relatively to the undercarriage

Abstract

An office furniture desk arrangement for providing a CRT work station, in which the desk includes a desk top that along the front of the desk defines a broad and flat work surfacing that extends between the sides of the desk under which a computer keyboard may be retractably mounted, and that along the back of the desk extends a relatively narrow trackway that also extends essentially between the sides of the desk, the upper surfacing of which is in substantial coplanar relation with the desk work surfacing. Underlying the desk top trackway is an easily excessed horizontal trough for concealing electrical wiring, with the trackway shiftably mounting a carriage for movement therealong that includes a rear casing that is roller equipped for riding along the trackway cantilever mounted fashion, and a front casing that is disposed over the desk top work surfacing and is connected to the rear casing for hand adjustment movement by the desk user toward and away from the desk user at the front of the desk. The carriage front casing includes a turntable assembly on which a CRT or the like can be rested and electrically connected through the carriage rear casing to wiring disposed in the trough for connecting same to the computer keyboard and a computer terminal. The CRT resting on the carriage is thus adjustable for desk user convenience toward and away from the user, along the length of the desk work surfacing at its rear, and also can be swivelled.

Claims

1. In an office furniture desk including a generally flat desk top and leg means for supporting same from a floor in a substantially horizontal position, with the desk top having oppositely disposed front and rear portions extending between right and left hand side portions on either side of the desk top,

the improvement wherein:

the desk top defines along its front portion a wide and flat upwardly facing work surfacing that extends between its side portions and rearwardly of the desk top toward the desk top rear portion a major proportion of the desk top width, and

the desk top defines along its rear portion a narrow trackway that extends between the desk top side portions with the trackway having its upper surfacing in substantially coplanar relation with said work surfacing,

said improvement further including;

a carriage riding on said trackway for movement the length thereof,

said carriage comprising a rear casing member rollably mounted on said trackway and a front casing member carried by said rear casing member in overhanging relation to said work surfacing,

means for mounting said front casing on said rear casing for rectilinear movement forwardly and rearward of said work surfacing with respect to said rear casing,

said front casing including a turntable assembly defining a rotatable platform structure on which read out equipment may be rested on said carriage against gravity,

said turntable assembly comprising;

a swivel mechanism secured to said front casing member defining a pivot axis that is disposed substantially normally of the desk top work surfacing,

said swivel mechanism defining an upper plate member pivotable about said axis,

a plurality of rectilinear arms carried by said plate member and disposed to extend substantially radially of said axis and having like ends of same projecting laterally outwardly of said turntable assembly,

a cover member overlying the other ends of said arms, and

means for releasably clamping said arm other ends between said cover member and said plate member,

said arms at the respective like ends each carrying a load support disc for receiving the read out equipment to be rested on said carriage.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said load support discs of said arms include means for adjusting the level of same.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said releasable clamping means includes means for adjusting said arms toward and away from said axis when said releasable clamping means is released for adjusting the position of said support discs toward and away from said axis.

4. In an office furniture desk including a generally flat desk top and leg means for supporting same from a floor in a substantially horizontal position, with the desk top having oppositely disposed front and rear portions extending between right and left hand side portions on either side of the desk top,

the improvement wherein:

the desk top defines along its front portion a wide and flat upwardly facing work surfacing that extends between its side portions and rearwardly of the desk top toward the desk top rear portion a major proportion of the desk top width, and

the desk top defines along its rear portion a narrow trackway that extends between the desk top side portions with the trackway having its upper surfacing in substantially coplanar relation with said work surfacing,

said improvement further including;

a carriage riding on said trackway for movement the length thereof,

said carriage comprising a rear casing member rollably mounted on said trackway and a front casing member carried by said rear casing member in overhanging relation to said work surfacing,

means for mounting said front casing on said rear casing for rectilinear movement forwardly and rearward of said work surfacing with respect to said rear casing,

said front casing including a turntable assembly defining a rotatable platform structure on which read out equipment may be rested on said carriage against gravity,

said work surfacing and said trackway extending rectilinearly of the desk top between said side portions of same,

with said carriage being cantilever mounted on said trackway from the desk top rear portion,

said trackway being formed to define therealong a rectilinear aperture, and

including a trough mounted on the desk top below said trackway for receiving electrical wiring,

said aperture opening into said trough for defining a wire passage for wiring connection from the trough to equipment that is to rest on said turntable assembly,

said trackway comprising;

a first rectilinear rollerway disposed along the desk top rear portion underside,

a second rectilinear rollerway disposed along the desk top forwardly of but adjacent, said aperture,

said rollerways and said aperture being substantially coextensive longitudinally of the desk top,

said rear casing journalling a set of first rollers riding on said first rollerway,

with said rear casing further journalling a set of second rollers riding on said second rollerway.

5. The improvement set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said trackway rearwardly of said aperture defines a cover for said trough,

and including means for hingedly mounting said cover to swing upwardly to open said trough when said carriage is to one side of said cover.