Height adjustable work top

• US 4,751,884 A
• Filed: 10/09/1985
• Issued: 06/21/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hauserman Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hauseman Incorporated
• Inventors: Ball, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jose
• Application Number:
  US06/786,279
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 108/144, 108/105, 108/106, 108/146, 108/147, 108/148, 108/138, 108/137, 108/102, 108/5, 108/108, 108/48, 108/143, 108/150, 108/136, 108/9, 248/420, 248/419, 74/103, 74/110
• US Class Current: 108/147
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/03 with substantially horizontally extensible or adjustable parts other than drawers, e.g. leaves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2009/003 with inclined slidable surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/12 with flexible height-adjusting means, e.g. rope, chain
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/20 Telescopic guides

Abstract

A work top is height adjustable and may tilt about a horizontal axis near the front edge. The work top may be mounted on an open office beam system or an office screen or partition in cantilever fashion or it may be a free standing unit. The work top is mounted for horizontal sliding movement and tilting on a horizontally extending undercarriage. The undercarriage includes an inclined strut journalled for sliding movement in a normally fixed inclined strut. A cable reeving system interconnects the work top and fixed inclined strut to maintain the work top in the same horizontal position regardless of its elevation. One or more tension springs, the tension of which may be adjusted, interconnect the under carriage and work top to counterbalance the weight of the work top and what may be positioned thereon such as a computer. A releasable latch locks the work top to the under carriage so that the work top may be locked in its height adjusted position. When the latch is released a light pull or push on the under carriage adjusts the work top to the desired height within its range of adjustment.

Claims

1. An adjustable height work station comprising a work top, a fixed support extending at an angle inclined to horizontal, a movable strut mounted for movement along the fixed support, a horizontal member mounted on said movable strut, wherein said work top is mounted for sliding movement on said horizontal member, and cable means interconnecting said work top and said fixed support operative to maintain said work top against horizontal movement as said movable strut moves along the fixed support.

2. A work station as set forth in claim 1 including spring means operative to urge said work top upwardly.

3. A work station as set forth in claim 2 wherein said spring means is also operative to urge said work top horizontally with respect to said horizontal member.

4. A work station as set forth in claim 3 wherein said spring means comprises a tension spring extending between said work top and horizontal member.

5. A work station as set forth in claim 4 including a plurality of tension springs extending between said work top and horizontal member, each trained about a pulley.

6. A work station as set forth in claim 5 including means to adjust the position of the pulley to alter the loading of such tension springs.

7. A work station as set forth in claim 6 wherein said tension springs have ends and said pulleys are mounted on plates which may be moved toward and away from the ends of said tension springs.

8. A work station as set forth in claim 7 including an adjustment means for moving said plates.

9. A work station as set forth in claim 8 wherein said adjustment means comprises a single point adjustment, and squaring means to move said plates uniformly toward and away from the ends of said tension springs.

10. A work station as set forth in claim 1 wherein said work top includes a front and rear, and said work station further includes an interior partition or room divider, and means mounting said fixed support to such partition or room divider extending toward the front of the work top so that the work top is supported in cantilever fashion from the partition or room divider, with the rear of the work top remaining uniformly spaced from the partition or room divider regardless of the position of the movable strut relative to the fixed support.

11. A work station as set forth in claim 10 including a roller at the rear of said work top which rides against such partition or room divider.

12. A work station as set forth in claim 1 including a floor mounted pedestal with said fixed support mounted thereon so that the work station is a free standing unit.

13. A work station as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cable means includes a pulley at the intersection of the movable strut and horizontal member with said cable means attached thereto.

14. A work station as set forth in claim 13 wherein said pulley is a double pulley with two pulley sheaves of different diameter.

15. A work station as set forth in claim 14 including two cables attached to said double pulley, one cable connected to said work top and the other cable connected to said fixed support.

16. A work station as set forth in claim 15 wherein the cable connected to said fixed support extends about a further pulley at the lower end of said movable strut.

17. A work station as set forth in claim 1 including lock means operative to lock said work top in height adjusted position.

18. A work station as set forth in claim 17 wherein said lock means comprises a releaseable lock between said top and horizontal member.

19. A work station as set forth in claim 18 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a rack on the underside of said work top, and a spring loaded dog operative to engage and release said rack.

20. A height adjustable work station comprising a work top, a frame supporting said work top, said frame including an angularly inclined downwardly extending slide strut, a fixed frame including an upwardly inclined support strut supporting said slide strut for inclined movement therealong, and automatic means operative automatically and simultaneously to maintain said work top against horizontal movement as said slide strut moves with respect to said support strut.

21. A work station as set forth in claim 20 including spring means operative to urge said work top upwardly.

22. A work station as set forth in claim 20 wherein said work top includes a front and rear, and said work station further includes an interior partition or room divider, and means mounting said fixed support to such partition or room divider extending toward the front of the work top so that the work top is supported in cantilever fashion from the partition or room divider, with the rear of the work top remaining uniformly spaced from the partition or room divider regardless of the position of the slide strut relative to the support strut.

23. A work station as set forth in claim 22 including a roller at the rear of said work top which rides against such partition or room divider.

24. A work station as set forth in claim 20 including a floor mounted pedestal with said fixed support being mounted thereon so that the work station is a free standing unit.

25. A work station as set forth in claim 20 including lock means operative to lock said work top in height adjusted position.

26. A work station as set forth in claim 25 wherein said lock means comprises a releaseable lock between said work top and frame.

27. A work station as set forth in claim 25 wherein said lock means comprises a rack on the underside of said work top, and a spring loaded dog on said frame operative to engage and release said rack.

28. A work station as set forth in claim 25 wherein said lock means comprises a rod, and a spring loaded lever binding on said rod in one position and releasing said rod in another.

29. A height adjustable work station comprising a work top, a frame supporting said work top, said frame including an angularly inclined downwardly extending slide strut, a fixed frame including an upwardly inclined support strut for inclined movement therealong, and spring means operative to urge said work top upwardly and urge said work top horizontally with respect to said frame, said spring means including automatic means operative simultaneously to maintain said work top against horizontal movement as said slide strut moves with respect to said support strut.

30. A work station as set forth in claim 29 wherein said spring means comprises a tension spring extending between said work top and frame.

31. A work station as set forth in claim 30 including a plurality of tension springs extending between said work top and frame, each trained about a pulley.

32. A work station as set forth in claim 31 including means to adjust the position of the pulley to alter the loading of such springs.

33. A work station as set forth in claim 32 wherein said tension springs have ends and said pulleys are mounted on plates which may be moved toward and away from the ends of said tension springs.

34. A work station as set forth in claim 33 including an adjustment means for moving said plates.

35. A work station as set forth in claim 34 wherein said adjustment means comprises a single point adjustment, and squaring means to move said plates uniformly toward and away from the ends of said tension springs.

36. A height adjustable work station comprising a work top, a frame supporting said work top, said frame including an angularly inclined downwardly extending slide strut, a fixed frame including an upwardly inclined support strut supporting said slide strut for inclined movement therealong, and automatic means operative simultaneously to maintain said work top against horizontal movement as said slide strut moves with respect to said support strut, said automatic means comprising cable means interconnecting said work top and said support strut to maintain said work top against horizontal movement as said slide strut moves.

37. A work station as set forth in claim 36 wherein said cable means includes a pulley at the intersection of the slide strut and frame with said cable means attached thereto.

38. A work station as set forth in claim 37 wherein said pulley is a double pulley with two pulley sheaves of different diameter.

39. A work station as set forth in claim 38 including two cables attached to said double pulley, one cable connected to said work top and the other cable connected to said support strut.

40. A work station as set forth in claim 39 wherein the cable connected to said support strut extends about a further pulley at the lower end of said slide strut.