Cam lock table support apparatus

• US 5,662,298 A
• Filed: 11/29/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harold O. Collins
• Original Assignee: Harold O. Collins
• Inventors: Collins, Harold O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, Kimberly T.
• Application Number:
  US08/564,780
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.1, 248/188.6, 248/439, 248/166, 248/440.1, 248/220.21, 248/214, 248/207, 248/200.1, 108/125, 108/126, 108/130, 108/131, 403/374, 403/DIG. 8, 403/320
• US Class Current: 248/188.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/003 Connecting table tops to underframes connecting furniture tubing to non-tubular parts F16B12/42
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 1/02 of table type
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/22 with approximately constant height, e.g. with constant length of column or of legs F16M11/42 takes precedence

Abstract

Support apparatus includes a pair of folding leg elements pivotally secured to a longitudinal beam assembly. The beam assembly includes two beams longitudinally aligned with each other and secured by a U-shaped clamp. The leg elements are secured to the center, longitudinally extending beams by a pair of cam lock units, secured to the leg units. The cam lock units pivot and are lockable to the beam in both the open, support position and in the folded, storage position. The use of the two beam elements and the U-shaped channel connector allows the beam elements to twist relative to each other, and the twisting allows the leg elements to remain stable while disposed on an uneven surface.

Claims

1. Support apparatus comprising in combination:

a first leg assembly, including

a first pair of legs generally parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, and

a first cross piece secured to and disposed between the first pair of legs;

a first beam pivotally secured to the first cross piece;

a first cam lock assembly, including

a first panel pivotally secured to the first leg assembly,

a first cam roller eccentrically rotatable on the first panel, whereby the first cam roller is disposed against the first beam and is rotated on the first panel to a locked position to lock the first beam to the first leg assembly and is rotated to an unlocked position to allow the first panel and the first cam roller to pivot away from the first beam to allow the first leg assembly to pivot relative to the first beam;

a second leg assembly, including

a second pair of legs generally parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, and

a second cross piece secured to and disposed between the first pair of legs;

a second beam pivotally secured to the second cross piece;

a second cam lock assembly, including

a second panel secured to the second leg assembly,

a second cam roller eccentrically rotatable on the second panel, whereby the second cam roller is disposed against the second beam and is rotated on the second panel to a locked position to lock the second beam to the second leg assembly and is rotated to an unlocked position to allow the second panel and the second cam roller to pivot away from the second beam to allow the second leg assembly to pivot relative to the second beam; and

means for securing the first and second beams together.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for securing the first and second beams together includes a channel element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes first and second handles secured respectively to the first and second cam rollers for rotating the cam rollers to their respective locked and unlocked positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a first pair of slats secured to the first cross piece, and the first beam is disposed between the slats of the first pair of slats.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 which further includes a second pair of slats secured to the second cross piece, and the second beam is disposed between the slats of the second pair of slats.

6. Support apparatus comprising in combination:

a first leg assembly;

a second leg assembly spaced apart from the first leg assembly;

beam means extending between and pivotally secured to the first and second leg assemblies for supporting, with the leg assemblies, an element disposed thereon;

first cam lock means pivotally secured to the first leg assembly, and including

a first cam roller to be disposed against the beam means to lock the first leg assembly to the beam means in a first orientation and movable away from the beam means to allow the first cam lock means to pivot away from the beam means to allow the first leg assembly to pivot relative to the beam means to a second orientation, and then to allow the first cam lock means to pivot to the beam means to allow the first cam roller to be disposed against the beam means to lock the first leg assembly to the beam means in the second orientation;

second cam lock means pivotally secured to the second leg assembly, and including

a second cam roller to be disposed against the beam means to lock the second leg assembly to the beam means in a first orientation and movable away from the beam means to allow the second cam lock means to pivot away from the beam means to allow the second leg assembly to pivot relative to the beam means to a second orientation, and then allow the second cam lock means to pivot to the beam means to allow the second cam roller to be disposed against the beam means to lock the second leg assembly to the beam means in the second orientation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the first cam lock means further includes a handle secured to the first cam roller for rotating the cam roller.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the first cam lock means further includes a first panel pivotally secured to the first leg assembly, and the first cam roller rotates on the first panel.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the second cam lock means further includes a second panel pivotally secured to the second leg assembly, and the second cam roller rotates on the second panel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the first and second cam rollers are eccentrically rotatable on their respective first and second panels to move the cam rollers against the beam means to lock the beam means to the respective first and second leg assemblies to allow the first and second cam lock means to pivot away from the beam means to allow the leg assemblies to pivot relative to the beam means.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the beam means includes a first beam pivotally secured to the first leg assembly and a second beam pivotally secured to the second leg assembly and to the first beam.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the first leg assembly includes a first pair of legs spaced apart from each other and a first crosspiece extending between and secured to the first pair of legs, and the beam means is pivotally secured to the first crosspiece.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 in which the second leg assembly includes a second pair of legs spaced apart from each other and a second cross piece extending between and secured to the second pair of legs, and the beam means is pivotally secured to the second cross piece.