US2630359A - Vertically shiftable platform support for office furniture - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1953 F. s. SCHADE 2,630,359

VERTICALLY SHIFTABLE PLATFORM SUPPORT FOR OFFICE FURNITURE Filed March 21. 1950 2 SHEET S--SHEET l INVENTOR tions, and the like.

referring to the record sheets in the files.

Patented Mar. 3, 1953 VERTICALLY SHIFTABLE PLATFORM SUP- PORT FOR OFFICE FURNITURE Frank Stanley Schade, Holyoke, Mass., assignor to National Blank Book Company, Holyoke, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Q Application March 21, 1950, Serial No. 150,924

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a vertically shiftable platform support for office furniture such as a .tray support for an office work stand of the type adapted for holding and handling bulky record files.

Large business and governmental offices usually have various types of voluminous and bulky records for a variety of bookkeeping transactions, personnel dispositions or administrative regula- Such records are kept systematically indexed and classified and generally for handling purposes are stored in such a way that a group of records may be removed from the location of storage to be carried to a work location where entries can be made or the record sheets otherwise referred to. In many filing systems the records may be permanently stored in portable trays of various types and in other systems groups of files may be assembled from their permanent locations on carrying trays and transported to a working station as near a desk or other working area. It is also common in working with such files for an office worker to alternately stand and sit for certain periods while An object of this invention is to provide a device to assist in expediting the handling of this type of ofiice work.

To illustrate more specifically, a clerk may be working at his desk with a particular set of records. The records may be held on a work stand or other movable support near the desk at a convenient height. Having completed the desk work,

- the clerk then finds it necessary to do reference 'or tabulating work with the same set of records at filing cabinets.

For efficient handling the records should then be at a different height on the stand for reference and checking at a convenient reading level or for making appropriate entries. The device of this invention is accordingly designed to provide a readily adjustable mechanism to accomplish a change in working level with a minimum of inconvenience and effort. It is easily manipulated to raise or lower the supporting surface for record files with practically no interruption in the work at hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device readily adapted for mounting on a general utility work table of a type commonly used in many offices.

A further object is to provide a device having a counterbalanced parallel linkage system by means of which the supporting platform may easily .be shifted upwardly and downwardly with a comparatively heavy load of record files.

in intermediate and lowered positions;

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device adaptable for use in an enclosed cabinet stand whereby records may be made readily accessible from a place of concealment as desired and also may be provided with an individual permanent or semi-permanent depository.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be seen from the following description and accompanying drawings- Inthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with various parts in section of a work stand'with the new device mounted on the stand and supporting a record file tray in elevated position;

Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views of the device Fig. 4 is a sectional view online 4'4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified construction of the device as adapted for a cabinet stand apparatus and illustrated in elevated position;

Fig. 6 is a section of the cabinet stand of Fig. 5 with the device in lowered position and a lid covering the cabinet top; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a removable tray clip as used on the platform of the device.

A general utility work stand or table of the type adapted for use with the new device is a familiar piece of oflice equipment. In the particular form of stand here shown in the drawings it is provided with a fiat top I having a longitudinal recess 2. Theside walls of the-recessare cut away ,at their mid-portions to provide slots as at 3. A central opening 4 between i the slots 3 is-alsoprovided in the bottom wall of the recess. The table serves with its particular form of recess to provide a convenient means for removably supporting a variety of work trays or heavy binders as may be nested on the table with portions thereof matching the recess. 1

The new platform device embodying the invention is mounted on the table top. It comprises a bottom support as lower plate 5, an upper support platform as plate 6, and a parallel linkage mechanism connecting the two plates. Centrally pivoted at the under side of the lower plate 5, as on a rivet 1, is a rotatable swivel lock bar or strap latch 8. When the device is placed on the top I with latch 8 suspended in the recess on the underside of plate 5 directly over the central opening 4, an operator may reach up from underneath to pivot the latch and swing its offset end nesting relation between the sidewalls of the" recess.

The top I of the work stand is itself vertically adjustable by means of telescoping legmembers 9 and ID. A series of holes l l inthe legs permit their relative positioning by bolts as at' I2... A bracing shelf l3 and swivel casters M' complete the stand assembly.

It will be seen from a comparison of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 that the upper plate or platform 6 of the new device may be shifted from a lowered position', resting on the lower plate 5; to an elevated position vertically" spaced f'rom the lower plate and held parallel thereto at all times by the. linkage mechanism connecting the two plates.

Parallel links l5'and i6, with a toggle joint associated with at least one of the links, form the connecting structure at the sides of the plates. The'links and It are pivoted at their upper ends to depending ears IT and {8 of transverse straps l9 fixed on the underside ofthe upper plate-platform 6"(Figi i). Intermediate the ends of" links l5 short toggle links 2d (pivoted atone endas toan e'arZl of a transverse strap 22 fixed on lower plate 5) arepivotally connected as at 23 to form atog'gle joint or knee with link 15. The lowerends-of links l5 extending beyond the kneeare pivotally mounted on two complementary'guide members as slide bars 2e located at opposite side edges of the lower' plate 5. Bars 24' are provided with roller wheels 25 at each endthereof, the wheels being held in runways formed by upstanding flanged sides 25 of plate 5 (see Fig. 4). The axles of the wheels provide the pivotal attachment of links I5 to the bars.

The parallel links I 6 are similarly connected to the slide bars 24 of plate 5. Transverse straps 2 1 and 28'-may be mounted for structural ri idity between the laterally aligned" pairs of links l5 and I6 respectively. A connecting bar 29 joins the lower ends of links l5 and the axles of wheels 25 adjacent plated. A tension spring 3B is hooked atoneen'd-to'bar 29 and its other end to plate 5 to urge th'e' links l5 as showntowardsan in-line position of the toggle joint member's.

When platform 6 is in its lower position (Fig. 3 the links and the slide bars of the device lie ateach side of plate 5 in a straight line collapsed position. The portion of link l5 forming a toggle joint with link 2E) lies in adjacent relation withlink' At'their' lowerpor'tions'links l5 (Fig. 4) are offset-outwardly to provide clearance for a nesting relationship. The spring 30 is here under its greatest tension.

By lifting platform 6, an operator may cause the same to swing upwardly of plate 5 and the toggle linkage to unfold (Fig. 2), the bars 24 sliding longitudinally in the tracks of plate 5.

' As the platform 6 is movedupwardly it is shifted lengthwise in an arcuate path according to the movement of the parallel linkage system. Links l5= and I6 are carried to a-vertical perpendicular position between plates 5 and 6 and slightly beyond' to an oppositely angled condition as shown byFig. 1. In this position the guide bars 24 come to rest with-the-wheels against stop lugs 3! attached to the flanged sides 26 of plate 5. Thus, further movement of the toggle joint to an in-line position and the upper plate 6 to a relatively lower position is blocked. In this condition, the platform is held in its elevated position of Fig. 1 by the weight of the load on the angled links and endwise pressure of bars 24 against lugs .il. Spring 36] is' also exerting tension to maintain the platform in this position.

When platform 6 is in a lowered position (Fig. 3) the links are locked against the action of the spring. The toggle joint is folded at the kneeand. set. in a straight line. The force of the spring is against longitudinally aligned pivots 23 I3 and 2|.

The mechanism includes the spring counterbalancing means to assist in carriage of a load on. the platform plate 6 in raising and lowering the same. The spring 38 is at all times under tension overlying bottom plate 5. It is hooked atone end to the bar as and anchored at the other end by a hook in the bottom plate 5 between stop lugs 3|. It will be clear that oninitially lifting platform (5 the spring tends to draw the lower ends of links I5 around the rising toggle joint pivot of knee 23. The slidable bars permit a rotative movement of links I5 around the knee and the action of the spring tends to float a heavy load on the platform 6 to its'upward position. In the reverse operation, on lowering the platform, the spring will counterbalance a heavy load and act to resist a toorapid descent of the platform against plated. 1

Platform 6 is provided with upturned flanges 32' and 33' at its side and end edges respectively.

These flanges assist in seating and holding record file trays on the-platform surfacesuch as atray 3 t illustrated by the drawings. Tray 34 is a known type of'machine postingtraynow in commercial use and is provided with cornered end walls 35 having open sides. Drop bars 36' are pivoted at the sides' for swinging laterally and permitting individual cards of a stack 31 to be offset for bettervisibility and handling. Carrying handle openings 38 are also provided centrally in each end wall of the tray 34.

Platform ii as shown is additionally fitted with holding clips 39 and M] for convenience in mounting a tray in the assembly. Clip 39 at the left in the drawings may be permanently fixed to platform 6 with its top hook portion overlying that end. Clip as at the other end may be removable. It will be clear that in. fitting tray 34 on the platform the tray may be tilted to hook the top of clip 39 in the adjacent handle opening 38 and the tray then rested on the platform. The removable clip 4t isthen fitted on the other end. Clip id is of spring metal and has a lower offset portion with an upstanding tongue 4| (Fig. '7) fitting into a slot in the underside of platform 6. The upper hooked portion is first inserted into the handle opening 38 and the offset tongue is then swung and snapped into-place in the slot. To remove the clip the tongue is sprung from its slot by pressure on the rounded top hook portion which flexes the metal against the lower edge of the handleopening 38 and permits withdrawal of the clip. Thus the tray 34 may be secured against removal and can be handled to raise and lower the platform 6.

The assembly as described provides a sturdy and rugged unit for use in manipulating heavy record files. It will be clear that the toggle jointed parallel linkage mechanism with its spring balanced tension may be modified in some respects while preserving the advantages of the device as disclosed by Figs. 1-4. One such modification is illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 which show a platform device as used in a safe or enclosed cabinet type of stand.

In this embodiment two parallel links 45 and two short links 46 are provided for the elevating mechanism. It will be seen that the slide bar 41 for the lower ends of the links is mounted on wheels in a track of a lower support plate 48 as in Figs. 1 to 4. The device is entirely enclosed in either position of adjustment by cabinet walls 49 and 50. In its upper position (Fig. 5) the stop against an in-line position of the toggle joint is provided by abutment of the platform 5| against the cabinet wall 50. In this example the latch mechanism and counterbalancing spring have been omitted. The device rests on the fioor 52 of the cabinet or the lower support may be an integral part of the cabinet itself. A hinged cover 53 is provided to conceal and lock the file contents when in lowered position.

In the form of Figs. 5 and 6 the device has special utility in providing a greatly simplified construction for an enclosed cabinet type of file. The walls of the cabinet may be of fire proof construction for overnight and other temporary storage. The desirability of this type of ofiice equipment is widely recognized for the permanent or semi-permanent deposit of file records. Confidential files can be immediately concealed and/or made available as desired and without elaborate precautions for handling.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A vertically shiftable platform device for record file holding equipment and the like comprising a lower and an upper support, parallel links between said supports and mechanism associated with the links for guiding and supporting said upper support from superimposed collapsed position to superimposed vertically spaced position in a path substantially perpendicular to the plane of said lower support, and spring means yieldably tensioned to maintain said upper support in either of said positions, said upper support having depending spaced pivotal connections with corresponding ends of said parallel links, longitudinally slidable members carried by said lower support having spaced pivotal connections receiving the other ends of said parallel links, toggle link straps pivoted to said lower suport in the plane of said pivotal connections of the parallel links to said slidable means and offset therefrom, the other ends of said straps being attached in fixed pivotal relation with adjacent parallel links at central portions thereof, said parallel links being rotatable around said strap ends, the lifting of said upper support above the lower support being guided by said straps with said slidable members moving longitudinally of said lower support, a stop for said slidable members at the end of the support, said straps with further movement of said members restricted by the stop holding the parallel links against further rotative movement in the same direction and in an over the center relation between the supports, said spring means including a spring connected between said lower support and said slidable members and constantly urging the latter to- Wards said stop with the centrally pivoted. parallel links on the members being biased in the direction of further rotation around said strap ends, said parallel links, slidable members, and straps in collapsed position between said supports being in parallel relation and the pivotal connections therebetween in an in line condition, the tension of said spring on said slidable means tending to maintain said in line position of said pivotal connections.

FRANK STANLEY SCHADE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,824,822 Kradolfer Sept. 29, 1931 2,495,046 Wolters Jan. 17, 1950 2,531,140 Linde Nov. 21, 1950 2,531,880 Herring Nov. 23, 1950

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