Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This is a division of Canadian Patent Application
Serial No. 272,036 filed February 17, 1977.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to foldable workbenches. More specifi-
cally, the invention is directed to a foldable workbench which is portable
and can be erected and collapsed by a sirnple one step motion of the
operator.
'rhere have been portable foldable workbenches suggested before
which require a certain expertise of the operator when assembling the
workbench for use because he must attach the legs individually and is often
required to add additional supporting structure. This assembly is a
laborious effort and storage of the disassembled workbench often requires
considerable storage space. Yet other workbenches have been suggested
as, for example, the workbench in United States patent 1, 688, 533 wherein
there is disclosed a workbench having legs which translate with the aid of
pivotally mounted parallel struts. However, here the table top must first
30 be disconnected and rotated before the workbench can be stacked into a
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flat package.
Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to pro-
vide a workbench which is easily assembled by the operator and
which takes up a minimum of storage space when not in use.
It is another object of my invention to provide a
foldable workbench equipped with a work table top provided with
an integral clamping vise which can be opened and closed with
a simple one step movement by the operator.
It is a further object of my invention to provide
such a workbench which when closed, is collapsed into a flat
package that is easily portable and convenient to store.
It is still another object of my invention to pro-
vide such device which is simple and economic to produce and
wherein the work table top is braced with respect to the leg
structure of the workbench.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention, in one aspect, provides a foldable
workbench comprising: a work table; and, a support structure
for supporting said work table, the support structure including
a pair of mutually spaced leg assemblies, each of said leg
assemblies comprising: a pair of legs pivotally connected
to said work table; articulating linkages pivotally connected
to each of said legs and said ~ork table for coacting therewith
to articulate the movement of said legs and said work table
between a first position wherein said legs and said work table
are stacked in juxtaposition to each other and a second
position wherein the outer ends of said legs are spread apart
a predetermined distance and said work table extends
substantially horizontally, said articulating linkages limiting
the spread of said legs to said predetermined distance and
including linkage means connected to th~ work table at a point
spaced from where the pair of legs pivotally connect to said
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work table, said linkage means bracing said work table with
respect to one of said legs.
The workbench according to the invention is especially
advantageous when the work table top is e~uipped wi~h an integral
clamping vise. A clamping vise of this general type is
disclosed, for example, in United States patent 3,615,087.
The foregoing objects and advantages of my invention
wlll become more apparent from a consideration of the detailed
description to follow taken in conjunction with the drawing
annexed hereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. l is a perspective view of the workbench
according to the
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invention equipped with a tool tray;
FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the workbench of FIG. I
showing the workbench in the erected position;
FIGS. 3A to 3D are a set of sequential views showing schemati-
cally the articulating movement of the articulating linkages as the work-
bench is collapsed from the erected position to the closed position; and,
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the workbench in the
collapsed position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Reference numeral 10 indicates the flat part of the operating
bench formed by two wood bench boards 13, l4 defining a work plane 11.
The bench boards 13 and 14 are mounted on two mutually spaced leg
assemblies, each leg assembly having a pair of legs 12, 12a.
The bench board 14 can be moved with respect to the bench
board 13. Bench board 13 is stationary and is bolted to lateral supports 15
that are in turn bolted to surface 16 of respective elongated members in
the form of channel brackets 17 disposed transversely to the bench boards.
Bench board 14 is movable and for this purpose is mounted on
slider blocks 18 slideably mounted on rails 19 formed in the top 16 of the
20 same channel brackets 17. The connection between bench board 1~ and
each slider block 18 is achieved with a pivot 20 that allows for the rotation
of the bench board 14 on the slider blocks 18 when these blocks are moved
forward and not mutually aligned.
More specifically, when the bench board 14 is moved so as to
be at an angle with respect to bench board 13, the pivots 20 permit the
bench board 14 to rotate with respect to slider blocks 18, respectively.
The movement of the slider blocks 18 can be controlled inde-
pendently by handles 21. Each handle 21 is connected to a threaded rod
22 which is rotated by turning the handle. The rod 22 threadably engages
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a nut 23 fastened to the slider block 18 as illustrated in FIGS, I and 2.
Bench boards 13 and 14 can be used conjointly as a plane of support while
they also serve advantageously as jaws for tightly holding the workpiece
to be worked upon. The two bench boards 13 and 14 are perforated and
plugs 50 can be used to hold the workpiece even when it is larger in
dimension than the vise opening between bench boards 13 and 14 with bench
board 14 at its outermost limit.
Each of legs 12a> 12 of each leg assembly are pivotally connected
to the corresponding channel bracket 17 as indicated by reference numerals
25 and 24, respectively, The legs 12a, 12 are mutually connected at their
outer respective sides by connected links 26J 27 which are, in turn,
pivotally connected to each other at pivot connection 28. The links 26 and
27 are also pivotally connected to the supports 12, 12a by pivot pin 29
and 30, respectively.
At the extreme end of link 26 away from pivot 29, there is also
a prong 31 which engages and holds in a notch 32 (FIG. 3) of the link 27
to firmly block the links 26 and 27 when the workbench is in the open posi-
tion as shown in FIGS. I and 2. In this way, the supporting legs 12, 12a
20 cannot spread apart when the bench is in use.
Each of the channel brackets 17 also is pivotally eonnected to
the legs 12, 12a of a eorresponding leg assembly by articulating means
in the form of three linkage arms 33, 34, 35. Linkage arm6 34 and 35
are eonneeted to legs 12 and 12a by pivot pins 47 and 39, respeetively.
These linkage arms are pivotally conneeted to each other at pivot connection
36. The eonneeting arm 33 is also pivotally connected to braeket 17 at
pivot 37 and is provided with a tab 38 next to the pivot 36.
The tab 38 engages leg 12 when the workbeneh is ln the ereeted
position to enable the arm 33 to braee the table top with respect to the leg
12. When the table is erected, the tab 38 also limits the leg 12 from
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spreading any further away from leg 12a than a predetermined distance
thereby augmenting the links 26 and 27 discussed above. It should be noted
that the links 26 and 27 are not entirely a duplication of function because,
in addition to also limiting this spread between legs 12 and 12a in the
erected position, links 26 and 27 impart to the bench legs a cert ain rigidity
when the user of the bench lifts the erected bench to place it say in another
part of the work area where the bench is in use. More specifically, in the
erected position, the legs 12 and 12aa~e held apart by links 26 and 27 even
when the bench is lifted when the prong 31 engages the notch 32.
The linkage arms 33, 34 and 35 coact with each other and the
legs 12, 12a as well as with bracket 17 to articulate the movement of
these members when the user erects or collapses the bench. The articu-
lated movement of the members is shown sequentially in the views FIGS.3A
to 3D for bringing the workbench from the erected position where tab 38
of arm 33 engages leg 12 in FIG. 3A through FIGS. 3B and 3C to the
collapsed position shown in FIG. 3D. With this articulation of the pivotally
connected members, the user of the bench can collapse the erected bench
with single movement after disengaging the prong 31 from notch 32 of the
links 26 and 27.
When collapsing the legs 12, 12a, the system of articulated
linkage arms 33, 34, and 35 enables the channel brackets 17 and bench
boards 13 and 14 mounted thereon to rotate until they reach a position in
juxtaposition to the collapsed legs 12 and 12a as shown in FIGS. 3D and 4.
According to another feature of the invention, between mutually
adjacent linkage arms 35 of respective leg assemblies, a tray 40 can be
placed for holding work tools. For added stability, the legs 12 and legs
12a are mutually connected with respective cross members ~1, 42.
According to still another feature of the invention, one of the
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cross members 42 has a step tread 43 mounted therein. The step tread
43 is nestled in recess 44 of the cross member 42 in such a way that it
can rotate about the pivot connections 45.
The step tread 43 is also connected to linkage arm 35 of the
articulation means by bracing links 46. Specifically, the ends of the
bracing links 46 are respectively pivotally connected to the 8tep tread 43
and to the arm 35. When the bench is collapsed to the position shown in
FIGS. 3D and 4, the step tread 43 is compelled to rotate into a position
so that its flat dimension lies in the plane of legs 12a by the coaction of
10 bracing links 46 and linkage arms 35.
The work bench disclosed above is a folding metal structure
which is very strong and sturdy when in use and, at the same time, is made
of a minimal number of very light parts which facilitate handling and
movement of the bench.
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