GRATING OPENING IN WORKING TABLE FOR VERTICAL STORAGE

GRILLE DE RANGEMENT SUR LE PLAN VERTICAL POUR TABLE DE TRAVAIL

English Abstract

Abstract
In the prior art, blueprints or other documents
that are out of a central storage area, and in the area of
the personnel working therewith, have been typically
positioned loosely on a desk or working table in a manner
so that they get in the way when not being used and/or roll
off the desk. In general when not in use and stored on a
desk, such documents are difficult to position conveniently.
The invention is a working table or desk having a grating for
vertical storage of material in elongated form, such as rolled
blueprints. The table has a vertically directed opening with
grating forming rods extending thereacross to form spaces for
inserting rolled documents for storage. A container is
positioned below the opening on the floor to receive the lower
ends of the material. The opening has vertical surfaces having
spaced horizontally directed holes therein. Each hole on each
surface is in alignment with an opposite hole in an opposite
surface to receive the rods forming the grating. One of each
pair of oppositely aligned holes is deeper than the other to
receive a coil spring. Each rod is inserted into a deeper
hole to be in abutment with the spring, the spring being
compressed to permit the entry of the rod across the opening
and when so compressed the other end of the rod is within the
opening and in position to be forced into the opposite hole by
the bias of the spring. The spring thus holds each rod in
place. In order to provide an arrangement of crossing rods to
form the grating, holes in faces adjacent to faces having a
first group of holes are bored at a higher level so that the
rods may fit above the first rods and cross the latter. Also
included is a cover to rest on the upper rods provided to
close the opening when it is not being used for storage. The
cover matches the top of the working table.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as
follows:
1. A working table having a grating for vertical
storage of material in elongated form, comprising:
a working table having a vertically directed
opening therethrough,
at least one vertical edge portion forming
the surface of said opening,
a plurality of first opposite aligned pairs
of horizontal holes in said vertical edge, and
at least one rod extending across said opening
and having one end in one of a pair of selected aligned holes
and having its other end in the other of said pair of holes.
2. The invention according to claim 1 including:
a plurality of second opposite aligned pairs
of horizontal holes in said vertical edge,
said second pairs of holes being at a level
just above said first pairs and the alignment directions of
said first and second pairs being in a crossing relationship,
at least one rod extending across said opening
and having one end in one of a second pair of selected
aligned holes and having its other end in the other of said
second pair of holes,
said rods being in a crossing relationship.
3. The invention according to claim 2 in which:
said holes terminate in inner ends inwardly
of said surface,
one hole of each pair of aligned holes being
deeper than the other,
said rods being longer than said opening,

said deeper one hole having a coil spring
therein in abutment with its inner end and being deep
enough to receive one end of a rod in abutment with said
spring with the other end of the rod being in said opening
outwardly of said opposite hole,
said spring being adapted to force said other
end of the rod into said opposite hole and in abutment with
its inner end,
said one end of the rod remaining in said
deeper one hole in abutment with said spring.
4. The invention according to claim 3 in which:
a container is positioned below said opening
to receive the lower ends of said material extending through
said opening.
5. The invention according to claim 3 in which:
said opening is rectangular and said opposite
holes are aligned in directions perpendicular to edge
portions forming the surface of said opening,
said rods crossing at right angles,
6. The invention according to claim 5 in which:
said plurality of first pairs of opposite
aligned holes are spaced along the surface of said edge
portions forming two first opposite sides of said rectangle,
said plurality of second pairs of opposite
aligned holes are spaced along the surface of said edge
portions forming two second opposite sides of said rectangle,
at least two of said rods extending across
said opening and having their ends in respective first pairs
of spaced holes,
at least two of said rods extending across
said opening and having their ends in respective second

pairs of spaced holes,
said rods forming nine separate storage
spaces in said opening.
7. The invention according to claim 6 including:
a cover fitting into and closing said opening
when no material is stored therein,
said cover being supported on said rods in
said second pairs of spaced holes.

Description

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Specification
The invention relates to modular structures forming
office furniture to be used by personnel who work with blue-
prints or other documents that are klept in roll form and
which are adapted to be stored adjaclent the working area on
a table or desk~
In the prior art blueprints or other documents that
are out of a central storage area, and in the area of the
personnel working therewith, have been typically positioned
loosely on a desk or working table in a manner so that they
get in the way when not being used and/or roll off the desk.
In general, when not in use and stored on a desk, such
documents are difficult to position conveniently.
The invention provides a convenient space saving
storage grating for use in working Lables or desks. It includes
an opening formed in a desirable area of a work table to permit
the neat storage of blueprints in a vertical arrangement.
The grating is formed in the opening by rods which
are biased in holes drilled into vertical surfaces of the
opening. It provides a multipe number of separated spaces
for groups of individual, rolled documents. There are a
plurality of parallel rods at one level and a plurality of
parallel rods at a higher level, the latter rods crossing
the ~ormer to provide the spacing arrangements.
In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grating in a
working table in which rolled documents are stored according
to the invention;
Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view,
taken along the line 2-2 in Figure l;
Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the

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storaOe grating shown in Figure l;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a grating arrangement
illustrating another form of the grating, which provides
additional storage spaces; and
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the
storage area having a cover thereon, the cover forming a
part of the working table surface when the storage area is
not in use.
There is shown in Figure 1 a work area formed by
partitions 10 and 12 to which are secured working tables or
desks 16 and 18. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a rectangular
storage opening 20 for elongated material, such as rolled
documents, is formed in the table 16. Under the opening 20,
there is a container 17 to receive the lower portions of the
documents.
The table has finishing laminations 22 on the top
and 24 on the bottom, and in the opening, vertical edge
surfaces are also formed by laminations 25, 26, 28 and an edge
opposite 26, not shown. Inwardly of the laminations are
blocks 30 and 32. There are two adjacent edges that have a
block 30 and two adjacent edges that have a block 32.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, extending through the
laminations and into the blocks are spaced bored holes 34, 36
and 38. The holes 34 and 36 are about 1/2" in depth and the
holes 38 opposite the holes 34, and the holes opposite the
holes 36, not shown, are about 1" in depth. The holes 36
extend into the face 26 and are in alignment with opposite
holes in the edge, not shown, the holes being perpendicular
to the respective edges and at the same level. The holes
34 and 38 are also in alignment, perpendicular to the respec-
tive edges, and are at a higher level than the holes 36.
The two levels of the holes provide for the crossing arrange-
ments of rods 40 and 42 in the holes and forming the grating.

1~1437
The holes 38, supporting rods 42, have a coil
spring 44 therein and the holes opposite the holes 36 having
rods 40 therein likewise have a coil spring 44. The rods
are inserted into selected holes in accordance with the spacing
arrangement desired in the grating formed. A rod, as 42, is
inserted into a hole 38, the hole being somewhat larger in
diameter than the rod so that the rod may be inserted before
it is inserted in the opposite hole 34. Thus, when a rod 42
is moved into the opening 20, then into a hole 38, the spring
44 is compressed as the rod is moved down to a horizontal
position opposite the hole 34. When it is in alignment with
the hole 34 the rod is allowed to be moved into the hole 34,
the spring being thereby expanded to the position shown and so
as to maintain the rod within the two opposite holes. Springs
may be inserted in the deeper holes, as 38, as needed.
In Figure 4 another arrangement of rods 42 and 40
are shown. Here, there is only one rod 40 and there are
three rods 42 forming a grating arrangement which provides
eight spaces for rolled documents 44, 46 and 48.
In Figure 5 the opening 20 is shown having the rods
42 and 40 therein, but is not being used for storage. For
situations where storage is not required, a rectangular cover
50 is made to be fitted into the opening 20 on top of the
rods 42 to form a continuation of the table surface 16. The
cover 50 has a finished laminated top which matches the
surface 16.
The invention and its attendant advantages will be
understood from the foregoing description and it will be
apparent that various changes may be made in the form, con-
struction and arrangements of the parts of the invention
without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacri-`
ficing its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbefore
described being merely by way of example. I do not wish to be

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restricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned
except as defined in the accompanying claims, wherein
various portions have been separated for clarity of reading
and not for emphasis.