This document is a patent from 1957 describing an improvement to collapsible leg brackets for tables, trays, and chairs. The bracket incorporates flanges on both sides of the pivot axis to hold the leg in either an erect or collapsed position. One flange has a slightly inclined edge that allows the leg to clear the flange and snap into the erect position under gravity as the tray is raised, without needing manual manipulation of the leg. This automatic erection of the leg is enabled by resilient loading or biasing of the leg pairs outwardly.

1. * GB780123 (A)
Description: GB780123 (A) ? 1957-07-31
Improvements in or relating to tables, trays and the like having collapsible
legs
Description of GB780123 (A)
PATENT SPECIFICATION
Inventor: FRANCIS GEORGE MELSHER Date of filing Complete
Specification: Sept. 28, 1955.
Application Date: Sept. 30, 1954.
No. 28166/54.
Complete Specification Published: July 31, 1957.
Index at acceptance:-Classes 52(3), S7A2; and 65(2), F1(E: H1i K3),
F2A1.
International Classification:-A47b.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or relating to Tables, Trays and the like having
Collapsible Legs We, PATON, CALVERT AND COMPANY LIMITED, a British
Company, of 201, Binns Road, Old Swan, Liverpool, 13, Lancashire, and
FRANCIS GEORGE MELSHER, a British Subject, of the said Company's
address, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a
patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be
performed, to be particularly described in and by the following
statement: -
The present invention relates to a pivot bracket for use with tables,
trays, chairs and the like having pairs of more or less U-shaped
pivoted legs which can be moved through an angle of approximately 900
from a collapsed position adjacent the underside of a table, tray,
chair or the like to an erect position and which are resiliently
biased or loaded in the direction of the pivotal axis thereof.
The bracket of the present invention incorporates abutment flanges one
on each side of the pivotal axis for the purpose of holding a leg
pivoted thereon in its erect position of which one flange serves to
prevent the leg from moving beyond the erect position and the other to
prevent the leg from returning to its collapsed position, the said

2. other flange being directed towards a plane perpendicular to the
pivotal axis of the leg and being formed with a slightly inclined edge
for engagement by the leg to cause displacement of the leg in the
direction of the pivotal axis against said resilient loading during
movement of the leg towards its erect position so that provided the
pivots of the legs are free and the resilient loading of the legs not
unduly great the legs will be able to swing from their collapsed to
their ereot positions under the action of gravity when a tray or the
like is held face upwards in a horizontal position, the leg pivoted on
the bracket being caused automatically and with out manual
manipulation to clear and pass said other flange to enable it to snap
into position behind said other flange.
Each pair of legs md y be pivoted on pairs of brackets according to
the present invention but alternatively may be pivoted at one end to a
bracket according to the invention and at the other end to a pivot
bracket having only one abutment flange for preventing the legs from
moving beyond the erect position. If the pairs of legs are resiliently
biased outwardly so that their ends tend to move apart then, the
flanges of the bracket should be directed inwardly and vice versa.
The invention includes tables, trays, chairs and the like of the type
herein set forth provided with pivot brackets according to the
invention and in which the pivots of the legs are free and the legs
not unduly resiliently loaded or biased.
The invention is further described with reference to the drawings
accompanying the provisional specification in Which:-
Fig. 1 illustrates the rear of the tray slightly in perspective with
one pair of legs in the collapsed position and the other pair (shown
fragmentarily) in the erect position; Figs. 2 and 3 are views
illustrating opposite sides of a leg supporting bracket.
A tray 1 is provided with pairs of legs 2, 3 and 4, 5 of which each
pair 2, 3 or 4, 5 is of U-form.
Each pair of legs is supported by pivot brackets 6, 7 secured to the
flange 8 of the tray by rivets 9.
Brackets 6 are slightly different from brackets 7 and it will be noted
that the like brackets 6 and the like brackets 7 are shown as disposed
diagonally opposite to one another but, alternatively, like brackets
may be disposed on the same side of the tray or brackets 6 only may be
provided at the four corners of the tray.
Each of the legs 2 and 5 is freely pivoted to a bracket 7 by means of
a rivet 10 and is prevented from moving beyond its erect position by
an inwardly directed flange 11 on bracket 7.
The legs 3 and 4 are each pivoted to a 7801 23 2 780,123 bracket 6 by
means of a longer rivet 12 having a 'head 13 so that the pivoted ends
of the legs 3 and 4 are capable of a limited degree of displacement in

3. the direction of their pivotal axes.
The brackets 6 are similar to the brackets 7 except that the brackets
6 are provided with an abutment flange 14 directed towards a plane
perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the leg and having a slightly
inclined edge 15. Each pair of legs is resiliently loaded or biased
outwardly that is to say their pivoted ends tend to move away from one
another to urge the outer side face of the leg 3 or 4 into engagement
with the slightly inclined edge 15 of the flange 14 of its pivot
bracket 6. As each pair of legs moves from the collapsed positions to
the erect position the engagement of each of the legs 3, 4 with the
slightly inclined edge 15 of the flange 14 of its pivot bracket will
cause the leg to be inwardly displaced in the direction of its pivotal
axis against the resilient loading to enable the leg to clear and pass
the abutment flange 14 and to snap into position behind the flange 14
as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 without the necessity of manual manipulation
to displace the leg 3 or 4 in the direction of its pivotal axis. The
position of ithe leg 3 in its erect position is shown in Figs. 2 and 3
in full lines and in Fig. 3 the position of the leg 3 in its collapsed
position is shown in broken lines where the end of the leg lies nearer
the head 13 of the rivet 12.
The spacing of the hinge rivets of the legs 4, 5 from the underside of
the tray is greater than that of the hinge rivets of the legs 2, 3 so
that when collapsed the legs 2, 3 can lie closely adjacent the
underside of the tray with the legs 4, 5 closely adjacent to the legs
2, 3.
The slight inclination of the edge 15 of the flange 14 enables the
flange 14 to offer only a relatively slight resistance to 'the
movement of the legs from their collapsed to their erect position. The
pivots of the legs; should be free and the resilient bias of the legs
not unduly great and provided that these conditions are observed the
legs by virtue of the slight inclination of the edge 15 of the flange
14 will be able to swing from their collapsed to their erect positions
under the action of gravity when the tray is held face upwards in a
horizontal direction without necessitating any manual manipulation of
the legs in the direction of their pivotal axes.
The legs could, of course, be pivoted to the brackets by means of pins
or rivets secured to the legs and projecting through suitable holes in
the brackets or again the legs could be formed of rod-like material
bent out at the ends of the legs to engage through pivot apertures in
the brackets.
Although the legs as shown in the drawings are formed of flat metal
strip they may be formed of any other suitable material either solid
or hollow such for example as rod or 65 tube of circular or of
half-round or other suitable section.

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