The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 22, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 19, 1998
David R Gutgsell, Jasper, IN (US);
Scott Schwinghammer, Jasper, IN (US);
Ditto Sales, Inc., Jasper, IN (US);
Abstract
A folding leg apparatus is provided to mount a leg to an article of furniture, such as a tabletop, so that the leg can be moved between extended and retracted positions. The table leg has a pair of upright bars disposed apart from each other. the apparatus includes a pair of support brackets mounted to the underside of the tabletop and straddling the upright bars of the leg. A pair of swivel brackets and a pair of brace links are pivotably mounted at opposite ends of each support bracket. A pair of pivot rods are attached to the upright bars adjacent the free end of the leg, and the swivel brackets and brace links are pivotably connected to a corresponding pivot rod. The apparatus includes a latch and release mechanism that includes a release lever having an actuator plate positioned within the envelope of the support brackets. The release lever includes a pair of lever arms that each define a locking notch for receiving one of the pivot rods therein to lock the leg in its upright position. The latch release mechanism further includes a torsion spring operatively connected between the release lever and the support brackets to bias the release lever to a position in which the locking notch captures the pivot rod.