Folding bath stand and dressing table

July 6, 1937. c. t. de puy et al 2,085,901

FOLDING BATH STAND AND DRESSING TABLE

Filed July 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEY.

July 6, 1937. c. τ. de puy et al 2,085,901

FOLDING BATH STAND AND DRESSING TABLE

Filed July 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented July 6, 1937

2,085,901

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,085,901

FOLDING BATH STAND AND DRESSING TABLE

Charles T. De Puy and William C. Baxter, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Trimble Nurseryland· Furniture, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York

Application July 25, 1936, Serial No. 92,550

Claims.

This invention relates to a folding bath stand and dressing table· for infant’s use, and has for its object to provide a practical and economical construction in which the dressing table is piv5 otally connected to the folding stand so that it may assume a horizontal position over the tub or a vertical position at the rear of and above the stand.

A more particular object of the invention is 10 to afford a structure in which the dressing table can be readily and conveniently moved from its horizontal to its vertical position, with foot operated means for actuating it downwardly, and in which instrumentalities are provided for hold15 ing the table in vertical position so as to prevent its accident . Uy falling and striking a child while in the tub.

A further purpose of the invention is to afford an arrangement whereby the dressing table or .,θ the frame thereof rests upon the upper ends of the legs of the folding stand when in horizontal position and is supported thereby, the pivotal connections with the table being such that it swings around the upper ends of the rear legs .,- of the stand while moving to vertical position, while the rear part of the table occupies a position adjacent to and behind the upper ends of the rear legs when in vertical position.

Still another purpose of the invention is to af_;j(, ford a structure in which the dressing table is pivotally connected to the rear legs of the folding stand in such fashion that when the stand is collapsed, the dressing table may be swung downwardly to a position parallel with and forwardly ;·.-, of the front legs of the stand, thus acting to hold the stand compactly in collapsed or folded relation for transporting or shipping.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of 4₀ parts that will appear clearly from the following de'-cription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding bath stand and dressing table constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, and illustrating the dressing table in its ver^ul) tical position;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the dressing table in horizontal position above the tub;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts as illus₅- trated in Fig. 2;

(Cl. 4—177)

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the parts as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing the stand 5 folded and the dressing table about to be folded downwardly.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation showing the final folded position of the dressing table when the stand is collapsed; H>

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end elevation illustrative of the pivotal connection between the dressing table and folding stand, and the parts immediately related thereto, with the dressing table in vertical position, and l’>

Fig. 9 is a similar view with the dressing table in horizontal position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views, I and 2 des- ₂₍₎ignate the front and real- legs respectively of a folding bath stand, which is preferably of the cross-legged type, said legs I and 2 being pivoted together at 3 and connected at the top by longitudinally extending rails 4, as usual in this type ₂s of stand.

The folding stand is adapted to support a bath tub for infant’s use, and while the tub may be variously, constructed and supported, in the illustrative construction shown, the tub, designated 30 at 5, is shown as of a flexible type and made of rubber, rubberized fabric or other similar material stretched between the longitudinal rails of the folding stand and suitably attached thereto so that when the stand is folded, the tub is 35 collapsed between the legs of the stand, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The upper ends of the front and rear legs of the stand are rounded at their front and rear edges respectively, as designated at 6 and 7 for a purpose that will appear pres- 40 ently.

The dressing table comprises a frame consisting of end rails 8 and connecting rails 9 over which a fabric covering is stretched, in the usual manner in this type of construction, and the ar- 45 rangement and relationship .of the parts is such that when the dressing table is lowered, the end rails 8 rest upon the rear legs 2, said rails 8 and the rear legs 2 being of approximately the same width and in alinement with each other, and in 50 order to support the dressing table at the front upon the upper ends of the front legs I, which are disposed between the legs 2 and inwardly thereof, the dressing table is provided with corner blocks 10, see Fig. 4, at the front thereof, 55

2,085,901 adapted to overlie' and rest upon the upper ends of the front legs I.

By thus supporting the dressing table upon the upper ends of the legs, it is possible to use ₅ a table considerably longer than in previous similar types of construction, and this is of definite advantage in performing the necessary drying and dressing operations on the infant after the bath.

dressing table is pivotally supported upon the i ear legs of the stand, and to this end there are employed hinge plates II which are rigidly connected to the end rails 8 of the table and pivotally connected to the rear legs 2 at 12 so 15 that these hinge plates, with the table to which they are connected, can swing to either the vertical position illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 8, or to the horizontal position shown in Figs 2 3 and 9.

It will be observed that the hinge plates are secured to the rails 8 of the dressing table at a substantial distance forwardly of the rear ends of the rails or the rear edge of the dressing table, with the result that when the dressing table is 25 in horizontal position, it extends considerably beyond the legs rearwardly thereof, and when in vertical position, it extends substantially beneath the tops of the legs, as shown in Fig. 8, the vertical movement of the table being limited 30 preferably by rubber bumpers 13 on the rails or the table engaging the rear edges of the legs 2, shown in Fig. 8.

When the dressing table is in horizontal position, its end rails 8 preferably rest upon and are 3a supported by the upper ends of the rear legs 2, and the latter are curved, as shown at 7, to conform to. the arc through which the table moves as it swings from horizontal to vertical position. When the folding stand is collapsed, the dressing 40 table can be swung downwardly in front of and parallel to the front legs I, as shown in Fig. 7, in which position it acts to hold the stand in folded relation, since 1¾ is connected to the rear legs and overlies the front legs, and this movement of 45 the dressing table is facilitated by rounding the' front edges of the front legs at 6 to conform to the arc through which the table swings as it moves from the position shown In Fig. 6 to that illustrated in Fig. 7. It will be understood that 50 before the table is swung downwardly, the towel rack 14, which is pivoted to the front legs, is swung upwardly against the tub fabric, or between the front legs, so as not to interfere with the folding of the dressing table. Likewise the screen 15, 55 which is pivoted to the rear legs, may be lowered on to the table, as shown in Fig. 9, and folded with it, as shown in Fig. 7. The screen 15 occupies a vertical position at the rear of the dressing table when the latter is in horizontal posi60 tion, as shown in Fig. 2, as usual in dressing table constructions.

It is important to prevent accidental lowering or dropping of the dressing table when in its vertical position which it occupies while the baby is 65 being bathed in the tub, and such accidental lowering is prevented by spring'means, preferably consisting of a coil spring 16, that is connected at one end to the rear edge of the dressing table and at its opposite end to one of the legs or some 70 portion of the folding stand. The action of this spring is such that when the dressing table is in its vertical position, as shovm in Fig. 5, with a substantial portion thereof extending beneath . the upper ends of the legs, the spring will hold 75 it positively against dropping, and a definite pull ing movement is necessary to lower the table until it leaches a position very nearly horizontal, when its own weight is sufficient to overcome the action of the spring 18 and hold it in such horizontal position. The table is elevated to verti- 5 cal position by lifting its forward edge and can also be lowered by pulling the forward edge of the table downwardly. In some instances, it may be desirable to provide foot means for lowering the table, and this may be accomplished by pivoting 10 a treadle 17 to the bottom part of one of the legs 2, and extending from the rear end of the treadle is a connecting rod 18 pivoted thereto and having its upper end pivotally connected at 19 to the rear of the dressing table. The connecting rod 15 18 has a bend in it at 20 to extend around the legs of the folding stand and permit collapsing of the dressing table when in the position shown in Fig. 7.

With the dressing table in vertical position, as 20 illustrated in Fig. 5, by depressing the treadle IT and thus elevating the connecting rod 18, the rear part of the dressing table is actuated rearwardly and upwardly, thus lowering the table to its horizontal position. This action is retarded by 25 the spring 16 sufficiently to prevent any undue jar or shock as the table is lowered on to the stand.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain structural details, it is not 30 confined to the particular arrangement herein shown, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claims.