Wheel chair abstract
A table clamp for removably attaching a table or the like to a
wheel chair has vertically positioned hollow body members that engage
legs on the table, movable inverted L-shaped members having opposed
tabs for engagement against the chair frame are pivoted to the hollow
body members.
Wheel chair claims
What I claim is:
1. A clamp is adapted to mount a table on a wheel chair having
a pair of horizontally spaced vertically disposed tubular frame
members, each having a horizontal tubular frame member intersecting
and projecting therefrom with said horizontal members parallel to
each other, said clamp comprising a pair of vertically disposed
body members adapted to hold a table on said horizontal frame members
adjacent said vertical frame members, a clamping member on each
body member, pivot means pivotally mounting each clamping member
to its respective body member so that the clamping member is disposed
adjacent a vertical frame member, said clamping member having opposite
vertical sides, each of which sides having a right angularly disposed
tab thereon, said tabs on each clamping member vertically spaced
on the clamping member and projecting towards the tabs on the other
clamping member with the lower tab on each clamping member being
disposed below its body member, whereby when the body members have
their lower edges mounted on the horizontal frame members, each
clamping member is pivoted to clamp the tabs on opposite sides of
a vertical frame member with the lower tab disposed below the horizontal
frame member to thereby secure the body member and a table carried
thereby to the horizontal and vertical frame members against vertical
and horizontal movement.
2. The table clamp of claim 1 and wherein said body members are
hollow.
3. The table clamp of claim 1 and wherein said pivot means are
hinges.
4. The table clamp of claim 1 and wherein the lower ends of said
vertically disposed body members are transversely shaped so as to
register over said horizontal tubular frame members.
Wheel chair description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wheel chair table clamps which are used
to detachably mount tables or desks to wheel chairs.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior table clamps have used spring urged levers. See for example
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,987,994 and 2,937,694.
Other prior art patents utilized slots and clamping means. See
for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,315.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,994, a wheel chair clamp is disclosed having
a spring tensioned lever that is arranged for engagement with the
frame of the wheel chair.
Applicant's device has inverted L-shaped movable body members with
pairs of oppositely disposed tabs extending therefrom for clamping
engagement with the frame of the wheel chair and pivots the table
relative thereto.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,694 a device having a spring tensioned shaped
lever is used for securing a contoured support body member to the
wheel chair frame.
Applicant's device has hollow body members with movably attached
clamping members with pairs of tabs extending therefrom which engage
against the horizontal and vertical frame members of the wheel chair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A table clamp for detachably securing a table or the like to a
wheel chair has hollow body members which receive and hold depending
portions of a table, each hollow body member has an inverted L-shaped
member hinged thereto with outturned opposed tabs for engagement
against horizontal and vertical frame members of the wheel chair.
The arrangement is such that both horizontal and vertical movement
of the table secured thereto is prevented.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the table clamps and attached table
on a wheel chair;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the table clamps seen in FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is an opposite side view of the table clamp seen in FIG.
2; and
FIG. 4 is a cross section on line 4--4 of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the form of the invention chosen for illustration, a table clamp
for wheel chairs comprises, as will be seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings,
a pair of hollow body members 10 positioned on tubular horizontal
frame members 11 and engaging tubular vertical frame members 12
of a wheel chair 13. A table 14 has a pair of depending legs 15
engaged in the hollow body members 10. Each of the hollow body members
10 has a transversely arcuate lower end 16 for engagement with the
horizontal frame members 11 of the wheel chair 13. Inverted L-shaped
clamping members 17 are pivotally secured by hinges 18 to the hollow
body members 10 and each of the inverted L-shaped clamping members
17 has a pair of oppositely disposed right angular tabs 19 and 20
extending therefrom for engagement with the frame members 11 and
12 of the wheel chair 13 so as to secure the hollow body members
10 against both vertical and horizontal movement and providing a
secure mounting for the table 14.
In FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the right angular tabs 19
and 20 are shown in engagement with the tubular frame member 12
and it will be seen that the area between the tabs 19 and 20 is
smaller than the diameter of the tubular frame member 12 so that
a clamping action is achieved between the right angular tabs 19
and 20 and the tubular frame member 12. The spacing of the tab 20
with respect to the lower arcuate ends 16 of the hollow body members
10 also results in a clamping action between the ends 16 and the
tubular frame members 11 when the inverted L-shaped clamping members
17 are moved into the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings.
In use the hollow body members 10 with said table 14 attached thereto
by its legs 15, are positioned on the horizontal frame members 11.
By moving the inverted L-shaped clamping members 17 arcuately into
the positions shown in the drawings, the tabs 19 and 20 engage the
tubular frame members 12. The tabs 20 engage both the tubular frame
members 11 and 12 thus securely attaching the table 14 to the wheel
chair 13.
Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated
and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing
from the spirit of the invention and having thus described my invention |