| United States Patent |
5,945,178
|
|
Volkmann
|
August 31, 1999
|
Furniture foot cover and method of manufacture
Abstract
A furniture foot cover device 10 and its method of manufacture wherein a
primary hollow resilient sphere 20 is provided with an opening 23
dimensioned to receive the lower portion 101 of a furniture foot 100. A
major component 31 of a secondary hollow resilient sphere 30 is secured to
the external 21 or internal 22 periphery of the primary resilient sphere
20 to provide reinforcement thereto.
| Inventors:
|
Volkmann; Eric R. (512 N. Rock Glen Rd., Baltimore, MD 21229)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
872539 |
| Filed:
|
June 10, 1997 |
| U.S. Class: |
428/11; 248/188 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A63F 007/00 |
| Field of Search: |
428/7,11
248/188
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
| D338223 | Aug., 1993 | Mine | D17/99.
|
| 1921561 | Aug., 1933 | Christmas | 16/42.
|
| 2744283 | May., 1956 | Reineman | 16/42.
|
| 2865133 | Dec., 1958 | Hoven et al. | 16/42.
|
| 2994152 | Aug., 1961 | Donahue | 248/188.
|
| 3199819 | Aug., 1965 | Widmark | 248/188.
|
| 3791899 | Feb., 1974 | Walters | 428/11.
|
Primary Examiner: Epstein; Henry F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Henderson & Sturm
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a furniture foot cover from a pair of
resilient, hollow spheres comprising the steps of:
(a) severing one of the spheres into two approximately equal sphere
components;
(b) forming an opening dimensioned to receive said furniture foot in said
other resilient sphere; and
(c) selecting one of said sphere components and securing the selected
sphere component to the periphery of the other resilient sphere.
2. The method as in claim 1 including reversing steps (b) and (c).
3. The method as in claim 1 wherein step (b) includes removing an arcuate
segment from said other resilient sphere to form a generally circular
opening therein.
4. The method as in claim 3 wherein step (b) further includes forming at
least one slit extending outwardly from said opening.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) further includes forming a
plurality of slits extending outwardly from said opening.
6. The method as in claim 1 wherein step (b) includes forming at least one
slit in the periphery of said other resilient sphere.
7. The method as in claim 1 wherein step (b) includes forming a plurality
of intersecting slits in the periphery of said other resilient sphere.
8. The method as in claim 1 wherein said opening is disposed opposite from
the location of said selected sphere component.
9. The method as in claim 1 wherein said sphere components comprise a major
sphere component and a minor sphere component.
10. The method as in claim 1 wherein said opening is angularly offset from
the location of said selected sphere component.
11. The method as in claim 1 where in the selected sphere component is
secured to the exterior of the other resilient sphere.
12. The method as in claim 1 wherein the selected sphere component is
secured to the interior of the other resilient sphere.
13. A furniture foot cover device comprising:
a first resilient hollow sphere having an opening formed therein; wherein
said opening is dimensioned to receive said furniture foot; and
a segment of a second resilient hollow sphere secured to the periphery of
said first resilient sphere at a location spaced from said opening said
segment being generally hemispherical.
14. The device as in claim 13 wherein said segment is disposed on the
external periphery of the first resilient sphere.
15. The device as in claim 13 wherein said segment is disposed on the
internal periphery of the first resilient sphere.
16. The device as in claim 13 wherein said opening includes a plurality of
intersecting slits formed in the first resilient sphere.
17. The device as in claim 13 wherein said opening includes at least one
slit formed in the first resilient sphere.
18. The device as in claim 13 wherein said opening includes a generally
circular opening.
19. The device as in claim 18 wherein said opening further includes at
least one slit extending outwardly from said generally circular opening.
20. The device as in claim 18 wherein said opening further includes a
plurality of slits extending outwardly from said generally circular
opening.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of reinforced furniture leg
covers in general, and in particular to a stool foot cover fabricated from
spheres and sphere segments and the method of making the same.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,921,562;
2,865,133; 2,994,152; and Des. 338,223 the prior art is replete with
myriad and diverse reinforced furniture leg covers.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than
adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been
specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their
failure to provide a simple, efficient, and relatively inexpensive method
of fabricating a new type of foot cover from readily available components.
As any teacher is aware, students generate a great deal of "movement noise"
caused by desks and chair sliding along uncarpeted floors.
Unfortunately, most commercially available furniture foot covers are either
too expensive or are only designed to fit a specific size leg of an
article of furniture which makes them relatively impractical.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a
longstanding need for a new and improved method of manufacturing a new
type of furniture leg cover from readily available and inexpensive
components that may have outlived the useful life for which they were
specifically designed and the provision of such a device and its method of
manufacture is a stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the furniture foot cover and method of manufacture that
forms the basis of the present invention involves a pair of resilient
hollow spheres which are severed, slit and secured to one another in such
a fashion to produce a reinforced thickness furniture foot cover in
accordance with the teachings of this invention.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the
furniture foot cover device comprises a first hollow resilient sphere that
is severed or otherwise divided into two separate major sphere components
wherein one of the major sphere components is secured to the periphery of
a second hollow resilient sphere.
In addition, the second hollow resilient sphere is provided with an opening
dimensioned to receive a portion of the furniture foot cover device and
the selected major sphere component may either be adhesively secured to
the exterior periphery of the second resilient sphere or secured to the
interior periphery by inserting the selected sphere component through the
opening in the second resilient sphere.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other attributes of the invention will become more clear upon a
thorough study of the following description of the best mode for carrying
out the invention, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first version of the preferred
embodiment of the furniture foot cover that forms the basis of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the second version of the preferred
embodiment operatively engaged with a furniture foot;
FIG. 3 is an isolated cross-sectional view of the second version of the
preferred embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first version of the preferred
embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a cross-section view taken through line 5--5 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the resilient sphere and major
spherical components used in the fabrication of both versions of the
preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in particularly to FIG. 1,
the furniture foot cover device that forms the basis of the present
invention is designated generally by the reference number 10. The
furniture foot cover device comprises in general, a primary hollow
resilient sphere 20 and a major component 31 from a secondary hollow
resilient sphere 30 wherein the major component 31 of the secondary hollow
resilient sphere 30 may be secured on the external 21 or internal 22
periphery of the primary hollow resilient sphere 20 as will be explained
in greater detail further on in the specification.
In the first version of the preferred embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1, 4,
and 6, the secondary hollow resilient sphere 30 has an internal diameter
that is approximately equal to, but greater than, the external diameter of
the primary sphere 20.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the secondary resilient sphere 30 is
divided such as by severing or the like, into two major sphere components
31 and 32 wherein a selected one 31 of the major sphere components is
secured such as by adhesives or the like to the external periphery 21 of
the primary resilient sphere 20.
At this juncture, an opening 23 is formed in the primary resilient sphere
20 wherein the opening 23 is spaced from the location of the selected
major sphere component 31.
As can also be seen by reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, the opening 23 in the
primary resilient sphere 20 may comprise one or more intersecting slits 24
and/or a generally circular opening 25 formed by the removal of an arcuate
segment from the primary resilient sphere 20 wherein the opening 23 is
dimensioned to receive the lower portion 101 of a furniture foot 100 such
as a desk, chair, or the like, as shown in FIG. 2.
In the second version of the preferred embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2, 3,
and 6, the secondary hollow resilient sphere 30' has an external diameter
approximately equal to, but less than, the internal diameter of the
primary resilient sphere 20.
As was the case with the first version of the preferred embodiment, the
secondary resilient sphere 30' is divided such as by severing or the like,
into two major sphere components 31' and 32'. A selected one 31' of the
major sphere components is inserted through the opening 23 and secured
such as by adhesives or the like to the internal periphery 22 of the
primary resilient sphere 20.
Given the fact that there are a plethora of hollow resilient spheres 20 and
30 that are commercially available at extremely low cost, the cost of the
basic materials (e.g., rubber balls of different diameters, hardness, and
resiliency, and adhesive) will result in a very simple, efficient, and
inexpensive method of manufacturing the furniture foot cover devices 10 as
described herein.
In addition, as suggested in FIG. 2, this invention contemplates the
recycling of used tennis balls with their fuzzy exterior for either the
primary resilient sphere 20 of the second version of the preferred
embodiment or the major sphere component 31 of the first version of the
preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.
Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described
in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that
many modifications are possible without materially departing from the
novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this
invention as defined in the following claims.
In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the
structures described herein as performing the recited function and not
only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus,
although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a
nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooded parts together,
whereas, a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of
fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures.