Locking mechanism for folding table legs

A mechanism for mounting a table leg to a table means and that provides for movement of the table leg between a folded position and an extended, use position to help support the table means and lock the table leg in the use position, which comprises:

• (a) a bracket means comprising a pair of parallel and spaced apart side members and a base means wherein the side members extend from the base means, wherein the base means is to be mounted to an underside of the table means;
• (b) a bar means having spaced apart ends pivotally mounted adjacent the spaced apart side members of the bracket means and pivotably moveable between the folded and the extended positions, having first and second sides between the ends wherein the bar means is an extruded member having an upper face and a lower face between the first and second sides and wherein the lower face has a guideway for mounting a shaft means having an enlarged portion retained within the guideway and with the shaft means extending from the lower face of the bar means for connecting the table leg to the bar means;
• (c) a lever means having a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis pivotally mounted to the bracket means, adjacent the first side of the bar means for pivotable movement about the first pivot axis of the lever means;
• and
• (d) a first locking means controlled by the lever means to lock the bar means in the extended position, wherein with the bar means in the extended position and with the lever means in a secured position, the first locking means is seated in a channel means provided on the second side of the bar means, opposite the first pivot axis of the lever means and the first side of the bar means and wherein the first locking means is connected to the lever means for rotation about the second pivot axis of the lever means wherein the second pivot axis is moved to a position that is overcenter a plane connecting the first locking means mounted in the channel means and the first pivot axis of the lever means when the lever means is in the secured position to lock the bar means in the extended position, and wherein when the lever means is pivoted out of the secured position and into a release position, the first locking means pivots about the second pivot axis with respect to the lever means and moves out of the channel means so that the bar means is free to pivot between the spaced apart side members of the bracket means to move into the folded position.

A mechanism for mounting a table leg to a table means and that provides for movement of the table leg between a folded position and an extended, use position to help support the table means and lock the table leg in the use position, which comprises:

• (a) a bracket means comprising a pair of parallel and spaced apart side members and a base means wherein the side members extend from the base means, wherein the base means is to be mounted to an underside of the table means;
• (b) a bar means having spaced apart ends pivotally mounted adjacent the spaced apart side members of the bracket means and pivotably moveable between the folded and the extended positions, having first and second sides between the ends;
• (c) a lever means having a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis pivotally mounted to the bracket means, adjacent the first side of the bar means for pivotable movement about the first pivot axis;
• and
• (d) a first locking means controlled by the lever means to lock the bar means in the extended position, wherein with the bar means in the extended position and with the lever means in a secured position, the first locking means is seated in a channel means provided on the second side of the bar means, opposite the first pivot axis of the lever means and the first side of the bar means and wherein the first locking means is connected to the lever means for rotation about the second pivot axis of the lever means wherein the second pivot axis is moved to a position that is overcenter a plane connecting the first locking means mounted in the channel means and the first pivot axis of the lever means when the lever means is in the secured position to lock the bar means in the extended position, and wherein when the lever means is pivoted out of the secured position and into a release position, the first locking means pivots about the second pivot axis with respect to the lever means and moves out of the channel means so that the bar means is free to pivot between the spaced apart side members of the bracket means to move into the folded position and wherein a second locking means having a blocking portion is pivotally mounted to the spaced apart side members of the channel means and wherein when the bar means pivots from the extended position and into the folded position, the second locking means pivots on the channel means with the blocking portion of the second locking means moving against the bar means to retain the bar means in the folded position.