Table mounting apparatus

Abstract

A bracket system with a first bracket portion movably coupled to a second bracket portion for mounting a generally horizontal surface to a generally vertical surface.

1 . A bracket assembly comprising: 
 a first bracket portion including an arcuate arm; and    a second bracket portion including an arcuate retaining slot configured to slidably receive the arcuate arm and including a mounting flange configured to couple to a support surface.    
     
     
         2 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first bracket portion includes a pivot seat and the second bracket portion includes an alignment lobe or knob.  
     
     
         3 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support surface comprises a table top, the table top including a first end, a second end coupled to the second bracket portion, a leg hingedly connected to the first end of the table top, and a height-adjuster coupled to the leg.  
     
     
         4 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of retaining members configured to operatively couple the first bracket portion to the second bracket portion and designed to restrain relative axial movement therebetween.  
     
     
         5 . The bracket assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the retaining members comprise a pair of end plates coupled to the ends of the first bracket portion to restrain the second bracket portion from sliding out of the retaining slot in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first bracket portion.  
     
     
         6 . A bracket assembly comprising: 
 a first bracket portion including a first arcuate flange configured to be coupled to a generally vertical wall surface; and    a second bracket portion including first and second arcuate surfaces defining an arcuate retaining slot of complementary cross-section to the first bracket portion and configured to receive the first arcuate flange, the arcuate retaining slot and first arcuate flange configured to prevent substantial orthogonal and vertical movement of the second bracket portion relative to the generally vertical wall surface, and a mounting flange coupled to the first and second arcuate surfaces and configured to couple the second bracket portion to a support surface.    
     
     
         7 . The bracket assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of screws passing through a plurality of holes in the first bracket portion.  
     
     
         8 . The bracket assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of screws passing through a plurality of holes in the second bracket portion.  
     
     
         9 . The bracket assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first arcuate surface defines an alignment lobe and the second arcuate surface defines a second arcuate flange.  
     
     
         10 . The bracket assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the alignment lobe is substantially cylindrical.  
     
     
         11 . The bracket assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the support surface comprises a table top, the table top including a first end, a second end coupled to the second bracket portion, a leg hingedly connected to the first end of the table top, and a height-adjuster coupled to the leg.  
     
     
         12 . The bracket assembly of  claim 11  wherein the height-adjuster is a thumb screw leveler.  
     
     
         13 . The bracket assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a first lock configured to operatively couple the leg in a position parallel to the table top.  
     
     
         14 . The bracket assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a second lock configured to operatively couple the leg in a position orthogonal to the table top.  
     
     
         15 . The bracket assembly of  claim 6 , further comprising a pair of retaining members configured to operatively couple the first bracket portion to the second bracket portion and designed to restrain relative axial movement therebetween.  
     
     
         16 . The bracket assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the retaining members comprise a pair of end plates coupled to the ends of the first bracket portion to restrain the second bracket portion from sliding out of the retaining slot in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first bracket portion.  
     
     
         17 . A method of attaching and leveling a support surface to a generally vertical surface, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a support surface with a first end and a second end, a leg hingedly connected to the second end, and a male portion of a bracket assembly coupled to the first end;    providing a female portion of a bracket assembly that is coupled to the generally vertical surface;    aligning the male bracket portion with the female bracket portion;    moving the male bracket portion into engagement with the female bracket portion;    rotating the support surface to cause the first bracket portion to interlock with the second bracket portion;    rotating the leg relative to the support surface into a substantially vertical position to provide support for the second end of the support surface; and    adjusting a height-adjusting means connected to the leg to position the support surface in a substantially horizontal attitude.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , where the step of aligning the male and female portions of the bracket further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a pivot seat on the first bracket portion;    providing an alignment lobe on the second bracket portion; and    inclining the support surface relative to the first bracket portion.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , where the step of moving the male bracket portion into engagement with the female bracket portion further comprises the steps of: 
 moving the male bracket portion relative to the female bracket portion until the alignment lobe rests on the pivot seat.