Versatile Coffee Table Design

This design I came up with many years ago.  It is a simple table design composed of two wood leg boards and a wood beam for the base, with a table top board to rest on them.  The identical base boards have an offset 3.0625" wide hole through them that the rectangular beam easily slides through.  The boards (legs) lean on the beam. An example of my pursuit for simplicity in designs. 

What I didn't realize until I first assembled the base was that there were several ways to assemble it. 

Opposing legs

By flipping one leg you get another stance. 

Parallel legs

Flip the base assembly upside down with 2.125" wide and 3" tall beam lower and you have two more looks. Beam high and beam low.

Beam Low

Flip one leg upside down relative to the other leg and with the beam at an angle it changes the height of the table. Tip the legs to the other side and you have another table height.

Beam angled. Table taller.

Beam angled.  Table shorter.

Version 2 changed the hole shape so I could turn the beam sideways.  Doing that you'll end up with 16 unique stances and 6 different table height options.  Image above shows the legs angled to result in the maximum height position. Tip the legs to the right to get the minimum height position with the beam oriented up. Twist the beam 90 degrees for an even lower table height.  

The key is the rectangular beam cross section and the hole that allows it to slide in standing up or laying down. With some drafting iteration the hole and beam size could be tweaked so the different heights of the top were steps between 14.5" and 18".  

The only weakness in this design is that the table top only rests on the base. There is no alignment strategy or interlock between parts that would allow picking up the table by the top alone. The loose top can be flipped over, and one side could have a game board inlaid into it.  Scrabble or Checkers/Chess or Chutes and Ladders maybe?  Make a recess and glue in an actual game board, or use different colors of wood and V-Carve inlay each

square of the board into the top. 

As the stance and table height of this table can be changed easily by re-arranging the 3 base parts it is a great example of 4th dimension design. A design that over time may look different and vary in usefulness. 

4D

Comments and questions encouraged and appreciated!