Note: The links on the left side of this page and the other Model CT-3 pages will take you to detailed information about the new coffee table's design and construction.

Coffee Table #3 is being designed so that the layout can be operated under a glass top (similar to Coffee Table #1), or the layout can be raised 6.5 inches, so that it appears to be resting on top of the coffee table. This “out of the box” position will allow the viewer to see the entire layout from any angle.

The conceptual design of the layout lift mechanism is illustrated below:

Layout Lift Mechanism

Although the illustration shows a rigid aluminum frame (which was the original concept), the actual lift mechanism is made of wood and has a solid wood top.

Four drawer slides are mounted vertically on the inside surface of the coffee table's base. The four legs of the lift mechanism are attached to the drawer slides, such that the mechanism can move freely in the vertical direction. The layout (not shown in the illustration) will rest on the top of the lift mechanism.

A vertically mounted linear actuator is mounted in the bottom center of the table's base. The linear actuator drives the lift mechanism up or down to raise or lower the layout.

To see how the lift mechanism was constructed, click here.

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