Abstract: A counterbalancing assembly for an article of folding furniture comprises at least one piston extending between a support assembly and a furniture component, said piston being biased to resist a downward force of gravity acting on the furniture component. An upper mounting bracket secures a first end of the piston to the support assembly, and a lower mounting bracket secures a second end of the piston to the furniture component. One or both of the upper and lower mounting brackets includes a worm gear and a mounting element that is threaded onto the worm gear. Each such mounting element has a portion adapted to engage a complementary fitting defined by a respective end of the piston, such that rotation of the worm gear causes a corresponding linear movement of the mounting element, and thus, linear movement of the respective end of the piston.

Abstract: A pivoting leg assembly for an article of folding furniture having a frame and which can be rotated between a storage position and a use position includes: a leg support bar adapted for slidable movement with respect to the frame, such that the leg support bar can move forward and rearward in a plane substantially parallel to the frame; and a leg pivotally connected to the leg support bar, such that it can be pivoted from a first position to a second position in which it extends downward and away from the frame, thus providing support to the frame in the use position.

Abstract: A folding furniture apparatus for selectively and alternatively moving a pivotally connected furniture component between a substantially horizontal usable position and a substantially vertical storage position includes a counterbalancing piston assembly and associated mounting hardware that can provide one of a selected value of torques, counterbalancing the weight of furniture component. At least one counterbalancing piston extends between an upper mounting bracket secured to a support assembly and a lower bracket secured to the furniture component, each of these brackets having a plurality of corresponding mounting points. A counterbalancing piston is pivotally secured to and extends from a selected mounting point on the lower bracket to an associated mounting point on the upper bracket.