US2859800A

US2859800A - Sliding connection between seat rails and legs of collapsible wheel chairs

Info

Publication number: US2859800A
Application number: US620391A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Harry C Jennings
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-11-05
Filing date: 1956-11-05
Publication date: 1958-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1975-11-11

Description

1958 H. c. JENNINGS, JR 2,859,800

SLIDING CONNECTION BETWEEN SEAT RAILS AND LEGS OF COLLAPSIBLE WHEEL CHAIRS Filed Nov. 5, 1956 SLIDING CONNECTION BETWEEN SEAT RAILS AND LEGS F COLLAPSIBLE WHEEL CHAIRS Harry C. Jennings, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif. Application November 1956, Serial No. 620,391

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-140) This invention relates to improvements in collapsible chairs such as collapsible invalid wheel chairs.

Explanatory of the present invention, collapsible wheel chairs have heretofore been designed consisting of two opposed side frames each of which has a front and rear leg. These side frames have been connected to their lower ends by the lower ends of one or more X-braces which have seat bars or seat rails at their upper ends. These seat bars or seat rails have been connected by a flexible seat and when it is desired to collapse the chair the side frames are merely pushed toward each other causing the X-braces to fold or collapse and the flexible seat to fold between the seat bars. Heretofore the ends of the seat bars have been usually slidably and rotatably connected to the front and rear legs of their respective side frames and to this end notched pins have been rotatably, mounted in the front and rear ends of the seat bars presenting notches that slidably engage the front and rear legs respectively. The construction has been such that the notches in the pins extend around the legs of the side frames less than half circular so that if warping or racking action occurs between the seat bars and their respective side frames due to the chair traversing a rough or uneven surface the notched pins are free to separate from their respective legs which they slidably engage.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction for connecting the end of a seat bar to a leg of a side frame which can be very inexpensively produced and assembled and which has the advantage of encircling or embracing a leg of a side frame more than one-half circular. The construction provides a rotatable and slidable connection between the end of the seat bar and the leg of the side frame and if warping or racking action between the seat bar and the side frame should occur the connection remains in slidable embrace with the leg due to its encircling more than a half circle thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved collapsible wheel chair having the above mentioned characteristics and wherein one end of each seat bar instead of being rotatably and slidably connected to a leg of the side frame is left free or unattached and when the chair is in expanded or extended position this end is merely received in an upwardly open socket rigidly mounted on the seat frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified construction whereby foot rests may be detachably mounted on the side frames of a collapsible chair.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims,

reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention wherein:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of an invalid wheel chair embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

United States Patent Fig. 3 is a partial view in vertical section taken sub stantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial view in horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the parts forming the connection between the rear ends of the seat bars and the rear legs of the side frames.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts therein the improved chair comprises two opposed side frames generally indicated at 10 and 11. These side frames are usually made of metal tubing providing substantially verti-' cal rear legs 12 to the upper ends of which handles may be attached and front legs 13. The front legs have their upper ends bent rearwardly to provide arm rests 14 and are welded or oflierwise secured to the outer sides of the rear legs 12. On the inner sides of the lower ends of the front legs 13 there are horizontally extending tubular rung portions 15 and similar portions 16 are attached to the lower ends of the rear legs 12. These rung portions have tubular sleeves 17 rotatably mounted therebetween and the lower ends of one or more X-braces 18 are rigidly secured thereto. The members of each X- brace are pivotally connected to each other as at 19 and the upper ends of the X-braces have tubular seat bars 20 rigidly mounted thereon which are connected by a flexile seat 21.

To collapse the chair as above described the two side frames 10 and 11 are merely pressed toward each other. This causes the X-braces 18 to collapse and the flexible seat 21 to fold between the upper ends of the X-brace. In the course of collapsing the X-braces the seat bars 20 must move upwardly relatively to the rear legs 12 and also to partially rotate relatively thereto.

One feature of the present invention concerns the means for slidably and rotatably connecting the rear ends.

of the seat bars 20 to their respecitve rear legs 12. To-

this end two opposed members are provided for the rear end of each seat bar. These opposed members are illus-- trated at 22 and 23. Each member may be formed of a: metal stamping and consists of a semi-cylindrical shank. portion, the shanks being indicated at 24 and 25 respectively. These semi-cylindrical shanks when the members are in opposed relationship rotatably fit in the rear ends of the seat bars so that the

opposed members

22 and 23 can rotate within the rear ends of the seat bars as well as slide axially therein. The rear ends of the opposed members are shaped to provide two opposed

arcuate claws

26 and 27 respectively. These claws slidably fit about the rear leg 12 and as will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 4 they partially embrace the leg around more than a semi-circle thereof. In other words, they extend from the

shank portions

24 and 25 rearwardly beyond a transverse diameter through the rear leg 12. Consequently, these claws although they are free to slide on the rear legs 12 cannot be pulled forwardly therefrom and therefore are in captive relation to the rear legs. If the seat bar 20 tends to move forwardly relatively to the rear leg 12 due to the warping or racking of the chair in passing over an uneven surface the claws merely cause the

shank portions

24 and 25 to slide rearwardly a short distance from within the seat bars. When the chair returns to a smooth horizontal surface and the seat bar tends to move rearwardly toward the rear leg 12 the claws 26 and27 cause the

shank portions

24 and 25 to slide forwardly in the seat bar. In this manner there is a constant slidable and rotatable connection between the rear end of each seat bar and its vertical leg 12.

On the inner sides of the forward legs 13 there are secured such as by welding tubular members 28 and to the tops of these tubular members are are secured upstanding flanges 29. The flanges 29 cooperate with the tubular Patented Nov. 11, 1958- 3 members 28 and the inner sides of the front legs 13 to provide upwardly open sockets 30 into which the forward ends of the seat bars 20 drop. in the course of expanding the chair from its collapsed position. It will thus be appredated, that it isunnecessary to. providea rotatable and slidable connection betweenthe forward endof 'each seat bar. andztheforward leg.:13.= The-connection betweenthe rear end of the seat bar and therean leg 12 can if desired "beduplicated at the forward endof each seat. bar

between the forward end. of the seat-bar. and the-forward leg 13. However, by means of the connectioniat' the rear as above described the simple socket 30 may be employed in lieu of .theconnectionmade up of'the opposed

members

22 and 23.

By leaving the forward. ends. of therung portions-.15

and the tubular members 28 open these members may be utilized as forwardly open socketsadapted to receive the rearwardly extending portions31 and 32'on foot rests 33.

These portions mayibe caused 'toslide into the rung por-' tions 15.and into the tubular members 28 and can be detachably locked therein such as by spring actuated detents not shown which detachably connect the foot rests to the side frames and still enable the foot rests to be detached'and removed from the chair;

The invention is applicable to any form of collapsible chair but it is usually employed on collapsible invalid wheelchairs wherein drive wheels 34 may be rotatably mounted on the rear legs 12 and caster wheels- 35 may be mounted on the front legs 13.

From the above described construction itwill be appreciated that an improved and novel connecting means is.prQvided-..between the. rear endsof seat bars of a collapsible-chair and legs of the side-frames thereof. This connection maintains a slidable and rotatable connection between the seat bars and the rear legs at all times. It :.is easily and economically constructed and readily assembled with the remaining parts of the chair and enables'the other ends of the seat bars to be free or detached from the side frames and merely enter sockets 30 on the side frames when the chair is extended.

Various changes may be made in the detail, arrangement and proportions of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: W p

1. In a collapsible chair, a leg, a tubular seat bar having an end vertically movable and rotatable relative to the leg and means forming a slidable and rotatable connection between the end of the seat bar and the'leg comprising two opposed parts having shank portions rotatably fitting in the end of the seat bar and having opposed claws in partially encircling'captive' relationship with the leg and in slidable engagement therewith.

2. In a collapsible chair, a leg, a tubular seat bar, and a connection between the seat bar and the leg comprising two opposed parts'having opposed portions inpartially encircling captive relation to the leg and slidably engaging therewith,' said parts having opposed shank portions rotatably fitting within the end of the seat bar References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,302,757 Barber May 6, 1919 2,104,255 Garbaccio Jan. 4, 1938 2,486,015 Everest et al Oct. 25, 1949 2,608,240 Booth Aug. 26, 1952 2,609,864 Gates Sept. 9, 1952 2,762,422 Stratton Sept. 11, 1956 2,794,660 DAzzo June 4, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,153/33 Australia Nov. 13,193 1,110,516 7 France Oct. 12, 1955