GB1572729A - Telescopic spectator seating - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TELESCOPIC SPEC TATOR SEATING (71) We, GES THOMASSON S.A. a Societe anonyme organised under the laws of France of 7 rue Notre-Dame, Lyon 6 eme, Rhone, France, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is performed to be particularly described in and by the following specification: The present invention relates to telescopic spectator seating.

The building of a sports hall represents a considerable investment for which the practice of sport is not always able to make a profit. Consequently, the current trend is to build multi-purpose halls which are able to house very different activities, such as sport, the theatre, festivals, meetings or the like.

One has thus been induced to install telescopic spectator seating whose bulk in the folded state is reduced to that of the upper tier, but whose setting up is rapid and requires no special equipment nor particular skill.

If the spectators at a relatively short match are content with basic comfort, the same is not true for the spectators of a theatrical presentation or the audience at a conference and it is an object of the present invention to provide telescopic spectator seating providing comfortable seats for the spectators.

According to the present invention there is provided telescopic spectator seating comprising wheeled tiers with adjacent tiers being of progressively different heights to permit the tiers to be telescoped horizontally so that they are superimposed one above another and to be extended to provide a stepped configuration; each tier mounting in cantilever fashion a bracket extending in the direction away from the adjacent higher tier, there being a seat carried by the bracket and comprising a squab fixed on the bracket and a back pivotally secured to the squab and resiliently urged to an upright position so that when the tiers are extended from their superimposed position the seat backs automatically take up the upright position, and th seat backs being folded down towards the base by contact with the brackets of the adjacent higher tier when the tiers are telescoped to their superimposed position.

Not only does the presence of the seats on the tiers in no way hinder the extension and telescoping operations of the tiers of the telescopic spectator seating on which they are installed, but furthermore, the movement of the seat backs takes place automatically and without any additional operation.

According to a simple embodiment of the invention, the back of a seat is brought into the position for use, i.e. the raised position when the spectator seating is in the extended position, by springs of a known type constantly acting on the back in order to bring the latter into the raised position.

According to another feature of the invention, each bracket mounts a roller for contacting the seat on the adjacent lower tier to urge the back of the seat down onto its squab against spring action.

However, the invention will be understood by means of the ensuing description, referring to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings illustrating, as a non-limiting example, telescopic spectator seating.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of the spectator seating; Figure 2 is a partial side view in elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the section of Figure 1 in the extended position in-use position; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the section of the stand in the telescoped position.

The section of telescopic spectator seating illustrated in Figure 1 comprises ten rows of four seats 2, each row being carried by a wheeled tier 3 as shown with adjacent tiers 3 being of progressively different heights. The section is provided with a passageway for ascending or descending, and along which is provided, between each pair of successive tiers 3, a step 4. In fact, the variation in level between two successive tiers 3 would not facilitate normal circulation.

As shown more particularly in Figures 2 and 3, each seat 2 comprises a bracket 5 fixed in cantilever fashion to the top of the vertical wall 3a of a tier 3. Fixed to this base 5 is a squab 6 provided with arm rests 7 and a back 8 is pivoted to the rear part of the latter.

Springs which are not shown in the drawing, since they are of a conventional type, tend to keep the back 8 in the raised position as illustrated in Figure 2.

The front and lower end of the bracket 5 is provided with a roller 9 intended to bear, during telescoping of the spectator seating, against the rear side of the back 8 of the seat 2 located just in front of the seat 2 in question. It will be easily understood that at the time of telescoping this section of spectator seating, the rollers 9 will cause folding-down onto the corresponding squab 6 of all the backs 8 of all the seats of the section in question.

As shown in Figure 3, when this section is in the telescoped position, all the tiers are superimposed and all the rows of seats 2 are also superimposed with their backs 8 folded down onto their squab 6.

It will easily be understood that at the time of extending the section, the rollers 9 will successively release all the backs 8 which owing to the constant action of their springs, will re-assume their raised position as illustrated in Figure 2.

In the example illustrated, an aisle for moving up or down and having steps 4 has been provided, but it is clear that depending on the location of the section of stand in question and on the number of seats which can be placed side-by-side according to regulations, this circulating aisle may be replaced by an additional series of seats completing each row.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Telescopic spectator seating comprising wheeled tiers with adjacent tiers being of progressively different heights to permit the tiers to be telescoped horizontally so that they are superimposed one above another and to be extended to provide a stepped configuration; each tier mounting in cantilever fashion a bracket extending in the direction away from the adjacent higher tier, there being a seat carried by the bracket and comprising a squab fixed on the bracket and a back pivotally secured to the squab and resiliently urged to an upright position so that when the tiers are extended from their superimposed position the seat backs automatically take up the upright position, and the seat backs being folded down towards the base by contact with the brackets of the adjacent higher tier when the tiers are telescoped to their superimposed position.

2. 2. Telescopic spectator seating as claimed in Claim 1 in which each bracket mounts a roller which contacts the seat back to fold same down upon its squab upon telescoping of the tiers.

3. Telescopic spectator seating, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. provided, between each pair of successive tiers 3, a step 4. In fact, the variation in level between two successive tiers 3 would not facilitate normal circulation. As shown more particularly in Figures 2 and 3, each seat 2 comprises a bracket 5 fixed in cantilever fashion to the top of the vertical wall 3a of a tier 3. Fixed to this base 5 is a squab 6 provided with arm rests 7 and a back 8 is pivoted to the rear part of the latter. Springs which are not shown in the drawing, since they are of a conventional type, tend to keep the back 8 in the raised position as illustrated in Figure 2. The front and lower end of the bracket 5 is provided with a roller 9 intended to bear, during telescoping of the spectator seating, against the rear side of the back 8 of the seat 2 located just in front of the seat 2 in question. It will be easily understood that at the time of telescoping this section of spectator seating, the rollers 9 will cause folding-down onto the corresponding squab 6 of all the backs 8 of all the seats of the section in question. As shown in Figure 3, when this section is in the telescoped position, all the tiers are superimposed and all the rows of seats 2 are also superimposed with their backs 8 folded down onto their squab 6. It will easily be understood that at the time of extending the section, the rollers 9 will successively release all the backs 8 which owing to the constant action of their springs, will re-assume their raised position as illustrated in Figure 2. In the example illustrated, an aisle for moving up or down and having steps 4 has been provided, but it is clear that depending on the location of the section of stand in question and on the number of seats which can be placed side-by-side according to regulations, this circulating aisle may be replaced by an additional series of seats completing each row. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Telescopic spectator seating comprising wheeled tiers with adjacent tiers being of progressively different heights to permit the tiers to be telescoped horizontally so that they are superimposed one above another and to be extended to provide a stepped configuration; each tier mounting in cantilever fashion a bracket extending in the direction away from the adjacent higher tier, there being a seat carried by the bracket and comprising a squab fixed on the bracket and a back pivotally secured to the squab and resiliently urged to an upright position so that when the tiers are extended from their superimposed position the seat backs automatically take up the upright position, and the seat backs being folded down towards the base by contact with the brackets of the adjacent higher tier when the tiers are telescoped to their superimposed position.

2. 2. Telescopic spectator seating as claimed in Claim 1 in which each bracket mounts a roller which contacts the seat back to fold same down upon its squab upon telescoping of the tiers.

3. Telescopic spectator seating, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.