GB2147801A - Settee frames - Google Patents

Abstract

A settee frame has side members 1,2 interconnected by standardised timber rails 3-8 to facilitate semi-automatic assembly on a jig. One or more metal bracing members 9,10 are positioned within the timber frame to brace the various rails. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to settees This invention relates to settees.

Conventional settees have a timber frame construction. A typical frame has shaped side panels made of chipboard and defining seat and back portions of the settee. The side panels are interconnected by top and bottom back spring rails of the back portion, front and back seat spring rails and front and back castor rails. These rails are glued and dowelled to the side panels. In addition, for a three-seater settee, the top back spring rail and the back seat spring rail are interconnected by spaced back uprights and the castor rails are braced by two stretchers. The rails, uprights and stretchers are made of hardwood, e.g. keruing. Further bracing of the frame is achieved by hardwood, e.g.

beech blocks. Two such blocks are mounted on each stretcher: a front block with a top, forwardly directed rebate in which the front seat spring rail engages for support and rearward restraint, and a rear block with a top, rearwardly directed rebate in which the rear seat spring rail engages for support and forward restraint. A third block is mounted on each upright behind the bottom back spring rail and has a front, downwardly directed rebate in which the spring rail engages for upward and rearward restraint.

The cost of manufacturing a settee is significantly increased by the need for such a variety of frame components many of which must be accurately shaped and dimensioned to achieve a satisfactory construction. Moreover, manual assembly is indispensable because of the complexity of the frame construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a timber frame for a settee in which these disadvantages are obviated or mitigated.

According to the present invention there is provided a settee frame comprising side members interconnected by timber rails fixed to at least one metal bracing member.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of timber frame for a settee, in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a section on line ll-ll.

Referring to Fig. 1, the timber frame corresponds to the typical frame described above in having chipboard side panels 1,2 interconnected by top and bottom back spring rails 3, 4, front and back seat spring rails 5, 6 and front and back castor rails 7, 8. The uprights, stretchers and bracing blocks of the conventional design are replaced by two tubular steel bracing elements 9, 10 interconnecting the six rails 3-8. The two bracing elements 9, 10 are spaced apart lengthwise of the frame to define three sections of a three-seater settee. In the case of a two-seater settee, the frame would be shorter and only a single bracing element would be required midway between the side panels.

The two bracing elements 9, 10 are of identical construction and only the element 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The bracing element has a stretcher portion 11 with depending end flanges 12, 13 connected to the opposed surfaces of the front and back castor rails 7, 8, a back upright portion 14 with a forwardly directed top flange 15 connected to the underside of the top back spring rail 3 and a rearwardly directed bottom flange 16 fixed to the underside of the back seat spring rail 6. The stretcher portion 11 and the back upright portion 14 are interconnected by a strut portion 17 carrying a forwardly directed flange 18 connected to the upper side of the bottom back spring rail 4.At its front end the stretcher portion 11 supports a vertical portion 19 carrying a bracket 20 with a horizontal support flange 21 and an upwardly directed rear restraining flange 22 locating the bottom and rear faces respectively of the front seat spring rail 5. The bracing element is made of tubular steel and metal plate components welded together to form the construction described and illustrated.

In order to further increase the strength of the frame construction the front and back seat spring rails 5, 6 are interconnected adjacent their ends in the vicinity of the side panels 1, 2 by two tubular steel arms 23, 24.

By means of the bracing element 9, 10, assisted by the arms 23, 24, the six timber rails 3-8 are given the necessary support and restraint previously provided by a much larger number of separate timber components. The timber part of the frame now comprises principally the side panels 1, 2 and the interconnecting rails 3-8 which can readily be assembled on a semi-automatic production jig, the bracing elements 9, 10 and the arms 23, 24 being manoeuvred into position and fixed to the rails once the timber part of the frame has been completed. Because the bracing elements 9, 10 and the arms 23, 24 are prefabricated to the required shape and dimensions there is no longer any problem with badly fitting components and overall the still predominantly timber frame is much improved both as regards manufacture and performance.

1. A settee frame comprising side members interconnected by timber rails fixed to at least one metal bracing member.

2. A frame as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said rails comprise top and bottom back spring rails, front and back seat spring rails and front and back castor rails, all of which rails are fixed to and braced by said bracing member.

3. A frame as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said bracing member comprises a stretcher portion extending between the castor rails, a back upright portion extending between the rear of the stretcher portion and the top back spring rail, a strut portion interconnecting the stretcher portion and the back upright portion, and a vertical portion extending between the front of the stretcher portion and the front seat spring rail.

4. A frame as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the

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

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to settees This invention relates to settees. Conventional settees have a timber frame construction. A typical frame has shaped side panels made of chipboard and defining seat and back portions of the settee. The side panels are interconnected by top and bottom back spring rails of the back portion, front and back seat spring rails and front and back castor rails. These rails are glued and dowelled to the side panels. In addition, for a three-seater settee, the top back spring rail and the back seat spring rail are interconnected by spaced back uprights and the castor rails are braced by two stretchers. The rails, uprights and stretchers are made of hardwood, e.g. keruing. Further bracing of the frame is achieved by hardwood, e.g. beech blocks. Two such blocks are mounted on each stretcher: a front block with a top, forwardly directed rebate in which the front seat spring rail engages for support and rearward restraint, and a rear block with a top, rearwardly directed rebate in which the rear seat spring rail engages for support and forward restraint. A third block is mounted on each upright behind the bottom back spring rail and has a front, downwardly directed rebate in which the spring rail engages for upward and rearward restraint. The cost of manufacturing a settee is significantly increased by the need for such a variety of frame components many of which must be accurately shaped and dimensioned to achieve a satisfactory construction. Moreover, manual assembly is indispensable because of the complexity of the frame construction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a timber frame for a settee in which these disadvantages are obviated or mitigated. According to the present invention there is provided a settee frame comprising side members interconnected by timber rails fixed to at least one metal bracing member. The invention will now be further described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of timber frame for a settee, in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a section on line ll-ll. Referring to Fig. 1, the timber frame corresponds to the typical frame described above in having chipboard side panels 1,2 interconnected by top and bottom back spring rails 3, 4, front and back seat spring rails 5, 6 and front and back castor rails 7, 8. The uprights, stretchers and bracing blocks of the conventional design are replaced by two tubular steel bracing elements 9, 10 interconnecting the six rails 3-8. The two bracing elements 9, 10 are spaced apart lengthwise of the frame to define three sections of a three-seater settee. In the case of a two-seater settee, the frame would be shorter and only a single bracing element would be required midway between the side panels. The two bracing elements 9, 10 are of identical construction and only the element 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The bracing element has a stretcher portion 11 with depending end flanges 12, 13 connected to the opposed surfaces of the front and back castor rails 7, 8, a back upright portion 14 with a forwardly directed top flange 15 connected to the underside of the top back spring rail 3 and a rearwardly directed bottom flange 16 fixed to the underside of the back seat spring rail 6. The stretcher portion 11 and the back upright portion 14 are interconnected by a strut portion 17 carrying a forwardly directed flange 18 connected to the upper side of the bottom back spring rail 4.At its front end the stretcher portion 11 supports a vertical portion 19 carrying a bracket 20 with a horizontal support flange 21 and an upwardly directed rear restraining flange 22 locating the bottom and rear faces respectively of the front seat spring rail 5. The bracing element is made of tubular steel and metal plate components welded together to form the construction described and illustrated. In order to further increase the strength of the frame construction the front and back seat spring rails 5, 6 are interconnected adjacent their ends in the vicinity of the side panels 1, 2 by two tubular steel arms 23, 24. By means of the bracing element 9, 10, assisted by the arms 23, 24, the six timber rails 3-8 are given the necessary support and restraint previously provided by a much larger number of separate timber components. The timber part of the frame now comprises principally the side panels 1, 2 and the interconnecting rails 3-8 which can readily be assembled on a semi-automatic production jig, the bracing elements 9, 10 and the arms 23, 24 being manoeuvred into position and fixed to the rails once the timber part of the frame has been completed. Because the bracing elements 9, 10 and the arms 23, 24 are prefabricated to the required shape and dimensions there is no longer any problem with badly fitting components and overall the still predominantly timber frame is much improved both as regards manufacture and performance. CLAIMS

1. A settee frame comprising side members interconnected by timber rails fixed to at least one metal bracing member.

2. A frame as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said rails comprise top and bottom back spring rails, front and back seat spring rails and front and back castor rails, all of which rails are fixed to and braced by said bracing member.

3. A frame as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said bracing member comprises a stretcher portion extending between the castor rails, a back upright portion extending between the rear of the stretcher portion and the top back spring rail, a strut portion interconnecting the stretcher portion and the back upright portion, and a vertical portion extending between the front of the stretcher portion and the front seat spring rail.

4. A frame as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the back seat spring rail is fixed to the back of the back upright portion and the bottom back spring rail is fixed to the front of the strut portion.

5. A frame as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing member is made of tubular steel and the timber rails are fixed to flanges mounted thereon.

6. A frame as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing member can be placed in position after the side members and the rails have been assembled.

7. A settee frame substantially as herein described with rerference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A settee having a frame as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.