US1176221A - Theater-chair. - Google Patents

Description

F. J. KERBEL.

THEATER CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.5,1915.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

WITNESSES.

Ill/VENTOR Fredric/i J Aerfiel m A TTOR/VEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50.. WASHINGTON. D. c

I ls

" 49 invention 'by a View vertical mid- FREDRICK J. KERBEIL, or SEATTLE, wnsnme'ron, ASSIGNOR 'i'o ROBERT J. NOIDERER,

on SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

THEATER-CHAIR.

To all whomit may concern? 1 Beit knownthat LFnnnnioK J. KERBEL, citizen" of the United States residing at seattleyin the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Theater-Chairs, f whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in chairs that are adapted for use in theaters, music-halls and like places of public assembly and the object of my improvement is" to provide chairs which are so constructed-that they can be disposed within an auditorium in series of rows, which rows may be disposedcloser" together than has been possible with theater chairs heretofore employed, Without discommoding the occiipants of such chairs, and which are adaptedfto permit such occupants to remain seatedw'h'ile per's'onsare traversing through thespacebe'tween them and backs of the Qchai'rsin the rowdmhie'dizitely in front of them; a'nda "further object of my improvemeats isto provide such chairs 'eachwith a seat ands chair-backof such form as will adapt them to be suspended in such manner thatsuch se'a't'and chair back may be caused toswi'ng 'backwardly from their normal positions without engaging with a raised portiori of a floor that may bepr'ese'nt immediately back of such chairg'asmight'be the case when rows of such chairs are disposed in a baiconyofan auditoriunigand as will adapt thmfto resist sidewise' and torsional o'veiiients in response to movementsofthe occupant. I attain these objects 'bv devices illustrated in the accompanying; drawings ifiwhich p Figure 1 ilhistrates a chair embod in section showing some parts inv side elevationj Fig. 2 is a fragmentary 'view of the same in vertical sectionon broken line '00, m of Fig.1; F ig. 31s a fragmentary view in "horizontal se'ctir'in' of thef same I showing parts-on broken line 2, 2 of F 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in verticalsection showing parts of the same on broken line g Qg of Fig.1, and Fig. 5 isa fragmentary view in horizontal section on broken line w of Fig. 1, showing other parts of same? Referring'to the drawings, throughout wh'ich like' referencei'numerals indicate like parts; 6* indicates" one of the two vertical Specificat-ionof Letters Patent.

Application filed January 5, 1915.

the

Patented Mai. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 579.

side portions of a chair frame which may be secured to the floor of an auditorium by screws (not shown) which may extend through holes 7 that are disposed in the flanges atits bottom end and which two side portions may be rigidly connected together at a suitable distance by a crossbrace 8 which is secured to the rear edges of said side portions.- These side portions are preferably of cast-iron 'and are each provided with flanges that extend around its edges, as shown, and are further provided each with an arm-rest 9, preferably of wood, which is disposed securely on its to edge.

Two suspension bars10 and 11 are pivotally suspended from bosses 12 disposed on the inner side of each of the side portions 6 of the chair frame in positions parallel with each other to adapt them to swing backwardly and forwardly in a plane that is parallel with the planes of said sideportions 6, and such bars 10 and 11 are each secured in its position on its respective boss 12 by means ofa screw and a washer 13 which is provided with a dowel pin 14 that projects into the boss 12 to prevent said washer'13 from turning in response to friction due to a swinging of the bar 10, as more clearlv shown in Fig. 3. r

A chair-back 16 is provided with two supporting brackets, like the supporting brackets 17 illustrated in Fi s. 1 and 2, which brackets 17 are secured to therear side of the lower 'aortion' of the chair-back 16, opposite each other. and each is formed to extend from the rear of the chair-back 16 around theed e thereof, thence forwardl and obliquely downward for such distance as will adapt it to be pivotallv articulated with the lower end portions of the adjacent bars 10 and 11 as shown. to be supported thereby in such manner that said bars 10 and 11 shall alwaysbe parallel with each other irrespective of their swinging movements". The chair-back 16 thus mounted on supporting brackets of the form of the supporting bracket 17 provides greater space between the bottom edge of said chairback 16 and the floor whereby chairs embodying my invention may be adapted to operate when disposed in the balconv of a theater where the fioor'is raised immediately back of each row of chairs 'sinc'e'the chair- I back *16 may lie-moved backwardlywithout causing its lower edge portion to engage with the raised floor behind it.

7 The pivots which articulate the suspension bars 10 and 11 with the supporting bracket 17 comprise, each, a screw 18 which extends freely through a hole in the lower end portion of each of such suspension bars and thence screws into a screw-threaded hole provided in a thickened portion of a lug 19 that is integral with such supporting bracket-17, and to prevent the pivots 18 from unscrewing and getting loose I provide a set-screw 20 which is disposed, as shown, toextend upwardly through such thickened portion of the lug 19 to engage the side of the pivot 18 to hold it securely in its position in an obvious manner.

Each of the suspension bars 10 is longer than the suspension bars 11 to adapt it to extend downwardly as shown for a considerable distance below the point of its articulation with the supporting bracket 17 and to such downwardly extended end portionsof the oppositely disposed suspension bars 10 are secured the angularly formed end portions of a cross brace 21 by means of rivets 22 and 23, thus to rigidly unite such suspension bars 10 to obviate any tendency they might have to move sidewise or to move independently backward or forward in response to movements of the occupant of the chair; and in order that the suspension bars 10 and 11 may be normally and yieldinglymaintained in a vertical position I have provided a yielding detent spring'24 one of whose ends is secured to the adjacent front edge ofthe lower portion of the side portion 6 of the chair frame and which is formed to extend rearwardly to engage an indented portion-of it with the head of the rivet 23 as more clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The detent spring 24. being disposed to act on the lower end of the extended portion of thesuspension bar 10 at a great distance from its-point of suspension, need he adapted to yieldinglv exert onlyra slight pressure on the head of the rivet'23 in order normally to maintain such suspension bar in a vertical position.

Disposed to extend between the two supporting brackets 17 is a chair-seat 25 which is pivotallv attached to the supporting bracket 17 by means of oppositely disposed pivot bearing brackets. like the pivot bearing'bracket 26. the pivot bolt 27, the washer 28 and the nut 29, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, whereby such chair-seat 25 may be moved to swing from its normal horizontal position upwardly and backwardly to lean against the chair-back 16 in a manner well known and to prevent the front portion of 'the chair-seat 25 from swinging downwardly below its horizontal plane I have provided a lug 30 integral with the supportmg bracket 17 with whichthe adjacent bearing bracket 26 may engage to limit the downwardly swinging movement of such front portion of the cha1r-seat.25.-

Obviously the side portions 60f the chair frame are of such construction as will adapt them each to serve as one of the side portions of the chair frame of another adjacent of each of such side portions andby reason' of their secured position on the floor of the auditorium.

It is important that the brackets '17 be pivotally attached to the suspension bars 10 and 11' at points far below the chair-seat 25 in order that such pivotal .pointsshall travel in the path of a larger circle when the chair-seat 25 is moved rearwardly thus to cause such chair-seat 25 to be raised only a little higher than theplane ofitsnormal position even though such rearward movement be throughout itsmaximum distance.

The operation of chairs embodying my invention may be described as follows: lVhen a chair is unoccupied the chair-seat 25'is disposed with its front portion leaning against the chair-back 16 thus to permit a person to pass in front of the chair close to the front edges of'the side portions 6, and

when the chair is to be occupied the chairseat 25 is turned swingingly downward to a horizontal position,cas shown invFig. 1,'in which position it will be supported by the lug 30 and the pivot bolt'27 and in such p0 sition-the suspension bars-10 and 11 normally will be yieldingly held in a vertical position by detent spring 24 which normally engages with the head of the rivet 23.

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\Vhen seated-if the occupant wishes to permit a person to pass infront of him, he simply braces his feet on the floor and presses his bodyrbackwardly with a force sufficient to disengage the detent springs 24 thus to release the suspension bars 10 topermit them to swing rearwardly to the position indicated. by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and after such person haspassed him helets himselfswing forward untilthe chair-seat 25 is in the normal. position shown in Fig. 1; Obviouslychanges may bemade in the forms. dimensions and arrangement of parts of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof. i

What I claim is:

embodies two pairs of seat-suspension-bars,

the front bar of each pair being longer than the rear bars thereof; a cross brace disposed to extend between and fastened to the-lower end portions of said front bars, thus rigidly to unitetl nl; and yielding detent means operatively associated with the lower end portions of said front bars whereby said front bars may be yieldingly maintained substantially in their natural position of suspension.

2. A chair of the class described, which embodies two pairs of suspension bars, a seat associated with said suspension bars to be swingingly suspended thereby; a crossbrace disposed to extend between and be fastened to the lower end portions of corresponding ones of the bars of said pairs thus to rigidly unite them; and yielding detent means operatively associated with the lower end portions of the rigidly united bars whereby said bars may normally and yieldingly be secured in their natural position of suspension.

In witness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of December A. D., 1914:.

FREDRICK J. KERBEL.

Witnesses:

A. HASKINS, FRANK WARREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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