US1178264A - Folding chair. - Google Patents

Description

C.H.& H.R.RHODE& FOLDING CHAIR. APPucATloN HLED FEB.18,19|L

l 178,264. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

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ATTORNEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANoGnAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

,iiEjiTi-in sTaTEs T aTEET oTTioE.

'CHARLES H. RHODES AND HARTLEY R. RHODEs,` OE COLD BROOK, NEW YORK; sAiD cHARLEsH. RHODES AssIGNoR OF ONE-HALE OE THE ENTIRERIGHT To JOHN E.

FISI-IER, `OF COLD BROOK, NEW YORK.

FOLDING CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, `(IIARLES H.

of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs; and we'do hereby declare that the following is a full,` clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe refererence-nuinerals marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The `purpose iof` our present invention to provide a folding chair of improvedy con.; struction and of great strength and rigidity.

A further object is to procure such coperation of the parts of the chair as to render it well able to stand the strain of use and in fact to make it stiffer and more rigid when in use.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair einbodying our invention, part of one leg being broken away to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the chair shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. L1- is an enlarged detail of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the chair when folded.

Referring to the drawings in a more detailed description the chair has two oppositely disposed pairs of legs, the legs of each pair being pivotally connected to each other at 7, and the upper front ends 8 of the legs of the oppositely disposed pair being rigidly connected by a front cross bar 9 to which is secured in any desired manner the front end of the flexible seat 10.

The chair back, formed as a rigid 1nem ber has sides 11 and cross slats 12. The sides 11 passing downwardly within the extended upper rear ends 13 of the legs, are pivotally connected thereto at points 14 above the level of the seat 10 and extend a short distance below the level of said seat where said sides 11 are rigidly connected by the rear cross bar 15. This rear cross bar 15 extends forwardly for part of its thickness between the upper rear ends 13 of the legs so that the forward part 16 of the ends of said rear cross bar are in close or wedging engagement with the inner surface of the upper rear ends 13 of the legs Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 18, 1915.

.legs 13 gives, the entire chair.

PateiitedApr. L1,1916. Serial No. 8,987. vi i when the chair is `set up for use. To the rear of the faces 16 the cross bar15 extends outwardly back of the upper rear ends 13 of the legs forming a projection 17 which when the chair is set up for use acts as a stop to hold the chair upright by coming into'engagement with the rear edge of the upper rear ends 13 of the legs. l/Vhen the chair is set up the engagement of the projecting stops 17 with the rear upper ends 13 of the legs prevents the chair opening any farther than is planned and the close or wedging fit between the faces 16 of the cross bar 15 and the adjacent upper rear great stiffness` or .rigidity to "It `will be understood that in folding chairs the pivotally connected parts must be relatively loosely jointed in order to allow the chair to be easily and quickly folded or unfolded. rllhis necessary looseiiess of pivoting points, however, prevents the chair having the desired amount of rigidity when it is set up and in use. The wedging action above described braces the legs against the rear cross bar 15 and forces the upper rear ends 13 of the legs outwardly and places their pivotal connection at 14 with the sides 11 of the back under tension thereby greatly stiffening the chair when set up and reducing to a minimum any sidewise motion of the chair upon the legs or any twisting action in the chair. As this wedgiiig action against the upper ends 13 of the legs is taken directly as an end thrust upon the faces 16 of the cross bar great stiffness is obtained at this point. Likewise at the pivoting connection 14 the outward strain upon the upper rear ends 13 of the legs communicated through the bolts or rivets at 14; to the sides 11 of the chair back is exerted against the relatively unyielding portion of the sides 11 because these sides are inimediately below this point rigidly connected to the rear cross bar 15.

Preferably the rear portion of the cross bar 15' is cut away adjacent to its ends to form a shoulder 18 against which the inner side of the lower end of the sides 11 fit while the forward part of this lower end of the sides 11 is cut away to form a shoulder 19 resting down upon the upper side of the cross bar 15 and leaving the rearward part of this end of the side 11 to bear forward against the rear side of the cross bar 15. We further prefer to make the cross bar l5 in two parts extending longitudinally of the bar and clamped together as by bolts 20 so as to hold between the two parts of the bar the rear end of the iiexible seat 10.

Preferably also the opposing faces of the two parts of this rear cross bar are respectively grooved and tongued as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to obtain a more secure hold upon the seat material.

A round 21 connects the legs near their lower rear ends, but no round connects the lower front ends of the legs.

To fold the chair the crossed legs are brought toward each other at the top and passed slightly by each other and the top of the back folded forwardly until the parts assume the position clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

What we claim as new and desire to se-` cure by Letters Patent is:

The combination in a folding chair of two pairs of crossed and pivotally connected legs, a flexible seat, a cross bar rigidly conchair is set up, and having its rearward part extending back of the upper rear ends of the legs and into engagement therewith to form stops holding the chair upright.

1n witness whereof we have affixed our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of Jan. 1915.

CHARLES H. RHoDEs. HARTLEY R. RHoDEs.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH C. JoNEs, HERBERT N. RHODES.

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

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