US1718321A

US1718321A - Metal furniture

Info

Publication number: US1718321A
Application number: US145726A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vericel Antoine
Original assignee: DOEHLER PRODUCTS CORP
Current assignee: DOEHLER PRODUCTS CORP
Priority date: 1926-11-02
Filing date: 1926-11-02
Publication date: 1929-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1946-06-25

Description

June 25, 1929. VERICEYL 1,718,321

' METAL FURNITURE Filed Nov. 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 25, 1929. A. VERICEL -METAL FURNITURE Filed Nov. 2, 1926 2 She ets-Sheet -2 Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTOINE VEBICEL, OF BALDWIN, NEW YORK, ASSIONOB TO DOEHLER PRODUCTS CORR, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METAL FURNITURE.

Application filed November 2, 1926. Serial No. 145,726.

My invention has particular reference to articles of furniture which are intended to be:

sat upon, such as chairs or the like, although in certain respects my'invention is applicable 6 to other types of furniture. My invention will perhaps find its chief utility in metal seats, and, since my invention is well exemplified by an embodiment in a metal chair, .I shall use that embodiment as the illustration 10 with which to explain my invention. Furniture by its very nature is as a rule of considerable bulk and occupies an undue amount of space for shipment. The trend has therefore been toward collapsible or knockdown furniture, as it is known, that is, furniture in separable sections which can be assembled in situ. In my co-pen-ding application Serial Number 124,946, filed July 26, 1926, I have disclosed an article of furniture of that character. That particularly is the type of furniture which has drawers, such as a bureau, one advantage of which is the fact that it is wholly self-contained and is very easily assembled and set up and dispenses altogether with the use of any screws or bolts without any sacrifice in strength or rigidity.

To an increasing extent metal is replacing wood as the materlal from which furniture is made, and the problems which arise in devising a collapsible or knock-down chair are best solved in metal. Appearance and weight limitations restrict the size of the parts, and nevertheless the character of use is such that a maximum of strength and ,firmness is required. This is further complicated by the desirability of so sectioning the chair that each section is flat, in order to reduce to a minimum the space occupied by the knocked down chair. f

One of the merits of my invention is the fact that the requisite strength is provided at the joints between the seat and the legs, where the chief strain comes upon a chair or like article. Another feature which characterizes my invention is the fact that when fabricated of metal the chair or other article canvbe made virtually as light as when made of wood, and this for the reason that the sections are such that they mutually reinforce each other and so distribute the strains as to permit the parts to be made of relatively small cross-section. Another feature characterizing my invention is the fact that the sectiomng is such that In a satisfactory embodiment of my inven-' tion, two of the fiat sections are similar, each belng'composed of a side seat-supporting or frame member with a leg at one end integral therewith, another 'section is composed of the other two legs joined at the top by a crossp1ece which interlocks at its ends-withth'e free andiof the respective side Ynembers, and the fiat seat. forms the key-section, being fashioned to interlock with the opposite ends of the side members and with the cross-piece. Ifthe seat is a chair and has a back, the back may be integral with the separate leg section if that be the back legs, but I have found that the article is stronger and more rigid 1f the top and inside. of the back comprise one section, and the side pieces be integral upright extensions of the seat side pieces with provision for suitable interlocking with the other back section. The advantage of this is the fact that an occupant of the chair usually leans against the back at the same time that his weight is on the seat, and therefore there sections separated but in their respective rel- 1 ative positions for assembly.

hFig. 3 is a perspective view of the complete 0 am Fig. 4 shows the sections disassembled and 2 arranged for packing.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the chair from front to rear.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail through one side of the seat as indicated by line 66 of Fig. 5. The illustrated chair is made of metal, the several sections being of such shape that leg section 3, a back rest 4 and a seat 5. The.

side members

1 and 2 have a doubled bend and constitute side seat-

pieces

1 and 2, the

front legs

1 and 2 integral with the front ends of the respective side-pieces, and upright side back-

pieces

1 and 2 integral with the rear ends of the respective side-pieces. The side back-

members

1 and 2 are provided attheir upper ends with mortises 6 and 7 and also with side mortises 8 and 9 in their respective inner sides, as shown. The back rest member 4 is provided with tenons 11 and 12 adapted to cooperate with the top mortises 6 and 7 and additional tenons 13 and 14 to cooperate with the side mortises 8 and 9.

The back leg section 3 is composed of the two rear legs 3 and 3 connected at. their top ends by a cross piece 3. This cross piece is channeled longitudinally of its front face to enable it to interlock suitably with the seat portion 5, as will be hereinafter explained.

The cross piece at its ends in line with the respective legs is provided with

mortises

15 and 16. The side-

sections

1 and 2 are equipped with depending tenons 17 and 18, respectively, in line with the side back-

sections

1 and 2, which tenons are adapted to cooperate with the

mortises

15 and 16 in the rear leg section 3. The channeled portion of the cross-section 3 extends only for the distance inside of the side-sections when the parts are assembled, a shoulder being thus provided near each end of the cross-piece to bear against the inner corners of the sidesections and assist in'rendering'these joints more rigid when the parts are assembled;

The side seat-

pieces

1 and 2 are also provided with mortised bosses 19 and 20v on the front ends of their respective inner faces.'

" The seat-section 5 is provided with an interlocking ledge 21 at its rear edge and also with tenons 22 and 23 on its under side at its opposite front corners in position to cooperate with the mortises in the

bosses

19 and 20. In addition,

lugs

24 and 25 are provided on the respective inner faces of: the

side seatpieces

1 and 2 near their rear ends. These lugs have flattened upper faces and are of the correct height to provide a bearing for the seat member 5. The tenons 22 and 23 are equipped with spring washer clips 22 and 23, respectively, at their lower ends. These spring washers are adapted to enter through the mortises in the

bosses

19 and 20 and to expand after clearing the lower edges thereof so-as to hold the tenons 22 and 23 in place in the mortises. The ledge 21 will be entered within the channel in the cross-piece 3 and bear upward against the cross-piece when the seat rests upon'the

lugs

24 and 25 with the tenons 22 and 23 in the mortises of the

bosses

19 and 20. In this way the seat serves to lock the rearleg section 3 in place and to give it further rigidity.

Attention is called to the fact that every section is flat and that the sections are susceptible ofbeing compactly arranged, as

illustrated in Fig. 4, and shipped in a flat box of relatively small dimensions. The chair is readily assembled and'disassembled. Inassembling the sections, one of the sidesections, for example, section 1, may be held approximately'in its normal upright position and the back-section 4 be applied to the side back-piece 1 with the tenon 11 in the mortise 6 and the tenon 13 in the mortise 8. The other side-section 2 will then be applied to the back-section 4 by entering the tenon 12 in the mortise 7 and the tenon 14 in the mortise 9. The back leg-section 3 will then be assembled by entering the tenons 17 and 18 in the

mortises

15 and 16. At this stage of the assembly the structure is normally self-supporting and need no longer be held in position by the one doing the assembling, but may be stood 'upon its four legs, The seat section 5 will finally be applied. This is done by first entering the ledge 21 within the channel of the cross-piece 3. The tenons 22 and 23 are then entered in their respective mortises in the

bosses

19 and 20 and the front edge of the seat is then pushed down until the spring washers 22 and 23 pass through the mortises. .In this position the seat rests upon the

lugs

24 and 25 and bears upwardly with its rear end against the inner face of the channel in the cross-piece 3. This'lever action of the seat-section 5 holds the back leg-section 3 firmly against the under edges of the respective side seat-

pieces

1 and 2 and prevents spreading or movement at this point. The engagement of the tenons 13 and 14 in the mortises 8 and 9 prevents any upward movement of the back rest section 4. The tenons 11 and 12 are thus also held firmly in the mortises 6 and 7 and serve as a tie to hold the upper ends of the side-sections against separating. The various members thus assembled are firmly locked and inter-supported, the seat-section serving I as the key-section which is releasably locked in place by the spring washers 22 and 23 The seat-section 5 is shown as a hollow frame for holding a suitable filler 5". The form of spring lock shown may, of course, be modified or may be dispensed with altogether. The characteristic of this particular construction is 'the fact that this seat when in place rigidly locks all the other sections into a. firm, unitary chair. Obviously, the seat may be secured in place in other Ways than in the manner shown. For example, it may be held by bolts or screws, although the particular form of interlocking construction shown has advantages which will be readily recognized. The chair may, of

course, be sectioned in other ways than that illustrated and still have each section fiat, although I have found this particular arrangement to make a very rigid structure when assembled.

It is obvious that various other modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described within the invention.

I claim:

1. A chair or the like composed ofa plurality of flat separable sections, two of the sections being side pieces for the seat and a leg integral with each piece, another section being the other two legs joined at the top by a cross piece, and another section being a seat; means for securing the ends of the cross piece to the free ends of the side pieces, means for securing the seat to the side pieces at the corners where they join the integral legs, and means carried by the seat at its other end to lock the cross-piece against detachment from the side pieces.

2. A chain or the like comprising a plurality of flat separable sections, two-=of-the sections being side pieces for the seat with the principle and scope of my corresponding front leo integral with each piece, another section being the two back legs oined at the top by across piece, and another section being a seat; means for securing the ends of the cross piece to the rear ends of the side pieces, and means for securing the seat to the side pieces at the front corners and for interlocking the rear edge of the seat and the cross piece.

3. A chair or the like comprising a plurality of fiat separable sections, two of the sections being respectively left and right hand side pieces including a side seat-piece and a front leg integral with one end and a side back-piece integral with the other end, another section being a back rest section attached to the side back-pieces, another section being the two back legs joined at their top by a cross piece and attached to the rear ends of the side seat-pieces, and another section being a seat attached to the side seat-pieces.

4. A knock-down chair comprising a plurality of flat interlocking sections, two of the sections being respectively legs and right hand side pieces including aside seat-piece and a front leg integral with one end and a side back-piece integral with the other end,

another section being a back filling section,

means for interlocking said back leg-piece with the side back-pieces, another section being the two back legs joined at their top by a mortise and tenon elements for directlji'.

uniting said side piece members and said bac leg piece.

6. A metal chair comprising a pair of side piece members and tie members therebetween, comprising a back member, mortise and tenon elements interlocking said back member with said side members, a back leg piece comprising a pair of leg members, an integral cross member uniting their u er ends, mortise and tenon elements for irectly uniting said side piece members and said back leg piece, and means comprising a seat member and angle projections on said side pieces and 8. led e on said back leg piece for interlocking said back leg piece with said side members.

7 A metal chair comprising a pair of side piece members and tie members therebetween, comprising a back member, mortise and tenon elements interlocking-said back member with said side members, a back leg piece comprising a air of leg members, an integral cross mem er uniting their u per ends, mortise and tenon elements for irectly uniting said side piece members and said back leg piece, means comprising a seat member and angle projections on said side pieces and a ledge on said back leg piece for interlocking said back leg piece with said side members, in interlocked engagement.

8. A chair com rising a pair of side piece members provide with inwardly extending front and rear seat supports, a back leg piece comprising a pair of leg members, an integral channeled cross member uniting their upper ends, means for interlocking sa1d cross member with said side members, a seat member supported on said rear seat supports having a projection along the rear edge thereof and detachably secured to said front supports, said projection on said seat member adapted to engage a web of said channel in said cross member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

ANTOINE VERICEL.