US1721601A

US1721601A - Metal bench

Info

Publication number: US1721601A
Application number: US232971A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mcclure Edward
Original assignee: FRANKLIN P SMITH
Current assignee: FRANKLIN P SMITH
Priority date: 1927-11-14
Filing date: 1927-11-14
Publication date: 1929-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 1946-07-23

Description

YE; MCCLURE July 23, 1929.

METAL BENCH Filed Nov. 14, 1927 Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD MCCLURE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANKLIN 1?. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METAL BENCH.

Application filed November 14, 1927.

This invention relates to metal benches or settces and its principal object is to provide a strong and substantial metal bench or settee of neat and attractive appearance. It is well known that wooden benches, espe cially those used in parks and other public places are very unsatisfactory because they are easily destroyed by mischievous persons. The ordinary metal benches are not satis factory because they are easily tipped over and apt to be broken.

The bench forming the subject matter of this specification is formed of structuralnietal supporting members and metal slats, which form the seat and back and are spaced from the supporting members'and bolted or otherwise secured thereto, certain of said slats having webs or flanges which project over the ends of the supporting members so as to give a finished and attractive appearance to the bench. The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a metal bench embodying a simple form of the pres ent invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a detail vertical fragmental cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail vertical fragmental longitudinal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a detail plan of a fragment of one of the seat supporting members.

Referring to said drawing, which illustrates one embodimentof the present invention, the reference characters 10, 1O designate the main supporting members or legs of the bench and 11, 11 designate the horizontal seat supporting members. Conveniently the legs and seat supporting members are formed of structural metal, such as I beams, Ts, angles, channels and round or square pipes of suitable dimensions and each one of the seat supporting members is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to one of the legs at the proper height to sustain the seat. In some instances the legs are made relatively long and are sunk into holes formed in the earth and cement concrete 12 Serial No. 232,971.

is filled in the holes around the lower ends of the legs thus providing a very substantial support for the entire bench.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the legs and seat supporting members 11, are

slats

13, 14, 15, 16, which extend lengthwise of the bench and form the back and seat portions thereof. The body portions of the slats are raised from the supporting members and are spaced therefrom as for instance by short sleeves 17 that surround the bolts 18, which secure the slats to the supporting members. The slats, and in some instances the supporting

members

10, 11, are formed with bolt holes for the reception of the bolts 18, and nuts are secured upon the threaded ends of the bolts and bear against the undersides of the supporting members. WVhen I beams or other flanged supporting members are used, the bolt holes are formed in the flanges thereof as shown in Fig. 6. Obviously other forms of connecting means may be employed for securing the slats to the supporting members, but the one shown provides simple means whereby the parts may be shipped in a knocked down condition and assembled at the place where the benches are to be used. Moreover this arrangement provides means whereby any slat may be readily removed from the bench and replaced by another.

As a preference the intermediate slats 14;, 16 are in the form of channels arranged with their flanges turned towards the supporting members and engaging therewith if desired. The end slats 13, also are provided with

flanges

13, 15 which are turned towards the supporting members and may engage therewith, and said end slats are formed with other webs or flanges 13 15 which overhang the adjacent ends of the supporting

members

10, 11 so as to cover them and give an improved and attractive appearance to the top and front of the bench.

Narrow flanges

13, 15 are formed along the edge portions of the flanges 13", 15 and said

narrow flanges

13, 15 are bolted to the other flanges of the supporting members by bolts 19 or otherwise secured thereto as may be desired. The body portions of the slats (which form the back of the bench) are all arranged in a single plane, parallel with the legs 10, and the body portions of the slats (which form the seat) also are arranged in a single plane parallel with the seat supporting members 11. The

slats are all spaced apart, although the spaces are made rather narrow so as to prevent objects from being placed between the slats by mischievous persons in an attempt to pry them apart.

The flanges of the slats give great strength to the slats, whereby comparatively light material may be used in forming the back and seat portions. The bench may be made of any convenient length and if desired more than two sets of supporting members may be employed for supporting an extremely long bench.

With the use of a pair of legs as shown, it is an easy matter to run alawn mower under the bench for the purpose of cutting the grass and although I prefer to use supporting legs only at the back of the bench, it is quite obvious that short supporting legs may be provided at the front of the bench and connected to the rear supporting legs by horizontal base members shown by the dotted lines 20, 21 in Fig. 2.

More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible without departing from the spirit of this invention; I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A metal bench comprising a plurality of upwardly extending, main supporting members forming the legs of the bench, a plurality of seat supporting members fixedly secured thereto and projecting horizontally therefrom, and channel shaped metal slats fixedly secured to said upwardly extending and horizontally extending supporting members with their body portions spaced away therefrom and forming the back and seat portions of the bench, the end slats having bent up flanges overlying the adjacent ends of the supporting members and being fixedly secured thereto.

2. A metal bench comprising a plurality of flanged upwardly extending main supporting members forming the legs of the bench, a plurality offlanged horizontally extending members welded to the legs and forming the seat supporting members of the bench, channel shaped metal slats extending across said legs and across said seat supporting members, bolts connecting the slats with the legs and seat supporting members and spacers surrounding the bolts and spacing the body portions of the slats away therefrom, the end slats having flanges overlying the adjacent ends of the legs and seat supporting members and having bent up edge portions bolted thereto.

3. A metal bench comprising a plurality of I beam members forming the legs of the bench, a plurality of horizontally extending I beam members welded to the legs and forming the seat supporting members of the bench, and channel shaped metal slats extending across said legs and across said seat supporting members, and bolted thereto with the body portions of the slats spaced away from said, legs and seat supporting members, the end slats having flanges overlying the adjacent ends of the legs and seat supporting members, and formed with bent up edge portions bolted thereto.

4. A metal bench comprising a plurality of I beam members forming the legs of the bench, a plurality of horizontally extending I beam. members welded to the legs and forming the seat supporting members of the bench, channel shaped metal slats extending across said legs and across said seat supporting members, bolts connecting the slats with the legs and seat supporting members and spacers surrounding the bolts and spacing the body portions of the slats away therefrom, the end slats having flanges overlying the adjacent ends of the legs and seat supporting members and having bent up edge portions bolted thereto.

EDWARD MCGLURE.