US1738295A - Cushion for office furniture - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1929. w. H. HARDY CUSHION FOR OFFICE FURNITURE Filed March 2, 1927 A TTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. HARDY, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS CUSHION FOR OFFICE FURNITURE Application filed Iarch 2, 1927. Serial N'o. 172,083.

This invention relates to cushions for office furniture or fixtures, and more particularly for installation on waste baskets, cuspidors and the like, and has for an object the provision of novel means for cushioning the exposed orprotruding parts of waste baskets and fixtures, in order that should they be handled carelessly and be brought into contact with furniture, they would not mar the to furniture or fittings of an office. I I

The invention is furthermore designed to guard against injury to wearing apparel which -might become caught or snagged through the presence of unprotected. rough to surfaces of oifice equipment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cushion of the character indicated which may be expeditiously applied to waste baskets and the like now in common use, or

as they may be made part of new equipment; and it is a still further object to produce the cushions of any length suitable to be cut to fit the circumferences ofwaste baskets, cuspidors or fixtures, in order that the cushions may be $5 fitted to such oflice equipment. Instead of having the cushion made in strips, it may be desirable to make the same ring-shaped of suitable diameter to fit articles of predetermined sizes. I I I This guard is designed to be applied to metallic, reed and wire furniture, particularly for use upon such articles where the base or-supporting rim has pro]ect1ons I or joints and are'constantly handled or moved; h s The construction-of the cushion rim is such that in use means are provided for engagement'with encircling members of the bottom.

ring of the article and with the strands or rods which are attached thereto, the cushion mm M not only serving its main object, but also serving to more securely connect the parts of the base to which my improvement is aplied. p It is furthermore an object of this invent tion to produce a cushion having novel means -by which it is frictionally retained in place on the object to which it is applied, and to produce a cushion which is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive to manuto facture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide the elastic cushion with internal ribs which are parallel and are spaced to engage encircling members of the structure, as

Figure 1 illustrates a view in perspective of a portion of a Waste basket with a device embodying the invention applied thereto; I

Figure 2 illustrates a sectional view thereof and I Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a fragment of the cushion.

In these drawings, 5 denotes a conventional type of waste paper basket having a reinforcing rim to w ich a cushion 6 is applied. The-cushion, in the present embodiment of the invention, consists of a yieldable body having a channel 7 extending longitudinally thereof. The cushion is preferably approximately round in cross section, although it is provided with extensions 8 and 9 which converge and terminate in slightly spaced relation to each other, although when new and before the material is manipulated, as it would be in applying it to a basket or the like, the surfaces of the converging portions may be in contact.

The cushion is made of relatively rigid material and preferably of tough rubber composition in order that the converging portions of the cushion may be spread apart to straddle the edge of a rim of a cuspidor or a wire or ledge of a basket, and it is the purpose of the inventor to have the material of such strength as to cause the converging portions 8 and 9 to press the object to which they are applied and thereby cause the retention of the cushion by friction. In order to augment the fric- K tional engagement of the-cushion and the object to which it is applied, the converging portions 8 and 9 are provided with longitudinall disposed ribs 10 and 11 on their inner sur aces, and when these engage a flange or other part of an object to which the cushion is applied, they will resist dislodgment of the said cushion.

It will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing that if a cushion as shown in Fig. 3 is manipulated to separate the converging portions 8 and 9, the clearance between them will be sufficient to receive the head of a basket or the flange of a cuspidor 15 or other like element, and when released, they will contact the said object 'with suflicient force to cause the retention of the cushion when inuse.

The cushion-rim hereinbefore described, when applied to circular objects as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, will be provided with inwardly extending projections or ribs 10 and 11 disposed, as shown, the object of these projections being to provide a dead air space or channel, thereby producing a seal about the major portion of the member 5. .This channel prevents the circulation of air, and it is well known that a cushion of the character shown contains'sulphur, and when exposed to air, rapidly deteriorates as'to elasticity, owing to the oxidation of the rubber. In a device of this character, itis very desirable that this should be prevented, as the wear in use is so small that it lasts for an indefinite time. 5 I claim:

- 'A cushion for oflice furniture consisting of an elongated approximately semi-tubular member whose' edges merge into coacting jaws, longitudinally extending ribs on the 40 inner opposite surfaces of the jaws near their,

junction with said member, adapted to engage the surfaces of a round object encompassed by the member. and oppositely disposed projecting parallel ribs on the jaws near their edges adapted to contact with a part projecting'froI-n the part of the structure engaged by the first mentioned ribs.

WILLIAM H. HARDY.

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