US1890815A

US1890815A - Kneeling bench

Info

Publication number: US1890815A
Application number: US442751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kazowski John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-04-09
Filing date: 1930-04-09
Publication date: 1932-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 1949-12-13

Description

J. KAZOWSKI Dec. 13, 1932.

KNEELING BENCH Filed April 9, l1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 13, 1932. J. KAZQWSKI 1,890,815

KNEELING BENCH Filed April 9, 193C 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y ffy. 5.

Patented Dec. 13, 1932 U-Nrrsnffsrxrss t. 1P TE NT OFF IC ElY JOHN vKMJOWSIII; orcHIoAGdinLrNoIs, ASSIGNOR 'ro JO'SEPHTSILVERMAN, or

CHICAGO,

i KNEELINGIBENCI;

Application '1ed` 'April 9,

? 5v-fperv maynkneel during participation'in the if religious ceremony.

@It is usualin church furniture of 'this type 'ltoprovide a cushion`-likesup`port upon which fthe worshippermaykneel rand alsoto pro- Gio avideaufsu-pport upon Whichthe worshipper #may place :his'arms or elbows. `My `ii'i'vention i: isi particularly concerned with `provid-ing a collapsible' or fielding type offkneeling bench which may fbeutilized f tog augment Athecapac- :'flfityf'oflthe church' duringtimesfwhengreat' y l fbench and *which 1s' seen toY comprise the crowds attend the servicesas WellasI-toprofvi'de/an article Tof this'type"Where itinay be :1 desiredteset up temporarily, as for example f1 out-doors, a place for Worship;

Another vobject fofmy inyention is' to' profvidein y church furniture of the `aboveide- -scribed type af kneeling" bench which' canbe "fielded intofeollapsed'position-so as to oc- ''cupy 'relatively 'small space when being vstored i525 ior-trai'isportedfr'om place to place. -Anotlier f object of`my inventionis to providefa fold- ``ing kneeling' bencliwhich can be easily and I quickly extended'to supporting position and yprgnided"vvith means for securely holding the bench inem position. A- farther Object or "1ny"`i'nventi'on -is to provide a folding bench mvvl'ierelthe arm rest andthe knee rest move together and can be extended' in kone opera- ;535 tion. Still further, lanother object ofvmyf inf 4o f ing `position to its "collapsed, position.

' Other objects 'and advantages of iny in- 4fventionjwill be apparent to those skilled in the artafter aconsideration of the following detailed description,I` taken in conjunction 4.5 -f'vith'the"accompanying drawings, kin Which z "i930, serial No. 442,71.

' Figure lis a front elevation viewof my 1 improved kneelmgbench; n

Figure 2 1s a lsectional viev's'T takensubstantiallyon the line 2,-2lof Figure 1 and showing my `improved'kneelingbench in Vextended o position;

Figure 3fisa front elevation' vievv, corresponding to the vievvl shown in Figure l-,and illustrating'- the -positioniof 'f myk improved kneeling bench vv'heniny collapsed -orvfolded g5 #position `and F igure 4 is an enlarged =vievv taken substantially on'theline of Figure 3.

The reference numeral 1"indic'ates-inits "entirety vthevmain `frame of myfkneeli'ng uprightportions 2 and the interlnediatehori- ZO'ntal--p'ortions 3Y which, taken* together, Vform aframefof inverted substantially U-shaped'fcharac'ter. -The` legs or upright 65 portions 2 are connected together by reinforcing transverse members 5, Gand 7. f These reinforcing membe'rs have flattened ends which are'sec'ured,1as by Welding or the like,

tothe respective legs 2. VIn this Way anin- 70 expensive butI very durable frame is provided. The armrest is indicated by the reference numeral lO'and is seen to comprise a substantially rectangular' frame 120ne longitudinal edge of which is pivoted tothe intermediate 75 horizontal portion ofthe yframe 1 by means of `V hinges' l14 riveted or welded totheframe 12 and Vto the intermedia-te portion 3 of the frame 1. `The frame 12 carries a' 'paddedor "cushioned support 16 Vwhich ymay be covered 80 "With leather 0r fabric if desired. A rigid backing memberl 17 serves to support vthe member 16 on the frame 12. y

i The knee rest is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 20. The 'knee rest 20 85 comprises a substantially rectangular `frame 21 of such'dimensions that the pad or cushion `member23 is spaced farther-from the frame 1 than the arm rest 10 When the restsl are in their extended position, as Willr be understood 90 .Cil

from Figure 2. The frame 21 is pivoted to the lower portion of the upright-s 2 by means of studs or pins 25. The pad or cushion member 23 is preferably secured to the iframe member 21 by means of clips 26, see Figure 3.

Pivoted to the frame 21 is a supporting member having rounded floor or ground contacting portions 32 as shown in Figure 8. The supporting member 30 is adapted to cooperate with the feet 35, formed of rubber' or other suitable material, on the lower ends of the uprights 2 to support the kneeling bench in its upright and extended position, as will be clear froinFigure 2.

The reinforcing transverse member (icarries adjacent the uprights 2 an abutment 40 at each end thereof, and connecting the frame 12 of the arm rest to arms 42 secured, as by welding, to the iframe 21 of the knee rest is a pair of links 45, arranged as shown in Figure 2. A notch is formed in each of the links 45 so as to engage or embrace the abutmems 40 to thereby hold the arm rest and the knee rest in extended position. For this purpose the links are resilient so as t0 allow'them to move in contact with the abutments 40 until the notch 48 comes intofjuxtaposition therewith, whereupon the links 45 will spring laterally sur'licient to immediately cause the notches 48 to embrace the abutments 40 thereby locking the arm rest and the knee rest in extended upright position. i

For the purpose of moving the links 45 out of locked engagement with the abutments 40 I provide a manually operated releasing member 50, see Figure 4, journaled in the upper tubular edge of the transverse reinforcing member 6 and which is provided at either end with an arm 52 adapted to engage the links 45 and when rocked to move the links 45 out oit their latched engagement with the abutments 40.

The releasing member is easily and conveniently actuated by means of a handle 55 secured as by welding to the intermediate `portion of the member 50, the transverse member 6 being provided with a cutaway section 57 to provide clearance for the handle 55 as well as for the spring 58 one end of which is secured tothe member 50 while the other end is secured to the member 6. The spring 58 is tensioned so as to withdraw the arms 52 from engagement with the links 45 tothe position shown in Figure 2.

The supporting member 30, which is pivvoted to the knee rest frame 21, is connected by a link 60 to each of the uprights 2, and as will be seen from Figure 2 the links 60 extend substantially parallel with respect to the sides of the frame 21. The links 60 are each piv oted at their ends Ito the supporting member 30 and the uprights 2 so that as the knee rest 2O is'swung upwardly the supporting member 8O will be folded Ldown alongside the sides of the frame 21, as shown in Figure 3. Each of the links 60 is provided with a U-shaped reentrant bend 62 for the purpose of clearing the sides of the frame 21 whereby the links 60 occupy, when the kneeling bench is folded, a position between the sides of the frame 21 and the uprights 2.

The operation of my collapsible kneeling bench is believed to be obvious. When the bench is collapsed or folded and it is desired to set up the bench for use all that is necessary is to grasp the top portion 3 of the main frame 1 with one hand and with the other hand to grasp the uppermost portion of the knee rest frame 21, swinging the latter down to the position substantially that shown in Figure 2. As the frame 21 is swung downwardly an upward thrust is exerted by the arms 42 and through the links 45 to the arm rest 10 to swing the same upwardly to the position shown in Figure 2. At the same time the downward movementof the :frame 21 causes the supporting member 3() to be swung from position alongside the frame 21 to the position shown in Figure 2, this being accomplished by virtue, of the arrangement of the" links 60. While I have shown the links 60 as extending substantially parallel with respect to the sides of the frame 21, it is to be understood that such parallel arrangement is in nowise necessary, the angular relation be`^ tween the links 60 and the frame 21 depending upon the angular movement necessary to move the supporting member 80 from supporting position to a osition alongside vthe frame 21 when latter 1s itself folded along" side the main frame 1.

When the parts have reached the position substantially that shown in Figure 2, the notch 48 in each of the links 45 comes to a point opposite the abutments 40 whereupon' the resiliency of the links 45 causes .each of the notches 48 to snap into latched engagement with the abutments 40. Inthis way the arm rest, knee rest, and supporting member 30 are all maintained in extended position, so" that there is no likelihood of my kneeling bench suddenly and unexpectedly collapsing under the weight of the user.

Vhen it is desired to return the bench to collapsed or folded position, all that is necessary todo is to grasp the handle `55 and to swing the same in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 so as to cause the arms 52 to enga-ge the links 45 whereupon further rocking movement of the handle 55 and the releasing member 50 will move the links 45 against their natural resiliency and thereby release the notches 48 from engagement with the abutments 40. While the notches 48 are held from engagement with the abutments 40 the knee rest frame 21 is grasped and swung upwardly, and as soon as the notches 48 are moveddownwardly past the abutments 40 the handle 55 can be released, the

spring 58 returning ,the sameto its inactive position shown in Figure 2. As the knee rest frame 21 is swung upwardly the arms 42 exert a downward pull on the links 45 which, inf turn, swings the arm rest 10 downwardly andV into folded position alongside the main frame l and between the uprights 2 so as to thereby f occupy the minimum amount of space. The

knee rest frame 2l also swings upwardly to amovement of the arm rest and knee rest, re-

spectively.

While I have described in connection with the accompanying drawings one preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment shown but that, in fact, widely different means may be utilized in the practice of the broaderaspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A kneeling bench comprising a frame, an arm rest hinged to the frame and adapted to extend substantially horizontal and to fold downwardly so as to lie substantially within the confines of said frame, a knee rest hinged to the frame and adapted to extend substantially horizontal and to fold upwardly so as to lie substantially within the confines of said frame, means including a link extending intermediate its ends through said frame and pivotally secured to each of said rests and connecting said rests together so that as one swings downwardly the other swings upwardly, means to automatically lock the rests when they are moved into extend-ed position, and means on one of said rests for supporting said bench in upright position.

2. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame having foot portions, an arm rest, a knee rest pivoted to said frame, means connecting the knee rest to the frame to hold the same in extended position, said connecting means being operable at will to permit said rest to be swung to collapsed position, means on the knee rest adapted to cooperate with said foot portions to support the bench in upright position, said means being adapted to fold against the knee rest, and means connecting the arm rest to the frame to hold the saine in extend-ed position, said two connecting means including a pair of links extending from one rest to the other.

3. A collapsible kneeling bench of the class described comprising a frame of substantially inverted U-shape, supporting feet on the ends thereof, an armrest pivoted to the in' termediate portion thereof and adapted to be swung from extended position to folded position alongside the frame, a knee rest including a substantially rectangular frame pivoted to the first named frame and a support pivoted tothe second named :framexand cooperating with the feet on the first named frame to. maintain the bench in uprightposition when the .rests are extended, said knee rest also adapted to be folded `alongside the first named frame, link means connecting the pivoted 'support to the first named frame so that 'when the knee rest is folded alongside thefirstnained frame the support will be folded alongside the knee rest frame, and link means connecting the two rests-so that the arm rest, knee rest and support can-be extended in Yone operation.

Ll. A collapsible kneeling bench ofthe class described comprisinga frame of substantially inverted U-shape, supporting feet on the ends thereof, an arm rest pivoted to the intermediate portion thereof and adapted to be swung from extended position to folded position alongside the frame, a knee rest in cluding a substantially rectangular frame pivoted to the-first named frame and a support pivoted to the second named frame and cooperating with the feet on the first named frame to maintain the bench in upright posi- 'n tion when the rests are extended, said knee rest also adapted to be folded alongside the first named frame, link means connecting the pivoted support to the first named frame so that when the knee rest is folded alongside' the first named frame the support will be folded alongside the knee rest frame, and link means connecting the two rests so that the arm rest, knee rest and support can be extended in one operation, said second named link means being resilient and having a notch so formed as to engage a portion of the first named frame so as to hold the rests and support in extended position.

5. A collapsible kneeling bench of the class i' described comprising a frame of substantially inverted U-shape, supporting feet on the ends thereof, an arm rest pivoted to the intermediate portion thereof and adapted to be swung from extended position to folded posi` tion alongside the frame, a knee rest including a substantially rectangular frame pivoted to the first named frame and a support pivoted to the second named frame and cooperating` with the feet of the first named frame" to maintain the bench in upright position when the rests are extended, said knee rest also adapted to be folded alongside the first named frame, link means connecting the pivoted support to the first named frame so that? when the knee rest is folded alongside the first named frame the support will be folded alongside the Vknee rest fra-me, link means connecting the two rests so that the arm rest,

knee rest and support can be extended in one abutment When it is desired to collapse the bench.

6. A Collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame, an arm rest pvoted to said freine, a knee rest pivoted to said frame, means for 4 swinging said rests simultaneously into sub- Stantiai horizontal position one above the other on the saine Side of said frame ineinhei, a support for said frame pivoted to said knee rest, and means connecting said support to said fra-lne for swinging said support about its pivot.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5 day of April 1930. 1C JOI-IN KAZOWSKI.