US1896048A

US1896048A - Reclining chair

Info

Publication number: US1896048A
Application number: US627444A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert A Grinnell
Original assignee: LE GRAND S WHEDON
Current assignee: LE GRAND S WHEDON
Priority date: 1932-08-04
Filing date: 1932-08-04
Publication date: 1933-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1950-01-31

Description

Jan. 31, 1933. A. A. GRINNELL 1,896,048

RECLINING CHAIR Filed Aug. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 31, 1933.

A. A. GRINNELL 'RECLINING CHAIR Filed Aug. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT A. GRINNELD, OF IEDIN A, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB' TO LE GRAND S. WHEDON, OF

' MEDINA, NEW YORK BECLINING CHAIR Application filed August 4, 1882. Serial No. 627,444.

This invention relates to adjustable chairs, and has particular reference to chairs in which the relationship between the supporting frame, seat, and back may be varied to enable an occupant to comfortably assume either an upright or reclining posture.

It is sometimes desirable to have a chair with the seat substantially horizontal and the back only slightly inclined from an upright position, while at other times a chair with an appreciably inclined seat and a higher, greatly inclined back is preferred. The present invention contemplates a chair construction in which the occupant may enjoy either type of chair support; in which the seat "and back, normally related to provide for the occupant, may, upon forward movement of the seat, be moved to lower the rear of the seat with respect to the front thereof, move the bottom portion of the back forwardly with respect to upper portion thereof, and

increase the effective height of the back. Means are also contemplated for automaticaL ly returning the seat and back' to normal position upon removal of the occupants weight from the chair.

These and other objects and advantages, including those inherent in the relationships and arrangements of the component parts. will become apparent from a perusal of the following description of the typical embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair constructed in accordance with the invention, with the padding and framework at one side thereof removed, the full and dotted lines disclosing the chair in upright position, and the broken lines illustrating the chair in reclining position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing actuating linkage on one side of the chair in rear elevation Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the linkage depicted in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one upper corner of the framework of the chair back';

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through the frame of the chair, with the parts thereof in the normal or upright position.

As shown in Fig. 1, the chair includes a fixed framework having front legs 11, connected by a horizontal front bar 12, and connected to rear upright members 13 by side bars 14, the lower portions 15 of the u right members 13 being extended to rovi e rear legs and being connected by a ack bar 16. The upper portions of the upright members are connected by a horizontal back supporting bar 17 This fixed framework, if desired, may support upholstered arms 18 and back Wings 19, or other fixed appurtenances of the chair.

Connected to the fixed framework is an adjustable back 21, comprising suitable upholstery or the like mounted upon back frame members which include substantially upright side rails 22 connected at their upper ends by a top rail 23. As illustrated in Fig. 4, metal plates 25 may be secured to the side rails and to the top rail 23 to reinforce their connection. The top rail 23 projects rearwardly to overlie the back supporting bar 17 of the fixed framework to provide an articulated connection or pivot 48 between the back and the fixed framework. Upholstery cloth or other suitable means may be utilized to prevent displacement of the top rail from the supporting bar 17. y

A chair seat 27, of any suitable type, in cludes a supporting framework having side rails 28 connected by a back rail 29. The lower front portions of side rails 28, as shown in Fig. 5, preferably are of V-form for seating upon guide rollers 31 journalled in brackets 32 which are carried by the front bar 12 of the fixed frame. Rigidly secured. to each of the side rails 28, and forminga continuation of the seat, is an arm 34 which is pivbroken lines.

' oted at its upper end to a link 35 as indicated at 36. The links 35 are pivotally connected at their lower ends to rear portions of the fixed frame side bars 14, the pivot connections being indicated by numerals 37 As illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, the links 35 are normally substantially upright but may move in a counter-clockwise direction about pivots 37 to move the pivot point 36 forwardly and downwardly to the position indicated by Such movement lowers the rear portion of seat 27 and moves the seat forwardly on rollers 31.

Secured to each side rail 22 of the back 21 is an angle bracket 38, pivoted at 39 to one end of a link 40, the latter being pivoted at 41, at its opposite end, to the arm 34 which is a fixed part of the seat. One or more springs 42 connect the seat and fixed framework, normally tending to retain the seat in its rearward position depicted in full lines in Fig. 1. As illustrated one such spring 42 may be connected to each end of the back rail 29 of the seat and to the back bar 16 of the fixed frame. A bumper 43 may be attached to each side rail 22 of the back 21 for abutment with the back bar 16, to limit rearward movement of the seat and back. The movement may also be limited by the front rail 30 of the seat abutting the front bar 12 of the fixed framework as shown in Fig. 1.

Normally the chair will be in the position depicted in full lines in Fig. 1 with the seat 27 substantially horizontal and the back inclined only slightly, in order to provide substantially upright support for an occupant. In this position the links 35 are so nearly upright that the weight of the back and tension of springs 43. which urge clockwise movement of the links about pivots 37 as the device is viewed in Fig. 1, will entirely counter-balance the occupants weight, which will urge counter-clockwise movement of the links 35.

When the occupant desires a reclining support, he may urge the seat forwardly a small degree which will increase the inclination of the links 35 from the vertical, whereupon the downward component of force at pivots 36, due to the weight of the seat and the occupant, will move the links 35 in a counterclockwise direction, lowering the rear of the seat 27 and moving it forwardly on rollers 31, to the broken line position of Fig. 1. Simultaneously the link 40 will be carried forwardly, moving the bottom of the back 21 forwardly to the broken line position. In the latter, the center line between

pivots

39 and 41 of link 40 is in substantial alignment with the pivot at the upper portion of the back, indicated at 48, the reason being that the rear portion of the seat, in the reclining position, is supported from pivots 41 by links 40 and side rails 22 of the back. the latter in turn receiving support from the bar 17 of the fixed frame through the medium of cross member 23 or connection reinforcing plates 25.

With the seat and back in the reclining position depicted in broken lines in Fig. 1, the effective height or length of the back is greatly increased, both by reason of the drop of the rear of the seat and by reason of the elevation of lower portion of the back brought about by its clockwise movement about the pivot 48. When the occupant leaves the chair or relieves the seat of his weight, the springs 42 will automatically return the seat and back to normal, upright posit-ion. This action will be relatively slow. retarded by the friction of the rollers and link mechanism and by the inertia of the seat and back, so that the impact of stops 43 with back bar 16 will be slight.

It will be understood that the inclination and lengths of the various parts of the linkage and the length and strength of the springs may be varied, depending upon the type of chair, the desired inclination of seat and back, the weights of the component parts of the chair, and other considerations. For example, it may be desirable to dispose links 35 at an absolute vertical, or even a rearwardly inclined position, when in normal position, to necessitate a greater forward urge upon the seat by the occupant in order to cause the chair to assume the reclining position.

The roller means at the front of the chair may also be modified or other means substituted for them since their sole function is to guide and support the seat for forward movement. For example, a slide mechanism hinged to the front of the seat may be substituted, or as shown in Fig. 6, fiat rollers 31 supported by brackets 32' may be supplemented by rollers 51, mounted for movement about substantially vertical axes by brackets 52 secured to side bars 14, the rollers 51, one at each side of the chair, preventing lateral movements of the seat.

It will be understood that the term chair used herein and in the appended claims, is generic to analogous seating devices, as

those of elongated width adapted for two or more occupants. It will be further understood that the chair described herein is merely one typical embodiment of the inventive principles involved, which may be employed in chairs having other structural characteristics' and arrangements of parts, all within the purview of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a chair, a frame having rollers at each side at the front thereof, a seat having side rails with the front portions thereof supported on said rollers, an arm rigidly con nected to the rear of each of said side rails of the seat and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom, a pair of links pivoted one to the upper end of each arm, the opposite and lower end of each of said links bein pivotally connected to the frame, a back hinged at an upper portion thereof to the frame, a link pivoted to each side of the back at a lower portion of the latter, the other end of each of said last mentioned links being pivoted to one of said arms, and spring means connecting the frame and seat for urging the latter rearwardly to such position that the first mentioned links are substantially upright.

2. In a chair, a frame having roller bearing means at the front portion thereof, a seat having a front portion supported on said roller bearing means for permitting movement of the seat from between rearward and a forward position with respect to the frame, a link pivoted at one end to the rear of the seat and pivoted at its other end to the frame, said link being substantially upright with p the first mentioned end thereof uppermostwhen the seat is in said rearward position, and resilient means associated with the seat and frame for urging the seat to said rearward position. i

3. In a chair, the combination with a frame, of a seat movable forwardly and rearwardly thereon, a back having an articulated connection at its upper portion to the frame, and means connecting the seat and back and the frame for moving the bottom of the back forwardly and for lowering the rear of the seat as the seat moves forwardly, whereby the seat and back are inclined to a greater degree and the effective height of the back is increased as the seat moves forwardly, said means automatically moving the rear of the seat upwardly and the bottom of theback rearwardly when the seat is returned to its rearward position.

4. In a chair, a frame, a seat pivoted at its rear to the upper end of a normally substantially upright link, the lower end of said link being pivoted to said frame, a back pivoted at its upper end to said frame, and a flexible connection between the seat and a portion of the back beneath the pivot of the back and frame, whereby as the seat moves forwardly the rear thereof will move downwardly and the lower end of the back will move forwardly and upwardly to increase the effective length of the back and the inclination thereof.

5. Ina chair, a frame, a seat mounted on the frame for movement forwardl with respect to the frame from a normal position, means for lowering the rear of the seat as the seat is moved forwardly, a back supported by the frame, and means for automatically moving the lower end of the back forwardly and upwardly as the seat is moved forwardly. I

6. In a chair; a frame, a seat and means for supporting it on the frame during for- Ward and rearward movement of the seat 7. In a chair, a frame, a seat and means for supporting it on the frame for forward and rearward movement relative to the frame and for lowering the rear portion of the seat with respect to the front portion thereof as the seat is moved forwardly, a back and a supporting pivotal connection between the up er end of the back and the frame, and a exible connection between the seatand a lower portion of the back, whereby as the seat is moved forwardly the lower portion of the back will be moved forwardly and upwardly to increase the effective length and inclination thereof.

ALBERT A. GRINNELL.