US1980551A - Folding chair - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 13, 1934, R. oc. Ros 1 4 5 wFOLDING CHAIR I Q Filed se t 8, 1935 I t W Attorney Patented Nov. 13, 1934 FOLDING CHAIR Roderic OConor Ross, Dublin, Irish Free State Application September 8, 1933, Serial No. 688,544 In Great Britain October 5, 1932 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in folding chairs of the kind which have the main supporting frame of the chair connected by cross bracing members hingedly connected thereto so that the main supporting frame with the cross bracing members can be collapsed inwardly and folded in stick-like formation and the canvas webbing of the chair wrapped and strapped around the same for carrying as a compact parcel, the object of the present invention being to provide a lighter and stronger and more compactly folded chair than hitherto.

According to the present invention, the folding chair is characterized in that it comprises a pair of main supporting side members each of which is made up of two parts one of the two parts being hinged to the other part whereby in the unfolded position they constitute the main supporting side members of the chair in straightened position, and whereby the two parts are capable of being folded flat on each other when it is desired to fold the chair thereby shortening the length of the main Supporting side members in folded position. For each side member a supporting leg is hingedly connected to one of its parts and is adapted to act as a support to both of its parts aforesaid so that great strength and light weight is obtained in construction. A strut is hingedly connected to the other part of each side member, and there is an indent in each supporting leg in which the lower end of each strut is adapted to fit thereby adding greater strength and rigidity to the unfolded chair. For the chair seat, webbing is provided on upper and lower cross bars, and is adapted to be wound thereon, and there are also provided respective adjacent cross bracing members, hingedly connected to said side members, on which the webbing is also adapted to be wound which adds greater rigidity to these cross bracing members owing to the pull on the webbing when the seat is in use.

These upper and lower cross bracing members are provided with supporting plates which are adapted to position the upper and lower cross bars of the webbing so that these cross bars lTave a further bracing effect on the cross bracing members to which they are fitted.

The method of adjusting the length of the webbing or seat consists of winding the webbing of the seat around an upper cross bracing member and cross bar and around a lower cross bracing member and cross bar aforesaid, or vice versa, so that this affords a convenient and efficient means of adjusting the depth of the seat to suit individual requirements.

The supporting legs are provided with a cross bracing member hingedly connected thereto and adapted to fold upwardly and against the inner sides of the supporting legs, the latter being adapted to fold on one part of each of the main supporting side members; and each strut is adapted to fold on the other respective part of each respective main side member so that the chair folds in a very neat and compact manner with its length reduced to practically half the length of the chair in unfolded position.-

The respective supporting legs and struts do not lie inside or outside of each main supporting. side member but under the 'latter which gives greater strength and rigidity and permits of the chair being folded in a more compact and heater fashion.

In the accompanying explanatory diagrammatic drawing Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the folding chair in erected position (with thick ness of webbing shown) of which a plan View is shown in Fig. 2 with some of the parts of Fig. 1 removed for greater clearness. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the webbing or canvas seat with cross bars. Fig. 4 shows an outside elevation of the chair in the collapsed position or folded and packed position ready for carrying purposes, of which an end elevation is shown in Fig. 5 with the webbing shown as a single line for the sake of clearness and doubled on itself and loosely wound about the parts of the chair with the car rying straps removed for the sake of greater clearness; and the same reference numbers are used for the same parts throughout.

The side members 1 are divided at 2 and hinged to each other at 3. The legs 4 are hinged at 5 to the members 1 by side plates 6.- The struts 7 are hinged at 8 to the side members 1 and terminate in support indents 9 in the legs 4. At the 1 head of the members 1' there is provided the upper cross bracing member 10. divided at 11 and hinged at 12 with its opposite ends hinged at 13 to the side members 1. At the foot of the side members 1 there is provided a similar cross bracing member 14 divided at 15 and hinged at 16 and having its opposite end hinged at 17 to the side members 1. The chair webbing 18 is provided on its lower end with a cross bar 19 which detachably fits on the lower member 14 between supporting plates 20 and on the side members 1. The upper cross bar 21 is adapted to detachably fit on the upper member 10 and on the upper ends of the members 1 and to rest on the supporting plates 22. The legs 4 are provided with a similar cross bracing member 23 divided at 24 and hinged at 25, its opposite ends being hinged at 26 to the legs 4. The webbing 18 on the upper and lower cross bars 21 and 19 respectively, is adapted to be wound on same and on the respective adjacent cross bracing the necessary amount of webbing is wound on.

same so that it can then rest on the plates 22 when the strain of the sitting weight will bind the webbing 18 tightly around the member 10 and the cross bar 21 when the pull on the cross bar 19 will bind it and the webbing securely between the plates 20 even if the webbing 18 is not wound around the member 14 before inserting between the plates 20. The upper ends of the legs 4 are adapted to abut at 27 against the junction or division at 2 of the side members 1. The legs 4 at each side are suitably braced to the members 1 by means of flexible lines or chains 28 in a known manner.

In operation, the chair can only be manipulated in the correct'manner either for opening out to sitting position or collapsing or folding it for storing or carrying purposes by simply straightening out the members 1 and the legs 4 and drawing. the members 1 apart until the members 14, 23 and 10 also straighten out to the width of the chair and by then inserting the struts 7 in the indents 9'by moving the legs 4 slightly forward for this purpose, the webbing with cross bars 19 and 21 being arranged asdescribed, the operation being reversed for folding the chair; and its own webbing 18 canbe conveniently used for packing it in combination with the known kind of carrier straps indicated by 29.

It will be noted that the cross bars 19 and 21 conveniently fit into the space at 30 (Fig. 5) between the struts 7 which fold over on the members 1 and in side elevation are hidden under the webbing shown in Fig. 4.

Having described my invention I c1aim:- 1. A folding chair comprising, in combination, a pair of main supporting side members each of which is made up of twoparts in alignment one of the two parts being hinged to its other part whereby in unfolded position they constitute in alignment the main supporting side members of the chair, a supporting leg under each side member and hingedly connected to one of its parts and having its endbearing against the hinged parts at their juncture and adapted to act as a support to both of its parts aforesaid, a strut hingedly connected under the other part of each side member, an indent in each supporting leg in which the lower end of each respective strut is adapted to fit, a webbing on upper and lower cross bars, cross bracing members formed of hinged sections hingedly connected to said side members the cross bars of the webbing supported by means on the cross bracing members.

2. A folding chair comprising, in combination, a pair of main supporting side members each of which is made up of two parts in alignment one of the two parts being hinged to its other part whereby in unfolded position they constitute in alignment the main supporting side members of the chair, a supporting leg under each side member and hingedly connected to one of its parts and having its end bearing against the hinged parts at their juncture and adapted to act as a support to both of its parts aforesaid, a strut hingedly connected under the other part of each side member, an indent in each supporting leg in which the lower end of each respective strut is adapted to fit, a webbing on upper and lower cross bars, cross bracing members formed of hinged sections hingedly connected to said side members, rigid supporting plates on said cross braces adapted to position said upper and lower cross bars' of said webbing, the'length of said webbing being adjusted by winding the webbing around an upper cross bracing member and cross bar and around a lower cross bracing member and cross bar aforesaid.

3. A folding chair comprising, in combination, a pair of main supporting side members each of which is made up of two parts in alignment one of the two parts being hinged to its other part whereby in unfolded position they constitute in alignment the main supporting side mem strut is adapted to fit, a webbing on upper and;

lower cross bars, cross bracing members formed of hinged sections hingedly connected to said side members, rigid supporting plates on said cross braces adapted to position said upper and lower cross bars of said webbing, the length of said webbing being adjusted by winding the webbing around an upper cross bracing member and cross bar and around a lowercross bracing member and cross bar aforesaid, a cross bracing member formed of hinged sections hingedly connected to the supporting legs and adapted to fold up: wardly and against the inner sides of the supporting legs, the latter being adapted to fold on one part of each of the main supporting side members, each strut being adapted to fold on the other respective part of each respective main side member.

RODERIC OCONOR ROSS.

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