US2048147A

US2048147A - Folding rocking chair

Info

Publication number: US2048147A
Application number: US749733A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer B Staley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-10-24
Filing date: 1934-10-24
Publication date: 1936-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 1953-07-21

Description

July 21, 1936. E. B. STALEY 2,048,147

' FOLDING ROCKING CHAIR Filed Oct. 24, 1954 I 4: II p,

'I I I I; I I,

INVENT A TTORNEY'I.

Patented July 21, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to folding chairs and more in particular to such chairs having fiexible seats and back-rests made, preferably, of canvas or other suitable textile material; said chairs being generally known -as lawn-chairs or deckchairs.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a rockerless foldable lawn-chair which is constructed to afford considerable rocking movement to its occupant.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folding chair in which the inclination of the back-rest may be changed into a more vertical position and maintained in such position rigidly or for rocking movement.

Another object of this'invention is to provide a chair of this character which may be readily folded into substantially fiat form, thus reducing the space required for storing the chair away or for transporting same; this chair being also adapted for equally rapid opening into seating condition.

Still another object is to produce a foldingrocking-chair which does not creep on the sup porting surface while being rocked, as usually occurs with the common type of rocking-chair provided with curved rockers.

Furthermore, this invention is intended to cover folding-rccking-chairs possessing all the aforementioned features, which are simple in construction, strong, safe, light in weight and which are well suited for mass production at relatively low cost. 7 7

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this application.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a folding-chair built in accordance with this invention, showing the two extreme positions in which the chair may be rocked.

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the folding-chair showing the back-rest thereof adjusted in a more vertical position and transformed into a substantially rigid, non-rocking, chair.

Fig.3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, the canvas seat and back-rest being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the chair in its fully folded position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism used to hold the back-rest of the chair in a more erect position.

vention comprises a frame structure composed of a pair of duplicate side members each consisting of the long leg I and the short leg 2 freely crossing each other. The long legs on both sides of the chair are rigidly held in proper spaced and parallel relation by means of the

end cross-bars

3 and 4 and the intermediate front stop-bar 5. The short legs are similarly held for free sliding movement between the long legs by the lower cross-bar 6, the front rest-plate I and by the intermediate rear stop-bar 8.

The long and short legs are hingedly connected together by means of the arm-rests 9 and the substantially U-shaped arm-rest-support Ill. The arm-rests are hingedlysecured at the rear ends to their respective long legs by the pivot or pin connections I I and at the front ends to the upper ends of the arm-rest-support by means of pin connections -I2 passed through both wings I3 of the bearings I4 secured to the undersides of the arm-rests by the bolts. I5, the pins also engaging holes I6 drilled in the hinge-heads I! of the vertical legs I8of said arm-rest-support. These legs are connected together and held parallel in a common plane by the transverse bar I9 formed integrally therewith. The transverse bar is rockably mounted in suitable bearings 20 secured on the undersides of the forward ends of the short legs. A flexible element, such as the chain 2|, serves to hold the lower ends of the legs at the proper distance; it is attached to the L-shaped cleats 22 secured midway of the cross-bars I and 6.

The flexible seat 23, preferably made of canvas, is secured at the upper end to the cross-bar 3 and at the lower end to the transverse bar I9, suitable tubular hems 24 being sewed in the canvas to receive said holding means. A cross strap 25, also of textile material, spanning the space between the long legs I and suitably secured thereto at the desired height, is used to provide an additional flexible support at the back of the seat 23.

The front-rest I is preferably made of sheet metal and is folded over to form a rounded bend 26 and is adapted to receive the rounded ends of the short legs between its fiat sides 21 and 2B. This front-rest not only holds the front ends of the short legs together, but it also provides a comfortable support for the popliteal parts of the occupants limbs.

Adjustment of the back-rest into the more upright position illustrated in Fig. 2 is obtained by means of a metal pivoted stop 29 .pivotally mounted at 30 on the underside of each arm-rest 9. When these stops are placed in a position substantially parallel to the heads I! of the armrest-support l0, they will enable the latter to as sume the substantially vertical position shown in solidlines'in Fig. 1. Howevenwhen these stops of the arm-rest-support, the latter will assume the forwardly inclined position and force the long v V ition; aflexible seat supported at its upper end legs I into the more upright position shown Fig. 2. If desired, backward rocking movement maybe eliminated, when the chair is in its more upright position, by meansof the L-shaped metal" stops 32 secured in the proper position on the,

undersideof the short legs, so that the stop-lugs 33 will bear against the back side of. the front stop-bar 5. This position of the chair isespecially suitable when the occupant of the, chair is sewing, knitting or desires to assume a more erect sitting posture.

By raising the short legs, the stop-lugs '33 may be. positioned ahead of the stopbar 5 to permit of. backward rocking of thechair, as indicated inF'ign'L; H i

A collapsed chair of this construction may be readily opened ,into, seating position by'simply pulling the forward ends of the short legs down- I wardly, thereby also causing the arm-rests 9 to of "the. sitter;

assume the nearly horizontal position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1. 'An upward swing of said forward ends will collapse. the chairinto the positionshown inFig. 4, whereby the arm-rests will assume a longitudinal position in line with the legs. of the chair, thus reducing the space requirement of the folded chair to a minimum.

The chair maybe held in its fully collapsed poe sition by means. ,of a, latch-hook 34 pivotally mounted at 35 on the cross-bar 6-, said latchhook being adapted to engage aheaded pin 36 secured in the cross-bar 4. v l 1 To: create a rocking motion, the. occupant of the chair: pushes upwardwith the tip of. or herfeet resting on the ground to swing the back of the,;seat-,respectively= the long legs, into the extreme inclined position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, whereby the seat, arm-rests and the: short legswill take the raised positionsimilarlvshown; The rounded ends of the legs resting on .the floor act. substantially asstationary pivots; for the limitedangular movement of said legs, and no creeping of the chair on the-floor will be experienced while the sitter is rocking..-

Thevbackward rocking: of the chair is: limited by the rear: sides-of the long legs striking against the extensions of the: back stop-bar B protruding beyond the short legs; and the extent of the for-l ward. swing is defined bythe lower sides of. the: short legs striking against similar extensions of the front stop-bar 5 l I It will; also: be; noted, that the strains occastoned by: the rocking movements are taken up almost entirely by the" rigid members of the chair and that-the canvas seat-is called upon. to assume no other load' except that due to the weight,

While I have illustrated and described herein the: preferred embodiment of my invention; and one which I have found to be practical; it may be:

rangement of the details of my invention, and; 11

intend to include in this application all such vaappended V riations as fall within the scope of. the claims.

I claim:

1.111s folding-chair f the amt-a Vde by the long legsand at its lower end by the short legs; an arm-rest hingedly secured at the rear end to eaclilong leg; a common arm-rest-support hingedly secured to the short legs; hinges tion; a flexible seat supported at its upper end" by the long legs and at its lower end by the short legs; anarm-rest hingedly secured at the rear end-to; each long leg; a common arm-rest-support comprising a cross-bar, and a pair of. parallel uniplanar legs having hinge-heads at their up- 7 per ends; means to hingedly connect said hingeheads to the armlerests; means to hingedly cone nect said cross-bar to the short legs; :flatspositioned on ,the hinge-heads, and pivoted stops hingedly mounted on the arm rests and insert able between same and said flats to reduce; the relative angular movement between said arm.- rest and support thereof. 1 V 1 V 73.: In .a folding chair of the character de 1 scribed, the combination-of two pairs of inter secting legs, each pair comprisinga long leg and a short leg; means to secure-said long legs and.

short legs in spaced parallelcooperativerelation; a flexible seat supported atrits upper end by the;l;ong legs and at its lower end by the short legs; an arm-rest hingedly secured atthe rear end to each long leg; an arm-rest-support hingedly secured to each short leg; hinges connecting V the front endsof the arm-rests to said supports,

and pivoted stops mounted. on. said arm -rests and insertable between same and the arm-rest-sup-V ports to reduce the relative angular movement 7 therebetween. V

4. In a folding. chair. of ,the character described, the combination of two pairs of inters'ecting legs,.each pair comprising a longand a.

short leg; means to secure said long legs and? short legs in spaced parallel cooperative relation; a flexible seat supported at its upper end by the long legs and at its lower end by the short legs; an arm-rest hingedly secured at the'rear end to each long'legf arm-rest-supportshingedly secured to theshort legs;- hinges' connecting the front ends of the arm-rests to said supports; pivoted stops mounted on said arm-rests for pivotal movement in planes parallel therewith'andiin sertable betweerr same and the arm -rest supports to reduce "the relative angular movement therer between.

ELMER B; STAL Y;