US2090562A - Chair or like article - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 17, 1937. A. u. WALTER CHAIR OR LIKE ARTICLE Filed April 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: @je'r ZZWaZar, 277W )fg/ Aug. 17, 1937. A. u. WALTER 2,090,562

CHAIR OR LIKE ARTICLE Filed April 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAIR R LIKE ARTICLE Albert U. Walter, Baltimore, Md. Application April 2o, 1935, serial No. 17,522 soiaims. (014554182) This invention relates to chairs and like articles and is more particularly concerned with such an article including parts which may be folded with respect to one another for ease of storage and for protection against the elements and against soiling.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of such an article comprised of a. frame structure and seat and back portions,

l0 the seat and back portions being foldable and/or removable and replaceable.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of such an article composed of a folding frame and foldable seat and back members.

A further feature of the present invention is the provision of such an article including a rigid and self-supporting frame and seat and back portions which may be folded or collapsed with respect to one another and supported and protected upon the frame structure.

Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of an article of this type which includes a rigid frame, a stiff seat member, and 2 a exible back member, the back member ope'rating as a support for the seat member.

A still further feature of the present invention is the provision of such an article including a. rigid and self-supporting frame, a stiff seat 30 member, and a exible back member which can be connected to the frame and to the seat member for supporting the latter, and can be detached therefrom for cleaning or replacement.

With these and other features, the article 35 provides a comfortable support for the sitting occupant, and assures that the parts which may be deteriorated by atmospheric or other conditions may be protected against the same so that a clean and dry support may be quickly prew pared for the occupant.

With these and other features as objects in view, as willappear in the course of the following specification and claims, illustrative forms of practicing the invention are shown on 5 the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. l is a front elevation of the invention as applied to a chair.

Fig. 2 is an upright sectional View of the same substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

u Fig. 3 is an elevational View, partly broken away, corresponding to the upper portion of Fig. l but on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is an upright sectional View substantially on line II--4 of Fig. 3.

55 Figs. 5 and 6 are detailed views of the clip assembly employed for the frame in this illustrative form.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary View corresponding to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing a modified ar rangement of the back and seat structures.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 4, the frame is comprised of two side members and two rails. Each side member includes a side frame formed'from a single bar of metal which is bent to form a lower loop. This loop includes an upper section I0 providing an arm rest and joined by a front curve II to a front leg section l2, which is in turn joined by a curve I3 to the base or support section I4, and this in turn by a curve I5 with the rear leg section I6. The rear end of the arm rest section I0 is connected rigidly, as by a weld II, to the rear leg section I6. Above the arm rest section I0, the free end of this bar of metal is bent slightly backward at I8 so that its upwardly extending end I9 is at an angle to the vertical. Each side member also includes a pair of clips 20, one of these clips being located at an appropriate height of the front leg section I2 and the other being located adjacent the upper end of the back section I9.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each of these clips is illustrated as comprising a folded sheet metal piece 2| which is of U-shape in horizontal section, the space between the arms of the U corresponding to the size of the metal bar whose section I2 or I9 is located within the sheet metal piece and is secured thereto by rivets 22. The depth of the U is appropriately chosen so that the depending or downwardly directed end 23 of a rail member 24 or 25 is tightly received there- It will be noted that the two side members for a chair are made symmetrically, in this illustrated form, with the clips turned toward one another (Fig. l). The rail 24 joining the clips 20 on the front leg sections I2 of the two side members provides a front rail, and the rail 25 joining the clips 20 adjacent the upper ends of the back sections I9 of the side members provides a back top rail. It will be noted that the rails may be removed from the clips, so that the two side members may be brought together for storing the device within a small space.

A stiff seat of ply wood or metal is supported at its front edge by the front rail 24.

Where the back top rail 25 is removable as in the illustrated form, a flexible member, having a back portion 3|, may have a simple hem 32 formed at its upper end for surrounding the back top rail- 25. 'I'his exible member may be of heavy cloth such as duck, and the hem formed in the usual way by sewing. The depth of the hem is sufllcient so that the back top rail 25 may be threaded therethrough. This flexible member extends downward from the back top rail (when the parts are in position for occupation) and passes beneath the rear edge of the seat member 30. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the flexible member includes a section 33 extending forwardly beneath the seat member 30 and then bent upwardly around the front rail 24 and the front edge of the seat, a portion 34 extending over the top of the seat member 30, and a small edge portion 35 extending under the rear edge of the seat member 30. This portion 35 in Fig. 2 is connected to the seat member 30, illustratively by glove-type fasteners 36 so that the flexible member may be separated easily from the seat member 30. It will be noted that the rear edge of the seat member 30 is below the front rail 24 and in front of the back top rail 25, so that the seat tends to assume the position shown, particularly when occupied; and to maintain the flexible member taut. This tautness, at the bight between the portions 33 and 34, and the engagement of the back portion 3| with the seat structure at its rear edge, prevent the front edge of the seat member from moving backward and slipping off the front rail. Furthermore, the frictional engagement of the flexible member with the front rail, and the engagement of the mutually contacting portions of this flexible member, at the rear edge of they seat, is effective for relieving excessive strain at the fastenings 36.

It will be noted that the seat member 30 with the sections 34 and 35 of the flexible member are loose with respect to the sections 3| and 33 of the flexible member at the rear edge of the seat.

When it is desired, as in case of impending rain, or for storage unoccupied but in exposed position, to fold the parts for protection, the seat member 30 with the section 34 of the flexible member may be rocked forwardly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, and slipped around and rearwardly under the front rail 24, and the structure comprising the flexible member and the seat member are folded together, utilizing the seat member 30 as a folding board, and supporting the parts in folded position substantially in the plane of the back assembly comprising the sections I9 of the side frames and the top rail 24. An envelope 40 (Figs. 3 and 4) may then be slipped over the assembly and the folded seat and flexible members to protect the same. 'I'his envelope may likewise be of heavy cloth such as duck and is preferably waterproof. It will be noted that its lower edge (Figs. 3 and 4) extends below the seat and back structures when thus folded. In this folded position of the parts, the metal and the envelope only are exposed, and it will be noted that no rain damage can occur, nor can birds sitting on any of the parts soil the seat or back portions.

'I'he parts may be readily re-assembled by raising the envelope or cover 40 and permitting and effecting unwinding of the folded seat and flexible members, bringing the seat member 30 with the section 34 of the flexible member forwardly beneath and then backwardly over the front rail 24, and resting these structures upon the remainder of the flexible member. 'Ihe parts, even by their own weight, tend to assume a properv position, and the weight of the occupant immediately brings them into the 4position as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this position, it will be noted that the construction and arrangement of the several parts causes the section 3| of the flexible memberto be located substantially in the same plane as the sections I9 of the side frames, so that these sections operate in compression, and very slight bending stresses are placed thereon. Hence, the Ymetal for the side frames need not be excessively heavy.

It will be noted that the stiff seat 3|) protects the occupant so that there is no major portion of the occupants weight placed upon the front rail in contact with the under side of the thighs, as occurs with an article of this type having a flexible member providing both seat and back; and that there is no bar or like member, in this illustrated form, which may be contacted by the back of the occupant.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 7, the flexible member is shorter and includes the back portion 3|a. having its lower end section 35a turned beneath the rear edge of the seat member 30a and secured thereto. In this form, there is a greater strain at the fasteningmeans which are here illustrated as tacks 36a, and hence it is preferred to employ a greater number of such tacks than the number of glove-fasteners 36 which are sufficient in the form of Fig. 2.

In the form of Fig. '7, forward and rearward movement of the seat member 30a is prevented by engaging means located beneath the front edge thereof. 'I'hese engaging means are illustrated as comprising a plurality of clips formed of metal and bent into a substantially U shape, with one of the arms vof the U bearing against and secured to the seat member 30a adjacent its front edge and embracing the front face of the rail 24, this secured arm also including a downwardly extending finger piecel46 for engaging the rear surface of the front rail 24. Thus, forward and backward movements of the seat member 30a are prevented, it being preferred to have the spacing between the forward and rear fingers of each clip 45 less than the corresponding dimension of the front rail 24; for example in Fig. 7, the front rail 24 is square in crosssection and the spacing between these fingers is less than the diagonal dimension of the front rail 24. In order to remove the seat 30a from the front rail 24, it is rocked upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. '7, so that the opening or gap between the fingers is aligned with the front rail 24, these'fingers being thus outside of the bounding planes of the top and lower surfaces of the front rail; and the seat 30a may then be disengaged easily by a simple forward movement. It may then be rocked upwardly and back about the point of engagement of its rear edge with the flexible member, and thus folded as in the other form with the back portion 3| a of this flexible member for housing within an envelope 40 as before.

It is obvious that the invention may be modified in other ways, and may be employed for other than chairs, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising a frame having a front rail and a back assembly including a releasable back top rail, a stiff seat member, a flexible member including a portion attached to said seat member and a hem surrounding said back top rail, said flexible member operating for supporting the rear edge of the seat member from the back top rail, the seat member with the flexible member attached thereto being separable from the front rail and said members including parts releasably engaged with the front rail for preventing forward and rearward movement of the occupied seat member relative to said rail, said members then being foldable together while said hem remains around the back top rail and the back assembly remains connected whereby the folded members may be brought into a position in the plane of the back assembly, and means for supporting the folded 7 members substantially in such position.

' the seat member and around the front rail and thence rearwardly over the upper surface of the seat member and thereby maintaining the front edge of the seat member upon the front rail, said members being readily removable from engagement with the front rail without change of the frame so that the seat member and flexible member may be folded together and brought into the plane of the back assembly, and cover means supported by the back assembly and extending over the same and around the folded members to hold the latter in folded condition. l

3. A device of the type described comprising a frame having a front rail and a back assembly including a back top rail, a stiff seat member, detachable devices adjacent the front edge of the seat member for maintaining the seat member against forward and backward movement relative to the front rail, and a flexible member providing a back portion and connected at one end to the back top rail and at the other end to said seat member for supporting the rear edge of said seat member from said back top rail, said seat member upon detachment from the front rail being foldable with the flexible member into a position substantially in the plane of the back assembly, and cover means supported by the back assembly and extending over the same and around the folded members to hold the latter in folded condition.

4. A device as in claim 3, in which the said engaging devices comprise fingers effective for embracing the front rail when the seat is in position for occupation, the fingers being disengageable therefrom by rocking' of the seat member upwardly at its rear edge, so that the engaging devices may thereupon be released from the front rail.

5. A device of the type described comprising a frame having a front rail and a back assembly including a back top rail, the upper portion of said back assembly being located at an angle to the vertical, a stiff seat member detachably supported at its front edge from the front rail, and a flexible member connected at one end to the back top rail and connected at the other end to the seat member and engaging the seat member at the rear edge thereof, the flexible member extending from the back top rail to the rear edge of the occupied seat substantally in the plane of the inclined upper portion of the back assembly, said seat and fiexible'member constituting a structure removable from the front rail and including parts releasably engaged with the front rail for preventing forward and rearward movement of the seat relative to the front rail, said members being readily removable from engagement with the front rail without change of the frame so that the seat member and exible member may be folded together and brought into the plane of the back assembly, and means supported by the back assembly and extending over the same and around the folded members for holding the same in folded condition and for protecting the same against rain and soiling.

6. A device of the type described, comprising a frame includinga back top rail, and also including seat supporting means at the front of the frame; a seat and back structure comprising a stii seat member and a. flexible member, said flexible member being attached at one end to the back top rail and attached at the other end adjacent the rear edge of the seat member, said structure including means releasabl-y engaged with said seat supporting means for preventing rearward movement of the occupied seat member relative to the frame, said structure being readily removable from engagement with said seat supporting means so that the seat member and ilexible member may be folded together and brought into the plane of the back assembly; and means supported by the frame and extending over the back top rail and the folded members for holding the latter in folded condition and for protecting the same against rain and soiling.

7. A device of the type described, comprising a frame having a front rail and a back assembly including a back top rail, a stiff seat member detachably supported at its edge from the front rail, a flexible member providing first means attached to said back top rail and a depending portion including second means attached to said seat member, said depending portion of the flexible member operating as a support for the rear edge of the seat member, said seat member and depending portion being separable as a unit from the front rail and being foldable together while said first means remains attached to the back top rail so that the folded members may be brought into the plane of the back assembly without change of said frame; and a cover means extending over the upper portion of the back assembly and the folded members for supporting and protecting the folded members in the plane of the back assembly.

8. A device of the type described comprising a frame having a front rail and a back assembly including a back top rail; a seat and back structur comprised of a stiff seat member and a flexible member, said flexible member being attached at one end to the back top rail and attached at the other end adjacent the rear edge of the seat member, said structure including means releasably engaged with the front rail for preventing rearward movement of the occupied seat member relative to the front rail, said structure being readily removable from engagement with the front rail without change of the frame so that the seat may be folded together and brought into the plane of the back assembly; and cover means extending over and supported by the upper portion of the back assembly and the folded member for -holding the latter in `folded condition and for protecting .the same against rain and soiling.

ALBERT U. WALTER.

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