US2155522A - Folding armchair - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1 939. B, ADLER I 2,155,522

FOLDING ARMCHAIR I Filed June 4, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ./%/e/' ATTORNEY.

April 25, 1939 FOLDING ARMCHAIR Filed June 4, 1937 3 Shets-Shet 2 AT'TURNEY.

J. B. ADLER 2,155,522

April 25, 1939. I J ADLER 2,155,522

FOLDI NG ARMCHAIR Filed June 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. fad 7 B /e/ wr -a ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFHCE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a folding arm chair and particularly to a folding arm chair of simple, inexpensive, sturdy construction adapted to fabricated out of metal.

An object is to provide a folding arm chair adapted to fold flat with the front and rear legs folded together and with the seat, back and arms folded substantially within the plane established by the folded legs.

A further object is to provide a folding chair wherein the seat is supported upon front and rear spaced apart fixed pivotal connections between the front and rear legs and is adapted to fold against the back within the plane of the legs when folded.

Another object is the provision of a folded arm chair wherein the front pair and the rear pair of legs are each pivotally connected intermediate their ends with the seat, the front pair having its pivotal connection with the seat spaced from the pivot connection of the rear pair therewith. Furthermore, the front pair of legs is pivotally connected above the seat by a pair of links with the rear pair of legs and the two pairs of legs are pivotally connected through a toggle like connection formed by the back and a pair of arms.

Another object is the provision of a folded arm chair wherein a pair of arms pivotally connect the back and front pair of legs above the seat and detachably engage the upper extremities of a rear pair of legs when the chair is in unfolded occupant receiving position.

A meritorious feature is the construction of such a chair of metal wherein the leg structures are of tubular formation and wherein a tubular brace is provided between the spaced apart legs which brace has bifurcated ends each bifurcation being channel shaped in cross section to conform with the leg curvature and extending lengthwise of and embracing the tubular legs.

Another object is the provision of a folding arm chair wherein the front pair and the rear pair of legs are each pivoted to the seat and a back is pivoted to the rear pair of legs and a pair of arms is pivoted to the front pair of legs and the back and arms are pivotally connected together. There is a detachable connection between the rear pair of legs and the arms. When the chair is unfolded to occupant receiving position the rear legs are detachably connected with the arms. When the chair is in folded flat position the rear legs are detached from the arms and the arms are folded alongside of the back as extensions of the rear legs. Each arm is provided with a socket or channel portion adapted to detachably receive the upper end of a rear leg and a cushion element is interposed between the end of said leg and the arm.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features of my improved chair structure will more fully appear from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair embodying my invention in unfolded occupant receiving position,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same chair at an intermediate stage of folding operation,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same chair folded,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the chair in folded position,

Fig. 5 is a detail of a fragment in perspective illustrating the pivotal connection of the seat and back with the rear legs,

Fig. 6 is a detail in front elevation and section illustrating the pivotal connection of an arm with a front leg and the back,

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View taken on 7-? of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on 88 of Fig. 2.

My improved chair is here shown as formed of metal. The legs are of tubular construction. The front legs Hi are spaced apart by a tubular cross member I2. The rear legs H! are spaced apart by a tubular cross member l6. Each le may be provided with a glider foot iii. A seat 23 of any suitable construction is pivoted at 22 between the front legs intermediate their ends and at an intermediate portion of the seat. As here shown its pivotal connection is a rod 22 extending between the front legs. The seat is provided with side frame members 24 and a seat panel secured.

thereon. The rear end of the seat is pivoted between the rear legs intermediate their ends upon pivots offset the plane of the seat as shown particularly in Fig. 5. As here shown a cross frame member 26 is secured along the rear of the seat. This cross member has an upwardh extending ear 2'! at each end mounted upon a pivot 28 carried by a rear leg. Such cross frame member has an upwardly extending rear flange protectively overlapping the rear edge of the seat and a downwardly extending reinforcing flange 23.

A back 30 is provided. It is here shown as having a frame in the form of an inverted U. The sides 32 of this U-frame are pivoted at their lower ends upon the pivots 28 upon which the seat is swung between the rear legs.

Each pair of legs extends above the seat as shown. The front pair of legs and the rear pair of legs are pivotally linked together above the seat by a pair of links 34. This construction is shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2.

A pair of arms is provided. Each arm is indicated as 36. These arms are pivotally connected at their rear ends to opposite sides of the back intermediate its top and bottom by pivot connections 38. The arms are likewise pivoted adjacent their forward ends to the upper ends of the front legs. This pivotal connection with the legs may be formed by a channel shaped element 40 secured within each arm. Each arm is here shown as itself being of channel formation and this channel element 49 is securely fitted within the arm channel. The upper end of each front leg I8 is secured by a pivotal connection 42 within the channel shaped support 45 as shown particuarly in Fig. 6. When the chair is folded each front leg folds within the channel wherein it is pivoted as shown in Fig. 3.

The rear end of this channel shaped member as forms a socket or the like adapted to detachably receive the upper end of the rear leg on the same side of the chair as shown in Fig. 1 when the chair is in unfolded occupant receiving position. In such position the upper end of the rear leg is received within this channel and seats against the arm. A cushion element 44 may be interposed between the arm and the upper end of the leg as shown in Fig. 6. This cushion element may be of rubber, felt or the like and though here shown seated Within the arm it might be secured to the end of the leg.

As here illustrated the two pairs of legs are outspread at the bottom to form a secure support for the chair and approach but do not contact each other at the top and when the chair is opened each pair of legs is firmly connected with the arms. The connection between the seat and each pair of legs is upon a fixed pivot. The con nection between the back and the rear pair of legs is likewise upon a fixed pivot and as here shown is upon the pivotal connection of the seat with the rear pair of legs. The arms assist in the folding operation and are not merely appendages but rather form useful structural parts of the chair folding mechanism to provide a sturdy stable chair structure.

Through the arms and the back the rear pair of legs are linked with the front legs. Through the seat the two pairs of legs are pivotally connected. Through the links 34 the two pairs of legs are pivotally connected. The pivotal connection of each link 34 with the rear leg is spaced above the seat a distance greater than its pivotal connection with the front leg and the front legs swing upwardly with respect to the rear legs upon the folding of the chair. It will also be noted that the pivotal connections of the legs with the seat are spaced apart a distance greater than the pivotal connections of the legs through said links 34.

When folded the front legs fold against the rear legs as shown in Fig. 3. The seat folds substantially within the plane of the front legs due to the fact that its pivotal connection with the rear legs is offset the plane of the seat and its pivotal connection with the front legs is within the plane of the seat. The back folds substantially within the plane of the rear legs and against the folded seat. The arms fold alongside of the back and as extensions of the rear legs. The chair folds into substantially flat form convenient for stacking and storage. In the folding operation the front legs move upwardly with respect to the rear legs as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

What I claim:

1. A folding arm chair comprising a pair of rear legs, a pair of front legs, a seat pivoted at its rear end between the rear legs, said seat pivoted intermediate its frontand rear between the front legs and adapted to fold therebetween, a back pivoted at its bottom between the rear legs and adapted to fold therebetween, said front legs and rear legs extending upwardly above their pivotal connections with the seat and back respectively, a pair of arms pivoted to the back, said arms adapted to fold alongside the back substantially within the plane thereof and in alignment with the rear legs, said arms pivoted to the upper ends of the front legs and adapted to seat upon the upper ends of the rear legs upon' the unfolding of the chair to occupant supporting position, means cushioning the seating of the arms upon the upper ends of the rear legs, and a pair of links pivotally connecting the front and rear legs in spaced relationship to the seat.

2. A folding arm chair comprising a pair of rear legs, a pair of front legs, a seat pivoted at its rear between the rear legs upon pivots offset the plane of the seat, said seat pivoted intermediate its ends between the front legs and adapted to fold therebetween, a back pivoted at its lower end between the rear legs and adapted to fold therebetween, said rear legs extending upwardly above their pivotal connection with the back and seat, said front legs extending upwardly above their pivotal connection with the seat, a pair of arms pivotally connecting the back intermediate its top and bottom to the upper ends of the front legs, said arms having pocket portions adapted to detachably receive and seat upon the upper ends of the rear legs upon the unfolding of the chair to occupant supporting position, and a pair of links pivotally connecting the front and rear legs above said seat.

3. A folding arm chair comprising, in combination, a pair of front legs, a pair of rear legs, a seat pivoted intermediate its ends between the front legs and pivoted at its rear end between the rear legs, a back pivoted at its lower end between the rear legs, a pair of arms pivoted at their rear ends to the back, said front legs extending above their pivotal connection to the seat and pivotally connected at their upper ends with the arms adjacent to the forward ends of the arms, said rear legs extending above their pivotal connection with the seat and adapted to detachably engage said arms rearwardly of their pivotal connection with the front legs when the chair is unfolded to occupant supporting position, a pair of links pivotally connecting the front legs with the rear legs in spaced apart relationship to the pivotal connections of said legs with the seat, said front and rear legs adapted to fold together and said seat and back adapted to fold together between the front and rear legs.

JOHN B. ADLER.

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