US2169550A - Attachment for rocking chairs - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 15, 1939. Y J. H AREND ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKING CHAIRS Filed March 14, 1938 Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKING CHAIRS John H. Arends, Maplewood, N. J.

Application March 14, 1938, Serial No. 195,731

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in rocking chairs; and more particularly to the provision of an adjustable footrest for rocking chairs.

Heretofore, in the usual rocking chair, the feet generally rest upon the floor and during the rocking movements of the chair, the feet are constantly raised and lowered.

This movement of the feet and lower limbs becomes tiring after a period of time, especially with elderly people who are the main users of rocking chairs. Also, the usual rocking chair is not adjustable to accommodate persons of different sizes, and unless the chair is properly fitted to the user the rocking action is uncomfortable.

It is therefore an object of this invention, to provide in a rocking chair a footrest which can be adjusted to accommodate persons of any size, and obviates the necessity of the user of the chair placing the feet upon the floor, thus Preventing raising and lowering of the feet and annoying actions of the lower limbs.

A further object is the provision of an adjustable footrest which can be adjusted to any standard rocking chair without material alterations. The footrest is simple in structure and can be readily and conveniently manufactured at a relatively low cost, with the further advantage that the foot rest can be attached to any rocking chair now in use.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof,

and in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a rocking chair, partly in section, embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken upon the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an element of the device, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a stop element used in the device, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, in Fig. 1 is shown a rocking chair of a well known type having arcuate rocking elements 'i which support the seat 8 and back member 9.

The improvement comprises an adjustable footrest adapted to be conveniently attached to the rocking element 1. For the purpose of the strips H are connected by a pair of bars 10 I2 and I3, preferably of wood, one of said bars having slots I3 therein as shown in Fig. 3 so that the distance between the strips II can be adjusted to accommodate the footrest to various chairs and in certain desired positions, by means 15 of screws l9 or the like. The bars 12 and I3 are attached to the strips H in any desired or convenient manner, as for instance, by screws or the like.

The rear ends of the strips II have attached 20 thereto stop elements M which limit the forward movement of the strips and prevent them from being drawn completely out of the guide members l0.

As will be seen the footrest can be readily and 25 conveniently adjusted to accommodate persons of all sizes.

In operation, during the rocking of the chair, it is not necessary to rest the feet upon the floor, but the feet can be maintained in a comfortable and steady position on the footrest at all times. This is of considerable advantage and an important feature in view of the fact that rocking chairs are generally used by aged and infirm persons to whom slight inconveniences become 35 extremely annoying.

When it is not desired to use the footrest, the strips II can be slid backward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the rocking chair can be used in the usual manner. 40

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of the invention,. which comprises a pair of strips l5 adapted to be attached to the rocking element 1, the strips I5 moving in guide elements such as shown in Fig. 4. The forward end of each strip 45 has a right angularly directed portion 16, which portions abut each other and are adapted to be connected. The modified form is of simpler structure than that shown in Fig. 2 in that the footrest can be made out of two flat bars. The 50 rear ends of the: strips l5 are likewise provided with integral stops H to limit the forward movement of the strips to prevent them from being drawn completely out of the guide members l0.

From the above description it will be seen that 55 there has been provided a simple footrest attachof standard type. The device can be manufactured at a relatively low cost so that it can be available for persons of all means.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which, obviously, embodiments may be constructed including many modifications, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein set forth and denoted in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a rocking chair having arcuate rocking elements diverging from the rear to the front of thereof, means for adjustably connecting the 1" right angled inwardly directed portion of said bars to provide a foot rest, and stop elements at the rear ends of said bars.

JOHN H. ARENDS.

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