US2177174A - Adjustable footrest - Google Patents

Description

. Oct. 24, 1939. ECCLES 2,177,174

ADJUSTABLE FOOTREST Filed July 2a, 1958 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE 1 Claim.

My present invention relates to the provision of an adjustable footrest for association with and attachment to chairs of ordinary and usual sizes. It is usual to provide high-chairs for relatively young and small babies with permanent footrests, but, there is a period during the growth of children when they are too large to comfortably use high-chairs provided with footrests, during which their legs have not grown sufficiently to reach the floor when sitting on .a chair of usual and ordinary height.

I have discovered that children, whose legs dangle when using chairs of ordinary height, whether at meal time or upon other occasions, are

extremely liable to become restless and nervous by reason of the fact that the Weight of the pendant or suspended portion of the legs supported from the front of the seat, retards circulation and produces discomfort of varying degrees amounting, at times, to the partial and temporary paralysis known as going to sleep of the members in question. Not only are children annoyed in this way, the reason for which they are not aware, but small people and people whose legs are not long enough to be properly supported from the floor when sitting in chairs of ordinary height, are subjected to the same inconveniences, the reason for their discomfort not always being understood by themselves.

It was my object to produce an adjustable footrest which could be associated with and attached to most chairs of ordinary height so as to properly support the legs of persons using the chairs and thereby prevent the impeded circulation and resultant discomfort.

I have accomplished the foregoing objects by means of the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of an adjustable footrest 4.0 embodying my invention in connection with a chair of conventional construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of'the footrest shown in Fig. l, detached from the chair.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the footrest shown 45 in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the platform or step of the footrest detached from the frame and Fig. 5 is an end view of the step or platform shown in Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

To support in desired position the step or platform I0, upon which the feet rest, I provide side 55 members II which may be made in any desired width and height which will allow, without weakening the structure, of receiving two parallel, vertical slots l2, spaced fro-m each other an inch or more, as may be desired, and of necessary 0 ;length to secure such vertical adjustment of the step or platform as may be required or desired. The side members are held in parallel relation and spaced from each other, such distance as may be desired, by rungs or rods 13 extending between the opposite lower corners of the respective side members.

I also find it convenient with footrests which are frequently shifted from chair to chair, to employ an additional supplementary rod or rung l4, extending centrally between the tops of the side members. The supplementary rod or rung l4 not only increases the strength and parallelism of the arrangement of the side members but is also convenient for use as a handle in moving the footrest from place to place.

The step or platform I0 is proportioned to fit and extend between the side members H and, secured to the underface of the step or platform at its ends, are rails or projections l5 which rails are provided with aligning horizontal slots l6 which intersect the planes of the vertical slots 12 in the side member I l.

I employ headed bolts l'l, generally known in the trade as carriage bolts, with washers l8 and wing nuts l9, which bolts pass through the registering portions of the slots I 2 and I5 so that by tightening up the wing nuts I9, the platform or step I0 may be secured in any desired angular position and at any desired height.

If the person who is to use my footrest is not very nervous and the side members are of reasonable width, no means are necessary for securing the structure to the chair, but, in order to dependably secure the structure to a chair for a greater or less length of time, I have provided at the top and bottom of one edge of the side members the short slots 20 for the passage of tapes or buckle straps 2| which may be readily and quickly fastened or detached to or from the legs of a chair.

It will be found that my structure may be easily employed for greatly increasing the comfort of all those who may have use therefor.

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

An adjustable footrest comprising side members having a plurality of spaced, parallel, vertical slots in each side member, means for maintaining said side members in substantial parallelism and spaced relation, a platform or step extending between said side members having lateral rails extending adjacent said side members, said rails being provided with horizontal slots, bolts passing through the registering portions of the slots in said side members and the slots in said side rails, nuts for securing said bolts in desired position and means for securing said side members detachably to the legs of a chair.

EMMA G. ECCLES.

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