US2228728A - Adjustable chair back - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1941. E, PAULSON ET AL ADJUSTABLE CHAIR BACK Filed Feb. 7, 1959 5 E H: FZH tmfi P n u 5 D m t N M a W t WHF W H H E Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE CHAIR BACK Edward Paulson and Anton A. Maurer, Green Bay, Wis., assignors to Norcor Manufacturing Company, Green Bay, Wis.

' Application February 7, 1939, Serial No. 255,063

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to adjustable chair backs, and more particularly to a back rest pivotally connected to the side rails of a metal folding chair.

Adjustable back rests for various types of chairs, such as office, barber, physician, and household chairs, are old, but these comprise elaborate and costly structures which make them prohibitive for use in conventional inexpensive folding metal chairs, and as far as is known, all

metal folding chairs are at present equipped with rigid back rests.

Therefore, the present invention has primarily for its object the provision of an exceedingly simple and inexpensive back rest for metal chairs,

that will automatically adjust itself to the posture of the occupant and which is frictionally held in adjusted position.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the present invention, resides in the provision of a back support having pintles journaled in the metal tubular side rails of a folding chair, and resilient clips positioned within said tubular rails and straddling offset ends formed on said pintles, for frictional engagement with the same, said clips being held against rotation by the walls of the tubular arms.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel method, construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, 35 it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawing: 45 Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a conventional metal folding chair equipped with the present invention, parts being broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

50 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the adjustable connection between the back rest and one of the tubular side rails of the chair, parts being broken away and in section;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the 55 line 44 of Figures;

Figure 5 is a detailed section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the resilient clips for frictionally holding the back rest in adjusted position. 5

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the invention may be applied to any type of metal folding chair comprising side rails l, the upper ends of which serve to support an adjustable back rest 2, which may be of any 10 desired construction and material, providing either an upholstered or plain panel.

In the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated, the metal side rails l are tubular, and provided at their upper ends with closure caps 3, 15 pressed or otherwise securely attached thereto.

Secured to the rear face of the back support 2, adjacent its side edges, are brackets 4 provided with pintles 5 terminating in offset projections 6, the pintles being journaled in the inner walls of the side arms as best shown in Figure 3, with the offset projections 6 extending upwardly within the side arms.

Loosely positioned within the tubular side arms are resilient U shaped clips I, which straddle the offset projections 6, one side of the clips being provided with a notch 8 for reception of the pintle 5.

Inasmuch as the width of the resilient clips I is substantially the same as the interior of the tubular side rails I, obviously, the clips are held against rotation either on or with the pintles 5, and because of the resilient character of the clips, the side arms are caused to engage the offset projections 6 to frictionally grip the same, and thus releasably hold the pintles against rotation.

From the foregoing explanation considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the

structure and operation of the invention will be affords comfort to the occupant of the chair, but

also facilitates stacking of the chairs when in collapsed position, due to the fact that the back rest can be swung and frictionally held in parallel alinement with the side rails. Another important advantage results from the present invention, in that no mechanical operations are required in the assembling of the resilient clips, in that this is accomplished by merely inserting the clips into the tubular side rails to straddle the pintles and offset projections in the manner illustrated and described. The closure caps 3 when secured to the ends of the side rails, serve to prevent accidental dislodgment of the clips from the pintles.

As best shown in Figure 4, the length of the offset projections 6 is such as to cause them to engage the opposite walls of the rails to limit rotary movement of the back rest to approximately 90 degrees, which afiords a sufficient range of adjustment to accommodate the average occupant, and at the same time insures presentation of the front of the back rest toward the occupant.

We claim:

1. A chair back comprising spaced side rails, a back support, pintles secured to said support adjacent its side edges and journaled in said rails, said pintles terminating in angularly extending projections, and resilient U shaped clips straddling and engaging said projections, said clips being held against movement with said pintles by said side rails to frictionally hold said support in adjusted position.

2. A chair back comprising tubular side rails, a back support, pintles secured to said support adjacent its side edges and. journaled in said rails, said pintles terminating in angularly extending projections, said projections being of sufficient length to engage the side walls of said tubular rails to limit rotation of said support in two directions, resilient U shaped clips loosely positioned in said side rails and straddling and engaging said projections, said clips being held against movement with said pintles by said rails to frictionally hold said support in adjusted position, and caps secured to the ends of said side rails to prevent dislodgment of said clips from said pintles.

EDWARD PAULSON. ANTON A. MAURER.

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