US2267668A

US2267668A - Floating seat

Info

Publication number: US2267668A
Application number: US303464A
Authority: US
Inventors: Randolph Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-11-08
Filing date: 1939-11-08
Publication date: 1941-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1958-12-23

Description

Dec. 23, 1941.v T. RANDOLPH 2,257,668

FLOATING SEAT Filed Nov. 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 T T7. f' l *9T* WITNESS Dec. 23, 1941. T. RANDOLPH 2,267,668

FLOATING SEAT Filed NOV. B, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 einem; es, isti UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOATING SEAT Thomas Randolph, Tacoma, Wash. Application November 8, 1939, Serial No. 303,464

2 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful irnprovements in seat construction.

An important object of my invention is to provide a seat construction that is particularly adapted to be incorporated in automotive vehicles.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seat construction wherein the back and seat por tions of the said seat construction -receive as a unit the vibrations imparted thereto by the m0- tion of the vehicle chassis, thus greatly increasing the comfort and material enjoyment ci the person seated thereon.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a seat construction of the above-mentioned character wherein the back portion may be angularly adjusted relative to the seat portion to permit the person seated thereon to assume a reclining position.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a seat construction that is inexpensive to manufacture and eicient and eicacious in the performance of its duties.

Other objects and advantages cf my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the saine;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same,

Figure 4 is a lfragmentary transverse sectional I.

view, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 6,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the back adjusting mechanism,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view` taken on the line 6-8 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 1--1 of Figure 2, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 1.

n the accompanying drawings, wherein for spaced apertures to receive the threaded screws 55 I8, or the like, which lixedly attach the same to a suitable base I 9.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the casings are positioned in spaced parallel relation and are adapted to receive the chair 20 therebetween. The chair 20 includes a substantially rectangular trarne 2| adapted to support the seat'cushion 22, which may be constructed of any suitable padding material 23 such as horsehair, sponge rubber, or the like. Plates 24 and 25 extend laterally from the sides of the frame 2l, through the recesses 26 and 2l in the inner walls I2 of the casings I8 and I I, andthe outer ends thereof are biiurcated to receive the inverted U-shaped brackets 28. The arms 29 and 36 of the brackets are spaced slightly inwardly from the front and rear walls I4 and I5 of the casings and extend through aligning openings in the spaced brackets 3l and 32.

Rollers

33 and 34 are journaled Within the brackets 3I and 32 in slightly spaced relation and are formed with peripheral recesses which receive and frictionally engage the sides of the arms of the U-shaped brackets to hold the same in alignment and permit the seat 2D to have a limited vertical reciprocation relative to thecasings Ill and II. The extremities of the brackets 28 extending below the brackets 32 are screw threaded to receive the lock nuts 355 and a rubber washer 36 is interposed between the nut and the said brackets. Oil pads 37 are carried by the arms 29 and 3U above the brackets 3| 4and 32; the pads may be of a sell-lubricating graphite material or of felt to permit the same to be impregnated with oil to keep the arms and rollers lubricated at all times. If the pads 3l are made from a felt material the oil may be introduced through the horizontally aligning openings 38 in the inner wall I2 of the casings.

The supports 39 are riveted, or otherwise secured, to the bottom walls Il of the casings and the overload springs 40 are seated thereon and extend upwardly therefrom. The spring seats 4I are formed with an annular flange 42 which bears against the upper extremity of the overload springs and a cupular central portion 43 is slidably received within the compass of the spring. The substantially smaller springs 44 are seated within the cupular portion 43 of the spring seats and the upper ends thereof are held in engagement with the plates 24 and 25 by the lugs 45.

The back cushion 46 comprises a backing plate 4l having the front face thereof suitably padded as at 48. Spaced hinges 49 connect the backing plate 41 and the frame 2I of the seat to permit the back 48 to be angularly adjusted relative to the seat. A catch bar 50 is riveted, or otherwise secured, to the backing plate 41 and the lower extremity 5| thereof extends downwardly and inwardly below the seat 22 to engage the vertically disposed rack bar 5I the lower end of which is pivoted between the brackets 52 and 53 depending from the underside of the seat. The coil spring 54 is interposed between the bottom of the seat 22 and the lower end 5i of the catch bar to hold the back normally in a vertical position. The end 55 of the rod 56 is pivoted to the rack bar adjacent the free end'thereoi and the end 51 of the rod extends forwardly and terminates in an enlarged head portion 58 normally seated in the recess 59 at the front of the seat.

Thearm supports 60 extend upwardly from either side of the seats 22 and the upper `edges thereof are provided with suitable pads 6I. The arm supports 60 and pads 6l do not engage the back 46 so that the said back may be pivoted rearwardly independently of the seat to permit a person seated thereon to assume a reclining position. Y

The foot rest 62 is pivotally mounted between the casings Ill and Il adjacent the juncture of the rear and bottom walls thereof and extends angularly upwardly from its pivot to engage the inwardly extending supporting pins 53. A metal apron 64 is secured to the back 46, as illustrated in Figure 3, and the lower extremity 65 thereof extends downwardly and inwardly under the seat 22 to engage the transverse rod 65.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The normal motions or vibrations of the chassis of the vehiclewill be substantially absorbed by the small springs 44; however, if the vehicle passes over a relatively large obstruction in the road, the heavier shock will be absorbed by the overload springs 40.

The spaced

rollers

33 and 34 engage the

arms

29 and 30 of the U-shaped brackets 28 to hold the seat against horizontal movement but permit the same to be freely movable in a vertical direction. The vertical movement of the seat, however, will be resiliently limited by the action of the

springs

40 and 44. Lock nuts 35 and washer 36 effectively limit the extent of the upward movement of the seat, and the oil impregnated washers 31 permit the vertical movements of the seat to be eiected ln a substantially quiet and noiseless manner. By virtue of the fact that the back 41 is hingedly mounted to the seat porn tion 22, the seat 20 will move as a unit as the

springs

40 and 44 accommodate themselves to the vibrations of the vehicle.

In many seat constructions springs are incorporated in the seat structure so -that the seat operates independently of the back and in a manner whereby the back of a person seated thereon is continually rubbing up and down against the back of the seat. This distressing and uncomfortable circumstance has been eliminated in the4 wardlythe rack will engage with the end 5I of the catch bar to hold the back in the desired position. The-back may again be moved to the vertical position by the simple expedient of again disengaging the rack bar from the catch bar so that the resilient action of the coil spring 54 may operate to move the back once more into right angular relation with the seat.

If the seats are incorporated inta bus structure, a plurality of the seats Vwill be positioned in spaced relation one behind the other; the foot rests 62 are therefore provided to accommodate the foot of the person in the rearwardly posipresent construction by combining the back and tioned seat while the apron 64 will prevent the legs of the person from engaging either the catch bar or rack bar 5|.

Itis to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a Vehicle seat construction, spaced parallel essentially box-like housings the confronting vertical walls of which are provided with spaced vertical slots, a horizontally disposed seat member positioned between the housings having horizontally extending lugs projecting into the housings through the said slots, depending U-shaped brackets carried'by the portion of the lugs disposed within the housings, spaced pairs of rollers journaled within Ythe housings for receiving the arms of the U-shaped brackets therebetween to permit essentially frictionless vertical movement of the seat relative to the housings, spring means disposed within the housings and engaging the lugs of the seat to resiliently limit the vertical movements of the said seat, and a vertically disposed cushion member carried by the seat member and movable therewith.

2. In a vehicle seat construction, spaced essentially box-like housings the confronting vertical walls of which are each provided with spaced vertical slots, a horizontally disposed seat mem'- ber positioned between the housings, said seat having horizontally extendinglugs projecting into the housings through the said-slots, depending U-shaped brackets disposed within the housings and connected to the said lugs, spaced pairs of rollers journaled within the housings, one pair of rollers being provided for each arm of the brackets and each of the said pairs receiving a respective one of the bracket arms therebetween to permit vertical movement of the seat relative to the housings, vertically disposed springs mounted within the housings below the said lugs, spring seats positioned in the upper ends of the springs, and relatively weaker springs seated in the spring seats and engaging the said lugs, said first and second-mentioned springs resiliently limiting the vertical movements of the said seat, a normally vertically disposed cushion member hingedly carried by the seat and movable therewith, and manually operable means for holding the last-mentioned cushion member in various angular adjustment relative to the said seat.

THOMAS RANDOLPH.