US2335234A - Twin or individual chair or seat structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1943. Q, s, CAESAR ET AL 2,335,234

TWIN 0R INDIVIDUAL CHAIR OII SEAT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 31, 1940 o. s. CAESAR ETAL 2,335,234

Nov. 30, 1943. v

TWIN OR INDIVIDUAL CHAIR 0R SEAT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 31, 1940 LQJ/iuIzZOW SJ Banyan/bah]? w Nqv. so, 1943.

O. S. CAESAR ETAL TWIN OR INDIVIDUAL CHAIR OR SEAT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed July 31, 1940 /1 712' Wimmwe {Z014 an iz'aw' zilz Nov. 30, 1943. o. s. CAESAR ETAL TWIN OR INDIVIDUAL CHA IB OR SEAT STRUCTURE Original Filed July :51, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIII Patented Nov. 30, 1943 TWIN R INDIVIDUAL CHAIR OR SEAT STRUCTURE Orville S. Caesar, Barrington,

F. Monroe,

of Delaware 111., and Benjamin Roscoe, CaliL, assignors to Tropic- Aire, Incorporated, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation Original application July 31, 1940, Serial No.

348,618. Divided and this application August 6, 1941, Serial No. 405,574

3 Claims fort which must be obtained by providing a maximum of foot'and legroom. The attainment of this optimum condition of comfort and maximum seating capacity has presented a difiicult problem, which has, itis believed, been largely solved herein.

This application is divisional of our copending parent application of the same title, Serial No. 348,618.

An object is to provide a seat or chair for bus or passenger vehicle use which gives a maximum of leg room, including foot and shin room, and to provide both single and twin seat structures having these advantages.

Another object is to provide an improved base or chassis structure, and a back structure so related thereto as to make for comfort and further the efficiency of the structures related to the aforementioned object.

Features of the invention include all details of construction, along with the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure including: The manner of providing a maximum Of leg room; the elimination of any cross member or members at or near the points of connection of the back with the base of the chair; the substantially flush arrangement of the outer sides of a single back or o! the outer sides of twin backs with the outer sides of the bus chair base to obtain the maximum back supporting areas.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the description of the drawings, and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a twin seat structure illustrating the foot, shin and leg-receiving recesses in the backs of the seats;

Figure 2 is a vertical section partly in elevation taken approximately on line 2-2 of Figure 1, further illustrating the foot, shin and leg-receiving recess and the relation of the back cloth and the foot rest thereto and the spaced relations of two seats as in use;

portions of the release means seat structure, although some bular housings being Figure 3 is a plan of the chassis partly in section, showing the lower portions of the back and for the back adjusting mechanism, in section;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of-the back on line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the leg-receiving recess; and

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section with the back in its rearmost reclining position and showing how the movable arm resthas followed in its rearward movement.

The invention is shown applied to a twin bus seat structure ofa type which has one end attached to the wall of the vehicle and has a floor pedestal as the sole remaining support. It will of course be understood that not all phases of the invention are necessarily limited to a twin phases of the invention are so limited.

Referring first to Figure 2. This figure shows the spaced relation of two seats as in use, and the spacing is approximately proportionate to that had when in use in a vehicle. The relations of the foot, shin and leg spaces of the forwardmost chair to the chair in the rear are shown. The numeral I indicates a pedestal and the numeral 2 generally designates the base or chassis supported by the pedestal.

A bracket, not shown, is provided, by which the inner end of the base or chassis is attached to the wall of the vehicle by the use of suitable fastening devices. The chassis or base is herein constructed of reenforced metal made lighter by providing openings, not shown.

Referring to Figure be constituted by a U-shaped frame generallyindicated at 6, which frame provides rearward extensions 1, 8. When we use the terms seat or base or seat-frame we mean that horizontal structure of a chair on which the person sits, as distinguished from the legs or other means which support such a portion and which hold that portion spaced upwardly from the floor. These rearward extensions are in part hollow or tubular for the reception of the outer arm of the correspond ing back. A central, rearwardly extending hollow structure is generally indicated at l0 and is tubular, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 5; the tuadjacent one another atthe center of the long dimension of the structure. Cross connecting the arms 1 and 8 and the structure Ill are truss structures generally indicated at H, l2. The parts are preferably connected by welding.

It will be noted that the elements I, 8 and I0 3, the base may be said to ably secured socket members, bers being indicated at It and The inner substantially like that shown Now referring to Figure 4. n the forward side of each back is suitable cushioning material.

Each U-shaped back frame provides two transversely the lower ends of are received in corresponding socket memends are suitably pivoted therein, as generally indicated at 2|. The legs are upwardly convergently tapered.

It is further to be noted, (see Figures ll, 2 and 4) that by providing the U-frame and arranging the cushioning material forwardly thereof, a leg or knee-receiving recess is provided which U -shaped piece of which dust and dirt can fall, and thus not collect between the rear of the removable seat 22 and the forwardly, downwardly ex the back cloth 30. The slanting surface 01' the herein, is provided.

Referring to Figures 2, and 4. On the forward side of the back his instance member l2. The pedestal is attached by suitable fastening devices I25 passing through openings I26 in the member i 24.

The range of movement of the back is seen by comparison in Figures 2 and 5, and it will be noted that the foot, leg tained for all positions. An important advantage of this recessed back construction is that the supporting members tending portion of and knee room is mainshown in dotted lines in the back cloth (whether provided rangement of with a kick plate or not) in relation to the recess and to the foot rest is novel and it is noted that the back cloth extends below the upholstery of the back frame, then forwardly and downwardly to in part define the forward wall of the recess or ship and foot space. This is a feature aside from that of the provision of an unrestricted recess extending from a point below the seat and continuously upwardly to include the back. The connection of the back cloth to the base is such that the part of it whichlies below the upholstery of the back may be maintained in substantially taut condition for all positions of the back. Another valuable arrangement is the utilization of the lower part of the back cloth as a means for automatically directing dirt downwardly to be discharged through passages 35.

It will be understood that although the invention has been shown applied to a double bus seat structure, the foot, leg and knee room recess feature is applicable, of course, to a single seat.

Again referring to Figure 2, the feature of supplying adequate foot room below the seat at the rear and providing a foot rest which can swing under the rear part of the seat or can be swung to a point rearwardly of the seat, as shown in Figure 2, and can be swung into recess 9 as sofar as we are aware, entirely new in this art. The advantages will appear from Figure 2 in which the relation of the front of a rear seat to the rear of a forward seat is shown. 7

By inspection of Figure 2 it will be noted that the element [2 is spaced above the lower surface of the side 8 so that an upwardly extending recess 9 is formed which may be considered to be a downward, forward continuation of the recess It. The recess 16 may be said to be defined by the rear surface i3 of the truss structure and the extensions l4, IS. The upwardly extending open bottom recess 9 is defined in Figure 2 by the inner face of the element 8 (see also Figure 3) and by the inner face of the element It and truss structures II or I2.

It will be seen then that when the heel of a foot is resting on 28 (see Figure 2) the toe can enter the recess 9 or the recess l6 and when the foot rest 28 is moved forwardly at some position, for example between its full-line position of Figure 2 and its bottommost dotted-line position in that figure, the toes can project into the recess 9 and the shins can lie within the recess II. On the other hand, when the element 28 is in the full-line position of Figure 3 the knees can enter the recess B. This is a very important matter in bus practice, because comfort for long distance riding is greatly enhanced if there is room for various positions of the legs and feet. By the scheme herein shown the passenger can stretch his legs to the limit or 'bend them to the limit the same figure. is, in-

and yet have neither his feet, shins or knees uncomfortably engaged at any part of the seat in front of him. The foot rest is a valuable element in combination with the recessed structure at the rear of the base and back.

We claim as our invention:

1. A chair structure having a seathaving a forwardly extending notch at the rear adapted to receive the feet and lower legs, a back having upright side members attached to the seat, a back cloth arranged on the forward side of the side members and defining forwardly extending recess adapted to receive the legs and knees, said cloth extending into the seat notch and means securing its lower end to the seat at the forward side of the recess.

2. A chair structure having a seat having in its rear a forwardly extending relatively deep leg-receiving notch, a back-forming member and means pivoting it to the seat, said member providing two upright legs, each leg being elongated in a direction from front to rear, a back cloth bridging the forward sides of said legs and forming therewith a forwardly extending leg-receivingrecess, the' lower portion of said cloth extending over said seat notch and forming a top said cloth being connected to having means cooperating with the forward face of said back cloth through which dirt directed by the forward face of said cloth can pass to a point below the seat.

3. A chair structure having a seat having in its rear a forwardly extending relatively deep leg-receiving notch which is an upward continuation of a foot-receiving recess formed in the bottom surface of the seat, a back-forming member and means pivoting it to the seat, said member providing two upright legs, each elongated in a direction from front to rear, a back cloth bridging the forward sides of said legs to form therewith a leg-receiving recess, said cloth slanting forwardly and downwardly and extending over the notch of the seat and forming a top wall for a recess, said cloth being; connected to the forward side of said seat notch and said seat having means cooperating with the forward face of said downwardly slanting back cloth through which dirt directed by the slanting portion of said cloth can pass to a point below the seat.

ORVILLE S. CAESAR. BENJAMIN F. MONROE.

with said members a,

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