US2340845A

US2340845A - Convertible chair and couch

Info

Publication number: US2340845A
Application number: US434755A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hampton Fred
Original assignee: ZIMETS BED SPRING CORP
Current assignee: ZIMETS BED SPRING Corp
Priority date: 1942-03-14
Filing date: 1942-03-14
Publication date: 1944-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1961-02-01

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1942 a e 5 a 2 a 2 o s, n A u M 6. 0 .4 4 o w r .I 0 7 2 3 5% a 6 4 O 8. H 5 2 /m .w. ,9 a m u c n w mvmon. MPI'ON.

BY (Um/1m LUJLA ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1944. F. HAMPTON 2,340,845

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND COUCH Filed March 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. lkED HAMPTON.

A TTOKNE )4 Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT o Ficcff CONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND COUCH Fred Hampton, Bellerose, N. Y., assignor to Zimets Bed Spring Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y,

Application March 14, 1942, Serial No. 434,755

2 Claims.

This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to easy chairs susceptible of being extended and inclined to constitute a comfortable couch.

An object of the present invention is to provide a structure, normally usable as a commodious chair of attractive appearance, capable of being unfolded or inclined rearwardly at the back and extended at the front, thereby to conveniently form a. couch.

A further feature is in the provision of a chair structure that may be manually raised and metamorphosed into a couch without the use of tools or mechanical appliances, easily and quickly when desired, and with equal ease returned to a normal position.

Another purpose is to produce a convertible chair-couch, simple and inexpensive to construct, easy to manipulate, and of lasting qualities.

These desirable aims are accomplished by the novel construction, arrangement and combination of simple parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, constituting an important part of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, shown as a chair, one of the main side support members being omitted.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, similar to Fi ure 1, but showing the parts extended in the position of a couch.

In the several views the side frame members, of which it will be understood two are used, are of the same general construction, consisting of front legs [5 and rear legs l6 rigidly connected near their tops and intermediate their heights by transverse bars ll-l8, and near their bottoms by beams [9; it will be further understood that, for the purpose of illustration, no attempt at showing upholstery has been made.

Secured to the inner adjacent sides of the beams l9, are horizontal bars 20, as by screws 2|, these bars preferably being commercial rolled angles, having short upturned ends 22 at the front fastened to the front legs I5 and similar, and longer rear ends 23 at the back fastened to the rear legs IS, the rear elements 23 being further stiffened by braces 24 angularly disposed and riveted to the bars 20.

The front elements 22 are cross connected by a bar 25, while near the rear of the bars is a cross connection 26, thus forming a firm, rigid frame.

Pairs of bent links 28 are pivoted in spaced relation, at their lower ends, to the bars 20 and at their upper ends to the other bars 30forming the side elements of the seat frame, these bars being connected at their front ends byga level cross bar 3| and at their'rear ends by the-up standing, offset elements 320i a transverse bar '33-.

Coiled tension springs 34 are attached at their lower front ends to the bottoms of the front'links 28 and at their upper ends to the tops of the rear links, these springs exerting force' tending to draw the links 28 into a nearly upright position, thus elevating the seat frame as a unit.

Riveted to the outer side of the bars 30 aredown-reaching pads 35-46, the latter being of lesser length and closer to the front of thefram'e;

Pivoted to the longer, rear pads'35 are offset links 31., similar links 38 being pivoted to the shorter front pads 36. v

A foot frame having side bars 40 connected at the front by a cross bar 4| and at the rear by-a similar bar 42, has its side members 40 pivotally engaged by the front ends 'of the links 31 in such manner as to permit the foot frame to be' folded over and upon the adjacent seatframe at will.

The links 38 are pivoted at' 43 to the side bars 4|] and have extensions therebeyond pivoted to links 44, reaching angularly downward and having at their outer ends studs 45 movably engaged in slots 46 formed in plates 41 fixed on the spaced apart parallel side elements 48 of a front support element 49 connecting the sides 48 in the manner of a loop.

The side elements 48 are pivoted to the foot frame members 40 as at 50 and are held normally extended by tension springs 5|.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the elements 48-49 constitute foldable legs for the foot frame when the device is to be used as a couch and when as a chair can be turned inwardly, these positions being apparent in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

The back of the chair, or head frame of the couch comprises a rolled angle bent to produce side members integrally connected by a cross bar 56, these elements being overlaid by a wooden frame 51 to which upholstery may be secured.

At the inner ends of the side members 55 are rigidly secured curved brackets 58 pivoted at their outer ends to raised lugs 59 fixed on the rear ends of the bars 80.

Distanced from the brackets 58, in the outer elements of the head frame members 55 are open slots 60, their remote ends terminating in lateral notches 8|.

7 claims.

Studs 62, set rigidly in the upper ends of the upright bars 23, are engaged in the slots 60, in which manner as to retain the head frame at a desirable angle with the seat, when used as a chair, and when the head frame is extended level, as a couch, the studs engage the notches 6 l supporting the structure horizontally and in a plane higher than the normal level of the seat when used as a chair, the seat being raised to the level of the backwhen the back is horizontal.

A plurality of coiled tension springs 65 are con-' nected at their outer ends to extend inwardly from both sides of the

frame elements

30, 40 and 55, these springs supporting and tensionlng the mattress structure indicated at 66, which may be of any preferred type.

In operation, the parts being assembled to act as a chair having a back and fixed arms,'upholstored in any preferred manner, and it is desired to use the structure as a bed or couch, it is needed onlyto seize the elements 5651 and exert moderatedownward pressure, whereupon the back is drawn level and the seat simultaneously raised to the same height.

fljhereafter seizing the bar 4| and exerting a forward pull, the foot frame swings upwardly and outwardlyyby reason of the

links

31 and 38, into a forward position, and the support elements 48 assume an upright position, retaining the parts all in the same level. f Y

Conversely, to use as a chair, the operations are merely reversed. v 7

Although the foregoing is descriptive of the best known embodiment of th invention, it is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, as minor changes are included within the concept of theinvention as denoted by the annexed Having thus described the invention, and set forth the manner of its construction and application, what is claimed as new and sought to secure by LettersPatent, is: I

p 1. A convertible chair. and couch comprising side elements. having arm .rests and supporting legs, rigid connections between saidelements including a horizontal bar-fixed on each side element, said bars having raised vertical members on their rear ends, cross connections between said bars, a seat frame, pairs of spaced apart links pivoted at the front and rear on each side of said frame to connect said bars and seat frame, tension springs extending between th lower pivots of the front link and the upper pivots of the rear links to exert force to aid in raising said seat frame relative to said bars, a head frame, brackets pivotally connecting said head frame and seat frame, guideways' in the outer Side {members of said head frame, studs set in the'upper ends of said vertical members to move in said guideways, means to restrain said studs when at the ends of said guideways, a foot frame, spaced pairs of links connectin the foot frame to said seat frame permitting the foot frame to be swung over the seat frame and extend forwardly therefrom, supports for the foot frame, and means to automatically extend and retract said side supports.

2. A convertibl chair and couch comprisin a pair of side elements including arm rests and supporting legs, a rigid rectangular frame connecting said elements, including a horizontal bar secured on the inner surface of each side element, said bars having upright rear end members, cross connections betweensaid bars, a seat frame normally resting on said connections, pairs of links pivoted in tandem connecting said bars and seat frame, a head frame, pivoted connections between said head and seat frames to raise and lower the seat frame in accordance with the position of the head frame, the side members of said head frame containing slots havin detent terminals, studs set in the upper ends of the upright members of said bars engaged in the head frame slots and enterable in the detent terminals thereof when said head frame is horizontal, a foot frame, pairs of tandem links connecting said foot frame and seat frame whereby the foot frame may be swung forwardly relative to the seat frame, foldable supports on said foot frame, and means to extend and re tract said supports when the foot frame is swung outwardly and inwardly, said frames when extended forming a firm substantially level support for a mattress and when retracted to constitute an arm chair.

FRED HAMPTON.