US2343077A

US2343077A - Attaching device for chair legs and the like

Info

Publication number: US2343077A
Application number: US426111A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank T Parrish
Original assignee: Heywood Wakefield Co
Current assignee: Heywood Wakefield Co
Priority date: 1942-01-09
Filing date: 1942-01-09
Publication date: 1944-02-29
Anticipated expiration: 1961-02-28

Description

Feb. 29, 1944. pA s 2,343,077

ATTACHING DEVICE FOR CHAIR LEGS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 9, 1942 FRANK 7." FARE/5H ATTORN EY [LT/'71. INVENTQR Patented Feb. 29, 1944 2,343,077. ATTAGHING-DEV-IGE FOR cH-Am LEGS'AND THE LIKE.

tacorporat on.ofMassach sc Application January 9, 19.42,- Serial- Not. 4263111 Claims.

'The present invention-relates to animproved device for attaching legs-to the seats --ofchairs, sofas or any other articles of furniturewherein itisdesired to -firmlyattach a. leg, 7 orsimilar brace, to a member-which-is tobe supported;

The invention-has-particular reference; to articles of furniture employing plywood.- as a -base and acovering which completely conceals the plywood in thefinished article. "Whileordinary-plywood hassuflicient strength for this purpose and is very readilyworkedinto -various'forms, difiiculties areencountered in securing legs orbraoes tosuch aplywoodbase, due primarilyto the fact that-plywood is not thick enough-to permit the use of the usual holes" forreceiving the endsof the-legs.

According to the present invention, there-is rovided an improved attaching device, particularly-adapted for use -in any article of furniture employing a plywood; base, whereby. a leg or brace can be attached to the base with an extremely rigid connection between the twomembers. Briefly ;stat.ed,..the invention resides in providing a; metallic fixturereadily applied .t-oythe. plywood base, which wfixture cooperatesgwith. a: prepared end. of the leg and anattaching, screw-,-.so.that the related parts are'firmly-heldtogetherrin their assembled. relation.

:The; above and other. advantageous-1 features: of the invention will-hereinaftertmore fully appear from the following-description, considered iin connection with. .the accompanying drawing .in which:

.Fig.: 1" is. a view. in perspective ofa=completed article .of furniture. embodying theinvention, with parts. beingubroken away'toshow' the construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, illustrating the.attachmentotaleg'to a plywood base.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view, illustrating the relation of the parts of the device prior to assembly.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the application of the attaching device to the underside of the surface to be supported.

Fig. 5 illustrates the attaching device forming an integral part of a molded base.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown for purposes of illustration as being embodied in a piece of furniture, such as a chair, which employs a base I of plywood suitably molded so as to provide a support for a cushion 2 and a covering 3, as indicated in section. The base I is supported by a number of legs 4, and the present invention resides in the provision of an improved device for attaching the legs 4 firmly to-the base! in spitezoithe thinness of the plywood and the fact thatit-presentsa somewhat rounded under surface corresponding :to. the curvature of'the seat.

Asbest .7 shown in Figs. 2 and 3; the attaching deviceconsists ofa metallic fixture 5 providing a circular flange 6 having;a-central opening l. surrounded by a raised-'reenforcing bead-:8; The underside of the flange 6 has-.a-sleevell secured thereto within the-'depressionof thebead 8,. as by-weldin-g, so that thesleeveand the'flangeare ineffect, one-piece.

Theoutsidediar'neterof the sleeve 9 is appreciably less than the outside-diameterof'theupper end -of the leg- 4 which is to--be attached, as is evidentfrom Fig. 3. Prior to the attachment of the leg- 4 its'upper end-is provided witha-circular groove ID of such-width-and depth as to closely receivethelower endof the sleeve-9. T-hegroove I ll is concentric with respect to "an opening l l formed: in the center of the-leg; with a considerable thi'ckness or leg material disposed between the opening H and the groove Ill. Q

Preparatory to attaching a leg to the base i, an. opening I2..is formed-in):the plyweod large enough: to. :ireely receive the sleeve: 9; after which thefiangerfi is. secured to the upper side of the base by: means of rivetsl-l:3; 'Ifheprepared'leg i is then attached to theabase byinserting the downwardly projecting end-of: the sleeve 9 in the groove lu -after: which the attachment is comleted-by inserting a W006. screw. M inthe flange opening I, and screwingitdown into the leg opening II. The completedljointz-zthen appears as .inFig, 12,. from which-iitis evidentthat. the

portion of' the screw 14 which is received in the leg opening H, is surrounded by the metallic sleeve 9 seated in the groove l0. Thereforehany tendency. for the woo-d tto spread'away. from. the opening H as the screw is turned in, will result in the wood making an extremely tight fit with the sleeve 9, which is in turn firmly united to the base I.

With a leg 4 attached to a plywood base i by means of the fixture 5, as described above, the resulting joint is as strong, if not stronger, as that which would be obtained with a leg received in a hole provided in a base as thick as the combined depth of the flange 6 and sleeve 9. Furthermore, with the metallic sleeve 9 entirely surrounded by wood forming the walls of the groove l0, it is evident that any shrinkage or swelling of the Wood due to atmospheric conditions, will result in contraction of the wood upon the exterior of the sleeve, or expansion of the wood Within its interior. In other words, the joint will not work loose as a result of shrinkage or swelling, as frequently results when the parts joined are both of wood.

When the legs 4 have been attached to the base I, the fixtures are substantially flush with the upper surface thereof. Consequently, when the cushion 2 and cover 3 are attached to the base, the existence of the fixtures is entirely concealed from above, while the juncture between each leg and the base has the same appearance as the ordinary wood-to-wood joint.

While the attaching device has been described above as being particularly adapted for use in connection with a plywood base, the invention contemplates its use in connection with other types of material. For example, in Fig. 4 the fixtures 5' are shown as being attached to the underside of a sheet metal chair seat l5, as by spot welding, at l6. For this construction, the uncovered upper side of the seat i5 is entirely smooth, with the welded-on fixtures 5' providing means for attaching legs 4' in the manner previously described, and each leg being firmly secured in position by reason of the cooperation between the fixture sleeve and the groove in its end, as shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig, 5 the invention is shown as being embedded in a construction in which a base I! for a table, or other article of furniture, is molded from a plastic material. When utilizing this construction, a fixture 5" is first assembled on a leg 4" and secured in position by means of the screw l4. The base I! is then formed directly on the required number of legs, each equipped with a fixtur 5", by molding any suitable plasticizable material around the flanges 6" so as to embed the latter within the base. The several legs then form a substantially integral part of the completed base, with the flanges 6" serving to firmly anchor the fixtures so that the legs cannot work loose from the molded material.

I claim:

1. In an article of furniture, an arrangement for attaching a leg to a base, comprising in combination, a base of relatively thin material, a metallic fixture secured to said base and providing a sleeve extending from one side of said base, a wooden leg having one end surface providing a groove for closely receiving said sleeve, and an attaching member extending through a central opening in said fixture, providing a head seated around said fixture opening and a threaded shank received in a central portion of the leg surrounded by said groove for securing the grooved end of said leg in abutting relation to said base.

2. In an article of furniture, an arrangement for attaching a leg to a base, comprising in combination, a plywood base for an article of furniture, a metallic fixture, means for securing said fixture, to said base with said fixture providing a sleeve extending through an opening in said base, and within said securing means a wooden leg having one end surface providing a groove for closely receiving said sleeve, and an attaching member extending through a central opening in said fixture, providing a head seated around said fixture opening and a threaded tapered shank received in a central portion of the leg surrounded by said groove, with said shank serving to expand the said central leg portion within said fixture sleeve.

3. In an article of furniture, an arrangement for attaching a leg to a base, comprising in combination, a plywood base for an article of furniture, a metallic sleeve providing a. flange riveted to said base and a cylindrical sleeve extending through an opening in said base, within the riveted area of said flange, a wooden leg, with one end thereof abutting said base and providing an annular groove for closely receiving said fixture sleeve when the parts are assembled, and a wood screw, providing a head seated in a central opening within said fixture and a shank screwed into the central portion of said leg within said fixture sleeve.

4. In an article of furniture, an arrangement for attaching a leg to a base, comprising in combination a base providing a relatively fiat surface, a fixture providing a flange secured to said base, with a hollow portion of said fixture extending from said base within said flange, a leg for the support of said base providing a groove at one end for receiving the hollow portion of said fixture, and means cooperating with said fixture and a central portion of said leg bounded by said groove for securing said leg and base together, with the grooved end of said leg abutting said base.

5. In an article of furniture, an arrangement for attaching a leg to a base, comprising in combination a base providing a relatively flat surface, a fixture providing a flange secured to said base, with said fixture having a sleeve extending from said base within said flange, a leg for the support of said base providing an annular groove at one end for closely receiving the sleeve of said fixture, an attaching member extending through a central opening in said fixture flange, with said attaching member providing a head seated within said fixture opening flush with said flange, and a body in threaded engagement with a central portion of said leg within said groove and encircled by said sleeve.

FRANK T. PARRISH.