US2470834A - Infant's chair - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1949. L. c. PELTIER INFANTS CHAIR a Filed Jan. 29, 1945 .Zaslz'e Patented May 24, 1949 2,470,834 INFANTS can-R Leslie 0. Peltier, Delphos, Ohio, assignor to The Delphos Bending Company, Delphos, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application January 29, 1945; Serial No. 575,013- 4 Claims. (01. 155-127) This invention relates to an improved foldable' or collapsible chair adapted for infants use, and the main object of the invention is to provide a substantial and efiicient collapsible chair adapt ed for the support of an infant in a safe and se cure manner when the chair occupies its extended or active position and utilizes but a minimum of storage space when in its folded or collapsed position.

It is another object of the invention to provide a collapsible chair for infants use which is so constructed and proportioned that when placed on the seat of a chair of standard dimensions, a high chair structure will be presented.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a high chair of this character with pivotally movable supporting arms which, when actively extended, serve to efiect the support of a slidable tray, the latter being movable in a forward or outward direction on the arms to permit of the placing of an infant or small child within the chair and thereafter moved rearwardly to assume an active position in which the occupant of the chair is securely retained therein and pre* vented from falling out.

Other objects reside in providing an infants chair wherein the sliding tray structure is retained in its active position by means of detachable tapes removably associated with the seat of the chair; in the provision of a chair in which the back thereof is equipped with securing straps by which the infants chair may be attached in a secure manner to the back rungs of an asso ciated standard chair; in the provision of means for limiting the sliding movement of the tray structure in a horizontal plane when said structure is actively mounted on the chair arms, the means being of such nature as to admit of the separation of the tray structure from the chair proper when the latter is collapsed, and in other features and details of construction hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an infants chair formed in accordance with the present invention, the same being shown as occupyin an operative position on the seat of an associated standard chair to constitute a high chair attach my improved collapsible infants chair is formed substantially entirely from wood, the same embodying a pair of forwardly disposed legs 5 and another pair of rearwardly situated, substantially parallel legs 6. Pivotally joined, as at l, with the front legs and, as at 8', with the rear legs are the four corners of a substantially rectangular seat 9, the pivots 'l and 8 permitting the front and rear legs and the seat to be pivotally united for chaircollapsing. and extending operations. The rear legs, adjacent to their upper regions, are rigidly secured to the vertical sides of a. back panel E0, the latter being formed with a hand-receiving opening l l to provide conveniently for the lifting and other handling of the chair.

Pivotally joined, as at I2, to the upper ends of the front legs 5 are the forward ends of a pair of side arms l3, the rear ends of said arms being pivotally connected as at l4 with the rear legs 5'.

To positively retain the chair in its extended or active condition, use is made of a set of foldable braces 15. These braces are pivotally joined at their upper ends as at I6 with a pair of brackets ll secured to the under surface of the seat member 9 adjacent to its side edges, and the lower ends of said braces are .pi-Votally connected as at l8 with the rear legs 6 toward their lower ends. These braces are of the break-joint type and the brace links of each set thereof are pivotally united as at I9 with each other, there being engaging lugs 20 formed on one of said links so that the latter, when extended, as in Figs. 1 and 2, maintain their longitudinal alignment. When the links are forced downwardly and outwardly, the seat member and the side arm I3 are permitted to swing downwardly and thereby move the front legs toward and in relatively close relationship with the rear legs.

When the chair is in its active or extended position, the side arms [3 are adapted to receive a slidable commodity-receiving tray 2!. The tray isformed with rearwardly projecting extensions 22 which have slidable engagement with and substantially overlie the arms I 3. Guiding relationship between the extensions '22 and the arms I3 is maintained by recessing the extensions 22 longitudinally as at 23 for the reception of the side arms. The tray is additionally retained in united relationship with the side arms by forming the under surfaces of the latter with longitudinal recesses 24. These recesses receive the lower horizontally positioned ends of a pair of turnable hooks 25 carried by and dependin from the tray extensions 22. The length of the re- "ce's'ses 24 limits the extent of sliding movement of the tray 2| when the lower ends of the hooks 25 occupy the same. Thus, the tray may be slidably moved in a rearward and inward direction to prevent the child from falling out and also to bring the entire upper surface of the tray within the reach of the child.

To hold the tray in its rearward or active position, the under side thereof carrier a tape or strap 26, the latter having its lower free end equipped with a, snap fastener 21 adapted for detachable connection with the under and forward part of the seat member 9. To disengage the tray from the chair, the snap fastener is released and the hook elements 25 are turned so that their lower ends will be removed from the confines of the recesses 24. By the execution of these simple operations, the tray may be bodily removed from the balance of the chair, permitting the tray to be readily cleaned, or to enable the chair to be used without the same.

While my improved chair may be used generally as a seating structure for infants or small children, one of its important uses is that of a supplementing high chair attachment for standard chairs. The usual high chair takes up considerable room and floor space in a home or restaurant and is objectionable from this standpoint. With the chair formed in accordance with the present invention, this objection is eliminated by reason of the chairs collapsibility, However, when a high chair is desired, the chair forming the present invention is placed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, on the seat 28 of a standard chair, and the proportions of my improved chair are such that when it is so positioned, the infant will be disposed at convenient table height.

To hold my improved chair in its applied position on the seat .28, the back panel ID has secured thereto a cleat 29 which is recessed to receive a buckle-carrying strap 30, the latter being passed around the back rungs 3! of a standard chair and fastened so that the folding infants chair will be held against dislodgment from its applied position on the seat 28. If the chair rungs 31 extend horizontally instead of vertically, as shown, the cleat 29 may be oscillated about its attaching screw 32 with the back panel id in order to position the strap 30 for convenient association with horizontal rungs.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the preesnt invention provides a foldable chair adapted for general use by infants and small children, the construction of the chair being such as to admit of its convenient association with chairs of standard design to constitute a high chair attachment therefor. As distinguished from ordinary high chairs, my improved chair may be collapsed when not in use so that it will occupy but a minimum of storage space. This feature is also advantageous in reducing space requirements during shipment of the chair.

The construction of my improved chair is such as to admit of ready collapsing of the same into a small compact unit, or its extension to its normal open or active position. By the provision of the sliding tray, which is detachably united with the chair arms through the use of the tape or strap 26, an infant may be readily placed Within the chair and When so placed, securely held against the possibility of falling out. Also, through the provision of the rear straps 30, my improved infants chair when mounted on a standard type of chair will be positively retained against displacement or dislodgement. By slightly closing the braces, the rear legs and back panel of the chair may be adjusted to conform with the angularity of the back structure of the associated standard chair in order to extend substantially parallel therewith.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the construction of my improved chair with respect to the specific embodiment thereof herein described and illustrated in detail, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A high-chair forming auxiliary for chairs, comprising a chair structure embodying a pair of front legs, a pair of back legs, a seat connected adjacent to its front and rear edges with said front legs, a pair of arms disposed above said seat in parallel relation thereto, said arms having the under sides thereof longitudinally recessed, means uniting the front and rear ends of said arms with said legs, a tray having a pair of spaced rearwardly-projecting extensions slidably positioned on said arms, turnable elements carried by said extensions engageable with the recesses of said arms to limit inward and outward sliding movement of said tray on said arms in a substantially horizontal plane, said elements being movable to positions providing for the separation of said tray from said arms, and detachable means for retaining said tray against sliding movement on said arms when the tray occupies its innermost position thereon.

2. A high-chair forming auxiliary for chairs comprising a chair structure embodying a pair of front legs, a pair of back legs united by a rigid back rest, a seat united with said legs, a pair of arms normally disposed above and in parallel relation with said seat, means uniting the ends of said arms with said front and back legs, a tray, spaced rearwardly projecting extensions rigidly connected with said tray, said extensions being formed with longitudinally extending recesses on the underside in which said arms are adapted to be positioned, downwardly extending turnable fastening elements having laterally projecting lower ends carried by said extensions, the lower ends of said elements being receivable in guide recesses formed in the lower faces of said arms, whereby to slidably unite said tray with said arms when said elements are operatively positioned and limit the sliding movement of said tray relative to said arms, said elements when inoperatively positioned being independent of said arms to permit of the separation of said tray therefrom, and detachable means for retaining said tray against sliding movement relative to said arms when the tray occupies its innermost position thereon.

3. A high-chair forming auxiliary for chairs comprising a chair structure embodying spaced pairs of front and back legs, a seat united with said legs, a pair of arm rests connected with said legs, the said arm rests having the undersides thereof longitudinally recessed, a separable tray having rearwardly disposed extensions slidably mounted on said arm rests, releasable means uniting the extensions of said tray with said arm rests and operative when engaging the recesses of the arm rests, to limit the extent of sliding movement of said tray relative to said rests and when disengaged from the latter recesses to enable the separation of the tray from said arm rests, and a flexible member rigidly secured at one end to the under part of said tray and having its other end formed for detachable connection with said seat for retaining said tray against sliding movement when it occupies its innermost position.

4. An infants chair comprising front and back legs, a seat connected to the front and back legs and a back connected to the back legs, a pair of arms disposed above said seat in parallel relation thereto and connected with said front and back legs, said arms having the under sides thereof longitudinally recessed to form guides, a tray having a pair of spaced rearwardly disposed extensions slidably positioned on the upper surfaces of said arms, turnable elements having laterally extending portions on their lower ends carried by said extensions and engageable with the recesses of said arms to limit inward and outward sliding movement of said tray on said arms in a substantially horizontal plane, said elements being movable to positions permitting the separation of said tray from said arms, and detachable means carried by said tray for retaining said tray against sliding movement on said arms when r The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,192,793 Scott July 25, 1916 1,688,225 Belohlavek Oct. 16, 1928 2,089,090 Di Giacomo Aug. 3, 1937 2,284,498 Tucker May 26, 1942 2,318,475 Ellner May 4, 1943 2,357,556 Sheldrick Sept. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 538,234 Great Britain July 25, 1941

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