US2473350A

US2473350A - Folding push chair

Info

Publication number: US2473350A
Application number: US687363A
Authority: US
Inventors: Spackman Bernard Claren Walter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-05-28
Filing date: 1946-07-31
Publication date: 1949-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1966-06-14

Description

June 14, 1949. a. c. w. SPACKMAN 2,473,350

- FOLDING rusa 'CHAiR Filed July 31, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Julie 14', 1949! B. c z. WLSPACKMAN FOLDING PUSH crmm 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1946 guard/ 01 25, fi pwajhmazz/ Q r Patented June 14, 1949 Bernard Clarence Walter 'Spaclrman, Auckland, Auckland, Newizeailand Ap lication July 19465Seriial N0. BS-7,363 'i nltlew fi'ealand Ma Z8,'--1-946 5 Claims.

The invention relates I o folding pushchairs. and has for its object the provision of an arm proved .form' thereof, capable of being operated by a .person using one hand only, as in the *case of a woman carrying a child" on one arm, to "he either folded :into' acompact andeasily handled package, or to be unf'olded and set up for use, both operations being easily and readily performed iinacminimum of' time.

According to the invention, the improved foldingpush chair comprises a seat portion; side ipo'r- :ti'ons hinged to the latter; wheels mounted on said side portions; :a pivoted foot rest adapted to serve as a spreader between said hingeds'ide portions, when the wheelsare disposed for use arm rests pivotally mounted on 'supportin'ghars pivoted to the seat portion, and adapted to fold the'eron; a hack consisting of hinged together portions, pivoted to said seat portion; spring catch means adapted to act between said arm rests and said back; and stops on said-seat portion adapted with the s ring catchmeans to hold-the back, and the arm rests in posit-ion'when the chai-r is set up for use.

The invention is ilustrated in the accompanying drawing, and will be more particularly described in conjunction therewith:

Figure 1 being -aside-elevation of the improved push chair opened out ready for use,

Figure 2 a sectional elevation, and

Figure 3 'afront elevation of same;

Figure 4 a part cross sectional eievat'ion'and Figures 5, 6, 7 a side view, a front view and a rear view respectively, of the chair folded for carry-mg, transport orstorage, as may he reeuired.

"The chair is tor-med with a hollow seat portion 1, provided withside and end walls, butno bottom, the side walls of said seat portion- 1 each having hinged along its loweredge a hollow or double walled lower side 2,the hinges 3 being formed so that said lower sides 2 can be swun inwards and upwards into the hollow seatportion l, but so that said lower sides are not able to be swung outwards beyond the vertical, in which position they form extensions of the side walls of the seat portion l.

The wheels 4 upon which the chair is adapted to run along the ground or other surface, are mounted and accommodated in the hollow lower sides 2 by any approved means, and so as to project the necessary distance below the lower edges thereof to obtain a desired ground clearance.

A foot rest 5 pivotally mounted or hinged between lugs 6 one at each side of the lower edge of the front wall of the seat portion l-,-Serves as a spreader and provides the means for maintain"- ing the hinged lower side walls 2 apart, each-in a ver tical position, so that the wheels 4 are disposed for use, said foot rest 5 being formedwith side walls, spaced apart and made rigid by-a cross bar l, containing an "aperture 8, and with tongues or'projecti'ons 9 on the inner ends of said spaced apart side walls, adapted to enter recesses til in the froh-t ends of the lower sidewalls 2.

The-backer the chair is'in twoportions, a lower portion ll pivoted :at the lower ends-of its sides to the upper'rear corn'ers of the side walls-of the seat portion 1, and an upper portion 42 hinged to the upper edge of the lower portion ilfthe -joint "-13 between said portions H and '12 being such that the latter is free to fold downwards on the former, but looks against said portion H and can not be moved upwards on same more than is necessary to 'bringsai'd portions-H and 12 into "alignment-with each other.

The upper leach portion [2 is provided with a handle J3, and "contains an aperture l4, near the latter, and the opened out back formed by the'portions H and 12 being brought into line with each other is prevented from being raised above a predetermined position on the seat portion by stops 15 on the outsides of the'side walls of the latter; while said back is retained in the raised position for use by spring catches l 6 which snap into holes or recesses IT in the arm rests 1 8 fpivotally mounted on the upper ends of supporting bars 19, pivoted at their lower ends to the outsides of the side walls of the seat portion I.

"The rear su porting bars 1 9 or the arm rests 1 8 are-,When the latter are raised into position for use, adapted to hear againstthe forward faces of the sto s it, and to be retained thereagainst by the spring catches l6 engaging in the arnrre'sts l*B,so that the latter and the chair back are locked together, and are held against either forward or rearward movement by the stops it.

The chair can be constructed or formed of any suitable material or combination of materials, the arm rests l8 having an angle-iron cross section, while the back has a flange or web at each side through which the portions II and [2 are hinged together, and the portion ll pivoted to the seat portion l, but it is preferred to form the chair of parts cast in or stamped out of plastic or similar material in order to facilitate mass production of the chairs.

To collapse or fold the chair, the spring catches I6 are disengaged from the holes or recesses I1. in the arm rests l8, which with the bars I9 are folded down on the sides of the seat portion 1, with the arm rests l8 covering the bars I9, and resting on the upper side corners of the seat portion I.

The chair is then gripped by the front end, and the foot rest folded against the latter, which action withdraws the tongues 9 from the recesses ID in the lower side walls 2, thereby leaving the latter free to swing inwards, following which the chair is turned upside down, to cause said lower side walls 2 with the wheels 4 thereon, to fold' into the interior of the seat portion l.

The partly folded chair is then tilted with the rear wall of the seat portion I uppermost, and

the back consisting of the portions H and I2, folded over said rear wall, and the base of the seat portion 1, now with the side walls 2 and wheel 4 therein, so that the handle I3 and the aperture 14 are disposed adjacent the aperture 8 in the cross bar 1 of the foot rest 5, whereby it is possible to grip both the handle 13 and cross-bar 1 with one hand and conveniently carry the folded chair.

All of the aforesaid operations are capable of being performed with one hand, as for instance, when a child is being held on one arm, leaving only one hand free for folding the chair.

To open the chair for use, it is held right side up, and the handle i3 released from the grasp, and by falling down, uncovers and releases the lower side walls 2, which drop to vertical positions and present the wheels 4 for use, following which the foot rest 5 is adjusted so that the tongues 9 enter the recesses l0, and keep said lower side walls 2 spread apart.

The chair is placed on the ground, the back raised into position, and the spring catches l6 engaged in the holes or recesses I! in the arm rests I8; these operations also all being capable of being performed with one hand only.

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. A folding push chair comprising a seat portion, side portions hinged thereto and capable of being swung inwardly only, front and rear wheels mounted on said side portions, a pivoted foot rest adapted to serve as a spreader between said hinged side portions when all of the wheels are disposed for use, supporting bars pivoted to the .seat portion, arm rests pivotally mounted on said supporting bars and adapted with the bars to fold on the seat portion, a back consisting of hinged together portions pivoted to said seat portion, the back being foldable partly around the seat portion to retain the hinged side portions with the wheels thereon and the pivoted foot rest in folded positions to provide with the foot rest .means for carrying the folded chair, spring catch means adapted to act between said arm rests and said back, and stops on said seat portion cooperating with said spring catch means to hold the back and the arm rests in position when the chair is set up for use.

2. A folding push chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein the seat portion is formed with side and end walls and wherein the hinged side portions are hinged to the lower edges of the side walls and provide extensions of the side walls and are further provided with recesses, and tongues on the foot rest for engaging the recesses when the foot rest is moved to position to hold the side portions with the wheels thereon extended.

3. A folding push chair comprising a hollow seat portion having depending side and end walls, side portions hinged to the lower edges of said side walls and provided with recesses at their front edges and capable of being swung inwards only, front and rear wheels mounted on the inner surfaces of the hinged side portions, 2. foot rest pivoted to the lower part of the front end wall of the seat and including side walls with tongues thereon capable when the foot rest is swung downwardly of being engaged in the recesses in the hinged side portions to maintain the same spread apart and the wheels disposed for use, a back consisting of hinged together portions adapted to lock against movement in one direction when brought into alignment with each other, the outer back portion constituting a handle having an aperture, bars pivoted to the seat portion, and an arm rest pivotally mounted on the bars, stops on said seat portion between the bars and said back, and spring catches adapted to engage in the arm rest and to maintain the latter and said back against said stops when the chair is set up for use.

4. A folding push chair as claimed inclaim 3 in which a cross bar is carried by the side walls of the foot rest and is provided with an aperture which cooperates and aligns with the aperture in the outer back portion when the chair is folded to form hand holds to facilitate the carrying thereof.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which the outer edge of the foot rest is curved upwardly and when in a folded position is adapted to engage the front edges of the arm rests to hold the latter against the seat.

BERNARD CLARENCE WALTER SPACKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,000,875 Bernon May 7, 1935 2,119,836 Waeles et al June '7, 1938 2,170,227 Weber Aug. 22, 1939 2,427,205 Ford Sept.9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 169,059 Great Britain Sept. 22, 1921