US2481943A

US2481943A - Seat and leg rest arrangement

Info

Publication number: US2481943A
Application number: US556134A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank L Murphy; Carl H Apel
Original assignee: Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1944-09-28
Filing date: 1944-09-28
Publication date: 1949-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1966-09-13

Description

Sept. 13, 1949. v F. MURPHY ETAL 2,481,943

SEAT AND LEG REST ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 28, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 SePt- 13,1949- F. l.. MURPHY ETAL Y 2,481,943 I SEAT AND LEG REST ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 28, 1944 4 Sheets-SheerI 3 Sept. 13, 1949. F. 1 MURPHY l-TAL 2,481,943

SEAT AND LEG REST ARRANGMENT Filed sept. 28, 1944 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Sept. 13, 1949 STATES- PAT ENT OFFICE.

SEAT AND LEG REST ARRANGEMENT Frank L. Murphy and Carl H. Apel, Chicago; Ill.,I

assignorsto Pullman-Standard Car Manu-fac'- turingv Company, Chicago', Ill., a corporation-off Delaware Application september 2s, 1944, sorioro: saai-rsi (c1. s-8i' 111 Claims.

The present invention relates to` an improved seatY arrangement for use" in al railway passenger car and the like. The soecalled day coach is becoming increasingly" popular for over-nightI travel, and many e'ortsj have been made to improvel the comfort' ofv the coach seat. In accordance with" the present invention, the seat is convertible in effect into a chaise-longue. This is done by the use of'a foot' and leg rest that may be usedin conjunction' With theseat.

It is one object of the' present invention to pro- Vide in combination' with a coach` seat a foot and leg rest that is readilyadaptableior use in a railroad passenger car or`tlie` like to` convert the seat into a considerably more comfortable accommodation, parti'cul'arl'yfor' niglt use". It is' a further object of the invention t`o provide extra legr room between tlie seats' Without decreasing the seating capacity' of the car and thereby add mate# rially to'theco'mfort' of the passengers.

Other' objects and advantages Will become apparent fromthefollowing description and the Fig. Bis afragmentaryV sectional View taken-on- Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View correspondingto-Fig.v Zfbut showingthe footand'ileg rest in its inoperative position-t Fig. 5'is an enlargedgfragmentary, verticalsec'- tional View taken at the base of the seat bacliv shown in Fig. 4 illustrating in particular the hinge mechanismV and counter-balancing spring forming part ofthe foot and legrest'g Fig. 6 is ai Vertical,l transversesectionalview' through' thef foot and leg-1 rest taken on' the line lil-6 of Fig. 2;.

Fig. 7" is" an elevationalvew of' the seat back shown partially-f' inl section, thevie'w being' taken infa direction corresponding to l-T ofV Fig. 2;

Fig. 8` is aA transverse sectionalview taken ontheline 8-8-of Fig. 72;

Fig. gisan-` enlargeddtailed v-ievy'of'the supporti'rig connecting: rod shown in Fig, 2; and

Fig; l`0iis an enlarged; fragmentary; sectional detail View showing in elevation the" counter# balancing spring used in conjunction with the foot and' leg-rest.

For purposes o'fi illustration, one` embodiment 0f the invetio'li'v isish'i/vf arid-described.

Referrig,.fi" eiaffple,-toflig` 1., the invention may'v take the forni-ofi a lot and l'eg rest, generally indicated at tldlat'eone end to a seat generally indicatedj at 2'6? arid"v disposed. closely adjacent to the fronti-6il a" stec'orfdseatlgenerally indicated at; Z'ia. The seats? 2`6`- a'iid' 26a' are identical, each onsisti'rfig generallyv ofV a seat base portion" FFE supptrt'i'ri'g' one or" more" seat cushions 278l and a pair off seat backs 29. As shown Fig. 2:',- tleLA seatY backs* '1.191V are: adjustable between a" forward orupriglitf position shownV in solid lines in Figi 2f to a reclining' position 29a indicated in broken lines; y y

The seat cusliio'iiK portion 28 and; back 29 per se do notv constitutestrutilralE details of the present invention, and-therefore only sufficient struc ture Will be described"V to` bringA outv the rela'- tionship between these members and the foot and leg rest- 25 Referring particularly to-Figs. 2, 4, 5, `and 7, the seat; back* 279iism'ounted on a shaft 45 about which-theseat back-129 is moved from its upright position; shown in solid lines in Fig. 2, to itsl` reclining position, shown invbroken lines at 29a.

The foot and leg" rest" Z'ijismovablebetween an open or operative position, shown in Fig. l, between seats- 2`6`v`and Zadtoaclosed or inoperative positionirlY tlieback 29'of the seatas'shown in seat 26a'. in'itsgopen'postion, the foot and legrst 25 issupporteidioni a supporting leg member Sli (-Figl 1)", andtwlen inth'isopen'posi-r non photon1 surface-of tileifoo't and ieg' rest 25 in effect'iforms a"cbntiruationpjthe top'surface' of the adjacent seatcusliionjzfii Thus, the foot and leg rest 25 coprateslvgfith'theadjacent seat" cushion 28 to formvtliehoi'iz'ntalseat portion ofY a chaise'i-long'uef' 'Ifh'eadjacent back member 2Q may then befadiustd; afsfgpreviu'slydescribed, to

for purposesof' illustration, are" shown' as" meco of Wood; Acros'sthebottbiii oftheY space sur-` rounded' by? tnosifi'aming members is a bottom poner In, `for orofripio of grosses" wooo. 'rms panel d 2" is" fastened t"a1l "ofthe aforementioned' ing members and extends suiciently above the framing members to suitably cushion to top portion of the foot and leg rest. A covering 44 of fabric, for example, completely surrounds the framing members and covers the bottom panel 42 and the top surfaces of the upholstery material 43.

The foot and leg rest is mounted adjacent to its one edge on the shaft 45 by means of two or more hinge members 46, one of which is shown, for example, in Fig. 2.

An upright foot support member, generally in.- dicated at 41, extends upwardly from the foot and leg rest 25 and consists of a vertical portion 48 and a horizontal portion 49 (see Fig. 2), both of which portions are covered by carpeting 56. The horizontal portion 49 of the foot support 41 has an arced portion 52 fitting over the portion of the hinge member 46 that is journaled cn the shaft 45. Adjacent to the lower edge of the seat back 29 is a plate member 53 fastened to the seat back, as indicated at 54, and provided with a concave portion 53a. The plate member further` includes an upwardly extending flange '56 fastened to the seat back frame and a downwardly projecting portion 51 extending considerably below the shaft 45 about which the hinge member 46 is journaled. The concave portion 53a of the plate 53 is located directly adjacent to the shaft 45 and the curved portion 52 of the foot support 41 extends partially into the curved portion 53a of the plate 53.

The foot and leg rest 25 is movable about the shaft 45 from its open, substantially horizontal position, shown in Fig. 2, to its inoperative position shown in Fig. 4 inside a recess 55 provided in the back of seat back 29. During this rotating motion, the curved portion 52 of the foot rest 41 revolves inside the concave portion 53a of plate 53. This curved portion 52 of the foot support 41 serves as a safety guard and finish plate covering the fulcrumed portion of the hinge member 46.

Again referring to Fig. 6, the supporting leg comprises a horizontal oor engaging member 39a and a pair of

uprights

58 and 59, the free ends of which uprights are pivotally mounted as at 6l at opposite sides to the foot and leg rest 25. When in its open position, the foot and leg rest 2-5 is thus partially supported on the floor by the supporting leg 39. A connecting rod 64 at each side of the foot and leg rest 25 is pivotally secured at 66 to one of the

uprights

58 or 59. Each ccnnecting rod 64 extends along one side of the foot and leg rest 25 and is secured at its free end to a bracket 62 mounted on a base frame 63 forming part of the seat member 26. Upstanding posts or pedestals 63a mounted on the base frame 63 are disposed at each side of the seat back 29 and the free ends of the shaft (see Fig. 7) are supported on these pedestals 53a.

Each bracket 62 is provided with a vertical slot 62a in which the connecting rod 64 is free to move. As shown in Fig. '1, each connecting rod 64 is mounted on a pin 65 passing through the slot 62a in bracket 62, and a spring 66 is fastened f at one end to the pin 65 and at the other to the seat base frame 63.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 9, for example, when the foot and leg rest 25 is in its open, operative position and the connecting rod 64 is disposed substantially horizontally, the connecting rod 64 rests at the bottom of the slot 62a. As the foot and leg rest 25 is moved toward its closed position in the recess 55 in the seat back (see Fig. 2), it rotates, as previously mentioned, about the shaft 45. Since the connecting rod 64 is fastened to the bracket 62 at a position below the shaft 45, the connecting rod 64 applies a torque on the supporting leg 36 to rotate it about its pivot points 6I until the supporting leg 30 assumes a position shown in broken lines in Fig. 4. Before the foot and leg rest 25 reaches its fully closed position in the recess 55, the supporting leg 30 has reached its fully closed position, shown in Fig. 4, and therefore during the last portion of the movement of the foot and leg rest 25 into the recess 55 the connecting rod 64 moves upwardly in the slot 62a, placing the spring 66 in tension and thereby holding the leg 36 closed. At the time the supporting leg 30 is in its open position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 66 is in its normal relaxed position, holding the connecting rod 64 in the lower part of the slot 62a, thereby preventing the connecting rod from rattling while the car is in motion.

As shown in the embodiment of the invention, the seat back 29 may be adjustable between an upright and a reclining position, though obviously such a condition is not necessary as the present invention is equally applicable to other types of seats. It is also permissible that each seat unit 26 be adapted to rotate or swivel about a vertical axis (not shown), as is the case in many of the seat units in use today in modern railroad cars, so that the seat unit, if desired, may be turned degrees to face the car windows, or through degrees to face the opposite direction. Obviously, the foot and leg rest under these circumstances would rotate with the seat upon which it is mounted.

As shown in Fig. 2, the seat portion 28 may normally assume the position shown by dotted lines 28a and may be adjustable to the solid line position against the foot and leg rest.

The present invention provides a greatly improved arrangement for adapting a day-coach seat for night use. Obviously, its use is not limited to night use, however, as the foot and leg rest is very easily and quickly moved from one position to another. In the embodiment of the invention, the foot and leg rest when moved to its inoperative position entirely clears the floor space between the seats. Only a very simple operation is required to convert the seat into a comfortable chaise-longue at any time. The presence of the recess in the back of the seat permits the foot and leg rest, while in its inoperative position, to repose as far as possible from the next seat behind, thus providing the maximum amount of free oor space between seats.

Though only one specific embodiment of the invention is disclosed, it is recognized that many other modications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

l. For use with a second seat to form a chaise longue, the combination with a seat of a back rest having an elongated recess in the back thereof extending substantially throughout the height and width of the back rest, a foot and leg rest substantially coextensive in length and width with the recess adapted to t into the recess, means pivotally mounting the foot and leg rest with respect to the back rest adjacent to the bottom of said recess so that the foot and leg rest can be moved from a closed, inoperative position in the recess to an open, operative position where it extends rearwardly from the back rest.

2;In combination withfatseatt-adapted` to beused` with theY seatportion.- of.v ai seconde seat to; iorma chaise-longuewhere thej second seat isA placed behind" the rstseat, aibaols resista-recessl entering the back) faoaofthe baclnrest;` afootand-l legI rest.I adapted: to t'into the recess,l means pivotally mounting'l the: foot-,and legi rest withV respect'to the bachi rest-adjacent to' theibottomot the recess so, thatithe#foot@y and leglrest'canl be moved from aclosedi. inoperative position inV the recess to an` open, operai/vae.: position?- where it extendsv rearwardly with respectto= the back rest;v the outermostedge: on the; extended foot and leg; rest,I being'- approximately/if` at the: height of thev second' seat` portions ai retractablaf sup'- porting leg on the foot and legrest.` andi meansn retractings theV supportingr leg:r asT the foot and leg rest is@ moved toI its?-` inoperativa position.

3; A` chaiset longue:` combination comprising a pair ofseats spaced apart and-arranged'inltandem', a seatportion"y and.; a: baule rest: for each seat, the forward back rest, hav-ing? ani elon gated recess in'A the# back face thereof extending substantially throughout the height and width of the back rest, a foot and leg rest, means pivotally mounting. the fotl and!v leg rest with respect to the. forward baci;r rest adjacent-to the bottom of'4 the recess so thatl the'` foot and. leg rest can be moved from a closed; inoperative position intlie recess tosan-open, operative position where it extends rearwardly from the forward back-l rest to a position. closely adjacent to the forward edge ofthe seat' por-tion ofthesecondv seat',. the foot andleg, rest! substantially lling the recess when disposed-in: closed,` inoperativevposition.

4: Incombination with aseatfaback rest lhaving cushion1 means on one side-thereof andrelatively planar edge portionsJ on the other side thereof, an elongated recessin the backrest extending from the plane of the edge portions inwardlytoward' the cushion side and being substantially coextensive with the height and width of the back rest; affot' andi leg rest having cushion means on one sidethereof and aV relatively planar face onthe. other side thereof, means pivotally mounting the foot and leg rest with respect to the back rest adjacent to the bottom of the recess so that the foot and leg rest can be moved from a closed, inoperative position in the recess to an open, operative position where it extends rearwardly from the back rest, the foot and leg rest substantially lling the recess when disposed in closed, inoperative position with the cushion means on the foot and leg rest disposed adjacent to the cushion means on the back rest and with the planar face of the foot and leg rest disposed substantially flush with the planar face of the back rest.

5. In combination with a seat, a back rest, a foot and leg rest comprising an elongated leg supporting member substantially coextensive with the height of the back rest and a foot support adjacent to one end of the leg supporting member and disposed at an abrupt angle with respect to the leg supporting member and extending therefrom, an attachment adjacent to the lower edge of the back rest, the foot and leg rest being pivotally attached to the last mentioned support and disposed adjacent to the rear side of the back rest so that the foot and leg rest can be moved from a closed inoperative position against and substantially in contact with the back rest to an open operative position where it extends rearwardly from the back rest, the

f at the lower end of the lfiack-restfforthe foot.-

supporting member. v

6. A chaise longue combination.' comprising a:v pair of seats spacedapart-ands arranged in` tan-- dem; a seat portion and a back rest-fon each seaii, the forward back resthaving anelongatedirecess; inf the back face thereof extending substantiallythroughout the heightand widthlof-theback'i rest/L. a foot and leg` rest,`meansfpiVotally-mounting the,t foot andr leg rest with? respect tothe forwardi back rest adjacent to'the bottommf thefrecessi so-that the foot' and leg rest canfbemovedffrom a` closed, inoperative position'f in the recess-y to.A ani open, operative position Wheref it extendsreara- 'wardly from thef forward back restr'toz' aK positionv closely adjacent to theforwardf edge ofthefseat'-, portion of the second seat,thecfoot and leg: resti substantially lling the'A recess when disposed closed, inoperative'position; and means-*supportiing, the foot and legV rest inf operative; position.

'7. A chaise longue' combination comprising'. af pair of seats spaced" apart'. and arranged in tandem, a seat portion andia2back'restfor'eachiseat;l afoot and leg rest of a lengthv andwidthV suiii# cientl to provide a continuousileg supportingiareal corresponding in: length substantially' with the@ spacing. betweeny the seats an'df iif- Width?- beingf substantially as wide as an:individuallseatthef forward back rest having--- anelong'atedrecessinl the back face thereof hav-ing a--height'-a'ndl'w-id'i'h3 substantially corresponding with the? length andi' width of the foot andlegresti-means pi'voi'f'all'yA` mounting the foot and: leg' rest"withresidenti-to'l` theV forward back rest adiacenti t'o the l bottom; ofiA the recess so that the foot' andleg rest can; bei moved from a closed; 1 inoperative position inl the' recess to an-open, operative position; th'elower end of the recess beingdisposed below the upper face of the seat portion ofthe rear seat,v andfthe footl and leg rest when in operativeipositin'vex@ tending from the lower-end ofi'the recessrearw'ardly.` in a diagonally upwardI direction toal position closely adjacent td the* forward` edge ofr1 the seat portion of the rear seat.

8. A seat adapted to be used with a seat portion of a second seat to form a chaise longue when the second seat is spaced in tandem arrangement behind the first seat, comprising a seat portion and a back rest, a foot and leg rest of a length and width sufficient to provide a continuous leg supporting area corresponding in length substantially with the spacing between the Seats and in width being substantially as Wide as an individual seat, the back rest having an elongated recess in the back face thereof having a height and a width substantially corresponding with the length and width of the foot and leg rest, the lower end of the recess being disposed below the upper face of the seat portion of the second seat, and means pivotally mounting the foot and leg rest with respect to the back rest adjacent to the bottom of the recess so that the foot and leg rest can be moved from a closed, inoperative position in the recess to an open, operative position extending from the lower end of the recess rearwardly in a, diagonally upward direction so that it may assume a position with its outer end disposed closely adjacent to the forward edge of the seat portion of the second seat.

9. A seat adapted to be used with a seat portion of a second seat to form a chaise longue when the second seat is spaced in tandem arrangement behind the first seat, comprising a seat portion and a back rest, a foot and leg rest of a length and width sufficient to provide a continuous leg supporting area corresponding in length substantially with the spacing between the seats and in width being substantially as wide as an individual seat, means pivotally mounting the foot and leg rest with respect to the back rest adjacent to the bottom of the back rest so that the foot and leg rest can be moved from an inoperative position against and parallel to the back rest to an operative position extending from the lower end of the back rest rearwardly in a diagonally upward direction so that it may assume a position with its outer end disposed closely adjacent to the forward edge of the seat portion of the second seat, the rear face of the back rest being concave in the region directly above the pivoted edge of the foot and leg rest so as to provide additional foot clearance.

10. In combination with a seat adapted to form a chaise longue with a second seat placed behind the rst seat, a seat frame for the first seat, a back rest extending upwardly from the rear edge of said seat frame and pivoted thereto to swing back to reclining position, a foot and leg rest also pivoted to said rear edge oi the seat frame of the rst seat to swing from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially upright position and having a width corresponding substantially with the width of the back rest and a length corresponding substantially with the spacing between the seats, said foot and leg rest being adapted to be moved from an operative position where it eX- tends rearwardly from the back rest to provide a substantially continuous and unbroken surface throughout its length and width between the first seat and the second seat to an inoperative position where it is disposed closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with the back rest with the upper end of the foot and leg rest disposed closely adjacent to the upper end of the back rest.

11. In combination with a seat adapted to form a chaise longue with a second seat placed behind 8 the rst seat, a seat frame for the rst seat, a back rest extending upwardly from the rear edge of said seat frame, pivot means connecting the back rest to the seat frame to swing back to reclining position, a foot and leg rest, means pivotally mounting the foot and leg rest to swing about the aXis of said named pivot means from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially upright position and having a width corresponding substantially with the width of the back rest and a length corresponding substantially with the spacing between the seats, said foot and leg rest being adapted to be moved from an operative position where it extends rearwardly from the back rest to provide a substantially continuous and unbroken surfacethroughout its length and width between the rst seat and the second seat to an inoperative position where it is disposed closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with the back rest with the upper end of the foot and leg rest disposed closely adjacent to the upper end of the back rest.

FRANK L. MURPHY.

CARL H. APEL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 26,571 Danner Dec. 27, 1859 585,366 Streit June 29, 1897 1,131,875 Thompson Mar. 16I 1915 1,527,416 Konrad Feb. 24, 1925 1,588,692 Belden June 15, 1926 1,640,968 Southern Aug. 30, 1927 1,893,458 Tatum Jan. 3, v1933 2,093,455 Knight Sept. 21, 1937 2,098,426 McDonald Nov. 9 1937 2,174,622 Dale Oct. 3, 1939 2,284,129 Caesar May 26, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 375,022 Great Britain June 23, 1932 Certicate of Correction Patent No. 2,48l,-43 September 13, 1949 FRANK L. MURPHY ET AL. It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 2, for the Words cushion to read cushion the; column 5, line 67, after attachment insert support;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record o the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of January, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.