US2494647A - Chair - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 17, 1950 c, DEWEY 2,494,647

CHAIR Filed Sept. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 17, 195% DEWEY 2,494,647

CHAIR Filed Sept. 14; 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PAT T GFFICE 3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a chair, this term including various related furniture pieces such as a stool, bench, settee and the like, each of which is equipped with legs for support of a seat and of a back of some kind. More particularly the present invention has to do with means for joining together the various components of the furniture article. By partly, but not completely, assembling the parts of the furniture article at the factory, it is possible with advantage to make a knock-down shipment and then let the dealer or user complete the assembly. It is an object, therefore, of my invention to devise a form of connections whereby the several parts of the furniture article may be finally assembled with a minimum of efiort, and yet with assurance of security and dependability.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a sturdy metallic chair frame with which may be utilized a back and a seat in sheet form, made optionally of metal, plywood, composition material or the like. Such a material may be permanently shaped, with some degree of continuing resilience, to a form which is conducive to maximum comfort to the chair occupant. The use of such sheet material has always presented a problem both from the standpoint of appearance and of its connection with the supporting metallic frame of the chair. I overcome very satisfactorily these difficulties by the special improvements of my invention, all as will be hereinafter explained in detail.

The herein disclosed furniture article, of which a suggestive embodiment is set forth in the accompanying drawings, is illustrated in the manner following:

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a conventional form of chair;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chair;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, in vertical section, 1

taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section, taken on the offset line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in section, taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on line 5-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail in section taken on line 'I! of Fig. 1.

The present furniture article, a chair, for example, comprises two units, right and left, and both alike so that a description of one will suffice for the other. Each unit comprises front and rear legs L, and a connecting rail R therebetween. The rail, as shown, is extended from the front leg at a point near its top to join with the rear leg at about the same elevation above which the latter is upwardly extended in the form of a support it for carrying, in conjunction with the other unit, a back ll of any appropriate con-. struction. Likewise a seat or top l2 which may be supported over each connecting rail of the two units is desirably extended therebetween in the final assembly of the furniture article.

The legs L may be of tubular metallic construction with appropriate configuration to meet esthetic requirements. As shown, each leg in the region where the connecting rail R is joined thereto is of generally rectangular cross-sectional form, adjacent faces being thereby provided. Desirably the corners between these faces are rounded as best shown in Fig. 4. Each rail may be of channel section with its web l5 vertically disposed to the outside whereby its inwardly extending upper and lower flanges it and I1, respectively, are normally concealed from view. If

desired, the web may be formed with an embosture forming an outset panel a (see Fig. 5).

For greater comfort and attractiveness each rail is formed with a very slight ogee curve in a lengthwise direction.

In its end regions each rail web i5 is deeply inset to provide an angle seat consisting of two faces b and 0 adapted to abut the two adjacent faces of one of the legs L (see Fig. 4). At the corner between the seat faces b and 0 one or more openings (1 may be formed to facilitate the making of brazed or weld connections 18 at these points. Other openings where brazed or welded connections is may be made are also optionally provided. By some such means as these each rail may rigidly and permanently interconnect a pair of legs (one front and one rear). Each rail end is closed by a wall 29 formed by a continuation of the web seat face 0, and through this wall is provided an opening for a bolt 2| (or other fastening element) having an adjusting nut 22 bearing against its inner face whereby to be concealed from view.

Two pair of interconnected legs (one front and one rear) may be detachably joined in unitary relation with the aid of angle bars B, one front and one rear. The front bar (see Fig. 3) comprises a horizontal top flange adapted to rest at its ends upon the top flanges 15 of the two rails R, the bar flange extending forwardly nearly to the front face of the front legs L, then executing an easy bend of 180 at 26 and extending then reversely for a short distance at 2'? before continuing down to provide a front apron 28. Near each end the apron is apertured to receive the bolt 2i whereby the bar B is fixedly connected to the front ends of the rails R and through them to the front legs L. To further reinforce and rigidify these connections, I provide near each end of the bar top flange an opening in register with similar opening in the upper flange it of the rail R, a bolt 29 being extended through each pair of registering openings with a coacting adjusting nut 30 adapted to bear against the under face of the rail flange 16 (see Fig. 3) whereby to make this connection tight.

So much for the front bar B. The rear angle bar comprises a vertical apron (see Fig. 3) which is joined to a horizontal flange 36 extending forwardly and then upwardly at 31' to provide a rearwardly extending, and optionally upwardly inclined, ledge 38 which includes a spaced top edge piece 39 forming therewith a forwardly facing channel. The rear angle bar is adapted to be fitted against the rear ends of the two rails R with which it is connected as by bolts 4!! equipped with adjusting nuts 4 I these bolts being extended through registering pairs of openings in the bar apron 35 and proximate end Walls 28 of the rails R. In addition, other bolts 32 with coasting adjusting nuts 43, may pass through registering pairs of openings, near the ends of the bar flanges 36 and top flanges l6 of the rails R, thereby adding to the connections between the rear bar B and the proximate ends of the two rails. Since the rear legs are joined to the rear ends of the rails, as already explained, the rear bar serves, in effect, to interconnect these two legs.

The chair back H may be of sheet material such as metal, plywood, or composition material which is pressed and moulded. This makes it possible to so shape the back as to greatly promote comfort to the occupant of the chair. For the sake of appearance and strength, the side and top edges of the chair back should preferably be rounded or curved rearwardly (see Fig. 7). Such an edge formation also conceals the connections which I provide between the back and the supports I!) which are formed by upper extensions (of any desired cross-sectional form) of the rear legs L. As shown in Figs. 1 and '7, a plate 46 is welded or otherwise connected to each support It] near its top, each plate extending inwardly toward the other to lie in a kerf 41 formed in one end of a brace 58 of wood or the like which extends horizontally between the two supports. The edge 45 at the top of the back largely conceals the presence of this brace which may be finished in conformity with the remainder of the chair. A socket bolt 49 having its head largely countersunk in the back (see Fig. '7) is extended into the brace and plate therewithin for connection with a screw 50 which is entered into the brace from its rear side. By this means the back at its top is joined to opposite ends of the brace and the brace to the two supports.

At its bottom the back may be fitted into a channel bar (see Fig. 3) which is welded or otherwise joined to the top edge piece 39 of the rear angle bar B. Into the channel of which this top edge piece is a part is fitted the upwardly inclined rear edge of the seat or top 12 which is desirably in the form of a sheet, made of metal, plywood, composition material or the like, and pressed or moulded to the requisite shape for maximum comfort to the chair occupant. This seat is desirably downturned along its side and front edges, being bent through an easy curve to provide flanges 56. The front edge of the seat which lies forwardly of the front bar B is adequately supported by the forward extension of the top flange 25 of this bar. To secure the seat in place, I utilize the same bolts 29 which interconnect the top flange 25 of the front bar and the upper flange 16 of the rails-these bolts extending through the seat as well to present their heads in a relatively countersunk relation with the top face of the seat.

It will be observed that my present chair is provided with an all-metal frame. This is desirable from the standpoint of strength. Also the chair parts which affect the occupants comfort are optionally of metal or other material in sheet form, shaped as required for maximum ease. In practice, the two left legs with interconnecting rail are united at the factory; likewise the two right legs with their interconnecting rail. These two units are then packed flatwise into a shipping carton, together with the two bars, the seat, the back, the brace, and the connecting bolts, so as to occupy but a minimum of space. At the destination pointwhether it be a dealer, or a user-these several units and parts are erected and joined together in a rigid unitary structure ready for service of the hardest kind.

I claim:

1. A metal chair frame having two pair of angular front and rear legs, a pair of channel rails located at opposite sides of the chair frame and having inwardly facing channels and each inset at each end to provide an angle seat with which two faces of a leg abut, means forming an inseparable connection between each rail angle seat and two faces of the abutting leg, a pair of transverse angle bars, one front and one rear, each extending across the chair frame and composed of a horizontal flange in engagement with the top flange of each channel rail and a vertical 1 flange in engagement with the vertical web of each channel rail, and means extending through the engaging top flanges and other means extending through the engaging vertical flange and webs forming two sets of detachable connections between the side bars and the transverse rails at points adjacent their ends whereby to interconnect all four legs into a rigid unitary frame structure.

2. A chair having a metal frame including an angle bar extending across the frame at the rear thereof and having one of its flanges arranged substantially horizontally and extended upwardly then rearwardly then upwardly and then forwardly forming a forwardly facing channel, said angle bar being provided with a channel member supported upon the channel forming portion of said flange and having its channel facing upwardly, and a cross brace near the top of the chair frame, a back of sheet material secured to the cross brace and having its lower edge secured within the upwardly facing channel, and a seat of sheet material secured near its forward edge to the frame and having its rear edge secured within the forwardly facing channel.

3. A chair frame of metal having two pair of tubular front and rear legs, a pair of channel rails each inset at each end to provide an angle seat with which two faces of a leg may abut, means forming an inseparable connection between each rail angle seat and two faces of the abutting leg, and a pair of angle bars, one front and the other rear, in detachable connection near their ends with the rails whereby to interconnect all four legs into a rigid unitary frame structure.

CLARMCE L. DEWEY.

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

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