US2550479A

US2550479A - Chair back construction

Info

Publication number: US2550479A
Application number: US730106A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred C Hoven
Original assignee: American Seating Co
Current assignee: American Seating Co
Priority date: 1947-02-21
Filing date: 1947-02-21
Publication date: 1951-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-24

Description

April 1951 A. c. HOVEN 2,550,479

CHAIR BACK CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 21, 1947 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JJfi'ed C. Hbven April 24, 1951 A. c. HOVENV 2,550,479

CHAIR BACK CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuwm Alfred C. fibven 3% ,wwdw

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 CHAIR BACK CONSTRUCTION Alfred C. Hoven,

Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 21, 1947, Serial No. 730,106

4 Claims. (Cl. 155184) .The'present invention relates to chair back constructions and more particularly to such as are used in theatre chairs, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved chair back of sturdy, attractive and economical construction.

This object and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by the preferred embodiments of the invention hereinafter described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a rear perspective viewof a theatre chair whose back is constructed and mounted accordingto the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the left half of the chair back'per se;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the chair back taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a rear perspective view, of a channel rim member of the chair back assembly;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectionalview of parts of the chair back, taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of parts of the chair back, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal, sectional View of parts of the chair back and mounting bracket therefor, taken on line 1-1 of Figure 1; and t Figure 8 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view of a modified form of chair back and mounting bracket therefor.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the chair shown in Figure 1 is of the type used in theatres, auditoriums and the like, and generallycomprises a pair of spaced, upright, supporting standards l0 having conventional arm rests II, achair seat l2 mounted-on and between the standards In in any known manner, and 'a' chair back generally designated I3 mounted on and between the standards It] by means of brackets 14. The chair back is secured to the brackets M as hereinafter described, and said brackets may be secured to the standards In in various ways. If the chair back is to be fixedly mounted on the standards, the brackets l4 are fixedly secured to the standards as by means of screws (not shown) passing through apertures in the brackets and threaded in the. standards. If, however, the chair is of the retracting type wherein the seat and back are mountedfor forward and rearward movements, thejbrackets l4 may be slidably mounted on the standards in any known manner.

The chair back I3, inclusive, comprises a back panel l5 of sheet metal :which is bowed rearwardly to provide a comfortable backrest. The bottom peripheral edge of the back panel I5 is curled forwardly, upwardlyand then rearwardly to form a retaining groove it of greater than semicircular crosssection. The top and side peripheral edges of the back panel l5 are curled rearwardly, inwardly and then outwardlyto form an outwardly opening continuous groove ll extending across the top and down the sides of the back panel.

An upholstery covering [8 of leather, fabric or other suitable material, has an elongated memberpreferably a compressible fiber" cord [9 of round cross-sectionhemme-:i into the bot+ tom marginal edge thereof by means of stitching 2i]. (SeeiFigures 6 and 7.) This cord land the upholstery hem 2! surrounding it are secure; ly assembled to the back panel I5 by sliding them longitudinally into the groove |5,= and the up holstery covering I8 thus forms with the back panel 15 a pocket 22 open at the sides and the top. This pocket 22 is filledwith padding 23 of cotton, hair, moss or the like, and the po :et is then sealed by pressing the marginal top and side edges of the upholstery covering l8 into the. continuous groove ll. of the back panel; in-. serting a continuous compressible fiber cord=24 into the'groove I! between the folds of the upholstery .cOvering, and applyinga channel rim 25 (see Figure 4) to the outer peripheral edges of the chair back. The rim 25 has its front marginal edge 26 flanged inwardly to engage the outer surface of. the upholstery covering it! at the top and sides of the chair back, and said rim 25 has its rear marginal edge 2! flanged inwardly and then formed ,to engage the curled. peripheryof. the

back panel l5. In assembling the rim..25 to the chair back; the lower ends of therims side portions'are guided onto the side edges .of the'chair back, and the rim is then slid downwardly until its top portion embraces the top edge ofv the chair back. J The chair back above described is mounted on the brackets I4 by means of screwsiS which are passed through aligned apertures in the rim 25. the upholstery covering 18, and the rearwardly extending portions at the sides of the back panel l5, and said screws 28 have their inner ends threaded in reinforcing bars 29. 1

Figure illustrates a slightly modified construction'jin which the back1panell5 has its top and side peripheral edges curled rearwardly and inwardly, then outwardly and-forwardly to as shown in Figures 1-7 form a groove H for the retention of the marginal edges of the upholstery covering I8 and compressible cord 24 The rim 25 has a slightly different cross-section than that shown in Figures 1-7, but is characterized by similar flanges 26 and 2'5 which engage respectively the outer surface of the upholstery covering [il and the curled edge of the back panel 55 The brackets M are also here shown slightly modifled, being turned forwardly and inwardly to form a flange 30 to which the chair back is secured as by screws 28 passing through aligned apertures in the flange 3i] and the back plate and provided with nuts ti on the inner ends thereof.

t will thus be seen that the present invention provides a chair back comprising a single rigid back panel of sturdy and economical sheet metal construction, attractively upholstered and assembled by means of a finishing rim which conceals the upholsteryattaching means, and which rim may be of attractively polished sheet metal. The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims is not to be limited to or by de' tails of construction of the embodiments illustrated by the accompanying drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In a chair structure: spaced, upright supporting standards; back-supporting brackets on the standards; achair back comprising back panel having its top and side peripheral edges curled rearwardly, inwardly and then outwardly to form a continuous groove extending across the top and down the sidesof the back panel, said back panel having its bottom peripheral edge curled forwardly, upwardly and then rearwardly to form a bottom retaining groove; padding disposed directly over the entire front surface of the back panel; an upholstery covering disposed directly over the padding and having its top and sidemarginal edgessecured within said continuous groove and having its bottom edge secured within said bottom retaining groove; a channel rim extending around the top and sides of the chair back, said rim having inwardly extending flanges one of which flanges engages the outwardly curled portions of the back panels top and side peripheral edges and the other of which flanges engages the outer surface of the upholstery covering to press the covering against the back panel; and fastening means passing through said back-supporting brackets and said back panel for securing the panel to the brackets.

2. In a chair structure: spaced, upright supporting standards; back-supporting brackets on the standards; a chair back comprising a back panelhaving its top and side peripheral edges curled rearwardly, inwardly and then outwardly to form a continuous groove extending across the top and down the sides of the back panel, said back panel having its bottom peripheral edge curled forwardly, upwardly and then rearwardly to form a bottom retaining groove; padding disposed directly over the entire front surface of the back panel; an upholstery covering disposed directly over the padding and having its top and side marginal edges secured within said continuous groove and having its bottom edge secured within said bottom retaining groove; a channel rim extending around the top and sides of the chair back, said rim having inwardly extending flanges one of which flanges engages the outwardly curled portions of the back panels top and side peripheral edges and the other of which flanges engages the outer surface of the upholstery covering to press the covering against the back panel; and fastening means passing through said back-supporting brackets and through the side portions of the channel rim, the upholstery covering and the back panel for securing said parts in assembly.

3. The method of upholstering a substantially rectangular chair back panel, which method comprises: curling the bottom edge cf the back panel forwardly, upwardly and then rearwardly to form a retaining groove; curling the top and side edges of the back panel rearwardly, inwardly and then outwardly to form an outwardly opening continuous groove; hemming an elongated element in the bottom edge of an upholstery covering; sliding said hem and element longitudinally into said retaining groove; filling the pocket formed between the upholstery covering and the back panel with padding; and compressing the top and side marginal edges of the upholstery covering into said outwardly opening continuous groove.

4. The method of upholsterying a substantially rectangular chair back panel, which method comprises: curling the bottom edge of the back panel forwardly, upwardly and then rearwardly to form a retaining groove; curling the top and side edges of the back panel rearwardly, inwardly and. then outwardly to form an outwardly opening continuous groove; hemming an elongated element in the bottom edge of an upholstery covering; sliding said hem and element longitudi nally into said retaining groove; filling the pocket formed between the upholstery covering and the back panel with padding; compressing the top and side marginal edges of the upholstery covering into said outwardly opening continuous groove; and sliding a generally U-shaped channel rim downwardly into snug engagement with the top and side edges of said upholstered back panel.

ALFRED C. HOVEN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS