US2550811A

US2550811A - Multiple purpose chair

Info

Publication number: US2550811A
Application number: US711129A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert Ignatius Edward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-11-20
Filing date: 1946-11-20
Publication date: 1951-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1968-05-01

Description

y 1, 1951 l. E. HERBERT 2,550,811

MULTIPLE PURPOSE CHAIR' Filed Nov. 20, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR ATTORNEY May 1, 1-951 I. E. HERBERT MULTIPLE PURPOSE CHAIR Filed Nov. 20, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 zfaward Herbert v INVENTOII-K {gnaZ/us May 1, 1951 E. HERBERT 5 ,8 j MULTIPLE PURPOSE CHAIR Filed Nov. 20, 1946 a 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 i atenteci May 1, i951 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE assasii MrJL'riPLE PURPOSE aims Ignatius Edward Herbert, Rochester, N. Y: Application November 20, 1946, Serial No. 711,12 16 Claims. (01. 155-41) The present invention relates to improvements in a multiple purpose article of furniture and more particularly to a chair capable of use as a toilet auiiiliary support, or as a desk, or for other purposes.

While articles of furniture and chairs havin multiple uses are Well known, such' chairs are oftenunsightly or' difficult to adjust or convert for other purposes. Also', it is known that invalids, convalescents, elderly people, persons subject to constipation, and others, require or find beneficial an auxiliary support during evacuation upon a toilet. Such auxiliary support maybe provided as an arm rest and/or a head rest and prevents overtiring or overtaking of a persons vitality or muscles so that evacuation may he expedited even though a substantial period of time is re uired. Furthermore, in small living quarters such as a hotel room or apartment it is often desirable to have one or more chairs which will serve additional purposessuch'as" becoming a small table or a desk; Known multiple' purpose chairs are both inadequate for the aforementioned purposes and are unsightly or too readily recognizabl'e'as such.

a The primary obj'ectpf the prese'nt'invention is'the' provision of a multiple purpose chair which has the appearance and usefulness of an ordinary chair but which has a seat and a back that are movable independently into positions toserve as an arm rest and ahead rest, respectively; for a person'seated on a toilet, or to serve as an auxnary table or stand or'a small Writing desk.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a multiple purpose chair having a seat member movable from the level'of the seat of a standard chair toa higher level above the legs, knees and/or thighs of a person seated on a toilet and facing said chair and so as'to'provide an arm, hand and/r elbow restfor such person.

A further object is the'provision' of a multiple purpose chair having aback rest movable from a" standard vertical position 'to a horizontal" position" over the seat member to constitute alter,- nately a head rest'for a'person seated o-na toilet facing said chair; or a Writing desk; or a small table or stand. I H Still another object of the invention is the provision of detachable connections and/or resilient meansbetween the supporting'fraine and the seat member'to facilitate'change' in the: level of the seat member for-various purposes; A still further object is the provision off'a brace means and a'detachable hinge connection forthe back-rest and whereby the same may be sup,-

ported in a-horizontal position, or inclined position, or in a horizontal or inolinedposition at various levels so that the operative position qf said back rest can be altered to" that best suited for useoftliebackre st as a head rest ores avvritiii'g fstand',

Otherand further objects of the invention will be suggested ,to those skilled in the art by the description whichfollows. I 7 ,r

The invention consists in the novel and. use ful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangementof parts, members and features all as shown in certain embodiments, the accompanying drawings, described in the specification, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. n w,

Although the multiple purpose chair of the invention has severalruses, perhaps its most important use is as atoilet auxiliary chair. Hence, the disclosure is primarily directed to that use of th chair with the advantages of the chair for other purposes being occasionally mentioned.

Reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar elements and' wherein: H,

Fig." l is a perspective view of the multiple purpose chair according to the invention and with the seat member and back rest in standard positions.

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of said multiple purpose chair with the seat member and back rest in elevated positions. v Y, Y, M

Fig; 3 is a side elevation, of said multiplepurpose chairand includes an illustration of its use byaperson seated onatoilet.

Figs. 4 and 5 arerespectively front a d rear elevations of said multiple purposechair. n

Fig; 6 is azfragmentary vertical section of the back rest andbracemeans therefor.v V U Fig. 6a isa fragmentary perspective to enlarged scale of the abutment of the brace means;

Figs. '7 and 8 are respectively fragmentarysiide elevations and vertical sections of the detachable connections for the. seat'member. V

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section through a combined detachable connectioniand resilient means for the seat member.

Fig; 10 is a fragmentary) front elevation of a portion of the supporting frame and of the detachabl'e" resilient connection attachedto the seat member.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section of a m'odification'of the adjustable hinge connection for the-backrest;

In the illustrated, embodiments, the multiple purpose chair according to the invention comprises a supporting frame including aback frame and side supports, a seat member, detachable connections for supp f rting said seat member at various levels; a back rest, and brace means to r adjustably supporting said back rest in a position to serve as a head rest for a person facing thechair. h h H v T 5 1 1 5. fram l v a Pq ilYS p tional form or 7 can be designed to have certain structural parts which are of a .partigularadvantage to a chair of the type contemplated,

Although the illustrated embodiment shows a supporting frame of tubular metal construction which affords certain special and peculiar advantages as shown, it is to be understood that the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to any particular form of supporting frame as long as it is capable of supporting a seat member for adjustment to different levels and/or a back rest for movement to a horizontal position or positions slightly inclined to the horizontal.

The back frame of said supporting frame is designated generally as H and comprises an upper horizontal portion [2, a pair of upright portions l3 and I4, and a pair of lower horizontal portions l5 and I6. Said upright portions l3 and i l are both at right angles to said upper -horizontal portion l2 but are in parallel spaced.

relation to each other. In turn, the lower horizontal portions l5 and 16 are also in parallel spaced relation to each other and are each respectively perpendicular to said upright portions l3 and M. The side supports l7 and I8 are shown as having an inverted U-shape. Side support l'i includes a horizontal member l9 and a pair of

leg members

20 and 2| while side support 18 includes a horizontal member 22 and a pair of

leg members

23 and 24. Said side supports [1 and [8 are fastened to the back frame Ii in parallel spaced relation to each other as by a pair of

rivets

25 and 26 between upright portion l3 and leg member 20, see Figs. '7 and 8, and a rivet 21 between leg member 2| and the lower horizontal portion iii of said back frame II.

The back frame II and side supports I? and I3 may be constructed of integral or separate portions of metal, wood or other material but are preferably made respectively of metal tubes formed as shown. Also, it is to be understood that the side supports I1 and [8 may be bolted, welded, or. otherwise securely fastened to the back frame II.

A seat member 28 is placed between said side supports l1 and I8 and according to the invention i supported by the supporting frame at a level like that of a standard chair, or approximately eighteen inches above the floor, and is adjustably supported by a plurality of detachable connections at a higher level such as above the thighs of a person seated on a toilet. The higher level for the seat member 28 is determined by the thickness of said seat member 28 and of the thighs of the person who i facing the toilet auxiliary chair and resting his or her arms upon the seat member 28 with legs and thighs between side supports I! and I8 and below said seat member 28. If the difference between the lowermost and uppermost levels of the seat member 28 is six to eight inches, the toilet auxiliary chair can be used as intended by all except abnormally tall and/or fat persons.

As shown the seat member 23 is wide enough to rest in its lowermost position directly upon lower horizontal portions 15 and it of back frame H and yet is narrow enough to be raised and lowered between side supports I! and i8. Also said seat member 28 preferably has its rear; edge adjacent the upright portions i3 and 14 of the back frame ll.

While the present invention embraces any manner of supporting the seat member 28 for movement to a plurality of positions without interfering with the placing of legs or thighs under the seat member, the preferred-manner is being shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

In general, said detachable connections comprise a plurality of projections on the seat member 28 and corresponding vertical members and/or upright portions of or on the supporting frame.

As shown in Figs. 1-3 a pair of

projections

29 and 39 extend laterally from one side edge of the seat member 28 and a corresponding pair of projections, not shown, extend from the other side edge of said seat member 28. A pair of laterally notched vertical members 3! and 32 are mounted between horizontal member IQ of side support I? and lower horizontal portion l5 of back frame H and are respectively adjacent the front and rear of the chair. A second pair of laterally notched

vertical members

33 and 34 are similarly mounted between horizontal member 22 and lower horizontal portion It; at the other side of the chair. Said vertical members 31-4-34 may be attached to the supporting frame by means of screws 35 or in any other convenient manner such as welding or riveting.

t will be evident from Fig. 1 that the seat member 28 can be raised to a higher level merely by pulling it forward, raising the same to the desired level and then pushing said seat member 28 backward so that the lateral projections, like 29 and 3!), thereon enter corresponding higher level notches in vertical members 3!34. Said lateral projections, such as 29 and 30, may have the outer end bent to limit lateral movement of the seat member 28 when the detachable connections are engaged.

Engagement of the detachable connections when in an adjusted position for a selected level of the seat member 28 can be efiected by one or more resilient means operatively connected between the supporting frame and said seat member 28 and arranged to urge said detachable connections into engagement. Since such resilient means should function at various levels of the seat member 23, it is preferred to provide a slidable connection between said resilient means and the supporting frame. An unusually simple but effective way of so arranging such resilient means is shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Since it is rarely if ever desired to raise the seat level less than about four inches a few of the lower lateral notches may be omitted from the vertical members as shown with respect to the vertical member 3! in Figs. 7 and 8. The resilient means above mentioned may most advantageously be enclosed within either or both of upright portions I3 and M which for that purpose are provided with a vertical slot 36. A headed stud 3! is mounted in the rear edge of seat member 28 and extends through slot 36 into the interior of the upright portion l3 and/or M. A curved leaf spring 38 has its center portion bearing against the head of stud 31 and has its opposite ends bearing against the slotted Wall of the upright portion [3. When such a resilient means is provided it is no longer necessary to push the seat member 28 backward to engage the detachable connections because the resilient means automatically does so.

A further improvement according to the invention is a consolidation of the resilient means just described and the pair of rearward series of b asedei i detachable connections including vertical member 3:! and 33, and the corresponding lateral projections, such as29, on the seat member 28. To this end 'the upright portions 13 and I 4 of the back frame H are each provided, on the sides adjacent the edge of seat member 28, with a vertical slot having vertical spaced enlargements, such as slot 39 and enlargements 48 shown in Fig. 10. A headed'stud 4! is threadedinto a bushing .42 within the rear edge of-seat member 28. The headed'stud 4| has a shank 4-3 which fits "into the enlargements 4.8 in slot 39-and which is provided with a pair of opposite recesses to form a restricted portion 44. A coil spring 45 encircles shank 43 of stud 4| and a washer 48 is interposed between said spring 45 and the slotted wall :of the tubular upright portion I3. A screw plug 4! in the side of upright portion l3 can be removed 'to facilitate the assembly 'of the resilient means within said upright portion [3 and the attachment of headed stud 44 to the seat member 28.

The vertical slot 39 has a length corresponding to the overall vertical adjustment of seat member 28 and enlargements 48 are provided at vertically spaced locations accordingto the height and number of seat levels desired. Normally the spring 45 holds the shank 43 within enlargement 48 so that the pair of headed studs, like stud 4|, support the rear edge of seat member 28. order to change the seat level the seat member 28 is pulled forwardly to bring restricted portion "44 in line with the edge'of slot 39 so that the stud 4| can be moved along said slot 39. Of course, the forward movement of seat member 28 also disengages the lateral projections from the forward pair of laterally notched vertical members 32-and 34 so that the seat member '28 can be moved 'up or down to the desired level. When the desired seat level is found the seat member 28 is released and the resilient means or coil springs within the sup-porting frame simultaneously move the lateral projections into engagement with said

vertical members

32 and 34 and also draw the shanks 43 into engagement with the enlargements 48 at the adjusted or desired level. Thus "the seat member is supported at four points and at any of several selected levels by four detachable connections which are brought into engagement by 'a resilient means housed within the frame of the chair.

The back rest of the multiple purpose chair according to the invention also has a standard position and an operative or head rest position. *The back rest 48 is mounted upon the back frame I], is preferably shaped and proportioned to lie between the upright portions [3 and I4 and is movable to an operative position over the seat member 28. Said back rest 48 may be operatively connected to said back frame H in any convenient manner such as by a pair of hinge members 48 each having a central circular portion 58 journaled on the upper horizontal portion I2 'and' each having its ends 5| fastened to back rest '48 by'a pair of bolts 52. Preferably said back rest 48 is provided with recesses 53 for receiving the ends 5| of the hinge members 49.

,In order to vary the extent that the back rest 48 overlies the seat member 28, adjustable connections are provided between said back rest 48 andv saidhinges 49. For this purpose the back rest48 isprovided near its upperedge with a .plurality of equally spacedholes 54 which arein .alignment .and, the ends .5 l of. hinge 'members 49 are also provided with a plurality of holes "55 6 similarl-yspaced. Any one or more of said holes 54 and can be placed in registry to vary the spacing of the back rest 48 from upper horizontal portion 42 and one or more bolts 52 inserted to maintain the adjusted position.

A brace means is operatively connected betweensaid back frame ll and back rest 48 for supporting the latter in operative position and permitting folding of said back rest 48 to a vertical or standard position between upright portions [3 and of back frame I I. Such a brace means should not interfere with the hands or arms of the person using seat member '28 as a rest and should be adjustable to provide different inclinations for the operative position of the back rest 48.

As shown, the brace means comprises a brace member 55 and an abutment 5'! which is on the rear face of back rest 48. The brace member 56 is preferably U-shaped and has a cross portion 58, side :portions 58 perpendicular thereto, and ends 60 bent at right angles outwardly to said side portions 59. The inner sides of upright portions 53 and I4 of the back frame H are each provided with a hole 6| adapted to receive ends 68 of brace member 56. A plurality of such holes 6| may be provided in vertical spaced relationalong said upright portions 13 and I4 so that the ends 64 of brace member .56 may be inserted at different elevations for a purpose presently to be described. The abutment 51" is preferably formed of a strip 62 fastened by screws 63 to the rear surface of back rest 48 and at each end has a tooth 84 with a gradually inclined face '65 and an abruptly inclined face 66, see Fig. 6a. A;spring guidestrip-Bl is fastened at its ends by screws '88 to the rear face of back rest 48 and extends transversely of abutment 5? and cross portion '58 of brace member 56. Said strap 81 is rather lightly biased toward the rear face of back rest 48 so as to urge said cross portion 58 toward said rear face of back rest 48, see Fig. 6.

The use and. operation of the multiple purpose chair willnow be described. When ready for use as a regular chair, the seat member 28 is in its lowermost position, resting directly upon said lower horizontal portions l5 and i6 oftheback frame ll, and the back rest 48 is in its vertical position. It should'be noted that the ends 68 of brace member 56 act as stops to prevent the back rest 48 from swinging backwardly through the back frame I I and the frictionalengagement between cross portion 58 of brace member 56 and the spring guide strip 5? tends to prevent free forward swinging of the back rest 43 when the chair is moved. Under these conditions, best shown in Fig. 1,.the multiple purpose chair can be used in a normal fashion because the seat member 28 and-back rest 48 are in thepositions for such parts of a regula chair.

When used as a toilet auxiliary chair by a -,1:; .erson seated. on atoilet .as depicted in Fig.3, "the chair is placed facing the user and the seat The higher level for the chair seat provides space for the legs, knees, and/or thighs of the .useran'd allowsxthe toilet auxiliary chairtolbe .moved" to a position which best suits .the user and soth'at' the weight of'the upperbody maybe placed upon the chair to relieve such weight from the lower body and provide the proper relaxation to assist and facilitate evacuation even though considerable time is required.

At times as in the case of invalids, elderly persons and convalescents, it may also be desirable to provide a support for the head. In such event the back rest 48 is swung outwardly whereupon the brace member 56 is also swung outwardly and cross portion 58 moves across the rear face of back rest 48, being urged thereagainst by spring guide strip Said cross portion 58 is moved against the action of said spring guide strip 6] by inclined face 55 as raising of the back rest 48 is continued. Finally, said cross portion 58 is pressed against the rear face of back rest 48 on the other side of abutment 57 and, when raising movement is discontinued, the Weight or .said back rest 48 and any additional weight thereon brings the abruptly inclined face 66 oz" abutment 5! and the cross portion 58 of brace member 56 into engagement. As a result the brace member 56, which is connected to the supporting frame of the chair, constitutes a support for the back or head rest 18. The user may now rest his or her head upon rest 48, also as illustrated in Fig. 3, and thereby further transfer the weight of the upper body to the toilet auxiliary chair additionally to ease and assist evacuation.

The center pair of holes 6!, see Fig. 6, are located so that cross portion 53, engages abut- .ment 5! when the back or head rest 68 is in a horizontal position. However, the head rest may provide better support to the user at some other angle and/or if relatively nearer to the user. In the latter event the attachment of the hinge members 49 to the back rest 48 is adjusted as previously explained. When a different angle for rest 48 is desired, the side portions 55 of brace member 56 are sprung inwardly to retract ends 60 from holes 6i and said ends are inserted into a lower or higher set of holes. Whereupon t e back or headrest 48 will have an upward or downward inclination. Also this same adjustment of the inclination of the back rest in its operative position is very useful when the rest is to be used as a Writing stand or desk. 7

In addition to mounting the rear edge of back rest 58 for horizontal adjustment with respect to the hinge members d8, it may be desirable so to mount said back rest :8 that its elevation as well as its horizontal or inclined positions can be varied. One such arrangement of the hinge connection for back rest 58 is shown in Fig. 11. As before a pair of hinge members 58 each has a circular portion 55 encircling the upper horizontal portion l2 of back frame H and each has ends 5|. However, the ends 5| are provided with vertically spaced bayonet slots 55. A hinge bar '15 has a pair of headed studs H adapted to enter and engage any pair of corresponding bayonet slots 69. A hinge part 12 is pivotally connected by a pintle T3 to hinge bar 10 and is provided with a plurality of holes is in spaced alignment corresponding to that of holes 54 in back rest 48. Bolts 52 are inserted through any one or more of registering holes 5 1 and i i to fasten the back rest 48 in various horizontal relative positions with respect to hinge assembly 72 and iii. The back rest d8 may be supported by the brace means in a horizontal or inclined position as already explained. If the elevation of said back rest 48 is not quite right, the headed studs 11 are removed from one pair of bayonet slots 69 and reinserted in another pair of them.

7 an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Again the ends 60 of side portions 59 can be changed to engage others of holes 6| in upright portions l3 and 14 either to support back rest 48 in a horizontal position or at some desired inclination.

While not constituting a feature of the invention, it is understood that the seat member 28 and back or head rest 48 may be covered, padded, or otherwise specially formed as desired.

After use themultiple purpose or toilet auxiliary chair may be returned to its original form. Upon slightly lifting the back rest 48 and pressing downwardly on side portions 59, the cross portion 58 will clear the abutment 51 and the back rest 48 is swung downwardly until it abuts the ends 60 of the brace member 56. Also the seat member 28 may be returned to its lowermost or standard level in a manner already explained.

If it is desired to disguise the nature of the multiple purpose or toilet auxiliary chair the side supports ll and I8 and/or the back frame H may be upholstered or covered in any desired fashion.

One of the special advantages of the multiple purpose chair according to the invention over known chairs with adjustable parts is the ability to adjust the level of the seat member 23 with respect to the operative position of the back or head rest 48. Since certain refinements or alterations can be made in the multiple purpose chair without departing from the spirit of my inven tion, the present disclosure is to be construed in The scope of the invention is defined in the claims which follow.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A multiple purpose chair comprising a supporting frame having two side members and a back frame including a cross portion above said side members and connected to each of said side members to maintain them in parallel spaced relation without obstructing the space therebetween, a seat member adjustably connected between said side members, movable to a level like that of a standard chair and movable to a level which is above the thighs of a person seated on a toilet, and a back member mounted upon said back frame, movable to an upright position like that of the back rest of a standard chair and within said back frame and movable to a horizontal position to form a head rest for a person seated on a toilet and using said seat member as an arm rest, said cross portion of the back frame and said seat member being the only cross connections between the respective side members.

V 2. A multiple purpose chair comprising a supporting frame having two inverted U -shaped side members and an inverted U-shaped back frame including a cross portion above said side members and including legs connected respectively to one leg of each of said side members, a seat member adjustably connected to said side memhere for movement from the seat level of a standard chair to a level which is above the thighs of a person seated on a toilet, and a back member operatively connected to said back support and movable to a position above said seat member to form a head rest for a person seated on a toilet and using said seat member as an arm rest.

3. A multiple purpose chair comprising two side members and a back frame including a cross portion above saidside members and connected to each of said side members to maintain them in parallel spaced relation without obstructing the space therebetween, a seat member adjustable from a lowermost position which is at a standard height to any one of several upper posi tions which is at a level above the thighs of a person seated on a toilet, a back member mounted upon said back frame adapted in upright position to constitute a back rest and movable to an operative position over said seat member to form a head rest for a person seated on a toilet and using said seat member as an arm rest, and brace means operatively connected between said back frame and said back rest and for holding the same in said operative position over said seat member, said cross portion, said seat member and said brace means being the only cross con nections between the respective side members.

4. A' multiple purpose chair comprising a supporting frame having two inverted U-shaped side members and an inverted U-shaped back frame including legs connected respectively to one leg of each of said side members and including a cross portion above said side members to maintain them in parallel spaced relation without obstructing the space therebetween, and a seat member adjustably connected between said side members, and movable to a level like that of a standard chair with said side members substantially above said seat member and to a level which is above the thighs of a seated person facing the chair, said cross portion and seat member constituting the only cross connections between the respective side members.

'5. A multiple purpose chair comprising a frame having a plurality of vertical members each provided with vertically spaced openings, a seat member within said frame and having edges adjacent said vertical members, a plurality of projections extending from the edges of said seat member and for detachabl', engaging the openings in said vertical members, and resilient means attached to said seat member and slidably connected to said frame for urging the projections on said seat member into engagement with the openings in said vertical members.

6. A multiple purpose chair comprising a supporting frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright hollow portions, a seat member within said supporting frame, a plurality of detachable connections between said supporting frame and said seat member for supporting said seat member at various levels and adapted to be disengaged by movement of said seat member in its own plane, and a pair of spring members each within said upright hollow portions of the supporting frame and connected to said seat member for urging the same to cause engagement of said detachable connections.

7. A multiple purpose chair comprising a supporting frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright hollow portions each provided with a vertical slot and vertically spaced enlarged openings, a seat member within said supporting frame and having an edge adjacent said upright portions, a pair of projections extending fromthe edge of said seat member, respectively projecting into said enlarged openings and each having a restricted portion slidable in said vertical slot, and a pair of spring members each within said upright hollow portions of the supporting frame and respectively connected to said projections for urging said projections into one pair of enlarged openings but retraotible until said restricted portions are opposite to and slidable in said vertical slots.

8. A toilet auxiliary chair comprising a back frame having an upper horizontal portion, a pair of spaced vertical hollow portions and a pair of lower horizontal portions perpendicular to said vertical portions, a pair of side supports in parallel spaced relation and each attached to the vertical and lower horizontal portions of said back frame, a pair of vertical notched members mounted between said side supports and the lower horizontal portions of said back frame, a seat member adapted to rest upon said lower horizontal portions at a standard height of a chair seat, a pair of projections on each side of said seat member and adapted to engage said notched members to support said seat member at a level above the thighs of a person seated on a toilet, and resilient means within the vertical tubular portions of said back frame and for urging the projections on said seat member into engagement with said vertical notched members.

9. A multiple purpose chair com-prising a supporting frame having a pair of spaced vertical portions each provided with vertically spaced holes, a back rest, detachable and adjustable hinge connections between said frame and said back rest and for varying the elevation of the axis of said hinge connection with respect to said frame, and a brace member having a central portion operatively engaging and holding said back rest in operative position and having ends engaging any corresponding pair of holes in said vertical portions, said upper horizontal portion and said brace member being the only cross connections between said vertical portions of said supporting frame.

10. A multiple purpose chair comprisin a supporting frame having a pair of spaced vertical portions each provided with vertically spaced holes, a back rest, detachable and adjustable hinge connections between said frame and said back. rest and for varying the horizontal displacement of said back rest and elevation of the axis of said hinge connection with respect to said frame, and a brace member having a central portion operatively engaging and holding said back rest in operative position and having ends engaging any corresponding pair of holes in said vertical portions, said upper horizontal portion and said brace member being the only cross connections between said vertical portions of said supporting frame.

IGNATIUS EDWARD HERBERT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 365,344 Lawrence et al June 21, 1887 647,156 Rogers Apr. 10, 1900 668,038 Duhamel Feb. 12, 1901 1,146,236 Chipps July 13, 1915 1,269,967 Sill June 18, 1918 1,473,702 Guthridge et al. Nov. 13, 1923 1,787,108 I-Iarter Dec. 30, 1930 1,795,119 Hamilton Mar. 3, 1931 1,855,245 Kuenzel Apr. 26, 1932 2,430,656 Wright Nov. 11, 194? 2,465,104 Kullack Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,231 Great Britain of 1899