US2562291A - Rotatable seat - Google Patents

Description

July 31, 1951 A. w. BARTHOLOMEW ROTATABLE SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 INVENTOR. menu/1a w. BART/40L OME w July 31, 19511 A. w. BARTHOLOMEW ROTATABLE SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 INVENTOR. ART/me M BAIPTHULOMEW m am A m ,&

Patented July 31, 1951 ROTATABLE SEAT Arthur W. Bartholomew, Plymouth, Ohio, as-

slgnor to Art Rattan Works, Inc., Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of California Application November 20, 1947, Serial No. 787,142

This invention relates as indicated to rotatable seats and more particularly to seat structures adapted for use in public conveyances such as railway coaches, airplanes and busses.

Seats in such public conveyances have long been constructed so as to be reversible in direction, this to permit the passengers to select the direction in which they wish to face or, in the case of railway coaches, to permit such coaches to travel in either direction with the passengers facing forward. In an early form of seat still to be found in the older coaches, the back of the seat is pivotally attached to either side thereof so that such back may be shifted at will depending on the direction which the passenger wishes to face. More recently, however, improved seat structures have been provided of the so-called reclining type wherein the seat and back may be adjusted to provide a variety of positions to suit the comfort of the passenger. Adjustable footrests are also generally provided and these features make it no longer practicable to reverse the direction in which the passenger is to face merely by shifting the back of the seat. Consequently, various types of rotatable seats have been devised wherein the seat is adapted to be swung around bodily 180 to face in the opposite direction. This kind of construction has created several new problems in the utilization of the available space. -In the first place, it is very desirable'that the seat be positioned as closely adjacent the side or wall of the car as possible in order not to encroach upon the aisle between the rows of seats. In the second place, it is important that the seat when thus rotated into reverse position shall occupy the same area as in its former position, since otherwise extra space must be provided between the individual seats of a row to prevent interference therebetween when thus rotated.

One form of rotatable seat which has been put into use is mounted on a slide so that the seat may first be drawn away from the side of the car, rotated into reversed position, and then shoved back against the side of the car. This type of arrangement has proven clumsy and timeconsuming in operation, particularly when it becomes necessary for a train man thus to reverse all of the seats in a car when such car is to be operated in the opposite direction. Various other types of mounting means have been proposed in which the seat is guided along cam-ways as it rotates in order automatically to shift such seat toward the aisle during rotation to prevent interference with the side of the car. In all such forms with which I am familiar, the construc- 5 Claims. (01. -96) tion has either been unduly elaborate andexpenslve or fails to permit the mounting of the seat sufficiently close to the side of the car.

It is therefore a primary object of my invention to provide a rotatable seat or the like adapted to be mounted closely adjacent a wall or similar barrier and which may be easily turned to face in the opposite direction.

Another object of my invention is to provide such seat structure which is of strong but inexpensive construction and capable of smooth, positive operation.

Still another object is to provide such seat structure in which the seat will occupy the same area over the supporting pedestal irrespective of the direction in which it faces.

A further object is to provide a rotatable, reversible seat having no moving parts other than those which move with such seat itself.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In the said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is an end elevational view of a typical seat structure adapted to be mounted and operated in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of such seat structure;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of such seat structure;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the seat and support frame assembly with the seat cushions and back removed therefrom;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the support or bottom frame on which such seat frame is mounted;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the assembly shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the seat frame partly rotated on the support;

' Fig. 8 is a'fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the seat supporting means; 7

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line-9+9 on Fig. 4; and

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line l0l 0 on Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to such draw.- ing and especially Figs. 1-3 thereof, the seat there on bracket 13 secured to wall 14 and the other.

end of which is upheld by leg or pedestal l5.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 4-6 inelusive, the seat or pedestal frame generally indicated by numeral 12 in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a rectangular frame of welded metal tubing 16 of square cross-section rigidly supported on bracket l3 and leg 15. Angle iron reinforcing members I? and 18 also carry identical spring latch means L for a-purpose described below. A plate is having upturned edge portions. 20 and 2E is welded to opposite sides of rectangular tubular frame it forming a bridge therebetween. A straight rack 22 is fixedly secured to the upper surface of such plate and a slot 23 is cut in the plate parallel to such rack.

The seat frame proper, which is adapted to be mounted on the supporting frame just described, is also of welded tubular construction comprising front and rear members 24 and 25 respectively joined by cross members 23, 21', and 25, the rear ends of which are turned up to form the brackets I mentioned above as carrying the frame which supports the'seat back. Auxiliary cross braces 29, 30, 3! and 32 serve to increase rigidity of the structure. As best shown in Figs. 4, 9, and 10, a fiat plate is welded to the underside of tubular frame members 35, 21', and 3! adjacent the point of juncture of the latter and a gear segment 3% is secured to the underside thereof as by means of screws or bolts 35. A downwardly projecting stud 3B is non-rotatably secured in the center of such gear adapted to enter and fit guide slot 23 in plate H9. The relative dimensions and locations of rack 22, slot 23, gear segment 34 and stud 36 are such that engagement of the stud in the slot serves to maintain the teeth of the gear segment in mesh with the teeth of rack 22 throughout relative rotative movement of the seat frame relative to the support frame (see Fig. 7). Stud 36 is provided with a washer 31 held in place by nut 38, such washer being adapted to engage the undersurface of plate l9 and thereby positively interconnect the members of the assembly.

Various types of latching means may be employed to hold the seat frame in one or the other of the selected rotative positions. The type here shown (Figs. 4, 5, and 6) comprise detents D carried by seat frame members 29-and 32 respectively and adapted to engage in corresponding recesses in the upper ends of spring backed plungers comprising latch means L. The lips of such recess are rounded so that such detent and latch means may be disengaged by an operator exerting sufiicient rotative force on the seat frame. The precise form of latching means employed however forms no part of this invention, the same being conventional in the art.

The operation of the above-described structure and mechanism will now be briefly explained. With the seat frame in the position relative to the supportingjframe illustrated in Fig. 4, the latching means is in en agementto hold.- the seat facing in a direction toward the bottom of the sheet. Stud 36 is also in engagement with the end of slot 23 preventing any further rotative movement of the seat frame in a clockwise direction as viewed in such Fig. 4. In order to reverse the seat, the operator merely grasps the same and exercises a sufiicient rotative force thereon in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 4 and '7 to disengage such latching means and cause gear segment 34 to roll along rack 22. The length of slot 23 is such that when stud 35 engages the other, end thereof, the seat frame will have turned through and the seat will now be facing in the opposite direction. The latchin means are, of course, automatically re-engaged to-hold the seat in such selected position.

It is obvious that if the center of gear 34, and therefore the center of stud 36, is located at the extreme edge of the seat frame then the end of such frame (or rather in actual practice arm II which overhangs the same) may be directly abutting against wall M and the seat will nevertheless rotate without interfering with such wall and will, when reversed, again occupy exactly the same area over the supporting frame and snugly against the wall. For ease of manufacture, however, it is ordinarih referred to mount such gear center in from the edge of the seat frame as defined by member 2 3 (see Fig. 4r). As a consequence, it becomes necessary to mount such seat frame (and the superstructure carried thereby) slightly out from the wall since the arc A described by the end of the seat would otherwise interfere therewith. In practice, it has been necessary to allow only a fraction of an inch clear ance which is of little consequence. On the other hand, if it is deemed important that the end of the seat fit snugly against the wall, then the form of rack employed may be modified as shown in Fig. 8, a curved rack 39 being employed with guide slot 58 likewise curved to conform thereto. It will be obvious that as gear 34 now travels along such rack, the rotating seat frame will be shifted slightly toward the aisle sufficiently to prevent interference with the wall.

The center of the gear, or segment, is on the center line dividing the seat from front to rear but displaced from the center line of the seat from wall to aisle. The closer the center of such gear is to such latter center line, the more pronounced must be the curve of the rack if the end of the seat is to fit close against the wall. Since such rack is on the aisle side of the front to rear center line of the seat the pivotal action of the seat at any point therealong describes a more shallow arc than if such seat were pivoted on its own true center.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that the gear-wheel rolls smoothly along the rack as the seat turns, like a wheel along a track-way.

The actual weight of the seat is carried directly by the frame of the support and not by plate E9. The means for controlling the movement of the rotating seat is thus not subjected to any'undue strain. While such seat will ordinarily be of general rectangular form, the invention is of ccurseadaptable to a varietyof sizes and shapes of seats which are to be mounted for rotation into selected positions.

I have thus provided a reversible seat adapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane about a travelling vertical axis. The complete operation is performed with a continuous smooth, rolling action without the employment of any individual movingparts, the seat turning as a unit. There is accordingly nothing to get out of order and a long, trouble-free life is assured.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a rotatable seat structure, a support unit, a seat unit mounted thereon for rotation relative thereto in a horizontal plane, a rack on one of said units disposed from front to rear to said seat in its normal position, and a horizontally mounted gear rigidly fixed to the other of said units and adapted to roll along said rack as said seat is rotated, the center of said gear being positioned on the front-to-rear center line of said seat and adjacent one edge thereof, and said gear being dimensioned so that when said seat has been thus rotated 180 said gear will have travelled along said rack a distance substantially equal to the width of said seat support from front to rear.

2. In a rotatable seat structure, a support member, a seat member mounted thereon for rotation relative thereto in a horizontal plane, a straight rack on said support member laterally offset from and parallel to the front-to-rear center line of said seat member, a horizontally mounted gear segment rigidly fixed to said seat member on the front-to-rear center line of the same and adapted to roll along said rack as said seat member rotates, and guide means adapted to maintain said gear segment in close meshing engagement with said rack, the point of engagement of said rack and gear segment in starting position being adjacent the front side of said seat member, and the center of said gear segment likewise lying equally near the front side of said seat member in starting position, so that upon rotation 180 said seat member will occupy the same area over said support with the point of engagement of said rack and segment now adjacent the other side of said support.

3. In a rotatable seat structure having a support member, and a seat member mounted thereon for rotation relative thereto in a horizontal plane, a straight rack on said support member laterally offset from and parallel to the front-torear center line of said seat member, a horizontally mounted gear rigidly fixed to said seat member on the front-to-rear center line of the same and adapted to roll 180 along said rack as said seat member rotates, and guide means adapted to maintain said gear in close meshing engagement with said rack at all times, the point of engagement of said gear and rack at starting position being adjacent one of the front and rear sides of said seat member and laterally offset from the front-to-rear center line of said seat member, and the center of said gear lying equally near the same side of said seat member as such point of engagement of rack and gear, so that upon rotation said seat member will occupy the same area over said support.

4. In a rotatable seat structure, a support member, a seat member mounted thereon for rotation relative thereto in a horizontal plane, a rack on said support member disposed from front to rear of said seat member when the latter is in normal position and laterally offset from the front-to-rear center line thereof, a horizontally mounted gear rigidly fixed to said seat member on the front-to-rear center line of the latter adapted to roll along said rack as said seat member rotates, and guide means adapted to maintain said gear in close engagement with said rack, the center of said gear lying close to the front side of said seat member, the point of engagement of said gear and rack in starting position being offset from the front-to-rear and side-to-side center lines of said seat member and substantially an equal distance from such front side of said seat member, and said gear and rack being so dimensioned that when said seat member has been thus rotated 180 it will occupy the same area over said support.

5. In a rotatable seat structure, a support member, a seat member mounted thereon for rotation relative thereto in a horizontal plane, a rack on one of said members disposed from front to rear of said seat member when the latter is in normal position and laterally offset from the front-torear center line thereof, a horizontally mounted gear segment rigidly fixed to the other of said members and adapted to roll along said rack as said seat rotates, and guide means adapted to maintain said gear segment in close engagement with said rack, the center of said gear segment lying on the frontto-rear center line of said seat member and in starting position lying close to one of the front and rear sides of said seat member with the cut-away side of said gear segment toward the same side of said seat member, the point of engagement of said gear segment and rack in starting position being offset from the front-to-rear and side-to-side center lines of said seat member and substantially an equal distance from such same side of said seat member, and said gear segment and rack being so dimensioned that when said seat member has been thus rotated 1|80 it will occupy the same area over said support.

ARTHUR W. BARTI-IOLOMEW.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,290,464 Buckheit July 21, 1942 2,301,279 Hill Nov. 10, 1942

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