US2565595A - Horizontally swinging auxiliary seat for barbers, dentists, and the like - Google Patents

Description

1951 J. F. COOPER 2,565,595

HORIZONTALLY SWINGING AUXILIARY SEAT FOR BARBERS, DENTISTS AND THE LIKE Filed May 11, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F E 14 W 3 27 I l 2 IN V EN TOR.

(/6: 727951 C 0 ope?" ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES 'ATENT OFFICE HORIZONTALLY SWINGING AUXILIARY SEAT FOR BARBERS, DENTISTS, AND

THE LIKE 4 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a seat for a barber, a dentist or like specialists, whose work requires him to stand virtually all during his working hours, and more specifically to a seat for such persons whose work is in conjunction with a patient or customer seated in a swivel chair. As is well known, such chairs are usually swiveled about, raised or lowered to suit a given situation,

and the barber or dentist must move about correspondingly for the most part. Likewise, the barber or dentist must at times move relatively to the swivel chair.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved seat for barbers, dentists and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved seat for use with swivel chairs, a trackway mounting said seat for movement about a swivel chair relative thereto, said trackway comprising an overhead track concentrically disposed relative to the chair in vertically-spaced relation.

' A further object is to provide an improved seat for use with a swivel chair which includes means for rotating the seat about the chair relatively thereto and means for coupling the seat tothe chair for swivel movement therewith as a unit.

A further object is to provide improved means for suspending a seat for a swivel chair from an overhead track for the seat, which means includes means for varying the height of the seat relative to the track.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, of the elements forming the same, combination and arrangement of such elements, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the swivel chair, showing the preferred form of the invention in operative association therewith;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with parts broken away and shown in horizontal section substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the chair with the hanger and track in section;

' Figure xi is a slightly enlarged fragmentary elevation showing a detail of the seat according to the invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view showing a detail.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, it designates generally any suitable swivel chair, such as a barbers or dentists chair, which includes a pedestal ll swivelly and vertically adjustably mounted in any suitable base i2. The base 12 is supported on any suitable horizontal surface, such as the floor [3. A ceiling Hi is provided in vertically-spaced relation to the floor i3 above the chair [0.

As so far described, the structure is conventiona1 and forms no part of the present invention.

As best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a substantially circular track l5 comprises a pair of substantially circular inner and outer rails l6 and H, which are suspended in vertically-spaced relation to the ceiling It by any suitable hangers [8. Any suitable fastening means, such as the bolts or lag screws I9, may be utilized to support the hangers l3 from the ceiling Id. The track 15 is disposed above the chair it in vertically-spaced concentric relation relative thereto. The inner and outer rails I6 and I! are spaced apart slightly to provide a substantially circular space or slot 2| therebetween. As is readily apparent from Figure 2, the'rails l6 and i! have free ends 22 and 23 which are slightly spaced apart to provide means for introducing a carriage, to be described later, onto the track provided by the rails It and ii. Such free ends 22 and 23 are supported by slightly spaced hangers 28 from the ceiling Hi. When and if it is desirable to make the track l5 completely circular, arcuate rail segments 24 and 5 are placed between the free ends 22 and 23 to span the gaps therebetween, the segments resting upon the hangers 25. These segments may be removed by lifting same from the hangers 2B and out of the gaps between the free ends 22 and 23 of the rails I6 and I1.

A carriage, generally indicated at 26, is supported by the track l5 and rolls on the rails l6 and ll thereof. The carriage 26 is substantially simple in form and comprises an axle 2i having wheels 28 journaled on opposite ends thereof for rolling engagement with the rails l6 and i1 under the same. A support 29 which may comprise a depending shaft fixed to the axle 21 is provided and the lower end of such support is preferably formed to provide a substantially spherical knob 30. A casing comprising separable sections 3| and 32 partially encircles the knob 30 to provide therewith a universal joint. The sections 3| and 32 are detachably connected together in any usual and/ or well known manner. A stem 33 is fixed to the lower joint-providing L2 section 3| and depends therefrom. The lower end of the stem 33 has fixed thereto a cross-shaft or cross-arm 34. A pair of pulleys 35 are journaled on each end of the cross-shaft 34 for a purpose to be described later.

A seat, generally indicated at 36, is provided for a barber or dentist and comprises a seatproviding portion '31, a back rest 38 and a foot rest 39. .A forward portion of the seat portion 3'! is provided with a transverse shaft 40, the outer ends of which extend laterally outwardly of such portion 37. Pulleys 4| and .42 are journaled on such free ends of the shaft-40 toreceive flexible suspension members 43 and '44. Likewise, side portions of the seat portion 31 are provided with eyes 41 to secure one end of the flexible suspension members 43 and 44 to the seat 36. Likewise, lateral end portions of the upper part of the back rest 38 are formed to provideeyesAB through which such flexible suspension members .extend upwardly. As is readily seen in Figures 1,

2 and3, the suspension member 43 extends upwardly throughthe-left-hand eye 45 over the innermost left-hand pulley 35 on the shaft 34,

.downwardlyover the left-hand pulley 42 .of the shaft 40, and then upwardly over the outer lefthand pulley 35 andterminates in a downwardly- .directed free end. As best seen in Figures 1 and .5, a suitable brake46 is fixed to the shaft 34 in the region of the outermost pulley 35and has teeth on one side thereof frictionally'engaging the flexible suspension member 43 whenv a load is imposed on the seat to lock the suspension member against movement over the several pulleys. Such brake .ABmay-be manually released to permit lowering of the seat .36 to a desired adjusted height. To raise the seat, however, it is only necessary to" pull down on the free ends of the flexiblemembers .43 and 44, whereby the seatis raised. Release of such free ends re-engages the brake 4.6 and locks the seat in an adjusted verti- .calposition.

Referring now to Figure 4, it is seen thatthe front central portion of theseatportion 31 .is

provided with a pivoted depending socket 48 which slidably and adjustably receives the upwardly-directed stem ofa forwardly-extending connector arm .50. "The arm .50 terminates forwardly ina downwardly-directedhook the purpose of which will be described presently. The, stem 49 is adjustable vertically in the socket 148 and maintained in verticallyeadjusted relation by any suitable means, such as a set screw 60 orlike well knownlockingmeans. As best seen in .Figure 'l, the seat portion of the chair [0 is provided witha circumferential. series of eyes 52 which are adapted to detachably-receive the hook 151 of the connector arm .53, whereby theseat 36 maybe connected to the chair If! for swiveling action therewithas a unit. The vertical adjusted connection between the arm .50 and the seat 36 permits compensation for vertical adjustmentsof the chair lfi relative tothe' base [2 thereof. .As best seen inFiguresland. 2, thearms and back rest of the chair 19 are likewiseprovided with a circumferential series of eyes .53 which are adapted to receive thehook'5l in the eventofthe major vertical adjustment .of the seati36 relative to the chair H] which is too great to be compensated for by the adjustment of thestem-49 in the socket 48.

Inoperation, it is obvious that .with the connector arm 50 disconnected. the .barberor. dentist maybe freely movable about the. chair l-ll relative thereto on the track l'5. Atthe same timawhen it is desirable for the occupant of the seat 36 to move with the chair I0 as the same is swiveled in the base I2, the connector arm is connected to a suitable eye 52 or 53 in accordance with the desired position, and the seat and chair thereafter moved as a unit. B providing an overhead track [5, the floor of the shop or ofiice is not impeded by a circular track and the seat 36 is free to move over obstacles on the floor 13.

It should be noted that the forward portion of -.the seat-providing part 31 is provided with a pair of laterally-spaced and forwardly-directed end notches54. Such portion 37 is likewise provided with an intermediate forwardly-directed notch 55. Any suitable spindle 56 extends transversely across the forward portion of the seat portion .31 and extends across the notches 54 and 55 aforesaid. The upper ends of the legs 51 of the foot rest 39.are pivoted on the spindle 56 within the end notches 54. Thus,the foot rest 39 is swingable from .the fullline position, Figure 4, to the brokenline position where it restsatop theframe of the seat 38. Likewise, the socket 48 for the stem v49 of the arm 50 has its upper end pivoted .on the spindleifi intheintermediate notch=55.

Thus, the socket 48, togetherwith the arm 5!], is swingable from the full lineposition to the broken line position, Figure 4, where it overlies the seatproviding portion3'l of the seat and is retained in the broken line position-by the weight of the connector arm 59. Thus, when the foot rest and arm 50 are not in use, they may be folded to the inoperativeposition shown in broken lines, Figure 4.

While I have shown: and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other formsand expressions. Consequently, it is not my intention to limit myself to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination .with a swivelchair, of a circular overhead track concentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, a wheeled carriage rotatable on said track, a support carried by said carriage and depending therefrom, suspensionmeans carriedby said support, a seatcarried by said suspension means, and means for readily. detachably connecting said seat to said chair for swivelmovement.therewith as-a unit.

2. The combination .with .a swivel chair, of a circular .overhead track concentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, a wheeled carriage rotatable on said track, a supportcarried by said carriage and dependingtherefrom, suspensionmeans carried by said support, a seat carried by said suspension means'a connector arm carried .by. said seat and extending forwardly thereof toward saidchair, said arm having an inner free endformedto-provide a hook, said chair beingprovided with a circumferential series of eyes, and said hook being adapted to bedetachabl-y secured to a selected one of said eyes tocouple-saidseat and chair together for swiveling movement as a unit.

.13. The combination with a swivel chair, of a circular overhead track concentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, a wheeled. carriage rotatable. on .said 1 track, a support carried by said carriage and depending therefrom, a. seat. arranged in-spaced relationwith'respect to said chain-aconnectorarm carried by r said seatand -extending ,forw.ardly thereof "toward said chair, said arm having an inner free end formed to provide ahook, said chair being provided with a circumferential series 10f eyes, said hook being adapted to be detachably ecured to a selected one of said eyes to couple said seat and chair together for swiveling movement as a unit, and suspension means connected tO'said seat and carried by said support for adjusting said seat vertically relative to said track.

4. The combination with a swivel chair, of a circular overhead track concentrically of said chair in vertically-spaced relation thereto, a wheeled carriage rotatable on saidtrackfa support carried by said carriage and depending therefrom, a seat arranged in spaced relation with re- 15 3 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 61,395 Carpenter Jan. 22, 1807 1,941,907 Martin Jan. 2, 1934 Bunker Aug. 21, 1934

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