US2582600A - Seat mounting for theater chairs or the like - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 15, 1952 w. E. NORDMARK SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1949 m m m m Jan. 15, 1952 w NORDMARK 2,582,600

SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIRS OR THE LIKE .Filed Jan. 5, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. Wit??? 2 E. jvbrdmark Patented Jan. 15, I 1952 SEAT MOUNTING FOR THEATER CHAIR OR THE LIKE! Walter E. Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich, as signor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 5, 1949, Serial No. 69,396

1 o I The present invention relates to seat mountings and more particularly to mountings for the seats of chairs adapted for installation in rows in theatres, auditoriums and the like.- This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 766,500, filed August 6, 1947.

The primary objects of this invention are to provide improved means for mounting seats of the theatre type between spaced, upright, chairsupporting standards; to provide improved seat mountings for turnably connecting the seat to the standards so that it may be lowered to a nearly horizontal position for occupancy or raised to a nearly vertical position as when the occupant rises to permit others to pass in front of him; to provide such seat mountings whereby the'seat is normally caused to assume an intermediate or neutral position between its fully raised and fully lowered positions, so that all of the seats in an unoccupied theatre will normally automatically assume the same angular position and thus present a uniform and attractive appearance; to provide such seat mountings which are adaptable for use in either straight or curved rows of chairs, and which include compensating means for slight errors in the positions of the supporting standards; to provide seat mountings the partsof which are economical to manufacture, to assemble and to install in a theatre or other desired place, and which when assembled in a chair structure are readily accessible for replacement or repair; and in general to provide a chair structure which is sturdy in construction, effective in use and attractive in appearance.

The invention is illustrated in one embodiment thereof by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a chair of the theatre type installed between supporting standards each of which also supports one side of an adjacent chair in a row thereof, the adjacent chairs being shown fragmentarily;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 22 of Figure 1, the seat being shown in its normal, neutral position in full lines, in its lowered position for occupancy in dottedv lines, and in its fully raised position in broken lines;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section view through the seat foundation, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, and illustrating the seat in its normal or neutral position intermediate its extreme lowered and raised positions;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective .view of the interior of the seat foundation, the adjacent supporting standard, and theseat mountings by 1 Claim. (Cl. 155-85) means of which the seat is mounted on said supporting standard, the seat being indicated in its extreme lowered position for occupancy in this view;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional similar to Figure 4 but with the seat indicated in its extreme raised position.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, a row of seating best illustrated in Figure 1 is mounted upon spaced, upright, chair-supporting standards In which are preinstalled in a theatre or the like and upon which are subsequently mounted chair backs II and chair seats l2. The standards ID are of the type known as middle standards, each serving as a common support for the adjacent sides of adjoining chairs in a row and each being provided with a conventional arm rest B. In the present construction, the chair backs II are shown mounted on plates [4 which are secured in any conventional manner, as by bolts or rivets IE, to a pair of the standards I0. I

Each chair seat {2 comprises a seat cushion l6 removably mounted in conventional manner upon a sheet metal seat foundation or seat pan" [1, and the essence of the present invention resides in the seat mounting connections between the seat pan I1 and the supporting standards In, whereby the following results are accomplished:

1. A support is provided for the weight of the seat and the occupant;

2. A pivot is provided about which the seat turns to raised and lowered positions; I I

3. The seat is normally maintained in a neutral position between its raised and lowered positions;

4. Stops are provided for the seat in its extreme raised and lowered positions;

5. Provision is made for ready installation of the seats on pre-installed standards in either straight or curvedrrows; and

6. Lateral or horizontal adjustment is made to compensate for slight errors in the spacings between standards.

The standards I!) are usually made of cast metal, and each standard is provided with a horizontal web portion 20 having a vertical opening 2| therein. Seat brackets '22 comprise vertical portions 23 and horizontal portions 24 having horizontally elongated outwardlyopeuing vertical .the.bracket (see Figure 6).

26 for securing the brackets to the standard, and

the brackets being secured inrrequiredrhorizontally adjusted position and in required angulariy adjusted position about the axis of. the. bolt 26. It will be seen that the horizontai portionsfo'f the left hand seat brackets are atgaj'sli'glitlylhighei" level than, and overlap, the horizontal portions of the right hand seat brackfis so thatrthe.re-

mainders of the right hand and left hand brackets are at the same level.

Each seat bracket 22 provided with an annulartrurmion"28 arid-a"str'fdZSbo'ch-of which are integrally castwiththe bracket and b otlr erwnieh extend inwardly "from the vertical'portion fi" of The seat pan l'l is -turnaiily journalled 'on -the*mutually'-'inwardly-exten'ding'trunnions -28 'ofthe brackets-22'on-a' pair .of adjacent standards ID. The side walls 30 of the "seat pa-Ii H are provided with arcuate openings or slots 3| concentric with the trunniens 28, 'through'which slots-passthe= mutually inwardly extending studs 29. Reinforcing plates 32 see Figure 7) aresecured'asbywelding fl tothe inner "surfaces of "the seat pans side wall 30 and are provided with bearing ppenings 'ml through which *extend-theztrunnions Z-B-yand-With' 'etherppenings 35 'which'coincidewith the arcuate slots 3 I in'the seatpans "side walls' iil'; Thesemeinforcing "plates 732 have-inwardlypressed-'pockets 36 at -the'upper end bf'the' slots :3lfinto-which'pockets are in- "sertecrrub'ber cushion-'bumperstl. It'will 'be seen "that when t-he seat is inits=lowered-position for occupancy therubber cnshion bumpers tPreston "the studs "29;'said studs thus serving as stops for the lowering movement of the*chair-seat and as supports for-the seat wherr occupied. The studs 29 also engage the opposite ends'ofthe slet 3| to "limit the upward swinging*-m'ovement-fif the seat from its *neutr'al*position shewn in Figure 8 -'to-its "extreme-raised posit-ionsh'own in Figur 8.

cylindiically 'ceiled Spring B8*surrourids eaich trunnion '28. The "inner erfd"portimf w or this spring"-38= projects tangentially and in the'neutral *position "ofthe seat' shown in' Figur-e 3 lcea-1-s against the underside or the a'djacent stud 29. The outer endpoitior-MO of the spring' til also pro- =j ects tangentially and -in the neutral pesition of the seat bears against theuppersideoi the stud 2 9. The-pro5 ecting endportions flil -andi4 B ofithe spring 38 are de'sirablyyprovided with rubber 1185 an integrel-lly fer-med; cross-sectionally harm z45zand1thezstudEZQ. '.:Theiarmt451:being2thus :confined.:betweenatheespririg ssendsfiSrand and loeing n'igidlyiconnectedf to theziseat mamfit'l 'zth'e 4 seat is normally maintained at the predetermined angle illustrated in Figure 3, and all of the seats in a row are thus maintained at a uniform angle of inclination when unoccupied, notwithstanding 5 differences in the amounts of compression on the coil springs 38. g V

- When the seat is occupied'and thus turned by "the-weightpfthepccupant from its position illustrated in Figure 3 to its position illustrated in '10 Figure 4, the arm 45 carries the springs inner end ei'ted through itsierid 40 on the arm 45 returns theseattoitsnormal, neutral position. Similarly, whenthe o-ccuparnt'rises and presses the seat from eitsineutraL-zposition illustrated in Figure 3 to its extreme raised position illustrated in Figure 8, in order-t0" permit other theatre patrons to pass in 20 front of him, the arm 45 carries the springs outer "end portion' 4 I upwardly outpflengagement with the stud'zsand thereafter when the-=occupantereleases the seat the springsnnwinding'" force ex- -erte'd through its endl l'on the -ar=mi555 r eturns '25 "the-*seattto its-normal, neutral position.

. L-I'n ithe1zmanilfacture iof szth-el chairs the seat mountings including the brackets 22 are.preferablyrassembleduto'zthe iseat zat :thei factory. -The ziboltszezii andznutsz l filielailsO assembled looseiy, to ithe standards time thefactory. ,al'l heiinstallaition .comprisesipreeinstallmgfthesstandartls l lliiri a theatre;;anditheneafterzmonntingsitheebacks'on ithe; standard -a as shown; and; meunting-itherseats ..on :the :standards .;in':properly;i adj nsted :position's :by. :"inserting :the: horizontal; portionszgzd pf :zthe brackets-:hetweeh sthe mite-2.11amdithe-- standards 1 horizontal ewebs Zllzrsozthat :the; bolts s-zfiiare' resceivedzini'themitwardly openingsslotsififizofzthe ;-;brackets; and ztightening the nuts' zlr onthezbolts 4G (:26.

;Iiawillitlms be:seenathatitheiinventionepmvides ..a;.seat;:mounting;means;comprisingsa -numb.er oftpar-tsr fomperfmmingzthe:desired func- :tions:hereinbefore.describedxandzwhilezbutsone 1, specific embodimenteoftthe invention. has .rbeen herein shown and described; it .WiHtbB understood .that numerous details OfEt'hB. 00I1S'tl'l10ti0ll5ShOWD =may .bealteredpr omitted; without. vdepartingifrom theispiritgofr the inventionxraswthe zsame issdefined sbythefzollowing claim.

Irclaim a chainstructure 2. 3.3231! of-istandards; ase'at ebracketz mounted onrea-ch standard :trnnnions. on -sai'd brackets :extending .mutually.=iinward;1y ;;;-;:a

seat havingrits(opposite sidewalls;-fiaournalledvon :said ;tnunnions.and one-.oflsaidEs-ide; walls having :an--areuate.slotstherethrough'rconcentricz withathe aadjacenttrunnion;taistudaonatheadjacentzbracket .-extending inward-1y through-lsaidslot and adapted stoien'gagethe zen'ds :of. the :slot f or limiting swinging *movements ofithe seat on the trunnicns to po'sitions wherein the seat is lowered for occupancy or" raised for -non--ecoupancy a cylindrical coil -spring-surrounding sa-i'd: trunnionand'having its opposite "end-portions projectingtangentially to mermally press against o-pposite Sidesofisaidrstud;

a plate secured to said-sidewall of--the-seat-antl 1 having a bearing iopeni-ngthroughwhich passes trunnion" andrano'ther -opening coinciding -'withfthe"arcuate slot in saidsi'de wall, sai'd'plate having amortionthereorfianged "laterallyto' form an arm omtheseatextending inwardlybetweeh the projecting'efidportionspfsaid coil spring and -normally confined trierebetween for maintaining T the-e seat in a meutral position mtermediate lowered and raised positions, said springs end UNITED STATES PATENTS portions being respectively yieldable to move wlth said arm during the respective manual raising and Number Name Date lowering movements of the seat and being respec- 531583 Bennett 1894 tively adapted to 'press against said arm on ep- 5 13871240 Hanson 3, 1932 posite sides thereof for returning the arm and the seat to their neutral positions. FOREIGN PATENTS WALTER E. NORDMARK. Number Country Date 439,312 Germany Jan. 8, 1927 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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