US2598872A - Foldable chair - Google Patents

Description

' F 1952 v. K. wlEsiTo T 2,598,872

FOLDABLE CHAIR Filed June 7', 1950 M I L [L] v ll II INVENTOR.

Patented June 3, 1952 EOLDABLE CHAIR Vincent K. Wiesztort, Florence, Mesa, assignor of one-fourth to Edward F. Walker and onefourth to Edward J. Aubrey, both of Florence,

.Mass., Hadley, 'Mass.

and one fourth to John Mish, Jn,

Application ilune'l, 1950, Serial No. 1665705 1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a foldable chair and is directed more particularly to the provision of a chair which .is adjustable with respect to the back and is collapsible to a compact position for storage, shipping or the like, and to an improvement in the means for accomplishing the adjusting, folding, andcollapsing features.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a novel and improved construction of the type in which the seat, arms, legs, and back are so designed as to allow the chair to be folded into a compact structure and there is the further provision of a foldable chair which will eliminate the now present objectionable inconveniences and which will operate with amaximum amount of ease and with a minimum degree of effort.

One of theprimary purposes of my invention is to provide structural and operational improvements in devices of the class to which reference has been made, which improvements not only simplify the structure as such, but also provide important and distinct advantages in strength, durability and the like.

With the above primary object in view, it is another object of my invention to provide a construction of the above describedcharacter in which the numberof operating parts .is greatly reduced and simplified and which is compact, all in accordance with the demands and desires of manufacturers and purchasers alike and which is not-only distinctive in its appearance and practical in its value but also reliable in its operation and efilcient in its use.

My invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed in conjunction with the annexed drawings which illustrate a certain form of embodiment thereof, which form is deemed preferable and is a specific disclosure for the purpose of illustrating said embodiment since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results although it is to be understood that, the various parts of which the invention consists can be changed within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the broad aspects and spirit of the invention.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description provides, my invention consists in certain novel features lOf construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out ;in the claim hereunto .annexedand more fully described and referred :to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front .elevational view .of .thedevice shown in Fig. .1; and

Fig. 3 is a small scaleside .elevational view of the device of my .inventionshown in the collapsed position.

In thefollowing description and claim, various details will be identified by specific names for convenience. These .names, however, ..are .intended to be asgenericin theirapplicationas"the art will permit.

Referring :now to the drawing more in :detail, in which similar charactersof reference indicate corresponding .parts in the .several :figures .and referring. more particularly :toLthe preferred form of my invention, I .have shcw'na pairo'f iparallel side rails lll'which are ;held in spaced-:apartrelation by a plurality of transverse slats 12.

The side rails l0 incline downwardly and :rearwardly so'as toserve as zrearllegs fortheohair, as shown in Fig. v1.

The slat members vI 2 areattachedtotheupper edges of the members [0 and I0 and connect the same so as to function as a seat.

The rails Ill are pivotally connected to front legs M- by a rod member l6 which extends from one rail across to the other rail and serves not only as a brace but also as a pivot means by which the legs are pivotally movable relative to the rails.

To the upper end of the members M are pivotally connected the forward extremities of arm members 18 by means of pivoted connections 24. The arm members 18 may carry arm rests 26, all as is shown in Fig. 1.

The rear extremities of the arm. members It are held in spaced-apart relation and are connected by a rod member 22 which extends therebetween.

A back is provided and comprises a plurality of slats 26 which are connected and held relative to each other by means of a cross member28 spaced downwardly from the upper ends of the members 26. The lower ends of the members 26 are connected together by a cross member 30.

. rod member 32, as shown in Fig. 1, with the slats 26 disposed forwardly of the members 32 and 32.

Adjustable strut members are provided which have their forward upper ends pivoted as at 36 to the arm members [8 and have their rearmost lower extremities connected together by means of a laterally extending cross member 38 which extends therebetween and has portions which are receivable in notches 40 in the upper faces of the members ID, as shown in Fig. 1.

By means of the adjustable strut members, it will .be appreciated that the chair may be adjusted and braced in various normal positions of adjustment.

When it is desired to collapse the chair for purposes of shipment or the like, the front legs are pivoted relative to the side rails so that their uppermost extremities are inclined rearwardly toward the rearmost portions of the side rails whereby the arm members and the adjustable strut members are retreated rearwardly, the member 38 being disengaged from its seat in the notches 40, all to the end that the structure assumes the relatively flat form shown in In this folding operation, the back structure is removed from its normal position, the member not being integral with the remainder of the cooperating back separate therefrom, said base including a pair of longitudinal side rails held in transversely spaced relation by transverse members secured at opposite ends thereof and spaced longitudinally thereof forwardly from an intermediate portion to the forward ends thereof, upper edges of said rails provided with aligned notches in spaced relation rearwardly of said intermediate portion thereof, said legs including elongated members pivoted intermediate upper and lower ends thereof to forward end portions of said side rails for swinging between set-up ed at forward ends thereby and in rearwardly declining relation and a knock-down relation disposed at the outer sides of the side rails, said arms including longitudinal members pivotally and swingably connected at forward ends to upper ends of said legs having a transverse back supporting member secured at its opposite ends to rear ends thereof and being swingable between set-up horizontal relation and knock-down relation over said. rails, said struts including elongated members having upper ends pivotally and swingably connected to intermediate portions of said arms having a transverse member secured at its opposite ends to lower ends thereof which is receivable in aligned notches of the structure as aforesaid. After the chair has been v folded or collapsed as explained above, and when it is desired to ship or otherwise transport the construction, the back structure may be nested within the remainder of the folded elements in a manner such as shown in Fig. 3 to produce a compact unit for shipping purposes.

The invention may .be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A collapsible chair of the form having pivotally connected base, legs, arms and struts and a in set-up relation through said struts angularly relative to said side rails, said back including secured together longitudinal members and having a lower end portion receivable between the endmost rear transverse members of said base and having a transverse member adjacent said lower end for resting on one of said rear transverse members whereby said back is supported in upwardly extending set-up relation and held against rearward movement by the transverse member of said arms and is removable for knockdown relation of said chair.

VINCENT K. WIESZTORT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,047,178 DeConninck July 14, 1936 2,468,491 Dorschner Apr. 26, 1949

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