US2617469A

US2617469A - Adjusting and locking mechanism for reclining chairs

Info

Publication number: US2617469A
Application number: US164973A
Authority: US
Inventors: Skok Alois
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-05-29
Filing date: 1950-05-29
Publication date: 1952-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 1969-11-11

Description

Nov. 11, 1952 A. SKOK 2,617,469

ADJUSTING AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR RECLINING' CHAIRS Filed May 29, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 ime" STATES PATENT ADJUSTING AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR RECLINING CHAIRS Alois Skok, Pasadena, Calif. Application May 29,1950, Serial No. 164,973 2 This invention relates to improvements in locking devices andis directed particularly to an improved adjusting and locking mechanism designed particularly for reclining chairs.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide an adjusting and locking mechanism of the character stated which can be easily and quickly released and locked by actuation of a single control lever.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of the character stated comprising a, pivotally mounted bolt for actuation relative to a fixed keeper bar, with a pivoted bolt actuator lever which not only functions to positively shift the bolt toward and away from said bar but also functions to lock the bolt against accidental movement when it is engaged with the bar and when it is disengaged therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent. as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing formin a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the eX-' act details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical front to'rear section of a reclining chair showin the present invention in operative connection therewith, the chair back and seat being shifted to full reclining position.

Figure 2 is a detail view on an enlargedscale, of the locking mechanism in engaged position, its disengaged position bein shown in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. p v

Figure 4 is a view in frontelevation, on a reduced scale of a chairstructure constructed in accordance with the present invention, the upper part of the back being broken away.

Referrin now more particularly to the drawing the numeral l designates one of the two side arms of a reclining chair, or similar article of furniture, each of such arms having the front and back feet II and I2 respectively.

The numeral l3 designates the back which is pivotally supported between the two side arms for turning or swinging on a transverse axis extending across the chair at the rear upper part of the arms whereby it may be made to assume a substantially upright positionor a horizontal position, in which'latter'position it is shown in Figure 1. Such axismay be provided by a, cross rod l4 connecting the side, arms 10 together and passing through the seat back l3 as shown in Figures 1 and 4, or any other suit-able means may be employed for rotatably supporting the back.

The numeral [5 designates a seat. This is piv- 3' Claims. (01. 155 -45) 2 otally supported at its on pivots it, which are carried by suspension arms [1, which arms are set into suitable recesses l'la formed in the inner sides of the arms at the front of the latter, to be positioned between the ends of the seat and the adjacent chair side arms 10. These suspension arms are pivotally suspended as at l8 from the chair side arms adjacent to the tops of the latter.

While the seat suspension arms may be made to terminate near the pivots [6, they are here shown as extending below the latter, when the seat is in normal lowered position, and have secured between them the heel pane I 9, which assumes the character of a front wall panel for the chair, between the side arms [0, when the sea is lowered, as stated. 7

The numeral 20 designates a foot rest joined to the two side wings 2| which are each pivoted, as at 22, to one side of the panel [9, whereby the rest may be swung to a position against the face of the panel [9, or to extend outwardly from the bottom thereof 'as desired. The back edge of the rest 20 has a stop plate 23 which limits the downward swing of the rest as is readily apparent.

The seat is coupled at each side, at the back edge, to the lower part of the back, by the two downwardly curved arms 24. Each arm is integral at one end with'a plate 25 which is secured to'the side of the seat and the other end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the side of the back as at 26. Thus when the back is in normal position, the back' edge of the seat will be drawn in against the front of the chair back as shown in broken lines, but when the chair back is swung on its pivots M the seat will move up and forward until it and the back are in horizontal pounit 28.

The keeper bar comprises a long, flat arcuate barbody 29 having a series of slots or notches 30 cut in the convex edge thereof. At its upper end thebar is widenedto form a bill 3|, at the end ofthe' convex edge, one edge of this bill leading edgeof the seat back when the latter is in normalupright position, and curves forwardly and upwardly so that-its upper end will be near the top of the seat when the latter is in its lowermost position.

Fixed to the side of the seat, near the back edgethereof'and adjacent to the keeper bar unit 21, is-the lock unit 28 which is designed for selec- L tive'coupling with the bar at the notches 3!].

sides, and near the front,

The seat carrying lock unit 28 comprises a plate 34 having a mounting flange 35'which is secured,

as shown in- Figure 3 to the seat bottom so-thatthe plate 34 is in the plane of the adjacent side of the seat and is in spaced parallel relation with;

the bar 29.

In spaced relation to the plate 34 and betweenthe latter and the bar 29 is a cover plate 36, held to the plate 34 by rivets 31 and spacers 3.8.

Mounted between plates 3436.to, swing on the pivot pin 39 is a bolt plate 40, which extends downwardly and rearwardly to provide the locking bolt 4|, which terminates in the inwardly directed lip 42.v This lip 42. projects across the plane of the keeper, bar body 29=and is disposed so asto enter a. slt'30 when the bolt is swung up toward thebar body.

Below and forwardly of the plate 48 a leaf spring 43 is secured upon a'pin 4 4 and bears at one end against the under. edgeof the plate 40 t0;

Below the lower horn and rearwardly there from is fixed, between theplates 3436, a stop pin 48 which limits the upward swing of-the bolt 4|. The down swing of the bolt'is limited by asimilar stop pin 49, located above and forwardly ofthe pivot 39, and contacted by the terminal car 58 forming an extension of thebolt plate 40.

Mounted on the pivot pin which is-positioned between the plates 3436 rearwardly of the pivot 39 and in line with'the socket 45, is the bolt operating lever 52. The pivot pin 5| passes through thelower end of this lever and the lever extends-upwardly across the adjacent side of the seat and carries upon its upper end, above the level of the seat top, the knob 53.

Thelower end of the lever 52 carries the forwardly directed short arm 54 which terminates in the forwardly directed, semi-circularhead 55, and the upper and lower, forwardly facing stop shoulders 56 and 5'! respectively which coact rev spectively with the fiat ends of the adjacent horns and 41.

Thesocket or recess 45 is, as stated, approximately-semi-elliptical and has its-long axis sub stantially vertical, while the lever arm head, is substantially semi-circular'and of a' size to position entirely within the recess 45, together with one shoulder;

At the outer end of each shoulder, is an outwardly bulging cam 58, which alternately 'engage, or work, in the socket in'the action of. disengaging the bolt from the keeper bar and releasing it forreengagement therewith.

Figure l'shows theseat fully elevated, in which:

position the bolt lip is engaged in the top keeper barslot- 38, while Figure 2i'showsthe bolt lip engaged in alower slot 30. As shown whenthe bolt lip is so engaged the lever arm head 55 is in'the top end of the recess 45 and the shoulder 56 is opposed to and'engaged by the horn 46. The bolt is thus locked against downward swinging as'long as the lever is untouched.

If the lever is swung forward to the position shown in broken lines the cam 58 below the shoulder 51 presses into the lower part of the re cesst'o force'the bolt 4| down and release the lip 42 from its slot and when the arm has swung to the position shown in broken lines the shoulder- 51 will engage-the end of, the lower horn 41 and .4 thus secure the bolt in open, or unlocked, position.

To return'the bolt to-locked engagement with the keeper bar a reverse pull on the lever 52 will force the upper cam 58 against the upper part of the recess to reverse the operation.

From the, foregoing it will be seen that there is provided in the present invention a relatively simple, easily operated locking mechanism, which can bemade strong and durable and will be positive and reliable in operation.

Iclaimr,

1. In a reclining chair, including spaced side arms, a backv pivotally supported between. the arms,,a seat, a pivotalcoupling between the bottom of the back andtheback portion of the seat, swinging suspension means for the seat between the front portion of the seat and the arms, by which theseat. is movable upwardly and forwardly. by and, uponthe swinging of the back from an upright to a horizontal position, an arcuate keeper bar secured to one arm between the same.

and. the adjacent side of. the seat, a lock carried by the said side: of theseat and comprising a pivotedbolt positioned to follow. the curve of the barupon upand. down, movement of the seat, means for coupling the bolt' to the bar at selected positions along the latter, a lever pivoted to the seat, and-meanscoupling the lever to the bolt by which swinging of the lever eifects movement of the bolt into and out oflocking connection with the bar.

2.. A- locking mechanism for coaction with a relativelylong keeper. bar comprising a lock unit movable lengthwise'of the bar, a bolt plate pivoted onthe unit to swing onan axis disposed transversely of the-bar, a bolt carried by said plate and having-means thereon adapted'for looking engagement with the bar at selected locking means positions therealong, means facilitating the said locking-engagement of the bolt at selected positions therealong, a lever pivoted on the unit adjacent to the plate, a recess in the plate, a head carriedbythe lever andlocsely engaging in said recess, the lever when swung on its pivot from either of two positions'efiecting swinging of the plate to shift the bolt relative to the bar, and coacting locking means between the lever and plate to secure the plate against shifting from its locked or from its unlocked position.

3. Alocking mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein the said coacting locking means comprises a stop shoulder at each of two opposite sides of the head and an abutment surface at each end of the recessin the plate, one of said shoulders being in engagement with the adjacent abutment surface in the locked and unlocked positions of the ,bolt.

ALO'IS SKOK.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 333,052 Brooks Dec. 22, 1885 688,433 Siccardi Dec. 10, 1901 1,160,399 Giberson Nov. 16, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date,

782,066; France Mar. 11, 1935 278,786. Great Britain Oct. 7, 1927